A Jew and Roman citizen, Paul had been involved in persecuting the followers of Jesus, but he had a conversion experience on the road to Damascus, when he believed the resurrected Jesus had appeared to him. After his conversion, he began to work as a preacher, traveling far and wide to visit Christian communities in Asia Minor. He interpreted Jesus’ words and deeds and turned them into a system of belief called Christianity (much as Plato had done with Socrates, creating a system called Platonism, and as Lenin would do with Marx, creating a system called Marxism).
