Saint Paul the Apostle (also known as Saint Paul of Tarsus) was one of the most important figures in the early church. Fourteen of the 27 books in the New Testament are attributed to him, and a fifteenth, the Book of Acts written by Saint Luke, is largely about Saint Paul's work as a missionary. 

Saint Paul was initially a persecutor of the Christian church, but after a miraculous encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus he became one of the new faith's foremost proponents. He was a renowned missionary, and through his efforts Christianity spread to the gentiles, when previously it was predominantly a Jewish religion. He was also an important theologian, and his writings were important for establishing the doctrine of the new Christian faith.