The Influence of St. Paul\u27s Jewish Background on his Life and Letters

To attempt to understand St. Paul involves more than a study of his Epistles and the Book of Acts. His letters and the Acts of the Apostles reveal little of his “pre-Christian” biographical background. We must reconstruct his entire background from several cryptic passages, viz., Of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee.” Also: “Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city.