Paul the Apostle (Saint Paul) Biography

His original name was Saul of Tarsus, also known as Paul of Tarsus, but sometime later, the Catholic Church called him Saint Paul. He was born between the years 5 and 10 a.C, in Tarsus of Cilicia and is known as “The Apostle of the Gentiles” “The Apostle of the Nations” or simply “The Apostle”. He is considered one of Jesus’ most important disciples, even though he never got to know him personally.

Paul of Tarsus was born into a wealthy family who possessed the title of Roman citizens, despite being closely linked to Jewish Pharisaic traditions and observances.

Since it is believed, he was part of the tribe of Benjamin and given the name of Saul that was common within this tribe because it was a tribute to the memory of the first king of Israel. But since he was also a Roman citizen, he also had the Latin name of Paul. This was not strange, because the Jews of that time used to have two names: one Hebrew and another Latin or Greek.

Since every Jew was in the duty to teach his son a trade, the young Saul specialized in making the canvas for tents.

Later, after completing the usual studies in the community of his hometown, he was sent to Jerusalem, where the schools of the best teachers of the Law were located, especially that of the renowned Rabbi: Gamaliel, to whom he was sent and where he acquired a solid theological, philosophical, legal, mercantile and linguistic formation (he spoke Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Aramaic).

“Bad company spoils useful habits.” St. Paul

It is believed that by the year 30, Saul was not to reside in Jerusalem when the crucifixion of Jesus took place. However, it is thought that he lived in the Holy City when, six years later, the apostle Stephen was killed by being stoned.

Then, in accordance with the education he had received, presided over by the most rigid observance of the Pharisaic traditions, Saul was constituted in those years as a stalwart persecutor of the Christians, who were then considered a heretical sect of Judaism. Thus, inflexibly orthodox, it is believed that the young Saul of Tarsus was present not only in the stoning of Stephen, but also offered to watch the dresses of the murderers.

But everything changed, in the year 36, when the heads of the priests of Israel, entrusted the mission to seek and make stop the supporters of Jesus in the city of Damascus. For, as he was on his way to this city, he witnessed unexpectedly the prodigious manifestation of divine power. Saul was suddenly dazzled by a mysterious light, thrown to the ground and lost his vision for a while. The fact that gave a completely different direction to his life, since then, decided to become a Christian (the name given to the followers of Jesus Christ). This, in turn, led him to be baptized and to adopt the name of Paul (according to what he tells in the book of Acts, chapter nine): “He was surrounded by a glow of light from heaven. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said: -Who are you, Lord? And he answered: – I am Jesus, whom you persecute. But get up, enter the city, and you will be told what you need to do …”

After his stay in Damascus, where he regained his sight, St. Paul contacted the growing group of followers of Jesus, beginning his first activities of evangelization and later, decided to undertake a retreat for some months to the desert (no one knows exactly where), thus affirming in a deeper way, in silence and solitude, the foundations of his faith.

Back in Damascus, he was violently attacked by the most radical Jews, which is why he was forced to leave the city clandestinely, descending into a large basket from the top of a wall.

Saint Paul then fled to Jerusalem, where he was seen by Barnabas, who took him with Peter and James, and there he had to flee again to escape the Greek-speaking Jews who persecuted him for his preaching. He is then taken to Caesarea, and then, sent to take refuge in Tarsus, where he meets Bernabe again, with whom he leaves for Antioch, where they spent a year evangelizing. Making Antioch become the center of Christianity.

In this way, Saint Paul, became one of the main spreaders of the message that Jesus had left in different cities (named in his Epistles), risking his life, suffering persecution, imprisonment and, finally, losing his life to be beheaded in Rome between years 58 and 67, during the government of Nero.