It could hold Judaism up to ridicule. But after his conversion Saul determined to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, so he dusted off his Roman name and became known as Paul, a name Gentiles were accustomed to. It was unthinkable that the Messiah could have suffered in this way. So why did people like Paul persecute Jesus' followers? He made an impact as apostle, as theologian, and as letter-writer. In mediaeval times, people believed the weather on this day (like that on St Swithin's Day) to be an indicator of their fortune in the months to come. However one explains the phenomenon, there is little doubt that the events of the first Easter, sometime in the early 30s of the first century, made a powerful impact on the first followers of Jesus. St Paul's Day is not a major feast day. There are many different accounts of what happened when Paul was called back to Jerusalem. He had a Jewish education, a Jewish way of life and abided by the Law of Moses. Essentially, they were a small sect within Judaism. If clouds or mist do dark the sky, Paul saw Jesus Christ. Dr Mark Goodacre, Senior Lecturer in New Testament, University of Birmingham. Unlike the instance of Jesus changing Simon’s name to Kepha (Gk. Unlike the instance of Jesus changing Simon’s name to Kepha (Gk. Famously converted on the road to Damascus, he travelled tens of thousands of miles around the Mediterranean spreading the word of Jesus. They represent Paul's own version of events, and it seems reasonable to accept them as the more reliable account. He was a Pharisee, one of a group of Jews who policed the boundary of the law and made sure that they and others were faithful to the law of Moses. Famously converted on the road to Damascus, he travelled tens of thousands of miles around the Mediterranean spreading the word of Jesus and it was Paul who came up with the doctrine that would turn Christianity from a small sect of Judaism into a worldwide faith that was open to all. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. God has acted decisively, once for all, by sending his beloved Son to his own people, Israel. Many mistakenly assume the Lord changed Saul’s name to Paul sometime after Saul converted from Judaism to Christianity, which happened during his encounter with Christ on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19). He stays with Peter for two weeks and presumably learns a little about Jesus from him. Adopting his Roman name was typical of Paul’s missionary style. He didn’t. But for these early Jesus people, the public humiliation was conquered through resurrection, God's vindication of Jesus, and this convinced them that Jesus was not a criminal who had died for his own sins; he had died for the sins of others. Read more. In this section Dr Mark Goodacre, Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Birmingham, explores the biblical references to Paul. The change is commonly linked to Saul’s conversion on the Damascus Road, when the Lord Jesus commissioned him to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:1–19). He also talks about Andronicus and Juniar, one of whom may have been a female apostle. He did not even know that he needed to change anything. The problem would have been sharply focused for someone like Paul. Paul gives us a brief description of what happens after his experience on the Damascus road. He could take all kinds of controversy and suffering. He didn’t. And the message he hears there is that after all, God is indeed in control, through Jesus his Son, who has conquered death through his own victory over death. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Luke says that he was a tentmaker (Acts 18.3) and Paul often talks about how he combined his preaching of the gospel with working with his hands (see 1 Corinthians 9). His method was to put people at their ease and to approach them with his message in a language and style they could relate to. You can get some idea of Paul's passion when you read the letter in Galatians. Paul's life was remarkable and there is little doubt that it changed the course of Christianity. It was a conversion away from his previous life as a zealous persecutor of Jesus' followers and it was a call to a new life advancing the cause of the new movement with even more vigour than he had shown before. Here is a man who worked with his hands but wrote with the grace of a Greek philosopher; a Jewish zealot who nevertheless enjoyed the rights of citizenship in the world's greatest empire. Question: "When and why was Saul’s name changed to Paul?" Soon after this, God showed Paul the purpose of his life. In the final analysis, Paul was the first great Christian theologian, establishing some of the building blocks of the faith that we now take for granted, though there are those who argue that in laying out these ground rules, Paul has obscured and separated us from the true teachings of Jesus. He says that he didn't go to Jerusalem immediately but that he went off to Arabia. Paul the apostle had expanded the church far and wide, flinging open the doors to Gentiles, strenuously fighting for his conviction that the gospel was for all people and that no barriers should be put in the way of Gentiles. Unlike other early Christian missionaries, Paul earned his own living wherever he went. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. You can almost feel him banging on the table or pacing round the room as he dictates the letter. Petros) as a way of signifying the special role he would play in the Church (Mt 16:18, Jn 1:41-42), in Paul’s case … So he became a Christian. He had a dual identity as lots of Jews did in antiquity. He has also been accused of being anti-feminist, although many modern scholars would argue that in fact he championed the cause of women church leaders. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. These earliest followers of Jesus were devout Jews who continued to offer sacrifice at the Temple and to observe the whole Jewish Law. A group of his converts had decided that they want to be circumcised and Paul is absolutely furious about this because he feels it compromises their very nature as Christians. If Saint Paul's day be fair and clear, But behind the paradoxes and the puzzles, there are fascinating glimpses of the man. He writes about the number of times he's been beaten, the number of times he's been put in prison, the number of shipwrecks he's endured and he seems proud of them. Paul was born in Tarsu (now in the south east of Turkey) to a Jewish family. Chester Beatty Library - gallery of Paul's letters. That God's Anointed One could have been so publicly humiliated seemed outrageous. Professor Jimmy Dunn, former professor of New Testament, University of Durham. So how would such a sect have been viewed by other Jews who were not members of it? One of the most fascinating stories about Paul is his incredible transformation on the Damascus road but one thing that doesn't change in this transformation is his passion. The second source is Paul's own letters. Great store of birds and beasts shall die; Since they lived among pagans, they were particularly conscious of how their religion might appear to those around them.

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