...The “Calling” of Saul of Tarsus Keith Vann Liberty University The “Calling” of Saul of Tarsus Hedrick, Charles W. “Paul’s Conversion/Call: A Comparative Analysis of the Three Reports in Acts.” Journal of Biblical Literature 100, no. 3 (September 1981): 415–432. Of great significance is the fact that Saul’s conversion experience is recounted three times in Acts. Scholars note this as being an important fact regarding the writings. The imagery of blindness is brought to the forefront. Saul was so blinded with his zeal to persecute something he felt so grievously wronged God that he tried to eliminate all who practiced this newfound religion. God blinded him to show him how much he had failed to see. When his sight is restored, he sees things from a new perspective. This is similar to the experience of those who undergo a conversion experience. Hoerber, Robert G. “Paul's Conversion/Call.” Concordia Journal 22, no. 2 (April 1996): 186–188. The controversy over whether Saul’s experience on the Damascus road was a conversion experience or simply the call to ministry. It has been suggested that Western culture has influenced the truth behind the story and what was beautiful calling of a devout man to reach the Gentiles, was turned into a conversion. There is no discounting the 180-degree turn around in Paul’s life. He went from murderous threats of anyone who called the name of Jesus to professing Jesus publically and being arrested, beaten and jailed for such...
Words: 850 - Pages: 4
...With reference to the quote and other New Testament texts, as well as other sources, evaluate the contribution of Paul of Tarsus to the development and expression of Christianity. Paul of Tarsus is one of the most influential and notable people to ever help develop and express Christianity in the world. It is clear that without the work of Paul and his teachings on Jesus as well as mankind’s relationship with God, the Christian faith would have spread extremely slowly while also failing to impact others from around the world. Pauls work was the true push for Christianity to stand alone as a religion and no longer be seen as another sect of Judaism, with this Pauls work incorporated people of all faiths or backgrounds as long as they accepted...
Words: 1162 - Pages: 5
...the gospel, and wrote over half of the New Testament. Paul, was born soon after the birth of Christ, somewhere around 3 AD, and was given the name Saul. He was born in Tarsus, a Roman province south east if the Asia Minor. Tarsus is known for its scholars and great thinkers. Being born in this city to Jewish parents, there is no doubt that Saul would have a good education. It was Jewish tradition to study the Jewish law and traditions. In Acts 22:3 Paul refers to his origin and education, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia...I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.” The rabbi that taught Saul, Gamaliel, is a very famous teacher in Jerusalem. There is no actual records of Saul's birth and childhood, and the first mention of Saul was in Acts 8:1 after the stoning of Stephen. It says, “And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem.” Saul had turned into a very evil man, and was one of the most prominent leader in the persecution against the newly formed Christian church. One of the most important events in the New Testament, aside from the death and resurrection of Christ, is Saul's conversion. Saul persecuted the Christians for about two years before he was converted. This miraculous event starts when Saul and his arrest warrants heading to Damascus. They were headed there to enlist the help of the synagogue in his persecution rampage. Little did he know...
Words: 1997 - Pages: 8
...Outline the contribution of Paul of Tarsus to the development and expression of Christianity Intro: Paul of Tarsus is a profound figure in Christianity after Jesus. Many of his actions and principle teachings have spread throughout the Mediterranean sea far beyond Antioch and Jerusalem. One of the most prominent contributions was his epistles that contained Christ’s teachings, which becomes an ethical framework for Christianity. The epistles include developing a concept of love as well as clarifying and exploring ideas of Christ death and resurrection that is an act of salvation to all believers. The success of his contributions was partly from his socio-political background. Paul initially called Saul was born a Jew with Roman Citizenship...
Words: 315 - Pages: 2
...all! The Apostle Paul and John the Baptist The Apostle Paul, of Tarsus, wasn't always known by this name. Paul's name, before his conversion, was Saul. Saul was born in "Tarsus, which is the capital of Cilicia, a Roman province in the southeast of Asia Minor." Saul was a natural born Roman citizen, which was considered to be a privilege during those times. In his youth he picked up a trade as a tent builder. Eventually, he went off to school to further his education, studying Law at a great university. (Schnelle, U. 2005.) As Saul began to study the Law he grew fascinated with it and became a Pharisee. Pharisees believed that the Law should be followed to the letter. This group believed in God, but they did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. So, they set out to kill anybody who preached the opposite. Saul was zealous about the Law. He approved and witnessed to the murder, stoning, of Stephen, who preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Schnelle, U. 2005) After that Saul receives written permission from the High Priest to search in Damascus' synagogues for those who believe Jesus is the Messiah. He is also given the authority to arrest and bring these believers to Jerusalem for trial and punishment. (Acts 9:1-2). It is during this trip to Damascus, that Saul receives his name change. During the trip as he approaches the city a burst of light suddenly appears and causes him to fall to the ground...
