The Western World in the First Century 

During the period surrounding Jesus' birth, the Occident was undergoing a significant revival of spiritual thinking and religious living. People were experiencing a spiritual resurgence and it was a time of favorable conditions for Jesus' arrival.

The influence of Greek culture, language, and philosophy had spread across the Western world, making it an opportune setting for the dissemination of a new religion. The Jews, being both Occidental and Oriental, were well-suited to spread this new faith. The tolerant rule of the Romans over the Mediterranean region also contributed to this favorable environment.

The Jews, a part of the larger Semitic race, occupied a crucial geographic location as a crossroads for major trade routes between East and West. They were scattered throughout the Roman and Parthian states, maintaining synagogues and religious communities in various locations. These communities provided cultural centers for the spread of new religious ideas, making it possible for Christianity to take root. The Jewish temple worship in Jerusalem served as a focal point for their monotheistic beliefs and played a role in the survival of their identity under different political rulers.

The Roman Empire of the first century enjoyed domestic peace and prosperity, although social classes were stratified into aristocracy, business groups, a small middle class, a free proletariat, and slaves.

Christianity emerged among the lower classes and slaves, offering a message of moral redemption and salvation that contrasted with the established pagan cults and philosophies. The gentile world was searching for deeper spiritual meaning, and the mystery religions, though flawed, prepared the way for the subsequent Christian message by offering salvation and brotherhood.

During this time, various philosophies prevailed among the gentiles, including Epicureanism, Stoicism, Cynicism, and Skepticism. These philosophies addressed human happiness, virtue, and the pursuit of knowledge, often inspiring better moral conduct. However, they were primarily for the educated elite, and only Stoicism approached a more profound sense of morality.

Some of Paul's early Christian converts came from these philosophical backgrounds. Paul also leaned heavily toward Stoicism when he wrote, “I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.”

The gentile religions of the era were a combination of pagan cults, emperor worship, astrology, and mystery religions. The mysteries offered initiation ceremonies, sacraments, and promises of salvation, preparing the ground for the acceptance of Christian teachings. The mysteries often revolved around myths and gods' lives, sharing common elements with Paul's early Christian message. However, Christianity brought moral redemption and personal character growth, which distinguished it from the mysteries.

In an attempt to appeal to a wider range of potential converts, Paul modified Jesus' teachings to better align with the popular mystery religions. This worked advantageously due to the following distinctions:

Unlike the mystery religions' focus on rituals and magic, Paul's Christianity centered on ethical transformation and moral redemption.While mystery religions addressed limited aspects of human challenges, Christianity under Paul offered solutions to sorrow, death, and sin, promising a righteous character capable of eternal survival.Unlike the myths underpinning mystery religions, Paul's Christianity was rooted in the historical reality of Jesus coming to earth.Gentile practices often separated morality from religion where Paul's Christianity united moral principles with religious beliefs.

Paul's strategic modifications aimed to resonate with mystery religions' followers while promoting moral growth, addressing broader human concerns, establishing a historical foundation, and uniting ethics with faith.

By Jesus' time, the Hebrews had developed a fixed concept of their origin, history, and destiny. They held rigidly to their national and religious traditions, considering themselves a chosen people with exclusive access to divine favor. Jewish theology was deeply entwined with legalism and ritualism. Philo of Alexandria, a significant Jewish philosopher, harmonized Greek philosophy with Hebrew theology, setting the stage for Paul's Christian teachings.

However, Paul’s theory of original sin, the doctrine of hereditary guilt and innate evil, was partially Mithraic in origin and had little in common with Hebrew theology, Philo’s philosophy, or Jesus’ teachings. Some phases of Paul’s teachings regarding original sin and the atonement were original with himself.

The Jews maintained a strong sense of separation from the gentile world, looking down on the ways of the gentiles and feeling superior due to their religious heritage. This made it difficult for them to accept Jesus' teachings of universal brotherhood and love. They were bound by tradition, both written law and oral interpretations, which made it challenging to embrace new spiritual concepts.

As a result, the spread of the Christian gospel passed to the gentile world, where a fusion of Jewish and Hellenistic philosophies influenced the growth of Paul's Antioch Christianity.

With the convergence of Roman political rule, Greek language and culture, and the influential Jewish community that was dispersed throughout the Roman Empire, the stage was set for the rise of Christianity. Religious and philosophical ideas blended and clashed in this diverse and interconnected world.

Amidst this complex tapestry, Paul's adaptation of Jesus' teachings, focusing on moral redemption and ethical salvation, emerged as a significant departure from the mystical and myth-based mystery religions. Paul’s Christianity offered a new ideal and presented solutions to human problems, promising salvation from sorrow, death, and sin, coupled with the endowment of righteous character and eternal qualities. His teachings began to reshape the religious landscape of the first century, setting the stage for the enduring influence of this emerging faith.