Jews, Israelites, etc.). The High Priest and the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jerusalem had no power in Damascus, a city in the Roman Province of Syria. Although the apostle does not list the names of these close relatives, who resided in Tarsus, we do know they were from the Israelite tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). Although born into document when they were enfranchised, and civilians may have been Once discovered, the nephew told Paul of the plot, who then had him tell the Romans. SEASON AT EMERALD. For this reason he became a poselyte and was circumcised. Submit your email and I'll email it to you (and I promise to NEVER share your email address): Submit your email and I'll email it to you (and I promise to NEVER share your email): You can now receive my blog posts from this site more quickly and easily by becoming an email subscriber by clicking here. A wonderful description of the life of Saul/St. The primary source for the life of Apollonius is the 3rd century Life of Apollonius of Tyana written by Flavius Philostratus for empress Julia Domna. This doctrine is still true. It's likely Paul learned the Scripture from his family and from the local synagogue. The claim is controversial. It was not unusual, on the one hand, to call a Jewish child after the name of his father. Also: I'm not sure why you object to my mention of rabbis. Please select which sections you would like to print: Alternate titles: Saint Paul, Saul of Tarsus, Arts and Science Professor of Religion, Duke University. Some historians argue that Paul cannot have been a Benjaminite because Jews at this period, except for the Levites, had lost their separate tribal identities. LONG ANSWER: As I understand it, we know nothing else about Paul's family, other than what Acts 23:6 indicates - this verse tells us that Paul's nephew, and thus probably his sister also, cared about him. On the other hand, it was a common practice, in all ages of Jewish history, even without a prophetic intimation, to adopt a name expressive of religious feelings. Following this revelation, which convinced Paul that God had indeed chosen Jesus to be the promised messiah, he went into Arabiaprobably Coele-Syria, west of Damascus (Galatians 1:17). some clue to the circumstances of his familys acquisition of the Marriages and deaths from the Baltimore Patriot, 1820-1824 WorldCat. Nor need we be anxious to possess the information. Paul is among the most famous, intelligent and influential of the apostles. Only 7 of the 13 letters, however, can be accepted as being entirely authentic (dictated by Paul himself). A man cant get permission from the priests of one cityand then go and capture people in another city. It was not something you possessed simply because you lived within the Roman Empire. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Except this verse isn't about Paul's literal mother, but about Rufus' mother who has been "like a mother" to Paul. We know that apostle Paul was a young man at the time of Stephen's martyrdom, and therefore we know what were the features of the period, and what the circumstances of the world, at the beginning of his eventful life. Pompey won Cilicia for the Romans in 67 BC. If he lived in the provinces, his father or some duly appointed agent We dont know who Herodion is, but his name links him to the Roman-Jewish rulers associated with the dynasty of Herod the Great. This means that his parents were Hebrews with Roman privilege. Rabbi was not used to designate a clergyman in the Second Temple period. Some might counter my arguments by stating that Saul/Paul himself clams to have been a Pharisee and not a Herodian. Paul claimed to be a member of the Tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1, Philippians 3:5). We also know that Paul plied the trade of a tentmaker, a leatherworker. "The genealogy of Seth in Genesis 5 is thus intended to take up the creation story which had reached its first climax in the creation, as we would now read it, of Adam. Although he held that Jews and Gentiles alike were called to be transformed into one new humanity in Christ, his missions were largely focused on the conversion of Gentiles, and Christianity would eventually become a largely Gentile religion. (Journal of Roman Studies, 33 [1943], 63f). the voice on the Damascus road addressed him in the Hebrew [probably It may also be that his Christianity was simply not known to them. Certainly it was a capital offense to claim falsely to be a Sign up to receive my FREE Catholic updates via e-mail and receive a FREE copy of my e-book, Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages: A Quick Layman's Guide to Thomism. