Editing Paul the Apostle (section)

===Conversion===
{{Main|Conversion of Paul the Apostle}}
[[File:Júnior, José Ferraz de Almeida - A Conversão de São Paulo a Caminho de Damasco, Acervo do Museu Paulista da USP.jpg|thumb|upright=1|''The Conversion of Saint Paul on the Way to Damascus'', a {{circa|1889|lk=no}} portrait by [[José Ferraz de Almeida Júnior]]]]
[[Conversion of Paul the Apostle|Paul's conversion]] to the movement of followers of Jesus can be dated to 31–36 AD{{sfn|Bromiley|1979|p=689}}{{sfn|Barnett|2002|p=21}}{{sfn|Niswonger|1992|p=200}} by his reference to it in one of his [[Pauline epistles|letters]]. In Galatians 1:16, Paul writes that God "was pleased to reveal his son to me."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Galatians|1:16|ESV}}</ref> In 1 Corinthians 15:8, as he lists the order in which Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, Paul writes, "last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also."<ref>{{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|15:8|NASB}}</ref>

According to the account in the Acts of the Apostles, it took place on the road to [[Damascus]], where he reported having experienced a [[Vision (spirituality)|vision]] of the ascended Jesus. The account says that "He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' He asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The reply came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting'."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts |9:4–5}}</ref>

According to the account in Acts 9:1–22, he was blinded for three days and had to be led into Damascus by the hand.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|9:1–22|9}}</ref> During these three days, Saul took no food or water and spent his time in prayer to God. When [[Ananias of Damascus]] arrived, he laid his hands on him and said: "Brother Saul, the Lord, ''[even]'' Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|9:17}}</ref> His sight was restored, he got up and was baptized.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|9:18}}</ref> This story occurs only in Acts, not in the Pauline epistles.{{sfn|Aslan|2014|p=184}}

The author of the Acts of the Apostles may have learned of Paul's conversion from the [[Apostolic Age#Apostolic Church in Jerusalem|church in Jerusalem]], or from the [[Early centers of Christianity#Antioch|church in Antioch]], or possibly from Paul himself.{{sfn|McRay|2007|p=66}}

According to Timo Eskola, early Christian theology and discourse was influenced by the Jewish [[Merkabah mysticism|Merkabah]] tradition.{{sfn|Eskola|2001}}  [[John Bowker (theologian)|John Bowker]], [[Alan F. Segal|Alan Segal]] and [[Daniel Boyarin]] have variously argued that Paul's accounts of his conversion experience and his ascent to the heavens (in [[2 Corinthians 12]]) are the earliest first-person accounts that are extant of a Merkabah mystic in Jewish or Christian literature.{{sfn|Churchill|2010|pp=4,16-17,22-23}} Conversely, Timothy Churchill has argued that Paul's Damascus road encounter does not fit the pattern of Merkabah.{{sfn|Churchill|2010|pp=250ff.}}