Bigotry of Saul, in Persecuting the Christians

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.

I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest …

So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.

I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

…as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.