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The holy, glorious, all-laudable '''Apostle Paul''' was not one of the Twelve [[Apostles]]. Paul was the '"Apostle to the Gentiles' " (Romans 11:13, Galatians 2:8, [[First Epistle of Paul to Timothy|1 Timothy ]] 2:7), being converted [[convert]]ed while on the road to Damascus by [[Jesus]] Himself. The Church remembers St. Paul together with St. Peter on [[June 29]].

Named Saul at his birth in the city of Tarsus, the Holy Apostle holy apostle was a son of the tribe of Benjamin. Saul became a [[Pharisee ]] under Gamaliel, one of the chief Jewish Rabbis (Masters/Teachers) of the day. After his study under the great Rabbi, Saul became one of the chief persecutors of Christians. Present at the stoning of St [[Apostle Stephen the Protomartyr|Stephen]] ([[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] 7: 58), Saul later found himself blinded by [[Jesus]] Himself on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-22). Sought out by the [[Apostle Ananias]], Saul immediately repented and Ananias baptized him. Saul, soon after his conversion called Paul, was later named and numbered among the [[Apostles]]. The extent of Paul's preaching as he spread the [[Gospel]] went far and wide from Arabia to Spain, to both Jews and Gentiles. He was called the "Apostle to the Gentiles." Paul spent his new life in suffering and labor for Christ, establishing and organizing churches everywhere. He reached such a state of perfection that he was able to say to the Church at Galatia: ''"not I, but Christ lives in me'' " ([[Galatians]] 2:20). Like the [[Apostle Barnabas]], Paul studied under Gamaliel.

The account of Paul's [[missionary]] journeys and the letters he wrote to the Churches he founded form an important part of the [[New Testament]]. St. Paul was martyred [[martyr]]ed with the [[Apostle Peter]] under [[Nero]] by beheading.

The Church has [[Holy Scripture|canonized ]] several of his [[epistle]]s to the churches, including:

*[[Book of Titus|Titus]]

*[[Book of Hebrews|Hebrews]]

Modern scholarship has contested the authenticity of several of these letters. Hebrews in particular, whose authorship was disputed even in the early church, was most likely not written by St. Paul. However, the Church lectionary introduces readings from each of these epistles as "from the epistle of St. Paul to..." as the lessons and commentary by the Chuch Church Fathers edify the Faithful towards [[Salvation]].

The life of St. Paul, his letters in particular, are celebrated in the Orthodox Church with annual feasts and fasts. Being one of the four seasonal fasts[[fast]]s, the fast of Sts. Peter & Paul is the summer fast that begins nine days after [[Pentecost]], and continues until their joint [[feast day ]] of June 29th29.

St. Paul is the intercessor for , among others, voyagers by sea and sojurners...homilists.

[[Troparion]] ([[Tone ]] 4)

== Source ==

==External links==*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=101842 The Holy Glorious and All-Praised Leader of the Apostles, Paul] ([[OCA]])*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=103 Peter and Paul, the Holy Apostles] ([[GOARCH]])*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/p/ppw02.htm Icon of the Conversion of the Apostle Paul] [[Category:Biblical Saints|Paul]][[Category:Martyrs|Paul]][[Category:Saints|Paul]][[Category:1st-century saints]] [[el:Απόστολος Παύλος]][[ro:Apostolul Pavel]][[ar:بولس الرسول]]