It is difficult to overestimate the influence of the apostle Paul. He is known worldwide as one of the greatest Christian missionaries. His inspired writings cover a large portion of the New Testament, and it is safe to say that he remains one of the most read authors in human history. His abrupt turnaround from zealous persecutor of Christians to one of Christianity’s greatest proponents surely shaped the history of the early Christian church. But who was Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul? What do we know about his life prior to meeting Christ on the Damascus Road?
Saul of Tarsus was born in approximately AD 5 in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia (in modern-day Turkey). He was born to Jewish parents who possessed Roman citizenship, a coveted privilege that their son would also possess. In about AD 10, Saul’s family moved to Jerusalem. Sometime between AD 15—20 Saul began his studies of the Hebrew Scriptures in the city of Jerusalem under Rabbi Gamaliel. It was under Gamaliel that Saul would begin an in-depth study of the Law with the famous rabbi.
There has been some debate over whether Saul was raised in Jerusalem or in his birthplace of Tarsus, but a straightforward reading of his own comments indicate that Jerusalem was his boyhood home (Acts 22:3). We know that Paul’s sister’s son was in Jerusalem after Paul’s conversion (Acts 23:16), which lends weight to the idea that Paul’s entire family had moved to Jerusalem when he was young.
It is quite possible that Saul was present for the trial of Stephen—a trial that resulted in Stephen becoming the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:54–60). The historian Luke tells us that Stephen’s executioners laid their garments at the feet of Saul (Acts 7:58), who was in full approval of the mob’s murderous actions (Acts 8:1). Saul later ravaged the church, entering the homes of believers and committing them to prison. Saul’s anti-Christian zeal motivated him not only to arrest and imprison male Christians (the “ringleaders”) but to lock up female believers as well (Acts 8:3).
Paul’s post-conversion correspondence to various churches reveal even more about his background. In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul describes himself as a Hebrew, an Israelite, and a descendant of Abraham (2 Corinthians 11:22). In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul says he was a Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). [SEE ALSO: Pharisees]
While on his way to Damascus to arrest and extradite Christians back to Jerusalem, Saul was confronted by the very One whom he was persecuting (Acts 9:3–9; 22:6–11; 26:12–18). What followed was one of the most dramatic conversions in church history. Saul of Tarsus became the apostle Paul, an ardent missionary to an unbelieving world and a fine example of faithful service in the face of fierce persecution (Acts 14:19; 16:22–24; 2 Corinthians 11:25–26). Saul’s education, his background as a Pharisee, his Roman citizenship, and his unflagging zeal all contributed to his success as a missionary, once those credentials and traits had been subjugated to the lordship of Christ.
altruistico 
Question: What is your historical sources for Paul’s background. There actually is very little known about who Saul/Paul was outside of the Biblical account. Additionally, have you considered it quite interesting that Paul though accepted and tolerated by the original disciples/apostles for his mission to the Gentiles, overshadowed the likes of Peter, James (brother of Jesus), Barnabas, etc. Why is it that Paul had such a tremendous influence over the writing of the Gospels, beginning with Mark and especially Luke/Acts, which serves as a biographical narrative of Paul’s ministry to the exclusion of the other Apostles after only a fleeting mention in beginning of Acts? The life of Paul and his dominance in the early church is overlooked? We do not discuss how James and Peter’s letters almost didn’t make it into the Canon and were added as back end entries. Do you believe this is what Jesus and God had intended and directed? Yes, Paul/Saul a character in the history of the church that needs more discussion and investigation.
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Coach Brown;
Forgive my failure to respond more quickly, but with preparations for the holiday and all I was otherwise occupied.
There is a great deal, in antiquity, written on Saul of Tarsus. And, subsequently Paul the apostle. One of the best sources, for anything scriptural, is the old Hebrew texts and other ancient archives of Rome and Greece, Jerusalem and throughout the regions. Certainly the Bible, and more specifically, the Book of Acts, are a great sources.
One could make a case that Saul of Tarsus (Paul) is the most remarkable follower Jesus ever had. He is mentioned more often than any other Christian in the New Testament (202 times).
1:He got a late start (1 Chronicles 15:8), but he made up for it by laboring more diligently (1 Corinthians 15:10). Before or since, no other person ever came so far and did so much.
More about Saul:
Name: In Hebrew Saul means “desired.” His Roman name was Paul, which means “little.” Because one of the ancients called him Homo tricubitalis,
2 tradition says he was but four and a half feet in height. If this is true, he was as remarkably little in stature as his namesake King Saul was remarkably tall. King Saul stood physically head and shoulders above the soldiers of Israel (1 Samuel 9:2); the apostle Saul stands spiritually head and shoulders above the soldiers of the Lord’s army.
