Bible facts about the apostle paul
The Apostle Paul was a fascinating individual. Much has been written about him after his death. These 4 facts I would like to share with you are all probably well-known, but they help paint a clearer picture of what he was like 2,000 years ago.
1. Paul wasn’t an intimidating person and may have not been a great speaker.
Based on Paul’s letters, I always thought that he had an intimidating presence and was an eloquent speaker. However, Paul gives us a hint that this might not be the case. He mentions this: “For they say, ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account'” (2 Corinthians 10:10).
In other words, when some people met Paul in person they had a hard time reconciling the tone of his letters to his physical person. It’s also helpful to point out that Paul told the Corinthians in the previous verse that he does “not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters.” I think this means when we come across a statement from Paul that seems harsh, we must realize the intention behind his statements. He just wanted others to take their relationships with Christ seriously, and so should we.
2. Paul saw heaven before he died.
In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Paul recounts his experience of being “caught up to the third heaven.” There he experienced things that could not even be put into words. Paul started to become prideful because of these experiences, so God used a messenger of Satan to humble him. This is Paul’s famous “thorn in the flesh.”
What I love about this story is that Paul asked the Lord to remove this from him 3 times, but God replied “My grace is sufficient for you.” Like us, Paul prayed for things that didn’t work out like wanted them to. In times like these, we should imitate Paul by trusting God’s understanding more than our own.
3. Paul went to Arabia for 3 years after his conversion. Christian apostle and missionary "Saint Paul" redirects here. For other uses, see Saint Paul (disambiguation). Saint Paul the Apostle Saint Paul (c. 1611) by Peter Paul Rubens Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle (c. 5 – c. 64/65 AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally regarded as one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age, and he also founded several Christian communities in Asia Minor and Europe from the mid-40s to the mid-50s AD. The main source of information on Paul's life and works is the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament. Approximately half of its content documents his travels, preaching and miracles. Paul was not one of the Twelve Apostles, and did not know Jesus during his lifetime. Acco Answer 5 Things You Should Know about the Apostle Paul The Apostle Paul was the most prolific writer of the New Testament, and his travels took him all over the Mediterranean. His background was of Jewish descent, and yet he was a Roman citizen. As one of the more fascinating characters of the Bible, here are five things you may not know about his life and writings: Those critical of historic orthodox Christianity have long asserted significant discontinuity between the teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul. This criticism, in large part, arises from the fact that Paul only became part of the Christian movement after Jesus’ resurrection and the initial period of the church’s evangelical ministry after Pentecost. However, a good portion of Paul’s letters predate the earliest proposed dates for the Gospels, and some of Paul’s earliest letters may even predate James’ letter according to some proposals. Paul was not only influential in shaping the faith of the early church due to the amount he wrote, but also because his writings are possibly the earliest historical witness we have to Jesus Christ and His gospel. Many books have been written about Pauline theology. This is not surprising, given the incredible literary legacy he produced under the inspiration of the Spirit as the New Testament canon took shape. Masterpieces like Romans clearly demonstrate the genius of Paul’s theological mind. Even so, though Paul was undoubtedly the principal author of all his letters, his salutations clearly indicate that roughly half of his letters involved collaboration with fellow missionaries and ministers of the gospel. Paul was not a maverick or an ivory tower theologian; he often worked out his teaching and instruction to the churches in partnership with fellow believers. God used Paul in a rema Paul the Apostle
Born Saul of Tarsus
c. 5 AD
Tarsus, Cilicia, Roman EmpireDied c. 64/65 AD
Rome, Italia, Roman EmpireVenerated in All Christian denominations that venerate saints Canonized Pre-Congregation Major shrine Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Rome, Italy Feast Attributes Christian martyrdom, sword, book Patronage Missionaries, theologians, evangelists, and Gentile Christians, Malta
Theology careerEducation School of Gamaliel Occupation(s) Christian missionary and preacher Notable work Theological work Era Apostolic Age Language Koine Greek Tradition or movement Pauline Christianity Main interests Torah, Christology, eschatology, soteriology, ecclesiology Notable ideas Pauline privilege, Law of Christ, Holy Spirit, Unknown God, divinity of Jesus, thorn in the flesh, Pauline mysticism, biblical inspiration, supersessionism, non-circumcision, salvation Who was Paul in the Bible?
There is much we can learn from the life of the apostle Paul. Far from ordinary, Paul was given the opportunity to do extraordinary things for the kingdom of God. The story of Paul is a story of redemption in Jesus Christ and a testimony that no one is beyond the saving grace of the Lord. However, to gain the full measure of the man, we must examine his dark side and what he symbolized before becoming “the Apostle of Grace.” Paul’s early life was marked by religious zeal, brutal violence, and the relentless persecution of the early church. Fortunately, the later years of Paul’s life show a marked difference as he lived his life for Christ and for the advancement of His kingdom.
Paul was actually born as Saul. He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia, a province in the southeastern corner of modern-day Tersous, Turkey, sometime in the first decade AD. He was of Benjamite lineage and Hebrew ancestry (Philippians 3:5–6). His parents were Pharisees—fervent Jewish nationalists who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses—who sought to protect their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles. Anything Greek would have been despised in Saul’s household, yet he could speak Greek and passable Latin. His household would have spoken Aramaic, which was the official language of Judea. Saul’s family were Roman citizens but viewed Jerusalem as a truly sacred and holy city (Acts 22:22-29).
At age thirteen Saul was sent to Judea to learn from a rabbi named Gamaliel, under whom Saul mastered Jewish history, the Psalms, and the works of the prophets. His education would continue for five or six years as Saul learned such things as dissecting Scripture (Acts 22:3). It was during this time that he developed a question-and-answer style of teaching known in ancient times as “diatribe.” This method of articulation helped rabbis debate the finer points of Jewish law to either defend or prosecute those who broke the law. Saul went on to become a lawyer 1. Paul may have been the first to write among New Testament authors.
2. Paul often wrote with a degree of collaboration with others.
3. Not everything Paul wrote was Scripture.