Faith Journey on Paul

Chapter 3 At the Feet of Gamaliel

Continuing through the Beth Moore study of the life of Paul, I learned about how he grew in his training at the feet of Gamaliel.

His father, wanting to give Paul the best education, would have continued his education by sending him to Jerusalem which was the center of Jewish learning.

Paul said: Acts 22: 3"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today."

Romans 16:13 is the only mention we know of a maternal figure in Paul's life. 13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

Paul grew up in a Gentile city and would have witnessed the actual division between both the Gentiles and the Jews. A wall prevented the "defiling heathen" from entering the inner sanctuary. Such prejudice must have angered Paul later when he spoke against the division as we see in Ephesians 2:14, "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...."

It was in Jerusalem that Paul studied under Gamaliel, an esteemed teacher and rabbi and the grandson of the "great" Hillel. While many of the pharisee's fell short of knowing the spirit of the law, much of Hillel's teachings were consistent with what Christ taught. For example: "Judge not thy neighbour until thou art in his place; ....what is unpleasant to thyself that do not to thy neighbour; this is the whole Law, all else is but its exposition."

Gamaliel was so well honored that he was referred to as "the beauty of the law." One thousand students attended the rabbinical college while Saul/Paul studied in Jerusalem. Consider the intensity of such a passage as Galatians 1:15 "But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace." Only He, God, in all His power could orchestrate the timing of such paths crossing as both Gamaliel and Paul. For Paul would surely need such an influence of grace as this teacher. Through Gamaliel the seed was watered though it would not be harvested until many years later, and after so much pain! In such as the latter, God's timing continues to be a mystery though perhaps it is a historical replay of how pride shows itself before the fall.

"Gamaliel was clearly a remarkable man-the first to whom the title Rabban (Master) was given." And, we see in Acts 5:38-40 how Paul was influenced by Gamaliel's passion,
38 "Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God. 40His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go."

1 Corinthians 8:1-3, "We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But the man who loves God is known by God." Though it took many years before Paul came to this understanding, we too ought to seek not only knowledge, but love. And, "Let every study of the Word of God increase your love for the divine Author!"

*Quotes from and summary of, To Live as Christ by Beth Moore