" PAST " SAINT PAUL Part Two SAINT PAUL AND HIS WORLD

 

SAINT PAUL

 

 Saint Paul’s World


Saul was born between A.D. 2 and 5  in Tarsus in the Roman Province of Cilicia. It stood opposite the north coast of the island of Cyprus and the west coast of Syria. Rome then controlled almost the entire Mediterranean coast from Spain along the north coast to the eastern extremity, and then along the African coast to Numidia.

Caesar Augustus then 65-68 years old, would have been the only Emperor Saul’s parents had known. When they had been growing up stories of the conquests of Pompey Magnus in the region including, significantly for them as Jews, the conquest of Jerusalem in 63 BC, would have been commonplace.

Augustus’ rule had brought steadily increasing prosperity and order to the Empire and consequently to the lives of Saul’s parents. They were Roman citizens, the prized status of the ancient world, a status Saul inherited. How they had gained that status we do not know, but Philo of Alexandria tells us that Augustus made it possible for the Jews of Rome to become Roman citizens, so perhaps Saul’s grandparents had originally gained that status. There were many paths to citizenship, some requiring lengthy and arduous service (e.g. in the army or some public service). As orthodox Jews they could at times have faced difficulties in relation to public acts of piety to the Roman Gods, although more normally Jews benefitted from surprising concessions.

In A.D. 4 Augustus legally adopted Tiberius, the son of his wife Livia, and named him as his successor.

Historical records of the region and time are rich, not only because of Roman historians, but especially because of the writings of the Romanised Jewish prince/priest/historian Flavius Josephus (A.D. wwwwwwwwwww37  – 95? ). Stories of the recurring strife in Judea would have regularly reached the Jewish communities of the region and so would have been well known to Saul and his family. Pompey’s conquest had not brought lasting peace, but merely a new lid to the Judean political cauldron.

The Romans installed as King of Judea the infamous Herod “the Great”. Unlike the Hasmodean kings who preceded him, he did not claim the High Priesthood, to which he had no right in any case. Instead he appointed his youthful (scarcely 18) brother-in-law Aristobulus who was a member of a legitimate Jewish royal family, unlike Herod. Unhappily for Herod and also Aristobulus, the young man became exceptionally popular with the masses. He was drowned in the palace pool in Jericho. The people blamed Herod for this first of a series of murders.

Henceforth Herod appointed common priests with no right to it, to the High Priesthood. Their only qualification was docility. Herod’s briefly ruling successor Archelaus did the same.

The High Priesthood became ever more decadent – an office bought and sold – the source of violent competition between four families ranged against each other and even degenerating into stone-throwing battles. There were as many as 28 High Priests in 107 years, whereas there had been only 93 since the time of Aaron in the 13th century BC. The Jewish Talmud sums it up: “For they are High Priests, their sons are treasurers, their sons-in-law administrators and their servants beat the people with rods.” (Pesahim 57a).

Poisoned by his wife Livia, Augustus died in A.D.  14  and was succeeded by Tiberius. Saul was about ten years old. Five years later his parents sent him to Jerusalem to further his religious studies. At the feet of the great Pharisee doctor of the Jewish law, Gamaliel, a leader of the Sanhedrin, Saul studied for five years until 20 AD. During this period Gamaliel, who is well-known to history, would have been in his prime. We know that he died 32 years later. It was Gamaliel who convinced the Sanhedrin to release the apostles (after 39 strokes of the rod) when they were arrested for preaching the Word.

The Pharisees (the word comes from “parash”/”perush” – “separate”/”separatist”) had their origins around the second century BC in a group known as the “Hasidim” – pious and devout men of Israel – who opposed the then current Hellenistic tendencies and adhered strictly to the Law of God. In 167 BC they had become politically active in resisting the ruler Antiochus Epiphanes. But after the re-dedication of the Temple in 164 BC and the restoration of Jewish religious practice, they became more and more concentrated on strict religious practice. Josephus describes them as one of the three mainstreams of Jewish religious practice at the time, the others being the Sadducees and the Essenes (of Dead Sea Scroll fame).

Nevertheless, the religious rigorism of the Pharisees led them back into the political sphere around 128 BC. One of their number openly cast doubt on the legitimacy of the birth of the High Priest Hyrcanus and his right to hold office. The Pharisees closed ranks around their brother and Hyrcanus and the rulers from then on promoted the interests of the Sadducees. Despite them, popular support went increasingly with the Pharisees. So much so, that by the time of Herod “the Great” the Pharisees needed to be dealt with most carefully, even though they seem to have numbered only 5% of the population. Around 20 BC Herod required all citizens to swear an oath of loyalty to him. The 6,000 Pharisees refused but instead of being executed, they were simply fined.