Birthplace/Family: Saul was born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, a free city of the Romans. He was a free man in that city (Acts 22:28), which was not usual for Jews in Roman provinces. In the Roman Empire, citizenship outside of Italy was reserved for those who made significant contributions to the Empire, so it is thought that perhaps Saul’s family was wealthy and philanthropic. We can say with certainty that Saul’s father and mother were native Jews; therefore Paul calls himself a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5). He was of the tribe of Benjamin (the kingly tribe), which adhered to Judah in the national split. Benjamin was the favored son of the beloved Rachel, and not of less-loved Leah or a handmaid (Genesis 35:18). Saul’s father was a Pharisee, as was he (Acts 23:6). Saul had at least one sister and one nephew (Acts 23:16).
Education: Paul’s early education was in the schools of Tarsus, which was known as a “little Athens for learning.” There he would have become acquainted with the philosophy and poetry of the Greeks, which he later remembered and used (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12). At the traditional age of 14, young Saul was sent to the university at Jerusalem, where he studied the Torah (Jewish law). His tutor was Gamaliel, an eminent Pharisee (Acts22:3; cf. Titus 5:34). Thus Saul had the ultimate educational experience for a young Jewish male in that period.
Occupation: Paul was a professor and religious leader, but he also had a “blue collar” trade. He was a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). It was common at that time for Jews who were scholars to be taught a handcraft so they could earn their maintenance in difficult times. This was also in keeping with the Jews’ belief that, “He who does not teach his son a trade teaches him to steal.”
Conversion records: Paul was converted about two years after Christ’s ascension. His conversion is recorded three times in the sacred history of the church (Acts 9; Acts 22; Acts 26). Although some unbelievers have accused the Bible of undue repetition, this simply highlights the importance of Saul to Christianity. In Acts 9 the historian gives the basic facts of Saul’s conversion in a chronological treatment of the early years of the church. It was a most remarkable turn of events that led the church’s number one enemy to become the church’s number one promoter. He literally left Jerusalem on a mission of persecution and ended that journey as a part of the group he hated. Apart from literally seeing and speaking with Jesus on that Damascus road, it is impossible to explain such a change.
About twenty years later, in Acts 22, Paul relates the details of his conversion as part of his defense before a furious Hebrew mob (Acts 22:1). He tries to show them that Christianity was not a rival to Judaism, but the natural conclusion of it. It was a schoolmaster to bring men to Christ, as he later wrote (Galatians 3:24). The Jews listened to him until he mentioned the fact that Jesus was sending him to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21). Then they cried out that he should die, cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air. After soldiers rescued him from their violence, he was taken to a formal hearing before the Jewish council (Acts 23:1). This trial did not end any better. He was in danger of being pulled in pieces (Acts 23:10), and a plot to take his life was hatched (Acts 23:12, Acts 23:15). This was thwarted by soldiers taking him to Caesarea via a hasty nighttime mission Acts 23:23, Acts 23:31-33).
In Acts 26, Paul is again on trial—this time before the Romans. He relates the autobiographical material of his conversion to explain why he has ended up in Festus’s court. The point he makes is that Christianity is no threat to Rome. The proceeding ends much better, and if Paul had not earlier been forced to appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:11), he would have been set free (Acts 26:30-32). The paperwork had already begun its way up the chain, though, and he must see the appeal through to its conclusion. This worked out well for Christianity anyway and was doubtless in accord with God’s providence. Paul was escorted safely (and at Roman expense) to carry the gospel into the capital city itself.
Timeline: Saul was born about AD 3, so he was a contemporary of Jesus and the apostles, but he grew up in a different part of the world. He would have been in school in Jerusalem while Jesus was a carpenter in Nazareth; and while the future apostles were learning the fishing trade, or other occupations, up in Galilee, Saul was attending classes in Jerusalem. Saul was converted to Christ about AD 34, at age 31. He spent the final thirty years of his life in a dead run for heaven. During this time, he traveled 12,000 miles by sea and land, and evangelized 50 cities on three continents. He planted scores of churches
3: and wrote 14 preserved epistles (counting Hebrews)—100 of 260 New Testament chapters—over a 20-year period.
4:Tradition says he died by beheading in Rome in AD 64, at the age of 61.
Coach I think that it is true that Paul, as an apostle, does tower over the other apostles, such as Peter and James. We must believe that the conversion of Paul was probable the most dramatic of any. Meeting the Christ, face to face on the Damascus Road, must have been traumatic. Especially for someone who had been possibly the greatest persecutor of our Savior and Christians of the day.
Why is it that Paul had such a tremendous influence over the writing of the Gospels?
