BACKGROUND: "Set apart (by God) from the day of my birth" (Gal. 1:15)
Saul's upbringing and formation uniquely prepared him for his apostolic life. The Tradition in the early Church ( according to St. Jerome ) was that Saul's family originally came from Galilee. They moved to Tarsus in Cilicia and before Saul's birth, had acquired the prized Roman citizenship.
Paul, in later years , was insistent on the importance of three aspects of this background:
- He was a Hebrew, born of Hebrews ( that is, not just a Diaspora Israelite he belonged (Phillipians 3 : 5);
- "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city", he informs the Tribune in Jerusalem ( Acts 21 : 39). The Greek historian/ geographer/ philosopher Strabo ( 63/64 B.c - A.D. 24 ) says of Tarsus : " ....there was much zeal for philosophy and all other aspects of education generally among the inhabitants so that in this respect they surpassed even Alexandria, Athens and any other place ( Geog. 14. 5. 13 )." This pagan source backs up Paul's claim.
- "Tell me are you a Roman Citizen? And he said, " Yes....But I was born a citizen ." Paul insists on his rights as a Roman Citizen Again, he belonged. ( Emphasis added.)
The decision of his devout Pharisaic Jewish family to send him at age
15 yrs to Jerusalem to be educated in the Law by the great Gamaliel, only
enhanced the weight of his birth claim as a Hebrew. In stressing the
importance of Tarsus he is reminding the Tribune that he is not just
some yokel. When asserting his Roman citizenship he is asserting his
standing, protecting his life and mission from the venom of the Jews and
setting up the possibility of reaching Rome in due course when he
appeals to Caesar.
EDUCATION
Not much is known of Saul's early education in the stimulating
intellectual environment of Tarsus. We know enough of Pharisees and the
practice of devout Jews, steeping their children in detailed study of
the Law and scriptures. We also know that Saul spoke Greek well. When he
first addresses the Tribune, the immediate surprised response is : "
Do you know Greek?" ( Acts 21 : 37)
Among the Jews and most Middle Eastern peoples at that time, Aramaic was
the everyday language. Paul also spoke Hebrew, the classical language
of the rabbinical scholars. His use of it ( Acts 22 : 2 ) wins some
respect from the Jewish mob that brought him before the Tribune. Further,
Jesus speaks to him in Hebrew on the Damascus road ( Acts 26 : 14 ).
Paul's writing does not use the classical Attic Greek but Koine, the
language of the ordinary people, not only in Greece but in the various
international communities around the Mediterranean world. He makes
several references, quoted in epigrams, to Greek literature in his
writing :
1 Cor. 15 : 33 - Menander, Thais 218
Acts 17 : 28 - Epimenides : Aratus
Titus 2 : 12 - Epimenides
But as likely as not, these epigrams were in common use and not
necessarily evidence of classical Greek education. We know from his own
remarks that Paul sustained himself by his work as a tentmaker , so that
he would be no burden on those to whom he preached. It seems at least
possible that he acquired this trade during his time in Arabia where it
would have been commonly needed and practised, and where he needed
physical sustenance.
PRESENCE
Surprisingly in the New Testament context, where silence about the
appearance of those mentioned is the norm, we know a good deal about St.
Paul's appearance and manner. The lack of charity on the part of his
critics gives us a dramatic picture, either directly or through Paul's
responses :
2 Cor. 10 : 10 "...but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account"
Gal. 4 : 13-14 " You know that it was because of a bodily ailment
that I preached the gospel to you at first; and though my condition was a
trial to you ...."
2 Cor. 10 : 1 " I who am humble when face to face with you..."
1 Cor. 1: 17 " Christ...(sent)...me..to preach the Gospel, and not
with eloquent wisdom " (Knox translation : ..""not with an orator's
cleverness").
1 Cor. 2: 1 " ...I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony
of God in lofty words or wisdom" ( Knox Translation : "...without any
high pretensions to eloquence or philosophy".)
Yet surely we know even more about his presence from its results. He
founds and fosters burgeoning local churches around the Middle East. He
has a host of dedicated disciples around the region seeking his return
visits. He is treated like a son by the mother of Rufus (Romans 16 :13 )
son of Simon of Cyrene ( Mark 15 : 21 ).
