How did the apostle Paul die?
The apostle Paul was one of the most influential early Christian missionaries and leaders of the first century AD. Paul, originally known as Saul, persecuted the early Christians until his dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus. After his conversion, Paul went on to write a significant portion of the New Testament, traveling across the Roman Empire to spread the Christian message. Paul likely died as a martyr between AD 64-68 in Rome at the hands of Emperor Nero. However, the exact details around Paul’s death are not conclusively known.
Paul’s Extensive Missionary Journeys
After his conversion experience, Paul embarked on three extensive missionary journeys to spread the gospel message around the Roman Empire. On his first journey (AD 46-48), Paul traveled with Barnabas to preach in Cyprus and cities in modern-day Turkey like Antioch in Pisidia and Lystra (Acts 13-14). On his second journey (AD 49-52), Paul took Silas and traveled through Syria, Cilicia, and Galatia before crossing over to Europe for the first time, preaching in places like Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth (Acts 15:36-18:22). Paul’s third major journey (AD 53-58) led him back through Galatia and Phrygia before heading to Ephesus for an extended stay. He then went through Macedonia and Greece before returning to Jerusalem (Acts 18:23-21:16).
In total, Paul journeyed thousands of miles during his missionary work, aiming to share the gospel with both Jews and Gentiles across the Mediterranean world. His letters to various churches and individuals that he helped establish form a significant part of the New Testament canon.
Paul Arrested in Jerusalem
At the end of his third missionary journey, Paul traveled to Jerusalem, despite being warned of danger awaiting him there. In Acts 21, we read that Paul was warmly received by the believers in Jerusalem. However, during his time there, some Jews from Asia who opposed Paul’s teachings stirred up the crowd against him. A mob seized Paul with the intent to kill him, accusing him of speaking against the Jewish people, the law, and the temple. The Roman troops had to intervene to save Paul from the furious crowd.
The Roman commander allowed Paul to speak in his defense to the riled-up Jews. Paul gave his testimony, explaining his conversion experience and his calling by God to preach to the Gentiles. This further angered the crowd, and the Roman commander ordered Paul to be whipped and interrogated to get to the bottom of the uproar against him.
Paul asserted his rights as a Roman citizen to be tried before Caesar rather than be turned over to the Jewish authorities. As a result, he was kept in Caesarean custody for two years until a new governor named Festus took office. The Jewish leaders still sought Paul’s condemnation, so he again appealed to Caesar, setting in motion his journey to Rome (Acts 21-26).
Paul’s Journey to Rome
Since Paul was a Roman citizen, he had the right to appeal his case to Caesar in Rome. Thus, transportation arrangements were made for Paul to be escorted from Caesarea to Rome under Roman guard. Paul, along with other prisoners, was put under the charge of a centurion named Julius and they boarded a ship bound for Rome.
Luke gives a detailed account of Paul’s journey to Rome in Acts 27. Sailing at that time of year was dangerous, and Paul’s ship encountered severe storms. After several weeks at sea, the shipwrecked on the island of Malta. Paul helped minister to the survivors and natives during the three months they were stranded there. When safe passage could resume, Paul and company sailed on another ship the rest of the way to Italy (Acts 27:1-28:16).
Paul Arrives in Rome
When Paul finally arrived in Rome around AD 60, he was allowed to live under a guarded house arrest while awaiting trial before Caesar. Despite being a prisoner in chains, Paul was free to minister to those who came and visited him.
In Acts 28:17-31, we read about Paul meeting with the leaders of the Jewish community in Rome to explain why he was imprisoned. Some were persuaded by Paul’s message about Jesus being the Messiah, but others rejected it. For two whole years in his rented house, Paul welcomed all who would come and listen to him “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:30-31).
Paul’s productive ministry continued even while confined and awaiting trial in Rome. It was during this imprisonment that he likely wrote his Prison Epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Paul wrote these letters to encourage the churches he was associated with and to warn against false teachings. Even in the midst of difficulty and uncertainty, Paul continued caring for the churches and spreading the gospel.
Paul’s Possible Release and Second Roman Imprisonment
The book of Acts concludes with Paul under house arrest in Rome for two years, so we are not given direct biblical evidence about what may have happened after that. Based on historical tradition and reasonable deductions from Paul’s own writings, it is believed that Paul was eventually released from this first Roman imprisonment sometime around AD 62.
