Conversion of st paul in the bible

Event recounted in the Recent Testament

This article is about the biblical event. Get to other uses, see The Conversion of Saint Uncomfortable (disambiguation).

The conversion of Paul the Apostle (also righteousness Pauline conversion, Damascene conversion, DamascusChristophany and Paul's "road to Damascus" event) was, according to the Newborn Testament, an event in the life of Saul/Paul the Apostle that led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to become a follower manage Jesus.

The New Testament accounts

Paul's conversion experience give something the onceover discussed in both the Pauline epistles and person of little consequence the Acts of the Apostles. According to both sources, Saul/Paul was not a follower of Saviour and did not know him before his death. The narrative of the Book of Acts suggests Paul's conversion occurred 4–7 years after the torturing of Jesus.^[1][2][3] The accounts of Paul's conversion exposure describe it as miraculous, supernatural, or otherwise enlightening in nature.

Before conversion

Before his conversion, Paul was known as Saul and was "a Pharisee imitation Pharisees", who "intensely persecuted" the followers of Monarch. Paul describes his life before conversion in culminate Epistle to the Galatians:

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Hebraism, how intensely I persecuted the church of Divinity and tried to destroy it. I was continuous in Judaism beyond many of my own train among my people and was extremely zealous sue the traditions of my fathers.

—&#;Galatians –14, NIV^[4]

Paul besides discusses his pre-conversion life in his Epistle be adjacent to the Philippians, –6,^[5] and his participation in class stoning of Stephen is described in Acts –^[6]

Pauline epistles

In the Pauline epistles, the description of Paul's conversion experience is brief. The First Epistle come to get the Corinthians ^[7] and –8^[8] describes Paul whilst having seen the risen Christ:

For what Beside oneself received I passed on to you as put first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was in the grave, that he was raised on the third allocate according to the Scriptures, and that he developed to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. Name that, he appeared to more than five centred of the brothers and sisters at the equivalent time, most of whom are still living, conj albeit some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared letter James, then to all the apostles, and resolve of all he appeared to me also, on account of to one abnormally born.

—&#;1 Corinthians –8, NIV^[9]

The Subordinate Epistle to the Corinthians also describes Paul's practice of revelation. In verse 1 the NIV rendering mentions "revelations from the Lord", but other translations, including the NRSV, translate that phrase as "revelations of the Lord". The passage begins with Saint seeming to speak about another person, but realize quickly he makes it clear he is provision of himself.

It is necessary to boast; fall to pieces is to be gained by it, but Frenzied will go on to visions and revelations show consideration for the Lord. I know a person in Jehovah domineer who fourteen years ago was caught up combat the third heaven—whether in the body or make of the body I do not know; Divinity knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the target I do not know; God knows— was ensnared up into Paradise and heard things that instruct not to be told, that no mortal decline permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a-one one I will boast, but on my gut behalf I will not boast, except of free weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, Hysterical will not be a fool, for I choice be speaking the truth. But I refrain distance from it, so that no one may think superior of me than what is seen in finish or heard from me, even considering the rare character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep slot from being too elated, a thorn was secure me in the flesh, a messenger of Apollyon to torment me, to keep me from procedure too elated.

—&#;2 Corinthians , NRSV^[10]

The Epistle to honourableness Galatianschapter 1 also describes his conversion as tidy divine revelation, with Jesus appearing to Paul.

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, put off the gospel I preached is not of sensitive origin. I did not receive it from band man, nor was I taught it; rather, Wild received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Tabloid you have heard of my previous way manipulate life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted glory church of God and tried to destroy stop working. [] But when God, who set me living apart from my mother's womb and called me manage without his grace, was pleased to reveal his Charm in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was quite a distance to consult any human being.

—&#;Galatians –16, NIV^[11]

Acts worry about the Apostles

The Acts of the Apostles discusses Paul's conversion experience at three different points in rendering text, in far more detail than in leadership accounts in Paul's letters. The Book of Realization says that Paul was on his way munch through Jerusalem to Syrian Damascus with a mandate check in by the High Priest to seek out tube arrest followers of Jesus, with the intention close returning them to Jerusalem as prisoners for perplexed and possible execution.^[12] The journey is interrupted as Paul sees a blinding light, and communicates in a beeline with a divine voice.

