No — the twelve apostles had no ministry among the Gentiles; they were apostles to Israel, while Paul is the one apostle of the Gentiles.
Les Feldick states it plainly: 'You show me one time in Scripture that those twelve disciples had a ministry among Gentiles. They didn't.' The twelve were commissioned to Israel (Matthew 10:5), stayed in Jerusalem, and even the believers scattered by persecution preached to none but Jews only (Acts 11:19). Paul — not one of the twelve — was raised up and named the apostle of the Gentiles (Romans 11:13).
Matthew 10:5 — Jesus sent the twelve to the lost sheep of Israel and expressly told them not to go to the Gentiles.
Romans 11:13 — Paul declares himself the apostle of the Gentiles — a role Scripture never assigns to the twelve.
The Bible records that the twelve apostles were commissioned to Israel, not to the Gentiles. In Matthew 10:5 Jesus sent them out with the instruction: 'Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not.' Even after the resurrection, the Lord's commission in Acts 1:8 moved outward from Jerusalem to Judaea to Samaria and only then to the uttermost part of the earth — and Acts records the twelve reaching only as far as Judaea and Samaria (Acts 8). When persecution scattered believers after Stephen's death, Acts 11:19 says they 'travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.' Nowhere in the book of Acts or the epistles is there a record of one of the twelve taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Instead, Romans 11:13 names a different apostle for that work: 'For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles.' When Paul met with the Jerusalem apostles, Galatians 2:6 records 'they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.'
Les Feldick answers the question without hesitation: 'You show me one time in Scripture that those twelve disciples had a ministry among Gentiles. They didn't.' He emphasizes that the twelve were 'apostles of Israel,' chosen within Israel's borders and sent only to Israel (Matthew 10:5), and they never left the nation. Even after persecution scattered the believers, Les notes 'they went to none but Jews only' — the idea of going to the Gentiles was 'anathema' to them. The reason, Les explains, is that 'Israel never accepted the King, and so that opportunity was taken from them.' The twelve stayed in Jerusalem, and by the time of Paul's visit recorded in Galatians 2, roughly twenty-two years after Pentecost, 'the prophetic program had begun to fall through the cracks' while 'the Gentile assembly is coming up.' The Jerusalem apostles, he says, 'had no comprehension' of the revelations Paul received from the ascended Lord, and in conference they 'added nothing' to him. In contrast, Les says, God raised up Paul — a Jew with Roman citizenship — and commissioned him 'on Gentile ground' to be 'the apostle of the Gentiles' (Romans 11:13). Paul's letters alone, Les stresses, are written to the church. Because the twelve never ministered outside Israel, every field Paul entered was 'virgin territory,' so he could genuinely say he was not building on another man's line.
The twelve were commissioned to Israel only: Jesus commanded them in Matthew 10:5 not to go into the way of the Gentiles. After Pentecost they stayed in Jerusalem, and when believers were scattered by persecution, Acts 11:19 shows they preached 'to none but unto the Jews only.' Les explains the reason: 'Israel never accepted the King, and so that opportunity was taken from them.' He also notes that the commission of Acts 1:8 was fulfilled only as far as Samaria so far as the Jew was concerned — the twelve never went to the nations of the world.
Paul, not one of the twelve, is the apostle of the Gentiles. Romans 11:13 records Paul's own words: 'For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles.' Les emphasizes that God chose Paul — who was not just a Jew but also a Roman by citizenship — and commissioned him 'on Gentile ground,' while the twelve were chosen within the borders of Israel. Paul's letters alone, Les says, are written to the church.
According to Galatians 2:6, 'they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.' Les explains that the twelve, including Peter, 'had no comprehension' of the revelations Paul had received from the ascended Lord, and their earlier authority was 'slipping away.' Peter, he notes, confined his ministry to the Jew, and by the time Paul met with the twelve, the prophetic program was falling through the cracks while Paul's Gentile ministry was rising.
The Twelve Added Nothing to Paul
Les shows that the Jerusalem apostles, though once preeminent, had no comprehension of Paul's grace revelations and had lost their earlier authority.
Apostles of Israel vs. Apostle of the Gentiles
Les contrasts the twelve, chosen within Israel's borders, with Paul, chosen and commissioned on Gentile ground as the apostle of the Gentiles.
Commissioned to Israel Only
Les reads Matthew 10:5, where Jesus sent the twelve to Israel and commanded them not to go to the Gentiles.
They Stayed in Jerusalem
Les points out that the twelve did not scatter worldwide; they stayed in Jerusalem, and scattered believers preached to none but Jews only.
Peter's Ministry Confined to the Jew
Les notes that Peter confined his ministry to the Jew and that by Paul's visit the prophetic program had begun to fall through the cracks while Paul's Gentile ministry rose.
No Ministry Among the Gentiles
Les issues a 20-year challenge: show one place in Scripture where the twelve had a Gentile ministry — they never did, because Israel rejected the King.
Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles
Les rests on Romans 11:13 to show Paul is the one apostle of the Gentiles and that his letters alone address the church.
Virgin Territory for Paul
Les notes that Paul could not boast in another man's line because the twelve had no ministry outside Israel — every field Paul entered was virgin territory.
Matthew 10:5: These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
This is the clearest scriptural statement that the twelve were sent to Israel alone, not to the Gentiles.
Acts 1:8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The risen Lord's commission moved outward, but Acts records the twelve reaching only as far as Samaria — never the uttermost part.
Acts 11:19: Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
Even after persecution scattered believers, the gospel was preached to none but Jews only — no Gentile ministry by the twelve.
Romans 11:13: For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
Paul, not one of the twelve, explicitly calls himself the apostle of the Gentiles.
Galatians 2:6: 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:
When Paul met the Jerusalem apostles, they added nothing to his gospel — they had no comprehension of his grace revelations.
No. Les Feldick challenges anyone to show a single scriptural record of the twelve having a ministry among the Gentiles. They were sent to Israel (Matthew 10:5), stayed in Jerusalem, and the Bible records believers preaching 'to none but unto the Jews only' (Acts 11:19).
Paul. He states it himself in Romans 11:13: 'For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles.' Les stresses that Paul's letters alone are written to the church.
Les explains that the twelve were apostles of Israel, and because Israel never accepted the King, the opportunity for them to go to the nations was taken away. Even after persecution scattered believers, they preached to Jews only.
Per Galatians 2:6, the Jerusalem apostles 'added nothing' to Paul. Les says they had no comprehension of the revelations Paul received from the ascended Lord; Peter, meanwhile, confined his ministry to the Jew.
Watch the Teaching: Why Gentiles Don't Need the Law of Moses — Acts Chapter 15 Explained