Did Saul change his name to Paul after becoming a Christian?

[tonychanyt]

Probably not. Saul's father was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27). He probably gave him the Roman name "Paul".

Acts 13:

>1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, ... and Saul.​

At this point, Saul had already met Jesus on the road to Damascus.

The first appearance of the name Paul is in Acts 13:

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?​

Saul was a Hebrew name; Paul was a Greek name from the Roman name Paulus. At that time in Palestine, there were three useful languages, Hebrew/Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. Peter was a Greek name. Cephas was the Aramaic name. Both names meant rock.

Did Saul change his name to Paul after becoming a Christian?

Probably not. He probably used both names before he became a Christian. It's just that later on, he shifted his ministry to the Gentiles. That's the time that his Greek name became prominent.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Not really.

Acts 13:

>1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, ... and Saul.​

At this point, Saul had already met Jesus on the road to Damascus.

The first appearance of the name Paul is in Acts 13:

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?​

Saul was a Hebrew name; Paul was a Greek name from the Roman name Paulus. Similarly, my Hong Kong name is Tung but it is more convenient for my Canadian friends to call me Tony which is a name that I still have trouble pronouncing properly

At that time in Palestine, there were three useful languages, Hebrew/Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. Peter was a Greek name. Cephas was the Aramaic name. Both names meant rock.

Did Saul change his name to Paul after becoming a Christian?

Probably not. He probably used both names before he became a Christian. It's just that later on, he shifted his ministry to the Gentiles. That's the time that his Greek name became prominent.

Paulos in Greek means "small". I do think he chose that name. He chose a Greek name as part of his ministry toward Greeks; and the meaning of the name was almost certainly not a coincidence.

He writes,

"For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am" - 1 Corinthians 15:9-10a

This statement here is a reflection of how Paul frequently speaks of himself. Paul consistently talks about himself as being small, he is small, he is unworthy, he is "the chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15).

Paul's near-constant awareness of God's grace made him keenly aware of just how little he was, just how unworthy he was, not only to be the object of God's affection in salvation; but that he should be called to a work and ministry of such great importance--called to do something he was entirely (by human reckoning) unworthy to do. That a man who actively persecuted the Church, who had Jesus' followers put to death, "breathing murderous threats against the disciples" (Acts 9:1) should not only be welcomed so freely by the One whom he despised, but called to be an instrument of that very grace toward the unbelieving pagan world. This man, so zealous for the Law that he was willing to have others put to death, so zealous for the Law that he would never associate with the unclean uncircumcised goyim; those nasty filthy Greeks who do all manner of icky things (see Romans 1:18-32). But now God's emissary to those very same, to now be their advocate in the Church defending the grace of God for them in the Gospel even when Peter, the Rock, was a coward when the Jerusalem delegation came to Antioch.

Paul saw himself as a little man, someone so entirely unworthy of the things he had received and given from God. This was his Christian Name, one he chose for himself to reflect how he saw himself and his own work and ministry toward those whom he formerly would have despised.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[tonychanyt]

Paulos in Greek means "small". I do think he chose that name. He chose a Greek name as part of his ministry toward Greeks; and the meaning of the name was almost certainly not a coincidence.

He writes,

"For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am" - 1 Corinthians 15:9-10a

This statement here is a reflection of how Paul frequently speaks of himself. Paul consistently talks about himself as being small, he is small, he is unworthy, he is "the chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15).

Paul's near-constant awareness of God's grace made him keenly aware of just how little he was, just how unworthy he was, not only to be the object of God's affection in salvation; but that he should be called to a work and ministry of such great importance--called to do something he was entirely (by human reckoning) unworthy to do. That a man who actively persecuted the Church, who had Jesus' followers put to death, "breathing murderous threats against the disciples" (Acts 9:1) should not only be welcomed so freely by the One whom he despised, but called to be an instrument of that very grace toward the unbelieving pagan world. This man, so zealous for the Law that he was willing to have others put to death, so zealous for the Law that he would never associate with the unclean uncircumcised goyim; those nasty filthy Greeks who do all manner of icky things (see Romans 1:18-32). But now God's emissary to those very same, to now be their advocate in the Church defending the grace of God for them in the Gospel even when Peter, the Rock, was a coward when the Jerusalem delegation came to Antioch.

Paul saw himself as a little man, someone so entirely unworthy of the things he had received and given from God. This was his Christian Name, one he chose for himself to reflect how he saw himself and his own work and ministry toward those whom he formerly would have despised.

-CryptoLutheran

Good point. I put some weight on your logic here