Paul.lessons.2.3.Paul the Roman and Greek Text

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The Good Life and Hard Times of the Apostle Paul1
Lessons 2 and 3
Based Upon
The Early Life of Paul the Apostle
By Quency E. Wallace, Th. D. Regent University School of Divinity2
Paul the Roman Citizen3
Paul was born a Roman citizen . . . Roman citizens commonly
had two names, one which indicated their background or
heritage apart from Rome, and the other, which would be
their Roman heritage. Paul's Roman name Saul Paulus was
such a name. "He bore two names, the Hebrew Saul meaning
"desired" or "asked for," and the Roman Paulus, meaning
"small." [One commentator suggests that Paul was named for
King Saul, the most famous Benjaminite, but because he was, indeed small of stature and
perhaps sickly, he was called “Paul” – “Small.”]
Roman citizenship in Tarsus, even for the wealthy, was not automatic. Rome had made Tarsus a
self-governing city, but did not grant Roman citizenship for every citizen of Tarsus. If a citizen of
Tarsus was from a family of social standing of four generations or more, they were generally
granted citizenship status. Paul's father more than likely inherited citizenship from his father,
and Paul inherited citizenship from his father. Historian G. Earnest Wright [states:]
Paul was born into a devout Jewish family in the city of Tarsus, capital of the small
Roman district of Cilicia in Asia Minor. His father, a member of the ancient tribe of
Benjamin, named him Saul, after Israel's first king. A man of standing in the community,
he held the privileged status of Roman citizen, an honor rarely conferred upon Jews. His
son inherited this legal advantage.
Roman citizenship had many advantages. If a Roman citizen were arrested by local authorities,
they were automatically entitled to a fair trial. If they felt the outcome was not fair, they could
appeal directly to the emperor for judgment. Local Tarsian citizens who did not have Roman
citizenship did not have the same privileges.
1 This study is prepared by John R. Wiblefrom a variety of materials.I refer to myself as the “Editor” and
“Redactor” rather than the author becausevery littlematerial is original work.
2 Edited and Redacted by John R. Wible.No claimto originality of content is made by the Edi tor/Redactor unless
otherwise specified.
3 Prof. Wallacecontinues.

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Roman citizens could also serve in government posts, vote in Roman affairs, join the Roman
legion, and become members of the senate. Anyone who was a citizen of Rome had a
tremendous advantage as a resident of Tarsus.
To prove his citizenship, Paul would have carried a wooden diptych, which
contained wax images of the certificate of citizenship and the names of the
seven witnesses. It was a capital offense to fraudulently claimRoman
citizenship.
[Paul and Roman Justice. 4
Paul knew well the Roman justice system. At least twice, if not three times Paul was a Roman
prisoner and tried by Roman Courts. Paul his Roman citizenship to great advantage ultimately
allowing him to give a witness by way of personal defense to (maybe) Emperor Nero himself.5
Even before this occurrence, Paul used the Romans to allow him to make his famous speech to
the crowd in Jerusalem. 6 As you will remember, the Roman officer, Lysias, shocked by Paul’s
command of several language allowed his great address to all of Jerusalem. However, as a
result of this event, Paul was taken to a Roman prison at Caesarea Maritima where he was held
for about two years. A great deal happened during this Roman imprisonment including the
testimony before Roman Procurator of Judea Antonius Felix 7 who was succeeded by Governor
Porcius Festus who also heard Paul. 8 It is suggested in The Apostle: A Life of Paul by {The Rev.
Dr.} John Pollock that during this two-year imprisonment, Paul may have composed at least one
of his prison epistles.]
Paul and His Grecian Cultural Environment. 9
Paul had been raised in a Hellenistic (Greek thought, influence and customs)
society in Tarsus. [Acts 21 notes] that Paul spoke fluent Greek [formal, as
opposed to Koine] to the Roman military captain, Lysias, to stop a crowd
from lynching him. . . . Barclay [says:] "The captain was amazed to hear the
accents of cultured Greek coming from this man (Paul) whom the crowd
were out to lynch." Paul was also fluent in Koine Greek, a Greek tongue
commonly spoken in his native city of Tarsus, as well as being fluent in
ClassicalGreek, which indicated that he had been exposed to Greek learning at the university
4 Editor’s insertion.
5 To no avail,unfortunately.However, many of Nero’s personal soldiers appear to have come to Christwhilebeing
chained to Paul – which had to be the worst duty in the Empire – at leastat first.
6 See Acts 22.
7 Acts 24.
8 Acts 25.
9 Prof. Wallacecontinues.

