Paul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, and Saint Paul, who called himself the Apostle to the Gentiles. According to the Acts of the Apostles, his conversion to faith in Jesus took place in a profound life-changing experience on the road to Damascus. Together with Simon Peter and James the Just, he is considered among the most notable of early Christian leaders. He was also a Roman citizen - a fact that afforded him a privileged legal status with respect to laws, property, and governance.