I don't see how the apostles speaking on behalf of Paul, or Paul cooperating with others equates with those people ASSIGNING his ministry to him.
I see what you mean, dear DD (peace to you!). Let me try and explain another way. At the time my Lord said the following... TO THE APOSTLES... no one had received holy spirit but them; however, the spirit they received was limited (John 20:22, 23):
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all JudeaandSamaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 They received MORE... at Pentecost (Acts 2:2-4)... and with that various gifts. Including the gift of giving the spirit to OTHERS. So, when my Lord called Paul, Paul asked him what he wanted him to do... and he said to him: “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:6 And who told him? The Apostles and older men. So, now, yes, my Lord called Paul... and designated him an apostle (there were many apostles, but not all, including Paul, constituted the "twelve"). BUT... he allowed the apostles and older men to ASSIGN Paul his initial ministry. Paul was chosen to replace Stephen, whom the disciples chose (along with some other men) at the behest of the Apostles (not my Lord himself directly): "Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrew-speaking Jews by the Greek-speaking Jews, because the widows of the latter were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among youseven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselvescontinually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them." Acts 6:1-6 This is because the power... and authority... had been CONFERRED... UPON the Apostles (John 20:22, 23). I promise you this, dear DD - I do not lie. My Lord left the Apostles in charge of assigning territories for the work. And they initially assigned Paul his. He called Paul... and sent that one TO the Apostles so that they use him as THEY needed. Which they did. Unfortunately, they and he didn't always agree... and much dissention occurred because of that, prompting Peter to have to vouch for Paul AGAIN... this time in writing (Galatians 2:8, 9; 2 Peter 3:15): "... and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, haswritten to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other writings." 2 Peter 3: At some point, Paul disputed his need for letters of recommendation from any of the Apostles, however, because he considered his length of service and the number of disciples HE had helped make to be sufficient to "recommend" him. He wrote of this in his THIRD letter (canonized as his "second") to the Corinthians when they had trouble with what he wrote in his first and second letters (1 Corinthians 5:9; 2 Corinthians 13:1)...(and they SHOULD have, given his first letter which told them to "quit mixing in the company of" some. Most of the Apostles and older men had a problem with this because that is not what Christ taught THEM; to the contrary, he taught them NOT to judge). Paul wrote: "Do we begin again to recommend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, letters of commendation to you orletters of commendation fromyou? You are our letter written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are a letter of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." 2 Corinthians 3:1-3 and... " Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed— lest I seem to terrify you by letters. " For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present."2 Corinthians 10:7-11
Paul addressed the concern over his letters because the Corinthians didn't recognize HIS authority as the same as that of the Apostles. But neither did Paul - he knew that HIS authority had a limit, where theirs' did not... such that THEY had to recommend him to the Corinthians (which Peter did in his letter); whereas the Apostles could recommend themselves (they were, after all, the Apostles... and, again, even Paul had to first go to... and through... them):
"For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who recommend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’slabors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment." 2 Corinthians 10:12-16
What Paul was saying here was that he wasn't trying to build on something others had already started with those in Corinth, but only to expand on that which was already established so as to INCREASE the faith of those there. This is in great contrast to those who attribute to HIM the start of the Corinthian congregation, which is NOT true - there were MANY believers already in Corinth when he arrived there (Acts 18:1-3, 9, 10) which is why they had a problem with Paul (and caused Paul problems with the other Apostles): he was trying to teach them something (judging within the congregation) that they had NOT been taught by the Apostles OR Christ.
The Lord assigned Paul to his ministry.
My Lord CALLED Paul to a ministry, yes, dear one. He did. But he left the initial part of the specific assignment of that ministry to the needs of the Apostles.
Had other humans chose to oppose Paul then he would have kept right on going. He did not need their approval.
Au contrare. Please... read the accounts. Acts, as well as Paul's and Peter's letters. You will find a very different picture than what those who look to Paul (some even as the 12th Apostle!) paint. You "see" what you do NOW... because of the prominence given Paul due to the number of his letters that are in the Bible canon. But Paul was NOT as important and prominent among the early Body as many believed him to be. Indeed, he had a LOT of problems being accepted... and caused a lot even when he was. Paul initially not only needed the approval of the Apostles, but letters of recommendation FROM them. THINK, dear one: Christ has ascended. Now, this man... who formerly cruelly persecuted the Body, even having many, including dear Stephen...PUT TO DEATH... comes up and says HE is now one of them. HE says he was walking down a road and had an event occur whereby Christ chose him. None of THEM saw it. How COULD they believe him, then? How could they know he wasn't a plant, a spy... an infiltrator? Only if the Apostles approved him could... WOULD... they accept this man, given his known history. And even the Apostles avoided him, at first. Didn't matter with the men who were with him on the road said. Didn't matter what Ananias said. ALMOST didn't matter was BARNABAS said. Even then, only three... Peter, John, and James (not an Apostle but considered an "older" man) bothered to meet with him. The others would NOT. But it took the approval of these three for the others to even consider him. It took some years for them to fully come around. And these FINALLY approved Paul upon his showing HIS obedience... by going to the areas they sent him, carrying letters that set out the decrees and decisions of the Apostles and older men. And for more than a decade. He went out on his OWN ministry, LATER... when he parted from Barnabas.
As it turned out, outher spiritually minded people, the Apostles saw that Paul was legit.
Not all of them, dear one... at least not at first. Not until James' said what he did about circumcision. THEN Paul became "approved" by the Apostles and older men. Even so... he reversed that approvaly by some (whom he called "superfine apostles") when he divided and nearly wrecked the Corinthian congregation by his admonishment to judge one another.
Paul also decided to cooperate with the congregations.
Yes. He did. Because he knew he was responsible for the division that almost ruined that congregation... which he did NOT start. What choice, then, DID he have? Cooperate... let THEM decide and go along with their decision, which is what Christ hadinstructed (Matthew 18:15-17)... or try to compel them to do what HE said? He would have lost everything... the regard of the Apostles, older men, and perhaps EVERY congregation... as well as perhaps his "hope"... had he not. Because his instruction to that congregation as absolutely and totally against the teachings of Christ. As to judging... and as to how to handle matters when someone sins. I hope this helps, dear one. I might also help if (1) you go to Christ himself and ask HIM what transpired, and well as (2) read the accounts... rather than listening to what scholars and others "opine" as to what occurred. Again, peace to you! YOUR servant and a slave of Christ, SA
