When we hear the name Saint Paul, we often think of a man on a mission — traveling across lands, preaching Christ’s name where it had never been heard before. But what makes him so closely linked to the Gentiles — the non-Jewish peoples of the ancient world? This title, “Apostle to the Gentiles,” was not something Paul claimed out of pride, but something God Himself entrusted to him.
Saint Paul was born Saul of Tarsus, a devout Jew and a Pharisee, deeply zealous for the law. Yet on the road to Damascus, his life was changed forever when Christ appeared to him in a blinding light. Jesus said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). From that moment, Saul became Paul, and his heart turned completely toward Christ. The same fire that once fueled persecution now became a burning love to make Jesus known — not only to his fellow Jews, but to the entire world.
In Paul’s own words, God revealed to him that his mission was to “bring the Good News to the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:16). While Peter and the other apostles first preached mainly among the Jewish people, Paul went beyond — to cities like Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome — proclaiming that Christ came for every nation and every heart. His letters, filled with faith and wisdom, remind us that “there is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
What made Paul’s ministry so extraordinary was his deep conviction that God’s mercy knows no boundaries. He understood that the Gospel is not a private gift but a living flame meant to spread across the world. By calling him the Apostle to the Gentiles, the Church honors his courage to cross cultural, linguistic, and spiritual barriers — to make Christ known where He was not yet loved.
And perhaps this speaks to us, too. Every Christian, in some way, shares Paul’s mission: to bring Christ into places — or hearts — where He is not yet known. We may not travel across seas as Paul did, but we can carry the Gospel across the small distances of our daily lives — from one heart to another.
May we, like Saint Paul, let the love of Christ transform us and send us out with courage. Wherever we are, may our words and actions become a living message that Christ came for all.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
