The conversion of Paul the Apostle (also the Pauline conversion, Damascene conversion, Damascus Christophany and The Road to Damascus event), was, according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Paul the Apostle that led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to become a follower of Jesus. It is normally dated to AD 34–37.
What was the conversion of Paul like?
The Conversion of St. Paul. St. Paul, known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, was born in the city of Tarsus, a Roman city, thereby giving him Roman citizenship. At his circumcision, he was given the Hebrew name Saul. At a young age his parents sent him to Jerusalem to be instructed in the Mosaic Law under the greatest Rabbi of his time, Gamaliel.
Did Paul know Jesus before he was converted?
Conversion of Paul the Apostle. According to both sources, Paul was not a follower of Jesus and did not know him before his crucifixion. Paul's conversion occurred after Jesus' crucifixion. The accounts of Paul's conversion experience describe it as miraculous, supernatural, or otherwise revelatory in nature.
Who painted the conversion of Saul?
Michelangelo's The Conversion of Saul is housed in the Cappella Paolina of the Vatican Palace. The Renaissance Italian master Caravaggio painted two works depicting the event: The Conversion of Saint Paul and Conversion on the Way to Damascus. Peter Paul Rubens also produced several works on the theme.
How did Saul convert to Christianity?
Saul’s conversion occurred when he was on his way to the city of Damascus. He had gone to the high priest and the Sanhedrin for a commission to allow him to go where he knew there were many new Christians, to arrest them and take them back to Jerusalem for trial.
What happened to St Paul after his conversion?
After his conversion, Paul went to Damascus, where Acts 9 states he was healed of his blindness and baptized by Ananias of Damascus. Paul says that it was in Damascus that he barely escaped death. Paul also says that he then went first to Arabia, and then came back to Damascus.
What was Paul's role before converting to Christianity?
Reading Paul's letters and Acts of the Apostles we learn that Paul was born in Tarsus, in modern day Eastern Turkey, he was a tent maker by trade, was an avid student under the top Jewish teacher in Jerusalem and was also a Roman citizen.
What are the three accounts of Paul's conversion?
5 Lohfink points to the increase in the three accounts with respect to Paul's call to mission: from call (Christ to Ananias) and call to mission (Ananias to Saul) in Acts 9, to announcement of the mission (Christ to Saul in Jerusalem) in Acts 9, to immediate mission (Christ to Saul from Damascus) in Acts 26.
Why is Paul so important to Christianity?
Paul is often considered to be the most important person after Jesus in the history of Christianity. His epistles (letters) have had enormous influence on Christian theology, especially on the relationship between God the Father and Jesus, and on the mystical human relationship with the divine.
What is Paul early life?
Paul was a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia in Asia Minor, which is present day Turkey. He was given the Jewish name 'Saul'. His parents were originally Jewish but later, as foreigners in the Roman Empire, they acquired Roman citizenship. This made Paul to have dual citizenship – Jewish and Roman.
What was Apostle Paul's occupation?
ProphetPreacherMissionaryWriterTentmakerTheologianPaul the Apostle/Professions
How old was Paul when he started his ministry?
about thirty years oldPaul's Conversion When Paul first appeared in Acts at the stoning of Stephen, he was probably about thirty years old and had already become an acknowledged leader in Judaism.
What is Paul's mission?
The goal of Paul's mission is “to win obedience from the Gentiles” ( 15:18 ), bringing them to the “obedience of faith” (1:5), a phrase referring to “the conversion and subordination to the sovereign authority of Jesus, which is the result of preaching the gospel” (Stuhlmacher, 1994, 20).
What was Paul's conversion experience?
The Acts of the Apostles says that Paul's conversion experience was an encounter with the resurrected Christ. Alternative explanations have been proposed, including sun stroke and seizure. In 1987, D. Landsborough published an article in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, in which he stated that Paul's conversion experience, with the bright light, loss of normal bodily posture, a message of strong religious content, and his subsequent blindness, suggested "an attack of [ temporal lobe epilepsy ], perhaps ending in a convulsion ... The blindness which followed may have been post-ictal ."
