Excursus, A Portrait of St. Paul

Lesson
#8
Excursus: A Portrait of St. Paul
Excursus, A Portrait of St. Paul
We rst met Saul at the stoning of Stephen, where he supervised Stevens

murder. On that same day, Saul began trying to destroy the church;
entering house a>er house and dragging out men and women, he handed
them over for imprisonment (8: 3). As we entered Lesson #7 we learned
that Saul, sEll breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the
Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for leHers to the synagogues in
Damascus, that, if he should nd any men or women who belonged to the
Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains (9: 1-2).
Sauls dramaJc conversion on the road to Damascus transformed him from
Saul, the greatest of sinners (1 Timothy 1: 15), to Paul, the greatest of saints.
But the transformaJon didnt take place overnight; aSer his conversion, Saul
sJll had a long way to go.
Lesson #8 oers an excursus, an exploraJon of Saul of

Tarsus, later known as St. Paul. Who was he? Where did he
come from? What was his background? Why was he in
Jerusalem? What were his moJves for haJng Christ?
Rembrandt. The Apostle Paul (oil on canvas), 1657.

NaJonal Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
When St. Paul is arrested in Jerusalem in

A.D. 57, charged with inciJng a riot and
mistakenly idenJed as an EgypJan
terrorist, he replies indignantly: I am a
Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a ciEzen of no
ordinary city (Acts 21: 39). Later, when he
is about to be ogged, Paul asserts his
Roman ciJzenship again in no uncertain
terms, prompJng an exchange with the
Roman commander:
Tell me, are you a Roman ciEzen? Yes, I
am, [Paul] answered. Then the
commander said, I had to pay a big price
for my ciEzenship.
But I was born a ciEzen, Paul replied.

(Acts 22: 27-28)
These two scenes speak

volumes about St. Paul, and
they tempt us to explore
Pauls background in more
depth. What do we really
know about Paul, and what
informed assumpJons might
we make about Pauls early,
formaJve years?
Ive always liked St. Paul, but I

know that many people have
diculty with him. He could
certainly be a curmudgeon . . .
me. s uer fools
and hNot
e didnt
gladly. He is surely one of the
most complex personaliJes in
Scripture.
Im a licle afraid
of him!
In St. Pauls day Tarsus was

the leading city on the
ferJle plain of East Cilicia,
located about ten miles
from the mouth of the
Cyndus River and about
thirty miles south of the
Cilician Gates.

! Tarsus
10
A Roman street from the Tarsus of St. Pauls day.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas
11
Strolling down a modern street in Tarsus.

12
Local school girls stop for a photo and to say hello!

13
Tarsus came under Roman rule as a result of

Pompeys victories, becoming the capital of
Cilicia and retaining its autonomy as a free
city (67 B.C.). Cicero resided in Tarsus while
serving as procounsul of Cilicia (51-50 B.C.),
and Julius Caesar visited the city in 47 B.C.
ASer Caesars assassinaJon in 44 B.C.,
Tarsus enjoyed the favor of Antony, and it
was in Tarsus in 41 B.C. that the celebrated
meeJng between Antony and Cleopatra
took place. Shakespeare describes the
meeJng best, as Cleopatras barge glides up
the Cyndus River:
14
The barge she sat in, like a burnishd throne,

Burnt on the water. The poop was beaten gold,
Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,
Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
The water which they beat to follow faster,
As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
It beggard all description: she did lie
In her pavilioncloth of gold, of tissue
Oer-picturing that Venus where we see
The fancy outwork nature. On each side her
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
With divers-colord fans, whose wind did seem to [glow] the
delicate cheeks which they did cool,
And what they undid did.
(Antony and Cleopatra, II, ii, 191-204)
15
The Cyndus River, just outside of town.

16
During the reign of Caesar Augustus (27 B.C.

A.D. 14) Tarsus enjoyed enormous privileges,
including exempJon from imperial taxaJon.
An extremely prosperous city, Tarsus derived
its wealth from the ferJle plain on which it
was located.
Strabo, the Greek historian, geographer and
philosopher writes in his Geography (xiv, 5.
12.) that Tarsus was a leading cultural and
educaJonal center, surpassing even Athens
and Alexandria. Its people, he says, were avid
in their pursuit of culture, applying
themselves to the study of philosophy,
literature, music and the whole round of
liberal arts.


17
When Paul claims to be a ciJzen of no

ordinary city, he certainly has jusJcaJon for
doing so.
And as one born a ciJzen Paul necessarily
came from a well-to-do family. Roman
ciJzenship was originally conned to freeborn
naJves of Rome, but as the Empire expanded
ciJzenship was extended to other people in
the provinces. Presumably, Pauls father,
grandfather or even great-grandfather had
acquired Roman ciJzenship, either by making
a signicant contribuJon to the Roman
Empire (militarily, or more likely,
economically), or by purchasing Roman
ciJzenship through poliJcal connecJons and
cash.


18
In addiJon, Dio Chrysostom, in his

OraEon (34, 23) tells us that enrolling
as a Roman ciJzen in Tarsus required
owning property in excess of 500
drachmaenot an easy threshold to
meet.
Pauls family clearly had both money
and status.

