Few figures in Western history have as dramatic a turnaround story as Saint Paul. A zealous persecutor of early Christians, he became the faith’s most influential missionary after a blinding encounter on the road to Damascus. His letters, written while traveling across the Roman Empire, form a cornerstone of the New Testament and continue to shape Christian theology today. This article unpacks the key facts about his life, his disputed death, and the legacy that made him the Apostle to the Gentiles.
Full name: Saul of Tarsus, later Paul the Apostle ·
Born: c. 5 AD, Tarsus (modern Turkey) ·
Died: c. 64/65 AD, Rome ·
Patron saint of: Missionaries, evangelists, writers, journalists, tent makers ·
Feast day: June 29 (with Saint Peter)
Quick snapshot
- Roman citizen from Tarsus (Catholic Answers)
- Wrote 13 New Testament letters (Britannica Kids)
- Beheaded in Rome under Nero (Vatican News)
- Not among the original twelve apostles (Britannica)
- Exact birth year (Britannica)
- Exact year of death (c. 64–67 AD) (Catholic Answers)
- Nature of his “thorn in the flesh” (Britannica)
- Authorship of all 14 attributed epistles (Britannica)
- Ongoing scholarly debate on his “thorn” (Britannica)
- Continued veneration as patron saint of missionaries (Vatican News)
Seven key facts in a single view show the outline of a life that moved from persecutor to pillar of the early church.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Saul of Tarsus |
| Birthplace | Tarsus, Cilicia (modern Turkey) |
| Citizenship | Roman |
| Occupation | Apostle, missionary, tentmaker |
| Feast day | June 29 |
| Patronage | Missionaries, evangelists, writers, journalists, tent makers |
| Death | c. 64–65 AD, Rome |
What is Saint Paul known for?
Saint Paul is primarily known as the Christian apostle who spread the teachings of Jesus beyond the Jewish community. He wrote many letters — epistles — that make up a large portion of the New Testament. According to Britannica’s biographical entry, his work helped Christianity evolve from a Jewish sect into a distinct religion. He is the patron saint of missionaries, evangelists, writers, and journalists, as noted by Vatican News.
His role in early Christianity
- The Catholic Answers guide describes Paul as a Pharisee trained in Jewish law who, after his conversion, became the foremost missionary to the Gentiles.
- He argued that non-Jewish believers did not need to follow the full Mosaic law, a position that shaped Christian identity (Britannica).
A former persecutor of Christians ends up writing roughly a quarter of the New Testament. Paul’s transformation gave the early movement a zealous advocate who could articulate its theology in Greek, the lingua franca of the eastern Roman world.
His missionary journeys
- Tradition holds that Paul undertook three major missionary journeys across Asia Minor and Greece. Wikipedia’s overview reports that these trips established churches in cities such as Philippi, Corinth, and Ephesus.
His writings in the New Testament
- Thirteen New Testament books are traditionally attributed to Paul, including Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians (Britannica Kids). These letters are among the earliest Christian theological documents.
The implication: Paul’s legal status and education equipped him to reach an audience no other apostle could.
What are five facts about Paul?
Let’s compile five concrete facts that define his life and work.
Fact one: born Saul of Tarsus
- Paul was born as Saul in Tarsus (modern-day Turkey). According to Britannica, his family were Jews of the tribe of Benjamin.
Fact two: Roman citizen by birth
- The Catholic Answers tract states that Paul’s father was a Roman citizen, which conferred citizenship on Paul. This status protected him from certain forms of punishment (e.g., crucifixion) and gave him legal privileges.
Fact three: persecutor of Christians before conversion
- Britannica notes that before his conversion, Paul actively persecuted the early Christian movement, participating in the stoning of Stephen and pursuing believers to Damascus.
Fact four: three missionary journeys across the Mediterranean
- Wikipedia outlines three journeys: the first with Barnabas (c. 46–48 AD), the second with Silas (c. 49–52 AD), and the third (c. 53–57 AD), covering Cyprus, Asia Minor, and Greece.
