A Paper Presentation On:

Paul’s Life at Tarsus and Jerusalem: Paul’s Education in Pharisaic Jewish Education

Submitted By: Biak Hlei Mang Submitted On: 10/9/2019

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Introduction:

The apostle Paul was a Hellenistic Jew also known as one of the earliest Christian missionaries
in the world along with saint Peter and James. He was also known as Paul of the apostle, the
apostle Paul, and Paul of Tarsus. He was educated person with a great mind for carrying the
gospels into the gentile nations. This paper will deal the biography of Paul from his birth,
religion, trade education and how Paul was influenced by his environment and society.

I. The Birth of Paul

a. Born of Tarsus

According to the record of Luke, Paul was born in the Tarsus of Cilicia (Acts 22:3). Tarsus was
situated on the plain of Cilician and near with Cydnus River.1 Tarsus was fame because of
commercial enterprise and political power and also great educational unique meeting place of
East and West.2 Tarsus was a place where the multi people and cultures are sojourn. There was
no taxation (self governing and independent) because of Mark Antony. It was a center of Greek
learning because philosophical and educational are developed. His Jewish name is Saul, but he
was known as Paul in the gentile world and Paulus is his Roman name. There is no report for his
birth date. Scholars provide with their own understanding and the most probably is 2 B.C to 5
A.D.

b. A Benjamin Tribe

The apostle Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin (Phil.3:5; Rom. 11:1). The first king of Israel
was from the tribe of Benjamin (1 Sam. 9:1). It is believed that when Saul (Paul) was born, the
name was probably taken from the name of King Saul, who was also from Benjamin tribe. When
many Jews were unable to trace their genealogy from proselytes, Paul wants to justify himself
that he is not from a lost tribe of Israel.

1
Boyce Mouton, the Life and Letters of Paul (N.D.), available at https://www.abarc.org/wp-
content/uploads/2016/05/The-Life-and-Letters-of-Paul.pdf (11 August 2019).
2
Colin J. Hemer, “Tarsus,” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, edited by Geoffrey W.
Bromiley, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: William B. Erdmann Publishing Company, 1988): 734-6, 734.

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 II. The Nationality of Paul (Saul)
i. Paul as a Roman Citizen

The citizenship of Paul is one of the most debates among the scholars in the early period.
However, Luke recorded that Paul was the citizen of Roman in his book of Acts (Acts 22:22-29).
There are many views on the citizenship of Paul and it was very limited to become a Roman
citizen. In the early Roman period, the citizenship can be obtained only by birth, manumission or
special concession. Manumission indicates the Roman emperor offer of slave freedom and gives
citizenship. In the first century BC, there was a time when the large numbers of people were
taken to Rome as slaves and those slaves were released by some reason and gave the citizenship.
There is a belief that Paul’s family was one family of the participant slaves. The other possibly
was special concession and it was offered to the people those who were participated in Roman
colonies, serving in Roman, and military service, etc. by this view, the family of Paul was
offered the citizenship through the service to Pompey or Rome.3

ii. His Citizenship in Tarsus

Tarsus was a place where Paul’s family live survive. According to Jerome, the family of Paul
was already stayed in this land from many years before. It is assumed that they were taken from
the region of Gischala in Judea to Tarsus as prisoners after Pompey’s invasion of Jerusalem in
around 63 BC.4 It is also believed that when the Roman emperor bring them as slaves in the first
century BC, they were about to work in Tarsus as slaves and the emperor grant them as free
slave and provide a citizenship, in later. The apostle Paul was a man who holds dual citizenship.
The scripture confirmed that the apostle Paul has Roman (Acts 16: 37-38) and Tarsus (Acts
21:39) citizenship.5

III. Religion
a. Jewish

Paul grew up from the Jewish family and was circumcised on the eighth day (Phil. 3:5)
according to the Jewish Law. He approved that he was a real Jew by the date of his circumcision
because the Ishmaelite were circumcised in their thirteenth year (Gen. 17: 25) and the converted
Gentiles were circumcised as adults.6

3
Stanley E. Porter, ed., Paul: Jew, Greek, and Roman, Pauline Studies Series 2008: 5 (Boston: Koninklijke
Brill NV, 2008), 310.
4
“Who was Paul? His Early Life, and Why It Matters,” New Testament Online Courses (12 October 2016):
2, https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/who-was-paul-his-early-life-and-why-it-matters (30 August 2019).
5
Sean A. Adam, “Paul the Roman Citizen: Roman Citizenship in the Ancient World and Its Importance
for Understanding Acts 22:22-29,” [online article], available at https://www.academia.edu/ (1 September 2019).
6
David Padfield, the Early Years of Saul of Tarsus (N.D.), available at
https://www.padfield.com/acrobat/sermons/saul-of-tarsus.pdf (21 August 2019).

