Where did Paul the Apostle get "trained"?

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I know that the 12 Apostles (minus one) went out to preach and convert all nations in what Christ had taught them during His earthly ministry. But what about Paul? He was not one of the Twelve. He was never taught by Christ like the 12 were. When Paul went out to establish churches, he would have had to recieve instruction in the Faith first :confused:, right???
 
Maybe it was all revealed to him miraculously on the road to Damascus.
 
In Galatians 1:11-12 we find this
11For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.[a] 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

We also see in Galatians 1:16-18 that Paul apparently did not immediately begin preaching either for he says:
…I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas (Simon Peter) and remained with him fifteen days.

So just how Paul was infused with the Gospel and how long it took etc. is unclear.
It amy well be that he was already well versed in the various claims and teachings of Jesus, and then after his conversion on the road to damascus, he “went into Arabia” to reflect and contemplate. Not unlike when Jesus went into the desert to be tempted.
Once he came back to Damascus he may have compared his understandings with others there, not as a “pupil” ot some teacher, but as a fellow Christian.
We just don’t know the details, but suffice it to say that he was not “formally trained” in the way we sould think of it today.

Peace
James
 
JRKH, I think you have identified the scripture that is referring to Paul’s training period. There is also 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 in which Paul describes a heavenly experience. He doesn’t say where this took place but I would guess it was during Paul’s time in Arabia.
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago–whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows–such a man was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I know how such a man–whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows–
4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
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It would appear from this passage that Paul got his training the same way as the other apostles–directly from Jesus Christ.
 
Saint Paul could have become somewhat familiar with Christianity during the time when he was persecuting Christians.

After being baptized by Ananias, the bishop of Damascus, and testifying on behalf of the Lord there, Paul withdrew to Arabia for three years, where he could have studied Scripture and meditated on what he already knew of the Christian message. Although he doesn’t seem to have gone there seeking instruction from any man, maybe he met a Christian or two while he was there.

At the end of that time he spent a couple weeks in Jerusalem where he spoke with Saint Peter, Saint James and Saint Barnabas. He did some preaching in Jerusalem, and after the Hellenistic Jews there tried to kill him, he was brought back to his native Tarsus for a few years. This is another time when he could have learned more of the faith from some unknown Christian. Christians were scattered by persecutions, so there are many places where he could have met them.

His missionary work followed later.

[The above is mostly directly from Holy Scripture; please let me know if you need references.]

As the Thoughtfulone suggests, St. Paul could also have been instructed during his miraculous encounter with Christ.
 
Has the Church said anything about this? It just seems strange. All those years of instruction given to the Twelve by Christ; then Paul, w/o ever being a part of the Twelve, or
not even knowing ort being instructed in the Faith by the associaes of the Twelve, all of a sudden establishes churches allover Asia Minor and beyond, insturcting them in the Faith?
I wonder what Peter said to Paul when Paul told him that he knows as much or more of the Faith that he did by direct revelation.😃
 
keepitreal said:
I know that the 12 Apostles (minus one) went out to preach and convert all nations in what Christ had taught them during His earthly ministry. But what about Paul? He was not one of the Twelve. He was never taught by Christ like the 12 were. When Paul went out to establish churches, he would have had to recieve instruction in the Faith first :confused:, right???
Click to expand...
Yes.

Read Galatians and the Acts of the Apostles.
 
keepitreal said:
Has the Church said anything about this? It just seems strange. All those years of instruction given to the Twelve by Christ; then Paul, w/o ever being a part of the Twelve, or
not even knowing ort being instructed in the Faith by the associaes of the Twelve, all of a sudden establishes churches allover Asia Minor and beyond, insturcting them in the Faith?
I wonder what Peter said to Paul when Paul told him that he knows as much or more of the Faith that he did by direct revelation.😃
Click to expand...
We know more about Paul from Scripture than we do about Matthias. RIght? So what’s the problem?
 
I’ve had this same question. When you consider the Gospel accounts of the apostles, they knew Christ and received training from Him, and Peter was established as the leader and first Pope of Christ’s church. Then along comes Paul, and there seems to be some confusion, although ultimately Paul’s teaching is that he was to go to the Gentiles:

Paul: “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office…[Rom. 11:13]”

Peter: “Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. [Acts 15:7]”

Paul: “But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. [Gal. 2:7-11]”

And when I read the book of Acts, the narrative of Paul’s activities just takes over and the 12 fade away. Protestants use this constantly to show how Paul was guided in the Spirit, the “apostolic age” ended, and we are in the Spirit-guided age now and the Roman Church is unnecessary, etc. Am I the only one who comes up against this dilemma?
 
In the book, The Man in White by Johnny Cash - yeah that Johnny Cash, Paul received much enlightenment from the Holy Spirit. I enjoyed this book a lot.
 
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