St. Paul

St. Paul — born Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee — is the Apostle to the Gentiles, whose dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus and subsequent missionary journeys spread Christianity throughout the Roman world. His thirteen letters make up a large portion of the New Testament and are the foundational texts of Christian theology (CCC 442).

His Conversion

Saul was a zealous Pharisee who persecuted the early Church, present at the stoning of St. Stephen. On the road to Damascus to arrest Christians, he was suddenly surrounded by light, fell to the ground, and heard: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" The voice identified itself as Jesus. Saul was blinded for three days until Ananias came to heal him and baptize him — and Saul became Paul, the greatest missionary in history (Acts 9:1–19; CCC 659).

His Missionary Journeys

Paul made three great missionary journeys through the Mediterranean world — planting churches in Asia Minor, Greece, and eventually reaching Rome. He preached in synagogues and public spaces, argued with philosophers in Athens, and founded communities in Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, and Galatia. His method: preach the Gospel, establish a community, move on, maintain contact through letters (CCC 849).

His Theology

Paul's letters — Romans, Galatians, Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews (disputed) — developed the theological implications of the Gospel: justification by faith, the Body of Christ, the new creation in Christ, the theology of the cross, the Resurrection, and the role of the Law (CCC 442).

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Paul contradict the other Apostles? Paul had a famous confrontation with Peter at Antioch (Galatians 2:11–14) over a matter of table fellowship — Paul publicly rebuked Peter for inconsistency. This is not evidence of contradiction between them but of the Church's early struggle to understand the implications of the Gospel. Both ended as martyrs in Rome (CCC 442).