Paul found the way

Lynn H. Howard

Paul lived in the first century. He was the son of devout Jewish parents (his Jewish name was Saul), and he probably attended the synagogue school in his hometown of Tarsus. Here Paul studied the Old Testament Scriptures and learned of Abraham's faith in God, about Moses and the Ten Commandments, and about the prophets. All these teachings gave Paul insight into the nature of the one God.

Wanting to study further, he went to Jerusalem to become a Pharisee. (Pharisees carefully studied the rules given in the Scriptures and the oral traditions that had grown up around these rules; and they tried to obey every one exactly.) So Paul had to learn and obey hundreds of written and oral laws. These included dietary rules, and restrictions about work on the sabbath. The Pharisees believed that to observe these rules was to do the will of God.

While a Pharisee, Paul became aware of a great stir among the people. A man named Jesus had preached to multitudes, and there were reports of healings of all sorts of diseases and even of people being raised from the dead. This same Jesus had been crucified and, reports were, had risen from the grave.

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