In Saul’s early twenties in A.D. 26 , the new Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate took up his position. The Romans had reverted to direct rule after the death of Archelaus, Herod’s successor. As Procurator, Pilate was the Emperor Tiberius’ personal representative. When Our Lord was crucified in A.D. 30.  Saul was in his mid-twenties. Procurator Pilate’s principal roles were to collect the taxes, keep the peace and administer justice He was based at Caesarea and had at his disposal only 3,000 troops. In the event of any serious trouble he would be obliged to call on the Governor of Syria who had four legions at his disposal, including the Legio X Fretensis which would much later be transferred to Judea.

(It should be noted here that the “Pilate Stone” discovered in 1976 actually shows his title as “Prefect” but we have maintained the customary reference “Procurator”).

As always (even today) Judea was in ferment. The Roman puppet kings Herod Agrippa in Galilee, his brother Phillip in Ituraea and Lysanias in Abilene had uneasy relations with the Procurator Pilate. The High Priest Annas had been succeeded by his son-in-law Caiphas and the religious governing Council the Sanhedrin was tensely split between the parties of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. To add further to the general air of tension Pilate himself was constantly uncertain of his relations with the Emperor after Tiberius had given him only qualified support in an earlier trial of strength with the Jews which had been appealed to the Emperor.

Saul’s conversion – giving us the Apostle Paul – is generally dated around A. D.33  or A.D. 34 . He was then between 28 and 32 years old.

 

 

 Around A.D. 36  Herod Agrippa, whilst visiting Rome, was overheard venturing the opinion that it would be better if Tiberius were dead. This promptly landed him in prison. Prior to this he had been a favourite of Tiberius and a boon companion of the vilely corrupt young Caligula. Tiberius did in fact die in A.D. 37 . Caligula succeeded him and made his friend Herod Agrippa King of Judea, restoring the unity of the regions last seen under Archelaus.

Caligula, whose excesses and insanity proved too much even for decadent Rome, was murdered in A.D. 41 . Improbably he was succeeded by the lame, stuttering but shrewd and effective Emperor Claudius. When Herod Agrippa died under horrible circumstances (recounted in the Acts of the Apostles) in A.D. 44  Claudius did not replace him, but reverted to direct Roman rule of Judea by Procurators. He also reserved to himself the right to decide who should appoint the High Priests.

By this time Paul had been a Christian and an Apostle for about ten years. He had spent an extended period in Arabia and visited Damascus and Jerusalem. In Jerusalem his preaching was so powerful that his safety was feared for (Acts 9:30) and he returned to Tarsus for four or more years. But around A.D. 46 Barnabus sought Paul, asking him to come to Antioch to assist with already successful preaching of the Word there, which he did for one year, “and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians” (Acts 11.26).

In A.D. 49  – Saul was between 44 and 47 years old – Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome on account of “Chrestus”. The consensus seems to be that this is not a garbled reference to Christ or Christians on the part of the historian Suetonius as the name “Chrestus” appears to have been current at the time. The Jewish community in Rome is thought to have totalled about 40,000. Some of those expelled were, or became, Christians and had contact with Paul as in the case of Aquila and his wife Priscilla at Corinth (Acts 18.1-2).

Claudius was poisoned by his wife in A.D. 54  and succeeded by Nero. By this time Paul was on his third missionary journey and aged 49 – 52 years. In A.D. 59  when Paul was arrested, tried and appealed his case to Rome, Nero was busy arranging the murder of his reputedly vicious and manipulative mother Agrippina. The attempt degenerated into farce when she swam ashore from the boat designed to collapse and drown her. Not to be denied, her son despatched assassins who produced the desired result.

In A.D. 62  Paul was released from his Roman imprisonment and in A.D. 64  aged 59-62 years he was on further missionary journeys when Rome was destroyed by fire. The Romans blamed Nero, who for his part sought to shift the blame onto the Christians and instituted a terrible persecution.

Between A.D. 64  and A.D. 66  Paul continued preaching the Word and wrote the second Epistle to Timothy. Nero constructed his new palace the Domus Aurea (Golden House).

InA.D.  66  Paul was arrested again, imprisoned and executed by beheading. In Judea the revolt against Roman rule began. This was to lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70  under the Roman General Titus, son of the Emperor Vespasian who had succeeded in A.D. 69  after Nero committed suicide in A.D. 68 .

(The historically certain date of the destruction of Jerusalem confirms for us that St John’s Gospel was written prior to A.D. 70  for he says, “Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool …” etc (John 5.2). The ruin of the five porticoed pool was identified by archaeologists in 2007.)

The man chosen by Jesus to be named “Paul” was born into an “interesting” time. Archbishop Alban Goodier SJ says of the Nativity, “It was the fullness of time …” God’s plan for the salvation of Man began to unfold. And out of the maelstrom of war, intrigue, cruelty, murder and corruption that surrounded him, Paul, sustained by Divine Grace, responded to the call with Faith in Jesus of Nazareth the son of God, the Messiah, and never lost sight of Him.

“… it is no longer I who live,

but Christ Who lives in me …”

(Galatians 2.20)

TONY DIXON
Copyright This article first appeared in the June, 2008 issue of FOUNDATION.

" PAST " SAINT PAUL Part One THE MAN

 

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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