language and text because the Tarsus synagogue taught
nothing but the Hebrew text and sacred Jewish law. Every
boy would repeat the phrases in chorus after the synagogue
keeper until every vowel, accent, and rhythm were precisely
correct. They would then learn how to write the Hebrew characters on papyrus and roll them into scrolls. Later they
would receive the Septuagint on a roll of vellum. By the age
of 13, Paul would have mastered Jewish history, the poetry
of the psalms and the majestic literature of the Prophets. He would have been able to know every pitch change and it all
accurately with not mistakes. By this time, he would have been ready for a higher education, and he would have been
13 years of age. Soon he would be sent to Jerusalem. (The Life of Paul, True Horizons, page 5)
Paul, known as Saul in his early years, was sent by his family to Jerusalem to learn under the Rabbi Gamaliel. Many scholars believe that he actually had two names, both Saul and Paul. The first being named after Israel’s first King. The second was a nod to the Greeks, Paulus. He was called Saul until several years in his ministry, namely during his first missionary journey.
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It was also there that he learned his trade, that of tentmaking. Each Jew was bred to some type of trade. No Rabbi took fees, but he supported himself.
Marvin R. Wilson had this to say concerning the trade of tentmaking.
…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.” (Marvin R. Wilson, writing in the periodical, Christian History, Issue 47, Reprint 2019) Albert Barnes in his New Testament commentary, commenting on Paul’s working with his hands in Acts 18:3, had this to say:
Why he did it, the historian does not affirm; but it seems pretty evident that it was because he had no other means of maintenance. He also laboured for his own support in Ephesus, Ac 20:34 and also at Thessalonica, 2Th 3:9,10.
The apostle was not ashamed of honest industry for a livelihood; nor did he deem it any disparagement that a minister of the gospel should labour with his own hands.
For by their occupation. By their trade; that is, they had been brought up to this business. Paul had been designed originally for a lawyer, and had been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. But it was a regular custom among the Jews to train up their sons to some useful employment, that they might have the means of an honest livelihood. Even though they were trained up to the liberal sciences, yet they deemed a handicraft trade, or some honourable occupation, an indispensable part of education. Thus Maimonides (in the Tract Talmud. Tors, c. i. & 9) says, that "the wise generally practise some of the arts, lest they should be dependent on the charity of others." See Grotius. The wisdom of this is 16
obvious; and it is equally plain that a custom of this kind now might preserve the health and lives of many professional men, and save from ignoble dependence or vice, in future years, many who are trained up in the lap of indulgence and wealth.
They were tentmakers. skhnopoioi. There have been various opinions about the meaning of this word. Many have supposed that it denotes a weaver of tapestry. Luther thus translated it. But it is probable that it denotes, as in our translation, a manufacturer of tents, made of skin or cloth.
In eastern countries, where there was much travel, where there were no inns, and where many were shepherds, such a business might be useful, and a profitable source of living. It was an honourable occupation, and Paul was not ashamed
to be employed in it. (Albert Barnes New Testament Commentary as found in Power BibleCD, copyright 2009, Online Publishing, Inc.,Bronson, MI) A Strict Pharisee
As we have already seen, Paul was taught primarily by the well-known Rabbi, Gamaliel. Because of the fact that he was the son of a Pharisee and taught by the best teacher in the known world at that time among the Jews, Paul became a very strict Pharisee.
Acts 23:6 KJV 6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were
Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and
brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and
resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
Acts 26:4 KJV 4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first
among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5 Which knew
me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest
sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
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Philippians 3:5 KJV 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law,
a Pharisee;
There were two different schools in Jerusalem, both of them being Pharisaic. One was the School of Shammai. This school based everything on Scripture.
The second school was the School of Hillel. This school upheld tradition as more binding than the law and was more influential. We should note that Gamaliel was Hillel’s grandson. The School of Hillel was a more tolerant version of Judaism. Many of the stricter Jews would not even use the Greek language to recite their prayers, etc., Gamaliel taught a thousand boys, of whom half studied the Law, and half the wisdom of the Greeks. A student under Gamaliel would study for five or six years.
Gamaliel taught his students to argue a case in question-and-answer style debate known as the diatribe. Hence, this would have been Paul’s method as well.
As a Rabbi, he would be part preacher, part lawyer, one who learned to prosecute and defend those who broke the sacred law. Ultimately, Saul/Paul would have aspired to a seat as a “ruler of the Jews” on the Sanhedrin.
The Jewish nation was a theocracy which was led by the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the supreme decision maker in all religious decisions. This was the most the Roman government would allow for the Jews to have. To the Jews, religious and national leaders were the same; they were identical.
