For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God;
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace in me was not in vain 1 Cor. 15 , 9-10).

Peter's Fast, established by the Church in memory of the holy supreme apostles Peter and Paul, continues. In the last issue we wrote about the life and works of the Holy Apostle Peter, today we will talk about the Holy Apostle Paul. This man, called to the gospel of the Gospel by the last of the apostles, worked more than all the New Testament sacred writers in explaining Christian teaching. A brilliantly educated Pharisee, he was a zealous persecutor of Christian teaching, but, miraculously admonished by the Lord, he became the “Apostle of Tongues,” a fiery preacher of the Gospel, devoting his life and strength to bringing the word of Truth to the world.

Persecutor of Christians

(Acts 8 , 3).

The Holy Apostle Paul, or Saul (the first name of the apostle is Hebrew, the second is Latin) was born and received his primary education in the Cilician city of Tarsus, famous for the Greek academy and the learning of its inhabitants. Tarsus at that time was equal in level of education to Athens or Alexandria. Paul had Roman citizenship with all rights and privileges. He continued his further studies in Jerusalem with the famous teacher Gamaliel, who, despite his belonging to the Pharisees, was a man capable of thinking and speaking boldly and independently. This can be judged by his famous speech at the Sanhedrin. When the fate of the apostles for preaching the Gospel was being decided, Gamaliel said the decisive word: I tell you, get away from these people and leave them; for if this enterprise and this work are from men, then it will be destroyed, but if from God, then you cannot destroy it; beware lest you turn out to be enemies of God(Acts 5 , 38-39). Bountifully endowed with ability, Saul succeeded in Judaism more than many of his peers... being an immoderate zealot of his father's... traditions(Gal. 1 , 14). It is likely that he was preparing for the position of rabbi and showed truly monstrous zeal in fulfilling the Pharisaic law.

After the events of Holy Pentecost, when the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached the word of God, healed the sick and raised the dead, when the Christian community was rapidly growing in Jerusalem, then the young Pharisee Saul came out to his terrible ministry. With incredible determination, he sets out to exterminate Christians. The first victim was Deacon Stefan. An angry crowd took him out of Jerusalem and stoned him. Saul approved of his murder. In those days there was a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem; and everyone except the Apostles scattered to different places...(Acts 8 , 1.) And Saul tormented the church, entering houses and dragging out men and women, handing them over to prison(Acts 8 , 3).

The church suffered losses, horror and trembling forced Christians into hiding. Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, came to the high priest(Acts 9 , 1), asked for official permission to persecute Christians even outside Palestine and went to Damascus, learning that there were also many adherents of this new, hated doctrine. The armed detachment moved towards Damascus. It seemed that nothing could stop Saul, no force could make him believe that the teaching of the One who died on the Cross the shameful death of a runaway slave was the teaching of the Truth. Nobody. Only God!

Conversion to Christ

The detachment was approaching Damascus. The sun was beating down mercilessly. The city wall appeared in the distance. There, in this city, in the synagogues, like a deadly infection, a new teaching about the risen Jesus from Galilee is spreading. Very soon, Saul thought, he would go back along the same road, and ahead of the detachment, the chained Christians would go to Jerusalem for the judgment of the Sanhedrin. That's probably what he thought. ...Suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me? He said: Who are you, Lord? The Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It's hard for you to go against the grain. He said in awe and horror: Lord! what do you want me to do? and the Lord said to him: Arise and go into the city; and you will be told what you need to do(Acts 9 , 4-6).

From the radiance of this Divine light, Saul became blind. Those accompanying him brought him to Damascus, where, due to severe shock, he did not eat or drink anything for the first three days. In Damascus there lived a Christian named Ananias, whom the Lord commanded in a vision to go to Saul and lay hands on him so that he would receive his sight. God! I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to Your saints in Jerusalem(Acts 9 , 13), objected Ananias. But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is My chosen vessel, to proclaim My name before the nations and kings and the children of Israel.(Acts 9 , 15). Ananias went and did as the Lord commanded him. And immediately, as if scales fell from his eyes(Saul) and suddenly he received his sight; and stood up and was baptized(Acts 9 , 18). Saul's fiery spirit did not tolerate inaction, and he, having believed in Christ, with the same determination and pressure with which he had previously persecuted Christians, began to preach the Gospel in the synagogues. Now, on the basis of the Old Testament, in the knowledge of which few could compare with him, he taught that Jesus Christ was the Messiah expected by the Jews. The power of his word, based on brilliant education and enlightenment by the Holy Spirit, confused the Jews. They hated Saul as a traitor and guarded the city gates day and night so that they could deal with him without witnesses when he left the city. But Saul, who knew about the danger that threatened him, was lowered by his disciples in a basket from the city wall and thus escaped death.

