Paul's role as an apostle was to be THE apostle of the Gentiles — the one man God uniquely commissioned to reveal the doctrines of grace to the Church.
God saved Paul out of Judaism and set him apart as the apostle of the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). Paul was not one of the original twelve, but he was THE Apostle, not one of many, and his letters alone are written to the Church. Les Feldick emphasizes that Paul continually defended this role because people could accept the Twelve but questioned the man who once persecuted the church.
Romans 11:13 — The verse where Paul plainly declares he is the apostle of the Gentiles — the central text for this question.
Galatians 1:18 — Shows Paul's brief contact with the twelve — he spent only fifteen days with Peter and saw no other apostle.
Scripture explicitly presents Paul as an apostle called and separated to the gospel of God. In Romans 11:13 Paul tells the Roman believers, "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office." His opening in Romans 1:1 identifies him as "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." In Galatians 1, Paul insists his apostleship was not of men but by Jesus Christ: "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)" (Galatians 1:1). He records that after three years he "went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days," seeing none of the other apostles (Galatians 1:18). These verses establish that Paul's apostleship toward the Gentiles was a direct, unique calling from God — not something mediated through the twelve.
Les Feldick teaches that Paul was uniquely called of God to be the apostle of the Gentiles — not one of many, but THE Apostle to whom the Church must go for its basic doctrines. God saved him out of Judaism and commissioned him for this role, and Paul proudly declared in Romans 11:13, "I am the apostle of the Gentiles. I magnify my office." He was never going to take a back seat to anybody concerning his apostleship, nor back down from being God's man for the Gentile world. Les points out that Paul's letters and his letters alone are written to the Church, and that no one but Saul of Tarsus could have fulfilled the role of apostle of the Gentiles. He stresses that until you can separate the ministries of Peter and Paul, you will be like most of Christendom — in total confusion. That is why 17 of the 28 chapters of Acts are given to Paul: we Gentiles have a relation to Paul that we do not have to the other apostles. Les also explains why Paul was constantly defending his apostleship. People could readily understand the Twelve and their unique position with Christ, but Paul was a former persecutor who did not walk with Jesus during His earthly ministry. Even in his own day he was accused of heresy and of being an imposter. So he continually insisted, "I AM an Apostle. I AM the one who has received all these revelations."
Les explains that Paul was always having to defend his apostleship in his letters — whether Galatians, Ephesians, or others. People can readily understand the Twelve and their unique position with Christ and have no problem recognizing their apostleship. But before his conversion, Paul was, as Les describes him, "like a raging bull fighting against everything that spoke of Jesus of Nazareth." Even people today have a hard time reconciling that God would make such a man an apostle, and some have even said Paul's letters did not belong in the Bible. Because he did not walk with the Lord Jesus those three years like Peter, James, and John did, he was accused of heresy and of being an imposter — so he constantly had to come back and say, "But I AM an Apostle. I AM the one who has received all these revelations."
Les walks through Galatians 1 to show that Paul's apostleship did not come through a conference with the twelve. After his conversion, God called him by His grace, brought him out of Damascus, and took him down into Arabia — probably to Mount Sinai — where he spent three years alone while God poured out the revelations that would come from his pen. Then, after three years, he went up to Jerusalem and abode with Peter fifteen days. "But other of the apostles saw I none." He did not have a big confab with the twelve.
Les emphasizes that Paul was not just another apostle. He was uniquely called of God to be the Apostle of the Gentiles — "Not one of many, but he is THE Apostle." While other apostles like Barnabas and Silas would follow in his footsteps, so far as the writing of the Book is concerned, there is only one apostle of the Gentiles: Paul. His letters and his letters alone are written to the Church. Les warns that if Paul is treated as just another apostle, his whole position changes and he becomes a liar — because he claimed in all his letters that it was to him and him alone that God revealed these great doctrines of grace.
Les marvels that no one but Saul of Tarsus could have fulfilled the role of the apostle of the Gentiles — "Everything just fits so beautifully." God designated Paul to take salvation to the Gentiles, and if God designated it, Les says he makes no apology for emphasizing Paul. The proof is in the structure of Acts itself: 17 of the 28 chapters are given to this apostle who was not one of the original twelve and was not converted until long after Pentecost. As Les puts it, "We Gentiles have a relation to Paul that we do not have to the other apostles."
Paul's Training Alone in Arabia
Les shows that after his conversion Paul spent three years alone in the area of Mount Sinai, then spent only fifteen days with Peter and saw none of the other apostles — proving his apostolic calling came directly from God.
The One Apostle of the Gentiles
Les points to Romans 11:13 where Paul says plainly, "I am the apostle of the Gentiles," and explains that Paul's letters alone are written to the Church.
I Magnify My Office
Les explains that Paul never took a back seat concerning his apostleship and that he was always having to defend it because people accepted the Twelve but doubted Paul.
Not Just Another Apostle
Les warns that changing Paul from THE apostle of the Gentiles to just another apostle makes Paul a liar, since he claimed God revealed the doctrines of grace to him alone.
Paul's Unique Suitability
Les points out that people have a hard time accepting Paul's apostleship, but no one but Saul of Tarsus could have fulfilled the role of apostle to the Gentiles.
Defending His Apostleship
Les explains that Paul defended his apostleship because he was accused of heresy and of being an imposter, having not walked with Jesus like the twelve.
Our Unique Relation to Paul
Les observes that 17 of 28 chapters of Acts are given to Paul, showing that Gentiles have a relation to Paul that they do not have to the other apostles.
THE Apostle, Not One of Many
Les states that Paul was uniquely called to be the Apostle of the Gentiles — not one of many — and is the one to whom we must go for our basic doctrines.
Romans 11:13: For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
The key verse in which Paul plainly states his role as apostle to the Gentiles.
Galatians 1:18: Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Shows Paul's brief, limited contact with Peter — the only apostle he saw in Jerusalem.
Galatians 1:17: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
Shows Paul went to Arabia rather than to the twelve, where he received revelation directly from God.
Romans 1:1: Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
Paul's self-identification as an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.
Galatians 1:1: Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
Paul's declaration that his apostleship came from Jesus Christ, not from men.
1 Corinthians 3:10: According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
Les references this verse as plain language about Paul's foundational apostolic role in the Church.
No. Paul was not one of the original twelve and was not converted until long after Pentecost. God saved him out of Judaism and uniquely commissioned him to be the apostle of the Gentiles.
Paul meant he was never going to take a back seat to anybody concerning his apostleship. He was never going to back down from being God's man for the Gentile world.
Paul was the apostle of the Gentiles, so his letters and his letters alone are written to the Church. He is the one to whom we must go for our basic doctrines.
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul's Gospel to Gentiles Is Different From Peter's