By: Robert Serreyn

Question? Why did Paul say I am an Apostle at the start of all of his epistles?

Answer:

I believe the simple answer to that is, Paul was defending his Apostleship.

Scripture states that Judas iscariot had betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver.

Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him (Jesus Christ), when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

BECAUSE of this deed he had a guilty conscience and therefore committed suicide by hanging himself.

Matthew 27:4,5 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. (5) And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Being that Judas had killed himself the other Eleven Apostles sought One of Two other men to replace him, which were Justus and Matthias.

Acts 1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

The probable reason for the other eleven apostles for choosing who THEY THOUGHT would have made a good apostle was due to the fact that Saul of Tarsus (Paul) was still hunting down Christians to be captured for imprisonment or to be put to death.

Acts 1:24-26 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, (25) That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. (26) And they gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Acts 9:1-2 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, (2) And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

Prior to Paul trusting Christ as his savior the other Eleven Apostles WERE LOOKING for the next apostle to replace Judas, but their mistake was that they DID NOT wait on the Lord’s answer they just Cast Lots, in other-words They “Rolled the Dice” and just let chance make the choice. The Lord ALREADY had Paul (Saul) in mind if the other Eleven Apostles would have waited on the Lord they would have known Paul was the Lord’s choice.

In Conclusion:

Matthias and Jutus for that fact are only mentioned once in scripture, not even in secular history is there much known about them.

The Lord Jesus REJECTED the other Eleven Apostles selection and replaced Matthias for Paul and for this reason, I believe The Apostle Paul felt the need to CONTINUOUSLY declare and defend his apostleship of the fact that HE WAS appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Roman 1:1. 1 & 2 Corinthians 1:1,

Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1,

Colossians 1:1, 1 & 2 Timothy 1:1, Titus 1:1

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins. the MOMENT you believe(TRUST in Christ ALONE) you recieve eternal life.

-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8

-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24

-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9

“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23

IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH