Apostle born in Tarsus, Cilicia's main city, known as the great apostle to the Gentiles. He was descended from a Hebrew family of the tribe of Benjamin, who had obtained Roman citizenship, of great possessions and political prestige. His parents, being what they were, faithful to the Mosaic law, immediately sent him to Jerusalem to be educated there. A fervent Pharisee, he received the name Saul in circumcision and had as his tutor one of the wisest and most notable rabbis from that time, the great Gamaliel, grandson of the even more famous Hillel, from whom he received lessons in the teachings of the Ancient Testament. It was this Gamaliel, whose discourse is contained in the Acts of the Apostles 5. 34-39, who advised the Sanhedrin not to try against the life of the apostles. He had something foreign to the Pharisaic spirit, which was close to Greek culture. In his speech he demonstrated a tolerant and conciliatory spirit, characteristic of the sect of the Pharisees.
He was famous for his vast rabbinical knowledge. He learned the trade of making tents, the ones used on trips. He received an education subordinate to the traditions and doctrines of the Hebrew faith, and although he was the son of a Pharisee, Acts 23, he became a Roman citizen. By his sayings in the Epistle to the Philippians 3. 4-7, he apparently occupied a position of great influence that gave him scope for profit and great honors. He became a member of the council, Acts 26. 10, and shortly thereafter received the commission of the high priest to persecute Christians, 9. 1, 2; 22. 5. He appeared on the scene of Christian history as presiding over the execution of deacon Stephen (1) the protomartyr of Christianity, at whose feet witnesses laid down their garments Acts 7. 58. In the Bible he appears then in the 7th chapter of the book Acts of the Apostles, keeping the clothes of the deacon, who was stoned, agreeing, therefore, with the condemnation. After that, he undertook strong persecution of Christians. In his position he hated the new sect, not only despising the crucified Messiah, but he considered his disciples a dangerous element, both for religion and for the state. This mortal hatred of Jesus' disciples lasted until the moment of his conversion, which appears in the 9th chapter.
It was on the road to Damascus that his sudden conversion took place (30). He and his companions were traveling through the deserts of Galilee and when, at noon, the blazing sun was at its zenith, Acts 26. 13, suddenly a light from heaven, brighter than sunlight, fell on them, knocking them down. Everyone rose, but he remained prostrate to the ground. Then a voice was heard saying in the Hebrew language: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard to kick against the sting (2)". He then replied, "Who art thou Lord?" And the answer came: "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Get up and go to the city and there you will be told what you should do". The companions who followed him heard the voice without seeing or understanding anything. Dazzled by the intense glare of the light, he was led by the hand of his companions.
He entered Damascus and stayed at the house of Judas, where he remained for three days without seeing, without eating or drinking, praying and meditating on divine revelation. Guided by the Lord, the converted Jew Ananias, went to visit him and when he met the great persecutor, he received the confession of his new faith. Certain of his conversion, Ananias laid his hands on him, made him regain his sight, and baptized him. Baptized, he went to the Arabian Desert, where he prayed and did penance for three years. From then on, with the youth and energy that characterized him, and to the great astonishment of the Jews, he began to preach in synagogues that Jesus was the Christ, Son of the living God, 9 10-22. He returned to Jerusalem, where he suffered the distrust of those who did not believe in his sudden conversion and he settled in Antioch, Syria, from where he made three major missionary journeys over 25 years.
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He preached in Asia Minor, Greece, and Jerusalem, until his arrest in Caesarea (61). Taken to Rome, he spent two years in military custody, enjoying relative freedom, sufficient to receive Christians and convert pagans. During this period he wrote the letters to the Philippians, the Colossians, the Ephesians and Philemon. Excused (63) he passed through Spain, visited his communities in the East, where he was arrested and again taken to Rome (67) on charges of following an illegal religion. The two letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus are from this last period. By order of Nero this time he was unpardoned and sentenced to death, but as a Roman citizen he must not have been crucified but rather beheaded.
In addition to some speeches attributed to him mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, he left 14 letters addressed to various converted communities and friends. In the letters he wrote to the communities he founded, he showed himself to be the great theologian committed to elaborating a synthesis of the Christian mystery that spanned the ages. these documents are characterized by containing valuable rules of life that are completely timeless, which never they will lose their meaning if practiced to ensure harmony in any society, at any time. His teachings also clarify the distinction between Judaism and Christianity and the spread of the latter in the Greek world.
He is celebrated on the 25th of January, traditionally the day of his conversion, and the 29th of June, the day of his death. He was not officially an apostle, but was considered the apostle to the Gentiles because of his great missionary work in Gentile countries. He said of himself: "I worked harder than all the apostles... and woe is me if I do not evangelize!", but he also said: "I am the least of the apostles... I'm not worthy to be called that".
(1) St. Stephen, considered the protomartyr, born and killed in Jerusalem (35), a converted Jew, was a of the seven deacons elected by the Christian community of Jerusalem to preside at the tables (Acts 6,5-11; 7,54-60).
Arousing the antipathy of the Hellenistic Jews, jealous of the success with which he exercised his ministry, he was accused of having blasphemed against God, religion and the Temple. Led to the Sanhedrin, he was sentenced to stoning. Saul, the future apostle Paul, witnessed the martyrdom. Stephen's relics, discovered in Constantinople (415), were transported to Venice (1110).
(2) The phrase "It is hard to kick against the sting", does not mean that he acted against his will, or that already recognized the truth of Christianity, and yes, I mean rather that it was foolish to resist the purposes divine.
Figure copied from the UNIV website. TEXAS / PORTRAIT GALERY :
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/photodraw/portraits/
Source: http://www.sobiografias.hpg.ig.com.br
Order P - Biography - Brazil School