Paul: Our Pattern for Today

For many sincere readers of Scripture, a point of confusion often arises when comparing the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels with the epistles of the Apostle Paul. Jesus instructs his disciples to preach the gospel of the kingdom, to water baptize, and to observe the Law. Paul, on the other hand, preaches a gospel of grace, declares that Christ sent him not to baptize, and teaches that we are not under the law. How can both be true? Are these contradictions?

This apparent conflict is not an error in Scripture but a profound clue. It reveals a pivotal shift in God’s plan, one that can only be understood by recognizing the unique and foundational role of one man: the Apostle Paul. His ministry was not an extension of the one given to the twelve apostles; it was a brand-new commission, initiated by a special revelation from the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

An Apostle with a Heavenly Commission

First, it's crucial to understand that Paul was not one of the twelve apostles chosen during Christ's earthly ministry. The original twelve were chosen for Israel's kingdom program. After Judas’s betrayal, Matthias was chosen by the eleven to fill the twelfth spot (Acts 1). Paul's authority came from a different source entirely: the resurrected, glorified Lord Jesus Christ appearing to him from heaven.

Paul states this clearly:

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:11-12

His authority wasn't derived from Peter or the others; it came directly from the ascended Lord. This leads to the next crucial point: the message he received was just as unique as his commission.

The Revelation of a Secret

The message Christ revealed to Paul was distinct from anything that had come before. Paul calls it "the mystery", a term for a divine truth that was previously kept secret. This was not a new interpretation of old prophecies; it was entirely new information that had been hidden in God since the world began.

If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words...)
Ephesians 3:2-3

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Colossians 1:25-26

...the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began
Romans 16:25

This "mystery" is the formation of the Church, the Body of Christ, where Jew and Gentile are made one new man in Christ by faith alone, completely apart from Israel's law. Peter preached prophecy, what was spoken for ages. Paul preached a mystery, what was kept secret for ages. This signals a new program: the dispensation of the grace of God.

The Christian Blueprint: Paul as Our Pattern

Because Paul was the first to receive this revelation, God established him as the pattern for every believer in the Church. By definition, a pattern must come first. Paul’s salvation became the blueprint for what a believer in this age of grace looks like.

Paul states this himself in one of the most important verses for understanding our faith today:

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.
1 Timothy 1:16

Notice the key words: "in me first" and "for a pattern." God saved the self-proclaimed "chief of sinners" to create a blueprint. Paul's salvation is the model for how God saves people today by pure, unmerited grace. He was the first, and his experience set the standard.

Paul builds on this idea when he calls himself a "wise master-builder" who "laid the foundation" (1 Corinthians 3:10). That foundation is Christ's death and resurrection. Paul was the man God chose to deliver the plans for building upon it.

He was the prototype. To understand our salvation and identity today, we must look to the one God set forth as the pattern: the Apostle Paul.

An Unmistakable Command: Follow Paul

If God set Paul up as the pattern, you would expect the Bible to tell us to follow him. And it does. Repeatedly.

Consider these direct commands from Paul’s own letters:

Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
1 Corinthians 4:16

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

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

And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
1 Thessalonians 1:6

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 4:9

Finding Our Place in God's Word

Putting the pieces together, the biblical evidence is clear. God uniquely chose the Apostle Paul to be the first member of the Body of Christ. He is our pattern for salvation and the "wise master-builder" who laid the doctrinal foundation for the Church in this present age.

But does this emphasis on Paul mean we should set aside the rest of our Bibles? Absolutely not. Paul himself gives us the proper perspective: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). The entire Bible is God's word, and it is all for us. The history of Israel, the poetry of the Psalms, and the prophecies of the Old Testament provide essential context, timeless lessons about God's character, and a deeper understanding of His overarching plan.

Likewise, the earthly ministry of Jesus recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is filled with immense value. We learn about God in the flesh, see His compassion, and hear His moral teachings. However, it was the Apostle Paul whom the ascended Lord Jesus Christ chose to give full meaning to His death, burial, and resurrection for us today. Paul was the first to receive the revelation of "the mystery", the secret of the Body of Christ which had been hidden for ages. Through him, we learn how the cross creates one new man, where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, and our true purpose, position, and identity in Christ.

Therefore, to understand our specific standing, walk, and hope, we must look to the epistles of our apostle, Paul. Recognizing Paul’s unique role doesn’t diminish the rest of the Bible; it illuminates it, allowing us to see our specific instructions clearly. This is the very essence of obeying the command to "study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).