Lessons

Mark begins his initial interview of Paul in this 2nd chapter of Paul: a legal case study where Mark is reviewing the life of Paul as a potential new client. In this first part of Mark's interview we obtain Paul’s background including origin of his names, appearance, and family history. We learn Paul/Saul was born a Roman citizen in Tarsus of Clicia. He was not an only child, multilingual, and as a Pharisee could trace his lineage back to the tribe of Benjamin. Listen to Mark talk more about Paul and what his role as a Pharisee meant.

Paul: A legal case study

Today's class researches Paul's beliefs by focusing on his mentor Gamaliel. (Acts 22:1-3.) Gamaliel’s less conservative interpretation of the Torah, Mishnah, and the Talmud impacted Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. Listen to Mark explain more of the influences in Paul’s life and the biblical implications of his probable membership in the Sanhedrin.

Mark continues his discussion "In defense of Paul" Is Paul legit or lunatic? What changed him? What made the Damascus experience unique, and why was he willing to suffer for the Gospel? Listen to Mark’s insightful accounting of Paul’s behavior before and after he traded his old beliefs to follow Jesus, The Way, was a conclusion to his Jewish upbringing and training.

Today Mark taught about the charges brought against the Apostle Paul. At the time of Paul, a Roman trial had a stage of clarifying and documenting the charges to be proven or disproven called - “the formula". In Acts 24, we see Paul was charged with three crimes: 1) stirring up riots, 2) being a ringleader of the Nazarene sect, and 3) trying to profane the temple. Listen to Mark focus and disprove the first of the three charges which allegedly happened on his third missionary trip where he spent considerable time in Ephesus ministering to the Jews and Greeks.

Mark continued with “Paul, a Legal Case Study” as though he were representing the Apostle Paul. Mark focused on the historical context of Paul's case. During this time, Roman law stated that a defendant must be informed of the crimes he or she is being tried. In Acts 24:9, we read Tertullus charged Paul before the governor Felix of: stirring up riots around the world, being a ringleader of the Nazarenes, and trying to profane the temple. Listen as Mark references Josephus’ writings and explains the history and political climate surrounding how Felix became governor and how Tertullus used that knowledge in an attempt to persuade Felix that his claims about Paul were accurate.  

As an attorney when Mark Lanier takes on new clients he has to ask a question: “What do you want”? For most people the driving motivation is selfish intent. It could be for freedom, fame, or fortune… but this wasn't the case with Paul. Together, let’s discover Paul's true motivation.