Who was the Apostle Paul?

Just who was the Apostle Paul of the New Testament?

I’m leading a Bible study this spring on Paul’s character and after examining the New Testament itself, I’ve been poking around the Internet.

I’ve been surprised.

His parents named him Saul, which means “prayed for.”

It translates to Paul in Latin. Since Saul was a Roman citizen, he used the names interchangeably for where it made the most sense.

Any Bible scholar knows him as a “Pharisee of the Pharisees,” circumcised on the eighth day and the son of a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5).

Born in Tarsus–a large metropolitan trading city on the coast opposite Cyprus’ northeastern corner–Saul grew up in a devout family in a university town.

Saul had siblings–Scripture mentions his sister’s son–and relatives included Andronicus and Junia who became Christians before he did. (Romans 16:7)

His family was religious and made sure Saul was well-educated. He also learned the  tent making trade. (2 Timothy 1:3; Acts 18:1-3)

Growing up in such a crossroads, Saul spoke Hebrew, Koine Greek, Latin and possibly Aramaic. He understood Stoic philosophy.

Paul’s superior education.

At a young age, perhaps after his bar mitzvah, the family sent Paul to Jerusalem to study with the foremost scholar of the day: Gamaliel, the grandson of Rabbi Hillel.

Gamaliel was a Sanhedrin authority and the school–Hillel–where he taught was noted for including classical training in addition to the detailed Jewish curriculum.

Gamaliel and the Hillel family came from Benjamin’s tribe, like Saul’s family.

(Some also believe Paul may have been a distant relative of the Herodian, based on Romans 16:11.)

Paul took his scholarship seriously and was well-known as a brilliant man and scholar.

Some non-Biblical sources described Paul’s appearance as unappealing: a short man with a twisted leg, a unibrow on a florid face.

What hair he had on his balding head was reddish; he walked bent over and that may very well have been the thorn in his side.

Whether or not he ever saw Jesus in the flesh while studying in Jerusalem, Paul never said.

First appeared in Acts

He first appears in the book of Acts at Stephen’s stoning for blasphemy.

Saul did not actively participate in the stoning but took care of the clothing of those who needed a free arm to throw stones.

Zeal for God consumed the man.

Paul asked the Jerusalem religious leaders for warrants to travel to Damascus.  He sought members of “the Way,” who followed Jesus.

He wanted to return them in chains for prosecution. (While Saul himself never killed anyone, he arrested Christians in Jerusalem, whom the authorities later killed).

Sanhedrin members provided the warrants and Paul set off with friends on the 135-mile journey.

Why did Paul go to Damascus?

Some believe Damascus interested him because of the many “Hellenized,” Jews who had become Christians and lived there. They were people like him–Jews raised in Greece, speaking Greek, who shared his cultural background.

People like his kinsfolk Andronicus and Junia.

Scholars believe the trip took place about six months after Stephen’s death, circa 35 BC.

As an overachiever, Paul believed he could do good things for the God he worshipped once he rounded up those apostates and dragged them back to Jerusalem to stand trial.

God, of course, had something else in mind.

I’ll examine the actions of two faithful and brave men, next time.

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