Fact five: martyred in Rome under Nero
- Vatican News reports that Paul was beheaded on the Via Ostiense. The exact year is uncertain — Encyclopedia.com cites traditions of AD 64 (Clement of Rome) and AD 67 (Eusebius).
The implication: Paul’s Roman citizenship gave him both a platform and a finishing line. He used his legal identity to preach openly, and it likely earned him a faster death — beheading rather than crucifixion — when Nero’s persecution struck.
When was Saint Paul put to death?
The death of Paul is one of the most cited but least precisely dated events in early Christian history.
Approximate date of martyrdom
- Catholic Answers places his death during Nero’s reign, with common dates ranging from AD 64 to AD 67. Britannica notes that the exact details are unknown, but tradition holds that he was beheaded.
Location and manner of death
- Vatican News states the execution site was on the Via Ostiense, today marked by the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Beheading was the method, consonant with his Roman citizen status.
The exact dates matter to scholars piecing together early church history under Nero, but the key takeaway is that Paul died as a direct result of imperial state action, not mob violence — a pattern that defined later Christian martyrdoms.
The catch: even uncertain dating does not blur the legal nature of his execution.
Was Paul one of the twelve apostles?
This is a common question with a clear answer: no, but with an important nuance.
Difference between Paul and the original Twelve
- Britannica clarifies that Paul was not among the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus during his earthly ministry. The original Twelve included Peter, James, John, and others.
- After Judas’s betrayal, Matthias was chosen to replace him (Acts 1:26), further confirming that Paul was not part of that group.
Paul’s claim to apostleship
- Paul vigorously defended his apostolic authority in his letters. As Britannica notes, he considered his direct vision of the risen Jesus on the Damascus road as the basis for his apostleship. He is widely called the “Apostle to the Gentiles,” a title reflecting his mission field rather than his sequence in the original group.
The catch: Paul’s apostleship was recognized early on by the Jerusalem church (Galatians 2:9), but the term “apostle” in the earliest Christian usage was broader than the Twelve alone. Paul fits that broader category, yet he never met Jesus in the flesh — which makes his theological influence all the more remarkable.
What was Paul’s disability and what did he suffer from?
Paul himself alluded to a physical or spiritual affliction, but the precise nature remains a mystery.
The “thorn in the flesh” mentioned in 2 Corinthians
- Britannica cites 2 Corinthians 12:7, where Paul writes of a “thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me.” He does not specify what it was, only that he pleaded three times with the Lord for its removal and was told, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
Scholarly theories about his condition
- Proposed candidates include eye disease (suggested by his comment about the Galatians’ willingness “to pluck out your eyes and give them to me” in Galatians 4:15), epilepsy, migraines, or a speech impediment. The Catholic Answers guide mentions that no definitive diagnosis is possible. The phrase remains a debated expression in biblical scholarship.
The pattern: his weakness became the vehicle for his authority.
Why was Saint Paul killed?
Paul’s death was a direct result of the Roman state’s crackdown on Christians under Nero, but local accusations also played a role.
Roman persecution of Christians
- The Catholic Answers guide explains that after the great fire of Rome in AD 64, Nero blamed Christians and initiated systematic executions. Paul, as a prominent Christian leader residing in or near Rome, became a target.
Accusations against Paul
- Britannica’s summary notes that Paul was arrested after hostility in Jerusalem, accused by Jewish authorities of being a troublemaker and of leading a new religion that threatened Jewish law. He appealed to Caesar, which sent him to Rome for trial. Tradition holds that the trial ended in a death sentence.
Paul’s Roman citizenship protected him from flogging and crucifixion, but it also made his execution a legal affair under imperial authority. He was killed by the state he had used as a shield, a grim irony that underscores the collision between early Christianity and Roman power.
The implication: the same legal status that opened doors for his mission also dictated the terms of his death.
