Did Paul have direct contact with Christ like the twelve apostles?
Yes, Paul had direct contact with Christ, though not in the same manner as the twelve. They walked with Christ for three years in Palestine; Paul did not. Yet the Lord appeared to him repeatedly, giving him encouragement despite sufferings and disappointments, confirming his apostolic authority as God-ordained apostle to the Gentiles.
Les explains that Paul had to defend his apostleship because the Corinthians accused him of lacking authority compared to Peter, James, and John, who had been with Christ for three years. Les teaches that Paul also had direct contact with Christ, not by walking up and down the dusty roads of Palestine as the twelve did, but the Lord appeared to him over and over, especially to give him encouragement in spite of all his sufferings and disappointments. Paul argues that the twelve had nothing over him, since he too was a Hebrew, an Israelite, and the seed of Abraham.