Why didn't Saul appear earlier with other Pharisees who confronted Jesus?

Numbers 4:

46 Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families. 47 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting.

Click to expand...

Levites started their full service officially at 30 after apprenticeship.

Phm 1:

8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.

Click to expand...

Let's say Paul was 62 years old when he wrote the above in 62 AD. Jesus died in 30 AD. Then Saul was 30 years old when Jesus was crucified. He first appeared in the stoning of Stephen in 31 AD. Ac 7:

58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Click to expand...

Strong's Greek: 3494. νεανίας (neanias) — 3 Occurrences

BDAG:

youth, young man (fr. about the 24th to the 40th year

Click to expand...

Why didn't he show up earlier?

Acts 22:

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.

Click to expand...

At the time of Jesus' public ministry, Saul was a young man studying under Gamaliel. He was not seasoned enough to be chosen to represent the Pharisee Party and confront Jesus directly. There was likely a hierarchical structure within the Pharisee Party. A year after Jesus' resurrection, Saul was out persecuting Stephen.

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

Click to expand...

How old was Saul when Jesus was crucified?

Luke 3:

23 Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.

Click to expand...

Similarly, Saul began his persecution of the Christians when he was about 30 years old. It was all God's timing.