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 b. A Pharisee

Paul was not only a devout Jew, he was a Pharisee which mean “separated one” (Acts 23:6).
Pharisees in the old Jewish days were representing some of the noblest traditions of the Hebrew
people.7 Pharisees were usually the teachers in the synagogues. They believed in the resurrection
and angel nor spirit. They believe in rewards for the good and punishment for the wicked in life
after death; the good will revive and live again.8 He was dominated by these strong religious
conceptions and he was satisfied of being a Pharisee.

IV. The Family of Saul

According to Acts 23:6, Paul was mentioned that he was the son of a Pharisee. But there is no
evidence for his father’s name. It is cleared that Paul was grown up under the guidance of a
father who was a strict and conscientious Pharisee. It is believed that the father had obtained the
rights of a Roman citizen when Paul was dealing with Roman authority in Acts 22:28. Luke
declared that Paul has one sister in Acts 23:16 and kinsmen in Romans 16:7, 11.

V. Trade
a. Tent-Maker (Acts 18:3)

Paul came from an artisan family and learned the manual trade of weaver and tentmaker. In the
Jewish traditional thought, a father who does not teach trade is same with teaching how to steal.
Like all the Jewish boys Paul learned a trade. Tarsus was famous for the manufacture of cloth of
goats’ hair which was called Cilicium. The military, the civilians, market stalls, land travelers,
sea travelers need to pitch their tents both to provide a place to sleep and to protect themselves
from sun and rain. It is probably that Paul could make the trade work of tent making. 9 He used
his talent to support himself in his ministry without taking any support from any others.

VI. Paul’s Education

a. In Tarsus

Paul was probably live in Tarsus until he was eleven or twelve years old because most of the
Jewish parents put their children in training at the age of twelve. “The education precept of the
Jews was ‘At five years of age, let children begin the Scripture; at ten, the Mischna; at thirteen,
let them be subjects of the law.”10 Tarsus was a place where different people were sojourned.
There are many kinds of Greco-Roman education resources in Tarsus. But the parents did not
interest for their children to learn from them. Therefore, it is probably that when Paul was 6
years, he was trained in Synagogue, Jewish school, and school of a neighboring rabbi. He was

7
F. B. Meyer, New Testament Men of Faith (Illinois: Good News Publishers, 1979), 163.
8
A Layman, Saul of Tarsus or, Paul and Swedenborg (Edinburgh: Williams and Norgate, 1877), 98.
9
Walter F. Taylor Jr., Paul: Apostle to the Nations an Introduction (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012), 60.
10
Conybeare and Howson, the Life and Epistles of St. Paul (Chicago: National Publication Com., 1870),
48.

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assumed that he would be acquainted with Greek literature because he was mingling among the
Greek people.

b. In Jerusalem

Paul was brought up to Jerusalem (Holy City) to study under the feet of Gamaliel. Gamaliel,
according to Luke was a teacher of the law (Acts 5:34) or a doctor of the law. He was one of the
seven Rabbis in history to be called “Rabban.” The teaching and learning system in Jewish
custom is that pupils were sitting on floor or bench and the teacher is teaching from the platform.
In the Jews saying, “Men should powder themselves in the dust of the feet of the wise”11 if they
would learn wisdom.

VII. The Influence of Gamaliel on the Life of Paul

Gamaliel was a perfect teacher who possesses the fair-mindedness, straightforward, and love
justice. When the Sanhedrim were trying to condemn the apostles in Acts 5:34-40, Gamaliel was
the man who argues with is his party. He dared to show justice and stand on the truth. The
apostle Paul was influenced by this characters. Tradition has described that Gamaliel was a man
who was expert in teaching among Greco-Roman and Jewish world and achieved respects from
others. He has a liberal mind for he was familiar with Greek and Hebrew fluently. As he was a
Pharisee, he had a high regard for authority. He was a teacher or instructor of law and a man who
would stand firm to the principles of law and of order in whatever the situation come. Gamaliel
did not become a Christian. But he would never justify persecution, and even he approved the
destruction of apostates.12Gamaliel was the student of Hillel and followed the Hillel ways of
interpretation. Hillel and Gamaliel more prefer on open and easy way of interpretation in order to
understand the Greco-Roman people. Whenever the apostle Paul wrote the particular letter, he
wrote in the easy way understanding for the particular audience. Paul was the favorite student of
Gamaliel and his love to the churches and believers are also inherited from his master.13

Paul, as a Jew, was trained to know the scripture thoroughly. This is one of his influential facts.
He knew the scripture exceptionally well before starting his mission work and even before his
Christian conversion. He proved himself when he said himself to be a “Hebrew of Hebrew,” a
Pharisee, a disciple of Gamaliel (Acts 5:34; 22:3; Phil 3:4-6). It is sure that Paul was greatly
influenced by the teaching of Gamaliel, but he rejected the essence of his teaching. Instead, he
led his Christian believers and all others, not to the man-made traditions of the rabbis of Judaism,
but to Jesus Christ (Romans 10: 1-4).

