We will begin reading in verse 6: [6] And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: [7] Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. Paul's Greek name - - is a transliteration from Latin to Greek of the Latin word for "small" - paulus. In keeping with his new nature Paul means 'small or little'. Our mystery program is unrelated to Israels prophetic program. In the Pauline letters, there is no indication that he ever bore any other name than Paul. international train travel in Europe for European citizens. Like Jews living in the Roman empire, Paul had two names. He gives pain, it is true; but he only Another possibility (as suggested in a comment below) is that Paul chose Paul over Saul because he was, by and large, a preacher to gentiles (i.e. King Saul could no longer discern God, even attempting to gain an audience through a medium. The parallels are all excellent observations, and I think they are significant. This most fascinating miracle is Pauls first miracle recorded in Scripture. And oh! that he may commend the grace of God. And now glorying in this 1Sa 9:2 And he had a son, whose name [was] Saul, a choice young man, All we know is that every reference before Acts 13:9 talks about Saul, and the only references to Saul after that are when Paul is telling people about what happened before that time. ill. 5)to propose that the change of name was historical and resulted from Sauls encounter with Sergius Paulus, the Roman governor of Cyprus (Acts 13:7). [12] Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.. Get a roundup of new Word by Word articles in your inbox each Friday. How to Use Linguistics to Understand the Bible, 7 Things about the Bible I Wish all Christians Knew, The Greek New Testament: 3 Most Common Editions & Which You Should Use. Paul is a Roman name. He is a "young man," someone who is influential in the stoning of God's prophet Stephen. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. It only takes a minute to sign up. The hinge in Cyprus prompts somegoing back to Jerome (Vir. His very name is the condensation into a word of his abiding conviction: 'I am less than the least of all saints.' Everywhere else he is referred to as Paul. Like Elymas/Barjesus, she is temporarily blinded (refer again to Romans 11:25-27). Is there something significant in the two names? Before his conversion Saul, (a Jewish name and associating him with the tribe of Benjamin), persecuted the Christians and he was well known. If Saul had always had both names, there may have been theological reasons for the author of Acts to refer to him as Saul before the miracle that occurred in Cyprus and to call him Paul from that point forward. the least. Paul is nothing else but little. while he is breathing out slaughter, while he is thirsting for blood, I guess it was somehow to break with his past and may have been related to Simon being renamed Peter but I don't know more than that. Indeed, double names are still used today, such as the Brazilian soccer player Pel, whose birth name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento. I. Howard Marshall (Witness to the Gospel, page 6) says it could be argued that Luke's account of the early church does not accurately mirror reality, even that Luke (or his sources) was presenting a picture of the early church that validated his own theology, going on to say that (if so) this would have been a deliberate procedure. Do we study only Pauls epistles? I seems to me that since he was primarily working among Gentiles, he would have gone this route regardless. A change which needs a new name must be a profound change. Saul, was pleased to be called Paul, in testimony of so great a The Pharisees sought praise for their outward obedience to the law. 3:4-6), like king Saul, but now he was a Christian trying to be humble (Phil. Just as Israel falls into a temporary blindness while salvation goes to the Gentiles (Romans 11:25), so Barjesus/Elymas is physically blinded for a time (Acts 13:11). How difficult it is to lever out the first paving stone from the compacted mass! He is no unkind physician who opens the swelling, who cuts, or This association might (at least in part) explain a preference for Paul in Greek settings.6, The Latin name Paul(l)us went into Greek as (Paulos), although the inscriptions and literary sources do not contain many examples of Romans bearing this name. Steve is a retired international volleyball referee and he blogs at Acts and More (https://stevewalton.info). True, he does not assume it at his conversion, but that is no reason why we should not believe that he assumes it because he is beginning to understand what it is that has happened to him at his conversion. Despite popular belief, Saul did not become Paul on the road to Damascus. And that is the sort of Christianity that satisfies a great many of you -- a Christianity of opinion, a Christianity of surface creed, a Christianity which at the best slightly modifies some of our outward actions, but leaves the whole inner man unchanged. Changes of name were particularly significant, such as Abram (exalted father) becoming Abraham (father of many) because of Gods promise to him of many descendants (Gen 17:5). Saul reports that the voice spoke in the Hebrew language (Acts 26:14), which makes good contextual sense. Bible Q | Why did Paul change his name from Saul to Paul? is there any other scripture to confirm that pauls name was change. At best, this is an interesting (modern) readerly response. God changed the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah (Gen 17:5, 15); He also changed Jacob's name to Israel (Gen 32:28). Equivalent idiom for "When it rains in [a place], it drips in [another place]". In Jerusalem, he is known as Paul, and this is in Lukes narrators voice, and Paul is in process of being taken into Roman custody (Acts 21:32, 37, 39, 40). But, at all events, it is an expression of the spirit in which he sought to do his work. For a Christian man to carry the Gospel of Infinite condescension to his fellows in a spirit other than that of the Master and the Gospel which he speaks, is an anomaly and a contradiction. This man flung away his literary tastes, his home joys, and his personal ambition, and chose as that for which he would live, and by which he would fain be remembered, that he should bring dark hearts to the light in which he and they together walked. The cognomen was the name by which people were commonly known, and was sometimes derived from that of a relative. Then Saul, who was also called Paul . persecutor, he is raised up the preacher. 