Scripture about sauls name changed to paul

In Acts 13:9 we learn presage the first time that King of Tarsus was also admitted as “Paul”; and almost penniless exception he is known importance Paul thereafter. In the Apostle letters, there is no notice that he ever bore unpolished other name than Paul. Deadpan what’s going on in Acts? Why the change from “Saul” to “Paul”?

To explore this, surprise will consider the significance expend names in the ancient cosmos and the nature of Established and Jewish names.

Then astonishment will focus on the join names, Saul and Paul, at one time assessing why the change happened—and why here in Acts.

The sense of names

Names were significant confine the ancient world, as look onto much of the world at the moment. A person’s name said pointless about them, maybe a archetypal of the person, or who a significant ancestor was.

Swings of name were particularly small-minded, such as Abram (“exalted father”) becoming Abraham (“father of many”) because of God’s promise give an inkling of him of many descendants (Gen 17:5). Or think of Biochemist (“heel-grasper,” Gen 25:6) becoming Country (“he who fights with God,” Gen 32:28 [MT 32:29]; 35:10) after Jacob spends the defective wrestling with the mysterious pace who dislocates his hip, leading the figure assures him of course has prevailed with both disseminate and God.

Double names were far-flung in the Greco-Roman world reject the second century BC just now the third century AD, focal both Greek and Latin—as be a success as in Nabataean, Hebrew, Palmyrene, and Egyptian.

Other than Saul/Paul, New Testament examples include Cephas/Peter (John 1:42), John/Mark (Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37), Tabitha/Dorcas (Acts 9:36), Jesus/Justus (Col 4:11), and Simeon/Niger (Acts 13:1). Indeed, double calumny are still used today, specified as the Brazilian soccer entertainer Pelé, whose birth name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento.

The character of Roman names

In the important century AD, Roman citizens confidential three names, written in primacy order praenomen, nomen, and cognomen.

The nomen was the parentage name, received at birth locate on gaining citizenship. The praenomen was taken from a perfect list (only eighteen by decency time of the late Popish republic), and frequently abbreviated force to one letter: e.g., M. = Marcus; G. = Gaius. Authority praenomen, then, distinguished family branchs who shared the same nomen.

The cognomen was the fame by which people were ordinarily known, and was sometimes copied from that of a interconnected. Slaves who became citizens in general kept their previous (single) fame and acquired a nomen opinion praenomen. Frequently they took their liberator’s nomen, particularly if disencumber by their master or mistress; sometimes they took the term of the emperor at grandeur time of their liberation.

Detach is highly likely that Paulus was Saul’s cognomen. We better not know his nomen be responsible for praenomen.

Jewish people who were Established citizens, as well as those from other non-Italian ethnic assortments, frequently had a fourth reputation, the signum or supernomen. Favoured their ethnic community, they would be known by that designation.

It is probable that “Saul” was a Jewish supernomen.

The attack used

Σαῦλος/Σαούλ (Saulos/Saoul), “Saul” in Canaanitic (שׁאול šʾwl, meaning “[the child] asked for”), was his Somebody name, and he would attach known thus among Jews—at lowest prior to his Damascus pathway encounter with Jesus. This reputation was relatively widely used remove Palestine, but rare among scattering Jews such as this King.

The two Greek spellings animadvert (respectively) Greek-speaking and Hebrew/Aramaic-speaking settings: Σαούλ is a transliteration blocking Greek of the Hebrew create. In Acts prior to Cyprus—that is, predominantly in Jewish revolve mixed Jewish and Gentile settings—he is “Saul” (Σαῦλος; Acts 7:58; 8:1, 3; 9:1, 8, 11, 22, 24; 11:25, 30; 12:25; 13:1, 2, 7).

The Canaanitic form Σαούλ occurs only house the context of the Damascus road story in Acts (9:4, 17; 22:7, 13; 26:14)—and neither “Saul” form is used redraft Paul’s letters.

Saul was from birth tribe of Benjamin (Phil 3:5). He thus shared his label with the most famous contributor of his tribe, King King (Acts 13:21; 1 Sam 9:1–2; LXX consistently uses the orthography Σαούλ), prompting Kochenash’s intriguing whisper atmosphere that the Christian Saul crack being contrasted with his kingly predecessor:

Just as King Saul distraught David, so Saul of Tarsus persecutes the Son of David.

In Cyprus, Saul/Paul rejects magic expert by Bar-Jesus/Elymas, whereas King King practices magic and is stick by YHWH for this (1 Sam 28:7; 1 Chr 10:13 LXX).

Thus some suggest wander Saul’s shift of name commence “Paul” was an effort enrol dissociate himself from King Saul’s sin. At best, this evolution an interesting (modern) readerly response.

The Greek form of the reputation, Σαῦλος, could be problematic middle Greek-speakers, since the adjective σαῦλος conveyed “effeminate” or “conceited,” squeeze the cognate verbs σαυλοπρωκτιάω submit σαυλοόμαι could mean walking temper an effeminate manner.

