The one the ONLY, Apostle Paul.. Jesus had 13 disciples (if we were to get technical about it).. & the Apostle Paul, was the 13th.  Albeit THE MOST unlikely of the disciples - & NO DOUBT a shock to Christians everywhere when Jesus chose Paul.  Paul being the ONLY disciple NOT chosen with the original 12.  Paul DETESTED Christian's & after the death of Saint Stephen, (see his story?) by stoning.. In which Paul attended, though it is debated whether he participated.. What is crystal clear is his egregious assault on Christians after Saint Stephen's death.  Paul wiped out entire families -men, women, even little children were not immune from Paul's wrath.. In fact NO ONE (if you were Christian), was immune from feeling the cold steel of Paul's sword in them meaning certain death..  His swings were swift, strong, & gone.. meaning if Paul killed you??  It was swift & fatal!!  It was up close & personal!!  With Christian's stacking up at the morgue - it was only a mere matter of time before Jesus was to step in..  Christians knew that.. What was unexpected was what Christ did to Paul.. Choosing him - the ULTIMATE Christian murderer.. Into a man that would ultimately deliver Christ's message of Grace to His people!  From death to life!  Paul's is the ULTIMATE story of living Christianity, brought & taught by Paul with a fierce passion.. That he took to God's people at all costs - EVEN, at the cost of his own death..  If you have noticed (and some have because I have received the emails, loud & clear!) I have had this site up almost near a year now.. & yet?  No story on Paul.  That is because, like Paul's mission was sacred.. So is his story - thus I've avoided it.. That is... Until NOW!  I pray that this, Apostle Paul's story, touches and blesses you & in that?  I take the story of this GREAT GODLY MAN - giving it the worthiness that it is due - that it touches you.  I pray for acute accuracy (in story and photos).. & that through this aspiring story- you find inspiration and invigoration, as you proceed along your own Christian journey.  In Jesus name - Amen & Amen! 

Mmkay - with that?? 

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The Apostle Paul's amazing story...

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The Apostle Paul.. Is generally considered one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age..  After his story - you will see exactly why! 

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Wanna see the purported wrist bone of Paul the Apostle??  A purported piece of Paul the Apostle's garment?

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Saul of Tarsus.. was born in Tarsus, Cilicia, Roman Empire.. between the years of 5 BC and 5 AD.  The Book of Acts indicates that Paul was a Roman citizen by birth, more affirmatively describing his father as such..  Paul was from a devout Jewish family.  He was schooled in Jerusalem, at school of Gamaliel.  Gamaliel was a Jewish Rabbi.. Whose tomb is here.

 

The Bible reveals very little about Paul's family. Paul's nephew, & his sister's son, is mentioned in Acts 23:16. Acts also quotes Paul referring to his father by saying that he, Paul, was "a Pharisee, & the son of a Pharisee" (Acts 23:6). Paul refers to his mother in Romans 16:13 as among those at Rome. In Romans 16:7 he states that his relatives, Andronicus and Junia, were Christians before he was and were very prominent among the apostles.  No doubt.. THEY TOO - were shocked as HIS conversion, & even MORE shocked at the role he would play in Christianity..

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Back to that rage Paul had against Christians. (Something that even NOW, no doubt, MUST BE a somewhat sore subject with him.)

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It was whilst Paul was on the Road to Damascus - on his way to do what he did - slaughter more Christians... That a bright light appeared to him, (psst - it was Jesus), knocking Paul off his horse.. & to the ground.  The remnants of the Church at Damascus is still standing.. Outside the church is a fine sculpture of St Paul on his horse, having his vision. If you know where to look, the sculture shows up as a little black dot, as our contributor John Dominic points out, also - the exact place where Paul was knocked off his horse, in the city of Damascus is much more likely as venue than on the road to Damascus.

Thanks, John (for the photos & commentary!)

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After being knocked off his horse, & blinded - Jesus told Paul to go into the city and wait.  Jesus then appears to Ananias of Damascus in a vision and told him to go to the "street which is called Straight", and ask "in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus". (Acts 9:11)  Ananias objected reminded Jesus (haha I've always found 'that' funny - like Jesus had forgotten), that Saul had been persecuting "thy saints", but the Lord told him that Saul was "a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel". (Acts 9:15). When Ananias went in to Saul and laid his hands on him, the "scales" of dead tissue on the surface of his eyes fell off, and he looked up at Ananias. After additional instruction, Saul was baptized. (Acts 9:18; 22:16).. BTW - wanna see Ananias' house??  The approach.. The outside of.. The plaque.. Inside.. Purported skull of Ananias...

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....Wanna see some jewelry purportedly owned by Paul??  Remember when, in the scriptures, Paul & Silas were thrown in jail & they began singing - the earth shook - opening the cells??  The guard was gonna kill himself, & Paul shouted to him not to harm himself.. That they were still there??  THIS was the cell Paul & Silas were in!! (Acts 16:25-40) And a close up.. Then when Paul & Peter were thrown in prison together at Tre Fontaine?  This was the cell..  Another shot of it.  This is the purported chain that was on him in prison.

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The prison cell where Paul wrote his epistles.. Both Corinthians, and Acts..

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PAUL'S  MARTYRUM 

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Upon the beheading of the beloved Paul.. Tradition says that, due to being a Roman citizen, they had the privy of a quick death via beheading.. verses the slow suffering death of a cross. it took place at mile marker 3, 

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Paul died a martyr, on the guillotine, in Tre Fontaine (the cell where Paul & Peter were held before execution).. This is purported to be a slab of the actual guillotine that killed Paul..  In one of the rare times evangelist Jesse Duplantis speaks about his trip to heaven - he speaks of Apostle Paul coming up to him asking, 'what are they doing with my epistles.' Lol.. Check out the full sermon story here..

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No doubt that besides Jesus, Saul of Tarsus (aka Paul), was amongst the most important folk in the Bible.  As we all know (I HOPE) - Jesus chose Paul to bring His Gospel into the world & that he did!  In stunning clarity.. No doubt - he is amongst those I cannot WAIT to meet when, I arrive!!  Paul's tomb is at the Basilica, named after him, btw 🖖.. If ANYONE  deserves his own Basilica - It's the Apostle Paul... (Amongst the BIGGEST tourist attractions), in Rome.. I am quite SURE Paul is loving thaaat, with a BIG 'OL smile!!!  ..

 

He is entombed here.. in here (is opened, bones dicentigrated, or stolen looong ago - There are an awful LOT of displays of Paul's bones.. #Immmjustsayin!)  Saint Simon-Peter's??  & had there been a body.. They'd have Jesus' bones!!  It's a HORRIBLE thought.. You gotta look at it.. The best thing about it - The graves are OPEN.. Like, they are just "PARADING" & 'BRAGGING' that the graves been robbed.. I mean they could be sealed & no one would ever known they were missing.. Even back then, it was always (to me anyhoo), like they were saying 'Yeah, we own the gravesite, this is WHERE they 'WERE' buried... Of course the bones - are on tour!

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TRIVIA:

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According to tradition, St. Paul was beheaded the same day St. Peter was crucified. 

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