Words: 2010 - Pages: 9
...Paul the Apostle (Greek: Παῦλος Paulos; c. 5 – c. 67), original name Saul of Tarsus (Greek: Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς Saulos Tarseus), was an apostle (though not one of the Twelve Apostles) who taught the gospel of 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, he founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe. Paul used his status as both a Jew and aRoman citizen to advantage in his ministry to both Jewish and Roman audiences. Fourteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament have traditionally been attributed to Paul, and approximately half of the Acts of the Apostlesdeals with Paul's life and works. Seven of the epistles are undisputed by scholars as being authentic, with varying degrees of argument about the remainder. The Pauline authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews, already doubted in the 2nd and 3rd centuries but almost unquestioningly accepted from the 5th to the 16th centuries, is now almost universally rejected by scholars. The other six are believed by some scholars to have come from followers writing in his name, using material from Paul's surviving letters and letters written by him that no longer survive. Other scholars argue that the idea of a pseudonymous author for the disputed epistles raises many problems. Today, his epistles continue to be vital roots of the theology, worship, and pastoral life in the Roman and Protestant traditions of the West, as well...
Words: 4306 - Pages: 18
...The “calling” of Saul of Tarsus Online commentary: http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/acts.pdf Dyck, Harold J. “The Conversion of Paul: A Model?” Direction 9, no. 4 (O 1980): 3–9. Harrer, G. A. “Saul who also is Called Paul.” Harvard Theological Review 33, no. 1 (Ja 1940): 19–33. Hedrick, Charles W. “Paul’s Conversion/Call: A Comparative Analysis of the Three Reports in Acts.” Journal of Biblical Literature 100, no. 3 (S 1981): 415–432. Hoerber, Robert G. “Paul's Conversion/Call.” Concordia Journal 22, no. 2 (Ap 1996): 186–188. Kern, Philip H. “Paul's Conversion and Luke's Portrayal of Character in Acts 8–10.” Tyndale Bulletin 54, no. 2 (2003): 63–80. Leary, T. J. “Paul's Improper Name.” New Testament Studies 38, no. 3 (Jl 1992): 467–469.[1] McDonough, Sean M. “Small Change: Saul to Paul, Again.” Journal of Biblical Literature 125, no. 2 (Sum 2006): 390–391. Meyer, Wendel W. “The Conversion of St. Paul.” Anglican Theological Review 85, no. 1 (Winter 2003): 13–17. Ralston, Timothy J. “The Theological Significance of Paul’s Conversion.” Bibliotheca Sacra 147, no. 586 (Ap–Je 1990): 198–215. Rordorf, Willy. Translated by Peter W. Dunn. “Paul’s Conversion in the Canonical Acts and in the Acts of Paul.” Semeia 80 (1997): 137–144. Witherup, Ronald D. “Functional Redundancy in the Acts of the Apostles: A Case Study.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 48 (D 1992): 67-86. * Book with a single author or editor Author’s Last Name...
Words: 391 - Pages: 2
...servant or slave to Jesus and that Jesus Called him to be his apostle and set him apart for this purpose. (Romans 1:1) He later explains in The second chapter Paul explains how all, Jews and Gentiles are under the chains of sin and only Jesus can set us free through our faith in his ability to set us free. In chapter six he explains that because of Christ’s freedom from sin that we now must become slaves to God’s purpose for our lives. In this we make ourselves a sacrifice that lives out the death everyday to our selfish nature and the former slavery to our old life in sin. (Romans 12). Paul-Paul was responsible for writing a lot of the new testament. Paul wrote 14 letters or epistles to the young growing churches across the Roman empire. Saul, as Paul was called before his conversion to...
Words: 810 - Pages: 4
...St. Paul was an extremely important and influential person in the early development of Christianity. Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus (modern day Turkey), was a tentmaker and a Roman citizen. He took the name “Paul” after he converted to Christianity. Paul lived the first half of his life as a Pharisee. As a Pharisee, he was a member of the Jewish religion that strictly lived by the Law of Moses. In fact, he spent much of his time persecuting people involved in the Christian movement. It was on such a journey on the road to Damascus , to root out Christian communities, that everything changed. On the road to Damascus, with military troops behind him, Paul (Saul) suddenly fell off his horse and to the ground while a bright light...
Words: 726 - Pages: 3
...Life of St Paul: St Paul was born in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia, given a Jewish name Saul. At the age of 5 he studied the Hebrew language and the Old Testament. Growing up, he lived a strict life of a Pharisee persecuting Christians, but on the road to Damascus, Jesus had confronted him “Saul why do you persecute me?” He blinded Paul for 3 days finally healed by an apostle, regaining his vision. Soon after he was baptised, changed his name to his Roman name Paulus (long for Paul), knowing he had to spread the word of God. After seeing the light of God, St Paul started to work as missionary travelling thousands of miles trying to convert people to Christianity and spreading the word where ever he went. He wrote important letters. He worked...
