The Apostle Paul was born around the year of 3 A.D. in the Jewish community of Tarsus. Tarsus was the chief city and capital of the province of Cilicia.When he was born, his strict Pharisee parents dedicated him to the service of God and did all they could to bring him up as good Jew. At eight days old, his parents named him Saul, after Israel's first king who was from the tribe of Benjamin. His parents also gave him the Latin name of Paul because they lived in a Roman society. 
Paul's Education 
His mother educated Paul until the age of five. From age five to ten he studied under his father, a Jewish Pharisee. His father taught him the scriptures and traditional writing. Because he was raised in a Greek and Roman environment, Paul received thorough education in the Greek language, history, and culture. 
Paul was sent to Jerusalem at about ten years old to attend the rabbinical school of Gamaliel. Gamaliel was the most famous rabbi who is mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 5:34). 
The religious school of Gamaliel was mainly oral and had a bias against any book but the scriptures. During a regular school session, learned men met with the students and discussed the scriptures. These men gave various interpretations, illustrations, and quoted precedents. The students were encouraged to question, doubt, and even contradict. 
Gamaliel soon discovered Saul was an enthusiastic student and expected great things from him. He felt that he would be a great leader. Saul was dedicated in all his learning that he captured the heart of his teacher. He was a devoted student that had a real love for learning the scriptures and worship. 
When Saul was in his mid-twenties he went home to Tarsus. Saul left Jerusalem with the knowledge and experiences he learned from Gamaliel's school. For nine or ten years he took up tentmaking with his father in Tarsus. He loved Israel greatly and gained the respect of all his friends, who believed he would one day become a leader. 
Fighting Against God 
Saul did not believe Jesus was the Messiah because Jesus often denounced the Pharisees and seemed to oppose all their rules. He had once heard that Jesus taught the people to disobey the rabbis and had caused chaos in the synagogues. All true Jews accused Him as enemy of Israel. Saul believed that anyone who followed Jesus should be put to death. With this thought in mind he returned to Jerusalem and offered his service to the high priest to persecute anyone who is opposed to the way of the synagogue. 
Saul took his job so fiercely that every worshipping assembly feared his name. He had a temper and was merciless. He was quick to punish. Saul literally dragged believers, cast them into prison, and sentenced them to death. 
The Stoning of Stephen 
Stephen was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Stephen and the Pharisees often had heated debates about Christ in the synagogues. His knowledge of the scriptures proved to be too much for them in the arguments. Even Saul got into an argument with Stephen. They got into an open debate, and Saul became discouraged because he found that with all his learning he was not able to withstand the arguments of Stephen. Saul traveled from synagogue to synagogue and found that the followers of Jesus were everywhere. He was very angry and believed that they should be put to death because they taught contrary to the law. 
Later the Pharisees had Stephen arrested. He was tried by the same Sanhedrin that had condemned Jesus. They returned a quick verdict of death by stoning. At the execution, Saul's responsibility was to take care of the Pharisees' robes while they stone Stephen. The stoning of Stephen left Saul quiet and alone. He had witnessed something he had never seen before and was terribly shaken. 
After Stephen's death, Saul took up with a hasteful persecution of the church. He soon noticed that the death of the leader did not effect the Christians. It only made them bolder and stronger. Saul hunted for believers of Christ, threw them in prison, and put some of them to death. Paul's persecution was so severe that he scattered the Christians throughout Judea and Samaria. This certainly was not what Saul wanted to happen because everywhere the believers went they would spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Christian church, instead of diminishing, grew in number. 

Paul's Final Years

Paul's spent final years traveling from city to city visiting the churches he had established. Paul made a trip to Ephesus and was delighted to see that the church had grown significantly. 
Paul arrested in Nicopolis

Nicopolis was an important city for Paul's missionary work. He believed that it would make a perfect center for spreading Christianity. 
In 64 AD, Nero blamed the Christians of Rome for the great fire in the city. Nero ordered all the Christians to be arrested and killed. 
While in Nicopolis in 67 AD, a Roman officer recognized the Apostle Paul as a leader of the Christian faith. Paul was arrested and sent to Rome. 
Paul's trials in Rome

Paul's main accuser in both trials was a metal worker named Alexander. He testified before the court that Paul was the leader of the Christian church. Paul gave his defense with power. The court was impressed with the defense and adjourned for another trial in the future. 
At his second trial, Emperor Nero influenced the court to quickly convict Paul and have him executed. The court, doing as he wished, found the Apostle Paul guilty was sentenced to death by decapitation. 
That same day the Roman guards lead Paul outside the city of Rome. Paul was ordered to kneel on the ground. The Roman captain drew his sword and beheaded the Apostle Paul. 
ST PAUL & the LAW