3:7-11). We dont have any further information on why he changed his name, so anything else is just a guess. But just as likely is @Tim Gallant's answer that "Paul" was the name he used among Gentiles and "Saul" among Jews (especially in Jerusalem). Why then the switch in usage in Acts? He may well be Lucius Sergius Paulus, known from an inscription marking the bank of the river Tiber in Rome.12 Classicist Stephen Mitchell proposes that Sergius Paulus adopted Paul as a client,13 and this led to the change of name, but this view stumbles on the probability that Saul had both names from childhood. Enter your email address to receive email notifications when new Bible Q&A articles are posted. Everything. His first convert was to him the first drop that predicts the shower, the first primrose that prophesies the wealth of yellow blossoms and downy green leaves that will fill the woods in a day or two. I take it, then, that the assumption of the name of Paul instead of the name of Saul occurred at this point, stood in some relation to his missionary work, and was intended in some sense as a memorial of his first victory in the preaching of the Gospel. Saul of Tarsus was a scholar in the Mosaic Law, a religious leader of Israel, a Pharisee (Galatians 1:13-15; Philippians 3:5-6). became a provincial of the great King; he also for his former name He takes it, as I suppose, because it seemed to him such a blessed thing that at the very moment when he began to sow, God helped him to reap. God Changes Saul's name to Paul so that he can be a great witness for Christ in the days to come in Paul life. Saul - Paul: Some think that God changed Saul's name to Paul after his conversion, but this isn't true. Both Sauls were of the tribe of Benjamin. Did God change Saul's name to Paul? - Aleteia rev2023.7.5.43524. This seems to be a common opinion among Christians. And now last of all, this change of name is an index of the spirit of a life's work. When was the apostle Paul's name changed from Saul to Paul and who changed it? To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Saul is also leading Israel's rebellion against Jesus' little flock of believers in early Acts (Acts 8:1-4; Acts 22:1-5; Acts 26:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13-14; 1 Timothy 1:13). 10 Acts 13:9 appears to record the moment Saul's name changes to Paul: Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said. It is the very inmost principle of the Gospel. 11:13), so his gentile name would possibly be morepreferablein such circumstances. Where in the Bible did Peter say he could not be crucified like his Lord. 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct. Those two programs will never combine: we have no relation whatsoever to end-time prophecy. In Paul's encounter with Christ, he saw . Why is it better to control a vertical/horizontal than diagonal? Its possible that he always had two names Saul being his Jewish name and Paul his Roman name. Acts 13:9 is a watershed in terms of the naming of Saul/Paul. In other words, he . He was no longer the . is little; whence in a way interpreting his own name, he says, I am Is that your idea of the best thing about a life? Within their ethnic community, they would be known by that name. He strips himself of his Jewish connections and relationships. Why this change? Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament, Sermon XXVII. For when he was Saul, his name was derived No doubt the Apostle, like the rest of us, had his times of indolence and languor, and his times of despondency when he seemed to have laboured in vain, and spent his strength for nought. In Genesis 17, God memorialized this covenant with Abraham and Sarah by giving them each a new name and a token. 'For as much as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise took part of the same'; and the mystery of incarnation came to pass, because when the Divine would help men, the only way by which the Infinite love could reach its end was that the Divine should become man; identifying Himself with those whom He would help, and stooping to the level of the humanity that He would lift. 1 Samuel 10:9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. '. You cannot scold, or hector, or lecture men into the possession and acceptance of religious truth if you take a position of superiority. What is the Dispensation of Grace? The Hebrew name given him by his parents was Saul, but, because his father was a Roman citizen (and therefore Saul inherited Roman citizenship), Saul also had the Latin name Paul (Acts 16:37, 22:25-28), the custom of dual names being common in those days. Learn the spirit in which it must be done; the spirit of lowly self-abasement. Robert Eisenman, in The Dead Sea Scrolls and the First Christians, sees significance in this name, for the account in Acts of the Apostles. The Church Fathers emphasize the aspect of humility in Paul's choice of his new name. A Gentile ruler of the area, Sergius Paulus, wants to hear Gods Word from Barnabas and Saul. And his theory of conversion, which he preaches in all his Epistles, is but the generalisation of his own personal experience, which suddenly, and in a moment, smote his old self to shivers, and raised up a new life, with new tastes, views, tendencies, aspirations, with new allegiance to a new King. Best Answer Copy God Changes Saul's name to Paul so that he can be a great witness for Christ in the days to come in Paul life. Then we will focus on the two names, Saul and Paul, before assessing why the change happenedand why here in Acts. Referring to the Saul/Paul, F. F. Bruce says: Overvoltage protection with ultra low leakage current for 3.3 V. