Study library
Who was Paul? His calling, journeys and letters
Meet Paul through key passages: his encounter near Damascus, work with Barnabas, missionary journeys and letters to early Christian communities.
Paul was a Jewish Pharisee, apostle, missionary and letter writer. Acts and his letters describe a former persecutor of Jesus’ followers whose encounter with the risen Jesus redirected his life. He was not one of the original Twelve.
Saul and Paul
Acts uses Saul in the early Jerusalem and Damascus accounts. Acts 13:9 says that Saul was also called Paul. That wording matters: the passage does not say that Jesus renamed him at conversion. The Saul in these passages is also distinct from Israel’s King Saul in the Old Testament.
A reading path through his life
| Read | What to notice | Question to carry forward |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 9:1–22 | The encounter near Damascus and Ananias’ role | How does the account involve other people in Paul’s new calling? |
| Acts 13–14 | Mission with Barnabas and return to the sending church | What makes this more than one person’s journey? |
| Acts 18:1–4 | Work and hospitality with Priscilla and Aquila | How do ordinary work and ministry overlap? |
| Acts 20:17–38 | A farewell to the Ephesian elders | What responsibilities does Paul name for leaders? |
| Acts 28:16–31 | Witness while under guard in Rome | What remains possible within these limits? |
His work was shared
Barnabas speaks for him in Jerusalem and later brings him to Antioch. Priscilla and Aquila share a trade and ministry setting with him. Romans 16 names many co-workers and supporters. Treating the journeys as a lone hero’s adventures misses this network of communities, hospitality and shared risk.
Read a letter in its setting
Start by identifying the sender, audience and problem being addressed. In 1 Corinthians 13, for example, Paul’s description of love sits within a discussion of gifts and life together. Read chapters 12 and 14 alongside it before treating the chapter as an isolated list of inspirational sayings.
The iOS People library places Paul’s life broadly in the first century. Exact dates for many events are reconstructed; Acts does not provide a year-by-year timeline. This guide follows the sequence of the cited passages without presenting a disputed chronology as certain.
Sources
Prepared with AI assistance from the app's study material and the sources below. Check interpretations against the passage and trusted teaching.