Rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to make you a witness both of things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you (Acts 26:16).

Paul, elected as apostle. What we used to see as the conversion of Paul was more than a conversion; it was also a consecration to be apostle of the gospel, made by Jesus Christ himself who tells him: Rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to make you a witness both of things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you (Acts 26:16). Paul recognizes this when he says that through Him we have received grace and apostleship (Romans 1:5).

Paul identifies himself as apostle. Paul identifies himself, at the beginning of almost all his letters, as apostle of Jesus Christ, or, called to be an apostle. And, as a matter of fact, the predominant character of his life is to be an apostle, as we can infer from his frequent references to his task as apostle of the gospel.

To preach the gospel is "my obligation." I have nothing to boast of —he says,— for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16). And in the same letter to Corinthians, he says: Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17).

The specific ministry of Paul: the Gentiles. Paul understands that he has been chosen for a specific ministry: to bring the gospel to the Gentiles (those not Jews). Up to then, only Jews had been recipients of the word of God; now, the gospel should come, not just to Jews, but to all gentile nations. Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21).

Minister of a new covenant. Paul characterizes his ministry as the ministry of a new covenant; in fact, there is a new covenant: Who made us sufficient ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:6).

The hidden mystery. Paul insists that this is something new, something that was not revealed so far, at least so clearly. This is the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints (Colossians 1:26).

Paul, the one who knows this mystery. Paul says to the Ephesians: By which you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets (Ephesians 3:4-6). And, even though I am untrained in speech, —Paul says to the Corinthians,— yet I am not in knowledge (2 Corinthians 11:6).

Paul, revealer of the "unsearchable riches of Christ." To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God (Ephesians 3:8-9). And to Colossians he adds: I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you... (to whom) God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:25, 27. Compare 1 Timothy 2:7 and 2 Timothy 1:11).

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I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles (2 Corinthians 11:5).

Paul defends his apostolic ministry. If we ask why Paul defends his ministry and compares it with the rest of the apostles, it is because many Jews impugned his ministry and denied he had the credentials that the other apostles had. I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles, he writes to the Corinthians and repeats it twice (2 Corinthians 11:5; 12:11).

There was no quarrel among the apostles. At the end of Paul's third trip to Jerusalem, by reason of the dispute regarding the necessity of circumcision (see the chronology of Paul in Step 29, and read Acts 15), Paul says that James, Cephas and John gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship (Galatians 2:9). This proves that there was an accord among the apostles regarding the implementation of the gospel.

Paul's ministry is ackowledged. Paul wants to be very clear regarding the genuineness of the message he preaches and the authenticity of his ministry to the Gentiles. To the disciples of Galatia he writes that, when he went to Jerusalem, those who seemed to be something, added nothing to me, but on the contrary, they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for circumcised was to Peter (Galatians 2:6-7).

"I have more right to be called apostle." Paul affirms categorically that he has more right to be called apostle than the rest of the apostles. He says this: Are they ministers of Christ? —I speak as a fool— I am more (2 Corinthians 11:22). Why does Paul think that he has more right? The main reason is explained immediately by saying that he has suffered more for the work of the gospel than the rest of the apostles. We'll talk about this later.

Paul continues the apology of his ministry. I received —Paul says,— and learned the gospel by revelation of Jesus Christ himself: The gospel which was preached by me is not according to man, but I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11, 12). And regarding that the Gentiles had been called also to the gospel —"the hidden mystery" as he calls it,— he says: By revelation He made known to me the mystery... that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel (Ephesians 3:3, 6).

"The same Lord called Peter and me." Paul does not see any difference between the call of Peter to the ministry for the Jews, and his call to the ministry toward the Gentiles: He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles (Galatians 2:8).

Paul recognizes himself to be unworthy of his call. Everything that we have quoted so far regarding his ministry, does not mean that the Apostle would have been presumptuous about himself; on the contrary, he recognizes being "the least of the saints," and that his call was by grace, a gift of God: I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me... To me, who am less than the least of all saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:7, 8).

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If I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16).

To announce the gospel is an obligation for Paul. The call that the Lord has made to Paul has changed into an imperative for him, as he writes to the Corinthians with the words of the text heading this Step (1 Corinthians 9:16). And writing to Romans, whom he had not visited yet when he wrote the letter, he says: I am ready to preach the gospel to you... When I come to you, I shall came in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:15; 15:29).

How Paul wants to be seen by his disciples. Speaking in plural in order to include all those who were working with him, Paul wants the disciples to see them simply as servants of Christ: Let a man so consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1).

A motive of glory: to preach the gospel free of charge. Paul refuses to receive any compensation for his ministry, and makes this attitude a motive of glory. This had to be something very important to him if we take into account the frequency with which he repeats it, and how emphatic he becomes when he refers to this subject. Writing to Corinthians he says: It would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void, that of preaching the gospel without charge (1 Corinthians 9:15, 18). And in the second letter he says to them: As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting (2 Corinthians 11:10).

"I do not seek yours, but you." Paul does not come after a stipend: I will not be burdensome to you, for I do not seek yours, but you (2 Corinthians 12:14). He doesn't want anyone to think that he preaches the gospel for reason of profit: We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed (2 Corinthians 6:3).

Paul wants to live from his work. Saying his farewell to the elders of Ephesus, he says: I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities and for those who were with me (Acts 20:33, 34). What did he do for his livelihood? Acts says that when he came to Corinth, he went to live with Aquila and Priscilla, because he was of the same trade... for by occupation they were tentmakers (Acts 18:2, 3).

Rights that preachers of the gospel have. Paul recognizes the right that ministers of the gospel have to receive a fair retribution for their work, and to that effect he quotes the Scripture, saying: You shall not muzzle an ox awhile it treads out the grain, and, The laborer is worthy of his wages (1 Timothy 5:18; Deuteronomy 25:4; Leviticus 19:13). Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does he say it altogether for our sakes?... The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:9, 10, 14). But he didn't want to use that right: We have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:12).

Paul receives voluntary assistance. But although Paul didn't seek remuneration for his ministry, his disciples always helped him: For what was lacking to me the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied (2 Corinthians 11:9). By chance, he asks: Did I commit sin... because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?... For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? (2 Corinthians 11:7; 12:13).

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