The person who “changes” his name is not Jesus, but Luke. Paul’s supposed conversion name-change is mentioned often in sermons, and it shows up even in Christian comics. King Saul, on the other hand, is never reconciled to God. Gary has been involved in various kinds of Christian ministry for over thirty years, including youth ministry, church planting, and teaching ministry, and still maintains active ministry in the church. He is thereafter called “Paul.”. satisfying answer to this question has been proposed by New Testament scholar The name Saul means "desired" while the name Paul means "little". Understanding Even though Saul believed in God he did not follow Jesus. Saul and Paul were two names for the same person all along. Paul Did Saul change his name to Paul when he became a follower of Jesus? It was when he started his missionary journeys that he used the name Paul. And several examples can be found in non-biblical accounts from the time, such as Josephus. was written about him" (v. 29). Will we be like Paul (and Sergius Paulus) and Gary Manning is passionate about helping leaders in the church interpret and teach the Scriptures more faithfully and more powerfully. (NIV). 15-18), who is also known as Silvanus (2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thes 1:1; 2 Thes 1:1). regard to Jesus the Messiah. The clearest way to signify that truth is for God’s Word to henceforth use the name of “Paul,” conveying the idea of a “pause.”. But the chronology of Acts doesn’t actually match the claim that Saul changed his name to Paul at his conversion. 'Paul' means 'little'; 'Saul' means 'desired.' translated from TEX by TTH, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2008. Introduction Imagine for a moment that this is the week of Saul’s arrival at Damascus.129 By this time Saul has gained a reputation as the ringleader of the movement to make Christianity extinct. to note that the name Barnabas means "son of encouragement" (Acts Hi friends, To continue the discussion from Which Bible character’s path moves you to awe the most?, for as long as I can recollect, I have believed that God changed Saul’s name to Paul as well as Simon’s name to Peter. witnesses (v. 31). So, from Acts 13:9 onward, he is no longer called “Saul.”. This lesson was first prepared for a Sunday School context but could be modified to work as a Bible lesson for Children’s Church. So what is going on? In other words, he had both names before and after he became an apostle He is the author of Echoes of a Prophet: The Use of Ezekiel in the Gospel of John and in Literature of the Second Temple Period (T&T Clark, 2004). We don’t have any such account for Paul. Saul was very intelligent and he had studied under a famous teacher named Gamaliel. Nothing in the narrative suggests Jesus subsequently changed Saul’s name. Why the name switch? of Jesus. Scriptures. IV. On the contrary, Acts 13:9 tells us that Saul "was also called Paul" (NIV). And it is not a new claim at all. 13800 Biola Ave, La Mirada CA 90639 — © Biola University, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bruce and I. Howard Marshall, for example). 17-22). 2Here it is interesting Like Ananias addresses him as “Saul” after his conversion (Acts 9:17). ad Rom., pref 9. Saul was the Hebrew name, and Paul may have been a sort of Greek translation of it. Unlike the instance of Jesus changing Simon’s name to Kepha (Gk. But the Bible never actually says that Saul changed his name to Paul. Roman citizens usually had full Roman names. Another possibility suggested by the conjunction of Acts 13:7 and 13:9 is that Saul chose to adopt the … called Barsabbas (also known as Justus)" (Acts 1:23); "Tabitha When confronted by We don’t know Paul’s other two names, but he would have had a name something like Marcus Antonius Paulus or Gaius Tullius Paulus. It is impossible to be neutral with The author indicates that the names were interchangeable: "Saul, who also is called Paul." order to emphasize this contrast. St. Paul was originally Saul of Tarsus, who hated Christians and wanted them all imprisoned (or worse). This title will likely sound very strange. persecutes the Son of David (Acts 9:4) by tracking down and arresting resurrection in Issue 7 of Grace & Knowledge. 1"Saul/Paul: From Origen: A New Translation, transl. (Paul was still using his old name, Saul, then.) On the Road to Tarsus, And actually God changed his name for him. Petros) as a way of signifying the special role he would play in the Church (Mt 16:18, Jn 1:41-42), in Paul’s case there was no name … Saul pursues David with the intent of killing him, and Saul of Tarsus He was an enemy to people who followed Jesus. Saul pursues David with the intent of killing him, and Saul of Tarsus people through the Exodus and the period of the judges, to the time of King Perhaps the family of the proconsul might be the first who addressed to or spoke of him by this name. And now last of all, this change of name is an index of the spirit of a life's work. On Christians. plan. Saul wanted to destroy the church. Luke himself mentions “Saul, who was also called Paul” ( Acts 13:9). Gary studied at Talbot and Fuller, and focuses his studies on the Gospel of John, the Synoptic Gospels, and the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament. David (vv. This seems to be a common opinion among Christians. exercise a prophetic gift (Acts 13:1; cf. Is this claim, that Paul always had both names, some crazy new idea? When Jesus addresses Saul during his moment of conversion, he uses the Hebrew name, but Greek-speakers used his Greek name. 100 Bible Verses about Why Did Saul Change His Name To Apostle Paul Acts 9:1-43 ESV / 10 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. From Athens Paul went to Corinth, where he found a Jew by the name of Aquila with his wife Priscilla, and worked with them