Harris calls Paul “the most influential apostle and missionary of the mid-first century AD church and the author of seven to nine letters of the New Testament” (H G-33). It would be quite an accolade to receive such recognition, but what makes it even more remarkable is that Paul, or Saul, (Saul was his Jewish name and Paul was his Roman name (footnotes B 1943)) originally persecuted the ekklesia or “church”. Paul went from persecuting the ekklesia or “church” to being its “most influential apostle and missionary”. Why and how did Paul make such a drastic change? The answer to the question can be found in various books of the New Testament, including some letters written by Paul. This answer also helps explain how and why Paul argues with the Ioudaioi was the name given to the people of Judah after Alexander the Great conquered Judah in 333 BCE one of the twelve tribes of Israel and was the name of the southern kingdom after the division of Israel in 922 BC after the death of King Solomon. The term Ioudaioi is often incorrectly translated from Greek as Jews. The Ioudaioi came from or lived in the land of Judea (Ioudaia). Paul never claimed to be a Jew (or Ioudaios in Greek), but rather identified himself as an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin and as a former Pharisee (Philippians 3:5). The Pharisees were one of the four major political parties that came into being after the Hasmoneans claimed the position of High Priest, around 150 BC. They were the largest party and had great influence on the Ioudaioi on religious matters; they accepted the Tanakh and the Oral Torah as a necessity to follow (H 301). Besides being a Pharisee... middle of paper... danced with the Scriptures, and who was buried, and who was resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures." On the road to Damascus, Paul received the call to become "an instrument that [YHWH] chose to bear my name before the Gentiles [ethne or “nations”] and kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). The Ioudaioi or Jews would be considered part of the people of Israel. Therefore, Paul had the responsibility to persuade the Ioudaioi that righteousness and salvation come only through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:12-21). Many Ioudaioi believed that justice was achieved by following the nomos or “law or custom.” Paul argued with the Ioudaioi to successfully convince them to believe his point of view. This was done through his three missionary journeys (H G-33) and by writing letters to the ekklesia in various cities.