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Encyclopedia > Conversion of Paul
An illumination depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul from Livre d'Heures d'Étienne Chevalier (c. 1450–1460) by Jean Fouquet. Etienne de Chevalier, treasurer to Charles VII, King of France commissioned Fouquet to create a Book of Hours. This and several illuminated pages are currently in the collections of the Musée Condé, in Chantilly, France.
An illumination depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul from Livre d'Heures d'Étienne Chevalier (c. 1450–1460) by Jean Fouquet. Etienne de Chevalier, treasurer to Charles VII, King of France commissioned Fouquet to create a Book of Hours. This and several illuminated pages are currently in the collections of the Musée Condé, in Chantilly, France.

The Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul is a feast celebrated during the liturgical year on 25 January, recounting the Conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who after a record of brutalizing and persecuting Christians, converted to Christianity and became the apostle Paul. While on the road to Damascus (c. A.D. 36) to annihilate the Christian community there, Saul is struck blind by a brilliant light and hears the voice of Christ saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?...And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid, but they heard not the voice...".[1] Elsewhere Paul claims to have seen Christ, and it is on this basis that he grounds his claim to be recognised as an Apostle: "Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?"[2]. Saul of Tarsus would journey into Damascus, where he was cured and attended by Ananias, being baptized into Christianity. He later took the name Paul and became one of the chief founding voices of Early Christianity. Paul's epistles, for instance, form the bulk of the New Testament of the Bible. Image File history File links Saint_Paul. ... Image File history File links Saint_Paul. ... The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in some Christian churches which determines when Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations, and Solemnities are to be observed and which portions of Scripture are to be read. ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A 19th century picture of Paul of Tarsus Paul of Tarsus (originally Saul of Tarsus) or Saint Paul the Apostle (fl. ... Look up Persecution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ... Damascus at sunset Damascus ( translit: Also commonly: الشام ash-Shām) is the largest city of Syria and is also the capital. ... For alternate uses, see Number 36. ... Ananias was one of the Seventy Apostles sent out by Jesus in Luke 10. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ... The term Early Christianity here refers to Christianity of the period after the Death of Jesus and the foundation of the churches of Jerusalem and Antioch in the 30s and before the First Council of Nicaea in 325. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ...


The Christian theological implication of the Conversion of Paul is that his conversion is a testimony to the absolute forgiveness of our sins, shortcomings and transgressions that we are offered by faith and grace through belief in Jesus Christ.[3] It is through the gravity of Paul's transgressions, namely his attempts to completely eradicate Christianity, that conveys a message that any sinner, no matter how bad his sins, is forgivable. Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογια, logia, words, sayings, or discourse) is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Absolution in a liturgical church refers to the pronouncement of Gods forgiveness of sins. ... Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral rule or the state of having committed such a violation. ... Transgression refers to an action that breaks some code or set of rules, that is, goes across or against basic assumptions or norms. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Look up Grace in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...


This feast is celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches. This feast is at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an international Christian ecumenical observance that began in 1908, which is an octave (an eight-day observance) spanning from 18 January (observed as the Confession of Peter) to 25 January. This event has been depicted frequently in works of art and music, most notably paintings by Caravaggio (1571–1610) and musical works such as the choral motet Saule, Saule, quid me persequeris by Giaches de Wert (1535–1596). Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the churches of Eastern Christian traditions that keeps the faith of only the first three ecumenical councils of the undivided Church - the councils of Nicea, Constantinople and Ephesus. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The term Anglican (from Medieval Latin ecclesia anglicana, meaning the English Church) is used to describe how the people, institutions and churches as well as the liturgical traditions and theological concepts developed by the state established Church of England, the Anglican Communion. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international Christian ecumenical observance kept annually between 18 January and 25 January. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image of a stained-glass window depicting Saint Peter the Apostle kneeling before Jesus and acknowledging him as the Christ The Confession of Peter is a statement made by Saint Peter the Apostle in the Gospel of Mark 8:27–30, Gospel of Matthew 16:13–20, and Gospel of... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Chalk portrait of Caravaggio by Ottavio Leoni, c. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions. ... Giaches de Wert (1535 – May 6, 1596) was a Franco-Flemish composer active in Italy. ...

Contents

On the Road to Damascus

Saul's Persecution of Christians

The Conversion of Saint Paul, a 1600 painting by Italian artist Caravaggio (1571–1610).
The Conversion of Saint Paul, a 1600 painting by Italian artist Caravaggio (1571–1610).

