Saint Paul, a founding figure of the Christian Church, is pictured with a book and the sword he was martyred by in this oil painting by Batoni.

Christianity struggled to grow—until this skeptic became a believer

The conversion of Paul the Apostle was a watershed moment in Christianity. Here’s how his efforts to spread the faith jumpstarted what is now the world’s largest religion.

Saint Paul, a founding figure of the Christian Church, is pictured with a book and the sword he was martyred by in this oil painting by Batoni.
Image courtesy of National Trust Photographic Library/John Hammond/Bridgeman Images
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