And Paul did not even know Jesus, never met him.
He knew Christians and sought to kill them. If he is already establishing the divinity of Christ in 60AD it means Christians were doing the same. Paul also mentions Peter in 1Corinthians.
On the road to Damascus he did. Now what would change a person so determined to destroy Christians into someone who defended them to the death? Beat, stoned, whipped, yet he never wavered from his faith.