Works of the Apostle Paul

...But I labored more than all of them: not I, however, but the grace of God, which is with me(1 Cor. 15 , 10).

It is difficult to imagine how the holy Apostle Paul (who is also Saul), having poor health, could endure such labor. The entire life of the apostle became a confirmation of the words: the power of God is made perfect in weakness (see 2 Cor. 12 , 9). I was much more in labor, immensely wounded, more in prison and many times at the point of death... three times I was beaten with sticks, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the depths of the sea; I have been on journeys many times, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from robbers... in labor and exhaustion, often in vigils, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness(2 Cor. 11 , 23, 25-27), - the Apostle Paul recalls for the edification of the Corinthians. Such labors and trials cannot be endured relying only on human strength. The Apostle Paul attributes all the successes of his preaching work solely to the action of Divine grace and strives only to be worthy of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul wrote fourteen epistles, which, due to the importance of their content and the height of their theological thought, are called by some the “second Gospel.” His works reveal the dogmatic and moral teaching of the Church. The theological depth of his Epistles often confused such interpreters of Holy Scripture as John Chrysostom and St. Augustine. The expressions “to be raised with oneself,” “to put on Christ,” and “to put off the old man” belong exclusively to the Apostle Paul.

Death of the Apostle

And I will show him how much he must suffer for My name(Acts 9 , 16).

When was the Apostle Paul killed and how did he die? I have heard that one possible date for the death of the Apostle Paul is 64 AD, and another is 67 AD. Also, if he was killed, why?

My answer will be very simple. No one knows exactly how the Apostle Paul died. There are two opinions:

• firstly, it is possible that his imprisonment in Rome, which Luke described, led to his execution. Those who say this is probably pointing to AD 64, since Paul most likely came to Rome in AD 62;
• others believe that Paul was released from prison and went to Spain, where he said he wanted to go. This theory suggests his death in 67 AD. There is indirect evidence that Paul was actually released from prison and actually visited Spain. First of all, in Romans 15:22-29 there is his expressed desire to do this. He also expresses a fairly strong expectation of liberation in Philippians 1:19-26 and writes about the same to Philemon (Philemon 22). But this is not conclusive evidence, and even Paul himself in the above passage suggests that he is not sure of his deliverance. Additionally, there is testimony from the church historian Eusebius, who said that Paul was not killed because of the events described in Acts. But Eusebius wrote this much later in 325 AD.
• There is some more convincing evidence that Paul actually went to Spain. This is the statement of Clement of Rome in the period 95-100. AD that Paul went “to the farthest reaches of the West” of the Roman Empire (1 Clement of Rome to the Corinthians 5:5-7). This statement comes from a person who was most likely alive during this trip to the West. This is pretty strong evidence that Paul did go to Spain, which would mean he probably wasn't executed in 64 AD, making a date of 67 AD more likely.

It is generally accepted that the Apostle Paul was executed in Rome under Nero. Nero died in 68 AD, so the date is 67 AD. seems quite likely. There is also another factor to keep in mind: that Nero's terrible persecution of the church in Rome did not occur in 64 AD.

A very likely scenario, for which I note that we have no direct evidence, is that for whatever reason Paul returned to Rome after preaching in Spain and was caught up in the wake of Nero's persecution against the church. Thus, we can assume that Nero executed Paul as the most prominent representative of the hated Christian church. If this is true, then Paul's death occurred in 67 AD. plus/minus 1 year.

Are there any other reasons why Paul might be executed? Perhaps, but we just don't know them. What we can say from many examples, such as the death of Polycarp, is that Christian leaders were usually arrested simply for being the leaders of a movement, not for anything they said or did.

Saint Paul, who originally bore the Hebrew name Saul, belonged to the tribe of Benjamin and was born in the Cilician city of Tarsus (in Asia Minor), which was then famous for its Greek academy and the education of its inhabitants. As a native of this city, descended from Jews, who came out of slavery to Roman citizens, Paul had the rights of a Roman citizen. In Tarsus, Paul received his first education and probably became acquainted with pagan culture there, for traces of acquaintance with pagan writers are clearly visible in his speeches and letters.

