Paul (The Bible)

"I was blind, now I can see."

- Paul, trying to convince the 12 of his conversion

Paul of Tarsus, born Saul of Tarsus was a character in the 2013 television series The Bible episode Courage.

He was portrayed by Con O'Neill.

Beginnging life as Saul, he became a villainous Jewish official, Saul was determined to stamp out the nascent Christian movement in the years following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Among his activities were attacking Christian communities, such as the one at Damascus.

While heading to Damascus to persecute the Christians, Saul had a chance encounter with Christ. The encounter, which left him blind for several days, led to Saul completely reevaluating his life. Led in to Damascus he was left in a home for several days until a local follower of Jesus named Ananias was convinced by Jesus to restored Paul's sight and baptize him.

After his healing, he went to the disciples and the other followers of Jesus to convince them to accept him. Initially the other Christians were fearful and suspicious of the man who had recently beaten and arrested them for their beliefs. When Paul said he meant the people no harm, a young man pointed out how he had friends in Damascus who had been visited by Paul, and that Paul had very much meant them harm.

Paul gave a speech in which he was able to convince the 12 and others gathered that he had indeed been changed by his encounter with Jesus. Paul asked the young man who had earlier confronted him over his past activities in Damascus for his name, to which he replied Luke.

In the years that followed Paul would extensively travel, spreading the teachings of the movement he once tried to stamp out.

Many years after his conversion Paul was taken in to custody by the Romans. Acknowledging that he would soon be killed Paul was relieved that he had managed to finish the work he had set out to do. A short time later he was beheaded. However many of the words that he had written survived him would ultimately make up about 1/2 of the New Testament.