THE LIFE OF SAUL/PAUL

           Paul was born a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin.  He was also a Roman Citizen.  He was born in the Roman City of Tarsus.  In those days people had dual names.  Before he was known as apostle Paul, he was known as Saul of Tarsus.  Saul was his Hebrew name, Paul was his Roman name.  As Saul before his conversion he sought out the believers in Jesus.  He would hunt them down, bind them up and take them to Jerusalem to be killed.  Jesus did not change his name at his conversion. 
          Saul went to the high priest asking for letters to allow him entry into the synagogues at Damascus, so he could hunt down men and women that professed to be believers in Jesus. As he began his journey, he traveled down the road to Damascus.  As he drew near to the city, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.  He fell to the ground and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul why are thou persecuting me?"  Saul said, "Who are you Lord?"  and Jesus said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting!  Saul was trembling and astonished.  Saul said, "What will you have me to do?"  The Lord said, "arise, go into the city, and you will be told what to do."  
          The men who were with Saul, stood speechless.  They heard a voice, but saw no man.  The men helped him up from the ground and he opened his eyes, but could not see.  They  led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.  Saul was there three days, blind, and didn't eat nor drink. 
          In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias, who  the Lord had spoken to in a vision.  "Ananias", "I am here,  Lord!"  "Arise, and go to the street named Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man named Saul of Tarsus.  He is there praying.  He had a vision and saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him and him receiving his sight."   Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard about this man, he has done so much evil to the Saints at Jerusalem.  He has authority from the Chief Priests to bind all who call on your name." 
          The Lord said to Ananias, "Go to him, he is a chosen vessel to me, he bore my name before the gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel.  I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name's sake."  Ananias went to Juda's house and put his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, appeared to you on the road to Damascus and sent me to you to heal you and restore your sight, and you will be filled with the Holy Ghost."  Immediately there fell from Saul's eyes like scales and he received his sight.  He arose and was baptized by Ananias.
           After his baptism, Saul ate and gained his strength.  He remained in Damascus a few days with the disciples.  While he was there, he preached about Christ, and that Christ was the Son of God.  But all the people that heard him preaching in the synagogues were amazed and said, "Is this not the man who destroyed the people in Jerusalem, which called on the name of Jesus?"  Saul had came to Damascus with the intent of binding up the people who believed in Jesus and take them bound into the Chief Priests.  But since his conversion he had confounded the Jews and proved that Jesus was the Christ!  
          After many days, the Jews took council to kill Saul, so the disciples took him by night and let him down the wall in a basket.  After escaping from Damascus, he headed to Jerusalem planning on joining the disciples there.  But when he arrived, the people were afraid of him.  They didn't believe he had became a disciple.  So Barnabas took Saul to the apostles and told them of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  He told them Saul had seen the Lord on the road and had spoken to him.  The apostles believed Barnabas and so Saul spoke boldly in the name of Jesus.  In Jerusalem Saul spoke boldly of the Lord and disputed against the Grecians, but they were planning to slay him.  So when the disciples heard of their plan, they took Saul to Caesarea and on to Tarsus.  
          Saul was called by God to preach of Jesus Christ.  He  did not confer with flesh and blood.  He had intended to go to Jerusalem and join the Apostles, but instead he went to Arabia and later returned to Damascus.  He was in Arabia for three years being taught by Jesus Christ.  He profited in the Jews' religion (Judaism) ahead of many of his contemporaries.  His conversion to Christianity was due to God and not man.
          On one of his journey's Saul, using his Roman name Paul went to Jerusalem to see the disciple Peter to get to know him, not to be taught by him.  Paul spent fifteen days with Peter.  The only other apostle he saw was James, the brother of Jesus.  Leaving Jerusalem, he came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.  He was unknown to the churches in Judaea.  They had only heard of him, and that he persecuted the followers of Jesus in the past.  He now preached the faith he once tried to destroy.  The church members glorified God in Paul.  After fourteen years he returned to Jerusalem with Barnabas and they took Timothy with them. 
          Because of false brethren brought in privately into the churches to spy out their liberty they had in Christ so they  might bring them into bondage, James, Cephas(Peter), and John, who seemed to be the pillars of the churches, saw that God's grace had been given to Paul.  They gave him and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship.  They told them they should go to the gentiles (ungodly) and teach them the gospel of Christ.  The only thing the three pillars of the church asked of them was to remember the poor, which Paul was eager to do.  Paul spoke to the brethren there about his conversion, and what he had done before that, persecuting the Churches of God, and wasted it.  He went on to say that God had called him and he was not taught by man, but by Jesus Christ. 
          After some heavy persecution of the Christians in Jerusalem, some believers ended up living in the city of Antioch.  They preached the gospel there and added a great  number to the believers in Jesus. (Acts 11:21)  When the apostles in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to serve the Church there. (Acts 11:22)  Barnabas was a profit (Acts13:1) and an apostle. (Acts 14:14)  Through his ministry a great number of people were brought to the Lord. (Acts 11:24)
          After being in Antioch a while, Barnabas traveled to Tarsus to find Saul.  He recruited Saul/Paul to come and teach, lead and serve in the church at Antioch in Syria. (Acts11:25-26)  Saul relocated to Antioch some time between 44 and 46 A.D.  He served as one of the leaders of the church there.  Barnabas and Saul became ministry traveling partners for the next few years, including at least one earlier trip to Jerusalem, likely sometime between 45 A.D. and 46 A.D.
          Paul/Saul took four missionary journeys.  One with Barnabas, one with Silas and one with Timothy.  The first three are recorded in the book of Acts.  The fourth is alluded to in Paul's letters to the seven churches.  The first journey Paul took, he went through Cyprus, Pamphylia and Galatia.  It began in 37 A.D. and included his conversion on the road to Damascus. (37-40 A.D.): three years in Arabia; the second one he went through Galatia, Macedonia, and Achaia.  The third one he went through Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, Achaia, and ended in Jerusalem.  After his third journey Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea for two years.  His fourth missionary journey is not clear, but it may have included Spain, Crete, Asia, Achaia, and Macedonia.  Looking back at Paul's missionary journeys, we can see and reject the beginning of the fulfilment of God's command to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19)  

