What was St Paul's childhood like?

Answer 1

There is little doubt that Paul was brought up to be an observant Jew. Acts 22:3 says that he was brought up in Jerusalem and educated by Gamaliel I the Elder, who flourished in Jerusalem around 20-50 CE. This suggests a privileged upbringing, as does the claim made by Paul in Acts that he was a Roman citizen.

However, Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) says this probably needs qualification. He points out that nothing in Paul's letters suggests that he had seen Jesus during the public ministry or at the crucifixion, implicitly casting doubt on Paul's continuous presence in Jerusalem in the years 26-30/33. We really know nothing about Paul's childhood, but he was very likely to have been part of the Jewish diaspora in or near Syria.

Stanley E Porter (As It Is Written) says Paul clearly had a sound grounding in the Greek education system.