Saul of Tarsus
| Saint Paul | |
|---|---|
| Apostle of the Gentiles | |
Saint Paul by Bartolomeo Montagna
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| Native name | שאול התרסי (Sha'ul ha-Tarsi, Saul of Tarsus) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
c. AD 5 Tarsus, Cilicia, Roman Empire→ |
| Died |
c. AD 67 (aged 61 or 62) probably in Rome, Roman Empire |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day |
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| Canonized | by Pre-Congregation |
| Attributes | Sword |
| Patronage | Missions; Theologians; Gentile Christians |
Paul the Apostle (Latin: Paulus; Greek: Παῦλος, translit. Paulos; c. 5 – c. 67), commonly known as Saint Paul, and also known by his native name Saul of Tarsus (Hebrew: שאול התרסי, translit. Sha'ul ha-Tarsi; Greek: Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, translit. Saulos Tarseus), was an apostle (though not one of the Twelve Apostles) who taught the gospel of the Christ to the first century world. He is generally considered one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age. In the mid-30s to the mid-50s AD, he founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe. Paul took advantage of his status as both a Jew and a Roman citizen to minister to both Jewish and Roman audiences.
According to writings in the New Testament, prior to his conversion, Paul was dedicated to persecuting the early disciples of Jesus in the area of Jerusalem. In the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles (often referred to simply as Acts), Paul was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus on a mission to "bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem" when the resurrected Jesus appeared to him in a great 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 is the Jewish Messiah and the Son of God. Approximately half of the book of Acts deals with Paul's life and works.
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