Putting the Apostle Paul in His Place

Acts 9:15: But the Lord said to him (concerning Paul), “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

It's very important for correct understanding of Church doctrine in particular to put the Apostle Paul in the position of authority given to him by Jesus Christ.Yet still,even as in his day, many fail to understand that He is the Apostle to the Gentiles, the one given the "secret" previously not known by any except God. The secret is not salvation by grace, as some teach,since Abraham, David and all the OT saints were saved by grace.Nor is it a special Gospel, intended only for Gentiles.

The "secret" was the previously hidden plan of God to create the church as a living organism filled with the Spirit made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers. This living organism was given structure. It has offices (Apostles, preachers, teachers and gifted members) all for the enhancing of its own growth, both spiritually and numerically.

Though some ignore Paul's place as an Apostle of Jesus Christ and limit his special message, some try to exalt him over and above the other Apostles. This too, is an error which is corrected by the quoted passage. Paul the Apostle's main target audience was the Gentiles. Nevertheless, he also preached to Kings and "the children of Israel" just as the Lord Jesus Christ said he would. (Acts 9:15,16) The Apostle Peter preached the same Gospel to the Jews. His writings, as the other Jewish-Christian epistles, are addressed to both saved and unsaved Jews. Realizing this will solve a lot of knotty theological problems brought on by the misunderstanding of the target audiences..

Many good Biblically sound commentaries believe Paul actually wrote the letter to the Hebrews. Be that as it may, there is no arguing about his preaching to the Jews first in his early ministry, and then just before he was martyred, as the following passage shows.

Acts 28:17 And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: “Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, 18 who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. 19 But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. 20 For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”

21 Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.”

23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our[b] fathers, 26 saying,

‘Go to this people and say:
“Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”’

Conclusion? We should run all teaching regarding the church through the filter of Paul's revelation....which, by the way, is just as much God's Word as the very words of Jesus. We must not see a Jewish/Gentile division in the makeup of the church, since all comprise "one new man" in the sight of the Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ.

There simply can be no division since the Apostles, with Christ as the chief cornerstone, make up the living foundation of the living Church, Christ's body on earth.