19
I didnt know that Tarsus was

such an important city and
cultural Mecca, and I sure
didnt know that St. Paul
came
from
a wealthy,
Not
me.
prominent family. I wonder
what his educaJon was like?
I always thought
the early
ChrisJans were
poor!
20
Although nothing suggests that Pauls family

were assimilated Jews (quite the contrary,
Paul claims to be a Hebrew [born] of
Hebrews; in regard to the Law, a
PhariseePhilippians 3: 5), Paul was
deeply exposed to Greco-Roman culture and
Roman educaJon. Pauls lecers evidence
considerable training in classical rhetoric,
and when he speaks at the Areopagus in
Athens he supports his argument by deSly
quoJng from the 6th-century B.C. Cretan
poet Epimenides (Acts 17: 28), a favorite of
the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers to
whom he is speaking.
Paul most certainly knew his classical
literature.


21
In St. Pauls day, children of well-to-do

families were taught by private tutors or at
private schools. Primary educaJon focused
on the basics of reading and wriJng, using
Roman literary works, especially poetry, as
models. Between nine and twelve years
old, students from auent families would
leave their primary educaJon and conJnue
the advanced study of Greek and hone their
speaking and wriJng skills. At 14 or 15
years old the most promising students then
focused on the study of deliberaJve or
judicial rhetoric. Such boys were from
exclusive, wealthy families and were being
groomed for the highest levels of public
oce and commerce.


22
One can only speculate on what level

St. Paul reached, although clearly he
is highly skilled in Greek rhetoric,
easily adapJng his speech and
wriJng to his audience, suggesJng
he had reached a very high
educaJonal level.

23
It seems to me that St.

Paul had a superb
classical educaJon, one
that groomed him for a
Not
me. in law
brilliant
career
or poliJcs.
Im glad he made
a becer career
choice!
24
At some point in Pauls educaJon his

family sent him to Jerusalem
(accompanied perhaps by his sistersee
Acts 23: 16) for advanced religious study.
Like all Jewish boys, Paul had been well
schooled in Scripture and Oral Law at the
local synagogue, but once in Jerusalem
Paul became a student of the greatest
Rabbi of his century, Gamaliel (Acts 22: 3).
The grandson of the great Hillel, Gamaliel
was a leader of the Sanhedrin and possibly
its President. Only the brightest and most
promising student could possibly secure a
posiJon under such a man.

25
Paul traveling from Tarsus to

Jerusalem to study under Gamaliel is
like Beethoven traveling from Bonn
to Vienna to study under Joseph
Haydn, or like a newly minted Cal
Tech Ph.D.
in m
physics
Not
e. traveling from
Pasadena to Cambridge for a post-
doctorial fellowship under Stephen
Hawking.
I wonder what
St. Pauls IQ
was?
26
Paul had an extraordinary educaJon,

available only to the brilliant son of a
wealthy and inuenJal family. Born into
privilege as a Jew and a Roman ciJzen,
Paul was steeped in both secular and
religious educaJon; he was uent in at
least four languages: Hebrew, Aramaic,
Greek and LaJn; he was being groomed for
leadership in the Sanhedrin; and he was
absolutely commiced to his beliefs.
F.F. Bruce writes that even if the events on
the road to Damascus had never
happened, history would sJll know of Saul
of Tarsus: he was desJned for greatness.

27
In that way, St. Paul was similar to

Moses. Moses was also brought up
in a privileged family as the adopted
grandson of Pharaoh, and as St.
Stephen said, he was educated in all
me. and
the wisdom of tNot
he EgypEans
was powerful in words and
deeds (Acts 7: 22).
What Moses was to
the Old Testament,
St. Paul is to the
New!
How did you

know that?
Youre a dog!
28
So, Saul of Tarsus was an extraordinarily

well-educated young man, living in
Jerusalem at the Jme of Jesus. He was an
adult student of the great Gamaliel, and he
had access to the leaders of the Sanhedrin
and to the high priest himself.
He was the rising star in Judaism.
So, what caused his intense hatred of Jesus
and the Church? As he himself says to king
Agrippa: I was so enraged against them
that I pursued them even to foreign
ciEes (Acts 26: 11). The Greek word is
ejmmaivnomai, a compound of ejn (in) and
maivnonai (behave as manic); that is,
locked in a frenzy of rage.
29
Maybe it began at Passover,

A.D. 32, when Jesus rides
into Jerusalem on what we
call Palm Sunday.
e. in
Recall Not
the m
story
Luke 19: 28-40.
Humm.
I think youre on to
something here!
30
Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

(19: 28-40)
After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up
to Jerusalem. As he drew near to Bethphange and
Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he
sent two of his disciples. He said, Go into the village
opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt
tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and
bring it here. And if anyone should ask you, Why are
you untying it? you will answer, The Master has need
of it. So those who had been sent went off and
found everything just as he had told them.
(19: 28-31)
Confronta?on
31

So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the
colt, and helped Jesus to mount. As he rode along, the
people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as
he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the
whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud
with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They
proclaimed:
Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.
(19: 35-38)
Confronta?on
32

