Earning a Name

Quaeritur igitur, cur, aut quo jubente, vel antiquum nomen amiserit, vel novum sumpscrit. Ut ex Abram, Abraham diceretur, Dei jussione perfectum est; ut ex Sarai, Sarae vocabulum fieret, aeque Dei imperium fuit. Et ut ad novum instrumentum veniam, ut Simon, Petri nomen acciperet; et filii Zebedaei, Bane Reem, hoc est, filii tonitrui vocarentur, Domini nostri Jesu Christi voce praeceptum est. Quare autem e Saulo Paulus dictus sit, nulla Scriptura memorat. Audacier itaque faciam, sed forte vere de Actibus Apostolorum suspiciones meas affirms, Legimus in eis, quod sanctus Spiritus Antiochiae dixerit: Separate mihi Barnabam et Saulum, in opus ad quod assumpsi eos. Tunc jejunantes et orantes, imponentesque, eis manus, dimiserunt illos. Qui cum Seleuciam Syriae descendissent, et navigantes Salaminam Cypri, quae nunc Constantia dicitur, pervenissent, haberentque secum in ministerio Joannem (propter quem postea aedificatorium Ecclesiae jurgium concitatum est) et omni insula peragata, Paphum usque venissent, invenerunt quemdam magum pseudoprophetam nomine Bar Jeus, cum proconsule Sergio Paulo viro prudente. Qui accitips Barnaba et Saulo, desiderabat Dei sermonem ab eis audire. Resistente itaque magno, et a fide recta Sergium depravante, Saulus qui et Paulus, repletus Spiritu sancto, intuens in eum dixit: O plene omni dolo, et omni fallacia, fili diaboli, inimice omnis justitiae, non desinis subvertere vias Domini rectas? Et nunc ecce manus Domini super te, et eris caecus, non videns solem usque ad tempus, Confestimque cecidit in eum caligo et tenebrae, et circuiens quaerebat qui ei manus daret. Tunc Proconsul, cum vidisset factum, credidit, admirans super doctrina Domini. Et cum a Papho navigassent Paulus, et qui cum eo erant, venerunt Pergen Pamphyliae. Diligenter attende, quod hic primum Pauli acceperit. Ut enim Scipio, subjecta Africa, Africani sibi nomen assumpsit; et Metellus, Creta insula subjugata, insigne Cretici suae familiae reportavit; et Imperatores nunc usque Romani ex subjectis gentibus, Adiabenici, Parthici, Sarmatici nuncupantur; ita et Saulus ad praedictionem gentium missus, a primo Ecclesiae spolio proconsule Sergio Paulo, victoriae suae trophaea retulit, erexitque vexillum, ut Paulus diceretur e Saulo Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentairorum In Epistolam Ad Philemonem

Therefore, one may ask, why, by what command, an old name was lost and a new one assumed. From Abram Abraham was named by the command of God, Sarai become Sarah by the command of God, in the new Testament Simon received the name Peter and the sons of Zebedee were to be called the Bane Reem, that is, the sons of Thunder, by the command of the voice of Christ. Why from Saul Paul was renamed Scripture does not mention. But I shall be bold to say that perhaps it is to be found in the Acts of the Apostles, wherein we read that the Holy Spirit said in Antioch: 'Separate for me Barnabas and Saul for a work to which I will send them. Then fasting and praying and laying on hands they sent they away.' 1  They went down to Seleucia of Syria and sailed to Salamis in Cyprus, which is now called Constantia, and coming there they had John Mark as a minister (after which the building of the Church is entitled) and across the whole isle they travelled. When they came to Paphos they encountered a certain famous false prophet by the name of Bar Jesus in the company of the Proconsul Sergius Paulus, a wise man. He received Barnabus and Saul and he wished to hear them speak. They were opposed by the false prophet, he who sought to deprive Sergius of the right faith, and Saul who would be Paul, full of the Holy Spirit, seeing this, said, 'O full of malice and every deceit, son of the Devil, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to subvert the ways of the Lord? Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun,' 2 and instantly he fell into blackness and darkness and wandering off he sought someone to lead him by the hand. Then the Proconsul, who had seen all this, believed, amazed at the teaching of the Lord. And when Paul and those who were with him sailed from Paphos, they came to Perge in Pamphyliae. Attend carefully that he is here first named Paul. And indeed Scipio who conquered Africa took on the name Africanus, and Metellus who conquered Crete is reported to have assumed the name Creticus; and Roman Emperors have been named from the peoples they have subdued, as Adiabenicus, Parthicus, Sarmaticus. And so it is with Saul, who was sent to preach to the Gentiles, that on account of his first spoil, the Proconsul Sergius Paulus, returning with his trophy of victory, raising the sail, Saul was named Paul. Saint Jerome, Commentary on the Epistle of Philemon 1 Acts 13 2-3 2 Acts 13 10-11