He received his subsequent education in Jerusalem, at the then famous rabbinical academy from the famous teacher Gamaliel, who was considered an expert in the Law and, despite belonging to the Pharisees, was a free-thinker and lover of Greek wisdom. Here, according to the custom of the Jews, young Saul learned the art of making tents, which later helped him earn money to live by his own labor.

Young Saul, apparently, was preparing for the position of rabbi (religious mentor), and therefore, immediately after completing his upbringing and education, he showed himself to be a strong zealot for the Pharisaic traditions and persecutors of the faith of Christ. Perhaps by appointment of the Sanhedrin, he witnessed the death of the first martyr Stephen, and then received the power to officially persecute Christians even outside Palestine in Damascus.

The Lord, who saw in him “a chosen vessel for Himself,” miraculously called him to apostolic service on the way to Damascus. While traveling, Saul was struck by a bright light that caused him to fall blind to the ground. A voice came from the light: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” To Saul’s question: “Who are you?” - The Lord answered: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” The Lord commanded Saul to go to Damascus, where he would be told what to do next. Saul's companions heard the voice of Christ, but did not see the light. Brought by the hand to Damascus, the blind Saul was taught faith and on the third day baptized by Ananias. At the moment of immersion in the water, Saul received his sight. From that time on, he became a zealous preacher of the previously persecuted teaching. He went to Arabia for a while, and then returned to Damascus again to preach about Christ.

The rage of the Jews, outraged by his conversion to Christ, forced him to flee to Jerusalem, where he joined the community of believers and met the apostles. Due to an attempt by the Hellenists to kill him, he went to his hometown of Tarsus. From here, around the year 43, he was called by Barnabas to Antioch to preach, and then traveled with him to Jerusalem, where he brought help to those in need.

Soon after returning from Jerusalem - at the command of the Holy Spirit - Saul, together with Barnabas, set off on his first apostolic journey, which lasted from 45 to 51 years. The apostles traversed the entire island of Cyprus, and from that time on, Saul, who converted the proconsul Sergius Paulus to the faith, was already called Paul. During this time of the missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas, Christian communities were founded in the cities of Asia Minor: Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. In the year 51, Saint Paul took part in the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, where he ardently rebelled against the need for pagans who became Christians to observe the rites of the Mosaic Law.

Returning to Antioch, the Apostle Paul, accompanied by Silas, undertook his second apostolic journey. He first visited the churches he had previously founded in Asia Minor, and then moved to Macedonia, where he founded communities in Philippi, Thessaloniki and Beria. In Lystra, Saint Paul acquired his beloved disciple Timothy, and from Troas he continued his journey with the Evangelist Luke, who joined them. From Macedonia, Saint Paul moved to Greece, where he preached in Athens and Corinth, staying in the latter for a year and a half. From here he sent two messages to Thessalonians. The second journey lasted from 51 to 54. Then Saint Paul went to Jerusalem, visiting Ephesus and Caesarea along the way, and from Jerusalem he arrived in Antioch.

After a short stay in Antioch, the Apostle Paul undertook his third apostolic journey (56-58), visiting first, according to his custom, the previously founded churches of Asia Minor, and then stopped in Ephesus, where for two years he preached daily at the school of Tyrannus. From here he wrote his letter to the Galatians (regarding the strengthening of the Judaizing party there) and his first letter to the Corinthians (regarding the unrest that arose there and in response to the Corinthians' letter to him). The popular uprising raised by the silversmith Demetrius against Paul forced the apostle to leave Ephesus, and he went to Macedonia and then to Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, due to a popular revolt against him, the Apostle Paul was taken into custody by the Roman authorities and found himself in captivity, first under the proconsul Felix, and then under the proconsul Festus, who replaced him. This happened in 59, and two years later the Apostle Paul, as a Roman citizen, at his request, was sent to Rome to be judged by Caesar. Having been shipwrecked near Fr. Malta, the apostle only reached Rome in the summer of 62, where he enjoyed great leniency from the Roman authorities and preached freely. From Rome, the Apostle Paul wrote his epistles to the Philippians (with gratitude for the monetary allowance sent to him with Epaphroditus), to the Colossians, to the Ephesians and to Philemon, a resident of Colosse (regarding the slave Onesimus who fled from him). All three of these messages were written in 63 and sent with Tychicus. A letter to the Palestinian Jews was soon written from Rome.

