He is described as at this timc 'a young man' (veavias); but 0115 term was employed with so much latitude by the Grect-s that it is im possible, from the mere nse of it, to determine whether the person to whom it was applied was under thirty or between that and forty. The probability is that Paul must have reached the age of thirty at least; for otherwise it is not likely that he would have shared the counsels of the chief priests, or been intrusted by them with the entire responsibility of executing their designs ag-ainst the followers of Jesus, as we know was the case (Acts xxvi:to, 12). For such a task he showed a painful aptitude, and discharged it with a zeal which spared neither agenor sex (Acts viii:I-3; xxvi:to, ). But while thus, in his ignorance and unbelief, he was seeking to be 'in jurious' to the cause of Christ, the great Author of Christianity was about to make him a distin guished trophy of its power, and one of the most devoted and successful of its advocates.
(2) Conversion. While journeying to Damas cus (see DAmAscus), with a commission from the high-priest, to arrest and bring back as pris oners to Jerusalem the Christians who had es caped thither from the fury of their persecutors, and when he had almost completed his journey, Ile was suddenly arrested by a miraculous vision of Christ, who addressing him from heaven, de manded the reason of his furious zeal, in the re markable words, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' Struck to the ground by. the suddenness and overwhelming splendor of the vision, and able only to ask by whom it was he was thus ad dressed, he received for answer, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest; but arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what to do.' This command the confounded and now humble zealot immediately rose to obey, but as the brilliancy of the light which had shone around him had dazzled him to blindness, he had to be led into the city by his attendants. Here he re mained for three days and nights in a state of deep mental conflict and dejection, tasting neither meat nor drink, until a person of the name of Ananias appeared at the command of Christ to relieve his distress, and to admit him into the Christian fraternity by baptizing him into the name of the Lord (Acts ix:I-18; comp. t Cor. xv :8; ix:r; Gal. i Neander, Apostol. Zeitalter. section I it, sq.; Olshausen. on Acts ix:x-19; Lyttleton's Observations on the Conversion and Apostleship of St. Paul).
Immediately on his conversion to Christianity Saul seems to havegone intoArabia (see ARABIA), where he remained three ycars (Gal. i:1 t-t7); and where he, in all probability, was chiefly occu pied, by meditation and study, in preparing him self for the great work to which he had been called. Here also we may venture to suppose he received that gospel which afterwards hepreached 'by revelation' from Christ (Gal. i :12).
Returning from Arabia to Damascus theApostle commenced his public efforts in the service of Christ, by boldly advocating in the synagogues of the Jews the claims of Jesus to be venerated as the Son of God. At first astonished, the Jews
were afterwards furiously incensed at this change in the opinions and conduct of Saul, and in con sequence of their attempts upon his liberty and life, he was obliged to make his escape from Damascus. This he effected difficulty by the aid of the Christians, some of whom let him down in a basket from the window of a dwell ing erected upon the outer wall of the city (Acts ix:21, CIC.; 2 COr. Xi :32).
(3) First Visit to Jerusalem. After his con version, where. on thc testisnony of Barnabas. he was acknowledged as a Christian brother, and adinitted by the Apostles to that place in their fraternity which had been assigned to him by Christ. From Jerusalem he was soon driven by the hostility of the Jews; when, after visiting Cwsarea, he went to his native town Tarsus, where he abode several ycars (Acts ix:26-3o). From this retreat he was summoned by Barnabas, who, having been appointed by the Apostles at Jerusalem to visit the church at Antioch, where accessions had been made to the number of the followers of Jesus from among the Gentiles as well as the Jews, and finding the need of counsel and co-operation in his work, went to Tarsus to procure the assistance of Saul (Acts xi:22-25).
(4) Second Visit to Jerusalem. After resid ing and laboring for a year in Antioch, these two distinguished servants of Christ were sent up to Jerusalem with certain contributions which had been made among the Christians at Antioch (see Armocti), on behalf of their brethren in Judt-ea, who were suffering from the effects of a dearth (Acts xi:27-3o). This, as commonly re ceived, was the Apostle's second visit to Jeru salem after his conversion.
(5) First Missionary Journey. Having dis charged this commission they returned toAntioch, accompanied by John Mark, the nephew of Bar nabas, and were shortly afterwards despatched by that church, in obedience to an injunction from heaven, on a general missionary tour. In the course of this tour, during the earlier part only of which they were accompanied by Mark, in consequence of his shrinking from the toils and dangers of the journey and returning to Jcru saletn, they visited Seleucia, Cyprus, Perga in Pamphylia, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia (in the former of which the fickle populace. though at first they had with difficulty been prevented from offering them divine honors, were almost immediately after wards, at the instigation of the Jews, led to stone the Apostle until he was left for dcad); and thcn they returned by way of Attalia, a city of Pamphylia, by sea to Antioch, where they re hearsed to the church all that God had done by them (Acts xiii-xiv). This formed the Apostle's first great missionary tour.