Paul's Biography

The Basics

"Paul was born at Tarsus, the principal city of Cilicia...." (George Tomline, Elements of Christian Theology (1818) Vol. 1 at 345.)

"In the Acts of the Apostles he is called Saul till the ninth verse of the thirteenth chapter, and afterwards he is always called Paul. No satisfactory reason has been assigned for this change." (Id.)

"He was of the tribe of Benjamin, and of the sect of the Pharisees. Philipp. c. 3. v. 5." (Id.)

"Paul is not mentioned in the Gospels; nor is it known whether he ever heard our Saviour preach, or saw him perform any miracle. His name first occurs in the account given in Acts' [account] of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, to which he is said to have consented:" Acts, c. 8. v. 1. (Id., at 346.)

Was Paul a tent-maker or the maker of theatrical scenery? Andrew Perriman points out that the usual meaning of the term skenopoios, translated in the English versions of the Acts of the Apostles as "tent-maker" (Acts 18:3), is a stagehand or maker of theatrical scenery. See the next section.

Paul's Real Job Was As A Stage-Hand?

As Perriman points out (see this link), in Anthony Thiselton's The Hermeneutics of Doctrine (2007), as part of a discussion on ‘Christian Doctrine as Dramatic Narrative,’ Thiselton notes the argument of L.L. Welborn that ‘tentmaker’ is an unlikely translation of skenopoios in Acts 18:3. (Id., at 70.) The BDAG Greek Lexicon points to the better attested use of the word in the context of Old Comedy to denote a ‘stagehand’ or ‘manufacturer of stage properties.’

The problem is that outside the New Testament skenopoios is used only in the theatrical sense or figuratively to describe the construction of an impermanent dwelling. That could refer to a tent, but there is nothing in the context of Acts 18:3 to resolve the sense in favour of ‘tentmaker’. BDAG concludes:

In the absence of any use of the term skēnopoios, beyond the pass. in Pollux and the Herm. Wr., and the lack of specific qualifiers in the text ofAc 18:3, one is left with the strong probability that Luke’s publics in urban areas, where theatrical productions were in abundance, would think of skēnopoios in ref. to matters theatrical.

Welborn thinks that in speaking of Christians as ‘fools’ or ‘clowns’ for the sake of Christ (1 Cor. 1:27; 4:10; 2 Cor. 11:16-17) or of himself and the apostles as having ’become a spectacle (teatron) to the world’ (1 Cor. 4:9), that Paul is drawing on first hand experience of the theatre. (See L.L. Welborn, Paul, The Fool for Christ (2005) at 90.)

In these passages, Paul is alluding to the "Guardian mime" and is using a "theatrical metaphor" throughout these paragraphs. Id. Paul understands himself to be a secondary actor for Christ -- a fool who mimics the actions of the archmime. Id. The mimic fool was a typical character in Greek theater -- copying the acts of another actor.

When Paul shortly thereafter portrays himself as acting with fear and trembling when speaking (1 Cor. 2:1-5), Welborn says this fits a common "theatrical metaphor." Here "Paul portrays himself as a well-known figure in the mime: the befuddled orator." Id., at 92.

Author James McGrath (The Only True God) notes the implications of viewing Paul's advocation is the more common meaning of skenopoios as a stage-hand and asks:

If that were Paul's profession, how might we think differently about him? How might it change the way we think about his activity of proclamation of the Christian message? ("Paul's Theatrics" July 28, 2010.)

One person comments on Perriman's blog to discuss this question, and aptly notes why we do not wish to accept it yet the tolerable benefits of doing so:

It’s hard to imagine Paul erecting stage scenery. But maybe that’s just another example of interpretive conditioning. In any case, if it helps to bring to life the various cultural frames of reference within which Paul’s mind worked, it can’t be a bad thing. I’m all in favour of deflating his theology to culturally and religiously and politically relevant proportions. (Link.)

Thus, Paul was most probably a theater stage-hand at Tarsus.