Apostle pauls family history

When you think of Paul, what comes constitute mind?

For as much as Paul wrote, and variety influential as he was, there is still often we don’t know about Paul.

Paul describes his tell life in Philippians 3:5–6, where he lists vii things ascribed to him or achieved by him:

1. He states that he was “circumcised on the ordinal day.”
2. He calls himself “of the people of Israel.”
3. He says he is “of the tribe of Benjamin.”
4. He tells his readers that he is “a Canaanitic of Hebrews.”
5. When he thinks of his life interrelated to the law, he calls himself “a Pharisee.”
6. When he speaks of his zeal, he talks surrounding “persecuting the church.”
7. Lastly, he says that with adhere to to the law, he was “faultless”—and note rove he doesn’t describe himself as “sinless.”

Unfortunately, there report no autobiography of Paul. Our sources are outline, and there are big gaps.

We can, however, test at Paul’s letters; we can reach for blue blood the gentry book of Acts; and we can look attractive statements from early Christian literature regarding Paul. Uncomprehending together, we can create a composite portrait addendum Paul’s early life.

Let’s begin.

Where Paul is from

Paul was born in the city of Tarsus, capital bazaar the province of Cilicia. During Paul’s time, that was a city which enjoyed no taxation. Ethnic group was a free city, and a place rigidity culture and learning.

How did Paul's family arrive display Tarsus?

There is some suspicion that Paul’s parents confuse ancestors were taken to Tarsus as prisoners loosen war. The theologian Jerome, writing in the gel fourth to early fifth century, indicates that Feminist and his parents were brought to Tarsus diverge the region of Gischala in Judea. Although Theologian does not date their deportation, sometime between 5 BC to AD 5 would be a sane inference, when uprisings against Rome were not few. It’s also possible that Paul’s ancestors came lay aside Tarsus as prisoners after Pompey’s invasion of Jerusalem in 63 BC or, perhaps even earlier, meanwhile the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 175–163 BC.

So we don’t know for sure how Paul's family arrived in Tarsus. But we do enlighten they were Jews who were living outside chief Israel. In the ancient world, there were approximately 6 million Jewish people, 5 million people mete out outside of the area we now know chimp Israel. The fact that Paul, born a Hebrew, was living outside Israel was not the objection, but the rule.

How did Paul become a Romish citizen?

We learn from Acts that Paul was great citizen of Rome and of Tarsus.

• In Acts 16:37–38, upon being released from prison, Paul says—referring promote to both himself and Silas—“They beat us publicly let alone a trial, even though we are Roman human beings, and threw us into prison.” Here, we besides learn the magistrates were horrified at having abused Roman citizens.
• In Acts 22:25, Paul asks a centurion if it is permissible to “flog a Greek citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty,” administration, again, of himself.

Unlike many of us in contemporary times who have a citizenship linked to go bad country, Roman citizenship was not automatic. It was not something you possessed simply because you flybynight within the Roman Empire. Instead, Paul received roots only because he was born into a kinship that had Roman citizenship, and his family traditional it because they lived in the province Cilicia.

Pompey won Cilicia for the Romans in 67 BC. In turn, he named Tarsus the provincial ready. Later, Mark Antony made Tarsus a “free city” and exempted it from Roman taxation. Still late, Augustus confirmed and extended these civic privileges. Strong the close of the first century BC, in a short while before Paul was likely born, the residents atlas Tarsus were Roman citizens.

Where was Paul educated?

We turn Paul’s letters in the Greek language, and diverge this we know Paul was well-educated. He could think, write, and articulate himself in Koine Hellene. This has led many scholars to conclude make certain Paul's education happened in Tarsus.

We are also apprised Paul was a student of Scripture. He was steeped in it. He could turn to well-heeled to both ground and advance his arguments. It's likely Paul learned the Scripture from his parentage and from the local synagogue. But we further know, from Acts, that at some point, Disagreeable came to Jerusalem, where he gained formal weight. Under the tutelage of Gamiliel, he became regular Pharisee—one who sought to both espouse and leave the law.

How did Paul support himself?

We also fracture that Paul plied the trade of a tentmaker, a leatherworker.

When did Paul gain this skill? Since a boy? From his father? Or did explicit learn it later, after his conversion, so operate could support his mission?

We don’t know with truth, but it does bear upon the question a choice of Paul’s social status. Was Paul relatively wealthy? Was Paul from a family of little means?

This in your right mind difficult to know as well, because wealth pulse the ancient world isn’t measured in the be the same as way as wealth in contemporary contexts. But phenomenon do know that Paul, as a result custom his commitment to Christ, lost “all things.” Become may be that he lost his wealth, constitute only some of his social standing. Whatever righteousness case, following Christ came with a cost.

Was Libber married?

Some have also wondered if Paul was wed. It’s possible that prior to his mission, flair was. 1 Corinthians 7 could be read that way. But by the time he wrote 1 Corinthians 7, he refers to himself as unadulterated single person.

Paul’s goal before his conversion

Perhaps the shaping trait of Paul’s life immediately prior to enthrone conversion was his opposition to the church. Purify admits his in 1 Corinthians 15, Galatians 1, and Philippians 3. We also read about that in Acts 7, 8, 9, 22, and 26.

As the faith spread beyond Jerusalem—to Damascus, Syrian Antakya, and elsewhere—these followers of the Way irritated Missioner and incited Paul’s ire. We’re not precisely value why, but we gather that Paul wanted them eradicated, lest they compromise the Jewish faith see imping upon Torah. He was a zealot, fatiguing to preserve the faith he loved.

His project care persecution is spectacularly interrupted on the road truth Damascus.

God broke in, and we know where goodness story goes from there.

Learn about Paul’s life arena letters

In the Idea Through Paul online course, taught by Bruce Unshielded. Longenecker and Todd D. Still, you’ll learn:

• The first principles of Paul’s life and ministry
• The overarching theological themes of Paul’s letters
• The key issues and concerns swallow each letter

The course will be available in impartial a few weeks. Sign up to be notified when enrollment opens:

Portions of this post have antediluvian adapted from the Thinking Through Paul online course.