Timeline of Saint Paul’s Life
- c. 5 AD: Born Saul of Tarsus (Britannica)
- c. 33–36 AD: Conversion on the road to Damascus (Britannica)
- c. 46–48 AD: First missionary journey with Barnabas (Wikipedia)
- c. 49–52 AD: Second missionary journey (Philippi, Corinth) (Wikipedia)
- c. 53–57 AD: Third missionary journey (Ephesus, Greece) (Wikipedia)
- c. 57–62 AD: Imprisonment in Caesarea and Rome (house arrest) (Britannica)
- c. 64–65 AD: Martyrdom by beheading in Rome (Vatican News)
Clarity check: Confirmed vs. Unclear
Given the research confidence level, we separate what historians are certain about from what remains debated.
Confirmed facts
- Paul was a Roman citizen from Tarsus (Catholic Answers)
- He wrote several New Testament letters (Britannica Kids)
- He was executed in Rome under Nero (Vatican News)
- He was not one of the original twelve apostles (Britannica)
What’s unclear
- Exact year of his birth (Britannica)
- Exact year of his death (c. 64–67 AD) (Catholic Answers)
- Nature of his “thorn in the flesh” (Britannica)
- Whether he authored all 13 or 14 epistles attributed to him (Britannica)
The pattern: what we know for certain outweighs what we don’t, but the gaps fuel ongoing scholarship.
Quotes and perspectives
“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”
— Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7, as cited by Britannica
“Paul the Apostle is one of the most important early Christian missionaries and theologians. He was a Roman citizen and a Pharisee who converted after a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus.”
— Britannica biographical summary
“Saint Paul was a Roman citizen, with a Greek-Latin formation, and was educated in Jerusalem. He was beheaded on the Via Ostiense.”
— Vatican News profile
These three voices — Paul himself, a scholarly encyclopedia, and a Vatican source — converge on the key points: a Roman citizen, a missionary, a martyr. The implication for readers: even with uncertain dates, the arc of Paul’s life is remarkably well-documented by ancient standards.
Summary
Saint Paul turned his life upside down, from hunting Christians to becoming the faith’s most prolific theologian, all while leveraging his Roman legal status as a shield and a stage. His execution under Nero was the state’s final answer to a movement it could not control, but his letters outlasted the empire that killed him. For anyone studying early Christianity, the choice is clear: engage with Paul’s writings directly, or rely on secondary accounts that themselves depend on those same epistles. Paul’s own words remain the foundation for any serious study of the early church.
britannica.com, fatherkenny.com, kurtwillems.com, encyclopedia.com, youtube.com, en.wikisource.org, catholic.com
Liksom Paulus förändrades Petrus från en enkel fiskare till en av kyrkans mest inflytelserika gestalter, vilket framgår i denna översikt av Saint Peters liv och arv.
Frequently asked questions
How many letters did Saint Paul write?
Thirteen New Testament books are traditionally attributed to Paul. Some scholars debate authorship of Hebrews and a few Pastoral Letters, but the core of seven undisputed letters (Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon) is widely accepted (Britannica).
What is Saint Paul the patron saint of?
He is the patron saint of missionaries, evangelists, writers, journalists, and tent makers, reflecting his own occupations and mission (Vatican News).
Where is Saint Paul buried?
Tradition holds that Paul’s remains lie beneath the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, on the Via Ostiense, the site of his execution (Vatican News).
Did Saint Paul ever meet Jesus?
No, Paul never met Jesus during his earthly life. His conversion experience was a vision of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, which he interpreted as a call to apostleship (Britannica).
What is the difference between Saint Paul and the other apostles?
Paul was not among the original Twelve, and he never knew Jesus in person. However, he became the “Apostle to the Gentiles” and wrote theologically foundational letters that the other apostles did not (Britannica).
How did Saint Paul die?
According to Christian tradition, Paul was beheaded in Rome under Emperor Nero, around AD 64–65, on the Via Ostiense (Vatican News).
Why is Saint Paul important to Christianity?
Paul’s letters form a core part of the New Testament, and his theology of grace and justification by faith shaped Protestant and Catholic traditions alike. His missionary work spread Christianity across the Mediterranean (Britannica).
What was Saint Paul’s occupation before conversion?
Paul worked as a tentmaker, a trade he continued even during his missionary journeys to support himself financially (Britannica).
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