Saul, better known as Paul of Tarsus, is a self-described person as "a Hebrew of Hebrews",[4] and as being "extremely zealous for the traditions of [his] countrymen, and of [his] ancestors."[5] He had set out from Jerusalem for Syrian Damascus, around the year 36, with letters from the high priest, giving him the authority to arrest those followers of Jesus of Nazareth whom he could find living in the city of Damascus. He was to bring them back to Jerusalem in chains for questioning and possible execution.[6] Saul had to the best of his ability stamped out Christianity in the city of Jerusalem; where, according to his own words, he had "laid waste to the Church, arresting the followers of Jesus, having them thrown into prison, and trying to get them to blaspheme" the name of YHWH.[7] Saul had also distinguished himself during the trial of Saint Stephen, the first of the official Christian martyrs, when Saul had "watched over the robes of those who were stoning Stephen".[8] This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The word tradition comes from the Latin word traditio which means to hand down or to hand over. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Look up blasphemy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Tetragrammaton in Phoenician (1100 BC to 300 CE), Aramaic (10th Century BC to 0) and modern Hebrew scripts. ... St. ... Martyrdom is a form of religious persecution. ...


Paul's conversion

Paul's own account of his conversion is fairly sparse. He wrote: "I did not receive it [the Gospel] from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ....But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus."[9] For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ...


The author of Acts of the Apostles recounts more details of Paul's conversion from persecutor of Christians, at that time called the sect of the Nazarenes.[10][11][12][13][14][15] The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... First Christians in Kiev by Vasily Perov; Christians worshipping secretly in fear of persecution Christians have experienced persecution from both non-Christians and from other Christians during the history of Christianity. ... -1...


While on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, near Damascus, he was hit by a bolt of light from the sky and dropped to the ground. He heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Paul's traveling companions heard the voice also, but did not see anyone and when Paul stood up, he was blind. They led him to Damascus and for three days he was blind and didn't eat or drink. [16] Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim) (Standard) Yerushalayim or Yerushalaim Arabic commonly القـُدْس (Al-Quds); officially in Israel أورشليم القدس (Urshalim-Al-Quds) Name Meaning Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: The Holiness Government City District Jerusalem Population 724,000 (2006) Jurisdiction 123,000 dunams (123 km²) Jerusalem (Hebrew:  , Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic:  , al-Quds, the Holiness)[2... Damascus at sunset Damascus ( translit: Also commonly: الشام ash-Shām) is the largest city of Syria and is also the capital. ...


Healing by Ananias

The alleged house of St. Ananias in Damascus.
The alleged house of St. Ananias in Damascus.

A disciple in Damascus named Ananias also had a vision: "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Ananias performed the deed, Paul's vision was restored, after "something like scales" fell from his eyes, he was baptized, and after eating he regained his strength.[17] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1440x1080, 1649 KB) Inside the alleged house of St. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1440x1080, 1649 KB) Inside the alleged house of St. ... Ananias was one of the Seventy Apostles sent out by Jesus in Luke 10. ... Damascus at sunset Damascus ( translit: Also commonly: الشام ash-Shām) is the largest city of Syria and is also the capital. ... In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. ... The laying on of hands is a religious practice found throughout the world in varying forms. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ...


Paul recounts the episode in a speech to a "crowd in Jerusalem" in their language, most likely Aramaic (see also Aramaic of Jesus). His companions saw the light but didn't understand or hear the voice. Ananias was said to be a "devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there." He stood over Paul and said: "Brother Saul, receive your sight!" and Paul's vision was restored. He added: "Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name."[18] Aramaic is a group of Semitic languages with a 3,000-year history. ... Most scholars believe that Jesus spoke both Hebrew and Aramaic, and possibly Greek. ...


Paul's Charge of Mission into the World

Paul returned to Jerusalem and was praying in Herod's Temple when he "fell into a trance" and "saw the Lord speaking." The voice told him to leave quickly because the people knew he had persecuted the Jewish Christians, including Saint Stephen. The voice also told him: "Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles." Upon hearing this, the "crowd in Jerusalem" shouted: "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" Herods Temple in Jerusalem was a massive expansion of the Second Temple along with renovations of the entire Temple Mount. ... Jewish Christians (sometimes called also Hebrew Christians or Christian Jews, but see below for differences) is a term which can have two meanings, a historical one and a contemporary one. ... St. ...


