Paul the Apostle facts for kids

Apostle Paul
Quick facts for kidsApostle Paul
	Apostle to the Gentiles
	Saint Paul Writing His Epistles by Valentin de Boulogne
Native name	Sha'ul ha-Tarsi (Saul of Tarsus)
Personal details
Born	c. 5 AD; Tarsus, Cilicia, Roman Empire
Died	c. 64 or c. 67 AD (aged 61–62 or 64–65); probably in Rome, Roman Empire
Sainthood
Feast day	January 25–Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul; February 10–Feast of Saint Paul's Shipwreck in Malta; June 29–Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Epip 5 (Coptic Orthodox); June 30–Former solo feast day, still celebrated by some religious orders); November 18–Feast of the dedication of the basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul);
Canonized	by Pre-congregation
Attributes	Christian martyrdom, Sword
Patronage	Missions, Theologians, Evangelists, and Gentile Christians Philosophy career
Alma mater	School of Gamaliel
Notable work	Epistle to the Romans; Epistle to the Galatians; 1st Epistle to the Corinthians; 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians; 1st Epistle to the Thessalonians; Epistle to Philemon; Epistle to the Philippians
Era	Apostolic Age
Region	Christian philosophy
School	Pauline Christianity; Middle Platonism; Stoicism
Main interests	Torah, Philosopy, Theology
Notable ideas	Pauline privilege, Law of Christ; Holy Spirit, Unknown God; Divinity of Jesus, Thorn in the flesh; Pauline mysticism, Non-circumcision; Salvation, God the Son, Trinity
	Influences Hellenistic Judaism, Ananias, Menander, Epimenides, Aratus
	Influenced Virtually all of Christianity and much of the Church Fathers

Paul of Tarsus, also known as St Paul, (AD 9–67) was a Messianic Jewish-Roman, Turkish writer and rabbi. He wrote the Pauline Epistles in the New Testament. It is believed that he wrote thirteen books of the Bible, all of which are letters to churches and Christians, encouraging them, helping them to understand Christian teaching and helping them to live Christian lives.

Paul's name was originally Saul. He grew up learning both the Jewish law and the Greek ways of discussing things. When the Christian movement began, after the death of Jesus, he was strongly against it. He worked for the Roman Government and helped lead the arrests and killing of many Christians in Israel and the nearby area.

While he was on the road to Damascus in search of Christians there, he had a vision. In the vision Jesus Christ spoke to him, telling Saul that his persecution of Christians was a persecution of Jesus himself, and that it did not please God. Saul was blinded by the vision. A short time later he met Ananias, a disciple of Jesus, and his sight came back to him. (see Acts 22:12)

Saul was baptised as a Christian. He spent the next three years studying the Jewish scriptures again to find explanations for the Christian teachings. His experiences changed his viewpoint completely. He changed his name to Paul and he dedicated his life to serving Jesus Christ. He used his earlier education to explain his new faith to other people, and to discuss things with people who had other beliefs. He traveled around the Roman Empire, teaching others about Christianity, and wrote letters back and forth with the churches he helped to begin. The letters contain many important parts of Christian teaching.

Paul was put to death by orders of the emperor Nero in Rome, in 67 AD. He had the rights of a Roman citizen, which meant that he could be put to death by having his head cut off with a sword, rather than by crucifixion.

Related pages

Twelve Apostles

Images for kids

A painting of Paul of Tarsus by Rembrandt
Facial composite of Paul the Apostle, made by experts of the state police of NRW, Germany
The Conversion of Saul, fresco by Michelangelo, 1542–45
Geography relevant to Paul's life, stretching from Jerusalem to Rome
Conversion on the Way to Damascus (1601), by Caravaggio
Caravaggio (1571–1610), The Conversion of Saint Paul, 1600
Paul the Apostle, by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn c. 1657
Saint Paul, Byzantine ivory relief, 6th – early 7th century (Musée de Cluny)
The house believed to be of Ananias of Damascus in Damascus
Bab Kisan, believed to be where Paul escaped from persecution in Damascus
Saint Paul delivering the Areopagus sermon in Athens, by Raphael, 1515. This sermon addressed early issues in Christology.
Saint Paul arrested, early 1900s Bible illustration
Statue of St. Paul in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran by Pierre-Étienne Monnot
Russian Orthodox icon of the Apostle Paul, 18th century (Iconostasis of Transfiguration Church, Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia)
Paul the Apostle, (16th-century) attributed to Lucas van Leyden
Statue of St. Paul (1606) by Gregorio Fernández
A statue of Paul holding a scroll (symbolising the Scriptures) and the sword (symbolising his martyrdom)