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Lesson 13 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 5

what was Paul taught by this man? possible for a person to be an ISRAELITE, a
5. What was the position of the man who JUDEAN and a PHARISEE all at the same
brought up Paul and taught him? Acts 5:34. times: Israelite by ancestry, Judean by residence,
6. What does Paul say he is in Acts 23:6? and Pharisee by sect.
What does he say his father was?
7. Also, in Romans 11:1, what does Paul Judean Israelites
say he is? Of what tribe does he say he is?
COMMENT: The above scriptures tell We are beginning to see a
us quite a bit about Paul’s background. He was CONNECTION between Israelites and Judeans.
NOT born in Judea, but was a citizen of Tarsus The terms are NOT equivalent since all Judeans
(Acts 21:39). Evidently, that is where his family were not Israelites nor were all Israelites
lived (residence). Paul indicated his father was a Judeans. However, MANY of the Judeans were
Pharisee (the Pharisees were a religious sect of racial Israelites. Additional New Testament
the Judeans). Apparently he was sent to passages bear this out.
Jerusalem to study under the direction of 1. Read Acts 5:17-42. In verse 21 the
Gamaliel, a prominent Pharisee and law teacher high priest of the Judeans “called the council
who was a member of the Sanhedrin (Judean together, and all the senate of the children” of
high court) in Jerusalem. This explains WHY what nation?
Paul could call himself a Judean -- he was born 2. According to Acts 5:34-35, Gamaliel
into a family of Judean culture and educated addressed the council (the Judean Sanhedrin) as
according to the law (principles and precepts) of “Ye men of......” -- what nation?
that culture. After his conversion he, of course, COMMENT: The preceding passage of
repented of the FALSE DOCTRINES he had scripture tells how the apostles were brought
been taught -- i.e. the tradition of the elders. before the Judean leadership for questioning. In

The Pharisees and Sadducees

The Pharisees and Sadducees were two influential political-religious parties or sects
among the Judeans. Rather than signifying titles or offices, these terms were descriptive of
opposing ideological or philosophical schools of thought regarding political and religious
matters. Most of the Judean leaders (priests, elders, scribes, judges, etc.) were followers of one
or the other of these parties, as were some of the common Judeans. The Pharisees supported the
doctrines of immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the dead, life after death, future
punishments and future rewards, and the belief in angels and spirits; the Sadducees rejected
these ideas. The Pharisees strongly supported the “oral” law and “traditions” of the fathers,
while the Sadducees were strict adherents to the “written” law. Both the Pharisees and the
Sadducees represented a Judean governmental “aristocracy” which grievously ruled over the
common people.

It is important to note that Paul, who verse 21 the Greek words sunedrion, translated
referred to himself as a Judean, also stated that “council,” and gerousia, rendered “senate,” (see
he was an ISRAELITE from the tribe of Strong’s Concordance, #4892 and #1087) both
BENJAMIN. His father, a PHARISEE, would refer to the Judean high court, the Sanhedrin. At
also have been an Israelite in order for Paul to least part of them -- if not most of them -- were
make this statement. This shows that it was ISRAELITES (”senate of the children of

The Judeans of the New Testament