By looking at Saul/Paul life before his conversion is of paramount importance to understand the man. We need to see his position in relationship the Jewish leaders at the time who were anti-Christian. It is also necessary to understand his position in doctrine when he was dealing with the false Jewish Christian teachers who came into the church at a later date, as it helps us to understand he was the man for that hour as he had the cultural background and educational qualities that would equip him for his ministry to the gentiles.

This lesson is divided into two parts on both sides of his conversion, first is prior salvation where we see the formation of his training and after his salvation, the delivery of sound doctrine and the defining of the theology in the New Testament Church.

Nothing he had learned before his salvation was lost through his salvation; it had been transformed into a Godly driven life as his personality was transformed.

Place of Origin

The second most important person in the History of the Church and the world is the apostle Paul , born Saul a free citizen of a Roman in the prosperous capital city Tarsus, a free Roman city located on the river Cydnus in the region of Cilicia which is affirmed in Acts 9: 11; 21: 39; 22:3. It was called Asia Minor then and now is Turkey.

In Philippians 3:5 we see that he was a Hebrew from the tribe of Benjamin, (Philippians 2) previously know as Saul (Acts 13:9). The Benjaminites were royal family and some allude to that Saul/Paul was of this lineage, hence the name given him as one of the past kings .

As a Hebrew in an occupied territory he could have been bound and scourged in Acts 22:25 but he used his status of being born in a free Roman city, therefore being a free citizen of Roman to escape this punishment and again in Acts 25: 10-12 when the Jews wanted him punished he appealed to Caesar. The importance he placed on this is found in his statement “…born in Tarsus, a citizen of no mean city..." (Acts 21:39) a city rewarded for its service to Caesar thus having great importance.

Saul was born around the same time  as Jesus although we find no evidence he had never met Him.

Linage

His name Saul in the Hebrew was a name of preeminence as was Paul in the Roman culture as can be seen in Acts 13:7b where we see “…Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He called for Barnabas and Saul and asked to hear the Word of God”. The name Paulus coming from an influential Roman family, thus Paulus evolved to Paul the name the gentiles knew the apostle as. He went by both names but it is only after some time when we read Luke’s writing of Acts that we see this trend fall away. He held different nationalities as the time and place was appropriate he would call on any of them. Romans 11:1 Acts 22:25-28

Early Religion

Circumcised on the eight day Philippians 3:5 a Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law, a Pharisee; he was zealous in keeping the laws of Moses (Philippians 3:6). It appears that he grew up in a wealthy Jewish home as his parents were able to give him a good education from a young age and he was a free citizen of Rome. Spending his youth in Tarsus a Greco-Roman city where he had gained an education until at a later time when he was 13 years of age he went to Jerusalem and received an education by a significant Pharisaic leader, “Rabbi Gamaliel the Elder AD 20-50”. (Acts 22.3) Saul was an outstanding Jewish scholar . (Galatians 1: 14)

He was a member of the major sect Pharisees who insisted strongly on rigid ritual observance of the Law to fulfill righteousness without identifying the spirit of the Law. This is the group Jesus called, “white washed tombs” (Matthew 23:27) lovers of display (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18).  

It was this religious upbringing that allowed him to understand the thrust of the Judaizers (Galatians 2:14) those who wanted people to adopted Jewish religious practices, so that the people lived like Jews following Jewish customs and follow Jewish law.

Paul’s early religious training permitted him to see things that others couldn’t as was the case in Antioch when he condemned Peter for his withdrawal from fellowship with Gentile Christians. Paul understood the Jewish teaching of works to please God to gain salvation, but now as the advocate of salvation through grace and faith, he saw Peter’s actions compelling the new believers to become like the Jews to be saved.

