Saul of Tarsus, better known today as Saint Paul, was a Jew who was born in Tarsus, in Asia Minor. Although it is still not completely known his exact date of birth, it is believed that he was born around 4 BCE and died in Rome around the years 62-64 CE. Having been a Greek-speaking Jew, and also a citizen of Rome, Saint Paul before conversion into Christianity was a fervent Pharisee who dedicated his life to the persecution of Christians. Although not a member of an aristocratic family, still Saint Paul received a formation that turned him into one of the most important men, after Jesus himself, in the new Christian Church.
Among the many things about Saint Paul, the most important to mention and that helped him to become a pillar to the Christian faith was the fact that he was a Roman citizen and a member of the Jewish Pharisee group. This is crucial to know because during his years as an Apostle, this status protected him from certain death many times. Also, because of this, he had access to an education that none of the other Apostles had. This status allowed him to learn to read and write in Greek and this, in turn, gave him access to peoples in Asia Minor that converted to Christianity thanks to him.
Another important thing to know was that Saint Paul was trained to work with tools and with his hands, learning to make tents and sustain himself outside of human settlements. This was really important because he was able to travel further and into more difficult places than any of the other Apostles and he did not depend on others for survival.
Saint Paul was able to read and write in both the ancient Aramaic language, as well as Greek and Latin, a part of his education that was given to him thanks to his membership to the Pharisees. It gave him access to the Gentiles once he converted and allowed him to form several Christian settlements all over Asia Minor. Also, as a member of the Pharisees, Paul was given permission to persecute and execute Christians. This particular thing led him into places where the other Apostles would not have ever gone. All of this and more made Paul one of the most effective evangelizers of all times.
God has granted us many opportunities of education. One of them is the ability to learn about the history of ancient times. This is important because it allows us to reflect on the good things so that we can continue them and also the bad things so that we can improve and not repeat them. It also strengthens our links to each other as communities. Knowing this is vital to spread the word of God, as the sense of community and belonging allows us to see God more clearly and communicate it to others through good actions. It also allows us to create policies that are more in accordance with God´s teachings.
In conclusion, learning about Saint Paul and what he did to spread the word of God, learning about our history and also growing a sense of community, like Paul did, helps spread the word faster as it is the way that God always intended for us to be.
