Why would Paul still have to defend his apostleship today?
Paul would still need to defend his apostleship today because many, even in conservative Christianity, will not give him a hearing. He alone was the apostle of the Gentiles, not one of the Twelve, and he insisted his message came from the ascended Lord, so his unique office remains contested.
Les explains that throughout Paul’s epistles, Paul had to constantly defend his apostleship, and if he were alive today, he would still be doing it. The reason is that many, even among rather conservative Christianity, won’t give Paul the time of day, and they are remiss in treating his apostleship that way. Les points to Romans 11, where Paul says he speaks to Gentiles as the apostle of the Gentiles. Paul does not share that apostleship with anyone else; when it came to the Gentiles, he was the apostle. He was not one of the Twelve, because they went to Israel. Paul magnified his office and made the most of it. In Galatians, he defends his apostleship and says, “I lie not,” guaranteeing that what he says came from the Ascended Lord.