The Illustrated Life of Paul

By Charles L. Quarles

Except for the Lord Jesus himself, no person has been more influential in the history of the church than Saul of Tarsus. Paul’s influence upon the early church’s most cherished convictions is so clear and powerful that some scholars have dared to describe him as the founder of Christianity. Paul had a greater impact on the formation of the Christian church than any other apostle. He wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament so that nearly half of the New Testament documents bear his name. Although some of Paul’s letters are brief compared to other New Testament books, his epistles compromise approximately one-fourth of the total volume of the New Testament.Approximately sixteen chapters of the Book of Acts focus on Paul’s persecution of the church, conversion, missionary labors, arrest and imprisonment. When these chapters are combined with Paul’s letters, Paul may be recognized as the author or subject of nearly one-third of the New Testament. Paul was not only the most effective Christian missionary and church planter in history, but also the most significant and influential interpreter of Jesus’ teachings and of the significance of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and return.This book introduces readers to this amazing man and his incredible story. It explains the background of each of Paul’s letters and offers a summary of the beliefs of one of the keenest theological minds in the history of the church. All along, it enables the reader an opportunity to step into the world of Paul with over 150 photos, maps, illustrations, and charts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781433674099

Charles L. Quarles

Charles L. Quarles (Doctorado del Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary) es profesor de Nuevo Testamento y Teología Bíblica en el Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Es coautor de The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament [La cuna, la cruz y la corona: Una introducción al Nuevo Testamento] (con Andreas Köstenberger y Scott Kellum) y de The Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ's Message to the Modern Church [El sermón del monte: Cómo restaurar el mensaje de Cristo a la iglesia moderna]. Charles L. Quarles (Ph.D., Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is coauthor of The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament (with Andreas Köstenberger and Scott Kellum) and The Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ's Message to the Modern Church.

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Table of Contents

Bible Book Abbreviations

Preface

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: The Background of Saul of Tarsus

Chapter 3: The Damascus Road

Chapter 4: The First Missionary Journey

Chapter 5: The Jerusalem Conference

Chapter 6: The Second Missionary Journey

Chapter 7: The Third Missionary Journey

Chapter 8: From Jerusalem to Rome

Chapter 9: Paul’s Last Years

Endnotes

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Image Credits

titlepage

Illustrated Life of Paul

Copyright © 2014 Charles L. Quarles

B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-0-8054-9453-2

Dewey Decimal Classification: 225.92

Subject Heading: PAUL, APOSTLE \ BIBLE. N.T.—BIOGRAPHY \ CHRISTIANITY—BIOGRAPHY

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, used by permission, all rights reserved.

Publication abbreviations in endnotes follow The SBL Handbook of Style, ed. Patrick H. Alexander et al. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1999).

