Yes, Paul frequently defends his apostleship because his authority and divine commission were repeatedly challenged by Jewish critics and Jewish believers in his congregations.
Les Feldick teaches that Paul was constantly under attack because he had not walked with Jesus during His three-year earthly ministry like Peter, James, and John did. Jewish opponents accused him of being a renegade to Judaism, an imposter, and a fake. As a result, Paul had to establish that God had personally commissioned him as the apostle to the Gentiles in this age of grace.
Romans 11:13 — Paul states that he is the apostle to the Gentiles and magnifies his office, directly showing his need to assert his God-given authority.
Paul's letters show him repeatedly asserting his apostolic authority. In Romans 11:13, he writes, "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office." The Corinthian letters especially reveal the challenge to his authority. In 1 Corinthians 1:12, Paul describes the divisions: "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." In 1 Corinthians 9:1, he defends his apostleship by asking, "Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?" And in 2 Corinthians 1:1, he deliberately labels himself "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." The Bible shows that Paul was forced to prove his calling because his authority was disputed.
Les Feldick consistently teaches that Paul had to defend his apostleship throughout all his letters because people of his day—especially Jewish believers—refused to accept his authority. The Twelve had a unique, recognizable position because they literally walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry, and no one questioned their credentials. But Paul had been a raging persecutor of the church before his conversion, and Jewish opponents viewed him as a renegade to Judaism and an imposter who had no right to claim apostleship. They would say, "You didn't walk with Jesus of Nazareth. You didn't spend three years with Him like Peter did." Yet, as Les emphasizes, Paul was God's designated apostle to take salvation to the Gentiles, and he had received special revelations from the Lord. Therefore, Paul constantly had to re-establish that he was a genuine apostle and the authority through whom God was speaking to the whole human race in this age of grace. Les also points out that even today, many conservative Christians won't give Paul the time of day, so Paul would still be defending his apostleship if he were alive today.
Les Feldick explains that the Jewish element in Corinth and other churches said, "Who do you think you are? You're just an imposter. You didn't walk with Jesus of Nazareth. You didn't spend three years with Him like Peter did." They viewed Paul as a renegade to Judaism—he had turned on his background. Paul was also up against the fact that people can readily understand the Twelve and their unique position with Christ during His earthly ministry, so they had no problem recognizing their apostleship. But Paul appeared on the scene as a former persecutor, and that made his apostleship harder to accept.
The Corinthian congregation was divided into four groups: some said they followed Christ, others followed Peter, others followed Apollos, and a fourth group followed Paul. Those who followed Peter or Apollos undermined Paul's authority, and some even said, "You're just a fake. You're an imposter. Peter is the one who has the authority." Paul therefore had to defend his apostleship to these carnal believers who were still influenced by the idolatry and immorality of their city.
Les says that if Paul were alive today, he would still have to defend his apostleship because so many people—even among conservative Christianity—won't give Paul the time of day. Many today say, "I don't care what Paul says. I'm going to do what Jesus said." This mirrors the same challenge Paul faced in his own day, where people preferred the teaching of Peter or of Christ's earthly ministry instead of Paul's gospel of grace.
Divisions in the Corinthian Church
Les describes how the Corinthian believers were divided into four factions—following Christ, Peter, Apollos, or Paul—which created dissension and ultimately contributed to their carnality.
Paul's Constant Defense of His Apostleship
Les states that throughout Paul's epistles he has to constantly defend his apostleship, and he would still have to do it today because many conservative Christians won't give Paul the time of day.
Paul's Authority as God's Spokesman
Les explains that Paul had to establish his authority because Jewish people thought he was a renegade to Judaism, and he had to show that for this age of grace, he is the authority through whom God is speaking.
Paul Accused of Heresy and Being an Imposter
Les reveals that Paul's contemporaries accused him of heresy and of being an imposter because he hadn't walked with Jesus for three years like Peter, James, and John did, forcing Paul to repeat "I AM an Apostle."
Jewish Resistance to Paul at Corinth
Les highlights the Jewish element in Corinth who said Paul was just an imposter because he didn't walk with Jesus or spend three years with Him like Peter did.
Defending Apostleship in 1 Corinthians
Les notes that Paul had to defend his apostleship when addressing the Corinthians' divisions, especially because Paul's early ministry always went first to the Jew.
Corinthians Called Paul a Fake
Les explains that Paul had to constantly defend his apostleship because some Corinthians said Peter was the real authority since he walked with Jesus for three years, while Paul was a fake and an imposter.
Paul Magnifies His Office as Apostle to the Gentiles
Les points to Romans 11:13 where Paul magnifies his office as the apostle to the Gentiles, showing that Paul would never take a back seat to anyone concerning his apostleship.
Romans 11:13: For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
Paul himself declares his unique apostleship to the Gentiles and says he magnifies his office, showing he had to assert and defend his God-given role.
1 Corinthians 1:12: Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
This verse reveals the divisions in the Corinthian church where different factions claimed loyalty to different leaders, undermining Paul's authority.
1 Corinthians 9:1: Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
Paul directly defends his apostleship to the Corinthians, citing that he has seen the Lord and reminding them that his work is proof of his apostleship.
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.
Paul asserts that God gave him the grace to lay the foundation of the church, which Les cites to show Paul's apostolic authority.
2 Corinthians 1:1: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
Paul opens his second letter to the Corinthians by immediately claiming his apostleship is by the will of God, not by any human commission.
Because Paul had not walked with Jesus during His three-year earthly ministry like Peter, James, and John did. Les Feldick explains that Jewish believers, especially at Corinth, said he was just an imposter and a fake. His past as a persecutor of the church also made it hard for people to accept that God had chosen him as an apostle.
Yes. Les Feldick teaches that Paul received revelations directly from the Lord and was the apostle God designated to take salvation to the Gentiles. While Paul had to constantly defend that authority, he emphasized that he was an apostle by the will of God and would never take a back seat to anyone concerning his apostleship.
Because many believers today—even conservative Christians—won't give Paul the time of day and say they don't care what Paul says; they'd rather follow Christ's earthly teachings. Les says the same resistance Paul experienced in his day still exists, so Paul would still be defending his apostleship.
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