A Man Named Saul: Paul's Early Life and Background

To understand Paul, we have to begin with Saul, the name he was known by before meeting Christ. In his own words, 

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today” (Acts 22:3, NKJV). 

Tarsus was a major city in the region of Cilicia (modern-day Turkey), and it’s there that Saul was born to Jewish parents who possessed Roman citizenship. As it is revealed in Acts, he was a devout Jew raised under strict Pharisaic tradition, and he studied under Gamaliel, a respected teacher of Jewish law. 

He became known for his zealous commitment to preserving the purity of Jewish religious practice. As Paul the apostle writes, he was “circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee” (Philippians 3:5, NKJV).

As a young man, Saul would have memorized large portions of the Hebrew Scriptures, been trained in the oral traditions of Jewish law, and developed a strong sense of identity centered on religious purity. 

He was both deeply educated and fiercely nationalistic. To Saul, the message of Jesus was not only wrong, but it was also a threat to everything he believed in.

Enemy of the Church: Paul’s Persecutions

In Acts 7:58 (NKJV), Saul appears for the first time as a young man watching over the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr. His presence there was not passive approval. It marked the beginning of a campaign to terrorize the new Christian community. 

“At that time, a great persecution arose against the church… Saul made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison”. – Acts 8:1-3 (NKJV)

Saul wasn’t satisfied with merely opposing Christian teaching in the synagogue. He went door to door, identifying believers, arresting them, and delivering them to religious authorities for punishment.

Saul was a man of intense zeal, a characteristic he acknowledged even after his conversion.

“For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries… being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers”. – Galatians 1:13-14 (NKJV)

His zeal led him to believe that the Christians, known then as “The Way,” were polluting true worship. And in his mind, if the Law of Moses was to be preserved, the church had to be silenced.

Saul’s opposition to the church was grounded in a deeply held belief that the followers of Jesus were a direct threat to the purity and authority of Jewish faith. He considered it his religious duty to stamp out what he viewed as a dangerous heresy. 

From his perspective as a devout Pharisee, the message of Jesus of Nazareth (proclaiming Himself as the Son of God, crucified and risen) was offensive and blasphemous.

The extent of his persecution is further emphasized in Acts 26:10-11 (NKJV), where Paul recounts to King Agrippa: 

“Many of the saints I shut up in prison… and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme”. 

And his campaign extended beyond Jerusalem. Acts 9:1-2 (NKJV) tells us he asked the high priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus to arrest more Christians.

In Saul’s mind, persecuting Christians wasn’t an act of cruelty, it was an act of obedience. He believed he was preserving the sanctity of God’s law. His was a misguided zeal, but it was fervent and thorough. 

Saul wasn’t indifferent or lukewarm. He was a man convinced that he was right, and that conviction led to great suffering for the early church. 

The same intensity he used to persecute believers, however, would one day be redirected by Christ Himself, turning the church’s greatest enemy into one of its greatest champions.

Did Paul Meet Jesus On The Road to Damascus? The Divine Confrontation

The story of Paul in the Book of Acts reveals what happened. 

“As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’” (Acts 9:3-4, NKJV).

The voice continued: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5, NKJV). 

Saul was blinded and led into the city, where for three days he neither ate nor drank. The Lord sent a disciple named Ananias, who laid hands on him, saying: 

“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road… has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17, NKJV).

Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes. He was baptized, and everything changed. Saul, the Pharisee, had met Jesus face-to-face. His life would never look the same.

This encounter reveals not only the mercy of Jesus but also His authority. Christ claimed personal identification with His people: “Why are you persecuting Me?” Saul of Tarsus realized in that moment that to attack the church was to attack the Lord Himself.

Turning Saul into Paul: The Mission Begins

The transformation from Saul the persecutor to Paul the apostle of Christ is one of the most powerful testimonies of God’s grace in all of Scripture. 

The man who was once “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1, NKJV) became the one who would write, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20, NKJV). 

