Saint Paul Beyond His Apostles

By Reverend Warumbe

Saint Paul was not always a saint. In fact, we are told a great deal about his violent streak when it came to dealing with Jews who were followers of Jesus. However, there is a great deal we are not told about him. Or at least, that seemed to be the case for centures. Today, with modern tools of investigation, historical referances, and factual clues left in the scriptures, we are able to see new details. A great many of these discoveries will send chills down your spine. While others will leave you on the brink of tears. You are invited to take this adventure of discovery and excitement with us. As we peel back the layers of mystery that have kept the real details of Sanit Paul's life hidden from view for so long. Come and meet Saint Paul, Beyond His Apostles!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Warumbe Publishing
• Release date: Mar 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215248393

Reverend Warumbe

Reverend Warumbe has been in ministry for over twenty years. Including many years of service spent overseas building, planting, and revitalizing churches. In addition, he is an avid reader, an expert outdoorsman, experienced hiker/climber, photographer, and accomplished artist. Reverend Warumbe has also written volumes of poetry over the years. His main focus for writing historical Christian fiction is to fill in the countless gaps in the life stories of many of the beloved bible characters. Thus providing a fuller, more comprehensive understanding of who the people were, or at least have been. 

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Do you know Paul, the mega evangelist? The guy we are told went blind while taking a road trip and suddenly heard Y’shua speaking to him. His Hebrew name is Shaul. Among many other things, he was Jewish, educated, and well-off. It is this Shaul of Tarsus I want to introduce to you. Well, actually, he will introduce himself shortly. Because I invited him to narrate once I am finished with my introduction. Knowing he is uniquely positioned to share his life story like no one else. Along with its rich tapestry of people, circumstances, norms, and upheavals.

One last thing before Shaul takes the stage. I have to be forthright with you by disclosing this book is not at all concerned with getting the historical facts right. I am a storyteller. And therefore I am most concerned with how facts, history, time, place, demographics, cultures, societies, and the people who inhabit each of these aspects can be used as backdrops. This manner of historical fiction allows me to answer a raft of questions tugging at my imagination for decades. Questions not answered explicitly or implicitly in any canonized texts I have read. Also, I want the voice of Shaul to be heard outside the realm of frozen, set-in-stone dogma. Where we currently find his story. In doing so we both, Shaul and I, will certainly succeed in adding rich new possibilities and flavors to this most intriguing topic: Who was Shaul?

Finally, as I prepare to pass the baton to Shaul let me conclude my introduction by saying this work of fact, history, storytelling, imagination, fiction, and myth, rests comfortably within the scriptures from where the seeds for this book were born. Thus allowing us to color in and highlight glossed-over, vaguely alluded to, hinted at, and perhaps even omitted tidbits of evidence pertaining to who Shaul really was. It is there, down in the subterranean strata of Shaul’s story I have gleaned glimpses of him. The real him. The Shaul who has been intentionally buried deep beneath the surface of scripture’s text. Leading the unsuspecting Bible reader away from understanding who Shaul really was. The question going forward is how comfortable will you feel with the Shaul you once knew compared to our newly uncloaked Shaul you are about to meet? Let's start digging and find out.

FORWARD

BY  

RABBI SHAUL

This is my story. My life story. My real-life story. I bring it to you with warts and all. I even added some detailed back-story so that you can finally get to know my origins. Which formed me and instructed my life drives and choices until my final days. What I can promise is that this telling of my story will not, in most regards, be the story you have become accustomed to hearing or reading. With this freehand that grants me ample literary permission and self expressive liberty, I will bring you along on an adventure through my heritage, customs, culture, and my family life. Including a vast array of my most notable exploits. Both as a rabid heretic hunter as well as the man who would go on to ignite the way for global religious dominance by an upstart cult that would go on to become today’s Christianity.

I was birthed into the upper crust of society. Where my Jewish heritage meshed with both my Roman and Greek ancestral genes. In fact, I came from one of the oldest dynastic families around. My pedigree comes bristling with dynastic rivalries. All of this, I am sure you can imagine, greatly impacted my life’s course. I will come back to this later. As I came into adulthood, I was groomed in successive stages of responsibilities within my family’s business empire. This was to prepare me for the eventual takeover of the levers of power of our vast enterprise.

Couple my circumstances with the era, place, and family name you begin to see a few faint outlines of a much larger portrait of me and my world.  I would go on, in spite of or perhaps because of these factors, to negotiate the terms of my own fate. What I didn’t understand at first was just how violent and volatile these competing forces were on all levels. At all times.

It was from my earliest youth that I became enchanted and then captivated by these explosive elements. Why is it that to the very young the flames of desire have the strongest attraction? While always feeling the flames flickering so very close to our wings of wax. Undaunted nonetheless to touch, to feel, to breathe, to join with the flames.

THIS WAS ME, TO THE utmost extreme. It didn’t take much coaxing for seen and unseen forces which had an eye on me from an early age to bring me onside. Going to work on my young, eager mind and soul in order to gradually mold me into an instrument suited to their own purposes. Shalom, my name is Shaul. Welcome to my world.

CHAPTER I

EVEN THE STONES SHALL CRY OUT

"Their black beards and even blacker robes

Swayed and fluttered in the torrid heat. Making the priests appear like vultures circling their prey."

There was no shadow at all among the men in the circle. The light was as sharp and crisp as my father’s razor knife he