11
Thomas L. Leishman, “Saul the Pharisee,” The Christian Science Journal (February 1975), available at
https://journal .christianscience.com, 31 August 2019.
12
Albert Barnes, “Scenes and Incidents in the Life of the Apostle Paul,” Bible Study Tools (1999), available
at https://www.biblestudytools.com/classics/barnes-scenes-in-life/early-training-of-the-apostle-paul.html (2
September 2019).
13
Risto Santala, “Paul’s Childhood and Education,” Rabbinical Writings (January 1 1992), available at
https://www.kolumbus.fi/risto.santala/rsla/paul/Paul05.html (4 September 2019).

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Paul was actually heeding the words of his teacher Gamaliel, who had said to guard against
being “found fighters actually against God” by rejecting his pharisaical life and becoming a
disciple of Jesus Christ. The moment Paul stopped persecuting the believers, he stopped fighting
against God. Rather, he became one of “God’s fellow workers” (1 Cor 3: 9).14

For these reasons and facts, it can be said that most of the time Paul’s life and his characters were
influenced by Rabban Gamaliel. The Apostle was the one who carry the gospels among the
heathens with the truth and firm faith. And he has a liberal mind in the gospel and sharing good
news to Gentiles people.

Conclusion

The early life and education of the apostle Paul (Saul) is a very interesting and important for
Christian Biblical studies as well as Christian missionary today. As Paul had the knowledge of
scripture as well as his world, today missionaries also should aware the environment world as
well as the scripture. The study of Paul’s early life and education make us understand how the
apostle was influenced by his master in the ways of writing epistles and other writings. Even
though Paul’s biography was not clear, it is certainty that he was a person who willingly learned
the word of the Lord.

Bibliographies

Conybeare and Howson. The Life and Epistles of St. Paul. Chicago: National Publication Com.,
1870.

Hemer, Colin J. “Tarsus”. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, edited by Geoffrey
W. Bromiley. vol. 4. Grand Rapids: William B. Erdmann Publishing Company, 1988.

Layman, A. Saul of Tarsus or, Paul and Swedenborg. Edinburgh: Williams and Norgate, 1877.

Meyer, F. B. New Testament Men of Faith. Illinois: Good News Publishers, 1979.

Porter, Stanley E. ed. Paul: Jew, Greek, and Roman. Pauline Studies Series 2008: 5.
Boston: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2008.

Taylor, Walter F. Jr. Paul: Apostle to the Nations an Introduction. Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
2012.

14
Edward D. Andrews, “Gamaliel Taught Saul of Tarsus,” Christian Publishing House Blog (30 May2018)
available at https://christianpublishinghouse.co/2018/05/30/gamaliel-taught-saul-of-tarsus/amp/? (4 October 2019).

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Webbliographies

“Who was Paul? His Early Life and Why It Matters.” New Testament Online Courses (12
October 2016). Available at https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/who-was-paul-his
early-life-and why-it-matters (30 August 2019).

Adam, A. “Paul the Roman Citizen: Roman Citizenship in the Ancient World and Its
Importance for Understanding Acts 22:22-29.” (N.D.). Available at
https://www.academia.edu/ (1 September 2019).

Andrews, Edward D. “Gamaliel Taught Saul of Tarsus.” Christian Publishing House Blog (30
May2018). Available at https://christianpublishinghouse.co/2018/05/30/gamaliel-taught
saul-of-tarsus/amp/? (4 October 2019).

Barnes, Albert. “Scenes and Incidents in the Life of the Apostle Paul,” Bible Study Tools (1999).
Available at https://www.biblestudytools.com/classics/barnes-scenes-in-life/early
training-of-the-apostle-paul.html (2 September 2019).

Leishman, Thomas L. “Saul the Pharisee.” The Christian Science Journal (February 1975).
Available at https://journal .christianscience.com (31 August 2019).

Mouton, Boyce. “The Life and Letters of Paul.” (N.D.). https://www.abarc.org/wp

content/uploads/2016/05/The-Life-and-Letters-of-Paul.pdf. (11 August 2019).

Padfield, David. The Early Years of Saul of Tarsus. (N.D.). Available at

https://www.padfield.com/acrobat/sermons/saul-of-tarsus.pdf (21 August 2019).

Santala, Risto. “Paul’s Childhood and Education,” Rabbinical Writings (January 1 1992).
Available at https://www.kolumbus.fi/risto.santala/rsla/paul/Paul05.html ( 4 September
2019).