There is a near universal consensus among modern biblical scholars that the authentic letters of Paul were written after the crucifixion, but before the four Gospels. Paul’s seven undisputed letters are dated between roughly 50–60 CE, while the Gospels are generally dated to 70 CE or later.

According to the New Testament (specifically Acts), Paul was a Jew or Roman citizen by birth.  He was a trained Pharisee and a skilled artisan; likely a tent maker or leather worker. He was an educated elite who initially persecuted early Christians before becoming an influential Apostle, using his trade to support his missionary work among both Jewish and Gentile communities

Paul did not meet Jesus before the crucification. Rather, Paul the is said to have met the resurrected Jesus (Acts 9:1–19) in a vision and audible encounter on the road to Damascus. This event occurred in the early 30’s A.D. Likely 2–7 years after Jesus’ crucifixion.

This experience caused his immediate conversion from persecuting Christians to becoming a major apostle.

Paul’s letters are generally dated to around 50–60 CE, while the earliest Gospel (Mark) is believed to have been written around 70 CE, with Matthew, Luke, and John appearing in the following decades. 

Paul’s letters (such as Romans, Corinthians, and Thessalonians) are considered the earliest extant Christian documents in the New Testament.

While the Gospels portray the life and death of Jesus (c. 30–33 CE), they were written down later, whereas Paul’s letters were written to existing churches to address practical problems and theological issues. Paul often refers to oral tradition or earlier theological understandings, because his writings represent early Christian teaching that predated the written Gospel stories.