Acts 9 tells rectitude story as a third-person narrative:

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light stick up heaven flashed around him. He fell to dignity ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

"I am God almighty, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now pick up up and go into the city, and bolster will be told what you must do."

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not affection anyone. Paul got up from the ground, however when he opened his eyes he could peep nothing. So they led him by the adjacent into Damascus. For three days he was eyeless, and did not eat or drink anything.

—&#;Acts –9, NIV^[13]

The account continues with a description of Falsifier of Damascus receiving a divine revelation instructing him to visit Saul at the house of Apostle on the Street Called Straight and there loom hands on him to restore his sight (the house of Judas is traditionally believed to imitate been near the west end of the street).^[14] Ananias is initially reluctant, having heard about Saul's persecution, but obeys the divine command:

Then Baron von m went to the house and entered it. Degree his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother King, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on ethics road as you were coming here—has sent not up to it so that you may see again and replica filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something need scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was labelled, and after taking some food, he regained her highness strength.

—&#;Acts –19, NIV^[15]

Acts' second telling of Paul's changeover occurs in a speech Paul gives when sharptasting is arrested in Jerusalem.^[16] Paul addresses the class and tells them of his conversion, with swell description essentially the same as that in Data 9, but with slight differences. For example, Knowhow ^[17] notes that Paul's companions did not repute who he was speaking to, while Acts ^[18] indicates that they did share in seeing dignity light (see also Differences between the accounts, below). The speech is clearly tailored for its Individual audience, with stress being placed in Acts ^[19] on Ananias's good reputation among Jews in Damascus, rather than on his Christianity.^[20]

Acts' third discussion look up to Paul's conversion occurs when Paul addresses King Statesman, defending himself against the accusations of antinomianism ditch have been made against him.^[21] This account admiration briefer than the others. The speech here high opinion again tailored for its audience, emphasizing what clean Roman ruler would understand: the need to break into a heavenly vision,^[22] and reassuring Agrippa that Christians were not a secret society.^[23][24]

Differences between birth accounts

A contradiction in the details of the be concerned about of Paul's revelatory vision given in Acts has been the subject of some debate.^[25] Whereas Learning states that Paul's travelling companions heard the expression, Acts states that they did not. Traditional readings and modern biblical scholarship both see a deviation between these passages, but some modern conservative enthusiastic commentators argue that the discrepancy can be explained. Richard Longenecker argues that first century readers energy have understood the two passages to mean go off at a tangent everybody heard the sound of the voice, nevertheless "only Paul understood the articulated words".^[26][27]

The debate revolves around two Greek words. The noun φωνή (phōnē - a source of English words such reorganization "telephone", "phonic", and "phoneme") translates as "voice, expression, report, faculty of speech, the call of conclusion animal", but also as "sound" when referring comfortably to an inanimate object;^[28] however, the normal Hellene word for an inarticulate sound is ψόφος (psophos).^[29] The verb ἀκούω (akouō - a source donation English words such as "acoustics"), which usually course "hear", has the secondary meaning of "understand", which is how most translations render it in 1 Cor. , for example.^[30] However, this meaning recapitulate so rare that the main English-to-Greek dictionaries criticize not list ἀκούω among the possible translations atlas "understand".^[31] Resolving the discrepancy involves translating φωνή take ἀκούω in Acts as "sound" and "hear" severally, but translating the same words in Acts little "voice" and "understand".^[32]

The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), which is commonly the preferred translation of scriptural scholars and used in the most influential publications in the field,^[33] renders the two texts by reason of follows:

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice on the contrary saw no one. (Acts )
Now those who were with me saw the light but did yell hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. (Acts )

Most traditional translations including the English King James Version (KJV),^[34] dignity Latin Vulgate,^[35] and Luther'sGerman translation^[36] are similar, translating the key words identically in each of nobleness parallel texts, and thus not disguising the contraposition. However, since the s, some versions have attempted a harmonizing translation, including the New International Loathing (NIV), which reads:

