Paul of Tarsus

Highlights

Main contribution

Paul forced the first Christian generation to decide whether the gospel was for Israel only or for the nations.

Event connection

Council of Jerusalem (50)

Primary source

Acts of the Apostles 9, 13-28

Sources for biography

• Acts of the Apostles 9, 13-28 primary
• Galatians 1-2 primary
• 1 Clement 5 primary
• Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 2.22, 2.25 primary

documented connections(11)

• knew of Jesus of Nazareth
  Paul claims a resurrection appearance and direct revelation (Galatians 1:11-17, 1 Cor 15:8). Not a pre-Easter disciple.
  1 Corinthians 15:8 · Galatians 1:11-17 · Acts 9:1-19
• met Peter
  Paul visited Cephas in Jerusalem for fifteen days c. AD 36 (Gal 1:18). They later met at the Apostolic Council (Gal 2 / Acts 15).
  Galatians 1:18; 2:1-10 · Acts of the Apostles 15
• opposed Peter
  The Antioch incident: Paul publicly rebuked Peter for withdrawing from Gentile table fellowship under pressure from 'men from James' (Gal 2:11-14).
  Galatians 2:11-14
• met James the Just
  Paul met James in Jerusalem (Gal 1:19) and again at the Apostolic Council (Gal 2:9 / Acts 15).
  Galatians 1:19; 2:9 · Acts 15:13; 21:18
• taught Timothy
  Acts 16:1-3 · 1 Timothy 1:2 · Philippians 2:19-22
• taught Titus
  Galatians 2:1-3 · Titus 1:4-5 · 2 Corinthians 7:6-15
• taught Luke the Evangelist
  Luke is named as Paul's companion in Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24, 2 Timothy 4:11; Irenaeus calls him 'a follower of Paul'.
  Colossians 4:14 · 2 Timothy 4:11 · Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.1.1
• met Mark the Evangelist
  Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas, then split (Acts 13:13; 15:37-39). Later reconciled (Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11).
  Acts 13:13; 15:37-39 · Colossians 4:10
• taught Onesimus
  Philemon 10-16
• cited (incoming) Polycarp of Smyrna
  Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians quotes or alludes to most of the Pauline corpus extensively.
  Polycarp, To the Philippians (passim, esp. 3.2, 11.2-3)
• cited (incoming) Ignatius of Antioch
  Ignatius alludes repeatedly to Pauline letters (esp. 1 Cor, Eph) and explicitly praises Paul (Eph. 12.2; Rom. 4.3).
  Ignatius, To the Ephesians 12.2 · Ignatius, To the Romans 4.3

tradition connections(2)

• opposed James the Just
  Paul was opposed not by James personally but by 'certain men from James' whose intervention triggered the Antioch incident (Gal 2:12). The direct opposition between Paul and James himself is inferred and disputed by scholars.
  Galatians 2:12
• knew of (incoming) Clement of Rome
  1 Clement 5 speaks vividly of Paul's martyrdom in the first person plural ('our generation'); patristic tradition (Origen, Eusebius, Jerome) identifies Clement with the fellow worker of Phil 4:3.
  1 Clement 5 · Philippians 4:3 · Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 3.15

External resources