After his blinding encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul’s life was completely reoriented. He was no longer living for religious tradition or personal righteousness, but to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ, whom he once tried to destroy.

Following his dramatic conversion and baptism (Acts 9:17-18), Saul began preaching almost immediately. Acts 9:20 (NKJV) records:

“Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God”. 

This was not a soft entry into ministry. It was bold, and it shocked many who remembered his former hostility. 

Yet, before Saul launched into his wider apostolic ministry, he entered a lesser-known period of preparation. According to Galatians 1:17-18 (NKJV):

“I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem”.

What happened in Arabia remains a mystery, but many scholars believe Paul spent 3 years with Jesus, in solitude, prayer, and revelation. He couldn’t have been taught the gospel by any human teacher. In Galatians 1:12 (NKJV), he insists:

 “For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ”. 

Though the Gospels do not explicitly document this time, Paul’s teachings suggest a deeply personal and transformative encounter with the risen Christ over those years.

This period with Jesus laid the theological foundation for Paul’s future ministry. It’s what equipped him to become “a chosen vessel” (Acts 9:15, NKJV), ready to carry the name of Jesus to the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 

The mission of Paul didn’t begin in a synagogue or on a mission trip. It began in silence, with Jesus, in a wilderness, where the Spirit of God reshaped his heart for what was to come.

Through trials, shipwrecks, floggings, imprisonments, and countless hardships (2 Corinthians 11:23-28), Paul remained faithful. His calling was affirmed by the apostles in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9), and from that point on, his ministry exploded. 

He was a missionary, teacher, church planter, and letter-writer, traveling across the Mediterranean world with a single message: that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone.

The Apostle Paul: Preacher, Pastor, Theologian

Paul’s mission took him across the Roman world. He preached in cities like Ephesus, Philippi, Corinth, and Rome. He established churches, mentored leaders, and continually pointed people to the crucified and risen Christ.

He described his calling this way: 

“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2, NKJV). 

The gospel according to Paul was clear: 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8, NKJV).

Thirteen New Testament letters bear Paul’s name. In them, he speaks about justification by faith (Romans 5:1), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), the nature of the Church (1 Corinthians 12), and the hope of resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).

Paul also modeled pastoral care. In his letters to Timothy and Titus, we see a spiritual father urging younger leaders to hold firm to sound doctrine, to preach the Word, and to live lives worthy of their calling. His epistles were letters of love, correction, and encouragement to communities he deeply cared for.

A Life Poured Out: Paul’s Testimony and Martyrdom

Paul’s final letters (especially 2 Timothy) show a man who gave everything for the gospel. 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7, NKJV).

If you’ve been wondering: “How was Paul martyred?”, it is believed he was beheaded in Rome, under the orders of Emperor Nero. Yet, his legacy lives on. His letters still form the backbone of Christian theology. His story still inspires those who feel unworthy or disqualified.

He is remembered as “a chosen vessel” (Acts 9:15, NKJV), who brought the gospel to the Gentiles and suffered deeply to make Christ known. In Philippians 1:21 (NKJV), he wrote:

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. 

That single sentence captures the core of Paul’s identity.

Final Thoughts: The Gospel That Transforms

Paul’s story is a story of grace. He once breathed threats, but finally he became a man who wrote of love, faith, and endurance. His life reminds us that no one is beyond God’s reach. Jesus didn’t just forgive Paul, He called him.

If God could use Paul, He can use anyone. And that includes you.

If this story stirred something in you, the Bible Chat App is a place to go deeper. Explore Scripture. Ask questions. Discover more. Because the same Jesus who met Paul on the road to Damascus is still calling hearts to Himself today.

References

• The Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV)
• Acts of the Apostles; Galatians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Romans, Ephesians, Timothy (NKJV)
• Wright, N.T. Paul: A Biography. HarperOne, 2018
• Bruce, F.F. Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free. Eerdmans, 1977

Sources of the images: Midjourney.com