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Young Saul Comes to Jerusalem • Dec 01st 2012

The Life of Paul Part 4 – The Making of Saul of Tarsus and the Turmoil of A.D. 27–34

Acts First Century Paul the Apostle The Gospels

In this powerful episode of The Life of Paul, Gene Edwards explores the early years of Saul of Tarsus, the young man who would one day become the Apostle Paul.

Before his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, Saul was a brilliant and passionate young Pharisee-in-training. In this message, you’ll discover the world Saul grew up in—from the city of Tarsus to Jerusalem, where he longed to sit at the feet of the great teacher Gamaliel.

This fascinating teaching places Saul’s story within the larger events of the Roman Empire and Israel during the years A.D. 27–34. Learn what was happening during the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth, the political intrigue surrounding Tiberius, Sejanus, and Herod Antipas, and how these world-shaping events formed the backdrop of Saul’s early life.

This episode also explores:

  • Saul’s zeal for the traditions of the Pharisees
  • His hatred of “The Way” before meeting Christ
  • The imprisonment and death of John the Baptist
  • Saul’s arrival in Jerusalem
  • His years studying under Gamaliel
  • The spiritual and political climate of the first century

If you want to understand the Apostle Paul more deeply, you must first understand Saul of Tarsus—his upbringing, beliefs, ambitions, and the world that shaped him.

This teaching is ideal for those interested in:

  • Bible history
  • New Testament history
  • Christian discipleship
  • The life of Paul
  • Early church history
  • Biblical storytelling

Watch now and discover how God was preparing Saul of Tarsus long before the Damascus Road.

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So, Paul sat down at the feet of Gamaliel, taking notes, repeating every word that Gamaliel uttered, asking questions, hearing answers that he was not prepared for. There was one thing that really bothered him later on, and that was that he was quoted as having said a good word toward a particular cult or sect of the Jewish religion. How Paul hated those people. There were two kinds of people he hated especially. One was the Gentiles, and the other were these followers of the way. He met them on the streets. He watched them parading together, arm in arm, throughout the city early in the morning and throughout the day. One day, he decided to go over and see what was happening in a particular place behind the temple. Behind the temple was a courtyard. There was an intersection there. Colonnades were placed there out from the two sides, and they were made into a roof by these large, long, high stone columns. These columns were known as Solomon’s porch, and so it was Paul of Tarsus one day…and we’ll take up from there.

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