Words: 732 - Pages: 3
...the people that he would visit them once he gets time but he vested the town as a prisoner because he caused a riot in a temple that was located in Jerusalem. This book is the 6th New Testament book and out of all the letters that Paul wrote in his time, his letter to the Romans is the longest (New King James Version, 2008). Paul Paul was actually born as Saul, around 1-5 A.D in the city of Tarsus, Cilicia. He was from the ancestry of Hebrew lineage of Benjamin. Both of his parents were Pharisees who used to follow the commandments of Moses very strictly even to the point of warning their children from intermingling with the Gentiles. However, as Paul grew into a man, he developed hatred towards Christ and also his followers. During his thirties he used to go to Damascus to persecute Christ’s followers under the instructions of the high priest. One day during his many trips, Paul encountered Jesus Christ and his life was changed forever. After this encounter he went to Ananias’ and ministered for three years and there he received healing and the Holy Ghost. During this encounter with Christ he changed his name from Saul to Paul. In addition, out of the 27 New Testament books 13 were written by Paul. They include; 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, Galatians,...
Words: 486 - Pages: 2
...Paul, born Saul, was borne in Tarsus which was considered an epicenter of knowledge. This speaks of where Paul received his education and understanding of many things. Paul was a Roman citizen and although the scripture does not address where his citizenship came from it helped all throughout his ministry. Paul in Acts 18:3 is listed as a tentmaker and we can make the connection from 1 Thessalonians2:9 that this was done to offset his living expenses lessening his burden to the believers. Paul trained under Gamaliel in Acts 22:3-4 we see that he learned to be zealous for God and that he persecuted the followers of Jesus. The Bible then tells us of how Jesus interrupted Paul’s life. Paul chronology in the Bible only contains a few markers but without external evidence of Paul’s chronology they are still useless. The most important external evidence of Paul’s chronology is the Gallio Inscription which gives us an estimate of when Paul appeared before Gallio in Acts 18:12-17. After Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 Jesus sends him to Damascus to receive his sight back and receive instruction. Acts 9:20 says, immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.” Then it seems that after his conversion he went to Jerusalem three years later, and then again eleven years later. The importance of Paul’s conversion in Galatians 1 signifies that the conversion is the reference point for all dating. Paul began in Damascus proclaiming in the synagogue, Acts 9:19...
Words: 598 - Pages: 3
...Madison Mumbauer Paul of Tarsus Theodosius I his real name was Saul of Tarsus. He was well known for his mission for Christianity. Since it was the new religion that was separating from Judaism. He decided to travel around to preach to other people. Making it easier for people to understand that conversion is easier than it looks. He was trying his best to make Christianity a universal religion. He was one of the main founders Christianity movement. Paul ended up being executed in Rome, about middle-68 CE. Historical Significance is that he tested the boundaries back then breaking out of the normal lifestyle and trying to persuade others into following his footsteps. Baghdad Donation of Constantine specifically known for the forgery of the Middle Ages. Reading this I learned that forgery is the intent to deceive. You can technically copy someone’s work or style and not realize you are doing so. What gets artist in trouble is adding fake signatures to pieces of art work. Dating back to the 15th century Lorenzo Valla was demonstrated as the forger. Why it had so much influence in history was that it impacted religious and political affairs in Europe....
Words: 617 - Pages: 3
...Paul: Pre and Post conversion Saul or Paul was of strictly Jewish parentage, but was born, a few years after Christ, in the renowned Grecian commercial and literary city of Tarsus, in the province of Cilicia, and inherited the rights of a Roman citizen. He received a learned Jewish education at Jerusalem in the school of the Rabbi, Gamaliel, a grandson of Hillel, not remaining an entire stranger to Greek literature, as his style, his dialectic method, his allusions to heathen religion and philosophy, and his occasional quotations from heathen poets show. Thus, a "Hebrew of the Hebrews, yet at the same time a native Hellenist, and a Roman citizen, be combined in himself, so to speak, the three great nationalities of the ancient world, and was endowed with all the natural qualifications for a universal apostleship. He could argue with the Pharisees as a son of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, and as a disciple of the renowned Gamaliel, surnamed "the Glory of the Law." He could address the Greeks in their own beautiful tongue and with the convincing force of their logic. Clothed with the dignity and majesty of the Roman people, he could travel safely over the whole empire with the proud watchword. This providential outfit for his future work made him for a while the most dangerous enemy of Christianity, but after his conversion it’s most useful promoter. The weapons of destruction were turned into weapons of construction. The engine was reversed, and the direction changed;...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...Jesus turns water into wine. Jesus disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the four gospels of Jesus Christ. Jesus travel different cities like, Galilee, Capernaum, and Jerusalem. Jesus is known for his mercies and healing the sick, rising the dead, opening the blinded eyes. Jesus had to stand trial before the authorities about “9am on Friday outside the walls of Jerusalem to the hill of Golgotha.” Jesus was 33 when he died, possibly in the year of “28 or 29 A.D.” THE BOOK OF GALATIANS. “The Epistle of Paul the Apostle of the Galatians.” Paul wrote the book of Galatians in the year around about (49 to 56 A.D.) The book of Galatians is in the New Testament. The book of Galatians has six chapters, “Paul’s Hebrew name was “Saul of Tarsus” and his Roman/ Greek name was Paul.” Paul was born in Roam and his mother and...
Words: 859 - Pages: 4