The further fate of the Apostle Paul is not exactly known. Some believe that he remained in Rome and, by order of Nero, was martyred in 64. But there is reason to believe that after two years of imprisonment and defending his case before the Senate and the Emperor, the Apostle Paul was released and again traveled to the East. Indications of this can be found in his “pastoral letters” - to Timothy and Titus. Having spent a long time on the island of Crete, he left his disciple Titus there to ordain elders in all cities, which testifies to his ordination of Titus as bishop of the Cretan Church. Later in his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul instructs him on how to carry out the duties of a bishop. From the same message it is clear that he intended to spend that winter in Nikopol, near his native Tarsus.

In the spring of 65, he visited the rest of the churches of Asia Minor and left the sick Trophimus in Miletus, because of whom there was an indignation against the apostle in Jerusalem, which led to his first imprisonment. It is unknown whether the Apostle Paul passed through Ephesus, since he said that the elders of Ephesus would no longer see his face, but he apparently at that time ordained Timothy as a bishop for Ephesus. Then the apostle passed through Troas and reached Macedonia. There he heard about the rise of false teachings in Ephesus and wrote his first letter to Timothy. After spending some time in Corinth and meeting the Apostle Peter on the way, Paul continued with him through Dalmatia and Italy, reached Rome, where he left the Apostle Peter, and in 66 he himself went further to the west, probably reaching Spain.

After returning to Rome, he was again imprisoned, where he remained until his death. There is a legend that after returning to Rome, he even preached at the court of Emperor Nero and converted his beloved concubine to faith in Christ. For this he was put on trial, and although by the grace of God he was delivered, in his own words, from the jaws of lions, that is, from being eaten by animals in the circus, he was nevertheless imprisoned.

After a nine-month imprisonment, he was beheaded with the sword, as a Roman citizen, near Rome in 67 after R. X., in the 12th year of the reign of Nero.

Taking a general look at the life of the Apostle Paul, it is clear that it is sharply divided into two halves. Before his conversion to Christ, Saint Paul, then Saul, was a strict Pharisee, a fulfiller of the law of Moses and the traditions of his fathers, who thought to be justified by the works of the law and by zeal for the faith of the fathers, reaching the point of fanaticism. After his conversion, he became an apostle of Christ, completely devoted to the work of the gospel gospel, happy in his calling, but aware of his own powerlessness in the performance of this high ministry and attributing all his deeds and merits to the grace of God. The entire life of the apostle before his conversion, according to his deep conviction, was an error, a sin and led him to condemnation. Only the grace of God rescued him from this destructive error. From that time on, the Apostle Paul tries only to be worthy of this grace of God and not to deviate from his calling. He realizes that there is no and cannot be any talk of any merit before God: everything is a matter of His mercy.

The Apostle Paul wrote 14 epistles, representing a systematization of Christian teaching. These messages, thanks to his wide education and insight, are distinguished by great originality.

The Apostle Paul, like the Apostle Peter, worked hard in spreading the faith of Christ and is rightly revered along with him as a “pillar” of the Church of Christ and the supreme apostle. They both died as martyrs in Rome under Emperor Nero, and their memory is celebrated on the same day.

Apostle Paul

Apostle Paul

Saul is the 13th apostle Paul.

Saul was born May 25, 7 BC in the city of Tarsus in Asia Minor.
For the first time the name of Saul, the future Apostle Paul, is mentioned in the Bible in the episode associated with the execution of St. Stephen. As reported in the Acts of the Apostles, Stephen’s executioners laid their clothes at Saul’s feet and the future apostle “approved of the murder.”
Saul was indeed a Jewish priest and fought fiercely against the early Christian communities. He persecuted all of Jesus' supporters, tracking them down from house to house, arresting them, and even taking part in some executions where the condemned were stoned to death.
The death of the first Christian occurred in the year 31.

"Caning of St. Stephen." Rembrandt, 1625 (Museum of Fine Arts, Lyon). In the background, Saul is depicted sitting with the clothes of the witnesses on his lap (Acts 7:58).

Three days after the murder of Stephen, Saul, returning home along a deserted street, suddenly heard a voice coming from somewhere above: “Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Saul turned around sharply, but saw no one. Although it was already late and it was twilight, the area around was nevertheless visible. But no matter how hard Saul peered into the darkness, he saw no one in front of him.

