Who is Paul in the New Testament?

• Paul (Hebrew name: Saul) was an apostle of Jesus Christ and the author of most of the New Testament.
• Paul was a Jew born in Tarsus in the Roman province of Cilicia (Acts 22:3).
• Paul was a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:28).
• We know nothing of his parents, but Paul’s sister and his sister’s son (Acts 23:16) are mentioned in Scripture.
• He was from the tribe of Benjamin and trained as a Pharisee in Jerusalem under the ranking rabbi of the time Gamaliel (Phil 3:4-6; Acts 22:3).
• Like all young Jewish men, he learned a trade: tent-making (Acts 18:3), a trade which was common in Tarsus.
• With the support of the Sanhedrin, Paul persecuted Christians, imprisoning men and women alike (Acts 8:3; Acts 9:1-2; Acts 26:10-11; Galatians 1:13; 1 Timothy 1:13).
• Paul was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58).
• As Paul traveled from Jerusalem to Damascus to hunt down Jewish Christians (Acts 8:1-3), he met the risen Lord and converted to Christianity (Acts 9).
• At Paul’s conversion, Jesus told Paul that Paul would be his messenger to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; Acts 26:15-18; Galatians 1:11-16).
• After his conversion Paul spent some time in Arabia, probably being taught by the Risen Lord Jesus (Gal 1:15-21).
• Eventually Barnabas brought Paul to Antioch (Acts 11:19-29) to help with the newly formed church there.
• Paul made three missionary journeys in which in converted many Gentiles and started many churches.
• Paul was imprisoned twice in Rome. The first time he was released (approximately 63 AD). The second ended with his execution (approximately 66 AD).
• Chronology of Paul
• Paul’s Missionary Journeys (Map & Chart)

Paul in Scripture

Act 13:9; Act 13:13; Act 13:16; Act 13:43; Act 13:45; Act 13:46; Act 13:50; Act 14:9; Act 14:11; Act 14:12; Act 14:14; Act 14:19; Act 15:2; Act 15:12; Act 15:22; Act 15:25; Act 15:35; Act 15:36; Act 15:38; Act 15:40; Act 16:1; Act 16:3; Act 16:9; Act 16:10; Act 16:14; Act 16:17; Act 16:18; Act 16:19; Act 16:25; Act 16:28; Act 16:29; Act 16:36; Act 16:37; Act 17:2; Act 17:4; Act 17:10; Act 17:13; Act 17:14; Act 17:15; Act 17:16; Act 17:22; Act 17:33; Act 18:1; Act 18:5; Act 18:8; Act 18:9; Act 18:12; Act 18:14; Act 18:18; Act 19:1; Act 19:4; Act 19:6; Act 19:11; Act 19:13; Act 19:15; Act 19:21; Act 19:26; Act 19:29; Act 19:30; Act 20:1; Act 20:7; Act 20:9; Act 20:10; Act 20:11; Act 20:13; Act 20:16; Act 20:37; Act 21:4; Act 21:11; Act 21:13; Act 21:18; Act 21:26; Act 21:29; Act 21:30; Act 21:32; Act 21:37; Act 21:39; Act 21:40; Act 22:25; Act 22:28; Act 22:29; Act 22:30; Act 23:1; Act 23:3; Act 23:5; Act 23:6; Act 23:10; Act 23:12; Act 23:14; Act 23:16; Act 23:17; Act 23:18; Act 23:20; Act 23:24; Act 23:31; Act 23:33; Act 24:1; Act 24:10; Act 24:24; Act 24:26; Act 24:27; Act 25:2; Act 25:3; Act 25:4; Act 25:6; Act 25:8; Act 25:9; Act 25:10; Act 25:14; Act 25:19; Act 25:21; Act 25:23; Act 26:1; Act 26:24; Act 26:25; Act 26:28; Act 26:29; Act 27:1; Act 27:3; Act 27:9; Act 27:11; Act 27:21; Act 27:24; Act 27:31; Act 27:33; Act 27:43; Act 28:3; Act 28:8; Act 28:15; Act 28:16; Act 28:25; Rom 1:1; 1Co 1:1; 1Co 1:12; 1Co 1:13; 1Co 3:4; 1Co 3:5; 1Co 3:22; 1Co 16:21; 2Co 1:1; 2Co 10:1; Gal 1:1; Gal 5:2; Eph 1:1; Eph 3:1; Php 1:1; Col 1:1; Col 1:23; Col 4:18; 1Th 1:1; 1Th 2:18; 2Th 1:1; 2Th 3:17; 1Ti 1:1; 2Ti 1:1; Tit 1:1; Phm 1:1; Phm 1:9; Phm 1:19; 2Pe 3:15.

