Paul, Saint, was one of the most important leaders of early Christianity. He became famous as a missionary and a founder of congregations throughout Asia Minor and southeastern Europe. His letters, called epistles, to his followers form a significant part of the New Testament. Because of his importance, Paul is sometimes referred to as an “apostle,” though he was not one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ.
Early life.
Paul, a Jew by birth, was born a few years after the birth of Jesus. Paul was born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia (now part of Turkey). His original name was Saul. He grew up exposed to both his family’s Jewish religious heritage and the non-Jewish culture around him. As a youth, Paul went to Jerusalem and studied under the famous rabbi Gamaliel.
In Jerusalem, Paul met Jews who had become Christians. They believed that Jesus, who recently had been crucified, was the Messiah, the promised savior of the Jews. Paul began to persecute these Jews because he found their beliefs and behavior contrary to the traditions of his people. But one day, while traveling to Damascus, Paul encountered the risen Christ. This experience impressed Paul so greatly that he soon became a Christian.
Missionary career.
Paul’s work in bringing Christianity to gentiles (non-Jews) shows his tremendous energy and dedication. He is often called the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” Immediately after Paul’s conversion, he went to an area of Arabia that is now in Jordan, and then to Syria and Cilicia. Historians know little about Paul’s life as a missionary during the next 15 years.
The most productive period of Paul’s career began shortly before A.D. 50. The Acts of the Apostles, a book of the New Testament, describes Paul’s three journeys as a missionary during this period. On his first journey, Paul sailed to the island of Cyprus with two of his followers, Barnabas and Mark. He and Barnabas then crossed to the southern coast of Asia Minor. The story of this journey describes Paul’s technique as a missionary. He moved quickly from place to place, preaching first in synagogues and then to gentiles. He gave bold, controversial speeches that angered many people. As a result, Paul was frequently mistreated and occasionally imprisoned.
Two other followers, Silas and Timothy, accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. On this trip, Paul traveled to northwest Asia Minor. He then crossed to Macedonia, thus bringing Christianity to Europe. Later on this journey, Paul visited such Greek cities as Thessaloniki and Corinth. Paul’s third missionary journey covered much of the same territory as his second trip.
Later years.
After Paul returned to Jerusalem, he was arrested because of opposition from hostile Jews. He spent two years in prison and then demanded his right as a Roman citizen to have a trial in the emperor’s court. Paul was sent to Rome, where he remained a prisoner for two more years. He apparently died in Rome sometime after A.D. 60. His feast day is June 29.
Paul’s letters and ideas.
The letters written by Paul helped him keep in touch with his followers. They date from a period between A.D. 50 and the early 60’s and are the earliest books of the New Testament. Paul wrote Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, First Thessalonians, and Philemon. He also may have written Colossians, Ephesians, Second Thessalonians, First and Second Timothy, and Titus. The Epistle to the Hebrews, once credited to Paul, is now considered the work of another writer.
Paul viewed Christianity primarily in relation to Judaism. He felt that the history of the Jews and the writings of the Old Testament had prepared humanity for Christianity.
Nevertheless, Paul regarded the Christian faith—or “life in Christ,” as he called it—as something new. In Judaism, God and human beings were related chiefly through the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. The Torah expressed God’s will and informed people of their responsibilities to Him.
Paul believed the death and Resurrection of Jesus opened a new kind of relationship between God and human beings. He was certain that gentiles, who did not know or understand the Torah, could benefit from this new relationship, which he called justification. Justification resulted not from something that human beings did, such as obey the Torah, but from something that God had done. In Jesus, God had given humanity a gift. Paul felt that this gift put God and people into their proper relationship, which human effort alone never could have done. To Paul, justification was central to Christianity.
By means of his letters, Paul encouraged early Christians in times of discouragement and persecution. He reminded his followers of their responsibilities to one another and thus provided many basic ideas of Christianity. Christians recognized Paul’s importance by preserving his letters and making them a central part of the New Testament.