Frightened, Saul asked:
-Who are you, where are you from? An unknown voice answered:
- This is me talking to you, Almighty. Why do you persecute Me and My Son?
Saul was simply dumbfounded:
-Who is your son?
- The son I sent, Jesus. Why are you persecuting him? came into this world from Me, and his teaching is correct because it is just. All who oppose Jesus are breaking God's laws. If you, Saul, do not come to your senses, you will go blind.
On the one hand, Saul was greatly frightened by these words, but on the other, he began to convince himself that he had dreamed it all, imagined it. And, not believing that God himself spoke to him, Saul did not draw any conclusions.
Waking up in the morning, Saul found darkness before his eyes, as if the night had not yet ended. And only after some time the priest realized that the worst thing had happened - he had gone blind. Yesterday's warning came true.
Saul began to pray tirelessly and ask the Lord to forgive him. And once again he heard the voice of God: “Ask My Son, he is merciful!”
Then Saul's eldest son took him to Golgotha ​​and, at his father's request, left him there alone. For three days and three nights Saul prayed tirelessly, losing track of time, until the next morning he heard a voice:
- It is I, Jesus, that you ask!
- Forgive me, Son of God, I was mistaken. Jesus answered him:
- Everything is forgiven to you, because you have repented. It is forgiven not by me, but by our father, the Lord God. You realized your mistake, and you will be rewarded in full.
Then Saul felt before his eyes the touch of human hands.
- I name you Pavel. The time will come, and you will stand at the gates of Paradise with the keys.
For a moment Saul stood motionless, when he opened his eyes, there was no one near him, and the first thing he saw was the rising sun. It was the beginning of a new day, but for Saul it was the beginning of a new life.
After Paul received his sight, he felt great strength in himself, and from that time on his gift for healing and predictions awakened in him. More than once Jesus came to Paul in a dream in difficult moments, offering guidance and protection.
If a person sinned greatly, even if he killed, but then sincerely repented of what he had done, then all his sins will be forgiven if he follows the path of purification. The story of the Apostle Paul is a living example of this.
All sins will have to be paid for sooner or later. A person will either suffer in this life, or torment will come to him through his own children, grandchildren or parents.
All the evil that you have done to someone in life will definitely come back to you. It doesn’t matter which way, it doesn’t matter where from, but it will still overtake you. But when you have suffered in full, suffered for all your sins, then everything will be forgiven to you and you can again count on a happy life.
The main commandment in the teachings of Jesus is to love your neighbor as yourself, and never do to anyone what you do not want for yourself.
Therefore, all people who live in love, in harmony with themselves, capable of compassion for their neighbors, already in this life receive all conceivable and inconceivable rewards. Paul, who persecuted Christians, was punished by loss of sight - there is no need to explain how difficult this loss is for any person on Earth. After that, he could become embittered with the whole world, hate all people.
Saul was terribly tormented and worried, but in the end he found the strength to realize his mistakes and, approaching Jesus, humbly kneel before him. He sincerely repented, and therefore everything was forgiven to him.
His entire subsequent life is evidence of Paul’s sincere repentance.

Andrei Rublev, Saint Paul the Apostle, circa 1410

After being baptized, the Apostle Paul became one of the most tireless and significant preachers of Christianity. He made many trips to cities and countries of the Mediterranean, the apostle organized Christian communities everywhere. Paul cast aside all doubts and instructed and taught the parishioners, telling them about the teachings of Jesus.
In 60, Paul arrived in Rome. He came at a time when there were strong persecutions against both Christians and Jews. In 61, he met Peter here, who was with his wife. The apostles began to read sermons together.
Under Emperor Nero in 64, the Apostle Paul was captured in Rome, although he was warned in advance about the danger by Peter. Not finding the Apostle Peter, they seized his wife instead and put him in prison along with Paul. When Peter returned, a trial was held for all three. No one admitted their guilt, and the court decided to execute everyone.
Paul was executed first, his head was cut off, and his headless body was hung on a cross at the entrance to the city, and the apostle's head stood nearby on a platter on a small platform.
Paul was buried not far from the place of his execution in Rome.