Printed in the United States of America

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • 18 17 16 15 14

VP

Dedication

To my wife,

Julie,

who epitomizes the godly woman

whom Paul admired most

Ephesians 5:22–23

Colossians 3:18

1 Timothy 2:9–15; 3:11

2 Timothy 1:5

Titus 2:3–5

Bible Book Abbreviations

Old Testament

Gen Genesis

Exod Exodus

Lev Leviticus

Num Numbers

Deut Deuteronomy

Josh Joshua

Judg Judges

Ruth Ruth

1 Sam 1 Samuel

2 Sam 2 Samuel

1 Kgs 1 Kings

2 Kgs 2 Kings

1 Chr 1 Chronicles

2 Chr 2 Chronicles

Ezra Ezra

Neh Nehemiah

Esth Esther

Job Job

Ps(s) Psalms

Prov Proverbs

Eccl Ecclesiastes

Song Song of Songs

Isa Isaiah

Jer Jeremiah

Lam Lamentations

Ezek Ezekiel

Dan Daniel

Hos Hosea

Joel Joel

Amos Amos

Obad Obadiah

Jonah Jonah

Mic Micah

Nah Nahum

Hab Habakkuk

Zeph Zephaniah

Hag Haggai

Zech Zechariah

Mal Malachi

New Testament

Matt Matthew

Mark Mark

Luke Luke

John John

Acts Acts

Rom Romans

1 Cor 1 Corinthians

2 Cor 2 Corinthians

Gal Galatians

Eph Ephesians

Phil Philippians

Col Colossians

1 Thess 1 Thessalonians

2 Thess 2 Thessalonians

1 Tim 1 Timothy

2 Tim 2 Timothy

Titus Titus

Phlm Philemon

Heb Hebrews

Jas James

1 Pet 1 Peter

2 Pet 2 Peter

1 John 1 John

2 John 2 John

3 John 3 John

Jude Jude

Rev Revelation

Preface

The presbyter in Asia who wrote a biography of Paul called the Acts of Paul and Thecla claimed that he did so out of love for Paul.¹ Unfortunately, the presbyter’s love for Paul was not matched by love for truth. His book on Paul’s life was more the product of a vivid imagination than an account of actual events in Paul’s life. The presbyter appropriately was expelled from office, and his book was rejected by the church.

In writing The Illustrated Life of Paul, I have sought to wed deep love for the apostle Paul with deep love for the truth. Some will likely argue that this approach sacrifices the objectivity of the good historian. However, I have attempted to follow solid evidence in reconstructing Paul’s life without becoming the detached and disinterested historian that was the ideal of modernism.

Writing this book has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. During my research the object of my study became a dear and familiar friend. I have been instructed by Paul’s doctrines, inspired by Paul’s commitment, awed by his missionary fervor, and overwhelmed by the depths of his sacrifice. Writing this book has changed my life as I hope reading it will change yours.

Many people deserve thanks for their contributions to this book. I am grateful to Steve Bond for the invitation to write this work and for his careful work as editor. Chuck Kelley, the president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS), greatly encouraged me when I undertook the project. He arranged for me, while writing the book, to travel to Israel, Greece, and Turkey to tour the cities that Paul visited. My tenure at New Orleans was briefer than either of us expected, and my departure prevented me from taking the trips to Israel and Turkey. However, he approved my trip to Greece even after I made a decision to leave NOBTS to begin a position at Louisiana College. The trip to Greece was invaluable. Often as I wrote about Paul’s travels through Macedonia and Achaia on the second missionary journey, I vividly remembered the sights, sounds, and smells of Greece, and I believe this strengthened the book enormously. I must express thanks to President Kelley, Clay Corvin, Jerry Barlow, and Steve Lemke for their support on the trip.

President Joe Aguillard of Louisiana College released me from some of my administrative duties at the college so that I would have adequate time to write this book. His kindnesses and prayers are a constant source of encouragement. My assistant Allison Weaver proofread the entire manuscript and helped guard my schedule to make the book possible.

My wife Julie proofread much of the book and supported me during the long hours in the office. I dedicate this book to her because she epitomizes the godly wife Paul urged every Christian woman to be and because she understands and shares the heart of the great apostle.

In 1999, Julie and my children joined me in traveling to Bucharest, Romania, to serve as missionaries. Julie boldly marched into the unknown with eight-year-old and six-year-old girls at her side and a tiny two-year-old boy on her hip. She braved a new and strange culture, worked hard to learn a different language, and labored incessantly to make a home for us in a place far from home.

Our third year in Romania was a difficult year. We had a close brush with death from carbon monoxide poisoning and struggled with a host of illnesses. People opposed to our presence in Romania slashed our tires, rigged blowouts, robbed us, and violently attacked one of our children. Julie developed a rare condition that was misdiagnosed in Romania and Hungary and that eventually left her paralyzed from the waist down. Our spine specialist in the U.S. was convinced her condition was permanent and offered us little hope. Julie put on a bold and happy face for the sake of the family. Inside she was both grieved and afraid. Her fear and grief were not selfish though. She was mostly troubled by the thought that the family she wanted to care for would now need to take care of her. I was amazed that she would be more concerned about the inconvenience of her family than her own welfare in the face of such daunting circumstances. God was gracious to our family and gradually restored Julie’s health. She went from complete paralysis to walking with a walker to shuffling across the floor unaided. Within months life returned to normal. Julie was her old self again. I will never be. Although I have always loved her with all of my heart, I now have a much greater respect for her. During this period she became more than my wife. She became my hero, a hero whose faith, tenacity, and undying commitment to me and her family inspire me to this day. Throughout it all, Julie displayed the great courage and the amazing resilience that was the essence of the apostle to the Gentiles. This book would not be complete without a dedication to her, just as I would not be complete without her at my side.

