The article applies cultural evolutionary theory to explore the dissemination of conflicting perceptions of the Apostle Paul through history. Cultural evolution understands the variation, selection, and transmission of cultural information as part of a wider process of human biocultural evolution. The positive representations of Paul are illustrated in the article through the theme of the apostle as a suffering and dying martyr, whereas the negative representations are treated more fully through Pseudo-Clementine, early Islamic, and Jewish literature. Both the pro- and the anti-Pauline traditions are shown to contain several types of elements that may have offered them selective advantages and ensured their survival through the centuries.