The Apostles, Part 12

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
- 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

For further study, see also: