Paul

the one on the road to Damascus

Who was Paul?

He was also called Saul. He was a Pharisee from Tarsus, and he persecuted the Church. Acts 13:9; Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:5-6
On the road to Damascus, the risen Jesus spoke to him from a light from heaven. Afterward he was baptized. Acts 9:3-5, 18
He brought the Gospel to those who were not Jews and wrote letters to the Christian communities. Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:1

Also called: Saul Acts 7:58; Acts 13:9
From: Tarsus, in Cilicia Acts 22:3
Occupation: Tentmaker Acts 18:3
Feast day: June 29: Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

What the Bible says

Acts 13:9; Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:5-6

Then Saul, otherwise Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, looking upon him,

Acts 9:3-5, 18

³And as he went on his journey, it came to pass that he drew nigh to Damascus; and suddenly a light from heaven shined round about him. ⁴And falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁵Who said: Who art thou, Lord? And he: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad. ¹⁸And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight; and rising up, he was baptized.

Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:1

And the Lord said to him: Go thy way; for this man is to me a vessel of election, to carry my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Paul

Before Jesus. He was born in Tarsus. He was a Pharisee and studied the law in Jerusalem under the teacher Gamaliel. Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:5
Before Jesus. He was present at the death of Stephen and approved of it. The men who killed him laid their cloaks at Saul’s feet. Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1
Before Jesus. He persecuted the Church: he went into houses and dragged men and women off to prison. Acts 8:3
With Jesus. Near Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around him, and Jesus asked him why he was persecuting him. Acts 9:3-5
With Jesus. For three days he could not see. He got his sight back when Ananias laid his hands on him, and he was baptized. Acts 9:9, 17-18
Afterward. With Barnabas, and later with Silas, he traveled through many cities proclaiming Jesus. Acts 13:2-4; Acts 15:40-41
Afterward. He arrived in Rome as a prisoner. There he spent two years welcoming everyone and teaching about Jesus. Acts 28:16, 30-31
Afterward. According to Tradition: According to tradition, he died a martyr in Rome, in the time of the emperor Nero. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History II, 25, 5

Words of Paul

“Who art thou, Lord?” Acts 9:5

When he fell to the ground near Damascus and heard a voice asking him why he was persecuting him.

“But by the grace of God, I am what I am; and his grace in me hath not been void.” 1 Corinthians 15:10

In his First Letter to the Corinthians, after recalling that he had persecuted the Church.

“And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

In the same letter, at the end of what he wrote about love.

“And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good.” Romans 8:28

In his letter to the Christians in Rome.

“Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Romans 8:35

In the same letter, after speaking of the trials Christians suffer.

What they were like

He was very zealous for the traditions of his ancestors, more than many of his own age. Galatians 1:14
He spoke out boldly in the name of Jesus. Acts 9:28
He called himself the least of the apostles, because he had persecuted the Church. 1 Corinthians 15:9

The greatest thing they did

He brought the Gospel to those who were not Jewish, in Asia Minor, in Greece and as far as Rome. Acts 13:46-48; Acts 16:9-10; Acts 28:30-31
At the meeting in Jerusalem he defended the Christians who were not Jewish. They were not to be burdened with the whole law of Moses. Acts 15:1-2, 19
He wrote that love is patient and kind. 1 Corinthians 13:4

Not to be confused with

Saul: Saul was king of Israel many centuries earlier. Paul, whose Jewish name was Saul, was from the same tribe as the king: the tribe of Benjamin. Acts 13:21; Philippians 3:5

In the Church today

Feast day: June 29, Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (solemnity). General Roman Calendar

Patron of: Of Rome, together with Saint Peter Leo XIV, Angelus of June 29, 2026

In art, recognized by: A sword, because of the tradition of his martyrdom, and a book, because of his letters This is how Christian art shows him

What people ask

Did Jesus change his name from Saul to Paul?

No. Acts says “Saul, also known as Paul”. A NAB note explains that he had two names: one Jewish and one Roman. Acts 13:9; NAB note on Hch 13, 9

Did Paul know Jesus?

The Bible does not tell that he knew him before the Resurrection. Paul writes that the risen Jesus appeared to him, last of all. 1 Corinthians 15:8; Acts 9:3-5

Why is he called the apostle to the Gentiles?

Gentiles are people who are not Jewish. Jesus chose Paul to carry his name to them, and Paul calls himself that. Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13

How many letters did Paul write?

Thirteen letters in the New Testament begin with his name, from the Letter to the Romans to the Letter to Philemon. The Catechism lists them among the books of the Bible. Romans 1:1; Philemon 1:1; Catechism 120

How did Saint Paul die?

The Bible does not say: Acts ends with Paul teaching in Rome. According to tradition, he died a martyr in Rome, in the time of Nero. Acts 28:30-31; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History II, 25, 5

Daily life In Corinth he lived and worked with Aquila and Priscilla, who were tentmakers like him. Acts 18:2-3 When he came to a city, he went to the synagogue…

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Who Paul is connected to

Jesus · called him on the road
Peter · the two pillars
Abraham · father in faith
John the Apostle · gave him his right hand
Barnabas · vouched for him and traveled with him
Mark · a coworker again
Luke · the beloved physician
Timothy · son in faith
Silas · traveling companion
Stephen · was there at his death
Philip the Deacon · welcomed him in Caesarea
Lydia · opened her home to him
Ananias · restored his sight
Judas Barsabbas · traveled to Antioch
Saint Augustine · converted by his letter

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

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