"Paul's Gospel" pt. 3

As we continue to look at "Paul's gospel" there are important scriptures and things to consider. For example, Paul's apostleship. Have you ever thought, why Paul? What I mean by that question is, the Lord Jesus Christ while on earth commissioned the 12 disciples to, "go ye therefore, and teach ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matt. 28:19-20.

The 12 were to go to the nations. So what happened? Did they fail and God had a plan B to send Paul to the Gentile nations? As Bible students these things need to be considered and if not they can cause confusion. Lets look at Luke 24:46-49,

" And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."

Notice, Acts 1:4-8, also written by Luke,

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

There is a lot to go through here, but for the sake of this short study I want to draw attention to two things: 1) The 12 were to receive the Holy Ghost in Jerusalem, and 2) The 12 were to start at Jerusalem and then go out to the uttermost part of the earth. The 12 were focused solely on Jerusalem first, hence we see through the early part of Acts, Peter and the 11 speaking and preaching Christ to the leaders of Israel. Notice as well, Acts 11:19, "Now they which were scattered abroad UPON THE PERSECUTION THAT AROSE ABOUT STEPHEN travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, PREACHING THE WORD TO NONE BUT UNTO THE JEWS ONLY." It should be noted that the 12, whom Christ gave the commission unto, to begin in Jerusalem throughout earlier Acts, never leave Jerusalem. Also, it should be noted that those Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, that were scattered by Stephens persecution were "preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only." My point is, early in the book of Acts the 12 who were Jews following Christ's command to reform Jerusalem, the leaders of Israel unto repentance, to preach that Christ is their Messiah, and when that is accomplished to go to the Gentiles. My second point is, they never left Jerusalem. My last point, the Jews who were scattered by the leaders of Israel's unbelief that persecuted an apostle (Stephen) were "preaching to Jews only."

In early Acts, the focus is solely on Jews and more specifically Jerusalem, because Christ commanded it so and the 12 and other apostles followed suit, even when they were scattered they preached to Jews only. There was an order, Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and then the uttermost part of the earth. Well, Israel's leaders did not reform, hence why the 12 even after the persecution of Stephen stayed in Jerusalem. The 12 followed Christ's command, but the problem wasn't Christ's command it was their own people. The 12 didn't even get the time to "go to the nations", because the people's unbelief. So is this why Christ saved Paul?, to do what the 12 couldn't? Is it that Christ commanded the 12 and even received power of the Holy Ghost and they failed, so instead of 12 men, God chose 1 man?

The answer is NO!!!

My point in showing all of that, is that the 12 were commissioned to go to all the nations, that was part of their job. However, God had another plan. A plan not only to have Christ reign as the King of kings and Lord of lords in the nation of Israel over all the earth, but also to have Christ be the Head of the Body of Christ in the heavenly places and it was Paul, whom God had chosen to be the apostle, messenger, and pattern of the Gentiles to form the one new man, the Body of Christ.

It has been slammed into our heads, that Paul was either the 13 apostle, or the true 12th apostle. Also that Paul preached the same gospel as Peter did, only to the Gentiles and not the Jews. It has been stated by many that Peter actually taught Paul the gospel in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem council, and that the Jerusalem council was where Paul and Peter affirmed they were preaching the same thing. Again I ask why didn't God just save Paul right away and say you go to the Gentiles and the 12 will go to the Jews? The reason being is because God changed the program. The 12 obeyed Christ's command, doing the right thing by staying in Jerusalem, and the truth of the matter is, is that the 12 will not go out to the nations until the kingdom. However that is another study for another time.

Paul's apostleship is unique, it is distinct, and it needs to be recognized today.