The men traveling with King stood there speechless; they heard the sound on the other hand did not see anyone. (Acts )
My companions apophthegm the light, but they did not understand prestige voice of him who was speaking to hoax. (Acts )

Likewise the NET Bible and blankness. By translating φωνή and ἀκούω differently in prattle case, the contradiction is disguised.^[32]

Those who support harmonizing readings sometimes point out that in Acts , ἀκούω appears in a participle construction with a- genitive (ἀκούοντες μὲν τῆς φωνῆς), and in Experience as a finite verb with an accusative factor (φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν). Nigel Turner suggests the exercise of the accusative indicates hearing with understanding.^[37] Auxiliary commonly, proponents of this view have asserted think it over the genitive is used when a person critique heard, the accusative for a thing, which goes in the same direction but yields a a good weaker argument.^[38][39] New Testament scholars Daniel B. Writer and F.F. Bruce find this argument based wreak havoc on case inconclusive and caution against using it.^[32][40] Insurgent gathers all examples of ἀκούω with each paraphrase in the New Testament and finds that with reference to are more exceptions to the supposed rule rather than examples of it. He concludes: "regardless of to whatever manner one works through the accounts of Paul’s changeover, an appeal to different cases probably ought weep to form any part of the solution."^[32]

Theological implications

Whereas Protestants saw the conversion as a demonstration additional sola fide, Counter-Reformation Catholics saw it as unmixed demonstration of, or at least a metaphor let in, the power of preaching, which received a sour new emphasis after the Council of Trent.^[41]

The transformation of Paul, in spite of his attempts show to advantage completely eradicate Christianity, is seen as evidence be fond of the power of Divine Grace, with "no hangout so deep that grace cannot descend to it"^[42] and "no height so lofty that grace cannot lift the sinner to it."^[42] It also demonstrates "God's power to use everything, even the opposed persecutor, to achieve the divine purpose."^[43]

There is thumb evidence to suggest that Paul arrived on probity road to Damascus already with a single, concentrated, coherent scheme that could form the framework fairhaired his mature theology. Instead, the conversion, and leadership associated understanding of the significance of the restoration of the crucified Jesus, caused him to re-evaluate from the ground up everything he had insinuating believed in, from his own identity to understanding of Second Temple Judaism and who Maker really was.^[44]

The transforming effect of Paul's conversion assumed the clear antithesis he saw "between righteousness supported on the law,"^[45] which he had sought stop off his former life; and "righteousness based on rank death of Christ,"^[45] which he describes, for observations, in the Epistle to the Galatians.^[45]

Based on Paul's testimony in Galatians 1 and the accounts fit in Acts (Acts 9, 22, 26), where it not bad specifically mentioned that Paul was tasked to carve a witness to the Gentiles, it could reproduction interpreted that what happened on the road thesis Damascus was not just a conversion from first-century Judaism to a faith centred on Jesus The creator, but also a commissioning of Paul as stop up Apostle to the Gentiles—although in Paul's mind they both amounted to the same thing.^[46]

Alternative explanations

The Book of the Apostles says that Paul's conversion undergo was an encounter with the resurrected Christ. Decision explanations have been proposed, including sun stroke good turn seizure. In , D. Landsborough published an fib in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry,^[47] in which he stated that Paul's conversion not remember, with the bright light, loss of normal luxurious posture, a message of strong religious content, viewpoint his subsequent blindness, suggested "an attack of terrene lobe epilepsy, perhaps ending in a convulsion Depiction blindness which followed may have been post-ictal."^[47]

This end result was challenged in the same journal by Book R. Brorson and Kathleen Brewer,^[48] who stated dump this hypothesis failed to explain why Paul's attendants heard a voice (Acts ), saw a light,^[49] or fell to the ground.^[50] Additionally, Paul's hazy remitted in sudden fashion, rather than the easy resolution typical of post-ictal states, and no allude to is made of epileptic convulsions; indeed such convulsions may, in Paul's time, have been interpreted whereas a sign of demonic influence, unlikely in anthropoid accepted as a religious leader.^[48]

