Saul (later called Paul) of TarsusPaul the apostle, was a famous preacher of first century Christianity and was God's instrument used to spread the light of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Paul is credited with writing many books in the New Testament of the Bible. She was born an Israelite from a clan of the tribe of Benjamin and spoke Aramaic and Hebrew from childhood. He was an enthusiastic student and a strict devotee of the Torah. He was the man who later had a strange encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ while on the road to Damascus. His life and duty were considerably altered and, in turn, changed the course of the development of Western civilization and culture. Much has been said about the missionary journeys of this illustrious servant of Christ, which began some fourteen years after his transformation. His travels have left many Bible scholars confused about his powerful impact and how he founded the Western Christian Church. Much has been said about the missionary journeys of this illustrious servant of Christ, which began some fourteen years after his transformation. Tarsus was a city that united both the Roman and Greek worlds as its government was Roman and its culture was Greek. This region of Cilicia was one of several areas where the Israelites settled during the dispersion. By birthright in the Roman state of Cilicia, later as Paul the Apostle, he used his Roman nationality in his defense. According to Dr. Derek WH Thomas, "The conversion of Saul of Tarsus must surely rank among the most significant events, not only in the history of the Church but also – certainly – but in the history of the world." Saul persecuted Christians and was eyewitness... half of paper... ordered the apostle Paul and his companions to go further east, into Asia and Bithynia. Instead, God told them in a dream to travel westward, towards Macedonia J. Matthews, “Paul suffered persecution during his missions, loss of all physical possessions, and finally martyrdom. Only a certain kind of disposition could tolerate such a life for a period of twenty-five or thirty years.” days, Paul was taken by governor Felix to Caesarea in 58 AD where he was sentenced to 2 years in prison. Paul appealed to Caesar in Rome. He finally arrived in Rome where he remained under house arrest for a couple more years period in which he wrote many of his books. Paul was released from prison and traveled for a couple more years through much of the same regions he had traveled before. He most likely died in prison as a martyr in 67 AD.