Paul (Saul)

Paul was first an enemy who attacked the early Christians, but he later became one of Jesus Christ's most important followers. He became one of the greatest early Christian missionaries and spent his life telling Gentiles (non-Jewish people) about Jesus. Paul influenced Christianity more than anyone else except Jesus. We learn about Paul from two main sources in the New Testament: the book of Acts, where Luke writes about how Paul became a Christian and what he did afterward, and the thirteen letters in the New Testament that are attributed to Paul.

Paul was born in the city of Tarsus to Jewish parents. His parents were Roman citizens, which allowed Paul to become a Roman citizen as well. He grew up in a traditional Jewish home. He worked as a tentmaker (or leatherworker). He studied in Jerusalem under a famous Jewish rabbi named Gamaliel and became a Pharisee. (The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group that carefully followed Jewish laws and oral traditions.) When Paul was a young man, he violently attacked and hurt Christians (Acts 22:3–5).

But then something happened that completely changed his life. The risen Jesus appeared to Paul (Acts 9:3–6; 22:6–10). After this experience, Paul became a follower of Jesus. He spent the rest of his life traveling around the Mediterranean Sea, telling people that Jesus is the Savior and Lord (see Galatians 1:11–16). God specially chose Paul to teach Gentiles about Jesus. Because of Paul's hard work and dedication, many new churches started in different cities during the first century AD. Most of the letters Paul wrote in the New Testament were written to these churches.

Paul believed Jesus was the Jewish Messiah (the special leader God had promised to send to save his people). This made Paul different from other Jews of his time. His vision of Jesus helped him understand that through the death and resurrection of Jesus believers can be made right with God and have their lives changed. Paul no longeBefore, Paul thought people had to carefully follow all of the laws of Moses to please God. But now he understood that being right with God was a gift that came through trusting in Jesus, who died to free people from sin (Romans 4:1–8). He was sure this gift was for everyone, both Jewish people and non-Jewish people.

Paul wrote thirteen letters in the New Testament that discuss many different topics. Some letters explain what Christians believe about salvation and about Jesus Christ (Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians). Other letters help solve problems in local churches (1 Corinthians). Some teach about how Christians should live together as a community (Ephesians, Colossians). In some letters, Paul explains why he has the authority to teach as an apostle (2 Corinthians, Galatians).

Paul also wrote letters to encourage Christians who were suffering because of their faith (Philippians, 1 Thessalonians). When people were teaching wrong things about Jesus, Paul wrote letters to correct these false teachings (Galatians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians). He wrote some letters to individual people, giving them advice about their life and work for God (1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon).

Together, these thirteen letters teach us much about how the first Christians lived and what problems they faced. The letters also show us how Paul understood the Christian faith as being centered on God's gift of grace through Jesus.

Paul's letters focus strongly on Jesus Christ because Paul was completely devoted to him. Paul believed two main things:

1. People can only be saved by trusting in Jesus as their Savior(Galatians 2:16).

2. Believers should give every part of their life to serving Jesus as their Lord (Romans 14:7–9; 2 Corinthians 5:15).

Among New Testament writers, Paul explains salvation most clearly (Romans 1–8). He provides a detailed view of the Christian life and community. His letters also emphasize the Holy Spirit's power in the lives of believers (Romans 8:9–13; Galatians 5:16–25; compare Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27). He encourages believers to keep growing to become more like Jesus (Romans 8:30; Ephesians 4:13, 15; 5:1–2).

Believers should live a life of love (1 Corinthians 13:1–13; Ephesians 5:2). They should fully submit to Jesus. More than any other New Testament writer, Paul shows us how and why Christians must base their lives on the gift of grace that comes from Jesus (Romans 12:1–2). For Paul, a believer's entire life (and the whole universe) centers on Jesus alone. Everything finds its true meaning only in relation to Jesus (Colossians 1:15–20; 2:6–3:4).

Luke's account of Paul's missionary life covers about thirty years. It starts with Paul's preaching in Damascus soon after he became a follower of Jesus (around AD 32 to 35). It ends with his imprisonment in Rome in AD 60 to 62. However, the Pastoral Letters (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) seem to be written later. Reliable traditions suggest Paul was released from prison around AD 62 and continued his missionary work. He was later arrested again. Paul had suffered many hardships throughout his life while sharing the good news about Jesus. Finally, he was killed during a time when the Roman emperor Nero was attacking and killing Christians (around AD 64 to 67).

Paul wanted to be like Jesus in every way (even in suffering and death). Paul died knowing that just as Jesus rose from death, he too would one day be raised to new life (Philippians 3:10–11).

Passages for Further Study

Acts 7:58–8:3; 9:1–31; 11:25–30; 12:25–28:31; Romans 1:1–16:27; 1 Corinthians 1:1–16:24; 2 Corinthians 1:1–13:14; Galatians 1:1–6:18; Ephesians 1:1–6:24; Philippians 1:1–4:23; Colossians 1:1–4:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:1–3:18; 1 Timothy 1:1–6:21; 2 Timothy 1:1–4:22; Titus 1:1–3:15; Philemon 1:1–25; 2 Peter 3:15–16