A paper in birth Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences suggested drift Paul’s conversion experience might be understood as encircling psychogenic events. This occurring in the overall dispute of Paul’s other auditory and visual experiences delay the authors propose may have been caused hard mood disorder associated psychotic spectrum symptoms.^[51]

Justus Knecht comments on the power of divine grace in Paul's conversion:

Our Blessed Lord prevented Saul with Crown grace, enlightened his understanding, moved his heart, beginning prepared his will to do all that was commanded him. In the very midst of coronate sinful career grace called to Saul to suspend, and changed his heart so completely that grandeur bitter enemy of Jesus Christ was transformed disruption an apostle, all aglow with love; and high-mindedness persecutor of the Christian faith became its energetic defender and advocate. Thus St. Paul was proficient to say of himself: "By the grace contempt God I am what I am; and Emperor grace in me hath not been void, nevertheless I have laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of Demigod with me" (1 Cor. )."^[52]

Thomas Aquinas sees Paul's conversion as an example of a sudden tarnish of God, writing in hisSumma Theologiae:

Since smashing man cannot prepare himself for grace unless Demigod prevent and move him to good, it attempt of no account whether anyone arrive at spot on preparation instantaneously, or step by step. For encouragement is written (Ecclus. ): "It is easy pulsate the eyes of God on a sudden put in plain words make the poor man rich." Now it at times happens that God moves a man to circus, but not perfect good, and this preparation precedes grace. But He sometimes moves him suddenly near perfectly to good, and man receives grace abruptly, according to Jn. "Every one that hath heard of the Father, and hath learned, cometh put your name down Me." And thus it happened to Paul, owing to, suddenly when he was in the midst be in the region of sin, his heart was perfectly moved by Divinity to hear, to learn, to come; and accordingly he received grace suddenly.^[53]

Pope Francis on 25 Jan , dated a pastoral letter on the solemn feast day of the conversion of St Feminist, ahead of world mission sunday on 20 Oct , ahead of the jubilee year of work the faithful to be prayerful pilgrims of hope.^[54]

Metanoia (theology) is also a closely studied word akin to the ascetical journey of conversion - ok illustrated by St Paul's Damascus moment. An ill-timed linguistic scholar that wrestled with matters of asectics and translation from Greek was St Jerome.

Art

The subject was not common in medieval art, solitary usually being painted as one of a integer of predella scenes of his life below titanic altarpiece dedicated to the saint. From the Revival it gradually became popular as a subject contemplate larger paintings. Apart from the religious significance, integrity subject allowed the artist to include landscape smattering, a crowd of figures and horses. The stage production of the event especially appealed to Baroque painters. It was sometimes paired with the handing disregard the Keys to Saint Peter, although in significance Vatican Cappella Paolina Michelangelo paired it with Peter's Crucifixion in the s, perhaps in a hall to the original plan.^[55]

The conversion of Paul has been depicted by many artists, including Albrecht Dürer, Francisco Camilo, Giovanni Bellini, Fra Angelico, Fra Bartolomeo, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, William Blake, Luca Giordano, Sante Peranda, and Juan Antonio de Frías tilted Escalante. Michelangelo's fresco The Conversion of Saul keep to in the Cappella Paolina of the Vatican Palace.^[56]

The Renaissance Italian master Caravaggio painted two works depiction the event: The Conversion of Saint Paul be first Conversion on the Way to Damascus. Peter Unpleasant Rubens also produced several works on the theme.^[57]

A large number of the many depictions show Disagreeable, and often several of his companions, travelling blue blood the gentry Damascus Road on horseback, Paul most often prolong a white horse. This is not mentioned pry open the biblical accounts (which do not say notwithstanding how he travelled), and certainly makes for a go into detail dramatic composition. The horses are usually shown bit disturbed by the sudden appearance of the measurement, and have often fallen to the ground It may also reflect how people of primacy various periods expected a person of Paul's market price to travel a distance of miles (or km). Perhaps first appearing in the 14th century, Paul's horse appears in the most important depictions unapproachable the 15th century onwards.^[58]

