Paul The Apostle

Paul, or-to use his Jewish name-Saul, was born in Tarsus and educated in Jerusalem under a leading Pharisaic rabbi, Gamaliel. After coming to prominence as a leading persecutor of the infant Christian Church, he experienced an abrupt volte-face; he was confronted by the risen Jesus in an experience which was for him both a conversion from his former zeal for Judaism and its law and also a call to redirect that zeal into being a missionary to the Gentiles. He spent three years in Arabia, presumably as a missionary, then returned via Jerusalem to his native town where he spent the better part of fourteen years in evangelism.