The Ministry of the Apostle Paul

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"A light to lighten the Gentiles" was part of old Simeon's announcement in the sacred enclosure of the temple (Luke 2:3232A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. (Luke 2:32)). For a moment he held in his arms the Babe of whom the prophets had spoken. He saw God's salvation and was satisfied. Years, however, had to pass before his prophetic words received a fuller accomplishment.
The Child grew and increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. He commenced His ministry on earth, called people around Him, ate with sinners and sent forth laborers to preach, but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They were charged on no account to overstep the line which divided them from the Gentiles. "Go not into the way of the Gentiles" was His peremptory command (Matt. 10:55These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: (Matthew 10:5)), for He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt. 15:2424But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 15:24)). How fully the Syrophenician woman felt the barrier that existed between her, of the race of Canaan, and the children of Israel, the former conquerors of the land. The centurion, too, though probably one of the conquering race of his day, and holding office in the Roman army which garrisoned the country, acknowledged that privileges in which he did not share belonged by birth to the people of Israel. So he sent the elders of the synagogue to ask the Lord to heal his servant who was sick (Luke 7:2, 32And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 3And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. (Luke 7:2‑3)). Before the cross, no mission was sent to the Gentiles.
On the day of the Lord's resurrection He announced to His disciples that Gentiles were not to be excluded from the blessing they were commissioned to proclaim. The day of Pentecost came, Jews and proselytes heard the word, and three thousand were converted and sealed. No Gentile was yet evangelized, however, though God that day announced by Peter, in words perhaps not then understood, His determination to bless Gentiles equally with souls of the house of Israel. "The promise," said Peter, "is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Acts 2:3939For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:39). But this divine purpose was still awaiting fulfillment.
The time for its accomplishment now drew near. Peter, who had made the announcement and had quoted Joel's prophecy which was in harmony with it, the keys of the kingdom having been committed to him by the Lord (Matt. 16:1919And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19)), used them to open the door to the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. But as yet the Apostle of the Gentiles was unknown to the apostles. The hour having come, however, for Gentiles to be saved and to be made one with those who had been Jews, the servant especially chosen to evangelize them was converted. Until that time he had been most zealous for the law, and the determined opponent of the Lord Jesus and His disciples. He, Paul, now became a most marked example of grace, and was a chosen vessel to bear Christ's name before Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel (Acts 9:1515But 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: (Acts 9:15)). While still on the ground near Damascus, Paul, separated for that work from the womb (Gal. 1:15, 1615But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: (Galatians 1:15‑16)), was made acquainted by Christ Himself with the special service to which he was appointed (Acts 26:16, 1716But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, (Acts 26:16‑17)). Still the hour was not yet come for him to go forth on that mission. Later on, in the temple at Jerusalem, while in a trance, he received his instructions to depart unto the Gentiles (Acts 22:2121And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. (Acts 22:21)). Henceforth he was to be known as their apostle (Rom. 11:1313For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: (Romans 11:13)).
What a mission was this! Gentiles, as such, formed the special sphere of his work, a sphere bounded only by the confines of the habitable earth in its truest and widest sense. The Romans viewed their empire as reaching the boundaries of the habitable earth (Luke 2:11And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (Luke 2:1)). The limits of Paul's field of labors reached far beyond that. Wherever any of the human race were found who were not of the seed of Jacob, Paul was commissioned to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. What a field, and what a message! Grace was thus displayed in a double way. Paul was a most wonderful example of grace. The persecutor of the Church, most zealous for the law, became the most ardent champion of grace and the conserver of the liberty of those who had once been Gentiles (Gal. 5:11Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1)). Paul as well as the eleven could go to the Jews. However, his special work was among Gentiles, who were no longer hidden in darkness as outside the circle of divine favor. Those once far off shared in it equally with those who were nigh (Eph. 2:1313But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)).
But Paul had another line of service entrusted to him, and the field for that was only bounded by the
number of the true saints of God on earth. It was
given to him "to enlighten all with the knowledge of what is the administration of the mystery hidden throughout the ages in God, who has created all things." Eph. 3:99And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Ephesians 3:9) J.N.D. Trans. For evangelistic purposes the Gentiles were Paul's field of labor; for teaching the dispensation of the Mystery, he was to have all saints as his audience. Paul was a minister of the gospel and a minister of the Church (Col. 1:23-2523If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 24Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: 25Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Colossians 1:23‑25)). Wherever a Gentile was found, there was one to whom Paul could preach the unsearchable riches of the Christ. Wherever a saint was met with, there was one whom he was to enlighten as to the dispensation of the mystery, till then hid in God who created all things.
Gentiles heard the glad tidings and rejoiced (Acts 13:4848And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)). Saints too must have received with interest the unfolding of the dispensation of the mystery. Has every Christian who reads these lines entered into something of what this second ministry of Paul really was? There was a mystery, now revealed, which concerned equally all the saints of God. Are all willing to hear about it, and to be instructed in it? But are only human beings interested in it? It is true, they alone share in the blessings connected with it. There is, however, another order of beings who feel an interest in the unfolding of it, namely, the angelic powers in the heavenlies, who learn by the Church the manifold wisdom of God.
What scenes have they witnessed! They saw earth emerge out of chaos at the command of the Almighty, and prepared by Him for the introduction into this scene of an entirely new creature—man—who was created on the sixth day (Gen. 1:2727So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27)). They attended God at the giving of the law (Acts 7:5353Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. (Acts 7:53)). The heavenly group praised God at the birth of the Lord Jesus. They ministered to Him in the wilderness; one of them strengthened Him in the garden. He was seen of angels while in life; His tomb was watched by them after His resurrection. He whom they worshipped and obeyed as God, they saw in human form as a man, and witnessed His death on the cross. They were familiar with the creation of man, the incarnation of the Son of God, His life of dependence on God and His death of shame and suffering. But now a new thing was disclosed to them by the Church. He as man was Head in heaven of a body which was on earth, united to Him in the closest way. Of this wonderful truth the angels learned from the Church of God. He had ascended up to heaven, angels, authorities and powers being made subject to Him and those very angelic powers learned that as man He was not complete without His body.
What a ministry then was that which was entrusted to Paul, concerning all Gentiles, all saints, and all angels. To no one else was such grace given. How fully Paul felt the grace of it! How far has each true Christian understood and entered into the subjects of it?