Following his release, Paul likely continued his missionary work before being arrested again and returning to Rome for a second imprisonment sometime around AD 67. It was probably during this second imprisonment in Rome that Paul wrote 2 Timothy, right before his execution under Emperor Nero.
In 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Paul gives a solemn farewell as he anticipates his death approaching:
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (ESV)
Despite facing imminent death as a prisoner in Rome, Paul remained faithful and confident in fulfilling his calling from God. According to reliable tradition, Paul was beheaded during Nero’s persecution of Christians around AD 67-68.
John Chrysostom, an early church father, summarized the unwavering commitment Paul exhibited:
“Paul displayed great courage in hastening to His crown and merging his happiness with God’s. He knew Rome to be a place of tremendous wickedness and lust, but he was not deterred from going there since he wanted to suffer for Christ.”
Emperor Nero’s Christian Persecution
The notorious Roman Emperor Nero likely orchestrated the executions of both Paul and Peter in Rome. Nero ruled the Roman Empire from AD 54-68. In AD 64, a massive fire engulfed Rome, destroying much of the city. Rumors swirled that Nero himself had started the blaze. In any case, Nero hijacked the reconstruction efforts and built himself a lavish new palace.
To deflect accusations that he was responsible for the fire, Nero blamed Christians as scapegoats and initiated brutal persecution against them across the empire. Both Christian and Roman historians write about Nero’s tactic of covering up the fire by singling out Christians for horrific deaths and torture.
The early church father Tertullian described some of the violent methods Nero used against Christians:
“Consult your histories; you will find there that Nero was the first who assailed with the imperial sword the Christian sect, making progress then especially at Rome…To suppress the rumor [that he had started the fire], he falsely charged with guilt, and punished with the most fearful penalties, the persons commonly called Christians.”
The persecution instigated by Nero led to the executions of Paul, Peter, and countless other Christians in Rome. According to the 4th century church historian Eusebius:
“Nero was the first of the emperors who showed himself an enemy of the divine religion…In his days Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and Peter likewise was crucified, and multitudes of believers suffered martyrdom.”
Roman historian Tacitus also referred to Nero’s persecution following the fire, stating:
“To get rid of the report [that he had started the fire], Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace… Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths.”
So while the exact details are unknown, there is strong historical evidence that Paul and Peter were among many Christians martyred under Nero’s targeted persecution between AD 64-68. The apostle Paul remained faithful to his calling to the very end, eventually pouring out his life as an offering to God after impactfully spreading the gospel throughout the Roman Empire.
Paul’s Enduring Legacy
Paul’s tireless efforts to establish Christian communities and write letters of instruction and encouragement to believers laid the theological framework for Christianity’s growth far beyond his lifetime.
Through his thirteen New Testament letters, Paul profoundly shaped Christian theology by explaining the redemptive work of Christ and applying it to how believers should live. Core Christian doctrines like justification by faith, original sin, and the Trinity were developed and elucidated most thoroughly by Paul.
Some of Paul’s most famous writings about topics like love, spiritual gifts, the armor of God, and running the Christian race like an athlete continue to instruct and inspire Christians today. Though he faced persecution and imprisonment, Paul unrelentingly preached the gospel until his dying breath. His faithful service to God’s calling left an enduring legacy that has transformed countless lives and communities over the past two thousand years.
Even in the final letters before his death, like 2 Timothy, Paul remained focused on fulfilling his God-given mission:
“For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do…I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.” (2 Timothy 1:11-12 ESV)
Despite the countless challenges on his missionary journeys, Paul persevered so that all nations might hear about salvation through Jesus Christ. His steadfast commitment to preaching the gospel, planting churches, and training leaders helped lay the foundation for Christianity to become a worldwide movement. Paul could look back on a life well lived at the end of his days, confident in completing the race and embracing his reward in heaven.
Though Paul did not likely anticipate the full impact decades and centuries after his death, his letters continue to influence Christian thought and practice in profound ways. The testimony of Paul’s unwavering devotion to God’s calling, even in the face of suffering and death, still encourages believers today to run the race with endurance and keep the faith.