He is treated with reasonable regard by the Roman Tribune in Jerusalem,
by the Procurator Felix and by his successor Porcius Festus, by King
Agrippa who has to resort to feeble humour to evade Paul's effort to
convert him, and by the Roman Centurion Julius who is to conduct him to
Rome for trial. And, under house arrest in Rome he makes converts even "
in the Emperor's household" - no doubt some of the Emperor's Praetorian
Guard, members of which guarded Paul in his house pending Caesar's
decision.
These two sets of facts seem at odds. But perhaps the apocryphal "Acts
of Paul and Thecla" can offer a solution. It contains the description :
"....and he saw Paul coming, a man of little stature, thin haired upon
the head, crooked in the legs, with eyebrows joining, and nose somewhat
hooked, full of grace: for sometimes he appeared like a man, and sometimes he had the face of an angel." ( Emphasis added.)
The intense criticism of Paul comes from the Corinthians. Corinth, with
its rich sea port was the largest city in Greece. It had been devastated
in 146 B.C. when the Romans under Lucius Mummius sacked it, put all the
men to the sword and sold the women and children into slavery. More
recently it had been re-settled by Julius Caesar with freedmen from
Rome. The new Corinth became famous for its wealth and luxury and the
immoral and vicious habits of its people.
Paul's first visit in A.D. 51/52 lasted 18 months when Gallio, the brother of Seneca, was Pro-Consul.
It is clear that the citizens of worldly, wealthy Corinth tended to
backslide when Paul had gone and became resentful of the firm teaching
in Paul's letters. The more recently arrived Apollos ( from Ephesus
where Paul had asked Aquila and Priscilla to complete Apollos' Christian
education) would seem to have had a classical background, and to have
been an accomplished orator in the highly conventionalised style of
Greek custom ( head raised, arms thus and thus and hand just so). They
contrasted this with Paul's humility and sincerity and, in their worldly
way, found Paul lacking.
But when we consider the list of Paul's sufferings :
" I have toiled harder, spent longer days in prison, been beaten so
cruelly, so often looked death in the face. Five times the Jews scourged
me, and spared me but one lash in the forty; three times I was beaten
with rods, once I was stoned; I have been shipwrecked three times, I
have spent a night and a day as a castaway at sea, danger among false
brethren! I have met with toil and weariness, so often been sleepless,
hungry and thirsty; so often denied myself food, gone cold and naked." (
2 Cor. 11 : 23-27). He might well have appeared somewhat worn and "crooked in the legs! "
Paul refers ( 2 Cor. 12 : 7 ) to a " thorn ...given me in the flesh" (
RSV Translation - Knox Translation : " a sting to distress my outward
nature.") The original Vulgate Translation from the Greek to Latin as
"stimulus carnis" led to the conclusion that this was a sensual
temptation. However Monsignor Ronald Cox suggests that Monsignor Ronald
Knox' Translation of the passage is the better rendition of the original
Greek and suggests some recurring malady, with external symptoms. In
this connection, we note St. Paul's comment in Galatians (4 : 13-14 ) "
you know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the Gospel
to you first; and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not
scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ
Jesus." This suggests some embarassing but not disabling physical
condition which may have been recurring - something seriously troubling
to Paul - a trial to be overcome.
As Paul says elsewhere ( 1 Cor. 9 : 27), " I buffet my own body,and make
it my slave, or I, who have preached to others, may myself be rejected
as worthless."
PERSONALITY
In Saul we see a privileged, hyper zealous Pharisee, better educated in
his religion than most, an activist we might say - but a leader - not
one to " get his hands dirty". Saul goes with the mob which is to kill
St. Stephen " and was consenting to his death" (Acts 8 : 1 ) but stood
back minding the clothes of those who did the murderous deed. ( Acts 7 :
58 )
In his activist leadership role Saul secures from the Chief Priests a
warrant to pursue Christians, even in remote locations. Evidently his
scholarly brilliance and his zeal had opened doors for him. He was no
doubt well connected, being a leading pupil of Gamaliel.