What is the third discussion of Paul's conversion?
Acts' third discussion of Paul's conversion occurs when Paul addresses King Agrippa, defending himself against the accusations of antinomianism that have been made against him. [Acts 26:12–18] This account is briefer than the others.
What caused Jesus to rethink his beliefs?
Instead, the conversion, and the associated understanding of the significance of the resurrection of the crucified Jesus, caused him to rethink from the ground up everything he had ever believed in, from his own identity to his understanding of Second Temple Judaism and who God really was.
What is the purpose of the book of Acts of the Apostles?
The Book of Acts says that Paul was on his way from Jerusalem to Syrian Damascus with a mandate issued by the High Priest to seek out and arrest followers of Jesus, with the intention of returning them to Jerusalem as prisoners for questioning and possible execution. The journey is interrupted when Paul sees a blinding light, and communicates directly with a divine voice.
What event led Paul to cease persecuting early Christians and to become an apostle of Jesus?
Event that led Paul to cease persecuting early Christians and to become an apostle of Jesus. The conversion of Paul the Apostle (also the Pauline conversion, Damascene conversion, Damascus Christophany and the "road to Damascus" event) was, according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Paul the Apostle that led him to cease persecuting ...
When is the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul?
The Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle is a feast celebrated during the liturgical year on 25 January, recounting the conversion. This feast is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches.
Where is the conversion of Saul?
Michelangelo 's The Conversion of Saul is housed in the Cappella Paolina of the Vatican Palace . The Renaissance Italian master Caravaggio painted two works depicting the event: The Conversion of Saint Paul and Conversion on the Way to Damascus. Peter Paul Rubens also produced several works on the theme.
What was the story of Saint Paul's conversion?
The Story of the Conversion of Saint Paul. Saint Paul’s entire life can be explained in terms of one experience—his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In an instant, he saw that all the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted, like the strength of a boxer swinging wildly. Perhaps he had never seen Jesus, who was only ...
What is Paul's message to the world?
So Paul’s great message to the world was: You are saved entirely by God, not by anything you can do. Saving faith is the gift of total, free, personal and loving commitment to Christ, a commitment that then bears fruit in more “works” than the Law could ever contemplate.
What was Paul's life like?
Paul’s life became a tireless proclaiming and living out of the message of the cross: Christians die baptismally to sin and are buried with Christ; they are dead to all that is sinful and unredeemed in the world.
Is Paul hard to understand?
Paul is undoubtedly hard to understand. His style often reflects the rabbinical style of argument of his day, and often his thought skips on mountaintops while we plod below. But perhaps our problems are accentuated by the fact that so many beautiful jewels have become part of the everyday coin in our Christian language.
Who painted the apse of the Apostle Paul?
Stained-glass scenes of the apostle Paul preaching in Athens, by the painter John La Farge, adorn the apse; cherub heads by sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who later designed Mount Rushmore, greet visitors from atop the columns of the portico.
How many windows were removed from the chapel?
Workers took breaks during religious services, but other chapel business — lunchtime concerts, fellowship meetings, visitor tours — went on as artisans cleaned the ceiling, replaced flawed tiles, and removed the sixteen windows, the stained-glass fragments of which were dislodged from their lead frames and spirited to Pennsylvania to be scrubbed and delicately recolored. “Instead of painting on top of the original glass, they laminated a very thin piece of new glass, then applied it, so they didn’t touch the original paint,” says Ramsey.
Where is the story of Paul's conversion?
The story of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus is told in Acts 9:1-19 and retold by Paul in Acts 22:6-21 and Acts 26:12-18 . Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee in Jerusalem after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, swore to wipe out the new Christian church, called The Way. Acts 9:1 says that Paul was "breathing out murderous threats ...
What does Paul's conversion prove?
