Many would be surprised to know that the two individuals responsible for spreading the story of Christ, the two people upon whom rests the main religion of western civilization, and the United States, never met Jesus. Never heard Him speak, and before either of them started spreading the word of Christ, were overwhelmingly against Christianity to the point of persecuting and condemning Christians to death.

The first of these is St. Paul, or Saul before his conversion.  He saw a vision of Christ on the road to Damascus. After his encounter, he became a charismatic speaker and storyteller, spreading the word as far and wide as he possible could. The bulk of the New Testament is filled with writings of St. Paul. Many scholars believe that had it not been for the persuasive abilities of St. Paul, Christianity would never have grown strong enough to be noticed by the second individual.

Constantine I, when he ordered the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, effectively made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.  To this very day, the seat of power for the most influential church ever to exist sits in Rome. Some say that Constantine was influenced by his mother, a Christian. Others argue that he made the decision based only on political expediency. It wouldn’t be the first time a politician made a decision with the intention of appeasing his constituents. It certainly wouldn't be the last.

Whatever your opinion on the veracity and usefulness of the Christian religion, it helps to understand it's origins. Perhaps these two men were part of God's plan to spread the word of His only Son. Perhaps they were a random confluence of historical events that helped to spread the greatest story ever.

Where would Christianity be today had Paul not made it to Damascus, or had Constantine lost the battle of Milvian Bridge, which preceded and influenced his decision to officially endorse Christianity?

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