Category:Paul's Early Life (event)

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Paul's Early Life refers to an episode in the life of Paul of Tarsus and the early Church, as narrated in Acts of Apostles and the Letters of Paul

< Life of Paul  : Paul's Early Life -- Paul Persecuting the Church -- Conversion of Paul -- Paul's First Missionary Journey -- Council of Jerusalem -- Incident at Antioch -- Paul's Second Missionary Journey -- Paul's Third Missionary Journey -- Paul's Last Visit to Jerusalem -- Paul in Caesarea -- Paul's Journey to Rome -- Paul in Rome -- Martyrdom of Paul -- Relics of Paul >

Overview

The Pauline Letters and the Acts of Apostle offer some information about Paul's life before he joined the Jesus movement.

Paul was a Jew living in the Diaspora, in the Hellenistic town of Tarsus.

In Philippians (3:4-6), Paul refers to himself as being "circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless."

A native of Tarsus, the capital city in the Roman province of Cilicia, he inherited Roman citizenship from his father.

As usual among Jews in the Diaspora, Paul was known by his Hebrew name "Saul" (שָׁאוּל) and his Greek name Paulos (Παῦλος; Lat. Paulus).

Paul's Early Life, in ancient sources

Acts of Apostles

Letters of Paul

1 Corinthians 15:9 (NRSV) -- I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called and apostle, because I persecuted the church of God

Galatians 1:13-14 (NRSV) -- [13] You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

Philippians 3:4-6 (NRSV) -- [4] ...If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: [5] circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Acts of Apostles

External links