PAUL'S PREVIOUS LIFE

ACE FOR JUNE 10, 2007

St. Paul speaks of his former life in Judaism in our reading from the letter to the Galatians. What was the nature of this former life:

A. Paul was called Saul and he was very interested in following Jesus.
B. Paul was a Roman General in charge of troops in Jerusalem.
C. Paul was a member of the high priesthood in Jerusalem.
D. Paul violently persecuted members of the Church.



Galatians 1:11-24

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.

Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, "The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God because of me.

This is Paul’s spiritual autobiography. He heard the call of God early and using the norms of his people followed energetically. God got him by the collar on the road to Damascus in order to redirect all that energy. As Gentile Christians we can give thanks for his energy and faithfulness. From the book of Acts we know that many people were involved in Paul’s life as a follower of the way.

Only two other people are named here. James the brother of the Lord was a voice of authority in Jerusalem. But who is this Cephas character? I encountered the name elsewhere when Paul, in a snit, demanded to know why he couldn’t take along a wife as Cephas did. Interest piqued and whiskers a twitch I went searching for the answer. It is terribly prosaic. Cephas is just another translation of the word rock, petra, Peter. Yes, that Peter, the one with the mother-in-law in the gospel of Mark. Of course he had a wife, one does not acquire a mother-in-law without a spouse. Mark makes no mention of her, neither does anyone else until Paul carries on in 1 Corinthians 9:5. But it is all a hint, if not an outright declaration, that a whole lot went on in the earliest days that we do not know about. People carried the good news. People with all their idiosyncrasies, needs and warts were and are God’s chosen instruments to the world.