Paul was a Jewish apostle who was hand-chosen by Jesus Christ after seeing him on the road to Damascus. He received direct revelation from Jesus about the gospel of grace for the church age. As an apostle, Paul had authority and a pattern for church-age Christians, preaching the gospel that Christ died for sins and rose again. Though there are no modern apostles, missionaries sent by churches are closest to apostles in their role of preaching the gospel in new areas.

1. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles
Gal 1:1
1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by
Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the
dead;)
The word “apostle” means “a sent one.”
There are NO apostles today (Rev. 2:2 ).
Rev 2:2
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience,
and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and
thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and
are not, and hast found them liars:
The apostles were men that were “hand chosen” by Jesus
Christ Himself.
They were ALL Jewish.
To qualify as
An apostle had to SEE the risen
Lord Jesus Christ with his own eyes (1 Cor. 9:1 ; 1 John 1:1 ).

2. Acts 22:14
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen
thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that
Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
1Cor 9:1
1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen
Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
1John 1:1
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we
have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of
the Word of life;
Paul saw the risen Lord on the road to
Damascus
(Acts 9:1-9 ).
Acts 9:1-9
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and
slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto
the high priest,

3. 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? 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.

4. 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.
Acts 26:16
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;
The sight of the Lord left Paul blinded for three
days.
This is when Paul was “hand chosen” as an Apostle (Acts
9:15 ).
Acts 9:15
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:

5. The closest thing to an apostle (sent one) in the modern day
is a missionary that is sent by his local church to a place far
away from his home to preach the gospel and start
churches.
Paul and Barnabas were sent out this way from the church
at Antioch in Acts 13:1-13 .
Acts 13:1-13
1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch
certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and
Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene,
and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod
the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy
Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the
work whereunto I have called them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid
their hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost,
departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed
to Cyprus.

6. 5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the
word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they
had also John to their minister.
6 And when they had gone through the isle unto
Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet,
a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius
Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and
Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by
interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away
the deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the
Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou
child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness,
wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the
Lord?

7. 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon
thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a
season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and
a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead
him by the hand.
12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done,
believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from
Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John
departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
But Paul was different from the modern missionary because
he had the “signs” of a Jewish Apostle. That is the main
difference between a modern missionary and a Jewish
Apostle.
The phrase “not of men” is a reference to the fact that
Paul’s instruction came directly from Jesus
Christ
(Gal. 1:11-12 ).
Gal 1:11-12

8. 11 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.
No man taught Paul about
The NT Gospel of the grace of God
(Acts 20:24 ).
Acts 20:24
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.
1Cor 11:23
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I
delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same
night in which he was betrayed took bread:
Eph 3:3

9. 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the
mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Jesus Christ revealed it to Paul. This probably happened
when Paul was by himself in the desert of Arabia for three
years (Gal. 1:17-18 ).
Gal 1:17-18
17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which
were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and
returned again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to
see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Therefore, Paul called the NT Church Age Gospel,
“my gospel”
(Rom. 2:16 ).
Rom 2:16
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of
men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Rom 16:25

10. 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,
2Tim 2:8
8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David
was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
It is located in 1 Cor. 15:1-4.
1Cor 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you, which also ye have
received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory
what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in
vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day according to the scriptures:

11. Paul a pattern for church-age Christians:
1Tim 1:12
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath
enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting
me into the ministry;
1Tim 1:14
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant
with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
1Tim 1:16
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.
Rom 11:13
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the
apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: