Why God chose Paul?

It's taking a lot upon myself, but I've already burned a lot of bridges..probably taken on more than is advisable, but I believe I can give some pretty good reasons why Paul was chosen, rather than one of the other apostles.

We know that God oftentimes selects those contrary to what one would suspect..the weak to confound the strong and the poor scholars to confuse the wise, etc.  In many ways Paul falls into this category.

In my search to determine reasons, I use the newspaper's approach..WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW

WHO:

Paul was born Saul in Tarsus, an Israelite  member of the tribe of Benjamin (which was absorbed by Judah..so he was a Jew). Beyond this, he was an ardent  Jew, who lived by the Law and all it entailed..a strict observer.

His father was a tentmaker, and he followed in this profession. Growing up in Tarsus, an important trade city,  considering the profession of his father, he had to be aware of the ways of the foreigners, while maintaing strict observance to prevent socializing.  He probably became conversant in Greek as well..the language of the period.  

As a youth, He was taught by the greatest teacher of the age, Gamaliel, called "The Beauty of the Law".  Gamaliel also taught to keep an open mind while observing life.

We know that he was living in Jerusalem sometime following the crucixion of Jesus, because he was present at the martyrdom of Steven. At that time he was a Pharisee.. keepers of the law.  We don't know if he was married, BUT according to historical records, one could only be a Pharisee if he was not ony married, but had a son!  How this works out I don't know, but it appears by his writings that he was not married at the time.  In my play, ALL THINGHS TO ALL MEN, I use the device of their having died from disease.

While a Pharisee, he was an ardent defender of the law, and by his own admission he was a foremost persecutor of the followers of Jesus..even consenting to their deaths, if they didn't recant that Jesus was the Christ.  It was on his mission to encapture the followers of Jesus, living in Damascus, and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial, that the miracle occurred. Ananias, one of the followers of Jesus, in Damascus, when told to welcome Saul, expressed great trepidation at his coming.  Saul's reputation had preceded him.

He was  a Roman citizen.  Now, this was  great .  It meant that he was subject to the laws of Rome..As such, he was protected from unjustness.  Just as importantly, it  allowed him to cross borders throughout the empire freely.  Better, even, than being an American citizen.

Physically, he claimed that he wasn't  very prepossesing, not much to look at, and didn't have a great voice..self effacing? He may not have been physically impressive, but throughout his many travels he experienced great physical hardship and attacks by animals and humans..he was shipwrecked 4 tiimes!  bob4Paul