          Here is a timeline of Paul's missionary journeys:  dates are approximate:  

  • A.D. 37:  converted on the road to Damascus. 
  • A.D. 37-40:  spent three years in Arabia. 
  • A.D. 40:  Brief visit to Jerusalem to meet apostle Peter.  
  • A.D. 40-44:  Preaches and ministers in Tarsus and surrounding regions. 
  • A.D. 44 or 45:  relocates to Antioch in Syria. 
  • A.D. 45 or 46:  travels with Barnabas to visit Jerusalem brings a famine relief offering. 
  • A.D. 46 or 47:  First missionary journey Barnabas, this one lasts one to two years. 
  • A.D. 50:  Attends the Jerusalem Council. 
  • A.D. 51:  Leaves on second missionary journey, trip lasts two and a half to three years, including 18 months in Corinth. 
  • A.D. 54:  Leaves on third missionary journey, trip lasts more than four years in Ephesus. 
  • A.D. 58:  Arrested in Jerusalem, put on trial before Roman Governor Felix. 
  • A.D. 58-60:  Held in Caesarea for two years. 
  • A.D. 60:  Put back on trial by Festus the new Roman Governor; eventually transported to Rome. 
  • A.D. 61:  Arrives in Rome. 
  • A.D. 61-63:  Placed under house arrest for two years. 
  • A.D. 63:  Released from house arrest, likely launches his fourth missionary journey. 
  • A.D. 66 or 67:  Imprisoned in Rome again. 
  • A.D. 67 or 68:  Martyred under Nero's persecution. 

written by Connie James, and posted on Starlight's Journal starlightsjournal.blogspot.com March 6, 2025.  verses taken from the old KJV of the Bible.  




































            

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