Christian missionary to the Gentiles. Of Jewish descent, he was brought up as a Pharisee and at first opposed the followers of Jesus, assisting at the martyrdom of St Stephen. On a mission to Damascus, he was converted to Christianity after a vision and became one of the first major Christian missionaries and theologians. His missionary journeys are described in the Acts of the Apostles. Paul’s radical understanding of the Christian message provoked hostility, and a riot against him on a visit to Jerusalem led to his arrest by the Roman authorities. He was eventually taken to Rome, where he is thought to have died a martyr’s death. Several of Paul’s letters to early Christian groups have been preserved in the New Testament. Through them his influence on Christian life and thought has been greater than that of any other of the first Christians.