This paper is to explain the Apostle Paul’s seemingly odd and contradictory ministry during the book of Acts. While Paul was and is “the Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13), during Acts he was going to “the Jew first” (Rom. 1:16) with his pure “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) … even while practicing some Jewish things that Jesus had given to Israel with Pentecost.

Recall the Jesus, in Mark 16:14-18, gave His marching orders to the Twelve Apostle’s concerning their ‘kingdom gospel’ preaching to Israel and here describing what they were to do as signs to validate their preaching of “the gospel of the Kingdom” to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  

Recall that after His resurrection, Jesus said these miraculous displays would be a sign.

“¹⁴ Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. ¹⁵ And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. ¹⁷  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:14-18 (KJV) (NOTE: Most of the corrupt modern Bibles sold today erroneously eliminate these verses.)

These miraculous signs listed in the above text were demonstrated by “the twelve” in early Acts, before Israel’s fall, before Paul’s salvation to be “the Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13).

Question:

If Paul introduced a new Gentile grace age and pure grace gospel, which he did, why during the book of Acts do we see the Apostle Paul do what Pater did; healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out devils, baptizing in water, offer sacrifices in Jerusalem’s Temple, physically circumcising Timothy (Acts 16:1, 3) in accord with Jewish Law, and placing his hands upon people to impart the Holy Ghost to them?

• Didn’t these practices, customs and miraculous demonstrations belong in Israel’s Kingdom program? Yes, they did.

Then, why was Paul involved with them?

• Was Paul preaching Israel’s program as being applicable for us today?

Answer: No!

Paul wasn’t preaching in Israel’s program. Let me explain what was going on with Paul during the Acts period from Acts 9-28.

1. From the call of Abram/Abraham (Gen. 12) up to the ministry of the Apostle Paul (whose Hebrew name was Saul of Tarsus), JEHOVAH God’s focus was to Deal Exclusively with The Nation Israel… through whom He had promised to ultimately… bless the whole of mankind (Gen. 12:3b).

Note to whom John the Baptist, Jesus and “the Twelve” Apostles were sent.

2. John the Baptist’s ministry of the “baptism of repentance” was limited to Israelites (Lk. 1:16-17, 80). John’s baptism was to call out Jesus’ “little flock” (Luke 12:32) of disciples, marking them out as those who were out from or separated from among apostate Israel.

“When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.” (

3. Then Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, as seen from Matthew through John, was restricted to Israel (Mat. 15:24; Luke 19:9; Jn. 1:11; Jn. 4:22; Rom. 15:8).

“But he (Jesus) answered and said, I am not sent but [except] unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matt. 15:24).

4. Jesus sent “the twelve” to minister only to Israel during early Acts (cf. Acts 2:36, 3:13, 25, 4:8, 5:30-31, 7:2).
5.  

The record tells us Israel refused to listen to and believe the preaching of Jesus, Peter, the other Apostles, and Stephen. They refused to trust in Jesus as their Messiah-King. So, in Acts 7:58, Israel’s leaders stoned Stephen to death. With that God’s promised program for Israel was then set aside, for a time, until after the Rapture of Gentiles to heaven;

“…blindness in part is happened to Israel, UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in [at the Rapture].” (Rom. 11:25b).

With “the fall of them [Israel]” (Rom. 11:10-11), the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ in His celestial ministry from heaven, began a new, but eternally planned, program by calling Saul of Tarsus, saving him, and making him “Paul, THE [one chief] Apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13), giving him a new gospel message “without the Law” (Rom. 3:21).

Paul preached what was called “the gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24) which was explicitly “for you Gentiles” (Eph. 3:1); NOT Jesus’ Kingdom gospel for Israel.