Saul (later called Paul) of TarsusPaul the Apostle, was a famous preacher in first century Christianity and was God's tool 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. He was born an Israelite into a clan in the tribe of Benjamin, speaking the Aramaic and Hebrew languages ​​from childhood. He was an enthusiastic student and devout devotee of the Torah. It was he who later had a special encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ while he was on the road to Damascus. His life and duty were greatly altered and ultimately changed the course of development of Western civilization and culture. Much has been made of the missionary journeys of this distinguished servant of Christ which began about fourteen years after his transformation. His travels have left many biblical scholars confused about his powerful impact and how he founded the Western Christian Church. Much has been made of the missionary journeys of this distinguished servant of Christ which began about fourteen years after his transformation. Tarsus was a city that joined both the Roman and Greek worlds in that its government was Roman and its culture Greek. This region of Cilicia was one of several areas in which the Israelites settled during the dispersion. By his birthright in the Roman state of Cilicia, later under the name of the Apostle Paul, he used his Roman nationality for his defense. According to Dr. Derek WH Thomas, “The conversion of Saul of Tarsus must surely rank among the most important. significant events, not only in the history of the Church but also – certainly this – but in the history of the world. » Saul persecuted Christians and was an eyewitness...... middle of paper ...... asked the apostle Paul and his companions to go further east to Asia and in Bithynia. Instead, God told them in a dream to travel west to Macedonia. According to Robert J. Matthews, “Paul suffered persecution throughout his missions, the loss of all his physical possessions, and ultimately martyrdom. Only a certain disposition could tolerate such a life for a period of twenty-five or thirty years. During Paul's final days, he was taken to Governor Felix in Caesarea in 58 AD where he was sentenced to 2 years in prison. Paul appealed to Caesar in Rome. He eventually arrived in Rome where he remained under house arrest for a few more years. It was during this time that he wrote several of his books. Paul was released from prison and traveled for a few more years in many of the same areas he had traveled before. He probably died in prison as a martyr in 67 AD..