Yes—Paul had to defend his apostleship because people doubted his authority, since he had not walked with Jesus like Peter, James, and John, and he was accused of being an impostor.
Les Feldick teaches that Paul was constantly forced to defend his apostleship because even in his own day people called him a heretic and an upstart who was speaking on his own authority. Jewish believers especially saw him as a renegade to Judaism, and his claim to be the apostle of the Gentiles was questioned because he had not been part of the Twelve during Christ's earthly ministry.
Romans 11:13 — Paul explicitly states his God-given role as the apostle to the Gentiles and says he magnifies that office—the very position he had to defend.
Galatians 1:1 — Paul opens his letter by insisting his apostleship came by Jesus Christ and God the Father, not by human appointment.
The Bible shows Paul identifying himself as 'the apostle of the Gentiles' and declaring, 'I magnify mine office' (Romans 11:13 KJV). This was not a role he took upon himself, for he opens Galatians by calling himself '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 KJV). Paul also acknowledged his own unworthiness, writing, 'For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God' (1 Corinthians 15:9 KJV). Even so, Scripture records that he claimed to have received revelations and to have been specially commissioned to carry the gospel to the Gentiles.
Les Feldick explains that Paul has to defend his apostleship because people in his day—and even many today—did not recognize the unique authority God gave him. The Twelve had walked with Jesus for three years, so their apostleship was easy to accept, but Paul had not. He had been a persecutor of the church, 'a raging bull' against everything connected to Jesus of Nazareth. Jewish believers considered him a renegade to Judaism, and both Jewish and Gentile critics called him an impostor and an upstart who was speaking on his own. Because of these repeated attacks, Paul was forced to insist, 'But I AM an Apostle. I AM the one who has received all these revelations.' Les also stresses that Paul was not just one of several apostles. In Romans 11 Paul writes that he is the apostle of the Gentiles and magnifies his office. According to Les, if Paul is just another apostle, then he is a liar—because Paul claimed that the great doctrines of grace were revealed to him and him alone. Paul therefore never backed down from this role, and he defended it by pointing both to the divine source of his message and to his many sufferings for the sake of the Gentile gospel. Les also applies this to today, saying that pulpits often neglect Paul's letters even though they are the very basis of the church's faith.
Paul's critics argued that he was not a true apostle because he had not walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry as Peter, James, and John had. They accused him of heresy, called him an impostor, and said he was just an upstart bringing a message on his own. Jewish opponents especially viewed him as a renegade who had turned on his background in Judaism.
Scripture records Paul's own declaration that he was 'the apostle of the Gentiles' and that he magnified his office (Romans 11:13). Les Feldick points out that God designated Paul to take salvation to the Gentiles and that Paul claimed to receive the great doctrines of grace through direct revelation, not from men. That is why Paul had to establish the authority behind his apostleship whenever he wrote to a church.
Les says some Christians still resist giving Paul's ministry its proper place, saying, 'You make too much of the Apostle Paul.' He observes that many pulpits only preach from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, while neglecting Paul's letters—even though those letters are the very basis of the church's faith. Paul's defense of his apostleship matters because the doctrines of grace for the Gentile world were revealed through him.
Saul of Tarsus Becomes the Apostle of the Gentiles
Les reminds us that Saul, who was high in the religious hierarchy, was saved by grace and became the apostle of the Gentiles, setting the stage for his later need to defend that office.
Paul Under Attack for Not Walking with Jesus
Les explains that Paul was accused of heresy and of being an impostor because he did not walk with Jesus for three years like Peter, James, and John, so he repeatedly had to assert that he was an apostle who had received direct revelations.
The Apostle of the Gentiles Magnifies His Office
Les shows from Romans 11 that Paul would never take a back seat concerning his apostleship; he was the apostle to the Gentiles and magnified that office even though people readily accepted the Twelve.
Authority Behind Paul's Apostleship
Paul first had to establish the authority of his apostleship because even believers at Corinth were dividing over whether to follow Paul, Peter, or Jesus, and Jewish people saw him as a renegade.
Revelation Given to Paul Alone
Les teaches that if Paul were just another apostle, he would be a liar, because Paul claimed God revealed the great doctrines of grace to him alone as the apostle of the Gentiles.
Defending Apostleship Through Suffering
Paul's critics said he never walked with Jesus and was an upstart, so Paul defended his apostleship by referencing the suffering he endured to bring the message of grace to the Gentiles.
Imposter Accusation at Corinth
The Jewish element in Corinth called Paul an imposter because he had not spent three years with Jesus, so Paul had to defend his apostleship to these carnal believers.
Neglect of Paul's Letters Today
Les says even today pulpits neglect Paul's letters in favor of the Gospels, but Paul, the least of the apostles and a former Jew's Jew, had to defend an apostleship that is the basis of the church's faith.
Romans 11:13: For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
This is Paul's clearest statement that his apostleship was specifically for the Gentiles.
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 immediately establishes that his apostleship did not come from men, which is the heart of his defense.
1 Corinthians 15:9: For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Paul acknowledges his unworthiness as a former persecutor while still claiming his place among the apostles.
Paul was repeatedly challenged because he had not walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry like Peter, James, and John. Jewish and Gentile critics called him an impostor and a renegade, so he had to insist that he was an apostle and that he had received these revelations.
No, according to Les Feldick, Paul's apostleship was distinct. He was the apostle to the Gentiles, and he magnified that office. Paul claimed that the doctrines of grace were revealed to him alone, so his ministry was not just a continuation of the Twelve's ministry to Israel.
Les Feldick teaches that people still neglect Paul's letters, often preferring the Gospels. But Paul's letters, which he defended as divinely revealed, are the very basis of the church's faith in this age of grace.
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul's Gospel to Gentiles Is Different From Peter's