PAUL

(gr. «Paulos», lat. «Paulus», «small»).
The apostle of the Gentiles.
(a) Origin and family.
His Jewish name was Saul (Heb. “Shã’ûl”, Gr. “Saulos”). Following the conversion of Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus, Saul receives the name Paul in Acts (“Paulos”; cf. Acts 13:9). In his epistles, the apostle always calls himself Paul. It has been assumed by some that he chose the name Paul because of the conversion of the proconsul.

This is a very unlikely statement, and it does not take into account the way in which Luke introduces the Roman name of the apostle in Acts; In fact, he uses it from the moment in which the work of the one whom they knew as Paul begins among the Gentiles. The most plausible thing is that from the beginning Paul would have had both names.

This was the case with many other Jews, especially among those in the Diaspora (Acts 9:11; 21:39; 22:3). He was a member of the tribe of Benjamin (Phil. 3:5). The reason why his family settled in Tarsus is not known with certainty. A very ancient tradition reports that they left Gischala, in Galilee, when the Romans took control of this city.

It could have been possible that in previous times this family had been part of a colony that one of the Syrian kings established in Tarsus (cf. Ramsay, “St. Paul the Traveler”, p. 31). It is also possible that the family emigrated voluntarily, due to the needs of the commercial profession, as was the case with many other Jewish families.

Paul’s relatives appear to have been numerous and influential. In Ro. 16: 7, 11, Paul has three of his relatives greet him: he says of Andronicus and Junias that they are highly esteemed among the apostles and that they were before him in Christ. In Acts. 23:16 we are informed that the son of Paul’s sister (who appears to have resided in Jerusalem, possibly with his mother), denounced the plot against his uncle to the tribune.

This episode allows us to assume that the young man was related to one of the families involved. The importance of Paul’s role, despite his youth, during Stephen’s martyrdom supports this assumption. There is no doubt that Paul was already a member of the Sanhedrin (Acts 26:10), and the high priest entrusted him with the mission of persecuting Christians (Acts 9:1, 2; 22:5).

The very words of the apostle (Phil. 3: 4-7) prove that, being an important personage, and having at the very beginning of his career the prospect of honors and fortune, he did not exactly belong to an obscure family.

Raised in obedience to the Law and in traditional Jewish piety, as his father was a strict Pharisee (Acts 23:6), Paul also possessed, by birth, Roman citizenship. It is not known why this right was granted to one of his ancestors, whether as a reward for services rendered to the State, or as a privilege acquired through the payment of a large sum of money.

It is possible that this explains the Latin name of Paul. In any case, his status as a Roman citizen was useful in his apostolate and saved his life on more than one occasion.

(b) Moral and intellectual training.
Tarsus, one of the intellectual capitals of the time, was a focus of Greek culture. Stoicism was then in fashion. However, it is highly unlikely that Paul attended Greek schools; His parents, austere Jews, sent him as a young man to study in Jerusalem. The young Jews learned a profession, and Saul apprenticed in tent-making (Acts 18:3).

He says (Acts 22:3) that he had been raised in Jerusalem, where he had to arrive very young. The education he received deeply rooted him in the traditions of Pharisaism. He was instructed in the precise knowledge of the law of his fathers (cf. Acts 22:3).

His teacher was one of the most famous rabbis of his time, Gamaliel. A speech by Gamaliel (Acts 5:34-39) convinced the Sanhedrin not to condemn the apostles to death. Although he was a Pharisee, the great rabbi did not completely reject Greek culture, and displayed a tolerant spirit.

At his feet, young Saul studied not only the OT, but also the subtleties of rabbinic interpretations. He threw himself ardently into the bosom of Judaism, animated by an excessive zeal for the traditions of his fathers (Gal. 1:14). Well-versed in Jewish religion and culture, highly gifted, a member of a distinguished family, the fervent young Pharisee was prepared for great achievements among his people.