But on the Damascus road he encounters Jesus Christ - the encounter is
overwhelmingly transforming. After his consequent blindness is lifted by
Ananias in the house in Straight Street, Damascus, and he is Baptised,
he is no longer the " clean hands" activist leader - no longer obsessed
by the Law, but driven by the love of Jesus Christ and His commission to
preach the Gospel to the World.
So dramatic is the transformation, that
2,000 years later a " Damascus road experience " is still a common
metaphor.
So powerful, so pervasive was this direct revelation by Christ that
Paul, after his Baptism went off to "Arabia " for several years. He
tells us nothing of what he did there. We hear relatively little of
Arabia in the writings of the time. It lay to the East and the South of
Judea constituting what is to-day Jordan and Saudi Arabia : largely
desert. The region was at the time controlled by the Himyarites, a
people who could not be subdued even by a 10,000 strong Roman Army under
Aelius Gallus, despatched from Egypt by Augustus in 24 B.C.
We can only conclude that Paul spent his time in these desert lands in
prayer, fasting and meditation on the profound Revelation he had
received.
It was a transformed Paul who emerged onto the active mission field. He
is right in the midst of the work. No more the elite zealot. He is
personally involved in winning souls for Christ. Through the pages of
the Acts of the Apostles and Paul's Epistles, we see a new man -
marvellously matured, loving, vigorous, adventurous, brave, bold in
preaching and extraordinarily learned in Sacred Scripture and in
theological understanding.
Mentally, Paul is as sharp as a tack. His sometimes lengthy but always
relevant expositions of the history of the Jewish people and religion
are brilliant. Even more remarkable is his quick thinking under pressure.
Dragged before the Chief Priests and under great threat, he nimbly
diverts the whole proceedings by claiming he is being persecuted because
he is a Pharisee and believes in life after death. He well knows the
Pharisee vs Sadducee divisions among the priests, who then turn on each
other. In Athens, he notices the shrine to "an unknown God" and wastes
no time in telling the Athenians this is the One True God he is
preaching. His analysis and enunciation of the consequences of the new
dispensation for converted Jews is incisive and clear thinking in a
situation which many found confusing and troubling. He insists that the
Gentiles have no need to follow the observances of the Law and that the
Jewish converts need no longer do so and must not try to impose them on Gentile converts.
His personal convictions, even in optional matters are strong. This did
not always make him easy to get along with. Having concluded his first
missionary journey ( according to our customary division of his travels)
at Antioch, he proposes to his companion Barnabas that they should
travel back the way they have come, re-visiting each of the churches.
Barnabas wishes to take Mark with them, but Paul will not agree, since
Mark had left their first journey when they reached Pamphylia rather
than confront the rugged mountains and wild tracks of Galatia. Their
disagreement was so sharp that Barnabas returned to his native Cyprus
with Mark. Paul went on as he had intended, with Silas. Interestingly,
Paul later revised his view of Mark who was with him during his
imprisonments in Rome. Barnabas remained in Cyprus for the rest of his
life, becoming known as the Apostle of Cyprus.
Paul retains his human characteristics. Somehow the apocryphal "
eyebrows joining" ring true. For in popular belief they are a sign of a
fiery temper. Paul certainly shows signs of that. Though, as the years
go by it is moderated under the influence of grace and love. And, in his
writing, we are often taken along verbally as he warms to a topic, and
in one or two notable examples most translations demurely modify or,
shall we say, re-phrase some of his more excitable utterances.
But, through it all,we come to love Paul who spends himself totally for
the love of Jesus Christ and His Church. It is easy to visualise Paul -
this smallish man, of somewhat worn appearance, betrayed only by his
eyes. Eyes that are aglow with the light of the fire that burns in his
spirit and heart. As we read his words, his charismatic presence
inspires us, his unflagging drive and boldness in bringing Christ to us
opens our hearts and souls to the movement of the Holy Spirit as Paul
continues to preach the Word made Flesh.
TONY DIXON
Copyright This article first appeared in the July 2008 Issue of FOUNDATION.
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