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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"And I advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of mine own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers." To obviate the notion that his persecution arose from passion, vain-glory, or enmity, he shows that he was actuated by zeal, not indeed "according to knowledge," still by a zealous admiration of the traditions of his fathers. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
All my contemporaries, he says, I surpassed in zeal, and in the war against the Church I went ahead; in other words: I was held in honor among the Jews. But do not think that this was a matter of vainglory or anger, but of zeal. So then, if I fought against the Church not out of any human calculations, but out of zeal for God, even though I was in error, then how now, having come to know the truth, would I preach out of love for human glory something other than what the truth commands and what Christ taught me.
Oecumenius
"And I advanced." I advanced in the persecution of the churches, that is, I continually strove to make it more severe. I advanced and was honorable on that account among the Jews. What then is the reason that they suddenly took up arms against me, those who honored and loved me? Nothing else, he says, but the revelation of Christ. "being more exceedingly zealous." I advanced, since I had once been exceedingly zealous for my ancestral traditions. …
Western Saints
Thomas Aquinas
It is plain also from the love and burning zeal he had for Judaism, as to outward progress. Hence he says, "And I made progress in the Jews' religion above many of my equals in my own nation:" wherein he mentions three things that indicate how great was his progress. For he progressed not above a few but "above many," not above old men incapable of progress in learning, but "my equals," i.e., young men who were intelligent and capable of progress: "It is good for a man, when he has borne the yoke from his youth" (Lam 3:27). …
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