Our world is so in tune with the animal world that when we say pedigree, we think of dogs or cats. However, it also applies to people. A person’s pedigree is based on their family history, education, and experiences. We all have a pedigree of some sort. The person I am writing about today is the Apostle Paul. Wow, what a pedigree he had.
In Acts 22:3, Paul is seeking to convince the Jews that he was not an enemy to the Jewish nation or the Jewish religion. He tells them that he is also a Jew, and when he spoke Hebrew, they were surprised. He informs them that his preaching of Christ was a divine appointment by God. He shares with them that he was born in Tarsus and was trained at the feet of Gamaliel. They all knew Gamaliel’s reputation. He was a trusted scholar and a doctor of the Jewish law. Paul had sat at his feet as a student and learned from the best. The design of Paul’s life from his parents was to be a Pharisee. Thus, he was a diligent student above all others. He knew the Jewish law and was well respected by the other leaders. He was so convinced of the Jewish law that he was one of the leaders who persecuted and annihilated Christians who were threatening the Jewish way.
Act 22:3 “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.”
In Philippians 3:5, Paul again is revealing his pedigree. He wants them to understand that if anyone had reason to be confident in the flesh, it was he. He had kept the Jewish laws to the letter. He was circumcised on the eighth day; he was of the stock of Israel, meaning he could trace his ancestry back to Israel, which is Jacob. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, which was a tribe that stayed true to God when others rebelled. The phrase “Hebrew of Hebrews” signifies that Paul enjoyed every advantage any other Hebrew had. He was of the elite group. He was also of the strictest order of Pharisees. He knew the law and upheld it.
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.”
In Acts 22, when Paul was about to be beaten by the Romans, he announced that he was a Roman citizen and had been born one. He was considered one of the elites. This pedigree saved him from being beaten. Being a Roman citizen also granted him the privilege of going before the governor to present the gospel.
Act 22:28-29 “And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.”
What is your pedigree? If you are a Christian, you have the greatest pedigree available. We who are saved have the Creator of everything, the Master of the Universe, King of Kings, as our Father. You cannot get better than that. God, our Father, adopts us into His family. He grants us an eternal home that far surpasses anything we could ever imagine. He grants us wisdom just for asking.
James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
As a child of the King, we are made joint heirs with Christ. We are granted the full honors and glory of Heaven.
Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
Paul had a significant pedigree on earth, but just like all believers, he gained an incredible one in Heaven. A pedigree that is available to all who believe. Paul preached the gospel and remained faithful to God. He will have the privilege of meeting all those who accepted Christ because of his ministry. What an awesome time that will be for all of us whose pedigree is founded in Heaven.
