All That at Tarsus
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Approximately ten miles off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea lay the city of Tarsus. It served as the capitol of Cilicia and was noted for being the location of a significant school of higher education. Much like the citizens of Athens, many of the residents of Tarsus were enthusiastic to learn. Tarsus was also home to a man we first know by the Hebrew name of Saul, though later he is introduced as Paul, the Greek form of the same name. It may seem ironic that Paul was educated in the school of Gamaliel in Jerusalem, rather than in the notable institution in the city of his birth. However, Paul seemed to be proud of his Gamalian education, and Divine Providence may be seen woven through the story. That Gamaliel himself recognized this as being at least a possibility is indicated when he advised the council to be cautious in their dealings with the apostles, adding that they might be fighting against God if they tried to overthrow the apostles’ work. Though once a persecutor of the Church, Paul became the most notable and prolific of all the apostles. Perhaps he could not have learned all that at Tarsus.
Written and voiced by David Hayes Prophater