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. According to Josephus, Herod Antipas the Tetrarch, his full brother Archelaus and his half-brother Philip were raised and educated in Rome (Josephus, Antiquities 17.2021). The chief persecutors of the Christian movement in Jerusalem were the high priest and his associates, who were Sadducees (if they belonged to one of the parties), and Acts depicts the leading Pharisee, Gamaliel, as defending the Christians (Acts 5:34). When the infant at Tarsus received the name of Saul (ultimately to become Paul), it might be "after the name of his father" and it was a name of traditional celebrity in the tribe of Benjamin, for it was that of the first king anointed by Samuel. By the close of the first century BC, shortly before Paul was likely born, the residents of Tarsus were Roman citizens. This is the Herodian style: Jewish identity, loyalty to Jerusalem, familiar with the priests, but appreciative of Gentile power and learning. We aren't certain why Paul came to be born in the capital city of Cilicia, but it may have been that his ancestors were among those that Antiochus IV resettled from Galilee cir. 7] . the Greeks were far from being assimilationist Jews, but remained He could travel with a few leather-working tools and set up shop anywhere. of citizenship to approved individuals was included in the imperium Paul's claim in Philippians 3:4-6 is that he is a proper Jew: circumcised on the eighth day indicates that he comes from a family that is keeping the Jewish traditions despite living in Tarsus. Has 90% of ice around Antarctica disappeared in less than a decade? Paul and Titus taught the people, called Cretans, about their need for God and the good news about Jesus ( Titus 1:4-5 ). John the Apostle, also known as John the Beloved Disciple, (Ancient Greek: ) John the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. In a nation to which the birth of a Messiah was promised, and at a period when the aspirations after the fulfillment of the promise were continually becoming more conscious and more urgent, the birth of a son was the fulfillment of a mother's highest happiness: and to the father also (if we may thus invert the words of Jeremiah) "blessed was the man who brought tidings, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him glad" (Jeremiah 20:15). herculoids gloop and gleep sounds 7. The Apostle Paul's Birth & Educationc. Son of Husband of Priscilla and Priscilla Moreover, we learn about Paul's mother in Rom 16:13: Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. St. Paul the Apostle, original name Saul of Tarsus, (born 4 bce ?, Tarsus in Cilicia [now in Turkey]died c. 62-64 ce, Rome [Italy]), one of the leaders of the first generation of Christians, often considered to be the most important person after Jesus in the history of Christianity. Saint Paulsays that he is of the tribe of Benjamin and a Hebrew of Hebrews (Phil 3:5). Some have also wondered if Paul was married. Paul declared: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of . You can leave a comment by clicking here. Still later, Augustus confirmed and extended these civic privileges. Related to https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q/8024/3195 I want to know more information about Paul's family. their nations history, Israels first king. Acts 23:6. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 or 14 (an East-West difference) are traditionally attributed to St. Paul. Rather, it substantiates it. The fact that Saul/Paul was a Pharisee does not disqualify him from being a Herodian. A Rabbinic citation for men to be married by 20 is Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 29b and 30a sets the minimum age at 16 or 18 at the latest. Herod's first marriage had been prearranged by Herod the Great to preserve peace with King Aretas IV. However, it is possible that Paulus was his family's Roman name. Paul has connections in Rome. The same feelings which welcomed Paul's birth in his family and celebrated the naming of a son in the "hill country" of Judea, (Luke 1:39) prevailed also among the Jews of the dispersion. "Paul cherished God's sovereignty to save, and wept over those who refused to come. Nevertheless, Christian tradition has regarded the phrasing as a rhetorical flourish. A literal reading of Romans 16:13 suggests that Paul and Rufus Pudens were brothers ("Greet Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine."). Author of. from certain ignominious forms of punishment, protection against We find notices of Paul's sister and his sister's son (Acts 23:16) and of some more distant relatives in his family (Romans 16:7, 11, 21) but we know nothing of her who was nearer to him than all of them. He lived in 1940, at address, Ohio. Paul wrote the Book of Timothy to encourage him in . The date is not improbable, but the genuineness of the sermon is suspected, and if it was the undoubted work of the eloquent Father, we have no reason to believe that he possessed any certain means of ascertaining the fact. Journal of Roman Studies, 32 [1942], 78ff; 33 [1943], 55ff). This never-before-available collection includes baptism records, marriage records, and . In this reconstruction, Paul's unnamed nephew (Acts 23:16) was Julius Archelaus, son of Paul's supposed sister Cypros and her husband Temple Treasurer Alexas Helcias. Paul Apostle, born Circa 1898 Paul Apostle was born circa 1898, at birth place, New York. When Saul/Paul is arrested, the commander assigns, get this, 470 men to guard Pauls life! It was customary for provincial families to take their Roman name from the name of their patrons when they acquired citizenship. Moreover, he knew how to dictate, and he could write with his own hand in large letters (Galatians 6:11), though not in the small, neat letters of the professional scribe. beginning of the Christian era in Tarsus, the principal city of 2. We should be glad to know something of the mother who gave birth to Apostle Paul. Paulidentifies his Herodian kinfolk. Moreover, scholars disagree about whether the Ebionites represented a genuine pre-Pauline tradition, or whether they were re-Judaizers. They had 2 children: Walter C Breezy and one other