Who was Saul of Tarsus in the Bible?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Saul of Tarsus was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, born in Tarsus, but raised in Jerusalem, where he trained under Rabbi Gamaliel and became a zealous Pharisee. Saul became the Sanhedrin's prosecuting attorney, witnessing and supporting the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He zealously persecuted Christians, dragging them from their homes and imprisoning them. On his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, Saul of Tarsus encountered Jesus and underwent a profound transformation, dedicating his life to spreading the gospel. He was later better known by the Greek form of his name: Paul. His story exemplifies the transformative power of grace, showing that no one is beyond redemption and that our past does not define our future.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Saul of Tarsus is not found in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Saul of Tarsus was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, born in the city of Tarsus (in modern-day Turkey), but raised in Jerusalem, Judea (Philippians 3:5–6, Acts 22:3). Tarsus was a free city in the Roman province of Cilicia, and Saul's parents had become citizens of Rome. Thus, by birth, Saul also had Roman citizenship (Acts 22:28).
• Saul of Tarsus trained in Torah (biblical studies and law) under a highly-respected rabbi of the first century, Gamaliel (Acts 5:34; 22:3).
• Saul considered himself to be zealous for God and identified himself as a Pharisee (Acts 22:3; 23:6).
• Although Saul was a tentmaker by trade, he had become the Sanhedrin's prosecuting attorney (Acts 18:3). He was present at the execution by stoning of Christianity's first martyr, Stephen, and may have been one of "those from Cilicia" who had argued with Stephen in the synagogue (Acts 6:9; 7:58).
• After his involvement with Stephen's death, Saul set out to destroy the Messianic community, also known as The Way at that time (Acts 8:3; 9:1–2). He relentlessly went throughout Jerusalem "entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison" on suspicion of their belief in Jesus as the Messiah (Acts 8:3). Saul was not content to conduct his inquisition in Jerusalem alone but sought to extradite believers from Damascus across two borders to be tried and sentenced in Jerusalem as well (Acts 9:2).
• On his way to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus encountered Jesus and had his heart changed (Acts 9:1–31). Many mistakenly believe that God also changed his name from Saul to Paul. However, Paul is simply the Greek form of the Hebrew name Saul (Acts 13:9), so as Saul began to minister outside of Jerusalem to Greek-speaking Jews and Gentiles, he went by the Greek form of his own name, much like a Spanish-speaking Roberto might go by Robert when in an English-speaking territory or vice versa.
• With as much zeal as Saul of Tarsus had previously persecuted the church, he now set out to spread the gospel to everyone who would hear. The apostle Paul spent over thirty years in ministry for the gospel through street evangelism, church planting, itinerant preaching, and composing letters. Many of those letters were inspired by God and are part of the New Testament canon. They delineate important doctrines and give clear instruction about Christian character and life. The zealous, law-abiding Pharisee was relieved of the burden of earning his own righteousness and freed by Christ's perfect life sacrificed on the cross for the forgiveness of all who would believe.
• Paul wrote: "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith" (Philippians 3:8–9). Any accolades from his life before conversion, Saul counted as worthless compared with the privilege of knowing and trusting Jesus and finding his new identity as a servant of the Lord rather than as a servant to Jewish law (Romans 1:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Saul of Tarsus’s life reveals the transformative power of grace. Saul's journey from a zealous persecutor of Christians to a passionate apostle spreading the message of Christ to Gentiles as well as Jews demonstrates that no one is beyond redemption. His life teaches us that regardless of our past actions or beliefs, a genuine encounter with grace can redirect our purpose and identity. This transformation encourages us to remain open to how God grows and refines us, to seek and embrace forgiveness, and to allow newfound convictions based on God’s Word in the power of His Spirit to guide our actions. Saul’s story is a powerful reminder that our past does not define our future. It shows us that no one is beyond God’s reach, which gives us hope for unsaved loved ones and/or those people we think would “never” come to the Lord. With faith, God can transform our lives.

UNDERSTAND

• Saul of Tarsus was a Jew who held Roman citizenship and was raised in Jerusalem.
• Saul of Tarsus was trained in Torah under the respected rabbi Gamaliel, becoming a zealous Pharisee.
• Saul of Tarsus’s life was transformed from a zealous enforcer of Jewish law and persecutor of Christians to a zealous follower of Christ after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus.

REFLECT

• What does Saul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle of Christ teach us about God’s transformative work in those who turn to Him?
• In what areas of your life do you need to remain open to the transformative power of grace, similar to Saul’s experience on the road to Damascus?
• How can Saul’s zeal for spreading the gospel encourage your own efforts in sharing your faith and serving others?

ENGAGE

• How does Saul’s conversion challenge us about the way we view unbelievers, especially when they seem far from faith or redemption?
• What causes so much hatred against Christians?
• Saul of Tarsus, also known as the apostle Paul, wrote many of the New Testament books. Most theologians are in agreement that he wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. He calls himself “the apostle to the Gentiles” in Romans 11:13 not because he only preached to the Gentiles but because he recognized that God’s salvation was offered to all.