He said he was, but so what? Anybody can say - "I'm one too." The claim alone proves nothing, except perhaps pretension of grandiosity.
Paul claimed to have had a personal chat with Jesus on the road to Damascus, but today we would more likely call it an epileptic fit. Anybody can claim to have talked with God - Joan of Arc, for example, built a career on it.
Certainly Paul was a heavy-hitter, and the most influential architect of Christianity until Augustine of Hippo. He was brilliant and well educated and successfully bridged the gap between Judaism and the Greek world. He showed the strength to face down Jesus' appointee, Peter, at Antioch.
But "an apostle"? Who says so? Why?
2007-03-20 10:41:30 · 16 answers · asked by fra59e 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
look up the definition of apostle. yes he was.
2007-03-20 10:46:28 · answer #1 · answered by dali333 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Apostle Paul was a real apostle because he was sent by Jesus on a mission of life, to the gentiles to show them the Light. He saw the risen Jesus, or at least the glory from him, like the rest of Jesus' 11 close followers have.
I want to correct you. He wasn't just chatting with Jesus when he was stopped by the luminicience. He was in deep terror when he reached the Christians home for the first time as a Christian. And he was completly blind. This was no ordinary encountering with risen Jesus who greeted him with a pat on the back. And facing Peter in Antioch was just one instance where Paul had to correct his coworker and fellow Chistian in same cause. They weren't enemies in any sense. Paul just had more guts to point out what is right.
From the original Greek difinition, apostle means one sent on a task. That fits Paul. He done no less than any one of the 12 others for God.
2007-03-26 06:03:19 · answer #2 · answered by Kostan 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The fact alone that his Damascus experience was even in the Bible says that He really did talk to Jesus. The fact that he said he was an apostle and it was in the Bible, is truth enough that he was, it all boils down to do you believe in the whole Bible or only the parts that sound pleasing. By the way apostles aren't disciples, Jesus had a lot of apostles, but only twelve disciples.
2007-03-28 08:48:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that Paul was considered an Apostle because he was chosen in an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and was blinded but really was reborn and chosen as an Apostle to spread the faith though out the Roman world.He was at the time the only one that was traveled and worldly enough to set out on this errand.
2007-03-27 15:18:33 · answer #4 · answered by shultzie knows best 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Clearly Paul had a different agenda than Jesus or any of the directly-chosen (i.e., with another human present) apostles. Where Jesus demonstrated and defined principles and goodness, Paul was busy setting up a structure. Jesus didn't define much structure. It could be speculated that Paul took Christianity and ran with it as a means to generate the next generation of Judaism. Or... one could take his story at face value. Questioning the validity of Paul, of course, means questioning the inspiration of the canonical Bible.
2007-03-27 14:30:12 · answer #5 · answered by Suzanne 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Paul is an Apostle, he was not a disciple. Yes, he talked to Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul was a pharisee and condemned Christians before he meet Jesus on the Road to Damascus. Paul as others talked to God. God talks to a lot of people even in this day and age. God has talked to me and to a lot of my friends. You've just got to stop and listen when he talks to you. You will know when he does talk to you.
That is why true believers are so intent on sharing God revelations with others.
The Bible tells of of our past and of the future to come. Things that were predicted in the Bible ar taking place in our time. The tribulation is coming, are you ready?
2007-03-28 03:57:44 · answer #6 · answered by CheryllDianne 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
An apostle is someone who has had direct contact with the resurrected Jesus Christ---not a vision nor a hearing, but direct physical contact. Paul's testimony is considered to be the Word of God.
2007-03-27 23:58:11 · answer #7 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Saul/Paul was a self proclaimed apostle. He claimed that Jesus revealed the Word to him personally and that made him equal to one of the original 12... I mean 13. He must've had a very dominating personality. He dominated the original apostles, and they actual saw and heard the real Jesus!
2007-03-20 10:46:49 · answer #8 · answered by Gene Rocks! 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I can tell you what Paul said: "Paul an apostle of God,not of man."
Technically Mathius was elected to replace Judas Iscarot
Some hold Paul an apostle because of what he did. Not what he said
APOSTLE (Gr. apostolos, messenger, envoy, ambassador)
2007-03-27 10:42:28 · answer #9 · answered by j.wisdom 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all he wasn't really a saint. The Greek word Apostle literally means 'sent out' or 'messenger'. Was Paul sent out? Yes, I think he was. According to Luke who wrote Acts, he was.
Ok, now I'm going to eat my oreos thank you very much.
2007-03-20 10:46:32 · answer #10 · answered by Starjumper the R&S Cow 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Excuse me but when did Paul face down PETER? Paul was referred to as the PETER to the JEWS; they both had different ideas of what JESUS meant and to who it was meant to be heard. but a face off: not quite. PETER and PAUL became friends over time as they both realized they were teaching the same thing but in different ways to different people. The term Apostle is a from of teacher as is Rabi is to the Jews. today we replace it with Teacher, professor, solar, wise men, ETC.
2007-03-20 10:56:41 · answer #11 · answered by zipper 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