The growth of Christianity depended largely on its leadership. The Galilean leaders were an uneducated group who had never been outside of Palestine. Paul was well suited for the role of leader and organizer. Jewish by birth and training, he was reared in a Greek city and he inherited Roman citizenship. He was also a Pharisee and had been a persecutor of Christians at Damascus. Though at first distrusted after his dramatic conversion by those he had opposed, his abilities brought him to the forefront and after several years he was commissioned as a missionary by a conference of several members of the Church at Antioch.
Impact: Paul’s tireless efforts to spread the Gospel, his skills as a teacher, his compassion, and his inspired writings were key reasons why the early church survived and thrived.