² When the mob heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul continued, ³ “I’m a Jew. I was born and raised in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia and received my education from Gamaliel here in Jerusalem. My education was in the strict laws handed down by our ancestors. I was as devoted to God as all of you are today. ⁴ I persecuted people who followed the way of Christ: I tied up men and women and put them into prison until they were executed.