Must we imitate Paul? Were Paul’s methods in Acts and the Epistles intended to guide the overarching mission of the church (and local churches) in every generation?
There are four clear lines of evidence that lead to the conclusion that Paul’s methods in Acts and the Epistles were intended to guide the missionary enterprise (including the mission of local churches) in every generation. First, Paul was chosen by Jesus, second, he was chosen by the Holy Spirit, third, he received several key endorsements from church leaders, and fourth, his own understanding of his calling reveals his intent that his methods be passed on to every generation.
Chosen by Jesus
In Acts 9, Paul encountered the risen Jesus who chose Him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). By appointing a disciple named Ananias to lay hands on Paul, Jesus made sure His choice of Paul was confirmed by a source other than Paul himself. Ananias was reluctant at first, “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel’” (Acts 9:15, NASB95).
Chosen by the Holy Spirit
In Acts 13, when the Church of Antioch was preparing to participate in intentional Gentile missions, the Holy Spirit chose Barnabas and Saul to be the first missionaries:
“While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.” (Acts 13:2–4, NASB95)
Notice that we aren’t told exactly how the Holy Spirit communicated, but the text implies that this was a clear and direct revelation. Thus, a clear and direct choice of Saul who would later be known as Paul.
Endorsed by Key Church Leaders
In addition to Ananias, the first disciple to endorse Saul-Paul, the entire Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 gave Paul a clear endorsement. The gospel message being preached by Paul was affirmed by the Twelve—especially Peter and James—as well as the elders of the church in Jerusalem. Barnabas, the emissary sent from the Church of Jerusalem to observe what was happening in Antioch (Acts 11:22), endorsed Saul by bringing him to Antioch to help with the work there (Acts 11:25-26). Luke, the writer of two major books of the New Testament (Luke and Acts), endorsed Paul by shifting the entire focus of the book of Acts onto the methods of Paul as soon as the Holy Spirit chose Barnabas and Saul to embark on intentional Gentile missions. The flow of Acts (see chart) shows that when intentional outreach to Gentiles began, the entire focus of the book shifted to the methods of Paul.
Paul’s own understanding of his calling.
Paul repeatedly referred to himself as “the Apostle to the Gentiles” or something similar (Acts 22:21; 26:17; Rom 1:5; 11:13; 15:16; Gal 1:16; 2:7ff; Eph 3:1, 8; 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 4:17)). In Ephesians 3, Paul wrote clearly about his calling—referring to it as his “stewardship” (oikonomia) or “grace” (charis): “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things” (Ephesians 3:8–9, NASB95). He saw his calling as two-fold: 1) “to preach to the Gentiles…” and 2) “to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery…” Most are familiar with the first aspect of his calling, but fail to see this second aspect. Since, in context, “the mystery” is referring to the church (i.e., Jews and Gentiles together in one body, v.6), and since “administration” is a compound Greek word oiko-nomia (house-law or house order), Paul saw his calling not only to proclaim the gospel so that Gentiles would be saved, but also to “bring to light” how this “new man” (2:15)—the Church—was supposed to work.
In addition, Paul repeatedly instructed the churches to “imitate” him (2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Corinthians 4:16-17; Philippians 3:17; 4:9). This insistence, coupled with the reality that Paul provides the only ministry model in the New Testament for the expansion of the Church to the Gentile world, makes it clear that Paul’s methods for mission and ministry are to be considered normative for the Church Age.