Charles L. Quarles

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Statue of the apostle Paul in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome.

Chapter 1

Introduction

Except for the Lord Jesus himself, no person has been more influential in the history of the church than Saul of Tarsus. Paul’s influence upon the early church’s most cherished convictions is so clear and powerful that scholars debate whether Paul is a mere follower of Jesus or the actual founder of Christianity.¹ Paul himself settled that debate when he described Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of the church (Eph 2:20) and the head of the church (Col 1:18). Paul insisted that Jesus has preeminence in all things, in both the church he founded by his death and resurrection and the creation he fashioned by his indescribable power.

In the same breath, though, Paul acknowledged the important role he fulfilled in the church by saying that God’s household was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20). Paul laid more bricks in the foundation of the church than any other apostle. He wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. Nearly half of the New Testament documents bear his name. Although some of Paul’s letters are brief compared to other New Testament books, his epistles comprise approximately one-fourth of the total volume of the New Testament.

Approximately sixteen chapters of the book of Acts focus on Paul’s persecution of the church, his conversion, his missionary labors, and his arrest and imprisonment. When these chapters are combined with Paul’s letters, Paul may be recognized as the author or subject of nearly one-third of the New Testament. Paul’s influence on the development of Christianity is without parallel. He was highly effective as a Christian missionary and church planter and is a key interpreter of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and return.

Except for Jesus of Nazareth, no man’s life has been more fascinating. The dramatic conversion that transformed the most vehement opponent of the Christian faith into the most faithful servant of Christ still seems unbelievable to those unfamiliar with the amazing power of God. The plots to assassinate the apostle, the brutality of the tortures he suffered, the courage he displayed in the presence of kings, the brushes with death he experienced, and the betrayal of friends that grieved him make Paul’s story one filled with an intrigue and suspense that even modern thrillers cannot match.

This book will attempt to introduce readers to this amazing man and his incredible story. The disclaimer the apostle John made when he attempted to describe the life and teachings of Jesus (John 21:25) seems appropriate here as well: And there are also many other things that [Paul] did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.

Chapter 2

The Background of Saul of Tarsus

Although Paul first appears in Acts as the violent persecutor of Jesus’ followers, Paul’s allusions to his childhood, youth, and early adulthood in his testimonies in Acts and his letters begin to provide a context for better understanding the personality and convictions of the man of Tarsus, whose life and witness shaped both the church and Western civilization. Every person has his own interesting story that offers insights into his identity. Here is Paul’s story . . .

Birth and Family Background

Paul was born in a Jewish family in Tarsus of Cilicia (Acts 22:3), probably early in the first decade of the first century. Paul would later refer to Tarsus as an important city (Acts 21:39). Tarsus was distinguished from many other cities in Cilicia for several reasons. Mark Antony had declared Tarsus a free Roman city. This status was accompanied by the privileges of self-government and exemption from heavy provincial taxes.

Tarsus had a flourishing population and was unique as a center of education. The Greek philosopher Strabo claimed that Tarsus exceeded even Athens and Alexandria in its love for philosophy, evidenced by the number of its schools of philosophy and rhetoric.¹ By order of Caesar Augustus, Tarsus was governed by two Stoic philosophers, first Athenodorus and later Nestor during the years of Paul’s childhood and youth.² Paul’s birth and early years in Tarsus would later be invaluable in his role as missionary to the Gentiles. In this formative period Paul learned Greek, the lingua franca of the Mediterranean world. His facility with Greek enabled Paul to communicate effectively both to Hellenistic Jews and to Gentiles. His Tarsian heritage also likely contributed to Paul’s interest in Greek culture and his knowledge of Greek philosophy, which are exhibited at several points in his letters. Paul directly quoted Greek philosophers or poets on three different occasions in the biblical witness (Acts 17:28; 1 Cor 15:33; Titus 1:12).

Gush_Halav_01.jpg

Gush Halav (ancient Gishala), the ancestral home of Saul of Tarsus according to Jerome.

