Metropolitan Paul Yazigi was born in 1959 in the costal city of Lattakya (Syria). He lived and studied in the schools of the city, where he also pursued a Civil Engineering Degree at the University of Tishreen. During his university studies, he played a leading role in youth ministry and trained choirs for Byzantine Music.

His Eminence studied Theology at the University of Thessaloniki (Greece) where he obtained both a Masters (1989) and a Ph.D. (1992) in Theology, having graduated with excellence. His Thesis written in Greek was published in a book, Eschatology & Ethics: The Eschatological Foundations of the Life in Christ According to St. John Chrysostom (Thessaloniki, Greece, 1992).

Since 1992, Metropolitan Paul teaches Patristics and Christian Ethics at the Faculty of Theology, University of Balamand. He served as Dean from 1994 till 2001. He was ordained a deacon in 1985 and a priest in 1992.