Saul

Being a Roman citizen from birth (Acts 16:37; 22:25-29), Paul will have had three Latin

names : a praenomen, a nomen, and a cognomen. Did he possess the name ‘Saul’ from

birth, or did he receive it when he moved to Jerusalem as a child (Acts 22:3)? Bauckham

writes, ‘the name Saul is very rare among Diaspora Jews but relatively common in

Palestine’,(1) and this makes it more likely that he was given the name in Judea. This

suggestion is strengthened by the fact that Hebrew names were not commonly used in

the Diaspora. This rarity of Hebrew names explains why we still have no proof of the

existence of a Jewish community in Cilicia, Paul’s province of birth (Acts 22:3).(2) Paul’s

adoption of the name ‘Saul’, for use in Palestine is easily explained. As Bauckham

writes, "A Latin name would not imply culture, as a Greek name might, but alignment

with Roman political rule. Few Palestinian Jews would have wanted a name that

proclaimed allegiance to Rome."(3) The name ‘Saul’ would have allowed Paul to

integrate into Jewish society.

The name, of course, comes from the biblical king, who, like the apostle, was of the

tribe of Benjamin (Acts 13:21; Phil. 3:5). So, whenever he was named, it is likely that

the was named after king Saul. In Acts Paul speaks about king Saul:

"Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of

Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. When he had removed him, be made David their

king. In his testimony about him he said, 'I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man

after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.'" (Acts13:21-22)

In a recent short paper (4) McDonough pointed out that there

is a parallel between Saul's persecution of the church and

king Saul's persecution of David, the forebear of the

Messiah. It is impossible to say whether the apostle was

conscious of this parallel, but it does seem likely that he

was conscious of the fact that he had been named after the

biblical king. McDonough also pointed out that king Saul

was famous for being head and shoulders taller than

everyone else (1 Sam 9:2; 10:23). It is possible that the NT

Saul receive his name (at birth or later) because, like the

biblical king, he was tall. In any case, the name "Saul" was

reminiscent of the biblical king.

Paul

Did Saul receive a new name after

becoming a Christ-believer? Saul's calling

was certainly a life changing event for

him, so it is plausible that he took a new

name to reflect the transformation. Given

that Saul was a convert of no human

individual, and submitted to the authority

of no church leaders (see Gal. 1-2), it is

highly unlikely that he was re-named by

other Christians, as this would imply that

they had authority over him. It is,

however, possible that he renamed

himself or received a new name from God

by revelation. Augustine argued that Saul

took the name "Paul", which means

"small", to show that he was the "least of

the apostles".

Caravaggio's Conversion of Saint Paul, 1601

"Christ then by one word laid Saul low, and raised up Paul; that is, He laid low the proud,

and raised up the humble. For what was the reason of his change of name, that whereas

he was afore called Saul, he chose afterwards to be called Paul; but that he acknowledged

in himself that the name of Saul when he was a persecutor, had been a name of pride? He

chose therefore a humble name; to be called Paul, that is, the least. For Paul is, "the

least." Paul is nothing else but little. And now glorying in this name, and giving us a lesson

of humility, he says, "I am the least of the Apostles."" (Augustine Spir. et litt. 12?)

The reference is to 1 Corinthians:

"For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the

church of God." (1 Cor. 15:9)

This understanding of how Saul acquired the name "Paul" is supported by McDonough's

observation that king Saul was tall. Saul may have chosen the name "Paul", in part

because it negated the associations of the name "Saul". Paul later wrote:

"If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more; circumcised on the

eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of

Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to

righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to

regard as loss because of Christ" (Phi. 3:4-7)

The apostle, therefore, may have come to reject the pride that he once had in his name,

"Saul", which signified royal ancestral dignity, membership of the tribe of Benjamin, and

perhaps physical height. He may therefore have taken the name "Paul" (small) to express

his changed self.

Compare the epithet "the less" used to describe the James of Mark 15:40.

A counter-argument, however, is that the name is Latin. All the known and proposed new

names in this study are Greek or Hebrew/Aramaic, with only one possible exception

(Justus). However, Paul was a Roman citizen and would therefore probably have known

Latin.

A further argument against all the speculation above is that the name "Paul" was held by

two other Jews in Asia minor. This may indicate that it was commonly used as a near

homophone of "Saul".

In summary, it seems impossible to determine when Paul received his two names.

In Lystra the crowd called Paul “Hermes” (Acts 1:12). Obviously this name did not stick.

(1) R. Bauckham, ‘Paul and other Jews with Latin names in the New Testament’ in Paul,

Luke and the Graeco-Roman World ed. A.Christophersen et al Journal for the Study of the

New Testament Supplement Series 217. P 208

(2) "Inscriptiones Judaicae Orientis"

(3) Gospel Women p182

4. (4)Sean M. McDonough, "Small Change: Saul to Paul, Again", JBL 125 (2006): 390-391
   

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