When Saul became Paul?

While studying the Book of Acts, in chapter 9 we once again encounter Saul, whose heart was changed by Jesus Christ, who stopped him on the road to Damascus. Saul’s conversion is a powerful testimony to the truth of Christianity, because this man subjected himself to persecution from the very system in which he not only had success, but held an influential position. People do such things only for gain—but Saul did not gain material blessings; he gained spiritual ones.

However, today we are interested in another question: Saul’s name. In a sermon on Acts 9:1–9, we briefly considered Saul’s biography. One of the visible changes in his life was a change of name. For some time, the name Saul dominates the narrative, and then at a certain point the name Paul becomes prevalent. How and why did Scripture begin to call him differently?
It has been rightly observed that the change from Saul to Paul did not occur at the moment of his conversion, because before the name Paul appears, the name Saul is still used 11 more times after his conversion.

So when and why does this change happen? Any student of Scripture can easily find the point at which the transition occurs. In Acts 13:9 we read: “But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him…”

What is unique about this moment? At that very time Saul, together with Barnabas, was proclaiming the gospel to his first ruler on mission—Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:7). And it was the proconsul Sergius Paulus who became the first convert on Saul/Paul’s first missionary journey. It is precisely his Roman name that Saul adopted as a kind of spiritual trophy.

Jerome (347–420 AD), known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate), wrote the following: “Saul, who is also called Paul, was not named Paul, as some think, because he was small (for ‘Paulus’ means ‘small’), but because after the conversion of Sergius Paulus he took the name of the proconsul whom he had brought to faith, just as Scipio received the name ‘Africanus’ after the conquest of Africa.” (Commentary on Philemon, Prologue; Patrologia Latina, Vol. 26, 607)

Why is this important? This coming Sunday we will focus on what God calls us to—to proclaim His name “before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15, ESV).

The influence of the Apostle Paul in the world of that time was largely connected with the fact that he preached in key cities and capitals of the known world. God called him to ministry not only among ordinary people, but also among the influential of this world.

Not everyone can or should go to preach before rulers, but there are those to whom God has given the calling to proclaim the truth to people in positions of authority—so that the truth about the Savior would be heard not only by the poor and unknown, but also by those who possess success, power, and influence.

Perhaps someone in GFC is called to reach influential people? Pray!

Continue supporting the churches working among the people who have suffered from the war in Ukraine:

"So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,[a] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
Romans 6:11-16