SWORDS Bible Study: Why Is Paul Your Apostle? (He was not one of the 12!)  PART 5

By Mari

 

We saw last week that the Apostle Paul was given to us for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting.

 

1Ti_1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

 

We are no longer under the Law and our focus should no longer be on our flesh, our performance of the law because we know now:

 

Rom 3:19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

 

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

 

We believe Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection paid ALL of our sin debt.  We no longer try to walk in the law which pointed out sin and death, because we are now under grace by faith.

 

Eph_2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

 

So, a big question is why did God raise up a NEW Apostle?

 

One apart from the 12 Apostles He already had working for Him?

 

Why in particular did the Lord want a SEPARATE Apostle from the 12… if indeed, they were all preaching the same thing, the same gospel?

 

I will give what I believe over the next couple studies, what I believe according to the word of God rightly divided (2Ti 2:15) between the what the Apostle Paul taught to the Gentiles and what the 12 Apostles who were chosen by Christ in His earthly ministry, taught to Israel.

 

The 12 Apostles were chosen by Jesus as He PHYSICALLY WALKED the EARTH in His ministry to the Nation of Israel.  They were asked to follow Jesus and they did so PHYSICALLY.

There are some more verses…but these give you an idea of how Jesus asked them to follow Him in His ministry to Israel.  Jesus was their Saviour, Messiah, Shepard to the sheep of Israel.

 

Mat_4:19  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Mat_19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

 

Mar_10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me

 

Luk_18:22  Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

 

Joh_10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

 

The 12 Apostles did not receive the Holy Ghost until Acts 2:3 at the Jewish feast day of Pentecost.

 

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 

Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 

Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 

Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

 

We know that Jesus was sent only to Israel because He tells the 12 Apostles who they are to go to… and who HE (Jesus) was sent to explicitly:

 

Mat_10:6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

 

Mat_15:24  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

You may want to read those verses a couple times.

 

Why was Jesus sent ONLY to the lost sheep of the house of Israel? Weren’t you taught as I was that He was sent to save the whole world?

 

Well, Jesus’ ministry was NOT to the whole world.  He came to Israel to fulfill the promise that ISRAEL would be a blessing to the whole world.

However, Jesus Christ did DIE for the SINS of the WHOLE world.

 

1Jn_2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

 

The blessings were to come about THROUGH the Nation of Israel to the world, IF the nation had believed Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, and that their prophesied kingdom was nigh!  However, the Nation of Israel refused to the believe their own gospel of the kingdom, refused to believe the kingdom was at hand and rejected, tortured and killed Jesus Christ their Messiah.

 

Something new began to happen!

 

This sinful man Saul was persecuting all the Jews who believed that Jesus was the Saviour, the Son of God, and that their kingdom was at hand. He was torturing and killing the faithful flock! This was the remnant of believing Israel which was the church in Jerusalem that was separate from the unbelieving Nation of Israel.

 

It is important to note that they were NOT believing in the death, burial and resurrection unto salvation, they were believing that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah and that their kingdom was at hand!

 

While Saul was in the midst of his own sinful unbelief, he received grace on the road to Damascus! He was chosen by God to be His chosen vessel to the world!  God chose him to reveal a mystery…to make manifest the mystery to all the saints of God!

 

Col_1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

 

A totally NEW Apostle was brought on board.

 

Notice in Acts 9 that it is first of all…the RISEN, GLORIFIED Jesus Christ, who is standing at the right hand of the Father who is waylaying Saul on the road to Damascus.  (Acts 7:55-56)

 

Notice too, that the Lord is not inviting Saul to “come, follow me…”  He simply tells Saul what to do and what will happen next! Something very different is afoot!

 

Act 9:6  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

 

It is interesting to me that the 12 Apostles were called to follow Christ, while the Lord says of Paul that he is a chosen vessel unto Him.  (Acts 9:15)

A new and totally extraordinary thing happened. The Lord appointed a man purely by His grace to be a preacher, an Apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles! To make manifest the revelation of the mysteries!

 

Paul was called without any good works under the law to recommend him. Yet, he was chosen by God and we see by his return address, he believed he was speaking with God! (Acts 22:10)

The Apostle Paul is our pattern for those who come after who are saved by faith in believing God (1 Tim 1:16) NOT according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace.  Wow.

 

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 

2Ti 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 

2Ti 1:11  Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 

 

It is interesting that WE have been called to follow Paul, the Lord’s chosen vessel, as he followed Christ! The way he followed Christ!

 

1Co 11:1  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 

 

The meaning is easy. We are called to follow the gospel of the grace of God as given to Paul by the risen Christ for us all, which is:

 

Ro 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,

 

Only by this gospel is there power to stablish us.  The gospel given to the Apostle Paul is NOT the gospel that the 12 Apostles were preaching!

Part 6 will look into the two different gospels.

 

 

The Gospel that saves today:

 

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 

1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: