The Apostleship Of Paul...

I wanna go fishing with Peter and toss back a couple of pints afterwards...ultimate guy to hang out with when you wanna hang out with the guys. NO WOMEN ALLOWED. (Unless they wanna act like guys)

With John?
Write some poetry or music lyrics....a total jam session as if I was a musician.

Paul?
Crack some jokes....that man has a razor sharp wit and even sharper tongue. Talented comedy is a rare gift....but he owns it. Anybody can use crass language and say stupid things...but good comedy takes talent and a brain and is extremely uncommon. So tossing back a couple of pints and listening to Paul give some stand up comedy....absolutely fabulous!

This is not understandable to me

If I reject it it’s not true to me 😃

Now I get it sorry I’m slow today

Having that personal interaction with Jesus certainly set the apostles on fire with the help of the Holy Spirit. And, the apostles lived under much tougher circumstances being subjected by a foreign power in Rome. Their focus was on fulfilling their calling to spread the good news that Jesus commissioned, and because they didn't have the same prosperity that many of us enjoy today, they had singular focus on preaching the gospel and looking forward to joining Jesus and the rest of the saints in heaven.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

King James Version

24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

I love the analogy Paul uses with our calling as Christians to run a race, a marathon for many, to win that prize. How do we reconcile this with the fact that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned as Paul expresses elsewhere as well? For me, I appreciate that gift of eternal life in Christ's kingdom, yet that gift comes with obligations to produce fruit that glorifies God and benefits others. Our life in Christ is not passive--I can just sit on my rear end and do nothing because I'm saved. Absolutely not, if Christ is living in me, there is going to be positive and tangible results produced.

Look at how Paul sums this up in verse 27 above: he brings his body into "subjection." As an athlete myself, success in any sport requires intense discipline and hard core training to yield success. I'm looking forward to my team hopefully winning another Big 10 championship tonight and a shot at a national championship, but as awesome and uplifting as it would be, they are only temporary prizes. The prize we have in Jesus Christ is eternal life. That prize does not perish!

Love this deep dive into the apostle Paul, brother!

amen what a great post through and through . Oh I love this kind of discussion too brother Paul is a good exemple for us sinners who were converted by gods Grace found in the gospel

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 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.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:15-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬


It seems like Paul’s boasting sometimes by saying “ be followers of me for I am w follower of Christ “ sort of like he is high minded or claiming to be the leader of everyone else …. but he’s an example his life and ways and teachings like they all were


“How do we reconcile this with the fact that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned as Paul expresses elsewhere as well? For me, I appreciate that gift of eternal life in Christ's kingdom, yet that gift comes with obligations to produce fruit that glorifies God and benefits others. Our life in Christ is not passive--I can just sit on my rear end and do nothing because I'm saved. Absolutely not, if Christ is living in me, there is going to be positive and tangible results produced.”

nothing but amen to this if we hear the truth and don’t reject it that will produce fruit that lasts he will fill us and strengthen us to do his Will changing us over time and through perseverance from faith to faith and glory to glory

It’s like a family children are born and they don’t know a lot they aren’t expected to put in hard labor or pay bills , thier rile is to rest and behave and enjoy the fathers presence and learn from him

they are already safe . Already children born of the father , but they aren’t yet expected to know everythin and do everything they have to learn like children first and grow up into it

then later they need to find employment and can’t remain living as a child that time has come and gone now they must become a young man or woman with some responsibilities then even later they grow more and become more effective and stronger and ere able to know and also do more eventually we find out we’ll never actually reach perfection like Jesus but we always had this high goal to keep us reaching for better and more of his kingdom and grasping it more like in life we are born and grow as Christian’s also

We can’t be old men behaving as a babe but we also can’t demand the babe pay the rent

Paul sets such a great example for us as fellow pilgrims, and he deeply loved our Lord:

Philippians 2:5-8

King James Version

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

It is so incredible how the Word emptied Himself of divinity and was born as a humble and helpless baby in a society where it was a daily struggle to survive under Rome's authority and Herod's ruthlessness.

And, our God in the Flesh lived a life of humility and obedience--he was a baby in a manger whose ultimate purpose was to suffer and die for us. Paul's gratefulness comes through very well in these verses, and they are fitting for this Christmas season as well: our God "...was made in the likeness of men!"

It’s amazing what we can hear and learn by just listening to what’s always been written there huh brother

amen to everything you said Paul and all the apostles have a special place in the kingdom

“And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The apostles Jesus chose and annointed really are important to our faith parts of the foundation without them we wouldn’t have a record of the things God actually said and did in the beginning of the church and our faith

I thought there were 24 people, and besides the twelve apostles, it seems that I also read about twelve others being sent together.