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level. Montague [states] concerning Paul's use of "Classical" Greek and his possible exposure to
the university or philosophical schools in his training:
His mastery of the Greek literary technique of the diatribe and his occasional citation of
Greek authors (Aratus in Acts 17:18; Meander in 1 Cor. 15:23; Epimenides in Tit 1:1) are
considered by some as evidence that he frequented the Hellenistic schools of rhetoric.
[In considering the contributions of Greek culture into Paul’s thought process, one must take a
snapshot of the greats of Greek thought, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in addition to Zeno and
Stoicism, mentioned supra.] 10
When one thinks of the great Greek philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle come to mind.
They were not the only ones of course. However, with Zeno, they have perhaps the greatest
impact, if not Greek civilization in general, certainly on Paul as representatives of his Greek
influences.
Socrates.
The problem with Socrates (470/469 – 399 BC) is that he never really wrote
anything down. We only know of this thought through the “filter of his great
pupil, Plato.” Plato wrote Dialogues concerning his many conversations
with Socrates. One of Socrates’ principle contributions to Western thought
(and Paul’s) was what has come to be known as the “Socratic method.” This
is a method of teaching that relies on the teacher asking pointed questions
of the pupil with the goal of weeding out implausible answers and thus
leading to the most plausible answer. The modern “Scientific Method” is
based on Socratic thought.
Divine Emissary. Socrates frequently says his ideas are not his own, but his teachers. A later
philosopher, Xenophon said, “He was a teleologist who held that god arranges everything for
the best.”11 Please note the lower case “g” in “god.” “Teleology” is a school of thought that
holds that things exist because they have function.
Socrates was famously tried for the crimes “heresy and corrupting the minds of the youth
(young men) of Athens. In his defense, he stated to the jury that “they are [more] concerned
with their families, careers, and political responsibilities when they ought to be worried about
the ‘welfare of their souls’. He stated that “the gods” had “singled him out as a divine emissary”
to teach virtue as a diving gift rather than something that could be taught and learned.”12 S-
Socrates was also famously “allowed” to drink hemlock at the behest of the unimpressed jury.
10 The followingextended passages arethe Editor’s additions.
11 Long, AA. in Ahbel-Rappe, S. and Kamtekar, R. (2009). A Companion to Socrates. John Wiley & Sons. p. 59.
12 Id.

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Perhaps, for our purposes his greatest influence on the young Paul is his strong belief in the
ethical principal of doing that which was right as opposed to that which was expedient. He may
thus be thought to be one of the earliest ethicists. Though he speaks at times of “god,” it is
unclear whether he was a monotheist. My suggestion is that he was not. In fact, Plato refers to
Socrates as a “divine fatalist.”13
Platonism.
Plato (428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was Socrates’
greatest pupil. Unlike his mentor, Socrates, he was a
rather prolific writer. Perhaps the most famous quote
concerning Plato as “Alfred North Whitehead once noted:
"the safest general characterization of the European
philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of
footnotes to Plato.”14
Plato has also often been cited as one of the founders of
Western religion and spirituality.15 Plato’s influence on Christianity is, like so many things, a
mixture of good and bad. Plato, as did Socrates, had a strong sense of the divine. He believed
very much in two “realities,” that which is seen and that which is unseen. He states of the two,
the real reality is that of the divine. In other words, what is going on in the spiritual real is the
“truly real” world. So far, so good.
However, he makes a clear distinction between the two “realities.” This lead to a philosophy
that has persisted for millennia.” He created the “world of shadows which holds that things that
occur in the physical world are “shadows” of the things that occur in the spiritual world. The
problem with this philosophy is that its natural progression leads to the heresies of asceticism
and its converse, hedonism. The ascetic believes that since the physical world is not important,
he should ignore it and try his best to get away from it. We see modern ascetismin monasteries
both religious and non-religious.
On the other hand, the hedonist draws the opposite conclusion from the same assumption.
Since the physical world doesn’t matter, one should “eat, drink, and be merry” because in the
spiritual world, it will all be sorted out later.
Unfortunately, both heresies lead to an emphasis on the physical, one a negative one and the
other a positive one. When one overly emphasizes the physical, he forgets the spiritual. What I
have just described is post-modern man who really doesn’t see much of a spiritual reality at all.
13 Plato,Dialogues.
14 Whitehead, Alfred North (1978).Process and Reality. New York: The Free Press.
15 Faucault,Michel, The Hermeneutics of the Subject: LECTURES AT THE COLLEGE DE FRANCE, 1 9 8 1 - 8 2.