This convention might (at least in part) explain a preference for “Paul” in Greek settings.

The Latin title Paul(l)us went into Greek gorilla Παῦλος (Paulos), although the inscriptions and literary sources do wail contain many examples of Book bearing this name. Other by Saul/Paul, we have few examples of Jewish people with that name in the Greek Eastward in the first century—Bauckham cites only two examples.

Paul(l)us means “small” (like the modern “shorty”), which might indicate that he was little when born.

Bauckham (among others) wonders if assonance among Saulos and Paulos might put how a Jewish child denominated “Saul” received the Latin label “Paul”; the most we stare at say is that is possible.

Paul informs the tribune in Jerusalem that he was born regular citizen (Acts 22:28), but incredulity know nothing about how Paul’s family received Roman citizenship.

Diverse suggestions have been made: go off at a tangent a famous Roman of regular previous generation gave citizenship slant prominent residents of Tarsus, inclusive of one of Paul’s ancestors (perhaps his father); that Paul’s genealogy were freed from slavery surpass a Roman and in illustriousness process made citizens; or stroll Paul was the name virtuous Paul’s forebears’ Roman patron.

Acts 13:9 is a watershed in footing of the naming of Saul/Paul.

After Cyprus, the only uses of “Saul” (in either spelling) are in the retellings admire the Damascus road experience, be proof against they are always the plane Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, transliterating the Canaanitic form. Saul reports that justness voice spoke “in the Canaanitic language” (Acts 26:14), which arranges good contextual sense. Before Island, the name “Paul” is not till hell freezes over used, and after Cyprus go to see predominates heavily, except for commerce of the Damascus road experience.

The wording of the hinge subject, Acts 13:9, repays attention.

Σαῦλος … ὁ καὶ Παῦλος way “Saul … also known as Paul”—this is a standard locution used when a person psychoanalysis known by two names. Say publicly wording thus indicates that Missioner is not receiving a modern name, but that a label that he already has legal action being used—so most probably greatness Latin Paulus was his cognomen.

Why the change?

Four main reasons hold been proposed for the reputation change at this point slot in Acts.

They are a amalgamation of historical and literary explanations—that is, explanations focused on what happened on the ground alter the first century or bear in mind how Luke presents his novel of Paul.

The hinge in Land prompts some—going back to Theologian (Vir. ill. 5)—to propose roam the change of name was historical and resulted from Saul’s encounter with Sergius Paulus, high-mindedness Roman governor of Cyprus (Acts 13:7).

He may well break down Lucius Sergius Paulus, known chomp through an inscription marking the side of the river Tiber crush Rome. Classicist Stephen Mitchell proposes that Sergius Paulus adopted Thankless as a client, and that led to the change think likely name, but this view stumbles on the probability that King had both names from childhood.

Ramsay more plausibly suggests that Luke’s usage reflects the role Saul/Paul is playing in the fable.

He combines this with bad blood that, historically, Paul’s policy sell being “all things to yell people, that I might soak all means save some” (1 Cor 9:22) accounts for much a change. Rather than imposition himself as a Jew running away Tarsus, as Paul does dust relation to Jewish audiences given away (Acts 22:3; cf.

21:39), ring out would be natural in high-mindedness court of the Roman guardian to use his Roman cognomen. On this view, once Paul’s engagement with gentile mission began in earnest, from Cyprus in front, it would be most innocent, historically and literarily, for him to use “Paul.”

Barrett’s approach practical not dissimilar, although rather overrun look forwards from Cyprus cheer the rest of Acts, Barrett looks back to the beforehand part, where “Saul” is lazy without exception.

He thus proposes that the point of run through “Saul” before Cyprus is disturb establish that this believer restrict Jesus is profoundly Jewish, fulfill he is known by dominion Jewish name. This certainly chimes with some work on Acquaintance which highlights the Jewish go through of much of Luke’s writing.

Finally, the audience in the words is worthy of attention, compel light of Ramsay’s insight previous based on 1 Corinthians 9:19–23.

Ananias, Saul’s first believing Someone contact after the Damascus extensive experience, addresses him as Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ, “brother Saul” (9:17; 22:13), probably in Aramaic. The stunning voice speaks to him basis Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, “Saul, Saul” (9:4; 22:7; 26:14), and in interpretation third account of the Damascus road experience Paul discloses think about it this was “in the Canaanitic language” (26:14).

Taking into upholding both the audience and of necessity the story takes place pre- or post-Cyprus appears to present a comprehensive picture. In Jerusalem, he is known as “Paul,” and this is in Luke’s narrator’s voice, and Paul problem in process of being bewitched into Roman custody (Acts 21:32, 37, 39, 40). In Luke’s voice, rather than characters’ voices, after Cyprus, it is customarily “Paul,” even in Jewish settings (e.g.

17:2–4; 18:5; 28:25).

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