Paul and his journeys

His Journeys to “tell all the Nations.”

Who is Paul?

• Paul is one of the most famous apostles

• He never witnessed any of Jesus’ miracles or listened to any of his sermons.

• He never met Jesus when Jesus was physically alive.

• Paul is one of the major pioneers of Christianity.

Paul the Jew• His original name was Saul– a Hebrew name

• after the King Saul.– The date of Paul’s birth is

unknown. • According to Acts, we are told that he

was called Saul prior to his conversion.– Paul never uses this name in his

letters.• His family tree goes all the way back to

Benjamin, – the tribe from which the first king

emerged. – Being from the tribe of Benjamin,

was significant for Paul. – He believed that “just as Benjamin

was the youngest son of Jacob, so Paul received his revelation from the Lord as the last and ‘least among the apostles.’”

• In Phil. 3:5-6, Paul describes his origins, – “circumcised on the eighth day,

a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee”

– he is devoted to his traditions– zealot of the Torah, which led

him to persecute the church. • The Pharisees were the strictest sect

– they were the most educated among the Jews and unrivalled interpreters of the Torah.

– The mark of the Pharisees was that they possessed exact knowledge and observed their tradition.

– They were also loyal to their tradition.

Paul’s education • Paul went to school in

Jerusalem – Had a roman citizenship – where he received Greek

and Jewish education. • Paul was about thirteen years

old when he went to Jerusalem to study.

• His first language was Aramaic and learned Greek.

• Paul’s profession was to become a scribe

• The scribe was, either at the same time or by turns, advocate and attorney, magistrate and jurist, counselor and preacher, lawyer and churchman, man of letter, rhetorician, and grammarian.”

• Studied under Gamaliel

Married?• Paul was not married because he

chose not to. • He probably believed that a family

could impede him to serve God as he wanted to because a family requires time and dedication.

• Theologians argue that Paul probably had a wife and children but there is not evidence to prove this theory.

• Theologians say that Paul never mentions his family because they probably “perished in an accident so traumatic that he sealed off their memory for ever. – It was too painful to be revisited,

and too sacred to be disclosed to others.”

– “In any case, Paul never remarried.”

• Evidence is ambiguous as to whether he ever married

Paul the City DwellerPaul the City Dweller• Unlike Jesus, whose Unlike Jesus, whose

ministry was in the ministry was in the agricultural centers of agricultural centers of Palestine, Paul’s ministry Palestine, Paul’s ministry took place in the urban took place in the urban centers of the Roman centers of the Roman Empire. Empire.

• Paul preached in cities Paul preached in cities where he competed with where he competed with the temples of Zeus, the temples of Zeus, Athena, Apollo and the Athena, Apollo and the Emperor (imperial cult)Emperor (imperial cult)

Paul – Apostle to the Gentiles• After his conversion,

– Paul spent 3 years in the Syrian desert, southeast of Damascus

– It is not known exactly what Paul did, but it is likely that he prayed, studied Torah, reflected on the ministry of Jesus and the Christian community

– Returned to Damascus– Preached to Jews there

• Message overwhelmed audience• Wanted Paul arrested

– Paul’s friends • put him in a basket and • lowered him over the wall to

escape

Paul – Apostle to the Gentiles

• Went to Jerusalem• Hung out with Peter

and James for 2 weeks• Again, incited anger

against himself• Had to flee• Ended up in Antioch

Antioch • Followers of the Way fled Jerusalem to Antioch to

avoid persecution– Jews were not looked at favorably by Jerusalem– 3rd largest city in the Roman Empire

• The church of Antioch – Two important churches: Jerusalem and Antioch– The church of Antioch is a mixed community – Jewish and

Gentiles– 1st church to be called “Christian”– More “liberal” about converts- that is Gentiles allowing

them into the church without requiring them to become Jews first

Three Missionary Journeys• Paul made 3 missionary journeys

over a ten year period.• The details of his first journey are

covered in chapters 13-14• The second journey is reported in

chapter 16-18.• The third journey is described in

chapter 19-21– He visited and established

communities to give them guidance and support.

– The last journey landed him back in Jerusalem, where some Jews had him arrested.

Paul’s First Missionary Journey

• Paul and Barnabas are a team

• They are in Antioch • They learned of trouble

stirring in Jerusalem:– It was 50 CE– The trouble was: should

Gentiles become Jewish?

The Jerusalem Church• Certain Followers of the Way

insisted that all Gentiles– be circumcised and – keep the 613 Laws of Moses

• James is leader• relative of Jesus• named head of the

Jerusalem community in the absence of Peter (not the James whom Herod killed)

• To find a solution to the problem a council was called: the Council of Jerusalem: Does a convert to The Way need to be circumcised, baptized and follow the 613 Laws of Moses?

• See Acts 15:1-21• COUNCIL ACT.

– First major church council– Peter answered

• God gave the gentiles the Holy Spirit• Their faith cleansed their hearts• God made no distinction• Neither our ancestors nor we could

uphold all the laws• Salvation is through the grace of the

Lord Jesus

– Paul and Barnabas agreed– James said

• Gentiles OK but• They must abstain from 3 things

– Food sacrificed to idols– Meat not killed in a kosher way

-“strangled” and w/any blood left– Fornication (sex outside of

marriage)