ECC UNITIV 1 ISSTJE Saulof TarsusHzN Gained a Reputation 'the Paulthe As Attackerof Followersof Wav' Hebrew JERUSALEM,around 32 CE-Saul of in that city. They are prosperoustent mak- Tarsuswas seenrecently at the killing of ersand are also citizens ofRome, Stephen.He appearsto be intent on "Saul and I carnehere, to Jerusalem.to destroyingall mem- sludywith Gamaliel,a Jewishteacher of bersof the way, a greatfame. We were honoredto have a new religiousgroup placein his school.The rabbi is a moderate who believein the thinker who suppofisthe liberal pathof fol- resurrectionof Jesus lowing the Law. Saul disagreedwith our of Nazareth. teachermany times. He felt thatone should Stephen,an out- beslrict and rigorous in applyingthe Law. spokenmember of "I havenot talkedwith saul for some the Way,was stoned time,but I am not surprisedthal he is now ro deathjust outside persecutingthese people. I haveheard they thecity. He hadbeen are trying to destroylhe traditiooof the on trial beforethe Jewswith theirtalk of a Messiahwho has councrl, risenftom thedead." We have Iearned Many of the followers of Jesusof that Saul may have Nazaiethhave fled the city to escapepeise- beenpresent al that cution and to spreadlheir story to other trial as a memberof pans of the land. Evidenlly, Saul has also the council. we leamedof thesepeople and their effons to know he stood by soreadtheir beliefs. approvinglyas the A sourcewithin the templeoffices youngman died at informedus that Saulhas obtained letters the handsof his from the High Priestthat will be recog- accus€rs. nized throughoutthe Empire. Theseletters give Saul completeauthority to arrestany suspectedmemb€rs of the Way and retum Sh€llY6- btetmdiat , Student of Gamaliel tbemto Jerusalemfor trial. EpiscoparChildrctr's who is this Saul, who has appointed Wehave also been told thatSaul and his himself chief attackerof men and women companionshave set off this very day for Copyisht@1993 who follow the Way? we spokewith a Damascusto pursuethese believers and Virgirir'fterlogical friend of his who has known him since seminaryand Mo.€hou!€ destroytheir community.If he employsthe Publishing childhood. zealouseffons he has used previously,we "Saul and I werebom in Tarsus,a Greek haveno doubthe will succeedin this city in AsiaMinor. His familyis prominent ReligiousParties Played Vitat Role hariseesappear often in the New Jews.They were the conservative memb€rs Testament.Saul may have been a of the Jewishcommunily and carefully memberof this group who were maintainedtheir power in relalionto believersin the stricl interDretationof Romanrulers. 'fhe Jewishlaw. Their nameprobably rneans Sanhedrinwas the high court of "separatedout." Judaism.It was madeup of seventyelders Phaaiseastook sedously the practice of and the presidentof the coun. usuallythe Ihe rtghtsof religious purity and divided themselves High Priest.It hadits own policeforce and from thosewho did not strictly obey the couldorder anests on bolhcivil andcrimi- Roman laws,They relied completelyon the oral nalcharges. cltlzms, and written teachingsof the Torah Jesuswas brought before the Sanhedrin. once (Genesis,Exodus, Levidcus, Numbers. and andso wasStephen. In bothcases, $e abil- granted, were Deuteronomy).They also forcsawthe ideal ity of this coun (or council)to imposethe societythat would emergeif everyfamily dealhpenalty depended on theRoman gov- then tflhertted wasSuided