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
Teacher, rebuke your disciples. He said to them in
reply, I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will
cry out.
(19: 39-40)
Confronta?on
33
The words of the crowd are posiJvely

incendiary!
Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.
Luke draws on Machew and Mark for the

words of the crowd, a quote from Psalm 118:
26, but only Luke adds the word king to the
quote, making explicit the crowds
proclamaJon of a new king, one represenJng
a new kingdom.
Jesus triumphal entry deliberately recalls
Solomons entry into Jerusalem, when David
elevates him to the throne in 1 Kings 1:
38-40.
Was Saul of Tarsus there?
Confronta?on
34
As the rising young star in Judaism,

Saul had a vested interest in
maintaining and defending the
status quo, and Jesus acJons are
blatantly inammatory.
That is only reinforced when Jesus
arrives at the southern steps of the
Temple with a whip, driving out the
merchants and money changers,
shouJng: It is wriHen, My house
shall be a house of prayer, but you
have made it a den of thieves (Luke
19: 46).


35
Unknown. Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple (oil on panel), c. 1570.
NaJonal Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen.
36
The next day the religious leaders confront

Jesus and demand: By what authority are
you doing these things? Or who is the one
who gave you this authority? Jesus replies:
I shall ask you a quesEon. Tell me, was
Johns bapEsm of heavenly or of human
origin? ASer discussing it, the religious
leaders say, We dont know. And Jesus says,
in eect, I didnt think so!
This exchange publically humiliates the
religious leaders, and we can only imagine the
crowds guawing at them as they are taken
aback.


37
Jesus presses the acack, regaling the

crowds with the parable of the
tenant farmers, a scathing
indictment of the religious leaders.
Once more the crowds cheer him on,
and the religious leaders can do
nothing, for the crowds are huge, and
they hang on Jesus every word,
delighted at Jesus audacity and his
rapier wit in skewering the corrupt
authoriJes.


38
Next, the religious leaders sent agents

pretending to be righteous who were to trap
him in his speech, discrediJng him before the
crowds. It would take a very clever man to do
so.
The most clever of them asks, Is it lawful for
us to pay tribute to Caesar or not?knowing
that answering either yes or no will
discredit him before the crowds or get him
arrested by the Roman authoriJes.
Jesus then asks the man for a coin; the man
tosses it to him, and Jesus displays Caesars
picture on the coina coin the people may
not bring into the Temple precincts, but the
religious leaders do.
Did Saul of Tarsus toss the coin?

39
TiJan. Tribute Money (oil on panel), 1516.

Old Masters Gallery, Dresden.
40
When Judas led a crowd to the Garden of

Gethsemane to arrest Jesus, was Saul of
Tarsus among them?
Although Saul was not yet a member of the
Sanhedrin, was he present (perhaps as an
assistant) at the home of the high priest,
Caiaphas, during Jesus trial?
When Jesus was accused before Pilate at the
Antonia Fortress, did Saul of Tarsus shout
from the crowd, Crucify him!?
On the cross we read that The people stood
by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile,
sneered at him and said, He saved others, let
him save himself if he is the chosen one, the
Messiah of God (Luke 23: 35), was Saul of
Tarsus among them; did Saul of Tarsus say the
words?

41
Finally, when Stephen stands

before the Sanhedrin, speaking
boldly against the Temple and the
law of Moses deeming both
irrelevantand then when he
accuses the high priest and
religious leaders of the betrayal
and murder of Jesusdoes that
nally push Saul over the edge,
triggering his own murderous rage?

42
Wow! I had never thought about

it that way. If any one of those
statements is true, that would go
a long way toward explaining
Not me.
Sauls over-the-top,
rage and
his hatred of Jesus and the
Church.
Isnt it ironic that

Jesus chose Saul
to be THE
Apostle!
43
This saying is
trustworthy and
deserves full
acceptance: Christ
Jesus came into the
world to save sinners.
Of these I am the
foremost.
(1 Timothy 1: 15-17)
El Greco. St. Paul (oil on canvas), 1600.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Lewis, Missouri.
44
For an in-depth study of St. Paul, listen to Dr. Creasys 24-lecture course,
Paul, from Sinner to Saint, on Audible.com.
50+ reviews, 4.7 stars!
45
1. What was St. Pauls hometown of Tarsus

noted for?
2. What evidence do you nd to support the
idea that St. Paul had a 1st class educaJon in
classical literature and rhetoric?
3. Why did St. Paul move from Tarsus to
Jerusalem?
4. Had St. Paul met Jesus prior to his encounter
with him on the Road to Damascus?
5. What were Sauls moJves for persecuJng the
Church?
46
Copyright 2015 by William C. Creasy

All rights reserved. No part of this courseaudio, video,

photography, maps, Jmelines or other mediamay be
reproduced or transmiced in any form by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any
informaJon storage or retrieval devices without permission in
wriJng or a licensing agreement from the copyright holder.
47

Excursus, A Portrait of St. Paul

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Deskripsi Asli:

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Excursus, A Portrait of St. Paul

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Lesson