“Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly…about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 19:8)
When Jesus walked the earth, He chose twelve men to be His disciples (students), a common practice for a rabbi. These twelve men became known as apostles (meaning “messenger”) after Jesus’ return to heaven in Acts 2. The event is commonly called His ascension.
Several conditions must be met to be an apostle, which Peter outlines in Acts 1.
“Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22, NKJ)
To be an official apostle, a person must be…
- An original member of the twelve disciples
- A witness of the resurrected Christ, and
- A witness of His ascension.
These criteria had to be met to establish the early church properly, according to God’s design.
Where does that leave Paul? He fits none of these criteria. And he certainly had no interest.
Paul’s job as a young Pharisee was to persecute Jewish converts to “The Way” (Acts 9:2), the name given in that day to those who followed Jesus’ teachings. Anyone who subscribed to the budding, new faith was subject to imprisonment, physical beatings, and sometimes death. The stoning of the apostle Stephen is a well-known example of this persecution (Acts 7:54-60).
Paul carried out these persecutions with great pleasure, sometimes pursuing people across great distances, believing he was doing God’s will. This went on for some time, but God had other plans.
An Unexpected Encounter
Acts 9:1-20 describes Paul’s encounter with Jesus on a Roman highway to Damascus as he continued his murderous campaign.
Paul planned to take letters from the religious leaders to those in Damascus so he could arrest members of “The Way” and bring them back to Jerusalem for prosecution. But the Lord changed that plan.
As Paul and his companions walked along, Jesus unexpectedly shone a bright, heavenly light on the group and stopped them in their tracks, saying, “Saul, Saul (his Jewish name), why are you persecuting Me?” (v 3-4).
Jesus then instantly blinded Paul for three days. During that time, Paul learned humility and the power of God, causing him to repent, be baptized, and join the same ministry he had so severely persecuted for many years. God even gave Paul a support network by revealing His plans to Ananias first (v15). His success would be sure.
Is It Enough?
Does the encounter entitle Paul to be declared an apostle? Some would argue that it does not since he was not a part of the original twelve. And they would be correct on that point. But Acts 9:15-16 says otherwise.
“But the Lord said to [Ananias], ‘Go, for this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to the Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.’” (CSB)
And suffer he did.
Nevertheless, though he was not one of the original twelve, Paul witnessed the resurrected and ascended Christ. One might also suggest that, as a young Pharisee, it is entirely possible that Paul witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross, though that is not one of the three criteria.
Taken together, it seems Jesus felt Paul was enough to be an apostle. The Lord saw his abilities and knew that He had an extraordinary purpose for him in His Kingdom. Paul’s job was now quite clear: No longer would he persecute Jewish Christians but take the gospel to the Gentiles and beyond.
An Extraordinary Apostle
Like the other twelve disciples, Jesus specifically called Paul to ministry. Because of Paul’s incredible conversion and subsequent testimony, he was the perfect one to teach about God’s transformative power and grace.
In addition, Paul’s experience in the synagogues qualified him for establishing the early churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). He knew what to do. As a result, his ministry spread throughout the Roman Empire; he wrote more than half of the New Testament, and he launched the gospel message around the world.
Paul remains the last apostle who ever lived. After he and the other twelve disciples died during the first century, the office of apostle died with them. The Bible does not indicate that any exist today nor ever will again. Paul was the last one.
But we can be sure that, because of their devotion to the faith, we will see the apostles in heaven—all thirteen of them.
