Tell us how Paul could have been both a Pharisee AND a tax collector and persecutor of Christians? That was the turf of the Sadducee's.
boatbums: “Paul, being a Pharisee”
NL: “Tell us how Paul could have been both a Pharisee AND a tax collector and persecutor of Christians? That was the turf of the Sadducee’s.”
Tell us how you got tax collector our of bb’s comment? Where’d you ever get the idea that Paul was a tax collector? In all the years I’ve been a Christian, I’ve never heard that one before.
As far as persecuting Christians, he doesn’t have to be a Sadducee to do that. It was the Pharisees who had a hand in Christ’s crucifixion so it would be completely reasonable to believe that they would persecute His followers as well.
Well, I just read what the Bible says how Paul actually describes himself:
Acts 26:4-6
My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers
Philippians 3:5
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
I don't remember anything about Paul also being a tax collector (chapter and verse?) but he did admit to persecuting the Christians before his own conversion.