According to a tradition recorded by Jerome, Paul’s ­family had moved to Tarsus from Gischala in Galilee.³ If Jerome was correct, Paul’s ancestors would have attended the recently excavated synagogue at Gush Halav (ancient Gischala) before relocating to Tarsus.⁴ Jerome indicated that Paul’s family relocated to Tarsus after Gischala was seized by the Romans. This claim fits with Josephus’s statement that the inhabitants of Gischala fled the city when the Romans attacked it.⁵ If Paul’s family relocated voluntarily rather than as prisoners of war, the family may have been attracted to Tarsus because of its status as a free city that was not under direct Roman control.⁶

Paul’s family was of the tribe of Benjamin (Phil 3:5). His parents named him Saul in honor of the most prominent Benjamite in Jewish history—King Saul. His parents may have carefully chosen this name for Paul because they hoped their son would be like his namesake in some way. The name Saul was the fourteenth most common name among Jewish males in Palestine during the period between 330 BC and AD 200.⁷ The popularity of the name indicates that King Saul was fondly remembered by the Jews despite his failures in later life. Perhaps Paul’s parents hoped Paul would be an impressive figure (1 Sam 9:2) who would deliver the Jews from their enemies much like Saul delivered the Israelites from the Philistines (1 Sam 9:16). Saul would be an appropriate name for a son born to parents who were driven from their home by the Romans. The name could even express the parents’ hope for the Messiah. Perhaps they hoped their Saul would be a forerunner to the Messiah, the son of David, much like Saul was the predecessor of King David.⁸

For they were tentmakers by trade (Acts 18:3)

Paul came from a family of tradesmen. Although Paul’s letters make many references to his working at a trade in order to support himself (1 Cor 4:12; 9:1–18; 2 Cor 6:5; 11:23, 27; 1 Thess 2:9; 2 Thess 3:8), only Acts mentions the specific trade (Acts 18:3). Paul and his family were tentmakers.

Because of its fine harbor and its strategic location on the major trade route connecting Syria to Asia Minor, Tarsus was an important hub of commerce. The trade caravans that passed through the city required a steady production of tents, and the canopies that covered the caravan wagons would constantly require replacement or repair.

Apparently the business thrived, and Paul’s family became moderately wealthy. This can be inferred from the fact that Paul was a citizen of Tarsus (Acts 21:39). According to one ancient writer, the property qualification for Tarsian citizenship was 500 drachmae, which amounted to a year-and-a-half’s to two-years’ wages.⁹ The average peasant who struggled to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence seldom accumulated such a fortune.

According to Jewish custom, Paul was taught this trade by his father.¹⁰ Thus, tentmaking was more than a means of making a living to Paul. It was part of his family heritage. Paul took pride in his work, knowing his occupation was bequeathed to him by his forefathers and his was a trade that had been passed down for generations.

I was born a citizen (Acts 22:28)

Paul was privileged to be a Roman citizen. Although some individuals purchased Roman citizenship at great expense, Paul was a Roman citizen by birth. Many interpreters speculate that Paul’s father or grandfather was honored with citizenship because of some special service rendered to a military proconsul, such as the provision of tents for soldiers. However, early Christian tradition preserved by Jerome and Photius states that Paul’s parents had been carried as prisoners of war from Gischala to Tarsus, enslaved to a Roman citizen, and then freed and granted citizenship.¹¹ Regardless of how Paul’s parents received their citizenship, Acts states three times that he was a Roman citizen (Acts 21:39; 22:25; 22:27–28). This status was accompanied by important rights that would benefit him in his missionary labors.¹²

The Roman citizen had the right of appeal after a trial (provocatio), exemption from imperial duties like mandatory military service (muneris publici vocatio), right to choose between a local or Roman trial, and protection from degrading forms of punishment like scourging and crucifixion. Paul may have carried a wax tablet that functioned as a birth certificate or certificate of citizenship in order to prove his Roman citizenship. However, most people who claimed citizenship were normally trusted since lying about one’s citizenship carried such a stiff penalty that few were willing to take such a risk. The penalty for impersonating a Roman citizen was death.¹³

Saul—also called Paul (Acts 13:9)