rorally by rheseleachings. emorat thc (ime.Pilate obviously reserved Sadduceeswerc the ruling authority- the right lo pur a prisonerro dearh.The thetr lhe parly in power. They led the court. govemorwho followedPilate allowed the cbtldrm. ruled the temple,and inlerpretedthe writ- deathof Srephenro be imposedby rhe ten Torahexclusively ThusPaul as the law of the Sanhedrin. recelaedhls cttlzen"shlp fron hfsfather HebrewSchooling Began Early for Boys at hts bhth. Hebrewfamilies raughtrheir children of lhe Torah.excepr for usein gatierings the laws of Cod as written in the Torah, IOr WOtShrD, beginningat a very early !ge, Formal At ageien, the boys would advanc€to schoolingfor boysb€gan abou! age five at Ihe bet talmud,where the focus was not a school calfed bet hasekr Classeseronld only on $e writtenTorah but alsoon the Iastfor half a day,six daysa week.For five morecomplicated tradition of the oml law. years the studentswould sil at a teacher's More gifted srudentswho wishcd ro feet and leam Hebrew lettersand words beaomescribes, priests, or teachers,would and phrasesfrom rhe Torah, by rote. The go to a larger city such as Jerusalemto oral radition was very imponrnt becausei! study with a well-known reacherof the was not dcemedproper to write the words laur'.Camaliel was one suchteacher (rabbi). RomanCitizenship Offered privileges The righls of a Romancitizen werc fte- from his father ar his birth. quenllybestowed on peoplewho lived in Romancitizens enjoyedtull civil righls, temtodes occupiedby Rome.Ther€forc, it couldenter into poliricailife, marryotier wasnot unusualfor Paul'sfamily in Tarsus Romancilizens, and receive full Drotection to havereceived citizenshiD. of the couns.When Paul was arrestedin The rightsof Romancitizens, once Jerusalem,he exercisedhis right of appeat granted,ur'ere rhen inherited by their chil- to thecourt in Rome. dren.Th!s Paul receivedhis citizenshiD Page2 IV.l Slrll Yd-lnrdn di&. Fri<.p.j Chr{hnt Cl:mruh cap!,ighr I t99l virli.ir lblos,c.t s.sier. ld M@hdr prblilhil8 TentDlaking Was an EssentialTrade Saul'sfamily were well known tent Later translators makersin the city of Tarsusin Cilicia, a of the term used place widely acclaimedfor its excellent for a tent maker felted clolh madefrom goa!'s hair. This believe that it may cloth was usedto maketents for lhose also have meant nomadictribes l,ho tendedsheep and other leatherworker. If animalsthat grazed the land. this is the case, The tents were also importantfor the Paul would have Romansoldiers as theytrayeled from post been engagedin to postor werehoused on theplains oulside the work of mak- of a city. ing leathertents The makingof a tent involvedcuttiflg andother items such as treds.cushions. and sewingcomplicated pieces of cloth or hamessesfor horsesand chadots. Ieatherpieces logether PUZZLE ANSWER MEMORYCHAIIENGB oT a Booksof theNewTestament Memorizethe books ofthe New Testament. Workon thc yellowbox eachtime. Matthew Acts Mark Romans* Luke I CorlnthlsDs* John II Codnthlars* sh.lt Yd In&m.di.c. Eoi$ood ctutdEn 5 Curiculun coptriShr € r99r viqi'ir'rh@bgical s.nimry ad Morhau* Plbtsnins IV-l Page3 PAUI,'SDARI,Y ROPUNISHMENTAVP TARSUSGJERTARPE Findthe words below jn t}lepuzzle. EEDEDUCATEDTBRR They maybe up anddown, across, or diaSonal. SONCITIZMOTEOIS HEBREW TENTAMRZEALOUSE SYNACOGUES ISROMANDONLENOC JEW BOUND FUDAMASCUSAIDNU TARSUS YJESTRKEHEBREWT PRISON GAMALIEL JERUSALEMPERSLE EDUCAIED OWALETTERSFENTD TENTMAK-ER ZEALOUS SYNAGOGUESVBORN DAMASCUS TESTIFY JERUSALEM LETTERS PUNISHMENT BORN PERSECUTED ROMAN UnitlV: LearningScripture TEARNING S€ssionl: nirm.rxsI.16,'5r-l SCRIPITIRE Scssionl: 6rr1.rrlirr.rlrl0d,' Eph?snts 2:8/j; Phiti?ions3: 13-11 SessionI Sessionl: R.)rllrrr/0r9; I Corinthiu* l5: I0a: "For I am not ashamedofthe gospel;it is thepower of Godfor salvationfo every_ Ephesunts2:19 20 onewho has faid, . ." -Rorndns1.16(NRSV) Sessi()l-1: R.)rr{rr.