Barnabas and Paul

There was a rift between two Biblical figures, Barnabas and Paul which has serious implication on Christianity today. The former was a disciple of Jesus so his words were more credible especially when he talked of Jesus as a human being without any divinity attached. The Gospel of Barnabas which he wrote gained currency in Rome for 300 years but later expunged by papal decree. Paul on the other hand was never a disciple. Though a Jew, he was a Roman citizen and spent most of his life there. Paul's religious dogma was based on his experience of contemporary Greek and Roman beliefs. He came to the front of religious authority in Rome and the Roman Empire, his center of activities. Paul was also in league with the Roman emperor who wasn't really interested in Christianity but was more interested in keeping the empire united through religion. In this Paul compromised with Roman beliefs and legends and Christians grew in number and strength. Ideas such as Son of God and Trinity from the pagan Roman entered Christianity. Church leaders from many places were alarmed and swooped down on Rome to register their objection to the concept of Trinity which they said were later interpolation not found in earlier Gospels. There were still Christians in Rome who protested against Trinity and fearing a split in the Empire, the emperor called for a meeting of church leaders at Nicea in 325 AD to resolve once and for all the issue of Trinity. Some of the church leaders who were known to be anti-Trinity never made it to the meeting. They mysteriously disappeared on the way. So the pro-Trinity group won the day and so it remains to this day.