After Jesus ascended into heaven, Peter stood up among the disciples and said:
Acts 1
17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
Requirements for the man who would replace Judas.
21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that HE was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of HIS resurrection.
Paul did not fit either requirement for the replacement of Judas as an apostle. Paul was not with the other apostles when Jesus walked on this earth in the form of a human. Paul was not with the apostles when Jesus was taken up into heaven. Paul was persecuting the church at that time.
21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that HE was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of HIS resurrection.
Paul did not fit either requirement for the replacement of Judas as an apostle. Paul was not with the other apostles when Jesus walked on this earth in the form of a human. Paul was not with the apostles when Jesus was taken up into heaven. Paul was persecuting the church at that time.
Acts 1
23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two THOU hast chosen,
25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two THOU hast chosen,
25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
The 12th apostle would be Matthias.
So how then can the churches today teach that Paul was the "last" apostle?
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After Jesus ascended into heaven, HE gave ministers to work in the New Testament church.
Ephesians 4:11-12 And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
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Paul tells of Jesus speaking to him from heaven as Jesus set Paul into the ministry of Jesus in the NT church.
Acts 26 (Paul speaks to king Agrippa telling him of Jesus' calling)
10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15 And I said, Who art THOU, Lord? And HE said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
(Here we see that Jesus spoke to Saul (later named Paul) from heaven, calling him to be a minister to the NT church. Today Jesus speaks from heaven to those of us called to be a minister. Jesus puts us into our calling as minister and Jesus teaches us for that ministry to which Jesus calls us just as Jesus spoke to Paul, from heaven.)
Then Jesus said to "Saul" (Paul):
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in ME.
19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in ME.
19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
(Paul didn't return to Jerusalem to tell the chief priest what had happened on the road to Damascus that day Paul just followed what Jesus said to him immediately. Then the priests set about to try to kill Paul who was very highly trained as a Pharisee at the feet of one of their main teachers, Gamaliel.)
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Also in the NT church, we have the following:
I Corinthians 12
28 And God hath set some in the church (to care for the church), first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
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And God gave to the church the spiritual gifts to help the church.
I Corinthians 12
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
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Paul was not the last apostle. The apostle who replaced Judas was Matthias. (Acts 1:25-26)
Paul was one of the first of those ministers appointed by Jesus from heaven after Jesus was taken into heaven. (Ephesians 4:11-12)
Notice in the first verse of many of Paul's epistles to the church, Paul says:
Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
I Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will 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;)
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
At the time Paul lived on this earth, there were people who did not think Paul could be an apostle. He did not walk with the 12 apostles who were named apostles while Jesus lived on this earth. Paul was persecuting the followers of God.
How could this man Paul be an apostle?
Jesus called Paul from heaven and set him in the NT church to be a minister.
Acts 9
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt THOU have me to do?
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt THOU have me to do?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
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After Jesus was taken into heaven, Jesus set Paul into the New Testament church to be a minister.
2 Corinthians 11:5-6 (Paul says) For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. 6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
Some in the churches during Paul's lifetime apparently did not think Paul to be equal to the other apostles who walked with Peter.
Paul was not the last apostle as many churches today teach, but Paul was one of the first of those New Testament apostles which Jesus called from heaven and taught from heaven.
All NT ministers today are called personally by Jesus, but there are many trying to be ministers today by copying other ministers or by going to Bible schools without being called by Jesus to be a minister.
Jude
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators/copiers) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
18 How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators/copiers) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
2 Peter 2
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
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