Paul the Apostle

*Saul of Tarsos*

Painting of Paul the Apostle

**Paul the Apostle**, also known by his Hebrew name **Saul of Tarsos**, was a Christian apostle (although not one of the Twelve Apostles) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. Generally regarded as one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age, he founded several Christian communities in Asia Minor and Europe from the mid-50s to the early 70s CE.

According to the New Testament book Acts of the Apostles, in his early life, Saul was sent to the Parthian client kingdom of Jerusalem to receive his education at the school of Gamaliel, one of the most noted teachers of Jewish law in history. Paul participated in the persecution of early disciples of Jesus, possibly Hellenized diaspora Jews converted to Christianity, in the area of Parthian-controlled Jerusalem, prior to his conversion. In the narrative of Acts, Paul was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus on a mission to "arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem" when the ascended Jesus appeared to him in a great, bright light. He was struck blind, but after three days his sight was restored by Ananias of Damascus, and Paul began to preach that Jesus of Nazareth was the Jewish messiah and the Son of God. Approximately half of the Book of Acts deals with Paul's life and works. After Jesus' stoning and resurrection, Paul started missionary journeys to spread the word across Europe and the Middle East.

### First Missionary Journey (53 CE)

The author of Acts arranges Paul's travels into three separate journeys. The first journey, for which Paul and Barnabas were commissioned by the Antioch community, and led initially by Barnabas, took Barnabas and Paul from Antioch to Cyprus then into southern Asia Minor (Anatolia), and finally returning to Antioch. In Carthaginian Cyprus, Paul rebukes and blinds Elymas, the magician who was criticizing their teachings. Afterwards, he preached to the local senate, causing them to convert to Christianity, thus converting Cyprus itself.

They sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas went on to Pisidian Antioch. On Sabbath they went to the synagogue. The leaders invited them to speak. Paul reviewed Israelite history, from life in Egypt to King David. He introduced Jesus as a descendant of David brought to Israel by God. He said that his team came to town to bring the message of salvation. Paul recounted the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. He quoted from the Septuagint to assert that Jesus was the promised Christos who brought them forgiveness for their sins. Both the Jews and the "God-fearing" Gentiles invited them to talk more next Sabbath. At that time, almost the whole city gathered. This upset some influential Jews who spoke against them. Paul used the occasion to announce a change in his mission, which from then on would be to the Gentiles.

Antioch served as a major Christian home base for Paul's early missionary activities, and he remained there for "a long time with the disciples" at the conclusion of his first journey. The exact duration of Paul's stay in Pisidian Antioch is unknown, with estimates ranging from nine months to as long as eight years.

### Second Missionary Journey (55-58 CE)

Paul left for his second missionary journey from Jerusalem in 55 CE. On their trip around the Mediterranean Sea, Paul and his companion Barnabas stopped in Antioch, where they had a sharp argument about taking John Mark with them on their trips. The book of Acts said that John Mark had left them in a previous trip and gone home. Unable to resolve the dispute, Paul and Barnabas decided to separate; Barnabas took John Mark with him, while Silas joined Paul.

Paul and Silas initially visited Tarsos (Paul's birthplace), Derbe and Lystra. In Lystra, they met Timothy, a disciple who was spoken well of, and decided to take him with them. Paul and his companions, Silas and Timothy, had plans to journey to the southwest portion of Asia Minor to preach the gospel. But during the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him to go to Macedonia to help them. After seeing the vision, Paul and his companions left for Macedonia to preach the gospel to them. The Church kept growing, adding believers, and strengthening in faith daily.

In Philippi, Paul cast a spirit of divination out of a servant girl, whose masters were then unhappy about the loss of income her prediction provided. They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities, and Paul and Silas were put in jail. After a miraculous earthquake, the gates of the prison fell apart and Paul and Silas could have escaped but remained; this event led to the conversion of the jailor. They continued traveling, going by Berea and then to Athens, where Paul preached to the Jews and God-fearing Greeks in the synagogue and to the Greek intellectuals in the Areopagus. Paul continued from Athens to Corinth. On his journeys he founded many Christian communities, mainly in Greece.

#### Interval in Corinth

Around 56-58, Paul spent 18 months in Corinth.

In 58, departing from Corinth, Paul stopped at the nearby village of Cenchreae to have his hair cut off, because of a vow he had earlier taken. It is possible this was to be a final haircut prior to fulfilling his vow to become a Nazirite for a defined period of time. The missionaries then sailed to Ephesus and stayed there to start one of the strongest and most faithful churches at that time. He then traveled north to Antioch, where he stayed for some time, perhaps about a year, before leaving again on a third missionary journey. Some New Testament texts suggest that he also visited Jerusalem during this period for one of the Jewish feasts, possibly Pentecost.

### Third Missionary Journey (58-62 CE)

According to Acts, Paul began his third missionary journey in 58 CE, by traveling all around the region of Galatia and Phrygia to strengthen, teach and rebuke the believers. Paul then traveled to Ephesus, an important center of early Christianity, and stayed there for almost three years, probably working there as a tentmaker, as he had done when he stayed in Corinth. He is claimed to have performed numerous miracles, healing people and casting out demons, and he apparently organized missionary activity in other regions. Paul left Ephesus after an attack from a local silversmith resulted in a pro-Artemis riot involving most of the city. During his stay in Ephesus, Paul wrote four letters to the church in Corinth. The Jerusalem Bible suggests that the letter to the church in Philippi was also written from Ephesus.

He travelled to Macedonia and preached to the Macedonian client king, convincing him to convert his vassal kingdom to Christianity. Afterwards, Paul went through Macedonia into Achaea and stayed in Greece, probably Corinth, for three months during 61–62 CE. He then made ready to continue on to Syria, but he changed his plans and traveled back through Macedonia because of some Jews who had made a plot against him. Paul wrote that he visited Mithripolis and founded a strong Christian community there as well. On their way back to Jerusalem, Paul and his companions visited other cities such as Philippi, Troas, Miletos, Rhodes, and Tyre. Paul finally arrived in Jerusalem in 62 CE.

### Fourth Missionary Journey (62-66 CE)

Paul began his fourth missionary journey in 62 CE, by sailing to Crete and successfully converting the Carthaginian vassal-republic to Christianity. Some time afterwards, he sailed to Corinth, staying there for about 3 years. In Corinth (a city of Achaea and vassal state of Pontos), Paul converted the client king and thus the city-state itself to Christianity, with the help of his local Christian community. After he left Corinth, Paul sailed to Ephesus, as well as Mithripolis. He traveled back to Jerusalem in 66 CE.

### Fifth Missionary Journey (66-71 CE) and Death

Paul's fifth missionary journey began in 66 CE, when he sailed from Jerusalem to Alexandria. There, he founded another faithful Christian community and a church. He stayed in Alexandria for about 3 years until 69, when he started his journey to Athens. There, he gained numerous followers and stayed in Athens for 2 more years, converting their client king as well, until returning to Jerusalem in 71 CE. However, he died of unknown causes one year later. Still, his legacy continued to live on.

The strongest Christian city-communities, outside of Christian nations, that are founded with his help were Antioch, Pisidian Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, Mithripolis and Alexandria. These communities would play a large role in the early days of Christianity.

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