Whose Name will be on the Twelfth Foundation of New Jerusalem’s City Wall?
Here is Part 3 looking into the question what the Bible says about the twelfth apostle’s name that will be on the New Jerusalem’s City Wall.
Stephen and Saul
When?
When was Stephen stoned to death? This happened about two years after the Church began at Pentecost:
Acts 7:59-60 And they [Jewish elders & scribes] stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep [he died].
Acts 8:1a Now Saul was consenting to his [Stephen’s] death…
Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
Soon after Stephen’s death Saul prepared to go to Damascus: (When introduced in Acts 8:1, Paul was called by his Jewish name: “Saul”. He is not called Paul until Acts 13:9.)
Acts 9:1-5 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogue of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he [Saul] said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
Paul undoubtedly knew he was persecuting the followers of Jesus, but now he is face-to-face with the brightest Light he had ever seen: The Lord Jesus Christ Himself!
Kick against the goads equates to attempting to row a boat upstream against a strong current. It could possibly mean that Paul knew in his conscience that persecuting the Lord and His followers was definitely wrong; but he had been driven to do so by Jewish, unbelieving malefactors.
Paul possibly knew in his heart that as he was on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians, common sense—his good judgment of right and wrong—was telling him he was mistaken. God knows our thoughts (Psalm 139:2; Matthew 9:4), and when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we receive a new heart and a new spirit; we become “born again”. Thus, whenever we head off toward the world’s ways instead of God’s ways, we quickly perceive our thoughts and actions are struggling, and we come back instantaneously to follow Jesus. In Paul’s case here, this redemption happened to him as soon as he realized he was face to face with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.
The Way
Believers corporately were called the Way before being called Christians at Antioch, circa AD 42. Today Christians worldwide are each a member of the body of Christ, the universal Church, of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head.
Acts 9:6 So he [Saul], trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Why Would the Lord Jesus Consider Paul?
So why would anyone think the Lord Jesus would consider him to be an apostle? Paul was a notorious persecutor of the early church. Paul, being honestly, deeply, genuinely, sincerely, exceedingly remorseful writes:
1 Timothy 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. (NIV)
Romans 9:1-3 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
Why?
Why was Paul so deeply troubled? A good question should also be, why would anyone want to be sent to hell and the lake of fire in place of his Jewish brothers and sisters? And why were they being chastened by God?
Well, hadn’t they continued believing they could be good enough to keep the Commandments—although they were not able and never did? And hadn’t they advocated for the crucifixion of the very Son of God? And, have they done any better since? Don’t they, to this day, still believe that being chosen above all other nations makes them special saints, the apple of God’s eye? And don’t they still believe in their good works and ritualistic services instead of believing in our God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ?
Paul, in his flesh, being born a Jew, understood at least as well as any other Jew, that they and he had been utterly, dead wrong by not accepting Jesus as the Messiah.
Following his conversion, when he saw that the Lord Jesus had indeed been resurrected, his ways of conduct and thinking became a constant practice of righteousness. He wrote this explanation to the saints in Philippi:
Philippians 3:3 For we [believers: both Jews and Gentiles] are the circumcision [not physically, but spiritually, of the heart], who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
The Circumcision
In other words, simply because Israelites were the chosen ones, it gives no assurance they will see the Promised Land. Philippians 3:3 calls for further explanation of four distinct phrases: We are the circumcision means that our “old self” died with Christ on the cross (Romans 6:6). Believers are unable to serve God on their own merit; God in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus fills us and controls us. Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:11).
Worship God in the Spirit is real worship of the heart—not outward, not attention to self, not ritualistic methods, nor satisfying a selfish need to be noticed. “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).
We rejoice in Christ Jesus means we glory in the Lord. We depend on Him totally. On our own we cannot be fruitful for Him. “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5b)
Paul
Back to Paul now. We have no confidence in the flesh; our sinful nature we received from Adam does not disappear. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells (Romans 7:18)
Philippians 3:4-6 though I [Paul] also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh [for being undefiled Jewish], I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. [Underlines are not Scripture; for emphasis only.]
Where Paul states he was “a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee”, it is quite possible he was also indicating that he was so extremely devoted that he was a Nazirite. Quoting from Smith’s Bible Dictionary: “[A Nazirite is] one who was bound by a vow to be set apart from others for the service of God.”
Acts 18:18b He [Paul] had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow.
(If Paul was indeed a Nazirite, he would have been forbidden to cut the hair of his head for life or until the period of his vow was fulfilled. We do not know the particulars of Paul’s vow.)
In the Old Testament, the parents made the vow before the birth of the Nazirite himself. It is plausible that Paul’s parents put Paul into this sect; his father was a Pharisee:
Acts 23:6 But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
Acts 9:15-16 But the Lord said to him, [to Ananias] “Go, for he [Saul/Paul] is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel [Jews]. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Who?
Who bestowed Paul with such incredible abilities to perform miracles similar to what the Lord Jesus had done? Of course, the Savior Himself poured the Holy Spirit into Paul. We read much about the supernatural power demonstrated by Paul throughout the last half of the Book of Acts of the Apostles. We should take into account the first phrase of the Savior’s last sentence that He spoke to the eleven prior to being taken up before their eyes:
Acts 1:8a “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”
-to be continued-
Continued in 2 weeks with Part 4
“Paul Suffered for the Savior’s Name Sake / Dignitaries Confronted the Apostles”
A Personal Note:
We published these 6 posts in a small book! In case you don’t want to wait for Part 3 to 6 over the coming weeks, you can download an e-copy here or order the book through our website.
Please pray that people will come to the saving knowledge of the Truth before it’s too late, and love their children to teach them the Truth.
Thank you for reading and God bless you!
Other Blog Posts to Check Out:
Why did Jesus Christ die on the Cross?
Who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last?
What is a Believer? What is an Unbeliever?
The Decision – Is it only for Self?
Comments and Questions Welcome
Feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
We welcome any questions you might have as we like to hear from you.
Please share this blog with your friends if you liked it, if not, please let us know.
“How to Receive Eternal Life” Posts
Would you like to find out why believers have hope of Eternal Life and how to develop a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ? Check out these blog posts if your answer is “yes.”
Receiving Eternal Life as easy as A-B-C-D
Why do I need the God of the Bible?
Resources:
Check Out these Interesting Resources:
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Inc.
Gospel Folio Press – William MacDonald – Believers Bible Commentary
Warren Henderson Publishing
Christ-centered Books and Messages to Enhance Your Spiritual Growth
Uplook Ministry – Fireside Friday by Jabe Nicholson
DIGGING DEEPER into THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
A Study Guide
For a deeper study into Jesus’ next coming and the signs of the time check out our 3-in-1 Study Guide:
“Digging Deeper into the Revelation of Jesus Christ” released in 2025.
It is a one-of-a-kind reference for anyone striving to understand the Book of Revelation in the Bible.
This study guide for the Book of Revelation is revolutionary and unique.
On each page it contains:
-the original scripture,
-the commentary on that scripture,
-the actual Bible verses referenced in the commentary, and
-the commentary on these references in 4 columns side by side.
Through the format and contents, the reader is able to find comprehensive information in a few minutes versus spending an hour looking up cross-references to find meaning in challenging text.
For someone studying Revelation, this one reference saves time and enhances understanding without making the mistake of translating scripture. This enables the reader to make his/her own conclusions about the meaning in the Word as inspired by God.
BONUS OFFER
And if you haven’t yet Check-Out the Bonus Offer on the Digging Deeper Webpage!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, unless stated otherwise. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
.
