This document discusses portraits of St. Paul through various sources and perspectives. It analyzes Paul's biographical details from his letters and the book of Acts, noting potential conflicts between the two. The document concludes that while Acts provides more biographical facts, Paul's letters should also be considered to develop a responsible portrait. This portrait would describe Paul's background, education, conversion experience, missionary work, and role as a pastor and letter-writer to the early churches.

1. A Portrait
of Paul
Session 5
The Light Project

2. Images of Paul
Niccolo dell Abbatte (1509-1571)
Rembrandt, self-portrait as Paul

3. Carvaggio,
The
Conversion
of St Paul

4. “What manner of man was St. Paul? For many
people the ‘apostle to the Gentiles’ is a
mystery and an enigma defying all definition.
In the popular imagination he is a negative
figure whose writings forbid many of the
good things of life. In scholarly circles he is
notoriously difficult to understand, and
remarkably different accounts of his life and
theology have been written.
Since his own time, Paul has been interpreted
and reinterpreted by admirers and critics
alike, and from the second century onwards
some of the greatest theologians of the
Christian church have radically
misinterpreted him. And there are those
today who claim that Paul is the real founder
of Christianity.”
(Need, Paul Today, 5).

5. “By nature, Paul was a fanatic—or at least a
man of extremes—possessing tremendous
energy, enthusiasm, and zeal…Wherever he
went, Paul seemed to stir up new trouble.
The disciples living in Jerusalem had never
previously encountered such difficulties.
Consequently, he must have been more than
an embarrassment to them, probably
endangering all their lives by his fanatical
zeal, his argumentative nature and his
desire to convert everybody. Moreover, he
seems to have targeted those who were
most likely to be hostile to him, particularly
the Jewish priestly hierarchy, whom he only
seems to have succeeded in angering and
alienating.”
(Davidson, The Gospel of Jesus, 142, 144).

6. Biographic Information
• Where was Paul born?
• What were the formative influences
upon his life?
• What difference did his famous
‘Damascus Road’ experience make?
• Are the following accounts true:
– His 3 missionary journeys?
– His activity as a tent-maker?
– His study with Gamaliel in Jerusalem?

7. 2 Major Problems
1. His letters actually give us very little
biographical detail, and
2. What we do know about his life
comes largely from Acts, which was
written later than his letters and by a
different person (Luke).

8. 3 Aspects Concerning Paul
1. What can we know about Paul the
man?
2. What is the best way to go about
finding this out?
3. What would a responsible portrait of
Paul look like?

9. Nature & Date of Sources
1. The letters of Paul himself (with sparse
biographical detail) and
2. The book of Acts.
Potential Problems:
• Which of the two sources is the more
reliable?
• Which source do we believe when there
appears to be a conflict between them?

10. 2 Possible Approaches
Acts Epistles
(Primary) (Secondary)
Epistles Acts
(Primary) (Secondary)

11. Paul in Acts
1. First Appearance (Acts 7:58)
2. Initial Activities:
a. 9.1
b. 9.2; (repeated in 22.3-5; 26.10-11)
c. 9.3a; (repeated in 22.19-20; 26.10-11)
3. Birthplace (9.11; 21.39 and 22.3)
4. Education (5.34; 22.3)
5. Pharisee? (23.6; 26.5)

12. 6. Roman Citizenship (23.6; 26.5)
7. Conversion/Call (9.1-19; repeated in
22.1-16 and 26.12-18)
What accounts for both the similarities and
differences between these three
accounts?
8. 3 Missionary Journeys
– Journey 1: 13-14
– Journey 2: 15.40-18.22
– Journey 3: 18.23-21.17

13. Potential Problems: Acts & Epistles
• The ‘Paul of Acts’ never writes a single letter.
• Luke never refers to Paul as one of the
apostles (a title claimed many times by Paul
himself).
• The ‘Paul of Acts’ appears as a persuasive
public speaker on many occasions; but Paul in
1 Cor. 2.1-5, 2 Cor. 10.10 and 11.5-6 claims
he was not a powerful, trained speaker who
did not use ‘persuasive words of human
wisdom.’

14. Paul in the Epistles
1. Biographical details given by Paul
himself
2. Paul’s accounts of his Damascus road
experience
3. Paul as a missionary and letter-writer
4. Paul the Pastor

15. Circumcised on the 8th day
Of the people of Israel
Tarsus (ca. 4.5-17 AD)
Of the tribe of Benjamin
A Hebrew of Hebrews
As to the law a Pharisee Jerusalem (ca. 17-34 AD)
As to zeal a persecutor of the church
As to righteousness under the law,
blameless
(Phil. 3.5-6)

16. Conclusions
1. Sources—Acts contains more biographical
details about Paul but:
– Was written possibly several decades after
Paul’s life
– Is a narrative account (perhaps) heavily
influenced by Luke’s theological perspectives
– Thus we need to approach Acts with some
caution (but not discount it entirely).
– Paul’s letters contain some biographical details
but need to be read against the accounts in
Acts.

17. 2. Profile—given the information, what can we
responsibly say about Paul?
– Birthplace—in Tarsus in Cilicia
– Education—in 3 cultures: Greek (Hellenistic), Hebrew
and Roman; spoke Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew
– Educated in Torah and was a Pharisee (studying
under Gamaliel in Jerusalem)
– Vocational work most likely with leather and/or goat
hair
– Roman citizen (possibly inherited from his father’s
status)
– Persecutor of Christians in the early days of the
church
– Dramatic experience at Damascus changed his life (a
radical reorientation, conversion or call)
– Missionary—the zeal with which he formerly
persecuted the church was now channelled into
missionary and church-planting efforts (first among the
Jews but ultimately to the Gentiles).
– Pastor—Paul took on the role of pastor or spiritual
overseer of the many churches he helped to plant.
– Letter-writing—Paul undertook correspondence with
his many churches.