Talk about being “all in!” Both of these men have a singular purpose in life.

When pondering the focus and passion of such people. It pays to look under the hood.

What is driving them?

Paul describes his own life in Philippians 3:5–6, where he lists seven things ascribed to him or achieved by him:[i]

1. He states that he was “circumcised on the eighth day.”

2. He calls himself “of the people of Israel.”

3. He says he is “of the tribe of Benjamin.”

4. He tells his readers that he is “a Hebrew of Hebrews.”

5. When he thinks of his life relative to the law, he calls himself “a Pharisee.”

6. When he speaks of his zeal, he talks of “persecuting the church.”

7. Lastly, he says that with respect to the law, he was “faultless”—and note that he doesn’t describe himself as “sinless.”

Benjamin was the last child born to Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel. She died giving him birth. She called him “Ben-oni,” but his father called him “Benjamin.” Ben-oni means “son of my sorrow,” but Benjamin means “son of my right hand.”

The right hand is symbolic of power and is traditionally given to the eldest son. Giving power to the youngest son is outlandish and completely unexpected.

Jesus is granted such designation by God in Hebrews 1.

The Supremacy of God's Son

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Paul was first mentioned in the Bible in Acts 7:58

The Stoning of Stephen

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Paul wasn’t Paul at the time. His Nom à l'époque was Saul. Saul was an enemy of Jesus and those who followed the itinerant rabbi. Saul would love nothing more than for the name of Jesus to be blotted out, and his followers eliminated.

Divine intervention would be required for Saul to become Paul. And Saul would get that divine intervention.

Acts 9 records Saul becoming Paul, and he would never be the same.

The Conversion of Saul

9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

When God interacts with His creation, He makes things good.

Paul’s conversion is dated 33 A.D..

He died in Rome between 62 and 64 A.D..[ii]

Against any dualistic notion that heaven is good while earth is bad, Genesis declares on each day of creation that “God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). On the sixth day, with the creation of humanity, God saw that it was “very good” (Gen. 1:31).[iii]

It stands to reason that for a fallen creation and sinful man to be “made good” again, God would have to do it. Just like in the creation account. Jesus and His sacrifice is the only way.

Education

Having God blind you for three days on the way to Damascus is quite a riveting and educational experience. Yet, Saul was privy to the best rabbinic education in the land. Gamaliel was the scholar under whom Saul studied.

Gamaliel I, also called Rabban Gamaliel (rabban, meaning “teacher”)

A tanna, one of a select group of Palestinian masters of the Jewish Oral Law, and a teacher twice mentioned in the New Testament.

Gamaliel (“reward of God”) held a leading position in the Sanhedrin and that he enjoyed the highest repute as teacher of the Law; he was the first to be given the title rabban. Like his grandfather, Gamaliel also was given the title ha-Zaqen (the Elder).[iv] The Babylonian Talmud names Gamaliel as the third person of a five-generation dynasty of nasi.[v] Nasi is president of the Sanhedrin, or prince, depending on context. Gamaliel would like have been president. In the Mishna, Pesahim 88, he is called an “advisor to the king.” This king would be Herod the Great.

None of the Herods were great. They were roundly terrible.

Gamaliel established a number of lenient ordinances, in particular, laws affecting women and non-Jews. Of his teaching, only one saying is preserved in the Talmud; it enjoins the duties of study and scrupulous observance of religious ordinances. Gamaliel’s renown is summed up in the words recorded in the Talmud: “When Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, regard for the Torah [Jewish Law] ceased, and purity and piety died.”

Considering that Shammai and Hillel were the “cultural influencers” in the first century, a frequently missed tidbit is that Jesus teaching was much more aligned with Shammai than Hillel. Saul’s instructional lineage is tied to Hillel, so understanding that Jesus was messiah and God was just part of his modification.

Watering down the Torah and God’s word did not suit Jesus.

25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.

- Jesus, Matthew 23

Bibleinfo.com

Paul did not invent Christianity

An uninformed and wrong assertion is the idea that Paul came up with Christianity. Paul was dragged kicking and screaming to faith. This is a totally ignorant view and ridiculous proposition.

Paul was a convert.

Conversion demands that faith exists prior to mental assent and advent of practice. If Paul was indeed the originator, conversion would not be possible. Additionally, Paul had mentors. That fact also abolishes this fanciful notion.

Barnabas guided Paul by spending time with him and letting Paul observe him interact with new believers at Antioch (Acts 11), church leaders (Acts 13), and non-believers in their first missionary journey.[vi] 

Pauline Christianity

An unfortunate term. Yet, there are people who have something specific in mind when they say it.

