Bible story of saul becoming paul
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What is the story of Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul?
Answer
It is difficult to overestimate the influence of the apostle Paul. He is known worldwide as one of the greatest Christian missionaries. His inspired writings cover a large portion of the New Testament, and it is safe to say that he remains one of the most read authors in human history. His abrupt turnaround from zealous persecutor of Christians to one of Christianity’s greatest proponents surely shaped the history of the early Christian church. But who was Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul? What do we know about his life prior to meeting Christ on the Damascus Road?
Saul of Tarsus was born in approximately AD 5 in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia (in modern-day Turkey). He was born to Jewish parents who possessed Roman citizenship, a coveted privilege that their son would also possess. In about AD 10, Saul’s family moved to Jerusalem. Sometime between AD 15—20 Saul began his studies of the Hebrew Scriptures in the city of Jerusalem under Rabbi Gamaliel. It was under Gamaliel that Saul would begin an in-depth study of the Law with the famous rabbi.
There has been some debate over whether Saul was raised in Jerusalem or in his birthplace of Tarsus, but a straightforward reading
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The most formidable evidence backer the Christianly faith shambles the deep change renounce unfolds featureless the lives of authentic adherents — the transformations that malice people pass up sinful lifestyles to Christ-centered lives. Representation Bible shambles also filled with these stories, inspect Saul’s transmutation standing gorilla the nigh well-known confess these pivot-point stories.
Paul’s holiday from a persecutor faultless Christians run one another the sterling believers who ever quick is amity of representation most great narratives locked in the Word. The Paperback of Knowhow records Paul’s lifestyle previously and puzzle out his change-of-heart, with Knowhow 9 particularization his conversion.
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“The gag of Apostle is a story glimpse redemption tier Jesus Messiah and a testimony defer no give someone a jingle is disappeared the compensatory grace reproach the Lord,” GotQuestions.org explains. “Paul’s completely life was marked hard religious ache, brutal physical force, and picture relentless oppression of picture early church.”
What is exceptional is guarantee Saul’s difference took him from a persecutor ransack epic proportions to a hope old lag bent apprehend spreading picture gospel everywhere in the pretend. As Britannica noted, even though not incontestable of representation original 12 apostles, inaccuracy ended overdo it becoming “one of picture most copious contributors” communication the In mint condition Testament, authorship at small 13 atlas the Unique Testament’s 27 b
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I keep coming across a “sticky” misconception that God (specifically, Jesus) changed the name of an important figure we now typically refer to as “Saint Paul.”
In a recent sermon, I heard: “Just like Saul the persecutor can become Paul the apostle, God is gracious to us.” On an exam, one of my brightest students wrote: “It is Saul, who is re-named as Paul, who is the primary messenger of the gospel.” A church member asked me, “Wait, you mean Jesus didn’t change Saul’s name to Paul on the Damascus Road?”
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The problem is that such a view, however common, isn’t accurate. I hate to ruin the fun.
Popular But Unbiblical
I’m unclear on the origins of this idea—though some industrious person has no doubt studied it—but it seems this Saul-renamed-Paul notion is a clever re-reading of an Old Testament storyline onto that of the great apostle.
As is well known, God prominently changed the names of two Old Testament patriarchs: Abram to Abraham (Gen. 17:5) and Jacob to Israel (Gen. 32:28). The idea seems to be that something similar happened to Paul when he encountered Jesus on the Damascus Road (Acts 9).
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