Bible Character Explorer
New Testament • c. AD 5 to AD 64-68
Paul
Apostle to the GentilesThe persecutor of the church who became its greatest theologian and missionary
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Philippians 4:13 (KJV)
Overview
Paul, born Saul of Tarsus, was trained as a Pharisee under Gamaliel, was present at the stoning of Stephen, and actively persecuted the early church before his encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. His conversion is one of the most dramatic in history. He went on to plant churches across Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome, to write thirteen letters that form the theological backbone of the New Testament, and to understand and articulate the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ more fully than any other writer in Scripture.
Gospel Connection
Paul is the New Testament's most systematic expositor of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His letters to the Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians are theological mountains. But the gospel he proclaimed is not his own invention. He was clear about this in Galatians 1:11-12: the gospel he preached was not from human origin. He received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. He summarized it in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. The man who once breathed threats against those who called on the name of Jesus spent the rest of his life proclaiming that name as the only name under heaven by which we must be saved.
Discover More
See how this life points to Christ in the Gospel Connection section above.