“However, already in the middle of the 1st century, another line in the activities of Gagtungr was outlined. Taking advantage of the fact that the mission of Christ in Enrof remained unfinished and therefore the church founded by Him, instead of a worldwide apotheosis, barely glimmers in the form of several small communities under the heavy layers of state institutions created by the Witzraors , and under the inert layers of psychologies that they involuntarily, the forces of Gagtungr begin to interfere in the life of the church itself. A highly gifted and deeply sincere in his desire for Christ, a strong-willed personality emerges, in which Jewish obsession and aggressive Jewish severity are combined with the rational and legal consciousness of a Roman citizen. the man was the bearer of a certain mission, certainly bright, but the indicated personal and hereditary traits distorted his own understanding of this mission, instead of continuing the work of Christ, instead of strengthening and illuminating the church with the spirit of love, and only with this spirit, the thirteenth apostle unfolds enormous, broad organizational activities, cementing scattered communities with strict statutes, strict unity of command and even fear, since the danger of being thrown out, in case of disobedience, from the bosom of the church gave rise to precisely spiritual fear. The fact that the Apostle Paul never met Jesus Christ during His life and was, therefore, deprived of all that grace that came directly from Jesus is no less significant than another: something that Paul did not experience like the others apostles, descent of the Holy Spirit. And yet the rest of the apostles seem to be relegated to the background, each of them narrows his activity to local tasks, to the creation of Christian communities in one country or another, and Paul, deprived of grace, gradually turns out to be a central figure, towering over all communities, uniting them all and everything dictating to them what seems to him the continuation of Christ’s work.”
Daniil Andreev - "Rose of the World"

CONNECTIONS WITH HELLENISM

Along with his knowledge of the Torah, Paul's familiarity with the commonplaces of the Greco-Roman culture of his time: philosophy, literature, religion and, above all, rhetoric, is evident from the New Testament. According to a widely accepted version, Paul's letters were written in the living, idiomatic Greek. According to another, there is clear evidence of the use of word play, versification, which appears only in Aramaic. Paul's hometown of Tarsus was one of the centers of Hellenistic learning, second only to Alexandria and Athens in this regard. True, it is not known at what age Paul left Tarsus and went to study in Jerusalem, but it is known (Acts 9:30) that after his conversion Paul was forced to return to his homeland for a long time in order to avoid persecution from his former comrades.
It was convincingly shown how widely the techniques of ancient rhetoric are used in Paul's speeches and epistles. It may also be noted that many of the quotations or allusions to the works of secular ancient authors found in the New Testament are quoted by Paul, or at least put into his mouth. Many researchers also tried to find traces of the influence of Asia Minor mystery cults in Paul's theology.

Celebration

Installed feast of the holy apostles Peter and Paul , as the two most revered apostles, called the supreme holy apostles for their especially zealous service to the Lord and the spread of the faith of Christ. Orthodox Christians celebrate the holiday on June 29/ July, 12, for Catholics - June 29.

On the day of remembrance of the Apostle Paul on June 29, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI said that for the first time in history, a scientific study of the sarcophagus located under the altar of the Roman temple of San Paolo Fuori le Mura was carried out. According to the pope, the sarcophagus contained “...tiny fragments of bones that were examined using carbon-14 by experts who did not know about their origin. According to the results, they belong to a person who lived between the 1st and 2nd centuries.” “This seems to confirm the unanimous and indisputable tradition that we are talking about the remains of the Apostle Paul,” the pontiff said at the ceremony marking the end of the celebrations associated with the 2000th anniversary of St. Paul. For a long time they did not dare to open the ancient find. They tried to illuminate the sarcophagus with X-rays, but the stone turned out to be too thick. “In the sarcophagus, never before opened for centuries, a very small hole was made to insert a probe, through which traces of precious linen cloth dyed purple, a plate of pure gold and blue cloth with flax fibers were discovered. The presence of red incense, as well as protein and calcareous compounds was detected." The pontiff promised that when scientists complete their research, the sarcophagus with the relics will be available for worship by believers.

In 2009, many German newspapers published a “phantom portrait” of St. Apostle Paul. It was recreated by specialists from the criminal police of Dusseldorf, the administrative center of North Rhine-Westphalia. This was reported by the German news agency DRA.
The experienced criminal police specialist who completed this unusual portrait was helped with his advice by the Düsseldorf historian Michael Hesemann, who has been working on a scientific book about the Apostle Paul for several years.

Sources:
1. Daniil Andreev. "Rose of the World"
2. Lyubov Panova. "Revelations of the Guardian Angels. The Cross of Jesus."

Copyright © 2015 Unconditional love

Containing first-person evidence and contemporary events under study. The question of which of the 14 New Testament epistles traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul actually belong to him is discussed below and in articles devoted to individual epistles. The evidence of the Epistles requires a critical approach. Paul is impartial and directly involved in the events mentioned, therefore, when reading the Epistles, it is necessary to take into account his inclination towards one or another interpretation of the facts. It is also necessary, as far as possible, to take into account the addressee of the message and the situation in which it was written, since this affects the rhetoric of the letter and the nature of the proclamation of the Gospel (kerygma).

