Why did the twelve apostles lose their authority even though they had been Jesus' chosen vessels?
The twelve lost their authority because Israel rejected it all and remained in unbelief. Though they had been Jesus' chosen vessels and had their time, Israel was slipping away; soon the Temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed and Israel dispersed among the nations. Their authority had slipped through the cracks.
Les explains that the men in Jerusalem—Peter, James, John, and the rest of the twelve—thought they were still head and shoulders above him, but they were not. Their authority had slipped through the cracks and his had ascended. They had been Jesus' chosen vessels, but because Israel rejected it all and was slipping away in unbelief, they lost it. A few years later the Temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed and Israel dispersed among the nations. When they compared doctrine rather than experience, the difference became evident, and he did not give place by subjection, no, not for an hour, so the truth of the gospel might continue with the Gentiles.
But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:
What did the twelve apostles at Jerusalem fail to realize?
The twelve apostles in Jerusalem failed to realize that their program was slipping through the cracks. They were trying to refute Paul and subject him to pressure, not understanding that their efforts to stop his ministry among the Gentiles would have eliminated salvation for Gentiles.
What did the twelve apostles have that Paul did not, and what did Paul have that they did not?
The Twelve possessed experience: miracles, signs, and firsthand events such as walking on water during Christ's earthly ministry. Paul lacked those experiences, but he possessed the doctrine and revelations from the ascended Lord. In conference, the Twelve added nothing to him.
More Questions
Did the authority of the Jerusalem apostles decline after the early church period?
The Jerusalem apostles ('these who seemed to be somewhat') no longer had the authority and preeminence in God's dealing with the human race that they had enjoyed during the earthly ministry and the early days of Acts — it was slipping away.