Sveti Pavao je bio suvremenik Isusa iz Nazareta, ali ga nije susreo za života. Rođen je u Tarzu, u dijaspori, ali je odgojen kao farizej te ga je njegova revnost za židovstvo dovela do toga da progoni novonastalu zajednicu kršćana jer je njihova religijska praksa bila protivna čistoći židovske vjere (Gal 1,13-14). Iznenada se dogodio zaokret u Pavlovu životu na putu za Damask kada mu se objavio sam Isus Krist i pozvao ga da ga slijedi, kao što je to učinio prije sa apostolima. Pavao je odgovorio na Božji poziv i posvetio je svoj daljnji život širenju evanđelja Isusa Krista. Ovaj rad se bavi događajem pred Damaskom te kroz biografiju i kronologiju Pavlova života, s kratkim osvrtom na njegovu farizejsku i helenističku pozadinu, donosi analizu tekstova koji ga opisuju kako nam je dostupno u dva biografska izvora: u Djelima apostolskim i u autobiografskim dijelovima Pavlovih autentičnih Poslanica. Djela apostolska, u skladu s teologijom svetog Luke, u svojim izvještajima događaj opisuju kao Pavlovo obraćenje. Sveti Pavao u svojim Poslanicama događaj opisuje kao poziv i ukazanje Uskrslog Gospodina koji mu je objavio svoje Evanđelje. Pojavljujući se pred njim u viđenju pred Damaskom, Krist ga je postavio za svjedoka svojega uskrsnuća i povjerio mu je propovijedati evanđelje poganima. Sveti Pavao događaj ne tumači kao vlastito obraćenje nego kaže kako je predodređen i pozvan kao što su starozavjetni proroci bili pozvani od Boga za obavljanje određenog poslanja u vremenu u kojem su živjeli. Događaj pred Damaskom je Božji poziv Pavlu, poziv na ispunjenje apostolata poganima i navještanje Evanđelja.

Saint Paul was the contemporary with Jesus of Nazareth, but he has not met him for life. Born in Tarsus, raised as a Pharisee, his zeal for Judaism led him to persecute the newly-formed Christian community (Gal 1:13-14), whose religious practice was contrary to the purity of Jewish faith, until his trip to Damascus. On this road Jesus Christ revealed himself to Paul and invited Paul to follow him, as he did before with the apostles. Paul responded to this call by dedicating his further life to the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This paper considers the event on the road to Damascus and, through the biography and chronology of Paul's life, with reference to his Pharisees and Hellenistic background, provides an analysis of the texts wich describe it as being available in two biographical sources: in Acts of Apostles and in the autobiographical parts of Paul's authentic Epistles. The Acts of the Apostles in their reports, in accordance with the theology of St. Luke, describe the event before Damascus as Paul's conversion. Paul in his Epistles interprets this event as an invocation and appearance of the Risen Lord who revealed his Gospel to him. Appearing to him in the vision before Damascus, Christ entrusted him to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Paul does not interpret it as his own conversion, but rather says that he was destined and called by God, like the Old Testament prophets, to perform a particular task in the time they lived. The event before Damascus is God's call to Paul to fulfill the apostolate to the Gentiles and to proclaim the Gospel.