We’re currently walking through the book of Ephesians in our Sunday worship gatherings and this last Sunday I went on a brief tangent and discussed the two different names used in scripture to identify who we most commonly call the Apostle Paul.

First, let me say, I understand the confusion. Some people have wrongly assumed that his name was changed at his conversion to Christianity, but scripture shows otherwise. When we first meet him he is called Saul in the book of Acts chapters 8, 9 and 13 and then starting in Acts 13:9 he is called Paul. Why the name change?

It’s actually very simple. Acts 13: 9 says “Then Saul, who was also called Paul…”
Paul was simply another name he was known by.

Saul, was his Hebrew name, probably after the first king of Israel. As a Roman citizen, he also had a Latin name, Paul. This wasn’t uncommon then and is actually very common in our country as well. I have friends and neighbors who were born in different countries and to easier connect with and assimilate in American culture many have chosen to adopt an English name. I’ve even had folks ask me to help them pick one out.

Most likely one of the main reasons Paul goes by his Latin name is that his missionary journey’s took him to primarily non-Jewish people. Maybe he saw using this name as one less barrier in the way to sharing the good news of Jesus to a gentile audience, or maybe the meaning of the name (little, small) helped serve as a reminder of his changed life in Jesus from persecutor of the church to missionary.