Paul the Apostle

~5–~64/67 CE · Jewish-Roman (Tarsus, modern Turkey) · Roman Empire

Known for: Transformed Christianity from a small Jewish sect into a world religion — the greatest evangelist in history, and possibly the most influential person who ever lived

Paul (originally Saul of Tarsus) was a Pharisee who actively persecuted early Christians before experiencing a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus — he saw a blinding light, heard Jesus's voice, and transformed from Christianity's greatest enemy into its greatest evangelist. He traveled thousands of miles across the Roman Empire establishing churches, and his letters (epistles) make up roughly a quarter of the New Testament.

His theological innovations — salvation through faith rather than law, the universality of the gospel (not just for Jews), and the mystical concept of being 'in Christ' — fundamentally shaped Christian doctrine. He was arrested in Jerusalem, appealed to the Roman Emperor as a Roman citizen, and was likely executed in Rome under Nero. More than any other person, Paul is responsible for Christianity becoming a global religion rather than a Jewish sect.

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