Paul
From Bible Study
Paul belongs to another category than the 12 apostles. Those were called by Jesus Christ in the flesh, walked with Him for 3½ years. In Acts 1:20-26 we see the 11 choosing Mattias by lot among them that walket with Jesus in the flesh from His baptism until His ascention as eyewitnesses of His resurrection. Paul was never a candidate. In the beginning from Shavuot,feast of weeks, pentecost, the time when Moses had received the law on stones on mount Sinai,the OLD covenant, a remnant of Israel received the law in their hearts, the NEW covenant.There were only jews in the first assembly in Jerusalem, but some were hebrew speaking, others greekspeaking hellenists. Among the first deacons were Stephen who was lynched by a mob laying their clothes by the feet of young Saulus or Shaul(his hebrew name). He was a roman citizen and his roman name was Paulus. Saul was very eager to beat and arrest those of "the Way". At this time the Spirit was blowing slowly towards the nations or gentiles.Philip preached to the samarians, a mixed people settled by the Assyrians after the deportation of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. 2 Kings 17:24-41.After this he evangelized the ethiopian eunuch and baptized him. Acts 8. The persecutor Shaul was on his way to Damuscus in Syria. He was saved in a violent way,losing his sight. Later the Lord said to Ananias: "Go,for he is a choice instrument of Mine, to bear My name before both the NATIONS and kings, besides the sons of Israel.Acts 9:15. He testifies in Acts 22:21 "The Lord said to me: Go! For I shall be delegting you afar to the nations." and in Acts 26:15-18: "Now the Lord said, I am JesusWhom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet, for I was seen by you for this, to fix upon you before for a deputy and a witness BOTH of what you have perceived AND that in which I will be seen by you, extricating you from the people(jews) and from the nations, to whom I am commisioning you, to open their eyes, to turn them about from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, for them to get a pardon of sins and an allotment among those who have been hallowed by faith that is in Me." THIS IS PAUL´S COMMISION. He did NOT go to the 12 apostles. In Gal 1:11-20 Paul testifies that he did not get HIS gospel from any man but by an APOCALYPSIS of Jesus Christ. He went to Arabia, probably to mount Horeb, Where both Moses and Elijah (1 Kings 19) had met the LORD. Paul speaks more in Gal 4:21-31. Paul just meets Kefas (Peter) and James,the brother of Jesus in Jerusalem for 15 days, returns to Tarsus, where Barnabas finds him in Acts 11:25,takes him to Antioch. When Agabus had prophecied about a coming famine the brothers sent a gift to Judea through Barnabas and Saul (that order).Acts 12:30. In 12:25 they return to Antioch together with John Mark. HERE BEGINS A NEW CHAPTER IN GOD´S DEALINGS WITH THE NATIONS USING PAUL AS T_H_E APOSTLE: THE FIRST MISSION JOURNEY In Antioch, in the church, were among others Barnabas and Saul prophets and teachers. During ministering to the Lord and fasting the Spirit spoke: Sever,by all means, to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Acts 13:1-2. Having come to Paphos on Cyprus they withstood a false prophet,a jew, Bar-Jesus trying to hinder the proconsul Sergius Paul from believing. From now on Shaul is called by his roman name Paul and the Lord blinds the jew and openes the spiritual eyes of the gentile.From now on Paul is the leader.They went to modern Turkey and preached in the synagogues on the sabbath. There were two kind of people. "Men, Israelites and those who are fearing God,hear!" Acts 13:16. Paul preached from Israel´s history and the resurrection of Jesus.The next sabbath the synagogue was full of eager gentiles. The
