Saint Paul authored more epistles in the New Testament than any other apostle. Most of Christian theology builds on his writings at least in part. Few people who knew Saul (Paul) as a young man would have thought he would make such a significant impact on Christianity seeing that he was arguably its most prominent persecutor within Judaism. His impact would not have been so great if it were not for his impeccable training as a Pharisee. We take a brief look at his life, letters, and legacy.
Saul, the Early Years and Conversion
Most of what we know about Saint Paul we learn from the biblical accounts recorded in Acts and from his epistles. Initially, the Bible refers to him as Saul, though he seems to have preferred his Greek name because he referred to himself in his epistles by it. It was not uncommon for Jews to have a Hebrew and a Greek name. His parents may have named him after the first Israelite king, Saul, seeing as they were thoroughly embedded in Jewish culture. Though a Jew, Saul was born a Roman citizen, a privilege he later called on to also preach the gospel to the elites in Rome.
In the Bible, Jesus used his Hebrew name when speaking with Saul, saying in Hebrew: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4; 21:7; 26:14). He also spoke of Paul using his Hebrew name, telling Ananias to “look for a man of Tarsus named Saul” (Acts 9:11). Paul confirms this origin when he self-identifies as a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 21:39; 22:3). He was born to a staunchly Jewish family who seems to have been notable in that community. He declared about himself: “I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees,” highlighting his lineage from that perspective on Jewish Law.
Scholars have estimated Saul’s date of birth to be between 5 BCE and 5 CE. Saul had a sister who remained unnamed in the Bible (Acts 23:16) and it is unclear whether she was older or younger than him. His family was likely well-to-do since he had the privilege of being educated in Jerusalem “at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.” He described himself before his conversion as “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5-6).
It is in his capacity as a persecutor of the Church that the Bible mentions Saul for the first time. Indicating his authority over and approval of what was about to occur, those about to stone Saint Stephen lay their garments (himations — most likely referring to the outer garment or cloak in this case) at the “young man” Saul’s feet. His zeal for this work was great and he seems to have hated the Christians passionately (Acts 8:1-3). It likely caused great animosity in his family when some of their kinsmen converted to Christianity (Romans 16:7).
It is unclear how much time passed between the stoning of Stephen and Saul’s conversion. He hated the Christians so much that he would travel wherever he could to stomp out the fledgling religion (Acts 9:1-2). It would, and did, take divine intervention for Saul to convert. He was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians there when a light shone on him and he heard Christ himself intervene, asking why Saul was persecuting him.
Saul was blind for three days afterward, and the event marked a radical change in Saul’s life. Saul was so notorious among Christians that Ananias questioned Jesus in a vision about meeting Saul and taking him in. Saul started preaching in the Synagogues of Damascus instead of flushing out and killing Christians. This shocking change caused the hunter to become the hunted as others then sought to kill Saul for preaching Christ. Saul had to flee Damascus and went to Jerusalem, where he was looked upon with skepticism. His bold preaching among Christians in Jerusalem laid their fears to rest.
Saul’s earlier passion for persecuting Christians turned into an even greater passion to spread the gospel all over the known world. He went on his first missionary journey with his companion Barnabas. They traveled to Cyprus and the Bible notes that “Saul, who was also called Paul” performed a miracle there, one of many to follow. From this reference onward, the bible refers to Saul by his Greek name Paul.
Paul’s Ministry
Paul went on three missionary journeys recorded in the Bible, though some scholars believe there may have been another that was not recorded. He ministered in Asia Minor and beyond, intending to minister as far afield as Spain (Romans 15:24,28), though his recorded trips did not include this part of the world.
It was during these missionary journeys that Paul established many of the churches he would later write epistles to. He also had many associates that he worked with during his travels, among whom were Silas and Timothy, the latter being a close associate he would address in two letters.
Paul’s ministry was marked with much conflict and several imprisonments. Paul had a conflict with Gentiles who opposed the impact his preaching and message would have on their trade and culture, such as for the artisans in Ephesus who made religious artifacts for deities like Artemis (Acts 19:21-41). Paul also had conflicts with fellow Christian leaders who neglected to abide by Christian principles. In this regard, his most notable encounter was with Peter. Peter, who initially freely ate with Gentile Christians, later withdrew from them (Galatians 2:11-14). Paul did not shy away from taking Peter to task for it.
Paul shunned a fellow Christian, John Mark, who did not complete a missionary journey with him and Barnabas, causing division between them (Acts 15:36-41). It does seem like the relationship between Paul and John Mark recovered since he asked that Mark be sent to him to assist him later in his ministry (2 Timothy 4:11).
Paul called attention to his Roman citizenship on three occasions which alleviated his immediate situation. The first was when Paul and Silas were beaten in Philippi (Acts 16:37-39). The second was in Jerusalem where Paul was about to be flogged by Roman soldiers after causing an uproar in the temple (Acts 22:25-29). The third time was in Caesarea when Paul was on trial before the Roman governor Festus, facing accusations from Jewish leaders (Acts 25:10-12).
The Bible does not record Paul’s death, but tradition holds that Paul was executed by beheading. Several Church Fathers, like Clement of Rome, Eusebius, and Tertullian mention Paul’s martyrdom. He died sometime during the mid-60s CE in Rome.
Paul was a remarkable individual who was dedicated to whatever he believed. That was evidenced by his dedication to the persecution of Christians before his conversion and by his commitment unto death to spread the gospel as far and wide as he humanly could afterward.
Paul’s Legacy
Paul made the largest contribution to the New Testament when counting the number of books authored. Most likely due to his training under Gamaliel, he showed profound insight into theological matters. Sometimes he claimed divine revelation for his position and teaching. Examples are the gospel message he preached (Galatians 1:11-12), the inclusion of Gentiles (Ephesians 3:2-6), and the Lord’s supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Paul engaged with the more complicated aspects of the Christian faith which even some of his fellow apostles struggled to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16). It would be impossible to engage with Christian theology to a significant degree without studying the works of Paul. He contributes much to how Christianity understands the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and the relation between the Old and New Covenant. Particularly on the role of the law in the life of believers, his epistles to the Romans and the Galatians are invaluable.
Many Christian doctrines are based on his letters. His epistles underpin some of the most notable teachings of Christianity such as the fruit of the spirit, the gifts of the spirit, the armor of God, and the gift of tongues.
Paul did not only leave a legacy to Theology. He was the inspiration behind a plethora of artworks throughout the Christian age. Notable artists such as Michaelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, El Greco, and others have created works of art in his honor, commemorating major events during his ministry.
Considering that he was not one of the twelve disciples and therefore not an eyewitness to the ministry of Jesus, it is remarkable that Paul made the indelible mark on the Christian faith that he did. His life, letters, and legacy suggest divine intervention that reverberated through the ages and informs theology in the Christian faith to this day.
