Paul's Credibility (P1)

Paul's Credibility (Part 1) Paul made some incredible claims in his writings. He claims to be the "mater builder", "the Apostle to the Gentiles" and encourages his converts that they should "imitate and follow him". In this short series we will investigate these claims and determine how Paul could say such bold things.

Below are a few scriptures taken from Paul's epistles. In these are some very bold and very strong claims. I'd like you to slow down and take your time to read through each scripture below to see if you can identify the part in it that presents a bold claim or assertion or statement that Paul makes. We will briefly analyze each statement below and then resume in other posts within this series to prove how Paul could say these radical things. This study will bring validity and confirmation to the credibility of Paul and to the scriptures he was inspired to write to the Body of Christ.

Can you identify some bold claims by Paul in the following: 

Romans 11:13 I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am 'the' apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. (Also see: 1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17)

1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Romans 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations,

Romans 2:15 (...who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Were you able to find some radical statements by Paul?

Let's identify them and clarify their meaning.

(All underlined text below is what I have identified as the claims made by Paul in the above scriptures)

In Rom.11:13, Paul emphatically claims he is the apostle to the Gentiles. This was possible as Paul was informed by Jesus Christ Himself that this was his calling and mission. (See Acts 22:21; Acts 26:15-17; Eph.3:6-9, 1Tim.2:7; 2 Tim.1:11)

Even Ananias was told that Paul was 'divinely' called for this purpose,

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

In 1 Cor.3:10, Paul mentions that he, as a wise master builder, has laid the foundation. He claims this after Jesus had already laid the groundwork of the Kingdom program (Matt.16:18). The reason why Paul had to lay a new foundation is because the Kingdom program belonged to the Jews and it was a different body of doctrine under a different dispensation. Paul was sent to the Gentiles, and he received a completely different doctrine for the Gentiles (Rom.16:25-26). This mystery doctrine under grace required a new foundation, and no other foundation apart from this one would be valid, —even the gospel, (Gal.1:8-9). 

The above verse ties in with our next verse in 1 Cor.4:15, and validates why Paul could say that he had begotten us (or 'fathered' us) as converted grace believers, through the gospel (of grace). As Abraham was the first man to become a Jew, and from him came the Jewish nation in the flesh, so Paul became the first member into the Body of Christ (1 Tim.1:16) and from the gospel message given to him by the glorified Lord, he fathered, in the spirit, all the grace believers.

In Rom.16:25-26, Paul refers to the gospel as 'his gospel', by saying, "...according to my gospel...". One might think Paul is being quite brash here, but not so. Paul is just differentiating the gospel that he received from the Lord, the Grace Gospel, with the then known Gospel of the Kingdom, proclaimed by the 12-apostles. These were two very different gospels which during the early part of his ministry were both valid; one to the Jews only and the other to all who would hear. It was at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15, where the Kingdom gospel became invalidated by Peter, (by the authority provide him by Jesus, Matt.16:19), locking the Kingdom with his incredible statement, Acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even [in like manner] as they. This is why Paul was able to explicitly proclaim that there was NO OTHER VALID GOSPEL but his grace gospel in Gal.1:8-9. Based on this clarification, Rom.2:15 follows on nicely here where Paul proclaims boldly that men will be evaluated, "in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel". Since Paul's gospel is the only gospel in operation during the grace period, it stands to reason that men would be subject to faith in this grace gospel.

In 2 Cor.5:16, Paul says an incredible statement! "Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer". This is one of the phrases that personally lead me to my passion for understanding dispensational truth! Unless you understand the clear distinction between the Law dispensation and the Grace dispensation, you would think that Paul is blaspheming here! How could Paul say that we no longer know Christ? Well, its not that we forget Christ. Never! But it's that we do not know him in regards to his earthly ministry, which was to the Jews only (Gal.4:4; Matt.10:6; Matt.15:24). We as grace believers now recognize Jesus "according to the revelation of the mystery" (which is another claim of Paul in  Rom.16:25 above. All that Jesus taught and all the signs He performed was for the Jews, to prove His identity and to prepare them for their earthly inheritance. Although we can read the four gospels today and receive from it some nuggets of truth, none of it was directed to us. Our instructions are written in Paul's 13 epistles, and these are the commands addressed, or directed to us, the Body of Christ, today. These epistles help us to know Jesus according to the revelation of the mysteries. So, let us make a point of studying Paul's letters and applying them liberally to our lives today.

Conclusion

Paul's introduces many "mysteries" in his epistles. These are revelations he received from the risen Lord that are not found anywhere else in the Old Testament or the Four Gospels. He also introduces a "new" gospel and his doctrine is completely different to that found in the Gospels.

Before we get into any of of Paul's writings (which is declared as scripture by Peter, 2 Peter 3:15-16), it is appropriate to look into Paul's credibility. Though it is Gods infallible Word in which we trust, let's look into how Paul could claim to be the "mater builder", "the Apostle to the Gentiles" and claim that we should "imitate and follow him".

(Continue with Part 2 of this study here.)