MISSIONARY JOURNEYS OF ST. PAUL

Church of Chora - Istanbul,Turkey

St. Paul was born in TARSUS in CILICIA (near Adana, Turkey) as "Saul", the son of a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin during the first years of the Christian era. A Roman citizen, he was brought up a Pharasee and had at least part of his education at Jerusalem where he learned law, the Scriptures and Greek.

He became aware of Christianity shortly after the Crucifixion. The great intolerance which he held for the Christians extended to the point where he guarded the clothes of the stoners at the martyrdom of St. Stephan. But then an unprecedented event took price. His famous conversion occured on the road at Jerusalem ( Acts 9.1-19 , 22.5-16, 26.12-18 ). He immediately accepted his new life and apostolate and 'within a short time received baptism and confirmation from Ananias (Acts 9.17). He then departed for Arabia (Gal. 1. 17) to prepare himself for his future ministry.

Three years later he returned to Damascus where he was forced to make his escape by being let down the city wall in a basket (Acts 9.23-25 , 2 Cor.11). From Jerusalem, where he was recieved first suspicion, he went to the city of CAESAREA (halfway between Haifa and Tel Aviv), Syria and CILICIA (Adana, Turkey) (Acts. 9.30, Gal. 1.21-24). A few years later Barnabas went to TARSUS to request his help in the conversion of ANTIOCH (Antakya, Turkey) (Acts 11.25). During a famine which occured about 44 AD, the two went to Jerusalem to take food to the Christian community.

Return to   BIBLICAL TOURS page