Who were the twelve apostles sent to, and who was Paul sent to as an apostle?
The twelve apostles were sent to the Jews, being apostles of the Jew. Paul, however, was sent to the Gentiles, as Scripture calls him the apostle of the Gentiles; he spoke to Gentiles in that apostolic role. These two distinct assignments are kept separate and should not be confused.
Les explains that the twelve apostles were apostles of the Jew, while Paul was the apostle of the Gentiles. Paul wrote Romans and said, “For I speak to you Gentiles inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles.” Les stresses that this distinction must not be lost: the twelve were connected to Israel, but Paul was specifically sent to the Gentiles. In Ephesians 3:1 Paul says, “For this cause I Paul, Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,” showing plainly that he is the apostle for the Gentiles.