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Paul....
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Paul, originally Saul, was born in Tarsus in what is now southern
Turkey and
changed his name after converting Sergius Paulus. He is traditionally
represented as a stocky little man, with a bald head and a grey, bushy
beard. He studied Jewish law in Jerusalem under the famous rabbi Gamaliel
(Acts 22:3). He and his parents were Roman citizens, having special rights
and privileges. Roman citizens could not be imprisoned without a trial nor
could they be scourged or crucified. His Roman citizenship saved Paul many
times during his ministry. He made three great missionary journeys before
being arrested in Jerusalem and taken to
Rome where he was beheaded in AD
62. |
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Saul planned to persecute Christians even abroad. He
obtained letters to the synagogues in Damascus from the high priest in
Jerusalem, and set out to bring Christians bound from there to Jerusalem. On
the road to Damascus the most famous conversion in the history of
Christianity took place, described in Acts, chapters 9,22 and 26. At midday,
light shone down suddenly from heaven, encompassing Saul. He heard
Jesus
Christ's voice, "Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?" This man who hated
Christ and all Christians capitulated in the front of the living God. Then
Jesus told him to go into Damascus, and there he would be told what to do.
Paul became blind and did not eat or drink for three days. In Damascus, the
Lord sent a disciple called Ananias to him, who restored his vision, filled
him with the Holy Spirit and baptized him. (After his conversion, Saul is
mentioned in the Bible by his Latin name, Paul.) He then began to preach
about Jesus in the synagogues in Damascus. The Jews wanted to kill him, but
he escaped with the help of some Christians who lowered him in a basket from
the top of the city wall.
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Saul witnessed the stoning and death of Stephen, the
first Christian martyr, and guarded the clothes of his executioners (Acts
7:58). He then started persecuting the Christians and imprisoned many of
them (Acts 8:3). The followers of Jesus Christ were regarded as heretics by
the Pharisees. The persecution in Jerusalem caused the believers to disperse
abroad and preach the Word everywhere they went (Acts 8:4). |
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Paul went away to Arabia for a period of time, then
returned to Damascus (Gal. 1:17), and after three years journeyed to
Jerusalem (Gal. 1:18). The disciples there did not trust him, knowing he had
previously persecuted Christians, but Barnabas took him to the apostles who
were staying in Jerusalem at that time (Gal. 1:18-19, Acts 9:26-27). Paul
preached boldly in Jerusalem, but after 15 days had to flee again, this time
to Tarsus (Acts 9:29-30).
In Antioch, the capital of Syria then, Gentiles were turning to
Jesus
Christ, and the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas there to instruct
these new believers. |
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