Apostle to the Gentiles, missionary, author of 13 New Testament epistles
c. AD 5 – c. AD 64–67 · New Testament
The Pharisee who hunted Christians, met the risen Christ on the Damascus road, and became the greatest missionary of the early church and author of nearly half the New Testament.
Saul of Tarsus was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, trained under the great rabbi Gamaliel in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3), a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:28), and a tentmaker by trade (Acts 18:3). He persecuted the early Christian church with zeal — present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), entering houses and dragging believers to prison (Acts 8:3). 'I persecuted this way unto the death' (Acts 22:4). On the road to Damascus, traveling to arrest more Christians, the risen Christ appeared in blinding light: 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' (Acts 9:4). Blinded, he was led to Damascus, where Ananias baptized him and his sight returned (Acts 9:17-18). Paul immediately began preaching that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:20). After a period of withdrawal in Arabia (Galatians 1:17), he returned to Jerusalem, was confirmed by the apostles (Acts 9:26-28), and was set apart for missionary work (Acts 13:1-3). Paul undertook three major missionary journeys (Acts 13-21) reaching across Cyprus, Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece — establishing churches in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus, and many more. He defended the gospel of grace at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), confronting the demand to circumcise Gentile converts. He suffered greatly: 'in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck' (2 Corinthians 11:23-25). Arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 21), he appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen and was sent to Rome (Acts 25-28), where Acts ends with him preaching under house arrest. Paul wrote 13 letters now in the New Testament — Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon — making him the most prolific NT author. Tradition holds he was martyred in Rome under Nero around AD 64-67, beheaded as a Roman citizen.
The risen Christ appears
Sent out from Antioch
Defends gospel of grace
Gospel enters Europe
Appeals to Caesar
276 people, all saved
Preaching the kingdom
Paul's significance: (1) He spread the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome — the greatest missionary in history. (2) He wrote 13 NT books, including Romans (the most comprehensive systematic statement of the gospel). (3) He defended salvation by grace through faith against legalism. (4) He carried the gospel to Gentiles, opening Christianity to all nations. (5) He modeled suffering for Christ — beatings, prisons, shipwrecks. (6) His life shows the depth of God's grace — the chief persecutor became the chief proclaimer.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation.”— Romans 1:16
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”— Ephesians 2:8
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”— Philippians 4:13
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”— Philippians 1:21
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”— 2 Timothy 4:7
Paul (originally Saul) was a Pharisee from Tarsus who persecuted early Christians until Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus road (Acts 9). He became the greatest missionary of the early church, founded churches across the Roman world on three missionary journeys (Acts 13-21), wrote 13 of the New Testament's letters, defended salvation by grace, and was martyred in Rome under Nero around AD 64-67. He is often called 'the apostle to the Gentiles.'
Paul was traveling to Damascus with authority to arrest Christians when the risen Christ appeared in blinding light. Jesus asked: 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' (Acts 9:4). Blinded, Paul was led into Damascus, where Ananias baptized him and his sight returned (Acts 9:17-18). He immediately began preaching that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:20). His conversion is recounted three times in Acts (chapters 9, 22, 26).
Paul wrote 13 books of the New Testament: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Some Christians also attribute Hebrews to him (which would make 14), though authorship of Hebrews is debated. Paul is the most prolific NT author by number of books.
The New Testament does not record Paul's death. Early Christian tradition (Eusebius, Tertullian, and others) holds that Paul was martyred in Rome under Emperor Nero, around AD 64-67. As a Roman citizen, he was beheaded rather than crucified. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 — written near the end of his life — anticipates his death: 'I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.'