Hello.
MAD here. Just one question, please, but first I think we’ll agree on the following:
Christ had twelve Spirit-filled, miracle-working, Kingdom-preaching apostles, each representing a tribe of Israel, chosen to lead the washed, redeemed nation of priests (Exo 19:6; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38) unto the entire lost Gentile world with the good news of Messiah, the King of all the earth.
But then, something odd happened.
Christ chose Saul/Paul to be the preeminent apostle to the Gentiles, and restricted the ministry of the Twelve to the circumcision (Gal 2:2-9). About the final 2/3rds of Acts indicate that this is exactly what happened, as do the addressees of the general epistles. In short, the entire focus of God’s dealings on earth shifts from Peter and the others being the point men, to Paul and his associates.
So my question:
Why did this shift take place?
For example, what happened to the “great commission” given to the Twelve? It was indeed in motion, exactly as Christ had described it, right up through Acts 2 and the following few chapters. But later…nothing. Instead, we see Christ graciously drafting his bitter enemy and sending him to the Gentiles, and that without the miracle-working Twelve and a restored, Spirit-filled nation of priests at his back.
Please explain why this change took place.
We MADs believe the answer is plain. You already know what our answer is, so I’ll not belabor it. I’d like to know what YOU believe is the reason for the change.
Thank you very much in advance,