Paul defends himself in front of the Roman client King Agrippa who is said to be very knowledgable in all things Jewish. The light enveloped the whole party and they all fell to the ground and Paul heard a voice in the Hebrew language, most likely Aramaic: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." "Then I asked, "Who are you, Lord?" "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," the Lord replied. "Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Paul said he followed the commands of the voice and spread the word, first to Damascus, then to Jerusalem, then to all of Judea and the Gentiles, to "repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds." For this reason he says the "Jews" (more likely the Judeans or the Jewish Christians) tried to kill him. But he told Agrippa that he said nothing beyond what the Prophets and Moses said would happen, "that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles." At this point Porcius Festus interrupted: "You are out of your mind ... Your great learning is driving you insane."[19] In Ancient Roman society, a client (Latin, cliens) was a plebeian who was attached to a patron benefactor (patronus, a predecessor to the Italian padrino, godfather). ... Agrippa II (AD 27–100), son of Agrippa I, and like him originally named Marcus Julius Agrippa. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... Goad, that is, the hook or the hook, used by a trainer of elephants, is one of the eight auspicious objects (known as Astamangala) of Hinduism and certain other religions of the Indian subcontinent. ... For other uses, see Satan (disambiguation). ... Map of the southern Levant, c. ... A Gentile refers to a non-Israelite; the word is derived from the Latin term gens (meaning clan or a group of families) and is often employed in the plural. ... Iudaea Province in the 1st century Iudaea was a Roman province that extended over Judaea (Palestine). ... Neviim [נביאים] or Prophets is the second of the three major sections in the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). ... Tora redirects here. ... Christ is the English translation of the Greek word (Christós), which literally means The Anointed One. ... The resurrection of Jesus is an event in the New Testament in which God raised him from the dead[1] after his death by crucifixion. ... Porcius Festus was procurator of Judea from about 58 to 62 AD, succeeding Antonius Felix. ...


Popular Usage

From the Conversion of Paul, we get the metaphorical reference to the "Road to Damascus" that has come to refer to a sudden conversion of thought or a change of heart or mind even in matters outside of a Christian context. Look up metaphor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


See also

The Conversion of Saint Paul (or Conversion of Saul), by the Italian painter Caravaggio, is housed in the Odescalchi Balbi Collection of Rome. ... The conversion on the way to Damascus, Cerasi chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome. ... Image of a stained-glass window depicting Saint Peter the Apostle kneeling before Jesus and acknowledging him as the Christ The Confession of Peter is a statement made by Saint Peter the Apostle in the Gospel of Mark 8:27–30, Gospel of Matthew 16:13–20, and Gospel of... The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international Christian ecumenical observance kept annually between 18 January and 25 January. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as that saints day. ... The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in some Christian churches which determines when Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations, and Solemnities are to be observed and which portions of Scripture are to be read. ... Blinded by the Light is a song written and originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen. ...

References

Notes and citations

  1. ^ Acts of the Apostles - Acts 22:6-11
  2. ^ The First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians - 1 Corinthians 9:1
  3. ^ [http://ok.essortment.com/conversionofpa_rjxk.htm The conversion of Paul The Apostle Paul started out as Saul, Pharisee and persecutor of the Christian Church. What happened to transform his life?] (no further authorship information given). Accessed 30 January 2006.
  4. ^ Epistle of Philemon - Phil 3:5-6
  5. ^ Epistle to the Galatians - Gal 1:13-14
  6. ^ Acts of the Apostles - Acts 9:1-2
  7. ^ Acts of the Apostles - Acts 7:57-8:3
  8. ^ Acts of the Apostles - Acts 7:57-8:3.
  9. ^ Epistle to the Galatians - Galatians 1:11-24, quoting verses 12 and 15-17.
  10. ^ Acts of the Apostles - 9:1-19a
  11. ^ Acts of the Apostles - 22:1-22
  12. ^ Acts of the Apostles - 26:9-24
  13. ^ Acts of the Apostles - Acts 24:5)
  14. ^ Epistle to the Romans - Rom 11:13
  15. ^ Epistle to the Galatians - Gal 2:8).
  16. ^ Acts of the Apostles - 9:1-19a
  17. ^ Acts of the Apostles - 10:1-16
  18. ^ Acts of the Apostles - 22:1-22
  19. ^ Acts of the Apostles - 26:9-24

The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... See also: Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Epistle to the Romans is one of the letters of the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ...

Further Reading

  • Easton's Bible Dictionary originally published in 1897. (see listing "Paul")
  • Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906)
  • Ahahroni, Yohanan and Avi-Yonah, Michael. The MacMillan Bible Atlas (New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. & Collier MacMillan Publishers, 1968, 1977).

Eastons Bible Dictionary generally refers to the Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, by Matthew George Easton M.A., D.D. ( 1823- 1894), published three years after Eastons death in 1897 by Thomas Nelson. ... The Jewish Encyclopedia was an encyclopedia originally published between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. ...

External links



 

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