2. A Brief Bio
• circa 3AD - 66AD
• Born in Tarsus of Cilicia (modern day Turkey)
• Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin and a Pharisee
(Rom. 11:1, Phil 3:5)
• Schools of Tarsus rivaled Athens and Alexandria
(the library was said to have over 200,000 volumes)
3. Bio Cont.
• After Tarsus he studied in Jerusalem under Gamaliel
(Acts 22:3)
• The Talmud holds Gamaliel as the greatest Jewish
scholar of all time. He saves Peter and the disciples
from death Acts 5:34-39.
• Paul supported himself during his travels by making
tents. (1 Cor. 9:13-15)
• Paul was a Roman citizen. Very very rare for a Jew.
4. Bio Cont.
• Persecutes and kills Jews not abiding by Mosaic law
• Converted near Damascus
• Travels to Arabia for 3 years then returns to
Damascus (Gal. 1:17-20) Forced out of Damascus under cover of night
(Acts 9:23-25; 2 Cor. 11:32)
• Travels to Jerusalem where he meets Peter & James
the brother of Jesus
• After Jerusalem he goes home for a few years until Barnabas goes
and gets him and takes him to Antioch (the 3rd largest city in the
Roman Empire)
5. First Missionary
Journey
• The church in Antioch send him and Barnabas out
7. Second Missionary
Journey
• Goes farther East into Macedonia (north of modern
day Greece)
• He founded his first Christian Church in Philipi
• Cast a Spirit out of a fortune teller and the slaves master claims its
theft and has Paul thrown in Prison
• Then travels to Thessalonica then Greece where he
gives his famous speech in Athens
• Then to Corinth for 3 years (he writes his first letters
to the Thessalonians)
9. Third Missionary
Journey
• More legal trouble in Corinth he returns to Jerusalem
• Travel to Antioch and begins his 3rd Journey
• Ends in Jerusalem where he encounters more legal
trouble and exercises his right to be tried as a roman
citizen he waits in prison 2 years at Caesarea until he
is finally sent by boat to Rome (arrives at 61 years of age)
• Spends a few years under house arrest until he was
executed under the reign of Nero. (how he died is
not know only speculated)
12. Order and timeline of Letters
• 1 Thessalonians written from Corinth and sent to Thessalonika during Paul’s Second Journey
• 2 Thessalonians shortly followed from Corinth
• 1 Corinthians written while in Ephesus and sent to Corinth during his 3rd Journey
• 2nd Corinthians written while in route to Corinth and sent ahead to Corinth during his 3rd Journey
• Galatians written in Corinth and sent to Galatia during his 3rd Journey
• Romans written in Corinth and sent to Rome during his 3rd Journey
• Philemon written while in prison in Rome and sent to Colosse**
• Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians written while in Roman prison and sent to Colosse, Ephesus, and Philippi
• Some believe while he was under house arrest in Rome he traveled to Spain on this journey he wrote 1 Timothy
and sent it to Ephesus and then wrote Titus and sent it to Crete.
• Upon returning to Rome he was then arrested a second time and given a death sentence. While awaiting
execution he wrote 2nd Timothy and sent it to Ephesus