St Paul's Contributions to the Early Church How his Letters Impacted Early Christianity St Paul wrote 14 letters to several Christians, Non-Christians, Jewish, Non-Jewish and Roman communities. He was determined to convey a clear message throughout his epistles* of what it meant to be a Christian, how to live like a Christian and anyone could be Christian. At the beginning of the second century, Paul's work remained unknown or unimportant in some parts of the church while other parts embraced it enthusiastically. A few decades after Paul's death, a key bishop and martyr Ignatius of Antioch wrote several letters but he neither mentioned Paul nor quoted Paul's letters. In contrast, others in Rome, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt embraced Paul's writings enthusiastically and began to re-interpret his teachings in the light of their context, experience, and needs. Among these groups were women, especially those from the eastern churches, where asceticism** was an important aspect of Christian life. * epistle- a letter **asceticism- severe self-discipline and avoiding of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons. How his Death as a Martyr Impacted Early Christians St Paul was horrifically tortured and beheaded by the Romans during Emperor Nero's time of power. After his death, many of his admirers and followers would have been motivated to pursue his preachings. In one of his preachings, St Paul indicated that any man or women could become a Christian because God did not discriminate anyone and Christianity is open for all. His death had shown not just Christians but gentiles as well that he was the first apostle who portrayed the life , death and wisdom of Jesus. He was a letter-writer and intrigued early Christians to break down barriers and open doors for gentiles.