Bible character overview - Paul

One day, as Saul—later known as Paul—was journeying near Damascus, a bright light from heaven shone around him, causing him to fall to the ground. It was the Lord, who asked Saul why he was persecuting Him. Saul responded with, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" He was instructed to go into the city for further instructions. As a result of this encounter, Saul was left blind and did not eat or drink for three days.

In Damascus, there was a disciple named Ananias who was instructed by the Lord to go to Saul, heal his blindness, and pray for him. Ananias obeyed, and when he found Saul, he prayed for him, his sight was restored, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he was baptized. Saul then went to Arabia for three years.

Upon returning to Jerusalem, Saul—now going by his Roman name Paul—proclaimed the good news with boldness and courage. Although he initially faced fear and skepticism from the disciples, Barnabas vouched for him and introduced him to the apostles. Following this, Paul embarked on several missionary journeys, establishing churches which are later mentioned in the epistles.

During his journeys, Paul encountered numerous disputes and challenges. He had a significant disagreement with Barnabas over whether to take a man named John Mark on their mission. This disagreement led to their separation: Barnabas took John Mark with him, while Paul chose Silas as his companion. Along their travels, Paul and Silas were joined by another follower named Timothy. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Paul and his team continued their mission, and the number of believers and churches grew daily.

Paul continued his ministry despite enduring numerous hardships, including beatings, imprisonment, and false accusations. His journey often took him by sea, where he faced multiple shipwrecks. One notable instance occurred when he was shipwrecked on the island of Malta.

After arriving in Malta, Paul gathered sticks to build a fire. While warming himself, a viper emerged from the firewood and bit him. The island's inhabitants, seeing the venomous snake bite, initially thought Paul was cursed. However, when Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects, they changed their minds and began to regard him as a god.

On Malta, Paul encountered the father of Publius, the island’s leading citizen, who was suffering from a severe illness. Paul laid hands on him, and he was miraculously healed. This healing led many others on the island to seek Paul’s help, and he healed all who came to him.

Throughout his ministry, Paul wrote thirteen epistles (letters) to various churches, offering exhortation, praise, correction, and addressing various issues faced by the early Christian communities. His writings, which form a significant portion of the New Testament, include letters such as Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians.

Paul also mentored Timothy, with whom he had a deep and influential relationship. Timothy was a key figure in early Christianity, and Paul's mentorship greatly shaped his ministry and leadership. Despite the trials he faced, Paul’s dedication to spreading the gospel and nurturing the early church left a lasting impact on Christian history.