The Apostle Paul
The apostle Paul was one of the most famous citizens of the Roman
Empire and without question one of the most influential individuals
in history. He was used by the Lord in his missionary and evangelistic
activities to set in motion a great deal of the organization known
as the Christian Church, the Body of Christ on earth, to the extent
that billions of human beings have been directly or indirectly
affected by his ministry. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
he wrote the foundation documents for the Christian way of life,
the Word of God which has changed the lives of millions.
Paul's Education
Paul was educated by his mother until the age of five. From age
five to ten he studied with his father in the Hebrew scriptures
and traditional writings. At the same time, being a Roman citizen
and living in a Greek and Roman environment, he received a thorough
education in the Greek language, history, and culture.
He was sent to Jerusalem at about the age of ten to attend the
rabbinical school of Gamaliel, who was the son of Simeon the son
of Hillel. Gamaliel was a most eminent rabbi who was mentioned
both in the Talmud and in the New Testament (Acts 5:24-40; 22:3).
Gamaliel was called Rabban - one of only seven teachers so called.
He was a Pharisee, but he rose above party prejudice. He composed
a prayer against the Christian "heretics". He lived
and died a Jew.
At this time, Herod was dead, and the Romans had complete control
of Judea, hence, there was Roman money, language, and culture.
The Jews, therefore, were inclined to cling more closely to their
religion as the center of unity. [Refer to the topic: Judean History]
There were two great rabbinical schools, those of Hillel and Schammai.
Hillel, the grandfather of Gamaliel, held that tradition was superior
to the Law. The school of Schammai despised traditionalists, especially
when there teachings clashed with the writings of Moses.
The religious school of Gamaliel (Hillel) was chiefly oral and
usually had a prejudice against any book but Scripture. They used
a system of Scriptural exegesis, and Josephus in his writings
expressed the wish to have such a power of exegesis. When school
was in session, learned men met and discussed scriptures, gave
various interpretations, suggested illustrations, and quoted precedents.
The students were encouraged to question, doubt, even contradict.
When Paul became a Christian, his very thorough education was
enormously helpful. He was able to assimilate Christian doctrines
rapidly and relate them accurately to the Scripture teaching he
had received. From his education, both from Gamaliel and in the
desert from the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul developed a divine viewpoint
attitude toward human history.
Paul knew that the existence of God can easily be perceived by
anyone, that man can become aware of God, but that many men's
deliberate sin halted this good beginning by immoral activities
which accompanied their idolatry. Therefore, Paul had an intense
hatred of idolatry of any kind.
Paul's teaching shows that the only reality is God. Idolatry distorts
man's conception of the world and external nature. Idolatry is
the enemy of mankind.
Paul knew the law of growth of human nature. As a Roman, Tarsian,
Hebrew, and culturally Greek, he knew of the many distortions
of the life of his society. As a nation becomes unhealthy, development
is halted. Societies errors as to the nature of God and the true
relation of God to man prevented nations from getting rid of their
besetting evil.
The books of Acts is the chief authoritative record for the ministries
of Paul and the other apostles. For a brief outline of Paul's
ministry, see the Chronological Table of Paul's Ministry. The
most thorough, accurate, and interesting secular work on Paul
is The Life and Epistles of St. Paul, by Conybeare and Howson.
Paul, The Prisoner for the Gentiles
The Lord made Paul a missionary to the Gentiles, even revealing
to him during the period of his arrest in Palestine, and during
his subsequent trials before Jewish and Roman authorities, that
he should "be of good cheer, for you must bear witness of
Jesus at Rome."
After a considerable stay at Antioch after his second missionary
journey, Paul departed and went over all the country of Galatia
and Phrygia in order to strengthen the disciples (Acts 18:23).
During this time, he also gave directions for the collection for
the poor in Jerusalem.
He came to Ephesus, probably in about 53 A.D. He found there twelve
disciples of Apollos who had only received John's baptism and
were not aware of the Holy Spirit and Church Age mysteries.
He taught three months in the synagogue in Ephesus. In the face
of opposition, he took his classes to the school of one, Tyrannus,
where he taught daily for two years. Exorcists were converted
and books of magic were burned by the new converts. He paid a
visit to Corinth, then returned to Ephesus where he wrote 1 Corinthians.
Paul left for Troas and Macedonia because of the danger in Ephesus
from the silversmiths and craftsmen who made articles for the
worship of Diana. (See Topic: Ephesus) He sailed to Macedonia
to meet Titus, landed at Neapolis and went to Philippi where he
was "comforted by Titus." He sent Titus to Corinth with
the second Corinthian letter and instructions for completing the
collection there for needy Christians.
Paul traveled through Macedonia and finally arrived at Corinth
himself, staying there about three months and writing Romans.