(c) Saul the persecutor.
The false witnesses who stoned Stephen commissioned young Saul to guard his clothes (Acts 7:58). If Saul’s role was not official, the story nevertheless implies that the young man participated in the deliberate purpose of carrying out that death (Acts 8:1).

Saul was surely one of the Hellenistic Jews mentioned in Acts. 6:9-14 as instigators of martyrdom. It is evident that Paul already then hated the followers of that new sect, despising his Messiah, and that he considered them dangerous on both the political and religious levels. Full of firm and bitter fanaticism, he was willing to lead them all to their deaths.

Immediately after Stephen’s death, Saul organized persecution against Christians (Acts 8:3; 22:4; 26:10, 11; 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3; 1 Tim. 1:13). His clouded conscience led him to act with the fierceness of an inquisitor. Not content with acting in Jerusalem, he requested letters from the high priest to the synagogues of Damascus, in order to bring prisoners to Jerusalem the Christians of Jewish origin, whom he wanted to take loaded with chains (Acts 9: 1, 2 ).

The Jews had great autonomy in their internal affairs, with the authorization of the Romans. In Damascus, which was under the control of Aretas, king of the Nabateans, the governor was particularly favorable toward the Jews (Acts 9:23, 24; 2 Cor. 11:32); Thus, Paul’s intervention in this city is totally plausible.

Luke’s formal testimony, corroborated by Paul himself, reveals that, until the very moment of his conversion, he hated Christians, and believed he was serving God by persecuting them.

(d) Saul’s sudden conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19).
The pursuer and his companions followed, probably on horseback, the road that went from Galilee to Damascus, through desert regions. By noon they would reach the beautiful irrigated countryside surrounding Damascus; the sun was at its zenith (Acts 26:13).

Suddenly a dazzling light appeared in the sky, dimming that of the sun, and the travelers fell to the ground (Acts 26:14). Paul apparently remained prostrate while his companions rose (Acts 9:7). A voice coming out of the glow said in Hebrew: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is a hard thing for you to kick against the sting” (Acts 26:14).

Saul said to him, “Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute” (Acts 26:15). “Get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6; 22:10). Paul’s companions heard something (Acts 9:7), but only he understood what the voice said (Acts 22:9).

The light blinded Paul. Thus, he entered Damascus led by the hand, and was taken to the house of a certain Judas (Acts 9:11), where he remained three days without seeing, and without eating or drinking. He was praying (Acts 9:9, 11), trying to understand the meaning of what had happened to him.

On the third day, the Lord commanded Ananias, a Christian of Jewish origin, to go to Paul and lay hands on him so that he would regain his sight. Ananias hesitated, because he feared the pursuer. The Lord assured him, revealing that Paul had been warned by a vision, and Ananias obeyed.

Saul confessed his faith in the Lord Jesus, regaining his sight and receiving baptism. With characteristic energy, and to the confusion of the Jews, he immediately began to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Acts 9: 10-22).

Three accounts of this conversion are given in Acts: Luke’s account (Acts 9:3-22); that of Paul to the Jews (Acts 22: 1-16), and finally his testimony before Festus and Agrippa (Acts 26: 1-20). The three records agree with each other, although each of them highlights details that do not appear in the others.

The narrator has a different purpose in each case. In the epistles, Paul makes frequent allusion to his conversion, which he attributes to the grace and power of God (1 Cor. 9:1, 16; 15:8-10; Gal. 1:12-16; Eph. 3 :1-8; Phil. 3:5-7; 1 Tim. 1:12-16; 2 Tim. 1:9-11). Thus, the most convincing testimonies give proof of this conversion. Thus, it is true that not only did Jesus deign to speak to Saul, but he appeared to him (Acts 9:17, 27; 22:14; 26:16; 1 Cor. 9:1).

The manner of his appearance has not been described to us, but it is evident that it was glorious: the Pharisee realized that the Crucified One was the Son of God. He speaks of the “heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19), an expression that is mentioned only in Luke. 1:22 and 24:23; and that describes an angelic and supernatural manifestation.

