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After last month’s newsletter, I received multiple responses to my correction about my statement regarding Paul walking with Jesus. I appreciated the fact that some of you actually read these newsletters :) and also that many of you seek to be Bereans that search Scripture to make sure what you hear is true. Many questions and evaluations of past teachings arose in readers’ minds regarding the call and title of Paul as an apostle of Christ.
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Questions like: Why is Paul an apostle if he wasn’t one of the twelve that walked with Jesus? Why are the twelve referred to as disciples and other times apostles? What are the qualifications of an apostle in Scripture? What does it mean that Paul learned by the “revelation of Jesus Christ”? Did Paul see Jesus after His resurrection and ascension?
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Here are the Scriptures that I was reading that led to my writing last time:
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Galatians 1:1: “This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead.”
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In Galatians 1:11-12 Paul states: “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ."
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Reading through Galatians 1:12-17, the testimony of Paul was that he had seen a living Jesus on the Damascus Road and had been taught by Jesus after his conversion. Acts 9 and 26 tell us that Jesus appeared to Paul not in human form but in a bright light of His glory. He spoke to Paul and identified Himself as Jesus of Nazareth in Acts 22:8. Paul is blinded by Christ’s glory for three days before being led to Damascus where Ananias, a follower of Christ, confirms Paul’s call to preach the gospel. Then, Paul regains his sight.
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So, Paul definitely was an eyewitness to the resurrected Christ in a way that we are not.
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While Paul did not experience walking as a disciple during Jesus' earthly ministry, he asserts in Galatians 1:12 that he was personally equipped for his calling "through the revelation of Jesus Christ." In Galatians 1:15,16, Paul says that it pleased God to reveal His Son to him for the purpose of proclaiming the Good News to the Gentiles.
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Through studying to answer these questions, I realized there is (as often happens) some disagreement among theologians about how Paul learned from Jesus. Paul says he wasn’t taught of man but by direct revelation from Jesus Christ after his conversion. Some believe this was a physical manifestation while others reason it came through the study of Scripture, as Christ illuminated truth through the written Word. It doesn't say the Holy Spirit taught him, but Jesus Himself. Either way, Paul clearly understood the good news, or gospel, as the reconciliation of sinful men to a holy God through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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Paul, an apostle, was ministered to by Jesus in a distinct and special way to prepare him for future work.
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Back to Galatians 1:16-24: Paul lays out a timeline for his preparation as an apostle. He did not immediately go to consult with the other 12 apostles. It says he didn't immediately consult with any other human. He spent time in Arabia and Damascus for three years. Theologians believe this was when Christ taught and grew him in wisdom and knowledge. After this three year period, he went to Jerusalem to meet Peter. People in the churches didn't know Paul personally at this point. He slowly grew into his new calling as his testimony spread among the churches.
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Is there a difference between a disciple and an apostle? Yes. A disciple is anyone who chooses to lay down their life to follow Christ, believing His death, burial, and resurrection made a way to be reconciled to the Father by faith. The term apostle is defined as "one who is sent". In the biblical sense, it is one who is called and sent by God for a specific purpose. The twelve apostles were disciples of Christ but they were specifically called to testify to Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection. They were to be ambassadors to spread the good news and build a foundation for the Church. Apostles had special God-given abilities to accomplish their jobs. We all know that one of the 12, Judas, sadly betrayed Christ, and was replaced by Matthias. Then years later, God called Paul to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. We do see others named as apostles, but it is believed to be in a general sense of one who is sent as we would a missionary...Barnabas is an example.
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While Paul didn't meet the criteria of apostle given by Peter in Acts 1:21-22, (someone who traveled with the Lord from His baptism to His resurrection), he did claim to see and hear the resurrected Lord. Those traveling with Paul on the Damascus Road saw the supernatural but did not have understanding about what/who it was. God used Ananias, Barnabas, and the acceptance of the other 12 apostles to support his call to apostleship. Paul never quit fulfilling his call and suffered much for the sake of the gospel. People were drawn to Christ through his preaching and letters. Many in the young church praised God because of the testimony of Paul being born again (Galatians 1:23-24). And God has the authority and power to call anyone at any time.
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What can be our takeaway from this little study?
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**Be a student of the Word of God - not to get bogged down in details but to understand the heart and mission of God.
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**Trust that all Scripture is inspired by God.
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**Take our own call on our lives seriously. Be on mission.
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**Everyone in Christ is a disciple, but not all disciples are apostles. Apostles were used for a certain purpose, time, and place to build the foundation of the Church. Once a foundation is laid, it doesn't need to be laid again. (Again, this is debated among some.)
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I know this is different from most of my newsletters, but I felt led to dig a little deeper and help clarify some things about the life of Paul as an apostle of Christ. I think the feedback and questions warranted taking the time to grow in our knowledge of these terms. As iron sharpens iron, may we seek to use this time to encourage one another with all the truths of Scripture.
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For further study, here are some links I referenced:
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Giveaway
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If you haven't had a chance to grab a copy of my new book on how God displays His grace to us, I will be giving away two copies to email subscribers. Or if you would like to gift a copy to a friend, that would be wonderful too! Simply respond to this email asking to be entered for a free copy and I will draw a name next week. Must be within the U.S. for shipping. :)
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If you would like to order a copy, here is the link. I always benefit from a good Amazon review as well! Thank you.
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A God-Sized Dream
One of my devotions has been included in this Thomas Nelson publication in conjunction with Proverbs 31 ministries. My piece is for the empty-nest mom, struggling to trust God with their grown children's lives. How can we relinquish our need to control to live with clear minds and peaceful hearts in this tricky stage of life?
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While I don't receive financial gains from being a part of this devotional, I am honored to have been chosen to be included in a book that is meant to encourage others to rest in the faithfulness of God when they are tempted to worry and doubt. If someone is struggling to find the promised peace of Christ in their daily lives, I am thankful to be a small voice in offering hope through sharing my story. I know God is more concerned about that than filling my pocketbook or building my writing platform. He is the giver of all good things, and I am thankful for this opportunity.
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Thanks for reading. See you soon!
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