He took ship for Miletus where he met for a few days with Ephesian
elders. He then sailed (island hopping to Coos, Rhodes, and Patara)
to Tyre. From Tyre he wailed to Ptolemais and reached Caesarea.
Paul was warned not to visit Jerusalem. He went anyway and was
warmly received by the brethren. He had an interview with James
and the elders. A charge was brought against him by the Sanhedrin
that "he taught all the Jews among the Gentiles to forsake
Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their sons, neither
to walk after their customs." [For a discussion of the Sanhedrin,
see topic: Jewish Religious System]
The Sanhedrin asked Paul to do a public act of the Law in order
to prove his faith. There were four men who were to undergo the
ritual associated with the Nazarite vow, and Paul was requested
to put himself under that vow and to pay the costs of the other
four men. He did so.
After this some Jews from Asia stirred up the people against him,
charging him with bringing Greeks into the Temple. A Gentile man
from Ephesus named Trophimus was with Paul, and the Jews supposed
that Paul had brought him into the temple, which would have been
a sacrilege. The mob took Paul to kill him, but soldiers of the
Roman garrison appeared. Paul spoke to the mob in his own defense,
telling of his mission to the Gentiles. They shouted "Away
with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should
live." (Acts 22:1-23).
The Roman soldiers took Paul to the governor's castle for interrogation
by scourging, at which time Paul claimed his Roman citizenship.
The next morning he was taken before the Sanhedrin, but there
was no conclusion because of the dissension between the Sadducees
and Pharisees. Paul was taken back to the castle for protection,
and it was that night that the Lord appeared to Paul telling him
to "be of good cheer." (Acts 23:6- 10)
There arose a conspiracy among forty Jews to assassinate Paul,
but Paul's nephew brought him a warning of the plot. The Romans
decided to send him to Caesarea to Felix, the procurator (governor)
of Judea (Acts 22:21ff). Before Felix, Paul was merely asked from
province he had come. Five days later, the high priest Ananias
and some of the Sanhedrin appeared, with Tertullus as their advocate
(Acts 24:1- 9). They made charges, which Paul denied. Felix delayed
the proceeding further until Claudias Lysias, the captain of the
Roman troops n Jerusalem, could come to give evidence.
After a few days, Felix' wife, Drusilla, a Jewess, wanted to see
and hear Paul. Paul appeared and gave the gospel to Felix and
Drusilla. Felix trembled but was unrepentant. He wanted a bribe
from Paul so did not acquit him. (Drusilla died in the eruption
of Mt. Vesuvius, AD 79.)
Felix kept Paul a prisoner in Caesarea (under loose house arrest)
for two years until the arrival of Festus, the new governor. Festus
wanted Paul taken back to Jerusalem, but Paul was aware of the
danger there and uttered the Latin word Caesarem apello! -- "I
appeal to Caesar!" Festus was thus obliged to make arrangements
for Paul to travel to Rome under escort.
About this time, King Agrippa II, with his sister, Berenice, came
to visit Festus, the new governor. Festus pleaded ignorance of
Jewish law, so Paul made his testimony before Agrippa, with the
greatest of pomp and ceremony. This episode was one of the greatest
defenses of the gospel ever recorded. Agrippa said, "Almost
you persuade me ..."
Festus decided then that Paul was innocent or wrongdoing, and
he would have let him go free if he had not appealed to Caesar.
Paul's Voyage to Rome
Paul's escort on the trip to Rome was a platoon of Roman soldiers
under Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Cohort. They sailed
in a coasting vessel to Adramyttium and Sidon. Paul was given
liberty. The next port was Myra, from which they took ship to
Italy.
They sailed to Crete, stayed at the port of Fair Havens for one
month, sailed for Phoenix, and were driven on the rocks at Malta
where they stayed for three months. From Malta they sailed in
the vessel "Castor and Pollux" to Syracuse (Sicily)
and Rhegium, the port city of the Italian province of Puteoli.
From there they went to Rome on the Appian Way.
In Rome Paul dwelled in his own hired house under the supervision
of a Prefect of the Praetorian Guard. He was permitted t o hold
meetings, and he met with Jewish elders, winning some of them
to Christ. This period lasted two years, during which he wrote
Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians.
He was acquitted by Nero, so he was free to travel and did so.
His visits were to Crete and to Asia Minor; and it is widely thought
that he traveled in Spain on a missionary journey. He is thought
to have been arrested again in Ephesus and taken again to Rome
from there, but this time treated as a malefactor, with his friends
deserting him (except for Luke and Onesiphorus). There was persecution
in Rome at this time, and a campaign of terror by Nero against
the Christians. Paul was condemned and executed in Rome.
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give
me at that day."