Editing Openai/67df1cc5-a74c-8006-a155-8d31856aba92 (section)

===== #### =====
* Paul actually had a revelation of Jesus.
* He converted from a Christian persecutor to a preacher.
* He suffered for his beliefs and was eventually executed by Rome.

Problems with This View:
* No independent witnesses to his revelation.
* The original followers of Jesus never fully accepted him (James, Peter, and others were skeptical).
* Paul’s version of Christianity contradicted the teachings of Jesus' direct disciples, making him more of a reformer than a follower.

====== - Paul was working for the Romans from the beginning. ======
* His job was to control and manipulate Christianity from within.
* His short jail stays were staged to gain trust.
* When early Christians rejected him, they were either killed or forced out (e.g., Thomas went to India).
* His final move to Rome was not for preaching but to return to his Jewish family.

Strengths of This Theory:
* Early Christians never fully trusted him (even James and Peter had conflicts with him).
* The real followers of Jesus suffered and disappeared, while Paul thrived.
* The Roman authorities allowed him to travel and write freely, unlike other religious revolutionaries.
* Christianity after Paul changed dramatically, becoming more Roman-friendly (removal of Jewish laws, obedience to authorities, etc.).

Problems with This Theory:
* Why would Rome allow Paul to be executed later if he was working for them? (Unless his mission was complete by then.)
* If his jail stays were fake, why didn’t anyone from those prisons ever come forward to expose the lie?
* While Paul’s teachings helped Christianity spread, they also eventually led to the fall of the Roman Empire (which doesn’t seem like a smart Roman plan).