Saint Paul the Confessor was bishop of the city of Plousias (in the province of Bithynia in Asia Minor) at a time when the iconoclasts raged against the Church of Christ. His zealous defense of the holy icons was based on Holy Scripture, Saint Paul was subjected to harassment and persecution together with Saint Theophylactus (March 8). The holy confessor was sent into exile, and reposed around the year 850.