The claim that Paul was the plaything of an illusion is something that lacks any foundation. But it was not the mere appearance of Christ that caused his conversion either. This evidently occurred thanks to the work of the Spirit in the heart of Saul, who was thereby made capable of understanding and accepting the truth, which had been revealed to him (cf. in particular Gal. 1:15 ff.).

In short, God used Ananias to put the new convert in relationship with the nascent church. The various rationalist theories that try to explain Saul’s conversion without taking into account the personal and supernatural intervention of Christ, avoid the testimony of the apostle.

He states that, up to the very moment of his conversion, he considered it his duty to persecute Christians in order to be loyal to Judaism. He claims that his conversion was due to the sovereign power and grace of God, which, unbeknownst to Saul himself, had prepared him for his future task.

His status as a Roman citizen, the rabbinic education he had received, and his intellectual gifts made him a qualified instrument. It is rightly believed that Saul, despite his zeal, had not found in Judaism the peace that his soul needed (Rom. 7:7-25).

The suddenness of his conversion must have made him aware that salvation is entirely due to the grace of God manifested in Christ. His own religious experience contributed to making him the great interpreter of the Gospel, to proclaim that only through personal faith in the atoning work of Christ does God justify the sinner.

(e) Beginning of his Christian life.
Since his conversion, Saul began to announce the Gospel. His energetic character led him to it, as well as the revelation of God’s purposes, which called him to the apostleship (Acts 9:15; 26: 16-20; Gal. 1:15, 16). He preached Christ in the synagogues of Damascus (Acts 9:20-22). The Jews of the city, supported by the governor, decided to eliminate Saul (2 Cor. 11:32).

The disciples saved his life by lowering him down the wall at night in a basket (Acts 9:23-25; 2 Cor. 11:33). Instead of returning to Jerusalem, he headed to Arabia, and then returned to Damascus (Gal. 1:17). It is unknown where Paul was in Arabia, or how long he stayed, or what he did there; It is likely that he gave himself to meditation and prayer in solitude.

Three years after his conversion he went from Damascus to Jerusalem to meet Peter (cf. Gal. 1:18). He was only fifteen days in Jerusalem, and saw no other apostle except James, the brother of the Lord (Gal. 1:19). Luke offers some additional details (Acts 9:26-29).

The Jerusalem Christians were afraid of Paul, and did not believe that he had become a disciple of Christ. But Barnabas, with the generosity that characterized him, presented Paul to the apostles, and related to them his conversion and the sufferings that he had had to endure because of his radical change.

The former persecutor energetically announced the Gospel and wanted to convince the Hellenistic Jews, his friends from other days (Acts 9: 26-29), who tried to kill him. For this reason, the disciples sent Paul to Caesarea, from where he went to Tarsus (Acts 9:29, 30; Gal. 1:21).

The Lord appeared to him in the Temple, in Jerusalem, and revealed to him that his apostleship was going to take place among the pagans (Acts 22: 17-21). There are exegetes who have claimed that the passages in Acts that relate this visit to Jerusalem do not agree with those in the Epistle to the Galatians. However, it is easy to see the harmony of both stories.

It is very likely that Saul, wanting to work in accordance with the twelve, wanted to visit Peter, who had a prominent place. The distrust of the Christians of Jerusalem towards the ancient Pharisee was quite natural; and the gesture of Barnabas, a Hellenist Jew like Paul, is very much in accordance with his later attitude.

On the other hand, two weeks spent in Jerusalem were sufficient for the development of the events reported in Acts. The order to leave that the Lord gave to Saul confirms the brevity of this visit (Acts 22:18). Luke’s passage mentioning that Barnabas “brought him to the apostles” does not contradict Gal’s statement at all. 1:18, 19, according to which Saul only saw Peter and James.

These two people (the second is also called the “column” Gal. 2:9) represented the entire apostolic body on this occasion. This is the meaning of Luke’s statement in Acts. In any case, Saul and the leaders of the church in Jerusalem then clearly understood that Christ destined the new disciple to be the apostle of the Gentiles.