The Sanhedrin was composed of 71 members. Some were there because of hereditary priesthood, others lawyers, and still others, rabbis. Each member of the Sanhedrin served equally as judge, senator, and spiritual master. (True Horizon, “The Man Who Turned the World Upside Down”, www.truehorizon.org) Just a note about being a member of the Sanhedrin: It seems that parenthood was a later qualification for members, but Paul never mentions a wife in all of his writings. There is no proof that the regulation was in force this early 18
in the time of Paul. It is believed by scholars that most Jews regarded marriage by age 18 as a duty. Some have suggested that this was Paul’s reference in I Corinthians 9:5; Have we not power to lead about a sister, a
wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and
Cephas? (1 Corinthians 9:5 KJV)
Maimonides, a prominent Jewish writer of that time, did write that celibacy after the age of 20 was acceptable for all those who wished to devote themselves to study the Law. This would seem to match his comments in I Corinthians 7, especially verse 8. I say therefore to the unmarried and
widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. (1 Corinthians 7:8 KJV) Paul was a brilliant man. He excelled far above his contemporaries in Judaism.
Galatians 1:13-14 KJV 13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time
past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the
church of God, and wasted it: 14 And profited in the Jews' religion above
many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of
the traditions of my fathers.
There was no one who could be compared to Paul. He was not only a top student, but he also because a leader in the persecution of those who were followers of Jesus Christ. He felt that he was doing what God would want him to do. His burning desire would be to do what God would have him to do. I believe that this is the reason for his question to Jesus Whom he met on the road to Damascus, “Lord, what would you have me do?” [More on this later in this series. JFR]
Some would give us Paul’s physical characteristics. Where this would have been obtained, I have no idea. However, just to give us a bit more of understanding about Paul, I will give them here. It is believed that he was short, balding, having a black beard (the Jews despised the Roman habit of shaving), exuding an aura of confidence (some might call it arrogance), 19
bow-legged, and having some kind of physical ailment. He writes of his
“thorn in the flesh” in II Corinthians 12:7. Whatever this “thorn” was, it was both painful and humiliating. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh
I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was
in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of
God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for
I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out
your own eyes, and have given them to me. (Galatians 4:13-15 KJV) Some would even suggest that he suffered from malaria while others suggest that he had back problems. I am inclined to believe that while he may have had these (and I can find no proof of them, yet it would seem logical that he could have had these), I still believe that he had major eyesight problems as a result of his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Several times he refers to the handwriting in his own hand as being large. The reason that I believe that Paul could have had all of these, and maybe even more, is because of what he writes he endured in II Corinthians 1:23-28.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours
more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in
deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice
was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a
night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of
waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils
by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in
the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon
me daily, the care of all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:23-28 KJV) In this reference, Paul was speaking concerning those who would put down his ministry and cast a useless reflection on it. His response was that he was more than all of them. Let us break this down to an understandable list:
Labours more abundantly
Stripes above measure
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In prisons more frequently
In dangers of death often
Five times he received forty stripes save one (The Jews, for some offenses, would whip an individual with thirty-nine lashes. The reason for “forty stripes save one” is because the Mosaic Law would permit more than forty stripes. To make sure that the Law was not broken, only thirty-nine lashes were given just in case there was a miscount.)
Three times he was beaten with rods
He was stoned once
He was shipwrecked three times (Garner says that there is no record of either of these three since he wrote this about AD 60 and the shipwreck on his Rome voyage, recorded in Acts 27:1-44, came some two years later, AD 62. Albert Garner’s comments on these verses Power BibleDC)
A night and a day in the deep, probably holding on to some piece of debris as the result of one of the shipwrecks mentioned above
In travels many times
In perils of rivers, perhaps in fording rivers or camping near rivers subject to flashfloods
In perils of robbers, always numerous, roving bands of bandits who pillaged, robbed as professional bandits
In perils by his own countrymen
In perils by the heathen, such as at Iconium (Acts 15:5), Philippi (Acts 16:20), Ephesus (Acts 19:3)
In perils in the cities, in perils in the wilderness
In perils at sea
In perils among false brethren
In labor and hardship
In watchings many times
In famine and thirst
In fastings many times, frequently involuntary, deprivation of food, not voluntary fastings
In cold and nakedness
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Besides or apart from the things that are without, meaning the kind of deprivations and sufferings like those listed here and probably things that he does not list
The things that were pressing upon him every day such as demands for his attention, in so many forms, reports of hostility from both secular and religious sources, etc.
The care of all the churches that he had started
Conclusion
In spite of all this, Paul never failed in his service to the Lord.
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