People around Jesus

Who Was Paul the Apostle?

Paul, born Saul of Tarsus, was a devout Jewish Pharisee and Roman citizen who at first violently persecuted the followers of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was stopped by an encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, and became Christianity’s most tireless missionary, planting churches across the Roman world and writing many of the letters that make up the New Testament. His change of life is itself part of the historical evidence for the resurrection.

The man who hunted the church

Paul does not hide his past. He was a strict Pharisee, trained in the Jewish law, and he was convinced the followers of Jesus were dangerous. He set out to destroy the young church.

Stopped by the risen Christ

On the road to Damascus, hunting Christians, Saul met a light and a voice he could not explain away. He was left blind for three days, and rose a different man, sent to the very people he had been persecuting.

Historians take Paul seriously because his letters are among the earliest Christian writings we have, some written within about twenty-five years of the crucifixion, by a former enemy of the movement. Scholars debate the authorship of a few letters attributed to him, but a core group is almost universally accepted as genuinely his.

Why this matters for you

Paul is proof that no one is too far gone or too opposed to be reached. The most zealous enemy of the church became its most loving servant, and spent the rest of his life telling people that grace is a gift, not a wage. If Christ could turn Saul, Christians say, no story is beyond turning, including yours.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Paul in the Bible?

Paul, born Saul of Tarsus, was a Jewish Pharisee and Roman citizen who persecuted the early church until he encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. He became Christianity's greatest missionary and wrote many of the New Testament letters.

Why did Saul change his name to Paul?

Saul was his Hebrew name and Paul his Roman name; the New Testament uses both. The shift to Paul in Acts coincides with his mission to the Gentile (non-Jewish) world, where his Roman name was more familiar. It reflects his calling more than a formal renaming.

How does Paul's story support Christianity?

Paul was a committed enemy of the church who became its foremost missionary after claiming to meet the risen Jesus. Historians note that his sincere, life-altering conversion, recorded in his own early letters, is difficult to explain and is often cited as evidence for the resurrection.