Paul's conversion proves that God can call and transform anyone he chooses, even the most hard-hearted. Jesus did not distinguish between his church and his followers, and himself. Jesus told Saul he had been persecuting him. Anyone who persecutes Christians, or the Christian church, is persecuting Christ himself.
How long was Saul blind?
Saul was blinded. His companions led him into Damascus to a man named Judas, on Straight Street. For three days Saul was blind and didn't eat or drink. Meanwhile, Jesus appeared in a vision to a disciple in Damascus named Ananias and told him to go to Saul.
Why was Ananias afraid of Saul?
Ananias was afraid because he knew Saul's reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church . Jesus repeated his command, explaining that Saul was his chosen instrument to deliver the gospel to the Gentiles, their kings, and the people of Israel. So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help.
What did Saul know about Jesus?
In one moment of fear, enlightenment, and regret, Saul understood that Jesus was the true Messiah and that he (Saul) had helped murder and imprison innocent people. Despite his previous beliefs as a Pharisee, he now knew the truth about God and was obligated to obey him. Paul's conversion proves that God can call and transform anyone he chooses, even the most hard-hearted.
What did Saul hear when he was struck down by a blinding light?
On the Road to Damascus, Saul and his companions were struck down by a blinding light. Saul heard a voice say, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4, NIV) When Saul asked who was speaking, the voice replied: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:5-6, NIV)
What does Acts 9:1 say about Paul?
Acts 9:1 says that Paul was "breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.". Saul obtained letters from the high priest, authorizing him to arrest any followers of Jesus in the city of Damascus. On the Road to Damascus, Saul and his companions were struck down by a blinding light.
How many times is the story of Paul's conversion in Acts?
Are they false, or true? The story of Paul’s conversion from a devout Jew, violently persecuting believers in Jesus, to a devout Christian, fearlessly spreading the Gospel against all opposition, is found three times in Acts. The stories differ slightly.
What did Jesus tell Paul?
In this account, Jesus told Paul that he was chosen by God and that he would bring the gospel to the Gentiles, all in great detail. Paul provided no details on his activities in Damascus and then went on to convey his message to the Gentiles.
What was Paul accused of?
After years of preaching Christ throughout Asia Minor and Greece, Paul had returned to Jerusalem. He was falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the temple and he was arrested. Paul addressed his accusers in their native “Hebrew dialect” (v2, different versions say Hebrew or Aramaic). He reflected back on his conversion, telling them that he was a Jew, raised in the Diaspora but brought up and educated under the famous Jewish teacher Gamaliel (v3). He recounted his zeal in persecuting Christians and his mission to Damascus (vv4-5). Like the sister account, Paul described the bright light and the voice of Christ (vv6-7), but quoted Jesus as saying “I am Jesus the Nazarene whom you are persecuting (v8).” The descriptor “Nazarene” is not found in the earlier account. The chapter 9 account said “go into the city” but that in chapter 22 said “go to Damascus”. The account of the Lord’s message to Ananias as recorded in chapter 9 is not found in the 22 nd chapter, but Ananias’ service on Paul’s behalf is present in both accounts.
What happened to Paul in Acts 9?
While enroute, Paul and his companions suddenly saw a great light (v3). Paul fell to the ground and heard Jesus’ voice, asking why he was persecuting Him (vv4-5). The voice then told him what to do (v6). Paul had been blinded by the light, and his companions led him to Damascus where he had nothing by mouth for three days (v9). Meanwhile, the Lord commanded a believer named Ananias to meet Saul and minister to him (vv10-16). Despite his fear at revealing himself to the feared Pharisee and persecutor of Christians Saul of Tarsus, Ananias obeyed (v17). Saul, soon to be known as Paul, regained his sight and began his ministry. Something like scales fell from his eyes, he regained his sight, he was baptized (v18), and he took food and water (v19).
What chapter does Paul defend Agrippa?
