The Questor

Reflections on St Paul..… ….. Formation

In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter, James and Philip get some degree of coverage. But by far the largest part is given over to the exploits of Paul. So before we leave Acts behind, it’s worth thinking a little about him.

Paul was born a Jew in Tarsus, a major port in Southern Turkey, in 4AD. His Jewish name was Saul. He was the son of a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish sect that was fanatical about keeping and interpreting the Law of Moses. And he remained a Jew until his dying day.

In his letters to the Christians in the churches he had founded, he refers to himself as a Hebrew of Hebrews. He wrote and spoke the Hebrew language – whereas most of the Jews who had become dispersed throughout the Roman Empire only spoke Greek, the language of the day. He was also proud to be of the tribe of Benjamin which had a unique place in the history of Israel – their first king, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin; and it was this tribe that held the post of honour when Israel went into battle.

At about the time Jesus was joining his father’s carpentry business, Paul was sent to Jerusalem where he became a disciple of Gamaliel, one of the foremost Pharisees of his day. Fifteen years later, at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, Paul himself became a Pharisee and the most ardent persecutor of the fledgling Christian church.

Paul was also proud to have been born and brought up in Tarsus which was no mean city. It was founded in 860BC by Shalmaneser of Assyria and had entertained the likes of Alexander the Great, Pompey, Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra.

It was located on the River Cydnus, ten miles inland from the Mediterranean. The river was very wide as it swept through the city and five miles downstream towards the sea, it broadened out into a lake. With great skill, the people of Tarsus had built docks around three sides of the lake so that fully laden ships of the Mediterranean could sail in and out of the harbour. Trade was further assisted by the fact that a gorge had been carved through the Taurus Mountains, thirty miles inland from Tarsus, which meant that trade could flow directly from the inland regions to the Mediterranean via the city.

But Tarsus wasn’t just a commercial centre; it was also a university town. The enthusiasm for learning was greater in Tarsus than in any other city in the world – so much so that they never had to import students. In fact it was a net exporter of academics – filling chairs in other universities. In particular, Tarsus was famous for its philosophers. Some of the leading Stoic philosophers of the day came from Tarsus.

What a place for Paul to be born and raised. As a trading centre it was hugely cosmopolitan so he could encounter people from all over the known world. And as a great centre of learning with such respect for scholarship it provided an unrivalled environment for this bright young man to develop intellectually. It was a place where the spoken and written language was Greek

so Paul was able to add fluency in this language to his knowledge of Hebrew.

So Paul had impeccable credentials as a Jew and a Pharisee; and he had the benefit of experiencing life in Tarsus as he grew up. But he had one more string to his bow which was very useful to him from time to time: he was born a Roman citizen.

Roman citizenship was a major asset, much to be prized. A Roman citizen, by law, could not be bound, scourged or crucified. There were two levels of citizenship. The first was limited and could be purchased by some people. The second was the full deal and was conferred in some way or inherited. The latter was the case for Paul.

There are several suggestions for how Paul’s forebears obtained citizenship. The most likely seems to be that Paul’s father or grandfather was carried off to Rome as a slave after Pompey captured Jerusalem in 63BC. From there he moved to Tarsus at some time after he had become a free man. He may have gained citizenship while in Rome or later in Tarsus as a result of being recognised as a supporter of the Roman cause.

Given all of the above, it’s hard to imagine a man better suited to take the Message of Jesus to both Jews and non Jews. Paul had a foot in both camps and he was a Roman citizen to boot.

And one more thing. Tarsus was famous for the manufacture of goats’ hair felt which was used to make clothing, blankets, hangings – and tents! So that’s where Paul learned his trade as a tent maker. Next month: The Man

Micheldever Community Bookcase

The Library is now open.

Opening times will be 2 to 3 pm

Friday afternoon only. Has anyone got any paperback books that they have read and no longer want?

If so please give me a call on 795058 and I will come and pick them up . Alternatively you can bring them to Northbrook Hall on any Friday afternoon between 2 - 4 pm .

While you are there, why not have a browse for some new reading matter? Unfortunately I can not take any hardback books, I just don't have the room for them . Many thanks, Pat