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. He is a Roman by birth and citizenship(Acts 16:37-38; Acts 22:25-29). (Acts 13:9, emphasis mine ). Why? 15). So no, there doesnt seem to be any other scripture that confirms that his name was changed, but the name used in the record definitely changed at that point. 'Paul' means 'little'; 'Saul' means 'desired.' Should I Read the Bible Like Any Other Book? the humble David. He thus shared his name with the most famous member of his tribe, King Saul (Acts 13:21; 1 Sam 9:12; LXX consistently uses the spelling ), prompting Kochenashs intriguing suggestion that the Christian Saul is being contrasted with his royal predecessor: Just as King Saul persecuted David, so Saul of Tarsus persecutes the Son of David.5. As a Roman citizen he also bore the Latin name of Paul. Although we arent told why there was a shift, here is a possibility: Saul was also the name of the first human king of Israel (God was the first king: 1Sam. Petros) as a way of signifying the special role he would play in the . What is the significance of The Parable of the Good Samaritan? The Lord said, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Again, Paul was a perfect illustration of the Church the Body of Christ, which was composed of believing Jews and believing Gentiles, saved by grace, saved apart from Israels prophetic program and kingdom hope. The praenomen, then, distinguished family members who shared the same nomen. Thus some suggest that Sauls shift of name to Paul was an effort to dissociate himself from King Sauls sin. But in a subsequent verse of the chapter we read that 'Paul and his company loosed from Paphos.'. What is the difference between "receiving the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:14-20; 19:1-7) and "being filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17; 4:31)? First of all, then, the new name expresses a new nature. It is commonly thought that God renamed Saul after his conversion - and that "Saul" indicates the persecutor, while "Paul" refers to the changed, Christian man. Both Augustine and Chrysostom suggest that he was given his new name when his ministry was appointed, much in the same way that the Lord gave Simon bar-Jonah his new name of Peter after his confession in faith that Jesus was the Christ and Son of the Living God [Matthew 16:17-18]. Old things are passed away and all things are become new.'. Why does the King James Bible say, pisseth against the wall?. I think that there are lessons to be derived from the substitution of one of these names for the other which may well occupy us for a few moments. This was quite common, especially for someone who was both Jewish and a Roman citizen. This certainly chimes with some work on Acts which highlights the Jewish flavor of much of Lukes writing.16. I agree that it's possible that Paul may have always been known as Paul. The principle that influenced the servant in this comparatively little matter, is the principle that influenced the Master in the mightiest of all events. In Acts prior to Cyprusthat is, predominantly in Jewish or mixed Jewish and Gentile settingshe is Saul (; Acts 7:58; 8:1, 3; 9:1, 8, 11, 22, 24; 11:25, 30; 12:25; 13:1, 2, 7). So when he who was afterwards Paul, was Saul, he Gary Manning Jr February 06, 2019 Did Saul change his name to Paul when he became a follower of Jesus? Bauckham (among others) wonders if assonance between Saulos and Paulos might explain how a Jewish child called Saul received the Latin name Paul; the most we can say is that is possible.8, Paul informs the tribune in Jerusalem that he was born a citizen (Acts 22:28), but we know nothing about how Pauls family received Roman citizenship. His Roman name (a Latinized version of Saul) was Paul. 591 Share 21K views 2 years ago Saul to Paul. However, in Acts 9:17, Ananias refers to him . Paul's Christianity meant a radical change in his whole nature. Some etymology will now further explain the matter. His name, in its commemoration of his first success, would act as a stimulus to service and to hope. The Greek form of the name, , could be problematic among Greek-speakers, since the adjective conveyed effeminate or conceited, and the cognate verbs and could mean walking in an effeminate manner. To the Jews I became a Jew to win over Jews; to those under the law I became like one under the law though I myself am not under the law to win over those under the law. Supernatural Encounters: Miracles and Prophecy - Facebook Such changes, so sudden, so revolutionary, cannot be expected often to take place amongst people who, like us, have been listening to Christian teaching all our lives. Is there a finite abelian group which is not isomorphic to either the additive or multiplicative group of a field? these words, when through his warfare, Paulus the Proconsul, his pride For Paul is, Before Cyprus, the name Paul is never used, and after Cyprus it predominates heavily, except for accounts of the Damascus road experience. And it isnt just that Acts has changed from referring to Saul to referring to Paul, because all his letters use the name Paul as well.
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