PAUL, PAULUS, POUL (saint). Paul the Apostle c. A.D. 3-c.65, was born in Tarsus in Cilicia. He was a Jew of Roman citizenship with a classical Greek education. As a great persecutor of Christians, he presided over the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr, but he was converted when he saw a vision on the road to Damascus (Acts of the Apostles 8-9, 13; Letter to the Galatians 1:15-16). His letters to the early churches form much of Christian doctrine. He was arrested in Caesarea in 59 and deported to Rome, where he spent the next five years in prison. He was executed c. 65. His surviving letters were collected and published toward the end of the first century, some thirty years after his death. The collection consisted of two letters to the Corinthians, two to the Thessalonians, one each to Philemon, the Romans, the Colossians, the Philippians, and the Galatians.

Dame Alys quotes from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians on virginity, marriage, and husbands, WBP 73-76; from I Corinthians 7:7-25 in WBP 77-9, 100-104, 129-138, 146-160. Paul's words on the marital debt are discussed in ParsT 940. The Friar says that he could describe hell, using the text of Christ, Paul, and John, FrT 1645-1652. Friar John says that he studies the works of Peter and Paul, SumT 1816-1819. The Pardoner quotes Paul on gluttony, I Corinthians 7:13, PardT 517-523. Dame Prudence says that the sorrowful man must weep, as Paul wrote to the Romans, Mel 989; she quotes Paul on rendering evil for good, Mel 1292, both from Romans 12:15-17. Men fear to do evil when the judge is severe, Romans 13:4, Mel 1440. The Nun's Priest advises his listeners to take the moral, Romans 16:4, NPT 3438-3443. The Parson refuses to tell fables since Paul warns against them, I Timothy 1:4, ParsT 30-34. Fear of the day of doom ought to move men to contrition, Romans 14:10, ParsT 162-163. The Parson discourses on the beginning of sins, Romans 5:12, ParsT 322; on the war of the flesh against the spirit, Galatians 5:17, ParsT 342; on the penance that St. Paul did by water and by land, II Corinthians 9:25-27, and Romans 7:24, ParsT 342-344. The Parson speaks on the supremacy of the name of Jesus and quotes Philippians 2:10, ParsT 598; St. Paul says that those who curse (maledici) forfeit the kingdom of God, I Corinthians 6:10, ParsT 619. The Parson condemns chiding because St. Paul says that the servant of God must not chide, II Timothy 11:24, ParsT 629-630. In the same section on chiding, the Parson quotes Paul that wives must submit to husbands, Colossians 3:18, ParsT 634. St. Paul forbids indecent behavior and ribaldry, Ephesians 5:14, ParsT 651; he says that worldly remorse leads to death, II Corinthians 7:10, ParsT 725, that covetousness is the root of all harms, and Chaucer's gloss cites I Timothy 6:10, ParsT 739. Paul says that the avaricious man is in the thraldom of idolatry, Ephesians 5:5, ParsT 748. The Parson quotes Paul on gluttony, Philippians 3:18-19, ParsT 819-820; on lechery, Galatians 5:19-21, ParsT 867. St. Paul says that Christ shall destroy the adulterer, I Corinthians 3:17, ParsT 879; that Satan transformed himself into an angel of light, II Corinthians 9:14, ParsT 895; that a man should love his wife as Christ loved the Church, Ephesians 5:25, ParsT 929; that Jesus Christ is more pleased with the clothing of mercy, cheerfulness, and patience than with hair shirts, Colossians 3:12, ParsT 1054.

St. Paul is called simply "the Apostle" in several places. Alys of Bath refers to him thus, WBP 47, 94, 160, 340-345. The Pardoner also quotes the Apostle, PardT 529-534. Dame Prudence quotes the Apostle on avarice, I Timothy 7:10, Mel 1130, 1840; on the judgments of the Lord God Almighty, Mel 1405; that the joy of God is everlasting, II Corinthians 4:17, Mel 1510; on the joy of a good conscience, II Corinthians 1:12, Mel 1634.

Paul is the most common spelling of the Apostle's name in the prose works, The Tale of Melibee and the Parson's Tale. It appears twice, in Mel 989, 1292, 1440; and seventeen times in ParsT 322, 342, 343, 598, 619, 630, 634, 651, 725, 939, 748, 819, 867, 879, 895, 929, 1054. Paul occurs twice medially, PardT 521; NPT 3441. Paulus occurs once in the penultimate position, PardT 523. Poul, possibly a scribal variant, appears initially, WBP 73, and in the penultimate position, FrT 1647.