Paul gave up everything to follow Jesus, and once declared that he now counts everything as rubbish compared with the knowledge of Christ. Yet here he still declares that he is a Pharisee. Superficially, there is a contradiction, but the apparent contradiction invites us to a deeper knowledge of Paul and hence to learn a valuable lesson from him. We noted in our reflection for 4th May above that Paul never forgot that he was a Jew. The Law was God's gift, but he, and others, treated this gift so absolutely that they were in danger of making it more important than God himself. An exaggerated dedication to the Law could easily lead one to forget God. The Law was a way to God, but it could become an obstacle to God's even greater gifts.

The Pharisees' belief in the resurrection was not something for Paul to jettison: on the contrary it attained its full and true meaning in the resurrection of Jesus, which was the core of his Christian faith.

Whatever our cultural background, we may find great truths and wisdom, which we can integrate into our Christian faith by finding their ultimate value in Christ Jesus.