Let's take a look at Paul (Saul)

Before we can start our study on Romans, lets get to know the author. When we first meet him he is called Saul. From the Scriptures, we find a young man who was born to the family of a prominent tent maker. We know that he was motherless by the age of nine and that his hometown is Tarsus.

He was born a Roman citizen of the people of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin. He had a background in Jewish, Greek and Roman. He was a Pharisee, a Hebrew of Hebrews. His family are members of the party most fervent in Jewish nationalism and strict obedience to the laws of Moses. He had an equally rich religious and intellectual heritage.

He was raised as a child of privilege. As was true with all the Pharisee children, friendships with the Gentile children was greatly discouraged. He went to the best schools and by the age of 13 had mastered Jewish history, poetry from the Psalms and Literature of the Prophets. He could speak Greek, he had a working knowledge of Latin and at home they spoke Aramaic, which was a derivative of Hebrew and the language of Judea.

At about this time he was sent to Palestine and Jerusalem, to receive his higher education. At the feet of Gamaliel (only the best for Saul) he learned to dissect text, to expose the possible meanings according to the "considered opinion" of generations of rabbis. He also learned to debate in "diatribe" - question and answer style and to expound on the debate. He learned to be part preacher and part lawyer. He was head of his class and very retentive which led to a quick climb to be part of the Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin was the Jewish Supreme Court. It was made up of 71 men who ruled over Jewish life and religion. The crucifixion of Christ backfired on the Sanhedrin, instead of silencing Christianity, it spread and with more passion. And this is where we meet up with Saul. We first see him in Acts chapter 9 at the stoning of Stephen. While it doesn't show that Saul was part of the actual stoning, it says that he held the coats of those who were involved. You can only imagine the encouragement that he was offering along with the rest of the mob. You have to wonder how the peace and tranquility, of Stephen while he was being stoned, affected Saul in his later ministry. At the trial of Stephen, Gamaliel (Saul's teacher) warned against the persecution of Christians. Saul on the other hand enjoyed his role in the Sanhedrin of traveling around the country arresting Christians. Christians were seen as a serious threat to Judaism and Saul worked hard to put an end to the work of the Christian Church in Jerusalem and all of Judah. He was diligent in his effort to crush and scatter the Jerusalem Church.

We next meet up with Saul as he is petitioning the High Priest (probably Caiaphas) for letters and permission to go to Damascus and arrest the Christians who were speaking in the Synagogues. After arresting them he would bring them back to Jerusalem to stand trial before the Sanhedrin. Little did Saul know that the 4 to 6 day journey (about 150 miles) would change his life in ways that he could not even imagine.

As they neared Damascus, Saul is suddenly blinded by a light surrounding him from Heaven. Saul fell to the ground while hearing a voice say "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Saul answered, "Who are you lord." (it has been suggested that lord could mean sir or he could have meant Lord as in the recognition of the Savior). The voice answered, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." When Saul arose, he was blind and he was led to Damascus to the home of Judas on Straight Street.

Descriptions of Saul's violent past make us uncomfortable. We prefer studying and admiring portraits of him as the apostle of Grace. Few opponents of Christianity ever reached such a degree of despicable notoriety as Saul.

Saul was one of the first religious terrorist - until he met face to face with the grace of Christ, he violently opposed everyone and everything related to the Way and he did it all in the name of his god. After his conversion, he served Christ with a devotion unmatched in history. Those who fought against Saul were actually fighting against God.

Three lessons to learn from Saul
1. No matter how you appear to others today, we all have a past.
2. Regardless of what you have done, no one is beyond hope.
3. Even though your past is soiled, anyone can find a new beginning with God.

We will next meet up with Saul in Damascus at the home of Judas....

Bible Study on The Book Of Romans

Tomorrow, I will be starting an online Bible Study on this blog. It will start with a look at Paul, we will then look at relevent places and cultures of 57 A.D.. Then we will begin a chapter by chapter look at Romans. Lessons will be added about once a week and hopefully it will be interactive with you guys comments adding to the knowledge and insight of the lessons. I can't wait. See you soon!
Darla