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Paul confronted Platonism in many of the Grecian-influenced church that he founded or taught.
He found it difficult to “root out” Plato’s ideas because much of them was correct. His job was
to “separate the wheat from the chaff.”
Platonic thought has underlain much church doctrine for centuries. One of the Church’s
greatest thinkers, St. Augustine, was a Platonist.
Aristotle.
Plato’s pupil, Aristotle (384 – 322 BC,) was most notably the tutor
of Alexander the Great. This gave him the resources to crate great
libraries and aid in the production of hundreds of books. Since he
was a pupil of Plato, he was raised, philosophically, on Platonic
dualism. However, later in life, his studies changed from Platonism
to empiricism. He believed that all peoples' concepts and all of
their knowledge was ultimately based on perception. Aristotle's
views on natural sciences represent the groundwork underlying
many of his works.16
Aristotle is viewed as the father of logical reasoning. Emanuel Kant
stated in the Critique of Pure Reason that Aristotle's theory of logic completely accounted for
the core of deductive inference. 17 As teacher of Alexander the Great, Aristotle influenced the
thought of all the conquered provinces with his emphasis on gaining knowledge from
observation of the natural world.
While this view gives a wonderful basis for the scientific method, it de-emphasizes, if not totally
denies, the element of the spiritual in the cosmos. This leads us to rationalism that holds nature
as god rather than God as God. We see this rationalistic idea in the basic documents of our
American heritage.
An unfortunate extension of Aristotle’s naturalistic views based in truth from that which can be
observed is his view that people of color were naturally destined to be slaves.
We will see later that Paul indirectly, some say directly, attacks the truth of this view in
Philemon vv. 15- 18, Galatians 3:27 and 28, Galatians 4:6 and 7 and a number of clearly indirect
allusions. 18 19
16 Jonathan Barnes,"Life and Work" in The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle (1995),p. 12.
17 Kant, Emanuel, Critique of Pure Reason.
18 “For all of you who were baptized into Christhaveclothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is neither slavenor free man, there is neither malenor female. . .”
19 “Because you are sons,God has sent forth the Spiritof His Son into our hearts, crying,"Abba! Father!" Therefore
you are no longer a slave,but a son;and if a son, then an heir through God.

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In the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence which is frequently omitted from
quotation by political orators, we find this peculiar statement:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes
necessary for one people to dissolve the political
bands which have connected them with another,
and to assume among the powers of the earth, the
separate and equal station to which the Laws of
Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that
they should declare the causes which impel them to
the separation.20 [Emphasis added.]
Epicureanism.
The Greek philosopher Epicurus, founded the school of thought known as Epicureanism around
307 BC. It is a systemof thought based in materialism. The materialism of Epicurus caused him
belittle the gods and not believe in superstition or divine intervention.
The early Christian Lactantius, critically quotes Epicurus as asking the following riddle that has
come down through the ages and won’t go away concerning the existence of, or the power of
“the gods” and by extension – God Himself.
God either wants to eliminate bad things and cannot,
or can but does not want to, or neither wishes to nor
can, or both wants to and can. If he wants to and
cannot, then he is weak – and this does not apply to
god. If he can but does not want to, then he is spiteful
– which is equally foreign to god's nature. If he neither
wants to nor can, he is both weak and spiteful, and so
not a god. If he wants to and can, which is the only
thing fitting for a god, where then do bad things come
from? Or why does he not eliminate them?21
Many philosophers ventured their opinion on what constituted the greatest “good.” In the 300
BC era, defining “good” was a great philosophic pastime. Epicurus believed that "pleasure" was
the greatest good. This, however should be distinguished from the logical extreme of
Epicureanism, Hedonism which is basically license to act in any way one pleases. To Epicurus,
the way to attain “pleasure” was to live modestly and to gain knowledge of the workings of the
world thus limiting the need for one's desires.
20 Jefferson, Thomas, Declaration of Independence, Clause1.
21 Lactantius,De Ira Deorum, 13.19. Epicurus,Frag.374.