child. Apostle Paul's Prayers In First Corinthians1 Corinthians 1:4-9, 1 Corinthians 16:23. Paul's greeting to his "kinsman Herodian" (little Herod) (Romans 16:11) would have been to Aristobulus' son Herod of Chalcis. He could think, write, and articulate himself in Koine Greek. Staiiners'K smart little mare' ? The list is extensive. He says that he is single (I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 1 Corinthians 7:8). Is Paul's sister in Acts 23:16 his biological sister? He then returned to Damascus, and three years later he went to Jerusalem to become acquainted with the leading apostles there. One of the underappreciated features of the New Testament world are the roads. This is odd. In the ancient world, there were roughly 6 million Jewish people, 5 million people living outside of the area we now know as Israel. It is possible that Paul believed that Jewish converts to the new movement were not sufficiently observant of the Jewish law, that Jewish converts mingled too freely with Gentile (non-Jewish) converts, thus associating themselves with idolatrous practices, or that the notion of a crucified messiah was objectionable. When a man claimed his citizen rights when he said civis Romanus sum traditionally to the lex Valeria of 509 B.C. Perhaps the defining trait of Pauls life immediately prior to his conversion was his opposition to the church. Jerusalem belonged to the Roman Province of Judea. The Pharisees and Herodians worked together! Although a less weighty proof than what is stated above, these eight uses, all of which clearly refer to a blood relative relationship, shows the word's primary definition is more frequently intended than its secondary one. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Or did she live to grieve over her son's apostasy from the faith of the Pharisees, and die herself unreconciled to the obedience of Christ? Selected Answer : Luke 3:23 - 38. In the years following his vision of Jesus, Paul would write that "I persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15:9), "beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it" (Galatians 1:13), and "concerning zeal, persecuting the church . Paul's parents and ancestors are not named in any contemporary source. There is therefore little doubt that, though the native of a city filled with a Greek population and incorporated with the Roman Empire, yet Saul (Paul's) birth and early life were spent in the shelter of a family which was Hebrew, not in name only but in spirit. No, Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ. It was a free city, and a place of culture and learning. So, it's surprising that one of the most significant Christian missionaries in history grew up as a Pharisee. from Sunilnl (2), by Stock- well (.'! During Paul's time, this was a city which enjoyed no taxation. Located in Asia Minor, it was influential in trade since at least the time of Alexander the Great. As a Roman citizen, Paul in many ways was the Apostle who was the most highly ranked in society. The majority view is that the Mishna was written around 200 of the Christian era. As the "neighbors and cousins" of Elizabeth "heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her, and rejoiced with her," so it would be in the household at Tarsus, when Saul was born. Because his family was close to the family of Herod. It is a verifiable fact that the Apostle Paul was one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament, making him one of the founders of the Christian religion that we know today. His Genealogy It is believed that, Paul originally known as Paul if Tarsus was born in the year 4 B.C in a native city called Tarsus in Cilicia in Rome filled with a Greek population and incorporated with the Roman Empire, . He went up to Jerusalem, they say, and when he had spent some time there, he was seized with a passion to marry the daughter of the priest. 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; 2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. however, thought it more likely that such certificates were normally Paul married Margaret Apostle. So we dont know for sure how Paul's family arrived in Tarsus. We know him as the Apostle Paul. or someone else granted Roman citizenship to Pauls family and why it The Life and Epistles of Paul by Conybeare and Howson, as well as commentaries authored by Albert Barnes, John Gill, Bullinger, Henry, MacArthur and others, agree that suggenes' primary meaning should be used. Its hard to tell, but a Saul who was of the royal family and kindred to (Herod) Agrippa and who used violence with the people sure sounds like Saul/Paul in his pre-Christian days. For Instructors and School Administrators. The Apostle Paul's genealogy has been an interesting and worth knowing one. 5. of our era. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles. Lastly, well-known reference works, as well as many (if not most) Biblical commentaries agree that Paul is mentioning the names of some distant relatives in Romans 16:7, 11 and 21. Oh thats right, Herod Antipas the Tetrarch! They were the apostle's sister and her son (Acts 23:16). Paul was ethnically a Jew and a descendant from the tribe of Benjamin ( Phil 3:5 ). Robert Eisenman suggests Paul might have been a member of the Herodian dynasty (see below), whose Edomite descent might have caused them to claim descent from the Tribe of Benjamin. 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