Let's look at Galatians. It is Paul's commentary about his apostleship, his gospel, and what really happened in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem council. May we not rest in man's opinion about scriptures, but on the word of God. Let God's word be the commentary of God's word. Galatians 1:1,

"Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead;)"

Paul mentions his apostleship, that he is an apostle. However, Paul wants us to know he did not receive his apostleship, his office of authority by man, that is by Peter or any of the 12. Paul is not an apostle of men, but of Jesus Christ, AND GOD THE FATHER. Paul did not receive his position of authority through or by man. The question is, well neither did the 12, so what's the difference? The 12 received their positions of authority of Christ while He was on earth. Christ gave 12 men to have authority over the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel, and He gave them those offices while He was on earth. Israel represented by 12 tribes, has 12 disciples of Christ as authority over them. Paul, however isn't an apostle to sit in one of those positions as, really the 12th apostle, or really the 13th apostle as if there was a 13th tribe of Israel. No, Paul was one man, to be the apostle of the ONE NEW MAN, the Body of Christ where there is no Jew or Gentile, no distinction. Paul received his office of authority from Christ, yes, but from Christ in heaven's glory. The 12 to sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel in that earthly kingdom. Paul though is the apostle of the one new man, the Body of Christ for the heavenly places. Do you see it? God's manifold wisdom. Israel for the earth, the Body for the heavens and in those two entities (lack of words) God will rule and reconcile His creation from Satan both accomplished by the Cross.

Galatians 1:11-12,
"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Today, when we accomplish something we get a certification, you finish college or seminary and you get a certificate to show and remind you of your success and your accomplishment. That is just dandy, however God wants you to be "certified" in Pauline authority, not only his apostleship, but in his gospel. Paul says, "I certify you, brethren", he wants them to be educated about something. Paul all throughout his epistles had to defend his apostleship and his gospel and it is no different here in Galatians and today. Verse 11, "But I certify you, brethren, that THE GOSPEL WHICH WAS PREACHED OF ME IS NOT AFTER MAN." Paul is drawing attention to not only his gospel, but how he received it. Verse 12, "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Paul did not receive his gospel from Peter, nor was he taught the same thing Peter was taught, or taught by Peter or by any other man for that matter. Paul received his gospel by the revelation of Jesus Christ. The revelation of Jesus Christ according to what should be your question from our past studies? Romans 16:25, "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY, which was kept secret since the world began." Christ revealed Himself to Paul according to the mystery that God had hid in Himself. This is why Paul's apostleship and gospel are unique and distinct. God began to do something that He planned before the earth, but had hid in Himself until the apostle Paul , that was Paul's apostleship.

Romans 11:13, "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:"

Paul's office of authority given by Christ from heaven's glory is to be magnified today. Paul the man is not to be magnified, he is but a man. However, his apostleship, gospel, and ministry are to be magnified, because he is the one chosen to have authority over all the world, over all the Gentiles today. Paul can be compared to Moses. Moses was the one man whom God had placed in authority over all of Israel, to whom God gave the 10 commandments and the like. Paul says about his office, 1 Corinthians 14:37,
"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant."

May we as the Body of Christ not be ignorant of Paul's office of authority over us. Paul is the apostle of the Gentiles and he is the one apostle that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ want us to follow. 1 Cor. 11:1, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

Paul's apostleship and gospel are unique and distinct compared to the rest of the scriptures. The OT and the gospels testify of Israel's rise and Gentiles being saved through their rise, however the OT and the gospels to not prophecy about Israel's fall in unbelief and God saving the Gentiles not through Israel, but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This is the mystery that God would save Gentiles apart from Israel. It is Paul your apostle whom was sent to educate us in these things. What happened to Israel? Were they not promised a kingdom? Did God lie? Is their kingdom a spiritual kingdom in the hearts of men? No, God is not finished with Israel and He is working a new program forming the Body of Christ, it was revealed to Paul and written in Romans through Philemon.

A verse to close,
"Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." 1 Timothy 1:16

Paul is our pattern how that by the Cross of Christ God can take a Jew or Gentile who is dead in sins and raise them to the highest position of exaltation in Christ, not to reign in an earthly kingdom under or in Israel, but to reign in the heavenly places in Christ as His Body.

In Him,
Joshua Strelecki