Paul/Saul of Tarsus

A missionary and preacher of the gospel and the writer of thirteen New Testament books. Paul’s name was Saul, but after he became a believer in Christ, he was known as Paul. Paul grew up in a strict Jewish home in Tarsus, a Roman city in what is now southeastern Turkey. In Tarsus, he also learned a trade—tent making. At first, Paul was against Christianity, which was known as “the Way.” When he was about thirty years old, he watched with approval as Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death for blasphemy. While headed for Damascus to persecute Christians, Paul saw Jesus in a blinding vision. After being blind for three days, Paul received his sight through Ananias. He began preaching in synagogues and met with threats upon his life. Eventually Barnabas, a Christian leader from Jerusalem, asked him to come to Antioch, where a new church was growing.

About AD 48, the church at Antioch sent Saul, Barnabas, and John Mark on a trip to Cyprus and parts of Asia Minor (Turkey). They preached in Jewish synagogues but were often mistreated by others. When Paul and Barnabas were ready to make their second missionary journey, they had an argument and went their separate ways. Paul visited some of the churches he had started on his first journey.

After a short time, he began his third journey, returning to many of the same cities again. He lived at Ephesus for three years before returning to Jerusalem. When he arrived, he was arrested on false charges. A Jewish mob would have killed him if he had not been rescued by a Roman officer. When Paul saw that he could not receive a fair trial, he appealed to Caesar. This meant his case would be determined by Emperor Nero himself. Paul could do this because he was a Roman citizen.

Paul was sent to Rome as a prisoner about AD 60. As a prisoner, he wrote Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and Philippians. The letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus show that Paul was released by Nero probably in the spring of AD 63. But by AD 64, Paul was again in prison in Rome. He was executed in AD 66 or 67 as part of Nero’s persecution of Christians.