In | The Names “Saul” and “Paul”

It’s common to assume that “Saul” became “Paul” immediately after his conversion—signaling his new life as an apostle; this wasn’t the case. Paul would have used both names before and after his conversion. In the book of Acts, he begins a new life in the Church, but he doesn’t change his name. So why do we see a shift from “Saul” to “Paul” in Acts?

It was common for Greek-speaking Jews to have both Greek and Hebrew names. “Saul” was a traditional Hebrew name that the apostle shared with the first Israelite king, who also happened to be from the tribe of Benjamin. The name “Paul” was a Greek name with roots in the Latin name “Paulus.” The apostle would have answered to both names, with emphasis on each in different contexts. 

Read Acts 13:1-13

In this passage, both Saul and Paul are used to refer to the apostle after his conversion. We’re told in verse nine that, “Saul was also called Paul,” suggesting the two names were used somewhat interchangeably during his ministry.

This example reminds us to be careful when making biblical observations, especially with the temptation to overload biblical terms or names with more significance than they were intended to bear.