Why did the Lord, after already commissioning 12 apostles from the nation Israel with the "Great Commission" to take his name and his word out unto the gentile nations, commission this other man named Paul to take his name to the gentiles?
Mark 16:15
And he [Christ] said unto them [the 12 apostles], Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Acts 9:15
But the Lord said unto him [Ananias], Go thy way: for he [Saul/Paul] is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
The bible makes it clear that all the confusion among Christianity today can be attributed to the fact that the church, the body of Christ, does not recognize the separate, distinct, and unique apostleship, ministry and message of Paul. My use of "our" and "your" when it comes to Paul's Apostleship is one that I take from the Apostle, himself. In Romans chapter 11:13, Paul states...
For I speak to you gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the gentiles, I magnify mine office.
Note that he does not say that he magnifies or exalts himself, but his God-given office as our apostle.
A quick study of the first few verses of Paul's 13 epistles will show the student of scripture that Paul begins each and every one of them with Paul an apostle by the commandment of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, or something very similar to it.
It was the will of God to make Paul our Apostle. The question is why?
Well, when Paul, as Saul of Tarsus was saved on the road to Damascus, purely by God's grace through faith alone (Acts 9), he was the leader of the world's rebellion to what God was doing in the earth through Israel (Acts 8). According to the Jewish, old testament prophetic scriptures to Israel, at the time when both the religious leaders of the nation of Israel (of which Saul was the leader), along with the rest of the world/nations rejected God, his Son and the Holy Ghost, God would no longer offer his longsuffering and forgiveness, but pour out his wrath without mercy.
Psalm 2:1-5
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Psalm 110:5-7
The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
This is where we were in history when Stephen saw the Lord Jesus Christ standing when he was said by the prophets to sit down until He made his enemies his footstool.
Psalm 110:1
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
In Act 7, the leaders of Israel rejected God again and stoned his prophet Stephen, a man full of the Holy Ghost (the unpardonable sin of Mark 3:29). When they did this, they laid their clothes at a young man's feet named Saul (Paul), as to honor him, and killed God's man Stephen.
God now, according to prophecy, would pour out his wrath on a Christ-rejecting nation/world. But instead of pouring out his wrath, he did something that the prophets did not foresee, that is, he poured out his grace instead! It is this dispensation of grace, that has been going on, in effect for the last 2,000+ years, that Paul was raised up to proclaim to the nations/gentiles.
Look for example at Ephesians 3.
Ephesians 3:1-6
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
It was this revelation of the mystery of Christ that God kept hid until it was revealed to our Apostle to be given to us. Nowhere in the Old Testament did God ever reveal that he would save gentiles without going through the Nation of Israel. Any mention of gentile salvation in the Old Testament was through Israel's rise, not their fall! But when Israel rejected God's Son—thus, rejecting their salvation—God had a secret plan called the mystery of Christ to fulfill His purpose. It was this hidden message that He gave to our Apostle Paul to give to us.
Colossians 1:25
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Paul calls it in Romans 16:25-26, the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest. In 1 Corinthians, Paul says that God kept it secret in order that Satan would not know it and try to stop it.
1 Corinthians 2:6-9
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Not only has God saved gentiles without using the nation of Israel to do so, but it is also through this preaching [1 Corinthians 1:18; 1:21; 1:23] of the mystery of Christ that God has reclaimed the government of heaven, as he will reclaim the government on earth through believing Israel someday.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Ephesians 1:9-10
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Colossians 1:16-17
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Paul says that he is the minister of Jesus Christ to us gentiles.
Romans 15:25-16
Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Paul says that we as gentiles ought to follow him and his teachings of Christ.
1 Corinthians 4:14-17
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in erery church.
Paul says we ought to follow him as he followed the Lord.
1 Corinthians 11:1
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Paul says that his preaching of Christ was not from man, but from Christ himself.
Galatians 1:11-12
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
When Paul teaches Peter, James, and John his information, and they stopped the "great commission," which was never to go to gentiles until Israel was saved first!
Galatians 2:6-9
But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived [finally understood] the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship [a Gentlemen’s Agreement, if you will]; that we should go unto the heathen [both gentiles and unbelieving Jews], and they unto the circumcision [of believing Israel].
But Paul says in Romans that through Israel's fall, salvation has gone to us gentiles.
Romans 11:11
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
God's dealings with the world has changed from the Jewish "Gospel of the Kingdom" preached by John the Baptist, the Lord during His earthly ministry to Israel, and the 12 Jewish apostles.
Matthew 10:5-6
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 15:23-24
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
The gospel for today, that Paul calls “my gospel,” is the gospel of the grace of God.
Romans 16:25
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Acts 20:24
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
By the way, Paul did not even qualify to be an apostle under the great commission because one had to be with them from the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry.
Acts 1:21-22
Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 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. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
He also committed the unpardonable sin...blaspheming the Holy Ghost speaking through Stephen!
Mark 3:29
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.
Paul was a separate, distinct, unique apostle sent to us gentiles.
Look at what Paul says in Colossians that he is the minister of God for this present dispensation of the Grace of God (Israel was under the Law...Romans 6:14).
Colossians 1:25-26
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Paul says that he is the preacher, teacher, apostle of the gentiles.
1 Timothy 2:5-7
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
Paul says that his message is a due time testimony of Christ in which he is the preacher, as opposed to everyone else.
Titus 1:1-5
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
And so on, and so on. Because of time’s sake, I can't give every reference, but I think that I have provided plenty to consider. Don't take my word for it, but study it out for yourself.
Acts 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Hopefully this helps!
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