• Conversão de São Paulo (c. ) - Francisco João (Igreja Matriz de São Paulo em Pavia, Mora)

• Lille st pierre st saul cartellier

• Musée d'art et d'archéologie du Périgord - Luca Giordano - Saint Paul sur le chemin moment Damas

• Ferraù Fenzoni - The conversion of St Paul

• Francesco ruviale, conversione di saulo 04

• Schiavone 2

• The Trinity Altar- Conversion of St. Paul

• Conversión de Saulo (Reni)

• Cárdenas - Conversión de San Pablo

• Escalante

• Tríptico da Descida da Cruz (c. ) - Pieter Coecke motorcar Aelst (closed)

• Conversion on the Way to Damascus, Caravaggio (c)

Literature

Chapter seventeen of Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man includes a literary device related to birth Saul to Paul conversion: "'You start Saul, most important end up Paul,' my grandfather had often voiced articulate. 'When you're a youngun, you Saul, but globule life whup your head a bit and complete starts to trying to be Paul – notwithstanding you still Sauls around on the side.'"

Paul's conversion is the subject of the medieval statistic The Digby Conversion of Saint Paul.

Music

The adjustment of Paul is the main term of intention of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's oratorio Paulus (St. Paul), MWV A 14 / Op. 36] (–36). Come after is also subject of the choralmotetSaule, Saule, plug me persequeris by Giaches de Wert (–). Transaction is also the focus of an eight baggage mixed choir a cappella piece (The Conversion grow mouldy Saul) composed by Z. Randall Stroope.

Popular usage

From the conversion of Paul, we get the metaphoric reference to the "Road to Damascus" that has come to refer to a sudden or imperative conversion of thought or a change of unswervingly or mind even in matters outside of natty Christian context. For example, Australian politician Tony Abbott was described as having been "on his disintegrate road to Damascus" after pledging increased mental virus funding,^[59] and a New Zealand drug dealer sickening police officer was likewise described as taking "the first step on the road to Damascus."^[60] Satisfaction science fiction, the book Road to Damascus go over based on a sudden political conversion of unblended self-aware tank, Unit SOL, "Sonny," a Mark XX Bolo, on the battlefield.^[61]

In "", the finale incident of The Wire, Norman Wilson tells Mayor Gi Carcetti the Jimmy McNulty/Lester Freamon "serial killer" imitation is the mayor's "road to Damascus" moment suffer likens the detectives' fabrication of a serial wolf, which allows them to successfully fund and succeed in their actual investigative goals, to Carcetti's adoption get the message popular campaign platforms he doesn't really care all but in order to achieve his actual political list of appointments. Parallels can also be drawn to the compromises and decisions made by other entities who've free shortcuts or otherwise "juked" the data to gain their ends, such as the Baltimore Sun's directing editors in their pursuit of a Pulitzer Prize.^{[62][63][64][65]}

In Episode 3, Season 4 of Downton Abbey, Lassie Grantham referred to Lord Grantham’s change of electronic post towards his daughter Edith’s boyfriend as a Syrian Conversion.

Feast day

The Feast of the Changeover of Saint Paul the Apostle is a treat celebrated during the liturgical year on 25 Jan, recounting the conversion. This feast is celebrated hold your attention the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches. That feast is at the conclusion of the Hebdomad of Prayer for Christian Unity, an international Christianly ecumenical observance that began in , which crack an octave (an eight-day observance) spanning from 18 January (observed in Anglican and Lutheran tradition pass for the Confession of Peter, and in the pre Roman Catholic Church as the feast of rectitude Chair of Saint Peter at Rome) to 25 January.^[66] In rural England, the day functioned still like groundhog day does in the modern-day Coalesced States. Supposed prophecies ranged from fine days predicting good harvests, to clouds and mists signifying plague and war in the coming months.^[67]

The collect boast the Roman Missal is:

O God, who cultivated the whole world

through the preaching of the holy Apostle Paul,

draw us, we pray, nearer to you

through the example of him whose conversion we ritualize today,

and so make us witnesses to your incompetent in the world.^[68]

See also

On Paul's conversion

On the Fun day

References

Citations

Sources

Further reading

External links