Part
9 of 24 – The Unique Call & Ministry of Paul the Apostle
The conversion
of Saul of Tarsus was one of the great unique events in the Bible. Saul
loathed the very name of Christ. He blasphemed Jesus and caused others to be
tortured so as to compel them to blaspheme that holy name. He led his nation
and the world in rebellion against the resurrected, glorified Christ - the
world which had already disowned and crucified the lowly Jesus.
In Act 5:34-39
we see that Gamaliel, a “doctor of the law,” cautioned the
council of Pharisees; and Saul must have been there. His warning in verse 39
came true, because as Paul went forth persecuting the Messianic Jewish
Church, he soon found himself “fighting against God” (5:39). Yet,
as Saul went to
Damascus
, still “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples
of the Lord” (Acts 9:1), God did a wonderful thing. Rather than crush
the leader of the world's rebellion, He saved him. Christ broke through the
heavens, as it were, to His greatest enemy on earth. As a result Saul's
rebellious spirit was broken; in one moment the pitiless persecutor became a
docile and devoted follower of Christ.
More than this,
Saul of Tarsus the persecutor became Paul the Apostle. The glorified Lord
committed to Paul “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2)
and “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Now he went
everywhere proclaiming “grace,” telling men how God loved them,
how Christ had come into the world and had gone to Calvary to pay man's debt
of sin so that believing sinners might be “saved by grace through
faith, apart from works” of the law (Gal 2:16, Eph 2:8-9).
Unlike
Peter who at Pentecost scolded the Jews for “killing the Prince of
life” (Acts 3:15), Paul's does not blame anyone for the death of
Christ. Rather, Paul presents the cross as the good news. Paul introduced
the “preaching of the cross.” It declares that “we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the
riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). It says that “God hath concluded
them all in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all” (Rom. 11:32) and
that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20).
Thus, the worst sinner may now believe and enjoy the consciousness of having
their sins forgiven.
Now
we must see who Paul was not. Paul was not one of “the
twelve Apostles.”
Some Christians
teach that after Judas the Lord’s eleven remaining Apostles acted
arbitrarily by choosing Matthias to take Judas’ place. They teach that the
eleven Apostles first chose two candidates and then asked God which of these
two He would have to fill the vacant position. They say, “Actually,
Paul was God’s choice for Judas’ place”; but this is not so.
According to the Biblical record, Paul was not even qualified. The fact is
that Matthias was God’s choice per Jesus’ instructions to “the
eleven.” Let’s now examine the facts.
1.
The 12 Apostles, with Peter as their chief, had been given
authority to act officially in Christ’s absence (Matt.16:19; 18: 18, 19).
They used that authority.
2.
They acted upon the Scriptural declaration that another
apostle should be chosen to fill Judas’ place (Psa.109:8 as seen in Acts
1:20).
3.
Their action was based upon many days of united prayer (Luke
24:49; cf. Acts 1:12-15), and when two candidates were found they prayed and
left the final choice in the hands of God (Acts 1:24-26).
4.
Probably only two (Matthias and Joseph Barsabas) were
eligible. Only those could qualify who had followed Christ continuously
from the day of His baptism by John until His ascension to heaven (see
Acts 1:21, 22; Matt.19:28, “Ye which have followed Me”).
5.
Paul would not have been eligible, for he had
not even seen Christ during His earthly ministry (1Cor. 15:8). Paul was
not converted until Acts 9, some 8 years after the cross.
6.
The conclusive proof that the eleven acted in the will of God
in this matter is found in the fact that the God-breathed Scripture clearly
states that “Matthias…was numbered with the eleven apostles”
(Acts 1:26) and that “they were all filled with the
holy spirit” (Acts 2:4), indicating God’s approval. Men
out of the will of God are not filled with the Holy Spirit.
These
facts above stand in stark contrast to Paul, who was a Jewish Roman citizen.
Not one Apostle came from
Jerusalem
. “The eleven” all came from
Galilee
in the north; while Judas came from Issachar (Iscariot) in the south. Paul
clearly stands separate and distinct from “the twelve.” Paul
tells us he is “the Apostle to the Gentiles.” Paul
alone was given the Jesus’ commission to introduce the “dispensation
of grace of God,” which applies us to this day and it will continue
until “the rapture of the body of Christ.”
Romans
11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the
apostle of the Gentiles…
Romans
15:16a That I (Paul) should be the minister of Jesus
Christ to the Gentiles…
Ephesians
3:1-3 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus
Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If
ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is
given me to you-ward: 3 How
that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (secret
plan of God) (as I wrote afore in few words…
As
you search your Bible you will discover that the Apostle to the Gentiles,
Paul, is God’s messenger to introduce (among other key doctrines) the
following otherwise unheard of Bible terms and doctrines that belong to “the
dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph 3:2), in which we live today.
1)
The “preaching of the cross” (1Cor 1:18), introduced by
Paul, is the power of God unto salvation. 1 Corinthians 1:18 For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God.
2)
“The body of Christ” (Eph 1:11-23) that consist of Jew and
Gentile – they now are equally one “in Christ,” without
distinction (Gal 3:28, “neither Jew nor Greek…in Christ”).
3)
The “ministry of reconciliation” (2Cor 5:18-19) under
Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God,” in contrast to the
“Great Commission” Jesus gave to His Jewish disciples – to preach the
“gospel of the kingdom” (Matt 24:14).
4)
The “rapture” or the “catching away” (1Thes
4:17) of “the church, which is His body” (Eph 1:22-23)