The Apostle Paul: If you had your choice of whom to pick to evangelize the western world and write much of the New Testament, would you chose on of the 12 called by Jesus, or would you pick his worst enemy? An amazing event transformed the life of Saul of Tarsus from hater of Christians to the Apostle Paul, the great evangelist.
Saul of Tarsus was born between 4-6 BC. The Apostle Paul died in 64/65 AD. What happened in between was an amazing story. From staunch Pharisee(Jewish religious leader), bent on destroying the early Christian church, he became arguably the most influential and important man of his era.
Luke introduces us to Saul/Paul in the book of Acts
Most of what we know about Saul/Paul comes from the Book of Acts. That book, written by Luke, came from conversations he had with Paul, and so, is like a biography. Although Paul did not know Jesus personally during his lifetime, he was drawn by God’s grace into a deeply intimate spiritual relationship with Christ.
Although not one of the original 12 selected by Jesus, Paul was nonetheless a driving force in bringing the Gospel to the gentiles(non Jews). But that relationship was preceded by torment and murder.
We first see Saul in Acts 7:58, when the young Pharisee(Jewish leader) was tending to the cloaks of the religious elite as they stoned to death a young man named Stephen. Stephen had infuriated the Jewish leaders because of his bold stand for Christ. As they killed Stephen,
Saul was there giving his approval, as they brutally murdered Stephen. Saul was bent on eradicating Christians and went to the high priest to get permission to travel to Damascus (Syria) to take Christian prisoners for execution. The journey didn’t go well for the young Pharisee.
The conversion of Saul to Paul
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:3-6)
These events had a profound effect on Saul, who turned around completely and proclaimed Jesus as the risen Messiah. He also began using his Roman name, Paul. All told, Paul made three missionary journeys, taking the Christian message to gentiles in Asia Minor.
Paul writings constitute the bulk of the New Testament
Paul writings constitute the bulk of the New Testament after the ascension of Jesus. He wrote 14 of the 27 books in the New Testament including:
- Romans,
- 1&2 Corinthians,
- Galatians,
- Ephesians,
- Philippians,
- Colossians,
- 1&2 Thessalonians,
- 1&2 Timothy,
- Titus,
- Philemon,
- and many believe Hebrews.
Paul’s epistles (letters) are the cornerstone of Christian theology for both Catholic and Protestant churches.
Paul traveled more than 10,000 miles to tell everyone about Christ
Paul traveled on Roman roads and logged over 10,000 miles in three missionary journeys. On his first, he traveled to Cyrus, Pamphylia and Galatia. In his second, he visited Galatia, Macedonia and Achaia. His third included Galatia, Asia and Macedonia. Those locations are now modern day Syria, Turkey and Greece.
Paul’s final journey took him to Rome
His final trip took him from Jerusalem to Rome, under Roman guard, as he was a prisoner. Interestingly, during his trips, he was often detained, but the fact that he was a Roman citizen gave him rights. In the end, his execution was by beheading, that was his request and right as a citizen.
Paul was brilliant
Paul’s writings are theological brilliance and have had a profound impact on millions of people. An intellectual’s intellectual, Paul reaches across cultural and social lines to share the grace of God, not only then but now. He remains, God’s greatest evangelist.
Major Events in Paul’s journey include:
Paul begins his first missionary journey
Paul and his associate, Barnabas, set out on their first missionary journey to reach the Gentile(non Jews) world. Read More →
Paul writes to Rome
The apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome, 57 AD. Paul, who is Jewish and a Roman citizen, writes this letter to explain Jesus. Read More →