Recently I did some research on the background of the Book of Romans and Saul/Paul. Even though I’ve read and heard about all of this before, I learned some new things and got a new perspective on other things. I thought I’d share in case you were in the same place that I was.
Paul definitely wrote at least seven books of the New Testament: Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon. There are seven more books that he may or may not have written. Scholars disagree on who the actual author was: Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Hebrews.
Paul originally went by the name Saul. I always thought that he was just an evil man. But the background story is that he was a devout Jew, well educated in Jewish law. When a “man” came along claiming to be the Son of God, he wasn’t buying it. He saw these new Christ-followers as blasphemers. He did everything he could to stop them, including murder until God literally stopped him in his tracks.
As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:3-6
Talk about a jaw dropping moment! Can you imagine the thoughts that ran through Saul’s mind as the realization hit him that he messed up – big time!
God then sends Saul to meet Ananias and when He tells Ananias that Saul is coming, he is frightened because of the stories he has heard about Saul. But in Acts 9:15, God says, “Go and do what I say, For Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.”
We see here that God Himself assigned Saul to preach far and wide! He got busy writing down what happened. Just think of how many millions and millions of people that have read Saul/Paul’s writings over the years and heard God’s message through them – and all from someone that we probably would have thought was a lost cause!
A striking point that we cannot miss here is that, no matter how messed up or misdirected we are, God doesn’t just wring His hands of us. He can stop us and have us do a 180. He can and will use us to do things we never thought possible. Mind blowing!
From my research on this, I realized that I was completely wrong about something. I always believed that God changed his name from Saul to Paul because he became a new person. The Bible never says that.
www.BibleHub.com says:
“Acts 13:9 introduces a pivotal moment: “Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit….” Up to this point, the text consistently calls him “Saul,” especially when recounting his conversion (Acts 9:1-22) and his early ministry activities. Suddenly, without a formal announcement or ceremony, the narrative shifts to calling him “Paul.”
“In the first-century Mediterranean world, it was not unusual for a Jew living under Roman rule to possess both a Hebrew name (Saul) and a Greco-Roman name (Paul).”
“Roman citizenship carried significant privileges, and Paul’s ability to traverse diverse regions, address Gentile congregations, and appeal to Caesar when necessary (Acts 25:11) may have been enhanced by using a name that resonated with non-Jewish populations. This duality in names reflects his unique role as an apostle to the Gentiles (cf. Romans 11:13).
Wow. I was so wrong!
Now I’m wondering, what other things have I thought were in the Bible that aren’t? What things might someone have told me that aren’t even there?
We need to study the Bible on our own. We need to be discerning in what we believe. And do NOT believe something to be true just because it makes sense to us and our personal beliefs or preferences.
Read. Study. And of course, ask God to open your eyes and help you to understand.
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death.” – Proverbs 14:12
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” – James 1:5
Here are some great, free resources to help you dig deeper into the Bible. But as I said, don’t stop with reading someone else’s thoughts. Go read The Book!
Read the Bible in different versions. Study tools.
http://www.bibleproject.com
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Mandy Hood
Mandy Hood is co-founder of The Connection and serves there in many capacities. She authored the book, “Let’s Get Together: The story of a unique women’s ministry.” It tells the story of how The Connection began.
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