The fracture between the synagogue and the church did not occur officially until around the year 88 CE. This means that Paul died a Jew, and the missionary goal of his life was not to destroy Judaism, but to open Judaism to Gentile inclusion. Synagogue worship was at the heart of Paul’s life, and when his converts gathered on the first day of the week to “break bread” in the name of the Lord, it was not designed as a step toward founding a new religious movement so much as it was in the service of adding a new dimension to their life in the synagogue.
