ChosenRebel's Blog

Forty-plus years ago, I became a husband. My bride continues to surprise me with new mercies, so too does my own sinfulness and ability to get irritated over nothing, literally nothing, even after so many years of grace. We are different and sometimes the sandpaper of relationship is even now, resistant . Every day that she puts up with me is another surprise that I gratefully receive. Undeserved, every day with my laughing, smiling, hard-working bride is a gift.

After fifty-plus years of reading my Bible, I still am surprised at the discoveries I should have made years ago, that I am just now putting together. I’m dense that way. My annual reading through of the Bible still yields new adventures in knowledge of the first century church. Yesterday, I was reading Galatians 1, and saw this in Paul’s testimony:

¹⁵ But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, ¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

¹⁸ Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) ²¹ Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; ²³ but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they were glorifying God because of me.

So, here we have a man, Saul/Paul, who was a persecutor of the church and who comes to faith in Christ, probably in the first 2-3 years after the resurrection. He has a vision of the the risen Christ and does not go to Jerusalem to check in with the apostles but instead goes to Arabia and returned to Damascus. Three years later he does go down to become acquainted with Peter and stayed with him FOR FIFTEEN DAYS! In all that time, the only other notable person he meets besides Peter is James, the Lord’s brother. 

Here’s my question: Where are all the rest of the apostles? Where are John and James? Where is Andrew, Peter’s brother? Where are any of the other men who walked with Jesus for three years? I think the only conclusion we can come to is that they were not around. They were unavailable for Paul to meet them. Which raises a second question: Why aren’t they available? 

I think the best conclusion is that they are out preaching the gospel in other parts of the Roman Empire. Maybe Thomas is already in India were tradition tells us he took the gospel. Maybe Matthew is in Persia or Ethiopia? We don’t know for sure, but they weren’t in Jerusalem when Paul visited Peter. In other words, within 3-5 years the original disciples are out preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth. They are fulfilling the Acts 1:8 mandate. Having received the Holy Spirit to empower them, they are His “witnesses . . . in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Let’s be as faithful as them. Let’s take the good news of forgiveness and resurrection and redemption to everyone near and far and tell them the gospel of Jesus Christ.