Paul's letters are the primary source of information about his faith, teaching, and worldview. The speeches of Paul quoted in Acts cannot be considered absolutely authentic. A comparison of the book of Acts, the main character of the second half of which is Saul-Paul, with references to places, persons and travels in the Epistles allows us to somewhat reconstruct the life of Paul, especially during his missionary travels (ca. 46-61). There are a number of contradictions between the Acts and the Epistles; in such cases, as a rule, preference is given to the testimony of the Epistles.

Paul is mentioned several times in the writings of the apostolic men. Paul is also the actor or false author of a number of New Testament apocrypha, but the value of these books as sources of information about the historical Paul is immeasurably lower. Such apocrypha include the Acts of Paul, Pseudo-Clementine, the Acts of Peter and Paul, the Apocalypse of Paul, the apocryphal letters of and to Paul (including correspondence with Seneca), etc.

Life

Origin

Family and education

Statue of St. Paul the Apostle at the Basilica in the city of Eger

Connections with Hellenism

Along with his knowledge of the Torah, Paul's familiarity with the commonplaces of the Greco-Roman culture of that time: philosophy, literature, religion and, above all, rhetoric, is evident from the New Testament. According to a widely accepted version, Paul's letters are written in living, idiomatic Greek. According to another, there is clear evidence of the use of word play, versification, which appears only in Aramaic. Paul's hometown of Tarsus was one of the centers of Hellenistic learning, second in this regard only to Alexandria and Athens. True, it is not known at what age Paul left Tarsus and went to study in Jerusalem, but it is known (Acts 9:30) that after his conversion Paul was forced to return to his homeland for a long time in order to avoid persecution from his former comrades.

Participation in the persecution of Christians

Judging by the Acts of the Apostles, Paul was younger than Jesus. It is very likely that both of them were in Jerusalem on the same Easter days. However, there is no evidence in the New Testament that Paul saw Jesus before his execution.

Chapters 7-9 of the Acts of the Apostles speak several times of the active participation of Paul (called exclusively Saul until Acts 13:9) in the persecution of the early Christian church; Paul himself also mentions in a number of letters that he participated in the persecution of Christians before his conversion.

Stefan's murder

Saul is first mentioned in the 7th chapter of Acts, in the scene of the stoning of the first martyr Stephen. The preacher Stephen was put on trial for blasphemy by representatives of the “Hellenistic” synagogues (Jews who came to Jerusalem from the diaspora and spoke Greek), in particular, immigrants from Cilicia (Acts 6:9), one of whom could have been Saul. Acts describes the trial of Stephen, but it is not clear whether he was sentenced to death or whether he was stoned by an angry crowd that did not wait for the trial to end. .

Reasons and nature of persecution

The persecution in which Paul took part was caused by early Christian preaching that became unacceptable to Orthodox Judaism due to such points as:

• Criticism of the temple cult. Many researchers believe that already at this time, among Christians from the “Hellenists”, such as Stephen, a critical attitude began to appear towards the Jewish focus on Jerusalem and the Temple, which was poorly compatible with the ecumenical nature of the Christian gospel. Stephen's speech before the Sanhedrin, in the writing of which Luke could rely on a source that quite accurately conveys the views of the “Hellenists,” contains open attacks on the Temple. Perhaps it was criticism of the temple cult that became the main reason for the persecution.

In the early persecution of Christians one can see an attempt by the synagogue communities, who were entirely under the influence of the Pharisees, to restore order in their midst by “disciplinary” punishment of unorthodox views. The scourging mentioned by Paul (5 times 40 strokes minus one) and imprisonment, which he suffered after becoming a Christian, could have been precisely such a punishment (2 Cor 11:23-24). It is possible that the persecution of Christians was carried out mainly in Hellenistic communities, one of which Saul could have been a member of. The main role in the persecution was apparently played by the Pharisees, but the temple Sadducee priesthood could also take part in them. In Acts 9:1-2, the Pharisee Saul receives authority from the Sadducean high priest to bring Christians from Damascus to Jerusalem to punish.

Appeal

As the book of Acts tells, on the way to Damascus he was struck miraculously from heaven, and Jesus revealed himself to him with the words “Why are you persecuting me?” Saul converted, having received from the mouth of the Lord the calling and dignity of an apostle. Soon he was baptized and became Paul.

