Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term - Primary 6

WEEK 1

SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES

TERM: 1^ST TERM

CLASS: PRIMARY 6

TOPIC: Paul’s early life

Performance objectives

At the end of this lesson, pupils should be able to:

1 state who Paul was.

2 mention Paul’s nationality and religion.

3 narrate the events of his early life, parentage, education and anti-Christian

activities.

Guide to Bible passages

Acts 22:3; 23:6; 18:1-3; 7:54-60; Acts 8 and Acts 9

BUILDING BACKGROUND/CONNECTION TO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Pupils are familiar with the topic in their previous classes.

CONTENT OF THE LESSON

Paul’s birth, nationality and religion

In the early Christian days, after Jesus had gone back to heaven, his disciples carried on his missionary task. The apostles and disciples of Jesus were soon faced with many persecutions. Despite the persecution, the church spread outside Jerusalem.

In those days one man named Saul became the chief persecutor of the church. Saul who was popularly known and called ‘Saul of Tarsus’ was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. His Hebrew name was Paul; his Roman name was Saul. Paul was a Hebrew, a Roman and a Greek. He was also a strict member of the Jewish religion. He belonged to the Jewish group called the Pharisees. The Pharisees practiced the Jewish religion called Judaism. In Judaism, they believed in the existence of angels, spirits and resurrection of the dead.

As a zealous member of this sect, Paul was a notorious persecutor of the church, and the disciples of Jesus Christ.

He later became an ardent convert of the religion he had seriously opposed.

Since Saul’s conversion, there was peace in Jerusalem and its environs.

He ceased to be addressed and called Saul. He became Paul, a missionary of Christ to the Gentiles.

Paul the apostle

Paul’s early life, parentage, education and anti-Christian activities

Paul was born by parents who were zealous and devoted Pharisees. They were keepers of the Law of Moses. They made Paul take after them in religion, social status and character. Paul was a lawyer. He was trained under Gamaliel, a renowned lawyer of his days. Paul was also very intelligent. He demonstrated this during his encounters with his persecutors. When he was brought before Governor Felix and others, he proved he was a Pharisee and at the same time a Roman citizen. He argued his point intelligently.

Also, Paul belonged to the highest ruling council in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin. It was this position that gave him an advantage to obtain a letter to go to Damascus to persecute the people of The Way, as Christians were then called. He also felt he was very loyal to Judaism, his religion by doing this. When the first Christian martyr, Deacon Stephen, was to be stoned to death in Jerusalem, Saul supported it. Men brought their garments and laid them at the feet of Saul In our society today we have had many people who had been so wicked, but who have been converted to Christianity.

‘Then they cast him (Stephen) out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their garment at the feet of a young man named Saul.

The killing of Stephen led to the scattering of Christians outside Jerusalem.

Stephen being stoned to death by his persecutors

Moral lessons

We must be careful of our background, as this can have either positive or negative effect in the future. God can cause a great change in anybody’s life. He did this in Paul’s life. He can do so in our life as well.

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

1 state who Paul was.

2 mention Paul’s nationality and religion.

3 narrate the events of his early life, parentage, education and anti-Christian activities

WRAP-UP (CONCLUSION)

Teacher goes over the topic once again to enhance better understanding.

Exercise     

1 Who was Saul? Briefly explain his anti-Christian activities.

2 Mention three beliefs of the Pharisees.

Fill in the gaps below with the correct answers.

3 The Hebrew name of the chief persecutor is ________________.

4 Saul was born in ___________________.

5 The first Christian martyr was _________________.

Choose the correct answers to the questions below.

6 The religion in which Saul was a member is

7 A Judaism. B Christianity. C Confucianism. D Islam.

8 Paul was trained by a lawyer called

9 A Jesus. B Judas. C Peter. D Gamaliel.

10 The highest ruling council to which Paul belonged was

A Sadducees. B the Sanhedrin. C the Scribes.