Beginning in 100 BC, official Roman documents required three names for male citizens: a praenomen (first name), a nomen (clan name), and a cognomen (the family name within the tribe). In some cases there was an additional cognomen and/or an agnomen, the latter of which was a nickname. The New Testament refers to the apostle only informally as Paul or Saul. Paul was the apostle’s cognomen; Saul was his Hebrew name. The name Paul was common in the Roman world (Acts 13:7; Paulis) and meant small in Latin. From the meaning of his Latin name, later traditions have speculated that Paul was short. However, one cannot determine Paul’s adult stature from the name.¹⁴ The name could imply that short stature was a frequent family trait. After the Norman conquest, the English name Shorter arose as an identification of stocky or short-necked persons. However, not all Shorters are necessarily stocky. Similarly, Paul’s family name may identify a common family trait without necessarily implying that he was short.

You would have torn out your eyes and given them to me (Gal 4:15)

No biblical record of the appearance of Paul or his physical condition exists. He must have been a hearty individual to endure the abuses and trials he suffered as an apostle (2 Cor 11:23–29). He was evidently the victim of some serious eye disease (Gal 4:12–16). This may account for his characteristically large signature that he appended to letters that were penned by a secretary (Gal 6:11). The earliest description of Paul’s appearance appears in a book from the New Testament Apocrypha called the Acts of Paul and Thecla, which says Paul was a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked, full of friendliness; for now he appeared like a man, and now he had the face of an angel.¹⁵

The writer of the Acts of Paul attributes the description of Paul to Titus. Although the Acts of Paul is generally unreliable, the description of Paul may have some historical basis. While this description sounds unflattering to moderns, several of the physical features mentioned were considered to be traits of the ideal Roman.¹⁶ Perhaps the point of the description in the Acts of Paul is that not only was Paul called to be the apostle to the Gentiles; he also looked the part.

"Brought up in this city at the feet

of Gamaliel" (Acts 22:3)

Oscr_Rex_BarMitzwa.jpg

Oscar Rex’s representation of a Jewish boy at his bar mitzvah (oil on canvas, 1929).

When Paul addressed the angry mob in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3), he told them that he was brought up in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel. Although the verb brought up (anatrephō) may refer to being raised from the time of infancy (Acts 7:21), in this context it probably means nothing more than that Paul received his rabbinic training under Gamaliel after moving to Jerusalem, probably sometime in his teenage years.¹⁷ Paul used this fact to prove that he was no compromising Diaspora Jew who was more influenced by Gentile culture than Jewish ways.

In Jerusalem young Paul was educated in Judaism according to the traditions of his ancestors (Acts 22:3). A century and a half after Paul, Rabbi Judah ben Tema described the process of education for a Jewish boy: At five years old [one is fit] for the Scripture, at ten years for the Mishnah, at thirteen [for the fulfilling of] the commandments, at fifteen for the Talmud, at eighteen for the bride-chamber, at twenty for pursuing a calling, at thirty for authority.¹⁸ Although Judaism may have changed considerably in the period between Paul and Rabbi Judah, Judah’s words are probably an accurate description of the regimen of training Paul experienced. At age five Paul began a systematic study of the Old Testament. This study included rote memorization of large portions of the Scriptures. Then in preadolescence he began to study the oral traditions of the Jews, which rabbis claimed had been given to Moses by God himself and passed down to them faithfully from one generation to another.

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The interior of the traditional site of the tomb of Gamaliel (Acts 5:33–42).

Acts 22:3 says Paul was trained by Rabbi Gamaliel I, the member of the Sanhedrin mentioned in Acts 5:33–39.¹⁹ Gamaliel was a leading Jewish teacher in Paul’s day. Later traditions say that Gamaliel was Hillel’s successor in the leadership of the rabbinic school that bore Hillel’s name and that began around 10 BC. Some suggest that Gamaliel was a member of Hillel’s family. However, the earliest traditions describe Gamaliel as the founder of his own school. Some have argued that Paul could not have been a student of Gamaliel since his teachings (Gal 5:3) suggest that he held to the stricter interpretation of the law espoused by Shammai, Hillel’s rival. Certainly Paul was more radical than Gamaliel as he is depicted in Acts 5:34–39, but students are often more radical than their teachers. There is no reason to doubt the testimony of Acts 22:3.

