Who Is Saul the Persecutor?

Saul, which is Paul's given name, was born into a Jewish family in Tarsus (Turkey) around the year A.D. 8; he was also a Roman citizen, a fact that would play a large role later in his life. Schooled as a Pharisee, he was a tent maker by trade, but was most noted for his hatred of Christians.

Was Paul a persecutor?

3 Bultmann ("Paul," 114) writes concerning Paul the persecutor that "for him the question concerning the acceptance of the Christian message is identical with the either/or decision between the law and Jesus Christ," and that Paul became a persecutor of Hellenistic Christianity "because he could not help seeing it as ...

Who is Saul in Acts of the Apostles?

Jesus called him "Saul, Saul" in "the Hebrew tongue" in the Book of Acts, when he had the vision which led to his conversion on the road to Damascus. Later, in a vision to Ananias of Damascus, "the Lord" referred to him as "Saul, of Tarsus". When Ananias came to restore his sight, he called him "Brother Saul".