Paolo di Tarso: componenti tipiche e atipiche della sua giudaicità

Paul never uses the term "Christian" either for others or for himself. He is and remains a Jew. His jewishness, however, has elements which are typical and atypical. Among the former are numbered, when prior to the experience of Damascus such as the zeal of persecution, or when after the Damascus experience, such as the use of the Holy Scriptures of Israel, monotheism, the eschatological perspective (including the affirmation of Rom 11:26 that "all Israel will be saved"). Among the latter must be numbered the following: the christophany on the way to Damascus, the reworking of the role of the Torah, the mission among the Gentiles, parallel elements with the Mystery cults (both regarding baptism in Rom 6:1-11 and of Eucharist in 1 Cor 10:6). What is certain is that if Paul was considered apostate by Jews and Judeo-Christians, he personally never considered himself as such.