Blog Archive

Showing posts with label Saul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saul. Show all posts

Friday, May 7, 2021

Saul or Paul?

 (Acts 13:6-9)

During the biblical account of Paul’s first missionary journey, Luke writes: “Then Saul, who was also called Paul…” (Acts 13:9). From this point forward, Luke only refers to the apostle as “Paul.” This shift does not reflect a name change, as has often been said, but rather a conscious decision on Paul’s part to use a name he already had. Since Paul was a Roman citizen, he would have been given three names at birth. The third was Paul’s Latin name, Paullus. Paul’s Latin name was a better fit for the predominantly Roman environment. “Saul the Pharisee” chose to be known as “Paul, a citizen of Rome.”
Lyn Byrd

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Nahash was king of the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot (Genesis 19:36-38) who lived east of Jordan. Nahash means snake. Nahash was an evil man.
 The inhabitants of Jabesh-Gibeah, a city in the land of the half-tribe of Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan River, were exposed to great danger from this man. They sent men to Gibeah to inform Saul, the newly anointed king of Israel, of their problem. Gibeah was Saul 's hometown and the first capital city of Israel. It was about 3 miles north of Jerusalem. Saul promptly responded to their call, gathering together an army of about 330,000 men to march against Nahash. Saul won the battle over the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11:1-11).