Salvation by the work of attaining God’s attention

I agreee

Furthermore, Paul got up from the earth with no more insight into what “ministry” he would have than any other believer at 5he point of conversion.

 

No more than any other believer who encounters the living Christ and can exclaim as those long ago, “He has risen, indeed!”

 

I think the question is did Paul see the risen Christ in bodily form at His conversion. Va

There is no Scripture for that to be the true. In the absence of Scripture, one should not assume permission of that sort.

That does not negate the statement that Paul was an Apostle, but he most certainly did not meet all the standards established by Peter.

What is certain is that Paul’s opening of 1Cor. 9 includes that even in His day the Apostleship was in question.

The church fathers considered it important that there be twelve, there is nothing to suggest they sought the Lord’s leading in the choosing of the replacement of the betrayer.

Paul was certainly an apostle, but as he said, “...as one abnormally born.”

 

Or, was the one chosen by the apostles.

 

Of course, He is risen, indeed!

 

Why twelve?

The answer often resides in tradition of the number of twelve. 12 tribes, twelve apostles given the new covenant.

But were there only twelve?

Was not the land divided into 12 , but two were the children of Joseph?

Could not Paul and Mathias be reflective as the ones born late, yet were still given the portion, just as Joseph’s children born not of Israel, yet given the portion as ones adopted into the grouping late?

 

That is what he stated as his own authority.