Biblical reference comparison between the persecutions & sufferings of Jesus & Paul

Randy Collins

How would I go about searching my resources to see if I can get a comparison of the ministry sufferings/persecutions of Jesus and their similar counterparts in the life of Paul?  Having just completed a study of Acts, it seems that many of the hardships Paul endured have a parallel or comparative occurrence in the life of Christ.  Has anyone already performed an exhaustive analysis of this?  Thanks for any help.

DMB

Randy, welcome. I have made such a comparison but with opposite results ... and no desire to decry your observations.

1. Paul enjoyed a wealthy father, smaller family, and great jewish connections. Jesus, a missing father (at some point), poor, and only villiage connections.  Fishermen for followers.

2. Jesus appears to have done quite well in local synogogues and even the Temple, just days before his demise. Paul kept getting himself kicked out of both environments.

3. Absent Jesus' final punishment, he happily moved into and out of enemy groups (surprising James) with no apparent problem. Paul was busily inflicting punishment or taking punishment fairly routinely.

4. They both got whipped. No one knows for sure what happened to Paul, but Jesus received the Roman death sentence.

Now, this may sound opposite your take, but it was Paul that contrasted his life, arguing one person made it different. That was his point.