One can sense that he yearned for his Jewish accusers to see that Jesus is their Messiah. Paul’s defense to Agrippa in chapter 26, a small, more private and less hostile audience, was different. Both in medicine and in law, a story that is totally unchanged between events is more likely to be considered a fabrication.
How long was Paul in prison?
The third account, in Acts 26, is significantly different from the other two. In this case, Paul had been in prison for over one year and he had been testifying in his own defense before the Judean king Agrippa. Paul described his persecuting Christians in much greater detail.
Where did Paul go when he was blinded by the light?
Paul had been blinded by the light, and his companions led him to Damascus where he had nothing by mouth for three days (v9). Meanwhile, the Lord commanded a believer named Ananias to meet Saul and minister to him.
Where is the conversion of Saint Paul?
Location. Odescalchi Balbi Collection, Rome . The Conversion of Saint Paul (or Conversion of Saul ), by the Italian painter Caravaggio, is housed in the Odescalchi Balbi Collection of Rome. It is one of at least two paintings by Caravaggio of the same subject, the Conversion of Paul.
Who painted the conversion of Paul?
For other uses, see Conversion of Paul the Apostle (disambiguation). The Conversion of Saint Paul (or Conversion of Saul ), by the Italian painter Caravaggio, is housed in the Odescalchi Balbi Collection of Rome. It is one of at least two paintings by Caravaggio of the same subject, the Conversion of Paul. Another is The Conversion of Saint Paul on ...
What is the style of conversion by Caravaggio?
Caravaggio biographer Helen Langdon describes the style of Conversion as "an odd blend of Raphael and clumsy rustic realism," but notes how the composition, with its jagged shapes and irrational light which picks out details for their dramatic impact, creates "a sense of crisis and dislocation [in which] Christ disrupts the mundane world."
What is the name of the saint who was called to the crucifixion?
The Calling of Saint Matthew (1599–1600) The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (1599–1600) The Conversion of Saint Paul (1600) The Crucifixion of Saint Peter (1601) The Conversion of Saint Paul on the Road to Damascus (1601) Supper at Emmaus (London) (1601) The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew.
What did Paul call himself when he saw Jesus?
As a result of his seeing the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul called himself an “Apostle” (one who has seen the risen Christ) who was “born out of due time” ( 1 Cor 15:8 ).
When was Paul born?
The date of Paul’s birth is generally believed to be “around” 5 A.D., so Paul would have been in his early 30’s when Jesus appeared to him, and he became a Christian.
How long did it take for Jesus to appear to Paul?
Therefore, taking the above into account, the amount of time between the death of Jesus, and His subsequent appearance to Paul would be 8 or 9 years (28 or 29 A.D. to around 36 A.D.). The date of Paul’s birth is generally believed to be “around” 5 A.D., so Paul would have been in his early 30’s when Jesus appeared ...
How old was Jesus when he died?
Based on a number of things, I determined that Jesus likely died in 28 or 29 A.D. (between the ages of 33-35 years old).
Did Paul stone Stephen?
We need to factor in the date that Stephen was martyred, which happened before Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. While Paul did not actually stone Stephen, he was there, and “was consenting unto his death” ( Acts 8:1 ) ( Acts 22:20 ). ( Acts 7:58) says that those who stoned Stephen “laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, ...
What did Saul say to the Lord?
Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord— Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”. ( W) 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again.
Who was the disciple of the Lord in Damascus?
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, ( K) “Ananias!” . “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus. ( L)
Overview
The conversion of Paul the Apostle (also the Pauline conversion, Damascene conversion, Damascus Christophany and the "road to Damascus" event) was, according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Saul/Paul the Apostle that led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to become a follower of Jesus.
