I am now saying something precious few professing Christians realize.  The Apostle Paul was not one of the twelve.  This fact however is the single most important, and key aspect, to full Bible understanding and comprehension.  Most believers simply maintain the position that Paul continued the same Kingdom message the twelve (and Christ Himself) was proclaiming; but to the Gentile nations.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Lets us explore Scripture as it alone matters…

After Judas killed himself for his betrayal of the Lord, there were eleven apostles remaining.  What did the remaining do about this situation; as Christ chose twelve men for a specific reason?  The number needed to be brought back to twelve as there will be twelve thrones requiring twelve “kings” (ROYAL priesthood – 1Peter 2:9) to judge the twelve tribes in the coming Kingdom of God on earth (Mat 19:28); which is clearly not yet established.  If we are in His Kingdom now, God needs a new job as this world is a MESS… (preterism flies out the window).

Acts 1 (a continuation of Luke 24) verses 15-26 tell of this choosing.  Prophesy (Psalm 69) needs to be fulfilled, therefore another Apostle to replace Judas must be chosen.  An identified requirement for “membership” in this group (verses 21-22) is that this man (Judas replacement) must have accompanied the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry (something Paul did not do).  Two men fit the bill… Barsabas and Matthias.  The eleven then prayed and asked God which of these two men He had chosen.

Acts 1:24… “And they prayed, and said, thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,”  The word “thou” in the KJB is singular, it means “specifically you”… not “y’all”.  Many professing Christians falsely believe that the disciples were acting upon their own wills at this moment in time and chose Matthias themselves, yet the words on the page (if we simply believe what they say) clearly indicate otherwise.  The casting of lots was the method by which God made His decision known to them, as God was no longer physically among them.  The Bible says that Matthias was numbered with the eleven in verse 26.  The very next thing we read about was the baptizing WITH (not by) the Holy Ghost, to ALL these men at the Jewish Feast of Weeks, Pentecost.  (If Pentecost is Jewish, why do “Christian” denominations acknowledge it?)

Acts 2:1… “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were ALL with one accord in one place.”  All means all.  All includes Matthias.

Acts 2:4…  “And they were ALL filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  Again, all includes Matthias.  Matthias will therefore sit on one of twelve thrones in Gods Kingdom on earth.

This is Gods seal of approval, the giving of the Holy Ghost.  Therefore the Kingdom Apostles number, once again, twelve; and Paul is nowhere yet to be found.

Okay… so what?  Paul was not one of the twelve and will not therefore sit on a throne in “thy Kingdom come”.  How does this prove Paul preached a message different from the Kingdom message the twelve preached (as that is what we maintain)?  It doesn’t.  That will yet be demonstrated by Scripture in future postings.  It must be made perfectly clear however, that Paul’s apostleship, at its foundation, differs from the twelve; and since Paul was NOT called by the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry to Israel as the twelve were, that this foundational difference does in fact exist.  This is the specific point of this post.  See this; understand this, and we can move on.  Paul was NOT one of the twelve!

Wait, back up a minute… did you say Jesus Christ’s “earthly ministry to Israel”?  Did not Christ come to save the whole world?

Next stop, more scripture you’ve never read.

Next Post – “Christ, not sent for me?“