Paul distances himself from the twelve because God deliberately gave him a separate revelation of the gospel of grace for the Gentiles.
Les Feldick teaches that Paul had no connection with the twelve at all; after his conversion God kept him away from Jerusalem and sent him to Arabia to receive revelation. The twelve proclaimed the Kingdom gospel to Israel, while Paul preached the crucified, buried, and risen Lord. God did not want Paul's new revelations mixed with what the twelve had already understood.
Galatians 1:17 — Paul explicitly states that after his conversion he did not go to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before him, but went into Arabia.
2 Corinthians 11:22 — Paul answers anyone who might elevate the twelve above him, insisting on equal Jewish heritage.
In Galatians 1, Paul writes that when God revealed His Son in him, he "immediately conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus." In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul asks, "Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I." Scripture records Paul's own words, not connecting his apostleship to the twelve.
Les Feldick explains that Paul had absolutely no connection whatsoever with the twelve apostles. God purposely kept him from contact with them after his conversion and sent him instead to Mount Sinai in Arabia to receive revelation. The reason, Les says, is that God did not want the revelations He gave to Paul mixed up with what the twelve had already understood about the Kingdom gospel to Israel. If Paul had gone to Jerusalem, the twelve would have told him Jesus was the Messiah of Israel who was crucified, raised, and still willing to be King if Israel repented—but God said, "no no Paul, that's not where I want you to learn."
Les emphasizes that Paul had absolutely no connection with the twelve. Even though some theologians think Peter was wrong for not waiting for Paul to fill Judas's place, Les says that would never have worked—Paul would never have fit with the twelve. God saved this Jewish religious zealot and did not permit him to have contact with the twelve.
Les teaches that if Paul had gone back to Jerusalem, the twelve would have drummed into him what they had been preaching—that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, was crucified, raised from the dead, and was still willing to be Israel's King if they repented. But God said that was not where Paul should learn, so He sent Paul to Arabia to receive revelations from heaven. God did not want the revelations given to Paul mixed with what the twelve had already understood.
Les says the twelve's ministry was confined to the nation of Israel within the borders of Palestine. Paul was not an extension of the twelve's labors and was not building on what they had done; he was out in virgin territory, called on Gentile ground and sent to the Gentiles. Les also points out that Paul's message was the crucified, buried, and risen Lord, while the little Jewish epistles—James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1 and 2 John, Jude, and Revelation—never even mention the cross.
No. Les notes that Paul insisted the twelve didn't have anything over him: "Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I." And when Judaizers questioned Paul because he was never with Peter or had never spent three years with Jesus, Paul answered that he was "more" than those back in Jerusalem.
Paul's Unique Message: The Cross
Les explains that Paul preached the crucified, buried, and risen Lord, while the little Jewish epistles never mention the cross—showing the twelve's focus was not Paul's pinnacle message.
No Connection to the Twelve
Les says Paul had absolutely no connection with the twelve, and the view that Peter should have waited for Paul to take Judas's place is wrong—Paul would never have fit with the twelve.
Kept From Jerusalem
God deliberately kept Paul from contact with the twelve and sent him to Arabia to receive revelation, because the twelve would have taught him their Kingdom gospel.
A Separate Work
Les says Paul was not an extension of the twelve's labors; their ministry was confined to Israel, and Paul was in virgin Gentile territory.
Equal in Heritage
The Lord appeared to Paul over and over, and Paul could say the twelve had nothing over him because he too was a Hebrew, an Israelite, and a descendant of Abraham.
Set Apart From the Twelve
Les points to Galatians 1 and 2 to show Paul emphasized he had nothing to do with the twelve, and that the Lord called him from Gentile ground to go to the Gentiles.
Paul's Defense Against Judaizers
Paul defended his apostleship against Judaizers who said he was never with Peter or had spent three years with Jesus, insisting he was "more" than those back in Jerusalem.
Why Paul Didn't Consult the Twelve
Paul did not go to Jerusalem to learn from Peter, James, and John because God wanted to keep him as far from the twelve as possible to prevent his new revelations from being mixed with their understanding.
Galatians 1:16: To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Paul's immediate response to God's revelation was not to consult any human, including the apostles.
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.
Paul explicitly avoided contact with the apostles before him, showing his independence.
2 Corinthians 11:22: Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Paul challenged anyone who put the twelve above him, claiming equal Jewish heritage.
Les says the logical human step would have been to go to Jerusalem and ask the twelve to fill him in, since they had been with the Lord three years. But by inspiration Paul makes the point that he did not: God wanted to keep him as far from the twelve as possible so the revelations Paul received would not be mixed up with what the twelve already understood.
No. Les says the idea that Peter should have waited for Paul would never have worked—Paul would never have fit with the twelve. Paul had no connection with them.
Les points out that Paul had the Lord appear to him over and over, and when it came to being a Hebrew, an Israelite, and the seed of Abraham, the twelve had nothing over Paul.
The twelve preached the gospel of the Kingdom to the nation of Israel. Les says the Jewish epistles—James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1 and 2 John, Jude, and Revelation—never mention the cross, while Paul's message was the crucified, buried, and risen Lord.
Watch the Teaching: Why Preaching Another Gospel Brings a Curse — Galatians 1 Explained