Was first referred to in the 20th century by scholars who noted historical references from the second century to differences in the teachings of Paul with the teachings of Jesus.[vii]

Paul’s “version” of Christianity was adopted by St. Ignatius of Antioch who was a student of Paul. Ignatius was instrumental according to many of being responsible for promoting a liberal view of Christianity that was anti-Jewish in flavor while embracing the elevation of other versions of Christianity. Many believe that Ignatius was influenced by Paul’s teachings against “Judaizers” who were responsible for teaching Christians they must keep the law (Acts 15:1-35; Galatians 1-4).

Paul’s teachings are not contrary to the teachings of Jesus.

Paul was adamant about this.

Galatians 1

No Other Gospel

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

The New Perspective on Paul

Every so often, some liberal theologian will try to undermine scripture with some “likeable” heresy. This is no different.

This new perspective requires you to have consumed some magic mushrooms, or have dropped acid. It’s a distortion that should readily be abandoned.

New Prospective advocates are really fuzzy and shift readily so that they cannot be pinned down. What is a New Perspective? It cannot be defined, much like “What is a woman?” Anyone who claims “identity” of having a new perspective gains admission.

So let us grope about in the dark a bit, and see if we can at least make out some general shapes.

E. P. Sanders, James D. G. Dunn, N. T. Wright are purported scholars, and provide words, even if they aren’t saying anything.

The general aim of the New Perspective is to emphasize certain aspects of the Apostle Paul’s original teaching (mainly in his ‘early’ letters like Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians and 1 & 2 Thessalonians) that have been neglected by Protestants because traditional Protestants are (allegedly) too focused on the debates of the Reformation.[viii] 

Takeaway #1: Detach Paul from anything having to do with the reformation. We don’t like the reformation.

The New Perspective claims to be ‘engaging first-century Judaism on its own terms.

N.T. Wright chimes in:

‘Paul’s argument with the Judaizers was not about Christian grace versus Jewish legalism [because the Jews were not legalists]. His argument was rather about the status of Gentiles in the church. Paul’s doctrine of justification, therefore, had far more to do with Jewish-Gentile issues than with questions of the individual’s status before God.’[ix]

N.T. Wright is intelligent, but here he is seeing what he wants to see and not reality. This quote is in two parts. Part one is Judaizing and part two is individual versus collective.

1 Corinthians 6

Flee Sexual Immorality

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?

Paul does not make the distinction here between Jews and Gentiles in the Christian faith. When he says “all things are lawful,” he is saying there is some freedom, or the law doesn’t spell it out. The key phrase is “I will not be dominated by anything.” Basically, don’t get addicted. Excessive pursuit of food leads to gluttony, weight gain and a short life. Sexual immorality leads to producing children you aren’t ready to raise and sexually transmitted diseases. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it. 

Romans 3 also echoes a similar theme

No One Is Righteous

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians are in the same boat. Both “are under sin.”

Paul does not collect. He speaks in individual terms regarding justification and reduce the importance of the doctrine of justification as much as possible.

Romans 3:28 ESV

 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Takeaway #2: Increase the Jewish character/content of Christianity and reduce the importance of justification.

Romans exists because justification is important and necessary. These New Paulines don’t get to edit it out.

Paul has used the Greek term nomos clearly refers to the Mosaic Torah (e.g. Rom. 2:17; 1 Cor. 9:9; Gal. 3:17). In several extended passages he contrasts the law with faith or with Christ (Rom. 2–4; 2 Cor. 3; Gal. 3–4), but on one occasion he refers to a nomos of faith (Rom. 3:27) and on two occasions alludes to a nomos of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2).

Summing this up, there are differences between Judaism and Christianity. The New Perspective on Paul muddies the waters and doesn’t have real merit. It is a flight of fantasy.

Galatians 3:28

27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

What did Paul teach?[x]

1. Justification by Faith

2. Jesus Christ is the Risen and Living Son of God

3. The Church is the Body of Christ

4. The Power and Influence of the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s Life

5. The Second Coming of Christ

His letters are written in Koine, or “common” Greek, rather than in the elegant literary Greek (Attic) of his wealthy contemporary the Jewish philosopher Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, and this too argues against the view that Paul was an aristocrat.

In the surviving letters, Paul often recalls what he said during his founding visits. He preached the death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus Christ, and he proclaimed that faith in Jesus guarantees a share in his life. Writing to the Galatians, he reminded them “it was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified” (Galatians 3:1), and writing to the Corinthians he recalled that he had known nothing among them “except Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). According to Paul, Jesus’ death was not a defeat but was for the believers’ benefit. In accord with ancient sacrificial theology, Jesus’ death substituted for that of others and thereby freed believers from sin and guilt (Romans 3:23–25). A second interpretation of Christ’s death appears in Galatians and Romans: those who are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death, and thus they escape the power of sin (e.g., Romans 6). In the first case, Jesus died so that the believers’ sins will be purged. In the second, he died so that the believers may die with him and consequently live with him.[xi]

Paul’s law of Christ and Stoic law of nature

Galatians 6:2 English Standard Version

2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Paul posits a “law of Christ” as a shared standard of behavior for Jesus-believers that also grounds a qualified use of the Mosaic Law.[xii]

Stoic ethics, which used similar discourse to, respectively, elevate a first-order good, endorse a second-order value, and reference a higher-order norm.

