Saul of Tarsus

Joe Michael Pleasant New Testament Survey January 29, 2016 Paul or Saul The man that was once known as Saul is one of my favorite bible characters in the whole bible. He was by far one of the most influential people in the book of acts, and all of the New Testament. Saul was the modern equivalent of a Islamic radical pushing his religious agenda. He was a monster. The lowest of the low in the scumbag world would be hands down Saul. On top of being the tool of extermination for Satan in Jerusalem, shortly after the death of Christ, he was also extremely religious. He was a Pharisee. While extremely well educated in the religious practices of Judaism, Saul was differently a hypocrite. He completely pushed is religious agenda while he completely

On the road to Damascus the Lord intervenes in Saul’s life (Acts 9: 3-6) and he is genuinely converted during that encounter with the Lord Jesus. Under the ministry of Ananias (a disciple) he was also healed and filled with the Holy Spirit. Saul now known as Paul from that moment on immediately began preaching Christ in the synagogues of Damascus. Paul’s preaching was very convincing and disturbing to the Damascus Jews to the point where they desired to kill him. Therefore, the other Christian disciples assisted him in his escape by night (Acts 9:22-25) that he may escape to Arabia. Paul’s missionary Journeys were defining actions of him, he usually set foot with other companions and he endured hardships on these voyages. He was imprisoned, lashed and stoned several times and almost murdered once (2 Cor. 11:24-27).

St. Paul, other known as Saul, never actually lived the life any of us would hope for. As a young child Saul learned to work with his own hands and create tents. Before his conversion to Christianity, he went out and arrested those who believed in Christ. While he was out arresting many, he also persecuted some of the Christians. Also, Saul was one person who approved the stoning of Stephen. Lastly, God appeared to him and he had a conversion of heart.

26. What event prompted Saul to convert to Christianity and change his name to Paul?

The attitudes that was brought into war is different between the Hebrews and Greeks, where Hebrews enter with uncertainty about their success and turnouts, while Greeks proceed with passion and excitement for honor. After Lord’s forsaken, Saul desperately “inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him” (I Samuel 28:6) when he saw Philistine’s force. This led him to resort to consulting Samuel’s ghost, which is a practice of necromancy, something

Saul (later to be known as the apostle Paul) was devoted in all that he did. He was of the Jewish tribe and said he was the Hebrew of Hewbrews and a Pharisee and he persecuted the church for many years. Even so, he was to become one of the greatest evangelists of his day in spreading Christianity after his encounter with Christ Jesus on the road to Damascus.

McDonough, Sean M. “Small Change: Saul to Paul, Again.” Journal of Biblical Literature 125, no. 2 (June 2006): 390–391.

Paul helped this group of Jews put many believers to death and we can see this in the book of Acts. Paul, or Saul of Tarsus, as he was then identified, approved to put Stephen to death by stoning him. Nevertheless, on the way to Damascus Saul of Tarsus finds himself in a life transforming situation. Jesus of Nazareth appears to Saul of Tarsus and changed his life. Saul is no longer! In addition to his spiritual transformation, Saul becomes known as Paul.

After converting to Christianity Saul then converted his name to Paul. Though Paul and all his men saw the intense blinding light it was only Paul himself that was able to see Jesus and hear the message that was only intended for him. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16). Paul was thought to have wrote Romans,1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy,2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and thought to have also wrote the book of

“Damascus was one of the ten towns the Romans did not rule. These towns had their own rulers. It was an important city about 242 kilometers (150 miles) from Jerusalem. It was in Syria and many Jews lived there. Saul needed letters from the most important priest. Then he would have authority. He could catch any believer that he found. People called the early Christians ‘those who followed the way of the lord”.” Acts 1: 1-2. (The sword bible translators notes). He was a witness in the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7. He met with Jesus on his way to Damascus and he was charged with a message to the Gentiles. Ananias was commanded by God to go to the street call straight and pray for Saul who later became Paul to receive his sight. Ananias was

I think Saul/Paul is the main character in the book of Acts. I know of no other person, other than Jesus himself, which shaped the history of Christianity like Paul did. Paul was transformed by God from a Pharisee and tent maker, a persecutor of Christians, and prior to his conversion on the road to Damascus, to a preacher for Christ.

After this event Saul continued to Damascus where he was baptized, after which he set out to spread the news of Jesus. After he was baptized his named change from Saul to Paul. Saul’s sudden change confused those around him, because he was known as one who hated Christians, who went about seeking them out to eliminate those individuals he genuinely considered as breaking Jewish law. Suddenly he was transformed from despising the followers of Jesus into passionately embracing the Gospel of Jesus. No one have anticipated this conversion.

The Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, is a central figure within both Christian tradition and New Testament thought and writing. With such a crucial place, it is vital that we come to understand more of his life and thinking, as well as the world in which he and, more specifically, his theology were shaped. With this in mind, this essay will seek to explore Paul’s conversion and call experience as understood from Acts, and his personal references to it, drawing from them the ways in which this time was significant for Paul’s theological thinking, as expressed in his letters and work. To achieve this we will begin by addressing the call and/or conversion debate, arguing that the term ‘conversion and call’ best encapsulates

This relates to Saint Paul because this is the first time he is ever mentioned in the Bible (“Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.” Acts 7:58). This scene

The conversion of Saul to Paul interests me because I believe Paul is a great example of God’s forgiveness and grace. God took a man that formerly that attempted to tear his kingdom down and turned him into one of the greatest expanders of his kingdom. He is a perfect example of how God transforms lives for the better. Many individuals feel that they cannot be used by God because of their past, Paul shows the world that God can use anyone for his glory regardless of what sins one has committed in the past. Paul is a great example of God’s appeal to humanity and his love for it.