Apostolic Succession of Paul the Apostle
There are some who will point to the apostle Paul to dispute my previous statement concerning God not working independent from His church; because, he was called and commissioned by God on the road to Damascus—some say, without going through the Church’s (holy orders) process. So, let us look at the ministry of Paul for a moment. First, his Hebrew name was Saul and his Roman name was Paul. He was from the city of Tarsus, a city of Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. He is introduced to the New Testament at the stoning of the deacon, Stephen. He was the one who held the cloths of the individuals doing the stoning (Acts 7:58). This indicates that he was overseeing the execution (Acts 22:20).
We, next see him on his way to Damascus to persecute those of the “Way” who where in that place (Acts 9;1-2). Here God interrupts his journey and he becomes converted. After his encounter with Ananias, and receiving Christian baptism and the imposition of hands to receive healing for his sight and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, Saul then retreats to the Arabian desert for two to three years, to learn from God the Scriptures (Galatians 1:17-18).
(Many have asked where in the Arabian desert did Saul go, for that period of time. We do not really know. But, if I would be allowed an educated guess I would say Mount Sinai. I would guess this for a number of reasons, not the lest of which would be: Saul considered himself a Jew of the Jews, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; Sinai was were it began for national Israel, it would only be natural at this point in Saul’s life—when he is in crises—to begin again at the beginning place. One would not think of Mount Sinai being in Arabia, but, Paul did (Galatians 4:25). Upon leaving the desert he attempts to begin his ministry in Damascus, but is unsuccessful and would have been killed in that place if the brethren had not helped him escape through a window in the wall of that city. He then goes straight to Jerusalem and the apostles (this is three years after his conversion [Galatians 1:18]). There, he spends fifteen days with Peter and James (Galatians 1:18-19). Then he is “sent ... forth” (Acts 9:30) by the brethren to Tarsus where he ministered until brought to Antioch by Barnabas (Acts 11:25-26).
Into Arabia. “This visit to Arabia has to come between the two visits to Damascus which are not distinguished in Acts 9:22. ... Then after three years (epeita meta tria eth). A round number to cover the period from his departure from Jerusalem for Damascus to his return to Jerusalem. ... To see Peter. (istorhsai Khpan). First aorist infinitive of istorew, old verb (from istwr, one who knows by inquiry), to gain knowledge by visiting. Only here in N.T. ...” (A.T. Robertson)
(Many have asked where in the Arabian desert did Saul go, for that period of time. We do not really know. But, if I would be allowed an educated guess I would say Mount Sinai. I would guess this for a number of reasons, not the lest of which would be: Saul considered himself a Jew of the Jews, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; Sinai was were it began for national Israel, it would only be natural at this point in Saul’s life—when he is in crises—to begin again at the beginning place. One would not think of Mount Sinai being in Arabia, but, Paul did (Galatians 4:25). Upon leaving the desert he attempts to begin his ministry in Damascus, but is unsuccessful and would have been killed in that place if the brethren had not helped him escape through a window in the wall of that city. He then goes straight to Jerusalem and the apostles (this is three years after his conversion [Galatians 1:18]). There, he spends fifteen days with Peter and James (Galatians 1:18-19). Then he is “sent ... forth” (Acts 9:30) by the brethren to Tarsus where he ministered until brought to Antioch by Barnabas (Acts 11:25-26).
- “Ex” St’s 1537 means: “a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds;”)
- “Apostello” St’s #G649 means: “set apart, i.e. (by implication) to send out (properly on a mission, ...”)
- “Apostello” is the verb for which the noun is “apostolos” (Strong’s #G652: “from G649 [apostello]; a delegate specifically an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ [“apostle”] (with miraculous powers):—apostle, messenger, he that is sent.”)
- “Exapostello” is used 12 times in scripture (which itself is significant to the discerning heart and mind: 12 is the biblical number of government and is therefore appropriate to be associated with an apostle) and by no other writers but Paul and Luke. Each time it is used it means: one who is “sent out” or “sent forth” and proceeds from a source whose actions and supply derive from the source.
- Exapostello is used by Paul for the Son being sent from the Father (Gal 4:4); for God sending forth the Spirit of the Son (Gal 4:6); of Luke for the brethren of Berea sending Paul forth from their city with their own delegation accompanying him (Acts 17;14-15); for the Lord sending His angel to rescue Peter from prison (Acts 12:11); for the church at Jerusalem sending forth Barnabas with the authority to go as far as Antioch (Acts 11:22); for the Jerusalem church sending forth Saul to preach in Tarsus, Cilicia and Syria (Acts 9:30); for the sons of Jacob being sent to Egypt on the mission for their father (Acts 7:12); for the unjust husbandmen who sent the servant of the landowner away empty (Luke 20:10-11); for Yahweh sending the rich away empty (Luke 1:53). This exhaust the use of “exapostello” in the New Testament.
Throughout their writings, Paul and his companion, Luke, use 11 of the 15 Greek words available to them for “sent.” But these two New Testament writers reserve “exapostello” for the idea of “sent forth from an origin on a mission.” That they, alone, of all the New Test-ament writers, would use this word is clear indication that Paul understood the sending from Jerusalem to Tarsus as his commission into the ministry. This should be clear to us when we understand “apostello” is the verb of the noun “apostolos (apostle);” and that the prefix “ex” supplies the added meaning of “sent out from.” Thus, Saul was send out from the Jerusalem church to Tarsus. The brethren commissioned and sent him to that place, as their apostle to Tarsus and regions roundabout.