3 Accounts of Paul’s conversion

• Acts 9:1-18 – as it occurred
• Acts 22:6-16 – reviewed before the mob at Jerusalem
• Acts 26:12-19 – reviewed before King Agrippa

Paul’s recorded sermons

• Acts 13:16-41 – First recorded sermon at Antioch in Pisidia
• Acts 17:22-34 – Sermon at Mars Hill in Athens, Greece
• Acts 20:13-28 – Address to Ephesian Elders at Miletus
• Acts 21:37-22:29 – Stairway address in Jerusalem
• Acts 24:1-23 – Defense before Felix at Caesarea
• Acts 24:24-27 – Address before Felix & Drusilla at Caesarea
• Acts 26:1-28 – Address before Felix, King Agrippa & Bernice at Caesarea

Sufferings of Paul

Soon after his conversion, the Lord told Paul he would suffer for the sake of the gospel (Acts 9:15-16).

• Paul’s record of his sufferings: 1Cor 15:30-32; 2Cor 4:7-18; 2Cor 6:3-10; 2Cor 11:23-28; 2Cor 12:5-10; Gal 5:11; Gal 6:7; 2Tim 3:10-11;
• Jewish opposition to Paul: Acts 9:23; Acts 9:29; Acts 13:50; Acts 14:5; Acts 14:19; Acts 17:5; Acts 17:13; Acts 18:12; Acts 21:31; Acts 23:12-13; Acts 25:3.
• Gentile opposition to Paul: Acts 14:1; Acts 18:9 Acts 19:23; Acts 16:9; Acts 18:13; Acts 19:23

Sufferings recorded in Acts

• Acts 9:23 – His life was threatened in Damascus.
• Acts 9:29 – life threatened in Jerusalem
• Acts 13:50 – persecuted and run out of Antioch in Pisida
• Acts 14:5 – faced stoning at Iconium
• Acts 14:19 – stoned and left for dead in Lystra
• Acts 16:23 – beaten with rods and imprisoned at Philippi
• Acts 17:5-10 – life threatened in Thessalonica
• Acts 17:13-14 – forced out of Berea
• Acts 17:18 – mocked in Athens
• Acts 18:12 – taken before the judgment seat in Corinth
• Acts 19:23-41 – opposed by silversmiths in Ephesus
• Acts 20:3 – Jews plot against him in Greece
• Acts 21:27-30 – mob in Jerusalem seeks to kill him
• Acts 22:24-29 – arrested by the Romans and barely escapes being scourged
• Acts 23:7-11 – rescued from the mob
• Acts 23:12-22 – plot to assassinate him
• Acts 23:33-27:2 – imprisonment in Caesarea
• Acts 27:39-28:1 – shipwreck on Melita
• Acts 28:3-5 – suffered a snake bite
• Acts 28:16 – First Roman imprisonment begins

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Paul

• Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary: Paul the Apostle
• Bridgeway Bible Dictionary: Paul
• Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Paul
• Fausset Bible Dictionary: Paul
• Holman Bible Dictionary: Paul
• Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible: Paul the Apostle
• Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature: Paul
• Morrish Bible Dictionary: Paul
• International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Paul, the Apostle
• McClintock and Strong: Paul
• The Nuttall Encyclopedia: Paul
• The Jewish Encyclopedia:

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