Corpus-Paul

[rfellows AT intergate.ca]

Kym,

Interesting.

Somewhere between Antioch in Syria and Paphos on Cyprus, Saul seems to have 
increased in status. You allude to the fact that it is in exactly this time 
period that Luke switches from "Saul" to "Paul", and I wonder whether the two 
observations are related. 

Perhaps the name "Paul" was seen (by Paul or Luke or both) as appropriate to 
his higher status. It is worth noting that "Paul" was a Latin cognomen, and 
that the cognomen was the most honourable of the three Latin name types. 
J.N.Adams writes, "Noui homines [meaning upstarts] attached value to address 
by cognomen, because that form of address (particularly if the cognomen were 
preceded by the praenomen) was an additional mark of membership of the 
highest social class. Those with social ambitions might be expected to change 
the names which they employed as they rose in status." (1)

Saul's missionary success would certainly have increased his status relative 
to Barnabas. Perhaps his new-found success prompted him to acquire a new name.

Richard Fellows.

(1) J.N. Adams, ‘Conventions of Naming in Cicero’, The Classical Quarterly NS 
28 (1978), pp. 146-66.