Therefore, Tarsus was his commission from Peter and James. This would have only been fitting. He who had terrorized the Church would be sent, by the Apostles of Jerusalem, back to his home to begin his work as an apostle among his own. This may have been Peter and James’ idea of restitution. It, most likely, was at this time that he became the instrument of gathering into the fold of Christ those "kinsmen," that "sister," and perhaps her "son," of whom mention is made in Ac 23:16; Ro 16:7,11,21. It is noted that, though called by God to preach unto the Gentiles, Saul was unsuccessful until he submitted to the jurisdiction of Jerusalem and was “sent ... forth” by them.
During the five years that Saul ministered in Tarsus and the regions roundabout (Cilicia, and Syria), there was a move of God taking place in Antioch of Syria through the preaching of some men from Cyprus and Cyrene. Here, again, the central authority of Jerusalem is demonstrated in that though the revival in Antioch was the result of Christians who had arrived from Jerusalem via Cyprus and Cyrene, when the church at Jerusalem heard that Antioch had received the word of God, they did not rely on the preachers from Cyprus and Cyrene to establish the church there, but sent Barnabas for that job, and to shepherd the flock. Thus, the first pastor of Antioch was appointed from Jerusalem. Notice, also, that Barnabas was given authority to go only as far as Antioch, but not beyond (Acts 11:22). Moreover, it was Barnabas (who himself was an apostle - not one of the twelve) who, at this time, went to Tarsus and fetched Saul to Antioch, where, for an entire year they met with the believers and taught great numbers (Acts 11:25-26). When the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to the first missionary trip, the Lord spoke through the Church and it was the Church that “sent” (Acts 13:2-3).
So, in considering the ministry of Saul/Paul it must be acknowledge that though called by God to his ministry, the authority to carry out the calling of God centered in the established Church at Jerusalem. (Even his water and Spirit baptism was at the hands of an agent of the Church.) It was Peter, the first of the twelve, and James, the bishop of the Jerusalem congregation, along with “brethren” that “sent” (exapostello) Paul to minister in Cilicia and Syria. It was Barnabas, Jerusalem’s apostle to Antioch, who brought Saul to Antioch to teach the church for a whole year. Then it was the church of Antioch that laid hands on Barnabas and Saul to “send” them into the missions field. At some point Peter assumes the bishopric of Antioch - perhaps it was at this time.
The truth is, Saul/Paul did nothing apart from the blessings of the Apostles and the Jerusalem church. Paul recognized and honored the Bishop of Jerusalem and carried his letter of instruction to all the churches he had established. This letter came to be called the “Apostolic Degree.” It was stated by the Apostles and Elders in the Council: “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” (Acts 15:28-29 NASB).
Later accounts expand on the brief biblical mention of his visit to Antioch. The Liber Pontificalis (9th century) mentions Peter as having served as bishop of Antioch for seven years and having potentially left his family in the Greek city before his journey to Rome. Claims of direct blood lineage from Simon Peter among the old population of Antioch existed in the 1st century and continue to exist today. Historians have furnished other evidence of Peter's sojourn in Antioch. (This is provided in Downey, A History of Antioch, pp. 583–586. This evidence is accepted by M. Lapidge, among others, see Bischoff and Lapidge, Biblical Commentaries from the Canterbury School (Cambridge, 1994) p. 16. Lastly, see Finegan, The Archaeology of the New Testament, pp. 63–71.) Subsequent tradition held that Peter had been the first Patriarch of Antioch.
The truth is, Saul/Paul did nothing apart from the blessings of the Apostles and the Jerusalem church. Paul recognized and honored the Bishop of Jerusalem and carried his letter of instruction to all the churches he had established. This letter came to be called the “Apostolic Degree.” It was stated by the Apostles and Elders in the Council: “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” (Acts 15:28-29 NASB).
(Scriptural uniformity can easily be seen in the “apostolic” general assembly at Jerusalem (cf. Acts 15). In fact, this general assembly "delivered decrees" that were binding on all the individual churches that were part of the one visible church which adhered to apostolic doctrine. The Greek word used in Acts 16:4 for “decrees” is “dogmata.” Compare this with the word “decree” used in Luke 2:1. This same word, as used in Luke 2:1, is referring to the decree of Caesar Augustus regarding his call for an empire-wide census. This was not a suggestion given by Caesar, nor was it just advice that could be ignored without penalty—it was law! In the same way the decree enjoined by the general assembly that took place in Acts 15 was to be received as law for the Church. Furthermore, these pronouncements (because in keeping with the mind of the Spirit) held sway over all the churches. These decrees were carried out from Jerusalem to the churches in the cities of Asia Minor, as well as Antioch, indicating that the scope of the synod's authority extended not only over the church at Antioch which made the initial request, but over ALL THE CHURCHES!)
Paul was an apostle in the true sense of the word. He was not self-appointed. The term “apostolos” (Strong’s #G652) means: a delegate; specifically an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a Commissioner of Christ. He that is sent. Paul was “sent” (“exapostello” verb form of “apostolos”) by Peter, James, and the brethren of Jerusalem (Acts 9:27-30 cf Ga 1:18-21) to minister throughout Cilicia and Syria, with Tarsus (his home town) being his headquarters. Then, after six more years of teaching and preaching he was, again, formally consecrated and sent as an apostle to the Gentiles at large, by the Apostolic church at Antioch; where Peter was most likely the bishop by this time.
Apostolically Speaking
☩☩ Jerry L Hayes
Read other epistles from the Bishop on Apostolic succession at the links provided here:
Apostolic Succession of Bishop Jerry L Hayes
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-apostolic-succession-of-right.html
Apostolic Succession
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2014/10/apostolic-succession-footnotes-1-mt-827.html
Apostolically Speaking
☩☩ Jerry L Hayes
Read other epistles from the Bishop on Apostolic succession at the links provided here:
Apostolic Succession of Bishop Jerry L Hayes
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-apostolic-succession-of-right.html
Apostolic Succession
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2014/10/apostolic-succession-footnotes-1-mt-827.html
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