Following Paul

Why should we follow the Apostle Paul? There are a number of reasons. The most important of which is: The Lord Jesus Christ chose Paul and sent him to be THE Apostle of the Gentiles.

Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

Ephesians 3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

As the Apostle of the Gentiles, Paul said: Be ye followers of me.

1 Corinthians 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

The gospel Paul refers to in the above verse is that which is found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, the message that Christ died FOR our sins, he was buried, and he rose again the third day. It is the grace message which the Lord revealed to Paul and Paul alone.

1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

To follow Paul is to follow Paul DOCTRINALLY, not following his activities you might read about in the book of Acts or in his epistles. Paul did some things at the time for reasons which do not exist today. Especially Jewish things during the time that Israel was still intact as a nation, and had not yet been cast away.

If you were to try to follow Peter, or James or John you would find that you are following a Jewish tribulation message. Their doctrine pertains to the nation of Israel. Israel, with 12 tribes, had 12 Apostles. The church, the body of Christ has only ONE. It is Paul:

Compare these two verses:

1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

That verse shows that those following Peter, in the tribulation, must endure to the end, the end of their lives or the end of the tribulation for the grace which the Lord will bring to Israel at the second coming of Christ, at the revelation of Jesus Christ. But notice the contrast in what Paul says:

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

In the dispensation of the grace of God (Ephesians 3:2 above) committed to the Apostle Paul salvation is a GIFT, not something you work for or endure to the end for:

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

There is no "work" to do in order to be saved today. Jesus Christ did ALL of the work God requires for your salvation:

Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

"His workmanship" is in the fact that as Jesus Christ hang on the cross he suffered and bled and died. He went down into the heart of the earth and three days and three nights later, God raised him from the dead. Romans 4:25 says that he was raised FOR our justification.

In other words, the very fact that Christ was raised from the dead proves that your sins are forgiven, since God made him to be SIN for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Peter, James and John never said things like that. The doctrine to the church, the body of Christ, is found in Romans through Philemon, the thirteen books written by Paul.

Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.