If you enjoy profound stories revealing the benevolence of Christ and the redemption of man, you've come to the right place. Today, we'll talk about the Apostle Paul and witness an example of faith seldom seen in human history. Finally, we'll help you answer a question of extreme importance, one you might have already asked yourself: Can a sinner reach the gates of heaven?
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While some claim to know the story of the Apostle Paul, and many scholars discuss his significance, one detail remains unchanged: Paul is an example of Divine Forgiveness and a reminder of how we can reshape our lives when we choose the right path. It's an example of how flawed we are and, despite these flaws, how we can overcome the journey we traverse and choose an entirely new path.
Do you believe that an enemy of the People of God can become one of its greatest representatives? You need to learn more about the Apostle Paul and his courageous life.
Paul was born in Tarsus, in Cilicia. To better understand the cultural environment he was part of, let's take a brief tour of this city, popularly known as the apostle's city.
Tarsus is referenced several times in the Bible, sparking curiosity and admiration. There are at least several direct references to the location. It was Paul himself who referenced it in two distinct passages in Acts 21:39 and Acts 22:3. Showing the excerpts:
- "But Paul said to him: 'I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.'" (Acts 21:39)
- "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today." (Acts 22:3)
But where exactly is this city located? This question is no mystery. It is located in Cilicia, as Paul himself revealed. It stretches over a considerable distance from the Mediterranean Sea, concentrating on a piece of land 26 meters above sea level. Nowadays, if you walk through these biblical lands, you'll step on the southern region of Turkey.
During the Roman Empire, this city was celebrated for its trade route and its population, financial, and intellectual growth. Tarsus throughout history has divided opinions. On one hand, historians struggle to pinpoint exactly when the city emerged, its history spans different eras and passages in the Bible, revealing its complexity, beauty, and sometimes simplicity.
It is in this city that Paul is born and begins his journey, being the only point of agreement among scholars. Again, there is much speculation about his childhood. Some argue that Paul spent his entire childhood in the city before heading to Jerusalem in adulthood, while some studies claim that Paul spent a significant part of his childhood in Jerusalem.
Although born in Tarsus, if you peruse the pages of the Holy Scriptures, you will find a scarcity of information about Paul's whereabouts before his first appearance as a fervent persecutor of Christians, as revealed in the enlightening Acts of the Apostles.
Paul had an enviable cultural wealth and demonstrated an excellent mastery of the precepts of the Jewish school in Jerusalem, under the tutelage of the notorious Rabbi Gamaliel. His righteousness and complete fascination with the laws quickly set him apart. As he became more famous and rooted, enjoying Roman rights and fulfilling the duties required, Paul received a burdensome task: to persecute the people of God.
Parallel to Paul's new purposes, changes were happening in Jerusalem. Christianity expanded like never before, dragging a multitude of believers whose constant and seemingly unstoppable journey worried Paul too much. The people elected, somewhat relieved, Jesus as the Messiah they had been waiting for.
After the death of Stephen, the first deacon to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, Paul became a persecutor of Christians. He enjoyed prestige, rights, and powers for such, being a prominent member of the Sanhedrin. He turned in favor of the persecution and death of those people. His hatred corrupted him so much that, in Acts 9, he revealed that he "was breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples."
Paul, unsatisfied with the increasingly violent persecution, demanded through letters that synagogues in Damascus report any follower of the Lord so they could be arrested and judged in Jerusalem. He began to persecute the churches of God violently, seeking out men or women who followed the path he considered wrong and violated the laws he believed to protect.