When we come to consider the background of Paul, we cannot help but see in it a purposeful preparation. From the very moment of his birth, Yahweh was preparing him for the part he was to play in accordance with His divine plan, Galatians 1:15. Paul was born in the city of Tarsus at approximately the same time as Christ. He was the,”son of a strict Pharisee”, Acts 26:5, but of a better type than the self-righteous class of bigots that Christ encountered in Jerusalem.
Tarsus – Paul’s Birthplace
This was no ‘mean city’ in which Paul was born into citizenship. It was the capital of the Roman province of Cilcia, and was built upon both banks of the Cydnus River as it ran into the Mediterranean Sea. It was a metropolis for commerce and industry, and one of the world’s major trading centres at that time, being famous also for its manufacture of tent making twine from the hair of the goats inhabiting the Taurus Mountains close by. It was also a centre for international culture and education, being one of the three principal university cities of the period (Athens and Alexandria being the other two).
Being born into such a cross-road of the nations as Tarsus, Paul, or as he was then called by his Jewish name, Saul, grew up in an environment that was naturally tolerant of the most diverse habits. Though Paul, according to the typical separation of the Jews in gentile communities, would not have attended the gentile educational institutions nor mixed over-freely with the population, he nevertheless gained an immense general knowledge on gentilism from everyday contact. When, in his oration on Mars Hill, Acts 17, he said,
“… as certain also of your own poets have said … “,
it did not necessarily indicate that Paul was a student of Greek poetry, but it did illustrate his familiarity with gentile conversation. It is also interesting to note that the phrase, ‘for we are also his offspring” are the very words of the Tarsus poet named Aratus (B.C. 270).
Paul’s Jewish Education
There were three cardinal requirements for all Jewish boys, whether born in Israel or in dispersion. Each had to be circumcised the eighth day (according to the Law), taught the Law of Moses, and taught a trade. In these matters Paul received due attention, and in the Law he received instruction above that given the ordinary Jewish boy, being the son of a ‘strict Pharisee’. Appropriately enough, he was taught the trade of tentmaking, which later proved a valuable asset to Paul in his travels.
In due time it was decided by Paul’s parents that their son was to become a Rabbi, and he was consequently packed-off to Jerusalem, where the only Rabbinic schools were located. There were two schools at the time, one called `Shamai’ and the other `Hillel’, named respectively after their founders. Paul attended the school of Hillel, who was the grandfather of Gamaliel, at the feet of which great teacher Paul gained his education in Judaism. Of Gamaliel, the Jewish Talmud (The Compendium of Jewish Law and Legend, expounded 200 AD -375 AD) says: “Since Rabban Gamaliel died the glory of the Law has ceased.”
This statement is merely illustrative of the great respect and influence this man achieved. He was the greatest exponent of the Law in his time, and on one occasion his powerful reasoning and influence saved the life of the Apostles, Acts 5 :34-39.
Paul, as the syllabus required, learned the Old Testament Scriptures off by heart; learned to speculate upon disputed passages; and learned the oral ‘traditions’ of the Jewish philosophical teachers. Such ‘traditions’ the Pharisees valued above the Law itself Hence Paul emerged as a graduate of Hillel and an eminent and very knowledgeable Rabbi who ‘prospered in the Jews religion above many his equals (i.e. in years) in his own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the ‘traditions’ of his fathers”Galatians 1:14. As great a man as Gamaliel was, ‘it is a poor teacher who cannot produce a student better than himself, and Gamaliel was no poor teacher!
Rabbi Paul was not only a Jewish scholar, which gave him his pride of race and profound knowledge of the oracles of Yahweh; but he was also a Greek scholar, giving him his skill in argument, and his knowledge of Greek culture, history, literature and language; and Roman scholar, giving him his deep appreciation of civil law, judicial procedures and his Roman citizenship. The latter two proficiencies he gained from his city of birth, being a Tarsian and Roman citizen. Hence Paul, still a ‘young man’, was one of the greatest all-rounders who performed upon the stage of Judaism. Here, through a remarkable set of circumstances, emerged a man equipped and prepared to be the Apostle for the Hope of Israel, to the gentiles. Here was Paul,
“circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the Law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal (he was also of the sect, the Zealots), persecuting the ecclesia; touching the righteousness which is in the Law, blameless . . . “Philippians 3:5-6,
Yet for all this, he could still meet gentiles on their own ground.
He developed this zeal and untiring devotion to the Law and ‘traditions’ because he set his life upon winning God’s favour. He was doubtless sincere and earnest in his knowledgeable yet immature mind.
Paul thought, like many do today, that he could earn his righteousness by following Laws and being zealous. With this objective in mind, he set out to rid his ‘pure Judaism’ of the subversive element of these followers of the recently crucified Jesus.
It is also obvious that Paul had conscience trouble that led to his unusually fanatical persecution of the ecclesia; obsession took over his otherwise calm and rational intellect. Perhaps Paul’s mind rang with the words of Stephen: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” How could such heretics display such mercy — which mercy Paul knew, by the Law, “was better than sacrifice?” There were elements of truth and learning in the words of these followers which pricked the mind of Paul, that disturbed his spirit and unsettled his confidence and pride, so that he resolved to destroy the source of that disturbance.
“Saul. Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads”,
were the words that tore into Paul’s mind and transformed him from an arrogant Pharisee into a humble servant of the “light”. In the world of darkness in which he lived for three days, Paul was forced to search his mind and suffer the tremendous guilt of his misguided zeal, but gradually and surely things slipped into place. Paul came to the realisation that Messiah must first suffer before receiving glory to be the victor for the Hope of Israel.
