Paul’s Ordination: “Not of Men, But by Jesus Christ”

Galatians 1:1
Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

So, what is Paul’s ordained title according to the perfect word of God? The Bible clearly says: “Paul, an apostle.” And who made Paul an apostle? “But by Jesus Christ, and God the Father.” The office of apostle is the highest office for a man within the Bible.

If you weren’t here on Thursday night, you can go back and study “The Highest Office of Apostle.” You can find it on the website.

I. Paul Was Never Ordained by Men

Galatians 1:15–17
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

• Paul didn’t need a human ordination. Jesus called the Apostle Paul.
• He didn’t seek approval from the apostles. He didn’t go to them.
• His calling came directly from God.

II. Paul Was Called by the Risen Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 15:7-10
After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.  8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.  9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

• Paul saw the risen Christ—the final requirement to be an apostle.
• There are no apostles today. Paul was the final apostle.
• He was the last person ever called into that office.
• “Born out of due time” means his apostleship was unique and final.

III. Paul Was Called to Be an Apostle—Only

Romans 1:1
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

1 Timothy 2:7
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

• “Preacher” is what he did. He was chosen by Jesus Christ to be a preacher.
• “Apostle” is who he was. He was ordained an apostle by Jesus Christ.
• “Teacher” is how he communicated doctrine. “A teacher of the Gentiles.”
• He never called himself an evangelist, bishop, elder, or deacon.

Make sure you hear what I’m saying because there are people out there twisting the Bible for their own gain. They will attempt to say Paul was ordained an evangelist so they can ordain evangelists for different reasons.

For example, there’s a church not too far from here who I visited years ago. They have an ordained evangelist that does all the soul winning for them. The rest of the people don’t need to go out soul winning because they have an evangelist that does that work for them. That is not Biblical.

We are all to go out and evangelize with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

IV. Evangelist Is Not an Office—Apostle Is

Ephesians 4:11
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

• “Evangelist” is a function, not an ordained office.
• Teacher is not an ordained office within the church. We don’t lay hands on and ordain people into the office of teacher.
• No evangelist in Scripture ever had church-governing authority. There’s not one example of that in the entire Bible. But there are pastors out there ordaining evangelists to have church governing authority.
• The word evangelist appears only three times in the entire Bible and it’s never speaking of an ordained office within the church.

V. Paul Was Not Ordained in Acts 13

I want to look closely at Acts Chapter 13 because people will use this chapter to say that Paul was ordained later as something other than an apostle. They will say the church at Antioch laid hands on Paul to ordain him as an evangelist. Look, this is called adding to the word of God. Paul is not ordained by man at any time in the Bible. He was ordained by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 13:2–3
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

• The Holy Spirit had already called Paul. “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” The Holy Spirit says He has already called them for this work. Paul was already called to be an apostle and to go out evangelizing, preaching, and teaching.
• This wasn’t a promotion—it was a public sending. Some people will act as if Paul was promoted from apostle to evangelist. Remember, there is no office of evangelist in the Bible. Apostle is the highest office and that office no longer exists. When someone says something like this, they need to be corrected with the Scriptures.
• Laying on of hands here was not for apostleship or evangelism—it was simply church-supported confirmation.

VI. Paul Was Not Made an Evangelist in Acts 13

This is where false doctrine creeps in. Some claim Acts 13 shows Paul being ordained as an evangelist. They use this to justify ordaining both men and women into a non-existent “office of evangelist.”

If you are an ordained evangelist, this is not Biblical. The pastor who ordained you as an evangelist didn’t study the Bible or added words to the Bible. The office of evangelist doesn’t exist.

Here’s what Scripture proves:

1. Paul Was Already Called—To Apostleship

Acts 9:15
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

• Paul was already chosen—by Jesus Christ Himself—not by the church.

2. Paul Never Once Calls Himself an Evangelist

Romans 1:1
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Let me say this again and again. Paul never once calls himself an evangelist.

Galatians 1:1   Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

• Never once: “Paul the evangelist.”
• He did evangelize—but he was not titled or ordained as such. Don’t allow twisting and adding words and stories to the Bible. People love to add extra stories and information to the Bible. Get away from those people unless they repent and correct it.

3. Evangelist Is Not an Ordained Office

Only one man is ever called an evangelist:

Acts 21:8
And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

• Philip was one of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5) which is an ordained church office. There’s only two ordained church offices: pastor/bishop/elder and deacon.
• He’s never said to be ordained as an evangelist. He is doing the work of an evangelist.
• The church didn’t lay hands on him to give him that role.
• It’s simply what he did—preach the gospel boldly. That is an evangelist.