Ark_Replica.jpg

Reconstruction of the ark of the covenant. Some speculate Gamaliel and his students guarded the secret location of the ark in the temple.

Gamaliel’s significant influence on Rabbi Saul warrants a brief examination of the famed teacher. The Mishnah mentions Gamaliel I frequently and expresses many of his opinions. Gamaliel was listed among thirteen great rabbis whose deaths marked the decline of Judaism: When Rabbi Gamaliel the Elder died, the glory of the Law ceased and purity and abstinence died.²⁰ The passage implies that Gamaliel was as renowned for his high moral standards as for his interpretation of the Scriptures.

Gamaliel’s students were known for presenting their shekel offerings for the Terumah in such a way as to ensure that it would be used only for the designated purpose.²¹ Another text identifies Gamaliel and his students as those who guarded the secret of the location of the ark of the covenant, which was purportedly hidden in the temple.²² Several texts that describe Gamaliel’s teaching are related to issues of marriage, divorce, and remarriage, suggesting that Gamaliel was particularly concerned about issues related to the family. Gamaliel relaxed the stricter law that required multiple witnesses of a man’s death for the wife to remarry, instead requiring only one.²³ Gamaliel prevented a husband from canceling a certificate of divorce without the wife or messenger of the certificate being present to witness the cancellation, calling it a precaution for the general good. Otherwise, the wife might remarry without realizing that the divorce had been annulled.²⁴ He also prohibited the use of pseudonyms in divorce certificates. Perhaps Gamaliel’s work as a champion for the family resulted in the celebration of his purity and abstinence mentioned earlier.

Although he was zealous for the law, Gamaliel was known to loosen strict standards that were unnecessarily burdensome. For example, Gamaliel relaxed the legislation restricting the movements of witnesses of the new moon of the New Year.²⁵ On other issues, such as tithing, Gamaliel could be far more demanding and meticulous, as is clear from his renowned statement: Provide yourself with a teacher and remove yourself from doubt, and tithe not overmuch by guesswork.²⁶ The statement is related to the rabbinic discussion over whether one should count, measure, or weigh fruit in order to determine the correct tithe. Gamaliel viewed counting and measuring as too imprecise and only weighing as appropriate for a matter as important as the tithe.²⁷

Paul quickly excelled as a Jewish rabbinical student. As Paul said in Galatians 1:14, I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. In Philippians 3:5–6, Paul described himself as circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. The description Hebrew born of Hebrews portrays Paul as a committed Jew whose family resisted the subtle influences of their Gentile environment and sought in all matters to remain faithful to the traditions of their fathers. The description also implies that Paul could read, write, and fluently speak the language of his ancestors, either Hebrew or Aramaic.²⁸

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An orthodox Jewish man praying at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. He wears a frontlet or phylactery that contains Scripture passages on small scrolls. These leather containers are worn both on the the forehead and the left arm.

Regarding the law, a Pharisee (Phil 3:5)

In Acts 26:5, Paul again identified himself with the sect of the Pharisees, which he described as the strictest party of our religion. The Pharisees were distinct from other Jewish sects in several ways. Typically, Pharisees are described as uniquely zealous for Old Testament law. In fact, most of the Jewish sects of the first century shared this characteristic. The uniqueness of the Pharisees was in their zeal for the oral law in contrast to the written law. Oral law began to develop during the Babylonian exile. The exile was believed to be a punishment for neglect of the law, so the period fostered a revival of interest in the law. The Jews attempted to build a hedge around the law to prevent any possible infraction by ignorance or accident. This hedge or fence clearly marked the boundaries for behavior. To step beyond these boundaries was an act of trespass. The Pharisees taught that the oral law originated with Moses and was passed down faithfully until it was finally recorded in written form in the Mishnah.²⁹ Josephus, a Jewish historian who was a contemporary of Paul, said it was obsession with regulations handed down by former generations and not recorded in the law of Moses that alienated the Pharisees from the Sadducees.³⁰ Josephus stated that the Pharisees were also revered for their keen ability to interpret the written law accurately.³¹ Josephus said the Pharisees lived by reason, which apparently meant they applied logic to the interpretation of the Scriptures.³²

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