About this video

• Video Title: The Story of Paul Does Not Make Any Sense Until... | Prof Jiang Explains
• Channel: Prof Jiang Explains
• Speakers: Prof Jiang
• Duration: 00:23:13

Overview

This video explores the historical and theological significance of Paul the Apostle, arguing that he, rather than Jesus, is the true founder of Christianity. The presenter, Prof Jiang, examines inconsistencies in Paul's conversion story and his divergence from Jesus' teachings, proposing theories such as Paul being a Roman spy or an organizer focused on institutionalizing the religion. The video also discusses how Paul's reinterpretation of Jewish beliefs and traditions fundamentally altered the religion, ultimately leading to the establishment of the modern church.

Key takeaways

• Paul as the Founder: The video posits that Paul, a Hellenized Jew in the Roman Empire, is the true founder of Christianity due to his significant contributions to the New Testament and the establishment of the religion's structure, rather than Jesus himself.
• Divergent Messages: A key argument is that Jesus' message focused on inner divinity and good deeds for salvation, while Paul's message centered on belief in Jesus as the sole path to salvation, a stark contrast that raises questions about Paul's motives.
• Organizational Focus: Unlike Jesus' spiritual teachings, Paul's emphasis was on organizing the church, attracting members, and managing internal affairs, likened to a franchise model exemplified by McDonald's expansion.
• The "Spy Theory": One of the presented theories suggests Paul may have been a Roman spy aiming to co-opt and neutralize the potentially disruptive Jewish fanaticism by creating a more manageable religion that integrated with the Roman Empire.
• Reinterpretation of Jewish Beliefs: Paul is presented as adapting core Jewish beliefs (purity, persecution complex, and the Messiah) to defuse the messianic fervor and facilitate assimilation into the Roman world, thereby saving his people by making Judaism more palatable within the empire.
• Transformation of Faith and Tradition: The video highlights how Paul redefined faith from personal experience to belief, introduced the concept of miracles to explain biblical inconsistencies, and elevated tradition above scripture, laying the groundwork for the Catholic Church.

The video uses the McDonald's analogy to illustrate how Paul, like Ray Croc, applied a "franchise model" to spread his message. Just as Ray Croc scaled McDonald's from a single restaurant into a global empire by convincing others to open franchises with the promise of wealth and the "American dream," Paul is depicted as a convincing "salesman" who traveled and convinced people to believe in Jesus, promising them salvation. This organizational and scalable approach, focused on expansion and appealing to followers' desires, is presented as a key similarity between Paul's strategy and the business model of McDonald's.