Who Was The Biblical Paul?
Most everyone has heard of the Biblical Paul, even if you aren’t Christian. He was a prominent figure of the early Christian movement and wrote around thirteen books of the Christian New Testament as well as having started at least twelve churches in the Asia Minor area. This makes him the most influential of the early Church leaders who helped spread the Gospel and created numerous converts.
The Jewish Paul
The man we all know as Paul actually began life known as Saul. He was Jewish and well-educated. He was trained in religion and law and became a Pharisee, religious leader in the Jewish faith. Paul was his Gentile name as he was a Roman Citizen as well.
The Pharisees is the name of a Jewish religious party in biblical times. They were both religious leaders and involved in national politics. The Pharisees held seats in the Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin.
The Pharisees were teachers and pastors, what the Jewish people today call Rabbis. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, they received the backing and goodwill of the common people. (bibleinfo.com)
This meant that Paul had power within the Jewish community and was on the path to even more as the higher placed Jews saw much potential in him. That was why he was allowed to lead the persecution of the Jews accepting…