The Stoics defined the goal in life as living in agreement with nature. Humans, unlike all other animals, are constituted by nature to develop reason as adults, which transforms their understanding of themselves and their own true good.[xiii]

Let’s define some terms. Good is a particular physical instance of a norm, or virtue. A value is more personal. It is something a person values of cherishes. That doesn’t mean that it is virtuous. Someone could value their car over your life. That’s not good. A norm is universal righteousness. Thou shalt not kill, steal or rape. They go for everyone at all times.

The virtuous life is free of all passions, which are intrinsically disturbing and harmful to the soul, but includes appropriate emotive responses conditioned by rational understanding and the fulfillment of all one’s personal, social, professional, and civic responsibilities. The Stoics believed that the person who has achieved perfect consistency in the operation of his rational faculties, the “wise man,” is extremely rare, yet serves as a prescriptive ideal for all.

Strands to Hillel and an ancient libertarianism can be associated with some of Paul’s writings: Jesus-believers have “died to the law through Christ” (Rom 7:4, Gal 2:19) and Christ is the “end of the law” (Rom 10:4). Yet, Paul has positive takes on the law as well and posits “the law of Christ.”

This “law of Christ” is portrayed by Paul as a higher-order norm that functions like a law in its ability to prescribe and prohibit behavior according to a shared standard and, as a higher-order norm, could be placed in antithesis with conventional law (Mosaic Law) at points.

Paul, however, uses the “law of Christ” to ground his interpretation of the Mosaic Law so that he can postulate that the two laws have shared properties.

Although designed to define and produce justice, laws fail for numerous reasons, which become a staple of the discourse. Law codes are perceived to be inflexible and unable to adapt to the variety of circumstances that citizens face (Plato, Pol. 294a–e). The foolish disregard laws while the wise will enact justice apart from them and thus do not need them.

The Cynics exploited the limitations of conventional law and the established dichotomy between nature and law to forge an antithesis. Zeno, the first Stoic scholarch, trained as a Cynic, and this antithesis between conventional law and nature is the foundation of Stoic thought on natural law.[xiv]

Zeno envisions a community with no need for legislation since its citizens, all sages, are nourished by a “common law.” This is rather Pelagian, and relies on knowledge, wisdom and extraordinary discipline of citizens so that there is societal order and interpersonal justice.

This can be equated to a higher law, as referenced by the debaters in the Nuremberg Trial.

Chrysippus, the third Stoic scholarch, describes law as follows: Law is the king of all things human and divine. Law must preside over what is honorable and base, as ruler and as guide [ἄρχοντα καὶ ἡγεμόνα], and thus be the standard of right and wrong, prescribing to animals whose nature is political what they should do, and prohibiting them from what they should not do.[xv]

Paul Facts[xvi]

At least seven of Paul’s relatives are mentioned in the New Testament. At the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul greets as “relatives” Andronicus and Junia, Jason, Sosipater, and Lucius. In addition, Acts mentions Paul’s sister and his nephew, who helped Paul in prison (Acts 23:16-22)

What type of fish did Paul eat? Probably not catfish. Catfish was the largest native fish of the Sea of Galilee (sometimes weighing up to 20 pounds), but Jewish dietary laws would have prevented at least the early Paul from eating fish without scales (Deut. 14:10)

Luke calls him a “tentmaker” (skenopoios), which suggests Paul was a weaver of tent cloth from goats’ hair. The term, however, can also mean “leatherworker.” Other early translations of Luke’s term mean “maker of leather thongs” and “shoemaker.”

Paul read pagan poets. In his writings, he quotes Epimenides of Crete (Tit. 1:12), Aratus of Cilicia (Acts 17:28) and Menander, author of the Greek comedy Thais (1 Cor. 15:33).

In later art, Paul is often depicted with a sword and book, which is said to symbolize the manner of his death (beheading by sword), and his writings, which became “the sword of the Spirit.”

He was probably born about A.D. 6 and probably died about A.D. 64—which means he may have died at about age 58, an old age given the times and the hard life he lived.

TARSUS

Tarsus is a city in the ancient province of the Roman Empire called Cilicia and today belongs to the province of Mersin, in present-day Turkey (in Hittite: Tarsa, in Greek: Tarsus, Ταρσός, in Turkish: Tarsus). , Tarsus was more than a colony of the Roman Empire, it was the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, an important commercial and cultural center.