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He believed that following this path led one to attain a state of “tranquility” and freedom from
fear. It also counteracted bodily pain. The combination of these two states was thought
supposed to constitute “happiness” in its highest form. 22
Epicureanism was originally a challenge to Platonism, though later it became the main
opponent of Stoicism. While some of the later Roman rulers were Stoic in their persona, i.e.,
Marcus Aurelius, most resorted to the abuse of Epicureanism – Hedonism. Julius Caesar is said
to have had “Epicurean leanings.”
Skepticism.
A brief mention should be made of Skepticism because it is among the Grecian philosophies
that competed for the young Paul’s attention and the mature Paul’s attacks. Pyrrho of Elis (365–
275 BC) is usually credited with founding the school of skepticism. He traveled to India and
studied with the "gymnosophists" (naked lovers of wisdom), which could have been any
number of Indian sects. From there, he brought back the idea that nothing can be known for
certain.
They believed that the senses are easily fooled, and reason follows too easily our desires.23
Ancient and modern-day skeptics alike tend not to believe in anything because they believe
that nothing can be known for sure – and they surely know this.24
Alexander the Great.
Leaving philosophy, politics and conquest ensue.
Probably no one single person has had as much
effect on the western world up until his time as
Alexander the Great. (356 – 323 BC.) A bit of a
philosopher,25 Alexander III’s greatest legacy is his
conquering of the known world and inculcation of
all the Greek ideas that had preceded him into the
“warp and woof” of the societies of the conquered
peoples. It is said that:
Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion his conquests engendered, such as
Greco-Buddhism. He founded some twenty cities that bore his name, most notably
Alexandria in Egypt. Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread
of Greek culture in the east resulted in a new Hellenistic civilization, aspects of which
22 For a good treatment of this school of thought see: Dane R. Gordon and David B. Suits, Epicurus. His Continuing
Influence and Contemporary Relevance, Rochester, N.Y.: RIT Cary Graphic Arts Press,2003.
23 Boeree, Dr. C. George. "The Ancient Greeks, Part Three." ShippensburgUniversity Press.
24 I can’t decide whether this is circularlogicor justplain oxymoronic.
25 Despite Brad Pitt’s pathetic portrayal of himin the movie,

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were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century and
the presence of Greek speakers in central and far eastern Anatolia until the 1920s . . .
He is often ranked among the world's most influential people of all time, along with his
teacher Aristotle.26
His empire is mapped on the following page. Note that the Empire stretched from Greece to
India and from Libya and Egypt to ancient “Sogdiana,” modern day Iran, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan.
After the death of Alexander, his Kingdom was divided among his generals. Note below the
division. Note that the area of Paul’s interest was under the control of the several of the
successors to him. Ptolemy ruled Palestine and others split Asia Minor. Note, to that Paul’s
Cilicia was not under direct Greek control by Paul’s time.]
26 Burger, Michael (2008). The Shaping of Western Civilization: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment. University of
Toronto Press. p. 76.

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Zeno and Stoicism.
Church History scholar John Drane [reasons:] 27
Of the many philosophical schools of the time, Stoicism, [founded by Zeno (334 – c. 262
BC) of Citium in Cyprus who taught in Athens circa 300 BC,] was probably the most
congenial to Paul. One or two of the great Stoics came from Tarsus, and Paul may have
remembered something about their teachings from his youth.
Some scholars have suggested that Paul's acquaintance with Stoic philosophy was closer
than this. In 1910 Rudolf Bultmann pointed out that Paul's reasoning sometimes
resembles the Stoics' arguments. Both use rhetorical questions, short disconnected
statements, an imaginary opponent to raise questions, and frequent illustrations drawn
from athletics, building, and life in general.
It is even possible to find phrases in Paul's teaching which could be taken to support
Stoic doctrine; for example the statement that "all things were created through Him and
for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together " (Colossians 1:16-
17)... Paul's letters also often reflect Stoic terminology - as when he describes morality
in terms of what is "fitting" or "not fitting" (Colossians 3:18; Ephesians 5:3-4). No doubt
Paul would know [about] and sympathize with many Stoic ideals.
27 Wallacecontinues.

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This highly reasoned argument by Drane is based upon the many parallels of Stoic doctrine and
the Bible. Both are monotheistic, both believe in living according to the will of God, (or nature
in the case of Stoicism). F. W. Walbank [said:] . . . concerning Stoicism:
This school, set up in the Painted Hall [In Athens](Stoa
Poikile) by Zeno of Citium, Cyprus (335-263 BC,) taught
a complete philosophical systemwhich with certain
modifications was to flourish throughout the
Hellenistic period and to become the most popular
philosophy during the first two centuries of the
Roman Empire. It had several main tenets. The only
good is in virtue, which means living in accordance
with the will of god or nature - the two being more or
less identified. One's knowledge of what that is
depends on an understanding of reality, which (contrary to the views of the skeptics) can be
acquired through the senses by a “perception conveying direct apprehension” (kataleptike
phantasia), as the Stoic jargon described accepting the evidence of the senses. Such virtue is
the only good: all else (if not positively evil) is indifferent.
Stoic philosophy, it would appear, was embraced as the "popular philosophy" of the Roman
Empire in Paul's day. It is easy to see how Paul, being taught Stoic fundamentals, used Stoicism
in metaphorical language to get his audiences to understand his point. This approach would
have been the one that would have made the most sense in the impartation of God's word. It is
very easy to picture Paul intertwining Stoic philosophical techniques and ideas with the truths
contained in the gospel, to assist Gentile audiences in their understanding of the word of God.
Paul utilized his Grecian cultural and educational background as leverage in his efforts to
convert and train Gentile hearers in the way of the Lord.
and establish the church solidly in all parts of the Roman Empire.