Education

When he was 13 years of age he went to Jerusalem to study Law . His educational surroundings and environment, was influenced by Pharisaic milieu. He learned and was skilled at various levels in Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin and highly skilled in the traditional Jewish Scriptures and Pharisaic traditions as taught in the synagogue. On completion of his training he returned to Tarsus, somewhere in this process he had gained the skills to make tents (Acts 18:3) from mohair. It was this skill that he mentioned (1 Thessalonians 2: 9) when he said, “For, brothers, you remember our labor and toil. For laboring night and day in order not to put a burden on any one of you, we preached the gospel of God to you.”

It was his place of origin, linage, religious training, his trade and his education in Law that helped him when faced with persecution or when he needed a key to get into a certain place or position. He was a man for all season and he could be all things to all men to bring the message of salvation to a few.

Persecutor  

Christianity was spreading throughout the Roman Empire by migrating Jewish Christians not long after the death of Jesus. It was the quick emergence of Christianity within the Jewish people settled in different nations the council of elders called him to Jerusalem. On receiving this letter from High Priests and the whole council of elders in Jerusalem he returned. Saul was given a letter addressed to the Synagogues in Damascus, which gave him authorization to bring back Jewish converts to Christianity in chains to Jerusalem, setting in place his aim to destroy the Church at Antioch.

In Saul mind he wanted to preserve the Pharisaic ways and to eradicate this cult by any method. In his mind it was acceptable as it could be said he was fulfilling Mosaic Law  (Numbers 25)  even to take the step of murder as it is shown in Acts 9:1 that he was uttering threats against the Lord’s disciples too. Not only did he have a job to do, he did it with great zeal becoming a key player in persecuting the Christians. Paul communicates his crime in his own words, Acts 22:4 “I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.” One account was his seemingly supportive role in the stoning of Stephen the first recorded Christian martyr Acts 7:58, Acts 22:20 a short time after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension around AD 33.

It was this drive to put people into prison that God would use later in Paul as he had to face many obstacles in the formation of his letters which would become to foundation of cannon of scripture in the New Testament. His transformation brought a desire to put people into heaven by bring theology that was liberating and he was to become the apostle of freedom.

Saul the man before Conversion

Saul was a man of high scholastic training in the Law of Moses, he was an intolerant man towards those of other religions, and he was zealous in the pursuits of his goals. He governed by the letter of the law, ruthless initiator of murder and opportunist. The danger for Saul to stop here was he had become very legalistic and instead of being move by the spirit of the Word.

Conversion

A short time after the stoning of Stephan, Saul was on another mission to Damascus to continue to bring the new Christian converts to Jerusalem to be tried. It was during this highpoint in persecution that Saul had a mystical experience or encounter with what appears to be a resurrection appearance of the Lord Jesus. Acts 9:4 -7 It was in this experience that the Holy Spirit took hold of his life. What happened to him was the spiritual world and the natural world collide in his life and it is at this point that he made the decision to become believer. Acts 22:5-11

Saul had been educated and trained in the scholastic world and he had a growing knowledge for the word of God and at some level this was having an impact on his thinking along with his witness of those who he saw get martyred. This profoundly powerful mystical encounter brought about his salvation and the completion of the marriage of the scholastic and mystical although there was still some work to be done, subsequently a long period in Arabia.

The tremendous change can be seen by a humble servant of God Ananias, who was led to retrieve Saul and take him to his home. When he proclaimed in “Acts 9:13-14 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name”. Ananais baptized him and after eating, he started preaching in the synagogues of Damascus that Jesus is the Son of God which incited some anger therefore he had escape city to Arabia to reevaluate hi life .

Paul the man after Conversion

Paul the man with high scholastic training in the Law of Moses was able through his mystical transformation was able to construct letters that brought freedom to the reader. He became tolerant with the uninformed uneducated but he was still intolerant towards those of other religions who tried to corrupt his Christianity. He was still zealous in the pursuits of his goals to establish Jesus teachings. He was no longer governed by the letter of the law nor a ruthless initiator of murder of his opponents but he took the opportunity to present in writing new teaching for the benefit of all. He overcame the danger of becoming legalistic by moving in the spirit of the Word. He became a man set on outlining the spiritual side of life and delivering the new legal position that believers have in Christ while living in this literal state.

