How old was Paul when he died?

That is an interesting question since nowhere in the Holy Bible does it specifically give a birth date for Saul of Tarsus or a date for the death of the Apostle Paul. In fact, no other historical book exists that says how or when he died. According to Christian tradition, though, Paul was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero around the mid-60s A.D. at Tre Fontane Abbey. Some scholars said it was 67 A.D. and others claim it was in 68 A.D. Still others claim that it was closer to 64 A.D. when Nero burned Rome to the ground. The truth is, no one really knows the exact date and it’s not mentioned anywhere in the Bible.

So, without know when he was born, we really don’t know how old he was. Scholars have speculated that Paul was either in his mid-50’s or his mid-60’s when he died. They base this on when he was a student under Gamaliel learning to be a Pharisee (which would usually be around 13 or 14) and compare it to when he was a Pharisee and then when he converted to Christianity. But, truthfully, no one knows for sure.

Extra Info!!! Below is a suggested timeline for the life of Paul. It's pretty cool. Even though scholars don't all agree on the dates, you can get a pretty good idea of what his life was like.

A walk through the Bible & some of Paul’s experiences –


YEAR, BIBLE VERSES, WHAT HAPPENED?

1 Saul (his Jewish name) is born in Tarsus.

12 – 15 Enrolled in school in Jerusalem (Rabbi Gamaliel)

30 Jesus is crucified!
Saul is made a member of the Sanhedrin (religious board)

31 – 34 Gal 1:13 Saul persecutes the Christian Church in Jerusalem

34 Acts 7:58 – 8:3 Stephen is killed as Saul watches

35 Acts 9:1-9 Saul meets Jesus on the road to Damascus
Acts 9:17-19a Saul is baptized (and later given the Christian name ‘Paul’)

35 – 37 Gal 1:17 Paul goes to Arabia for a few years

37 Acts 9:19b-25 Paul ministers in Damascus

37 Acts 9:26-29 Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem as a Christian

48 – 57 Paul took 3 (and maybe even 4) big missionary journeys

57 – 59 Acts 21:17-31 Begins the story of his arrest and 2 years in prison

59 Acts 27:22-25 An angel visits Paul before the shipwreck

60 – 64 Phil 4:4-7 Paul is imprisoned in Rome; writes Prison Letters
(Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians)

68 Paul is beheaded

How did Paul become a Christ-follower when he met Jesus because he killed Christians?

That is a very awesome question! In order to understand how Paul became a Christ-Follower, you should read the Book of Acts, which is in the New Testament. Chapter 9 deals with Paul’s conversion from being a Jewish leader to becoming a Christ-Follower. The very end of Chapter 7 and the beginning of Chapter 8 introduces us to Paul (Saul) and tells us who he is and the kind of person he is.

Paul started out persecuting Christians; in fact, he even killed them. Then, while on the way to Damascus to find more Christians and imprison them, Paul met the resurrected Christ. That meeting was so impactful that it changed Paul forever.

Now, it seems kinda weird that Jesus would pick Paul, who used to be known as Saul, out of all the people who lived during that time to become a Christ-Follower, doesn’t it? I mean, this guy was actually going around the country and persecuting Christians, beating them, imprisoning them and even killing them! Why Paul?!?!

Remember, Jesus is God. And, because He is God, He knows everything. Jesus knew that Paul would change. Jesus knew that Paul would be one of the greatest disciples of the word. Jesus knew that people who knew Saul of Tarsus would be amazed at his transformation into the Christ-Follower Paul and Jesus knew that Paul would do great things to further Christianity.

And, that’s exactly what Paul did! Paul started churches in places all throughout the region. Many of these places were unchurched and full of sin. Paul not only began churches, he wrote them letters to keep them strong in their faith. Many of those letters are parts of the New Testament. Many of the letters Paul wrote were while he was in prison!

That meeting on the road to Damascus with Christ changed Paul so much that he was willing to go to prison and even die for Jesus. In fact, Paul has no fear of dying because, as he says in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

It’s really amazing how quickly Paul converted to Christianity. You should read Acts 9:1-20. It’s pretty short and really cool!