The apostle Paul

• Brief biographical sketch

  • Scriptural sources

    • Epistles

    • Acts

  • Historical and traditional sources

• Concise account of Paul’s conversion

  • Combine accounts in Acts

  • Additional accounts from Pauline epistles

• From Tarsus, raised in Jerusalem

  • Acts 21:37-22:3

• Roman citizen – Acts 22:25-29

• Schooled by Gamaliel – Acts 22:3

  • Probably grandson of Hillel the elder

  • Influential and revered Pharisee – Acts 5:34-40

• Tentmaker by trade – Acts 18:1-3; Romans 16:3-4

• Ardent persecutor of the church – Acts 7:58-8:1

  • Galatians 1:13-14 – Acts 22:4-5

  • Philippians 3:4-6

• Paul’s conversion

  • Acts 9:1-18

  • Acts 22:6-16

  • Acts 26:9-20

  • Consolidated account

• Paul’s selection as an apostle

  • Inherent in his conversion account

  • Reiterated in Paul’s writings

• Paul asserts his apostleship

  • Romans 11:13

  • I Corinthians 1:1; 9:1-2; 15:9

  • II Corinthians 1:1; 12:1-2

  • Galatians 1:1

  • Ephesians 1:1

  • Colossians 1:1

  • I Timothy 1:1; 2:7

  • II Timothy 1:1

  • Titus 1:1

• Initial activities after conversion

  • Acts 9:19-31

  • Galatians 1:11-24

• Paul joins with Barnabas to go to Antioch

  • Acts 11:19-30

• Commissioned by the Holy Spirit – Acts 13:1-4

• Begins first missionary journey

  • Acts 13:4-15:35 – Spring 44 to fall 46 AD

  • Begins and end at Antioch of Syria

• Second missionary journey

  • Acts 15:36-18:22 – Spring 49 to fall 52 AD

  • Begins and ends at Antioch of Syria

• Third missionary journey

  • Acts 18:23-21:17 – Fall of 52 to summer of 53 AD

  • Begins at Antioch of Syria and ends in Jerusalem

• Final journey in Acts

  • Started with appeal to Rome

  • Acts 27:1-28:16 – 60 to spring 63 AD

  • Released from prison

• After the book of Acts

  • Release from prison (which was post-Acts) 63 AD

  • Left Rome to be with Titus in Crete – Titus 1:5

  • Leaves Crete for Nicopolis – Titus 3:12

  • Probably goes from there to Spain – Romans 15:22-28

  • Possibly makes a trip to England (no scripture)

  • Back to Rome for imprisonment, eventual death

    • May or June of 68 AD

    • Beheaded under rule of Nero