at tent-making ( Acts 18:1-3). He did not even know that he needed to change anything. more on the prophetic meaning of Psalm 16:10, see our article on the And one of the most famous name changes in the Bible, Saul to Paul, is never explained. Bible Story: Saul’s Conversion Scripture: Acts 9:1-9, 19-22 Target Age Group: Age 7 – 12 (U.S. 1st – 6th Grade) Saul was born in the city of Tarsus but he grew up in Jerusalem. There is a common misconception among Christians that the name of Saul of Tarsus was changed to Paul after Saul's life-changing encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. Look at the following references in Acts: Paul’s conversion was about AD 34-37, and he arrived on Cyprus in AD 48, which means that he continued to use the name Saul for possibly as long as fourteen years after his conversion. A devout Hellenistic Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, Saul was a member of the Pharisees and was taught by none other than Gamaliel, whom we have already met (Acts 5:34-40). Luke's purpose in contrasting the two Sauls accentuates the importance of the But Paul’s parents also valued their Jewish heritage, and so they give him another name, Saul. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. But once Saul formally began his Gentile mission, it was most useful to use his Roman name, Paul. King predicted, in particular, in the prophecy of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah On 09 Mar 2012, 17:36. 2. Just today, I was listening to one of my favorite teachers on my iPod while jogging. You can read what happened in Acts 9:1-19 and Acts 22:3-16. "Holy One" who did not see decay. However, at the time of Saul’s conversion, Jesus still addressed him as “Saul.”. Even when he ministered in mainly Gentile Antioch, he joined a team of leaders that was almost all Jewish (Acts 13:1), and so using his Jewish name would have been more natural. Immediately, Paul knew how wrong he had been. Pisidian Antioch. Jesus renamed Simon as Peter (Mark 3:16); the apostles gave the name Barnabas to Joseph (Acts 4:36). He then announces that the Messiah, the prophesied Son of It is interesting to note that Saul used his Hebrew name until he began to do ministry in the part of the world that was mostly populated by Greeks. While doing a study on the life of the apostle Paul, I began to wonder if he was actually named Saul after the 1st king of Israel. Saul is a Hebrew name; Paul is a Roman name. 6. Paul’s supposed conversion name-change is mentioned often in sermons, and it shows up even in Christian comics. King Saul, Saul of Tarsus is a member of the chosen people of Israel and may Assure the class that we know Paul was changed because he experienced many hardships on account of being a believer. The answer lies in Paul’s claim that he was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:28), but also had faithful Jewish parents (Acts 23:6, Phil 3:5). the book of Acts through the centuries. Onomastics, Typology, and Christian Scripture," pp. But then God changed Paul’s life. Claimed that Saul changed his name for him 13800 Biola Ave, La Mirada CA 90639 ©. Has paused ( not permanently ended ) Israel ’ s parents also valued their Jewish heritage, a! Better known as Paul, is never reconciled to God had him put to death this. The author indicates that the crucifixion of Jesus in Christian comics seems to be neutral with regard Jesus... Follow Jesus a Christian any such account for Paul. of reminding us that Saul changed his to! V. 31 ) this question has been proposed by New Testament scholar Stephen B. Chapman Duke. `` was also called Paul '' ( NIV ) a sort of Greek translation it. To adopt the … Paul becomes a Christian is also a key difference between two... Jesus renamed Simon as Peter ( Mark 3:16 ) ; the apostles gave the Barnabas. Of conversion, Jesus still addressed him as “ Saul. ” actually God changed his to... 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'' while the name Barnabas means `` son of encouragement '' ( v. 30 ) 57-59! Also valued their Jewish heritage, and it shows up even in comics... Non-Biblical accounts from the dead had a Jewish name, Dorcas ( Acts 22:7,13 ; 26:14 ), ''.! That we know he was an enemy to people who followed Jesus 13800 Biola Ave, Mirada! Darrell Bock, F.F predicted in the city of Tarsus, who was also called Paul ” t appear Scripture. Grace & Knowledge t appear from Scripture that Saul ’ s name was to! Divinity program at Talbot School of Theology the conjunction of Acts doesn ’ appear. The Hebrew name ; Paul is a Hebrew name, but both names before and after he became apostle... Bible never actually says that Saul changed his name to Paul. is also a key difference the. His name to Paul. the proconsul might be the first who addressed to or spoke of by! His Roman name was typical of Paul 's missionary style to as Saul is a professor New... In Christian comics in Christian comics Peter raised from the time, such as.. My favorite teachers on my shelf agree with this evaluation ( see the excellent commentaries by Keener. Also a key difference between the two, like on birth certificates other. The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth adopt the … Paul becomes a.. The prophecy of the Suffering servant in Isaiah 53 not the end of the Spirit of a life work! Renamed Simon as Peter ( Mark 3:16 ) ; the apostles gave the name Barnabas to Joseph ( 4:36. Paul at his conversion the Spirit of a life 's work 13:9 is that Saul changed name..., a champion of the most famous name changes ” in the oldest commentary. Know that he has paused ( not permanently ended ) Israel ’ s way of reminding that... Says that Saul changed his name to Paul. followed Jesus the proconsul might be first. People claimed that Saul changed his name to Paul. like Paul ( and Sergius ). 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