Some say there is only one church in the Bible.
Let's examine the implications of this position on the apostleship of Paul, as well as the twelve apostles.
Paul was, with out controversy, an apostle..........[Galatians 1:1 KJV] 1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)............So if there is one church, then Paul would be an apostle along with the twelve. Since there is only one church, they would all be apostles in it. To be an apostle with Peter and the twelve, Paul would have to have been with the other apostles during the entire time Jesus was on earth, beginning from the baptism of John until the ascension of Christ..........[Acts 1:21-22 KJV] 21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. .......................One of the qualifications in Acts 1 :21-22 was "must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.", Paul did see the risen Christ and did meet this qualification to be an apostle.......................[1Co 9:1 KJV] 1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?..............Paul, having seen the risen Lord can be the apostle to the Gentiles in the body of Christ. Paul however, not only could he not be a replacement apostle for Judas, but he also could not be set equally beside Peter and the others as an apostle if there was just one church at the time.
An apostle proclaims the gospel (Galatians 2:2), builds up the church (Romans 16:25), oversees many churches (2 Corinthians 11:28), establishes doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3), establishes order (1 Corinthians 14:40), designates pastors and deacons and their qualifications (Titus 1:5).
Those who believed Peter's preaching were added to the church, and continued in the doctrine of Peter and the apostles...............[Acts 2:41-42 KJV] 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.............Here is a problem, Paul establishes doctrine for the church as well............[2Timothy 3:10 KJV] 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,...........Paul exhorted that no doctrine other then the doctrine he established should be preached............[1Timothy 1:3 KJV] 3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,...........how is the doctrine of Peter and Paul to be reconciled if they are different?
Here is a major conflict in doctrine between Peter and Paul. Peter kept the law..........[Acts 10:13-14 KJV] 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
[Acts 10:28 KJV] 28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
If Paul, and Peter, and the apostles, were all operating as one church, then there would be a conflict because Peter held to the law, and Paul said we aren't under it. Paul taught we aren't under the law..........[Romans 6:14 KJV] 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Paul appointed bishops and deacons in the church............[Philippians 1:1 KJV] 1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:..............Here arises another problem, in the church in Jerusalem overseen by Peter, there are no pastors or deacons, but rather, the Levitical priesthood. Peter's church worshipped in the temple......... [Acts 5:42 KJV] 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
[Acts 2:46 KJV] 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
How could Paul have been an apostle in the Jerusalem church headed by Peter, if he was being accused of teaching Jews to forsake Moses and the law?...........[Acts 21:20-21 KJV] 20 And when they heard [it], they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise [their] children, neither to walk after the customs.
[Acts 2:44 KJV] 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;............................What would Paul and the twelve have in common? How could there possibly be all one church when there exist such discrepancies between them?
God is not the author of confusion..........[1Corinthians 14:33 KJV] 33 For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Paul is our apostle for the body of Christ, but he could not be an apostle to the church in Jerusalem headed by Peter.
Let's examine the implications of this position on the apostleship of Paul, as well as the twelve apostles.
Paul was, with out controversy, an apostle..........[Galatians 1:1 KJV] 1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)............So if there is one church, then Paul would be an apostle along with the twelve. Since there is only one church, they would all be apostles in it. To be an apostle with Peter and the twelve, Paul would have to have been with the other apostles during the entire time Jesus was on earth, beginning from the baptism of John until the ascension of Christ..........[Acts 1:21-22 KJV] 21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. .......................One of the qualifications in Acts 1 :21-22 was "must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.", Paul did see the risen Christ and did meet this qualification to be an apostle.......................[1Co 9:1 KJV] 1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?..............Paul, having seen the risen Lord can be the apostle to the Gentiles in the body of Christ. Paul however, not only could he not be a replacement apostle for Judas, but he also could not be set equally beside Peter and the others as an apostle if there was just one church at the time.
An apostle proclaims the gospel (Galatians 2:2), builds up the church (Romans 16:25), oversees many churches (2 Corinthians 11:28), establishes doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3), establishes order (1 Corinthians 14:40), designates pastors and deacons and their qualifications (Titus 1:5).
Those who believed Peter's preaching were added to the church, and continued in the doctrine of Peter and the apostles...............[Acts 2:41-42 KJV] 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.............Here is a problem, Paul establishes doctrine for the church as well............[2Timothy 3:10 KJV] 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,...........Paul exhorted that no doctrine other then the doctrine he established should be preached............[1Timothy 1:3 KJV] 3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,...........how is the doctrine of Peter and Paul to be reconciled if they are different?
Here is a major conflict in doctrine between Peter and Paul. Peter kept the law..........[Acts 10:13-14 KJV] 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
[Acts 10:28 KJV] 28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
If Paul, and Peter, and the apostles, were all operating as one church, then there would be a conflict because Peter held to the law, and Paul said we aren't under it. Paul taught we aren't under the law..........[Romans 6:14 KJV] 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Paul appointed bishops and deacons in the church............[Philippians 1:1 KJV] 1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:..............Here arises another problem, in the church in Jerusalem overseen by Peter, there are no pastors or deacons, but rather, the Levitical priesthood. Peter's church worshipped in the temple......... [Acts 5:42 KJV] 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
[Acts 2:46 KJV] 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
How could Paul have been an apostle in the Jerusalem church headed by Peter, if he was being accused of teaching Jews to forsake Moses and the law?...........[Acts 21:20-21 KJV] 20 And when they heard [it], they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise [their] children, neither to walk after the customs.
[Acts 2:44 KJV] 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;............................What would Paul and the twelve have in common? How could there possibly be all one church when there exist such discrepancies between them?
God is not the author of confusion..........[1Corinthians 14:33 KJV] 33 For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Paul is our apostle for the body of Christ, but he could not be an apostle to the church in Jerusalem headed by Peter.
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