Who Was the Apostle Paul — In Biblical Context
Paul was a Pharisee who persecuted the early church until a dramatic encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus transformed him into Christianity's greatest missionary.
Paul was a Pharisee who persecuted the early church until a dramatic encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus transformed him into Christianity's greatest missionary.
"He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." — Acts 9:15 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a Roman citizen, a Pharisee trained under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), and a zealous persecutor of Christians. He approved of Stephen's stoning (Acts 8:1) and was 'breathing out threatenings and slaughter' against believers (Acts 9:1) when the risen Christ appeared to him on the Damascus road, asking, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' (Acts 9:4). This encounter completely transformed him. Paul became the apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13), undertaking three missionary journeys that planted churches across the Roman Empire. He wrote at least 13 New Testament epistles — Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon — which form the theological backbone of Christianity. He suffered immensely: shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment, and ultimately martyrdom in Rome. His testimony summarizes his life: 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith' (2 Timothy 4:7).
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Acts 9:15, sits inside Acts 9. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel."
Supporting Passages
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
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