4. This False Claim Is Dangerous

It’s used today for many different reasons mostly for gain in some kind of way:

• Ordain women in the church—contrary to Scripture:

1 Timothy 2:12
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

• This speaks of authority within a church. Women are to be in silence.
• This claim is used to invent titles God never established.
• Undermine the biblical pattern of male leadership in church offices for those men who meet the qualifications.
• People will ordain men as evangelist because they don’t meet qualifications of pastor and deacon. If they do meet the qualifications, go ahead and ordain them to pastor or deacon for a church.
• People add qualifications to pastor and deacon but make the requirements for an evangelist whatever they want because the qualifications aren’t in the Bible because it’s not an office according to God Almighty.

VII. Paul Carried the Signs of an Apostle

2 Corinthians 12:12
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

• Only apostles could perform all signs and transfer the Holy Ghost by laying on of hands.
• Philip did miracles (Acts 8), but couldn’t give the Holy Ghost—apostles had to come from Jerusalem to do that.

VIII. Paul Had Authority Over the Churches

2 Corinthians 10:8
For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

Apostle was higher than the other offices.

1 Corinthians 4:15–16
For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

• Paul wasn’t just a soul winner—he was a spiritual father to entire regions of churches.
• Evangelists were never given this kind of authority. Apostles had this authority, and they no longer exist on this earth.
• The authority lies with the pastors of the local churches.

IX. Paul Ordained Others—No Man Ordained Him

Titus 1:5
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

• Paul says to Timothy: “As I had appointed thee.” Paul put Timothy in place as a pastor.
• Paul gave apostolic instruction and authority to Titus to ordain pastors.
• He didn’t need ordination—he did the ordaining himself. Why? Jesus gave Paul this authority.
• Paul didn’t need the church at Antioch to ordain him as something more than what Jesus had already ordained Paul.

X. Paul Was the Apostle to the Gentiles

Romans 11:13
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

• There’s a man I know that I wish I had never known who believes himself to be the modern day Apostle Paul. He believes he has that authority.
• Paul magnified the office of apostle—not the act of preaching. His OFFICE was an apostle. Not anything else. If you can’t read that and see the truth, something is blinding you and it’s pride.
• If you are out there being deceived by a man who is ordaining men as evangelist to lead churches, you need to wake up and stop joining in the evil. It’s not going to glorify God in any way.
• No evangelist ever used the language of office. Paul did—because his authority came from Christ Himself. There is no office of evangelist. There is no one being ordained in the Bible as evangelist.

XI. Paul Was the Final Apostle

1 Corinthians 15:8
And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

• Paul was the final man to see the risen Lord, which was a requirement to be an apostle.
• After him, no one else qualifies. Some people will say that Jesus appeared to them, but He didn’t. That wasn’t Jesus.
• He called himself “born out of due time” because his apostleship was unique and unrepeatable. He held the highest office for man: APOSTLE.

Final Summary

False Claim	Biblical Truth
Paul was ordained evangelist in Acts 13	Paul was sent out—not given a new office
Evangelist is an office	Evangelist is a function—not a ruling position
Paul held multiple church offices	Paul was called to be an apostle—only
Women can be ordained as evangelists	No woman in Scripture is ever ordained as one
Laying on of hands made Paul an evangelist	Paul’s apostleship came from the risen Christ, not man

Paul wasn’t voted in. He wasn’t appointed by a board. He didn’t climb the church ladder. He was struck down by the light of Jesus Christ—and raised up to be an apostle by the voice of God alone. He was not a deacon, not an evangelist, and not a bishop. He was an apostle—not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ.

Every Verse Where Paul Is Titled – Apostle Only

Reference	Text & Title
Romans 1:1	“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,”
1 Corinthians 1:1	“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God…”
1 Corinthians 9:1	“Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?…”
1 Corinthians 15:9	“For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle…”
2 Corinthians 1:1	“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…”
2 Corinthians 11:5	“For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.”
2 Corinthians 12:12	“Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you…”
Galatians 1:1	“Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ…)”
Galatians 2:8	“…the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles [apostleship].”
Ephesians 1:1	“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…”
Colossians 1:1	“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…”
1 Thessalonians 2:6	“…when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.”
1 Timothy 1:1	“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God…”
1 Timothy 2:7	“…I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ…)”
2 Timothy 1:1	“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…”
2 Timothy 1:11	“…I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”
Titus 1:1	“Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ…”
Acts 14:14	“…when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of [it]…”
Philemon 1:1	“Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ…” (No office title here.)
Philippians 1:1	“Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ…” (No title of office here.)

Paul is never called anything but Apostle as a title. The only ordination of Paul within the Bible is by the Lord Jesus Christ called to be an apostle. Apostle is the highest office and Paul was never ordained as anything else within the Bible.

He wasn’t a pastor, a bishop, evangelist, or anything else. We allow the Bible to speak for itself, and we will not allow any man to influence us away from the words of the Bible.

Let’s pray.