It does not seem that at this time anyone cared about the attitude that converts from paganism would take toward the Law of Moses. Nor could anyone suppose the importance that Paul’s mission would have, but they recognized the mandate that had been given to him. Aware that his life was in danger, they sent them to Tarsus (Acts 9:30).

(f) Saul in Tarsus and in Antioch of Syria.
Data about the beginning of this period are scarce. It is likely that Saul’s stay in Tarsus lasted 6 to 7 years (see the chronology section at the end of this article [PAUL (III)]). There is no doubt that the new witness carried out missionary work and that he founded the churches of Cilicia, mentioned incidentally in Acts. 15:41.

In Tarsus he surely found himself facing various intellectual currents; It has already been mentioned that the city was a focus of Stoic philosophy. The apostle’s meeting with the Epicureans and the Stoics in Athens gives evidence that he knew well the systems of both (Acts 17: 18-19).

Announcing the gospel in Tarsus, there is no doubt that Paul would adhere to what the Lord had shown him about the character of his ministry. Some Christians of Jewish-Hellenistic origin, who had been driven away from Jerusalem by the persecution that followed the martyrdom of Stephen, arrived in Antioch of Syria, on the Orontes, in the north of Lebanon.

The Roman governor of the province of Syria then lived in this city, which had previously been the capital of the kingdom of Syria. Antioch had more than half a million inhabitants. One of the main cities of the empire, and a commercial center with a very mixed population, it exerted a powerful influence.

Close to Palestine, and at the gates of Asia Minor, and maintaining commercial and political relations with the entire rest of the empire, this city constituted a base from which the new faith, destined to separate itself from Judaism, had to leave for the entire world. The Christian refugees in Antioch announced the Gospel “to the Greeks” (Acts 11:20).

There were numerous conversions. And this is how a church of Christians emerged from paganism was born in the metropolis of Syria. When the church in Jerusalem heard about it, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. With a beautiful greatness of vision, he realized that the Lord was bestowing his blessing on the church at Antioch, even though its members were not circumcised.

Then, undoubtedly discerning that God’s purpose was for Paul to go to Antioch, he went to Tarsus to seek out the former persecutor, and brought him to the capital, where he worked with him for a year (Acts 11:21-26). It is in Antioch that the disciples first received the name “Christians”, which demonstrates the non-Jewish character of this community.

The appearance of a community composed of Christians emerging from paganism marks a great stage in the history of the Church. This would be the starting point of Paul’s missions to the pagan world.

A prophet from Jerusalem, Agabus, predicted to the assembly that there would be a period of famine (Acts 11:27, 28). The brothers from Antioch decided to help the Christians of Judea. This testimony of solidarity shows that these Gentiles felt obligated towards those who had transmitted the new faith to them.

His gesture also reveals that the Gospel destroyed race and class barriers from the beginning. Barnabas and Saul brought the gifts of the Christians in Antioch for those in Judea to the elders of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:29, 30). This visit of Saul to Jerusalem is probably placed around the year 44 AD, or somewhat later.

The letter to the Galatians does not mention it, undoubtedly because Paul did not meet any of the apostles at the time. There are exegetes who have tried to identify this visit with the one referred to in Gá. 2:1-10, but it is evident that this passage from Galatians refers to another journey, after the discussion about the circumcision of the Gentiles.

And Luke places the beginning of this controversy (Acts 15:1, 2) at a time after the year 44. Paul, writing to the Galatians, summarizes the occasions on which he presented his gospel before the apostles who had been before him. , and that they approved it. According to Luke (Acts 11:30), Paul only met the elders of the Jerusalem church on this occasion, and he limited himself to giving them the funds.

Paul’s argument in Gal. 2:1-10 does not require mention of a simple charitable visit. He and Barnabas returned to Antioch together with John, surnamed Mark (Acts 12:25).