Paul’s preparation, however, was not yet complete. Though he “straight way preached Christ” after his conversion, Acts 9:20, the Spirit removed Paul into solitude in Arabia that his mind might be totally readjusted by direct revelation and teaching to a more mature understanding of Yahweh’s word and His purpose with Paul, Galatians 117-18.
During the three years of his preparation in Arabia, one is left to conjecture that Paul was at Sinai (virtually the only significant place in this vast desert, Galatians 4:25). Moses was brought to the Holy Mount, to be given divine revelation and education for the task of leadership that lay before him. Elijah fled to Sinai from the wicked Jezebel, but was there instructed by revelation to readjust his mind to continue the work that was before him. Therefore it would be only fitting that Paul, receiving similar instruction and “more revelation than they all”, should experience the same surroundings during his preparatory period.
The name ‘Paul’ is a gentile name meaning ‘little’. Paul was apparently little of stature, II Corinthians 10:1, 10, and little in his own estimation, I Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8. This was the name he preferred to his Jewish name ‘Saul’, which means ‘appointed of God’. Both these names represent the character and purpose of the man, for though Paul had whereof to glory in his high office and calling, he recognised the futility of the flesh in the presence of this mighty Lord and Master, whom only a short time before he persecuted.
Paul As A Servant
Throughout the Epistles Paul is referred to as ‘the Servant’ of the Lord. The Greek term for servant is Doulos meaning a slave,
“one bound to serve, whose will and capacities are wholly at the service of another” (Builinger).
We find that the usage of this word in the New Testament presents to us the form of ‘binding’ upon the altar under the Law. The Psalmist says,
“God is Yahweh, which bath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, I will praise thee, thou art my God, I will exalt thee. “Psalm 118:27-28.
Christ is the typical altar, Hebrews 13:10, and those whose ‘flesh’ is consumed upon the altar (the true ecclesia — Revelation 6:9) are securely ‘bound’ to the horns as a ‘living sacrifice in the body of Christ, Romans 12:1; 8:36, and neither Paul nor we are expected to serve in any way that Christ has not already ‘served’. The demonstrated humility of Paul was such that he counted ‘all things’, including his freeborn Roman citizenship, loss to win Christ and be his Doulos.
Paul as an Apostle
In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul introduces himself as “a called apostle.” Romans 1:1. Here Paul states his authority as an Holy Spirit endowed teacher and leader of the ecclesial. This authority was sternly challenged by many of the brethren (even as it is challenged by the modern apostasy), particularly those in Galatia and Corinth. Hence Paul testified that he was an apostle “not by the will of men, but of God.” To advance his argument to the Corinthians, he declared that their very existence was indeed the “seal” and vindication of his apostleship to the gentiles, I Corinthians 9:1-3.
To the Galatians he illustrated that he received divine instruction and revelation after his conversion and not till three years later did he even have any contact with the twelve established apostles, Galatians 1. Note also Paul’s introductory salutations in the first verse of his epistles to Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Timothy and Titus.
The word ‘apostle’ comes from the Greek Apostolos meaning ‘one sent, a messenger, an ambassador’. It is translated twice as ‘messenger’, II Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25, but mostly as ‘apostle’. Even as Christ was first a ‘servant’ before expecting others to serve, so also was he an ‘apostle’, Hebrews 3:1-2, being sent by Yahweh to fulfil His purpose, John 17:3.
While there were ‘the twelve’ apostles (Matthias replacing Judas Iscariot) called by the Lord and having been associated with him during his earthly ministry (who will sit upon the twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes, Matthew 19:28), there were others also ‘called’ apostles, I Corinthians 15:5-10. Barnabas and Paul, Acts 14, Andronicus and Junias, Romans 16:7, were also called apostles. An apostle had to be a witness of the fact that Christ rose from the dead, Acts 1:20-22; I Corinthians 9:1; this was Peter’s constant appeal in his second letter, for example, 11 Peter 1:16-18, and also possessed the responsibility of imparting the Holy Spirit, Acts 8:14-16. An apostle was one personally called by Christ and possessing the greatest powers of the spirit and authority among mortal men, I Corinthians 12:28.
Paul, the Separated One
Again, Paul refers to himself in the Epistle to the Romans as having been separated unto God. Here we seem to have a play on words. Paul spent his earlier life in training to become a strict ‘Pharisee’, which is a Hebrew word meaning ‘separated’. Yet now we see Paul repudiating all that he professed in the flesh to become indeed truly ‘separated’ to the spirit, for the Hope of Israel.
There were three basic epochs in Paul’s providential separation: at his birth, Galatians 1:15, at his conversion, Acts 9:15, and finally in his work, Acts 13:2. A ‘separation’ (holiness) for Yahweh’s servants from the normal reactions of the ‘sons of Adam’ was no new requirement. Its roots are as old as ‘faithful men’. Israel as a nation was to be Yahweh’s; holy, clean and separated to himself from the other idolatrous nations, Leviticus 20:25-26, and within Israel itself the appointed priests of Yahweh were to be separated to himself, Numbers 8:18. From the beginning, the Father’s servants have been impelled to “come out from among them and be ye separate.”
Separation is in fact the inevitable consequence for all who serve in “the beauty of Holiness”, for by the witness that they hold,
“men shall hate them and shall separate them from themselves and shall reproach them and cast out their name as evil.” Luke 6:22.
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