Tarsus is located on the shores of the Mediterranean, at the mouth of the river Cydno (Tarsus Çayı). Originally an important port, today it is located 15 km inland due to significant sedimentation in the area.

It is between two big cities, Mersin and Adana.

Its ancient name Tarsus comes from “Tarsa”, the city’s original name in the Hittite language, its first settlers, and is possibly derived from a pagan god, Tarku.

Later, the city was called Tarsisi; Antioch of Cydno (Greek: Αντιόχεια του Κύδνου, Latin: Antioch ad Cydnum); Juliopolis.[xvii]

He made four apostolic journeys and wrote letters to the communities he passed through. He was martyred in Rome between AD 64-67.

According to tradition, St. Paul was beheaded on the same day St. Peter was crucified. Constantine did not forget about St. Paul: he built a basilica over the tomb of the apostle in Via Ostiense.

Cleopatra also sailed up the Cydno River to Tarsus on Thalamegos, hosting Marco Antonio and his officers for two nights with lavish banquets aboard the ship.

The story of Cleopatra and Tarsus began in 41 BC when the Roman statesman Mark Antony planned to use her as an ally during the invasion against the Parthian Empire. Cleopatra arrived in a boat filled with flowers and covered in gold plates with silver oars and purple sails. Dressed as Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, Cleopatra made a huge impression on Antony who soon became her lover. It’s believed that Cleopatra entered the city through the city’s port gate, however, the gate, which is currently a part of modern Tarsus, may have been built later. Either way it still carries her name to commemorate her rather spectacular presence in the historic city.[xviii]

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema , The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra, 1884

Tarsus has been, since antiquity, an important cultural center, mainly in the field of philosophy.

The Stoic philosopher Antipater and the apostle St. Paul were born there.

How did Paul die?

Everyone agrees on martyrdom, but the how and when are debated. The preponderance of the evidence points to beheading.[xix] Peter was crucified around the same time. The Bible does not record this specific information.

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ruled the Roman Empire from 54-68 AD. He was known to force Christians into gladiator matches, where they would be eaten by lions, and “he often lit his garden parties with the burning carcasses of Christian human torches,” explains this article from PBS.

As the book of Romans was written around 57 AD, it is entirely possible that Paul found himself in Rome in the midst of Nero’s persecution following the great fire. Because Paul was a Roman citizen, unlike Peter, he was protected from the brutal death of crucifixion. Therefore, it is likely that he was executed by beheading.

Albert Barnes writes that it is believed either a noblewoman named Lucina buried him on her land, beside the Ostian Road, or the body was taken to the catacombs below the city. Both of these tales are more than likely folklore. Everyone loves to know the details, but they are probably forever lost to the sands of time.

References

[i] https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/who-was-paul-his-early-life-and-why-it-matters

[ii] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Paul-the-Apostle

[iii] https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/genesis-1-11-and-work/god-creates-the-world-genesis-11-23/god-works-to-create-the-world-genesis-11-25/god-sees-that-his-work-is-good-genesis-14-10-12-18-21-25-31

[iv] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gamaliel-I

[v] https://www.rabbangamaliel.org/rabbangamaliel.pdf

[vi] https://www.regent.edu/journal/journal-of-biblical-perspectives-in-leadership/mentoring-stages-in-the-relationship-between-barnabas-and-paul/

[vii] https://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/12/23/what-does-pauline-christianity-mean/

[viii] https://www.lionelwindsor.net/2006/02/01/the-new-perspective-on-paul-summary-and-reflections/

[ix] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/paul-and-the-law-observations-on-some-recent-debates/

[x] https://biblical-christianity.com/tag/major-teachings-of-paul

[xi] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Paul-the-Apostle/Mission

[xii] JBL 141, no. 2 (2022): 381–401 https://doi.org/10.15699/jbl.1412.2022.10

[xiii] https://iep.utm.edu/stoiceth/

[xiv] 1Zeno roughly dates to 300–262 BCE. See A. A. Long and D. N. Sedley, The Hellenistic Philosophers, 2 vols. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987), 1:13.

[xv] Marcian, Inst. 1 (= SVF 3.314), trans. Long and Sedley, Hellenistic Philosophers, 1:432. See Cicero’s definition of “true law,” Resp. 3.33.

[xvi] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/uploaded/50cf82181a7fd8.49814146.pdf

[xvii] https://saintpaulhouse.com/about-tarsus/

[xviii] https://theculturetrip.com/europe/turkey/articles/tarsus-the-ancient-city-where-cleopatra-met-mark-antony/

[xix] https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/how-did-the-apostle-paul-die.html