Did Paul observe the Sabbath?

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Before he met Jesus, he did. Paul defended himself before the Sanhedrin in Ac 23:

3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today.

He was a Pharisee who strictly observed Moses' law.

6b He cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

Php 3:

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

He was blameless under Moses' law.

34 AD, Paul met Jesus on his way to Damascus. He continued to observe the Sabbath. He attended synagogues on the Sabbath (e.g., Acts 13:14, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4). Early Jewish Christians continued to observe Jewish customs, including the Sabbath. However, a split began to show between the Jewish and Gentile Christians.

48 AD, the apostle convened the Jerusalem Council and decided that circumcision was not required for Gentile believers, but they were forbidden to eat blood.

54 AD, Paul wrote in 1Co 9:

20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.

His position was bivalent. He could bond with the Jews and Gentiles depending on the occasion.

57 AD, Ro 14:

6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer. but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

Weekly sabbaths and eating were not salvation issues. Paul did not specifically tell Jewish or Gentile Christians to observe or not to observe the sabbaths. He left it between the individual and God. However, when there was a mix of Jewish and Gentile Christians together, don't be a stumbling block for your weaker brothers with your freedoms.

59 AD, Paul returned to Jerusalem and reported to the elders in Acts 21:

20b They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,

Jewish Christians were zealous for Moses' law.

21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.

The Judaizers (the circumcision party) lied to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem that Paul taught other Jews outside of Jerusalem to forsake Moses.

22 What then is to be done?

How to pacify these Jewish Christians in Jerusalem?

They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

When the local Christian Jews saw Paul's shaved head, they might be convinced he did observe the law.

This seems to indicate that Paul himself kept the Mosaic law unless it was only to show that he kept the law. However, if Paul didn't keep the Mosaic law but took a Nazarite vow to appear as if he did, this seems to be a problem for Paul's integrity. Thoughts?

Paul's conscience was clear.

60 AD, Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea. He defended himself before Felix and Ananias, the high priest. Ac 24:

16 I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

Paul did not teach Jews to forsake Moses. His conscience and integrity were clear before God.

Before his conversion, Paul strictly observed the weekly sabbaths. After his conversion, he did not teach Jews not to observe the sabbaths.

Did Paul observe the weekly sabbaths after his conversion?

That would depend on the occasion. After the conversion, I don't think he observed the sabbaths as strictly as before. It was a time of transition between traditional Judaism and Gentile Christianity.

See also * If you relax the Law, you will be least in the kingdom of heaven? * Was Paul against observing special days?