Paul’s Revelation
Eph. 3:1-7 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 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; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Why should I believe God revealed a new doctrine (the church) to Paul when I don’t believe God revealed any doctrine to anybody else in this manner? I don’t believe God gave anything to Joseph Smith (the founder of Mormonism) or to Mary Baker Eddy (the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientists [or Christian Scientists.]) There have been hundreds of people claim to have had a revelation from God about some particular aspect of religion. Some of these people have started their own religion while others used their visions and revelations to change the religion they were in. All of these people and their revelations are rejected. Why should Paul’s be accepted?
Paul’s revelation proves he is an apostle. Acts 1:21,22 states that the early church needed to replace the apostle Judas, who fell into transgression. Peter explained that God required two things to qualify for an apostle. One is to be baptized with the baptism of John, and the other is to be taught by Jesus Christ.
It can be argued that Paul didn’t fulfill the first qualification of an apostle, that of being baptized by John the Baptist. While it is true that Paul wasn’t baptized by John the Baptist, who was a special messenger of Christ sent to prepare the way for Jesus Christ, he was baptized by a special messenger of Christ. Acts 9:10-18 declares the story of Ananias, whom God directed to go to Saul and baptized him and give him his commission. Therefore, Paul did fulfill this first qualification of an apostle, being baptized by a person especially commissioned and appointed by God. It should be noted that those apostles baptized by John were all sent to be a witness to the Jewish nation, while Paul was sent to be a witness to the Gentiles.
There is no doubt that Paul fulfilled the second qualification of being an apostle. He was taught by Jesus Christ in the wilderness. Galatians 1:17,18 states that Paul spent three years in the Arabian desert being taught by Jesus Christ Himself. Compare Galatians 1:11-12, But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
If we reject Paul’s revelation about the church, we ought to also reject the rest of his teachings, which means we must reject the vast majority of the New Testament. Of the 27 books of the New Testament, Paul wrote 14 books, or 51.85%, more than ½ of the total.
Should we disregard Paul’s writings? Is he a true prophet of God? Deut 18:22 states, When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. What Paul preached about the church of the Lord Jesus Christ has come true. The past 2,000 years has seen the Gentiles accepting God’s truth and exercising that truth in thousands of local churches all over the world.