Ephesians burn witchcraft books after the sermon of the Apostle Paul

Subsequently he became one of the main ideologists of Christianity and the author of several books of the New Testament (nine epistles to various churches and four epistles to individuals). One of his most significant letters is the Epistle to the Romans, written in 58 in Corinth and addressed to the Christian community of Rome.

The Apostle Paul became a zealous preacher of the Gospel in Palestine, Greece, Asia Minor, Italy and other regions of the ancient world. According to the book of Acts, during a Sunday celebration in Troas, the Apostle Paul resurrected a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting on a window and fell asleep from the third floor. For spreading the faith of Christ, the Apostle Paul suffered a lot and was beheaded in Rome under Nero in the year (according to another version - in 67-68).

According to legend, at first light the soldiers brought Paul to the scaffold. The executioner stood ready, with his ax drawn. They stripped Paul to the waist, made him kneel and put his head on the block... Before his death, he managed to say: “I think that in these times, suffering is worth nothing in comparison with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

There were no fellow believers next to him. Paul said goodbye to life with the sad knowledge that he was abandoned by everyone. At the site of his burial, the disciples left a memorial sign, which allowed Emperor Constantine to find this place and build the church of San Paolo fuori le Mura there.

Orthodox Christians celebrate the memory of Peter and Paul on the same day - (July 12 AD), Catholics on June 29, as the two most revered apostles, called the supreme holy apostles for especially zealous service to the Lord and the spread of the faith of Christ.

Epistles of the Apostle Paul

Russian	Latin	Rus.	Full	Min.	Original language
Romans	Epistula ad Romanos	Rome	Rom	Ro	Greek
1 Corinthians	Epistula I ad Corinthios	1 Cor.	1 Cor	1C	Greek
2 Corinthians	Epistula II ad Corinthios	2 Cor.	2 Cor	2C	Greek
Epistle to the Galatians	Epistula ad Galatas	Gal	Gal	G	Greek
Epistle to the Ephesians	Epistula ad Ephesios	Eph	Eph	E	Greek
Epistle to the Philippians	Epistula ad Philippenses	Phil	Phil	Phi	Greek
Epistle to the Colossians	Epistula ad Colossenses	Number	Col	C	Greek
1 Thessalonians	Epistula I ad Thessalonicenses	1Fes	1 Thess	1Th	Greek
2 Thessalonians	Epistula II ad Thessalonicenses	2Fes	2 Thess	2Th	Greek
1 Timothy	Epistula I ad Timotheum	1Tim	1 Tim	1T	Greek
2 Timothy	Epistula II ad Timotheum	2Tim	2 Tim	2T	Greek
Epistle to Titus	Epistula ad Titum	Titus	Tit	T	Greek
Epistle to Philemon	Epistula ad Philemonem	Flm	Philem	P	Greek
Hebrews	Epistula ad Hebraeos	EUR	Heb	H	Greek

Literature

• David Auni The New Testament and its literary environment. - St. Petersburg: RBO, 2000. - ISBN 5-85524-110-6

• Alain Badiou Apostle Paul. Justification of universalism. - St. Petersburg: University Book, 1999. - ISBN 5-85133-062-7

• Rudolf Bultmann Favorites: Faith and understanding. - M.: ROSSPEN, 2004. - ISBN 5-8243-0493-9

• James D. Dunn Unity and diversity in the New Testament. - M.: BBI, 1999. - ISBN 5-89647-014-2

• Bishop Cassian (Bezobrazov) Christ and the first Christian generation. - M.: PSTBI, 2003. - ISBN 5-7429-0106-2

• I. A. Levinskaya Acts of the Apostles. Chapters I-VIII: Historical and philological commentary. - M.: BBI, 1999. - ISBN 5-89647-033-9

• Bruce M. Metzger New Testament: context, formation, content. - M.: BBI, 2006. - ISBN 5-89647-149-1

• Good News: The New Testament translated from ancient Greek. Educational publication with historical and philological notes. - M.: RBO, 2006. - ISBN 5-85524-323-0

• N. T. Wright What the Apostle Paul Really Said. - M.: BBI, 2004. - ISBN 5-89647-085-1

• Cleon L. Rogers Jr., Cleon L. Rogers III A new linguistic and exegetical key to the Greek text of the New Testament. - St. Petersburg: Bible for everyone, 2001. - ISBN 5-7454-0545-7

• Interpretation of the New Testament: A Collection of Essays on Principles and Methods. - St. Petersburg: Bible for everyone, 2004. - ISBN 5-7454-0835-9