Isn't it interesting that more than half of the apostles of the Lamb didn't write a single word of scripture yet each of their names are written on the the 12 foundations? I mean, what foundational doctrinal truth do we ascribe to Bartholomew? Phillip? Thomas? etc.?

I think the idea brother just my opinion is that the apostles are one in spirit the things Peter taught was what they were all teaching . I’ve often wondered also why don’t we have twelve witnesses of the gospel and epistles from them all

but I’m my mind I feel like we have three gospels that are all witnessing one another because the Bible established that two or three witnesses establish every matter

ado we have Matthew mark Luke and John which stands alone really but then we have epistles also from Peter Paul and John theee wotneses also just as the fispel is witnessed three times and a fourth with johns which has a different focus

it’s gods design in my opinion but they were all teaching the same doctrines barrholemew would have taught the same things they all did in my opinion just based on when Jesus annointed them and told them all “ go teach all
People the things I taught you “

I often wonder about lost scripture but I believe the Bible is what it is bexauae God determined which books would last and carry the message to the world

a wish we had ten times more but I feel and believe God designed it and caused it to be what it is

Amen. We have everything we need with the written documentation we have in our Holy Bible, God's Word. If the other apostles wrote as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John did, we would have more of the same--the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior!

I love how John ends his gospel, and it ties in nicely with your observation above, brother:

John 21:25

King James Version

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Amen I love that verse I don’t know if you’ll understand this thought but it reminds me of this how it creates wonder

“And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭15:5-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The promise and fulfillment in the Bible is just awe inspiring

“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:16, 26-29‬ ‭

God often inspires people when he speaks to them inspires a wonder forst he told Abram the Hebrew “ go walk through the land I’m giving it to your offspring forever

a then after that he takes him out and dorects his eyes up to where Abraham can’t walk or touch or see and makes the promise of Christ Jesus unto all
Nations and then John saying that just exalts Jesus right back up into the heavens where Abraham was looking for his seed while God was promising him the seed of all nations Jesus Christ

Probably lots more than just 4 "theories".

AND Totally unimportant anyway. The MATURE CHURCH of Ephesians (which isn't even on the radar yet) has "Apostles". All the Hoopla about "Apostles" (which just means "Messenger"), is nothing more than "Theology". ALL God's Chilluns gots "Theologies".

Certainly,

And for the record I'm not insinuating that there is lost scripture. I just find it interesting. I wonder how the faithfulness of Bartholomew, Phillip, Thomas, et. al. affects my walk today. That is a mystery I will one day understand.

oh no I wasnt saying you were I was referencing the writings the ot mentions that aren’t available to us now like here’s an example there are others

“And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?”
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭11:41‬ ‭

Or maybe this one in the New Testament I wish we could read this one too

“And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

these epistles we don’t have anymore or books on the ot is what I was referencing brother

what did the truth say though about his apostles …..the son of God ?

“Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:28-30‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19:28‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;”
‭‭John‬ ‭17:6, 8-9, 11-14, 16-18, 20‬ ‭

The children of God are those in the son who hear him and believe by his word

Paul

“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: for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭9:15-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:46-48‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the apostles were all witness and appointed by the risen lord to witness the things written in the Bible ……the things we read in the Bible were witnessed by those same men he appoonted red to do so it’s why we have the Bible it’s the witness of those things they lived and preached

For sure, as Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 13:12

King James Version

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The impact the other apostles had who didn't write was far more than we understand, and the Biblical world of Jesus' time was largely an oral society. Their teachings and the relationships they influenced transformed lives and was passed on to future generations.

I can't wait to meet Thomas. He's the one I relate with best as a fellow scientist. He was a doubter and needed evidence, which I realize can be a hindrance during my faith walk with Jesus, but once Jesus gave Thomas the proof, he said, "my Lord and my God!" (John 20: 28).

Yes, I look forward to reading those lost works one day as well.

I read through the Apocrypha a number of years ago (works included in the Catholic Bible), and they were interesting "books." But, I could see why they weren't included in our canonical Bibles handed down from the church fathers dating back to Wycliffe I believe. Some of the teachings and ideas in the Apocrypha were not in line with core Christian doctrine and an evangelical perspective. They are valuable works of literature, though.

I will join you and Peter for fishing and a few brews in the future Kingdom for sure. It's a date!