To answer the question I would have to conclude “because he did so much more than the other apostles like Barnabas, Peter and James.” Additionally, the records clearly show that Paul was influential in bringing Gentiles into the fold. The other disciples were main stream witnesses to the Jews of the time. In the final paragraph of research on Paul/Saul above much is pointed out concerning his accomplishments.
I agree, there is not enough written on such Biblical characters as Peter, James (brother of Jesus) and the others. Perhaps jointly we can correct this in the coming months.
I have enjoyed your comment and the issue we shared. Thank you for your comment and facts. I do appreciate them. Once again, Coach, please forgive my tardiness in returning to you – in the future I will make every effort to be more attentive.
May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless and keep you, your family and friends.
Yours in Christ;
Michael
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One thing that I must respectfully disagree with is the use of the term “conversion” when you talk about Shaul (that is his real name- no one ever called him Paul) receiving his calling from Yeshua. He was not, and never did, convert from Judaism. There was nothing to convert to- there were Jews, there were Jews who accepted Yeshua as the Messiah, there were pagans, and there were pagans who accepted Yeshua as the Messiah and were converting to Judaism. The only conversion that happened for over a hundred years after Yeshua’s resurrection were the pagans converting to Judaism. It was supposed to go slowly, and there was too much pressure from the “Judaizers”, but they were leaving the religion of the Romans and other pagan religions, and becoming Jews, following Torah, which is the ONLY thing that Yeshua taught. It wasn’t until Constantine that things really started turning bad and the greatest and most devastating schism in history- Jews and Christians forming as separate religions-occurred.
The anti-Semitic usage of the term “Paul’s conversion” and the constant references to the “early church” and the “Jews persecuting the Church” are the types of misdirection that the Enemy has inserted into our history that keeps Jewish people from even wanting to hear about Jesus. Any historical lesson should be historically accurate and culturally appropriate- conversion to Christianity and “the Church” did not happen during the 1st and 2nd century; at least, not as we would understand it using modern cultural and religious references.
Shaul was born, lived, and died a Jew’s Jew, a Pharisee, a man who always taught in the Jewish Temples first, and who carried the Good News of the Jewish Messiah to the Asian world. He never, never, never taught against the Torah- he, like Yeshua, defined and brought the true meaning of Torah to us all.
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Paul’s Hebrew name was pronounced shah-ool (שאול) in Hebrew (see also: Tzuar).
Since there is no sh sound in Greek, the Greeks would have pronounced it Sa’ool, which later became Anglicized as Saul.
Saul was a Pharisee and of Jewish origin; this can not be disputed and should not be. One can not convert from his roots (ancestry); however, one can convert from his/her religious association or affiliation. In olden days Jews were under the Law and thereby worshiped according to Jewish Law and the Laws of God. These laws consisted of over 600 different laws of which were to guide the Jewish people….
When the Messiah came to be and walked the earth there were God’s people (Jews) and pagans. They were referred to in many realms as Pagans and, in other translations, Gentile (non-Jews).. Their belief systems were not based upon God’s law and worship. When Christ came He did so NOT to “do away with the Law, but to fulfill it.”
It is unclear whether, or not, God Himself changed Saul’s name to Paul or whether his friends and family changed it…. what is clear though is that Paul (Saul) was appointed by God to witness to the Jews and Gentiles of the (known) world. It is also true that Paul converted many Jews to belief in Christ Jesus as the True Messiah and a new way of worshipping God through this Messiah (faith).
As a Christian I can not become a Jew through my belief of Jesus Christ. I am not made a Jew by becoming Christian or having this belief in Jesus Christ the true Messiah. However, I have become adopted by, and a joint heir of, God and all He possesses through Christ Jesus (the Messiah). Nor do I become a “Messianic Jew” by such belief…… in Christ.
I would agree, in the beginning, Christ spoke most from the Torah and taught God’s word through such, however, he also taught a new way and that new way was “through belief in Him, His resurrection and doing so through faith…” A new atonement was about to be given unto man. That atonement was Jesus Christ Himself.
I agree also that the Judeo-Christian faith has been lost in todays society. The coupling of the two has been separated and we need to bring back a lot of that connection so people will fully understand the significance of Judaism in our faith, Christianity. The connection is overwhelming to say the least….. it is no coincidence that the Old Testament of the Bible is from the Torah (and it’s Jewish history) and reflects the significance of Christianity with Judaism.
Shalom
Michael
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Only disagreement, I think there was no trial for Stephen, which makes his death on one level worse that the death of Christ. I say this with care and thought, for the hatred show to Stephen and the imnmediate ‘murder,’ was brutal, at least compared to the mock trial of Christ, where this was at least a false attempt to be fair-
That said, of course, Stephen did not die for the sins of the world-
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