PAUL THE APOSTLE (d. 62 CE), also called Paul of Tarsus, known to Jewish Christians as Saul, was a Christian apostle and saint. A controversial missionary, Paul provoked intense opposition both during his career and after. His letters, which make up a substantial portion of the New Testament canon, stimulated diverse reactions and attracted problematic adherents to his beliefs. Modern research has uncovered the efforts of the post-Pauline church to soften his legacy of theological radicalism.

Some of Paul's letters, such as 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, were edited a generation after Paul's death in an effort to mold them in directions suitable for the conservative consolidation of Christianity. Other letters, for example, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, were composed in Paul's name to serve the same purposes. In addition, several interpolations, such as 1 Corinthians 14:33b–36 and Romans 16:17–20, skew Paul's message in authoritarian and sexually chauvinistic directions. Acts...