\ 8.28r Philippiut.t1: l3 Session5: Rrr?d/rr lLrrl-1,- "Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have p€acewith God through our I Crtrinthim:l5:57 LordJesus Christ, . ." -Ronazs 5:1 (NRSV) Se\\ion6: / Cdr.i,r/lidr.\/rJ; l6:2.1 Session7: L7lrer/r,lr.lr7i I fint)thl1:lla Sessionil: t/)lrsld?r 5r./i 6. /8 Session9: J.)?/2.2.9r A.r.r 2r4 Page-l I\'-l (dpJ.gb, a l9!r vngiiiaTlr.olos'crlsemiiaryud Mdthorr Publlshrs EGC TJNITIV ISSUS2 Saul,Opponent of the Way,Was Struck Paulthe BlindAs He Came Here fromJerusalem DAMASCUS,around 33 CE-Eatliet you arepersecu(ing, But gel up andenter Convert today,while travelinghere, Saul of Tarsus thecity, andyou will be told whatyou are was struckblind. He is the Hebrewwho to do.' has beena leadingpersecltor of the fol- "Everyonewho tlaveled with Saulstood lowersof Jesusof Nazarcth. speechless.No onemoved until Saul got An eyewitnessto thisshocking eventshar€d an accountof what happened. "Saul,several others, and I left Jerusalemthis morningon our way to Damascus.Our mission, led by Saul,was to seekout and anestfollowers of the Way who had fled to thatcity andthe sur- roundingcountryside. "Saul had obtainedletters of authorityfrom the high pri€stof the Sanhedrin.Such letters are ShcllYcar- Intcnn diote, respectedthroughout the empire. EphcopdChildrln's They gave us the right to seize Curriculum men and womenof the Way,tie CopriShl @1993 them up, and return them to virginia'rh€oloeical Jerusalemfor tdal. Scmiruryand Mor.housc party PubUshing "The was travelingat a goodpace when suddenly a bright light appearedin the road. The light wasso intense that I hadto shieldmy up from the ground.His eyeswere open, ey€s.It wasas if sunlighthad tumed cold. but we soonrealized that he could see Saul seemedto be right in the middle of the nothing.We assumedthe dazzlingbright light.He fell to theg.ound. lighthad caused him to becomeblind. "At flrst we wereconfused about what Group Heard Voice of Jesus to do.Should we retumto Jerusalem? "We hearda voice speakingbut could "ln the midstof olr confusion,Saul seenothing except the light.The voice spokewith a new senseof authority.He 'Saul, said, Saul.why do you persecute said,'We shall go on into Damascus.' me?' led 'Who "We took him by the hand and him "Saulanswered in a shakyvoice, into thecity. We left him thereat thehouse areyou, Lord?' 'I of a mannamed Judas, on the streetcalled "The replycame, am Jesus,whom Straight." SaulRestored and Baptized by Ananias 'In nanias.a discipleof Jesusliving in of the Lord Jesusbciirrc Ccntile\ and Saul's Damascus,reccivcd a speoialmis- kings. ''So alslon, a man sionlhree days after the cvcntof I lefi at once and lvcnr () the hou\e Saul \ encounterwilh thc Lord Jcsuson the oi Judxs.I lbund Saul prayinSin eamestto narnedAnanlas road to that city. This is his story: the Lord Jesu\. I laid nry bandsupon hinr 'Brother "l receiveda visionin $hich the Lord and said.