The New Testament accounts
Paul's conversion experience is discussed in both the Pauline epistles and in the Acts of the Apostles. According to both sources, Saul/Paul was not a follower of Jesus and did not know him before his crucifixion. The narrative of the Book of Acts suggests Paul's conversion occurred 4–7 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. The accounts of Paul's conversion experience describe it as miraculou…
Differences between the accounts
A contradiction in the details of the account of Paul's revelatory vision given in Acts has been the subject of some debate. Whereas Acts 9:7 states that Paul's travelling companions heard the voice, Acts 22:9 states that they did not. Traditional readings and modern biblical scholarship both see a discrepancy between these passages, but some modern Conservative Evangelical commentators argue that the contradiction can be explained. Richard Longenecker argues that fi…
Theological implications
Whereas Protestants saw the conversion as a demonstration of sola fide, Counter-Reformation Catholics saw it as a demonstration, or at least a metaphor for, the power of preaching, which received a strong new emphasis after the Council of Trent.
The conversion of Paul, in spite of his attempts to completely eradicate Christi…
Alternative explanations
The Acts of the Apostles says that Paul's conversion experience was an encounter with the resurrected Christ. Alternative explanations have been proposed, including sun stroke and seizure. In 1987, D. Landsborough published an article in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, in which he stated that Paul's conversion experience, with the bright light, loss of normal b…
Catholic Commentary
Justus Knecht comments on the power of divine grace in Paul's conversion:
Our Blessed Lord prevented Saul with His grace, enlightened his understanding, moved his heart, and prepared his will to do all that was commanded him. In the very midst of his sinful career grace called to Saul to stop, and changed his heart so completely that the bitter enemy of Jesus Christ was transformed into an apostle, all aglow with love; and the persecutor of the Christian f…
Justus Knecht comments on the power of divine grace in Paul's conversion:
Our Blessed Lord prevented Saul with His grace, enlightened his understanding, moved his heart, and prepared his will to do all that was commanded him. In the very midst of his sinful career grace called to Saul to stop, and changed his heart so completely that the bitter enemy of Jesus Christ was transformed into an apostle, all aglow with love; and the persecutor of the Christian f…
Art
The subject was not common in medieval art, only usually being painted as one of a number of predella scenes of his life below an altarpiece dedicated to the saint. From the Renaissance it gradually became popular as a subject for larger paintings. Apart from the religious significance, the subject allowed the artist to include landscape elements, a crowd of figures and horses. The drama of the …
Feast day
The Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle is a feast celebrated during the liturgical year on 25 January, recounting the conversion. This feast is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches. This feast is at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an international Christian ecumenical observance that began in 1908, which is an octave (an ei…
Paul's Road to Damascus Conversion Story Summary
Historical Context
- Saul of Tarsus possessed perfect qualifications to be an evangelist: He was versed in Jewish culture and language, his upbringing in Tarsus made him familiar with the Greek language and culture, his training in Jewish theology helped him connect the Old Testamentwith the gospel, and as a skilled tentmaker he could support himself. Paul's life-changing experience on the Damascu…
Points of Interest
- When God brings a person to faith in Jesus Christ, he already knows how he wants to use that person in service to his kingdom. Sometimes people are slow to understand God's plan and may even resist...
- Paul's conversion showed that Jesus himself wanted the gospel message to go to the Gentiles, quashing any argument from the early Jewish Christians that the gospel was only fo…
- When God brings a person to faith in Jesus Christ, he already knows how he wants to use that person in service to his kingdom. Sometimes people are slow to understand God's plan and may even resist...
- Paul's conversion showed that Jesus himself wanted the gospel message to go to the Gentiles, quashing any argument from the early Jewish Christians that the gospel was only for the Jews.
- The men with Saul did not see the risen Jesus, but Saul did. This miraculous message was meant for one person only, Saul.
- The scales falling from Paul's eyes symbolized a spiritual transformation that allowed him to see the truth. Once he knew the truth about Jesus, there was no going back.
Major Themes and Life Lessons
- In one moment of fear, enlightenment, and regret, Saul understood that Jesus was the true Messiah and that he (Saul) had helped murder and imprison innocent people. Despite his previous beliefs as a Pharisee, he now knew the truth about God and was obligated to obey him. Paul's conversion proves that God can call and transform anyone he chooses, even the most hard-hear…