What is there to be gleaned about Paul’s background, education, etc from considering his letters, hermeneutics, capabilities with languages (Greek or Hebrew), etc?  Acts mentions Paul was a disciple of Gamaliel, but that’s obviously suspect as is much of the “history” contained in Acts.  But Philippians (thought to be a genuine Pauline letter) says he was a Pharisee who was zealous for the law and a persecutor of the church.

The reason I ask is because Paul’s views as a first century Jew, like in Galatians about the Law, were very radical.  Some places in his letters, I remember he does a very sloppy job at exegeting and applying an OT passage in trying to make a point he wants to make.  Are there any indications from his letters about how educated he was?  In being a Pharisee, does that mean he was very educated?