Paul’s background in Judaism fades as he moves away from the old tradition towards a new Kingdom. Also he appears to now be operating out of different cities of Syria away from Jerusalem not as an itinerant preacher but a missionary preferring to live in a culture while starting churches. His old perspective can only be seen in his presentation of new Theology.

When we look at his letters it may be said rightfully so, that the Pauline Epistles fall under headings such as:  Galatians I & II Thessalonians I & II Corinthians; to settle Controversies. Romans: A Letter of Introduction outlining salvation through Christ, Righteousness, faith and Christianity in society. Then in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon are letters from prison where he outlines how young churches can grow is they are rooted in Christ and well structured with a view of reconciliation. Finally we come to 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus advising Young Pastors on how to lead with confidence.

The most significant aspects of Paul's theology after we have considered the above paragraph is his new creation massage. This I believe the most precious teaching Paul presents is the two aspects of Salvation. This teaching of Paul’s is timeless as it is still appropriate today as full understanding brings freedom.

God knows all that is and all that will be include the elect, but we are not privileged to this information. Although we are saved, we still need to walk circumspectly, working out our salvation until He comes for us. Paul outlines the act of salvation firstly, we are saved by Jesus at the cross, secondly we in the process of being saved throughout our life, thirdly when we die we will be saved and go home to be with God waiting for the resurrection where we will receive our final state.

We can now see that Salvation is an Act and Process, which brings about two, experiences simultaneously (A) A New Legal Standing, we are saved (B) A New Literal State, we are being saved and we will be saved.

We can see through Paul’s writing this process of our new Legal Standing, we are saved. This act requires a step taken to accept God’s directives and be saved. This New Legal Standing is gained through the act of salvation, which is settled by the new believer and God at an appropriate time. This leaves the person with a new legal right in God which can be applied in any situation. Philippians 3:20 for our citizenship is in Heaven…  (MKJV) Ephesians 2:6 … made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, (MKJV). We can see from these two scriptures that our citizenship is in heaven which is our Legal standing. The Word of God is greater than any situation. This forms the bases of our defence against the works of Satan.

B deals with our new Literal State. The Literal state is we are on the journey towards a home with God. The literal state most likely differs from our legal standing but with the work of the Holy Spirit and confession of the Word of God which states our legal rights we can see changes in our daily life.

Life is full of different rites of passage which are different baptisms or experiences which we go through. We go through these different steps as we grow in Christ and by the sovereignty of God. As we take these steps we move towards maturity and finally we ascend into His presence at the final baptism of death.

Our literal state can be divided in two parts, (1) we are being saved and (2) we will be saved. In this state we need to bring our thinking under subjection to God’s word.

Firstly it is important for us as Christian to be aware of the process of salvation within ourselves. Secondly so we can best help young ones to progress in their Christian life. 2Timothy 4:18 We have been saved and now we are being changed throughout our life from glory to glory, which indicates that the work of Salvation which is finished at the confession of our faith when we faced the Cross of Jesus has an additional work of progression.2 Corinthians 3:16 Progressive salvation or cleansing is called Regeneration and we will look at that in more detail in the next section of this chapter.

Secondly as we have seen we are saved and become a work in progress where the Holy Spirit and the Word of God brings about change, which is a whole life experience in God. Titus 3:5 is clear that we have been saved and now when we look at Romans 10:11 it states that we will be saved. Then in Titus it states that we will be saved through the washing of the Holy Spirit.

Death is the final frontier for all no matter where we are and who we are everyone agrees. We may face it with fear or anticipation, how we handle death depends on our state and the assurance we find in the Word of God. 1 Corinthians 3: 15

Finally we will be saved.

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (KJV)

Paul’s writing is laced with truths which set the captive free; as he was once bound in the religiosity of Judaism he has been able to unravel the entanglement of Law setting the captive free in grace, which is still relevant of today .  

God used Paul’s past to show the glory of Christ in his future highlighting his teaching on being a new creation.