An Interview With the Apostle Paul

(Part 2)

by Bryan Gibson

Question: Would you comment on the very popular doctrine, once saved, always saved?

Paul: That doctrine certainly didn’t come from me or any of the other apostles; and if it didn’t come from us, it didn’t come from Jesus, because we are His spokesmen. Christians can fall from grace (Galatians 5:4; 1 Corinthians 10:12), and that includes ME! One of my fears was that I would do all this preaching to others and then be lost myself (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Question: Are you pleased with the fact that we now have many different denominations teaching many different doctrines?

Paul: How could I be pleased with something like that? There is only one church or body, composed of all faithful followers of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:16; 4:4; Colossians 1:18; 2 Timothy 2:19). Now, if you’re talking about local churches, there are of course many, but they should be teaching and practicing the same doctrine. When I traveled to different churches, I always taught the same thing in every church (1 Corinthians 4:17). I then warned those churches not to teach or practice anything different than what I and other inspired men had taught them (Galatians 1:6-9). When divisions began to develop in Corinth, here is what I wrote to them: “Now I plead with your brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Question: Could you tell us some people who have meant a lot to you in your lifetime?

Paul: I couldn’t possibly name them all, but I will mention a few. Barnabas, Silas, and Luke—companions of mine at various times on my preaching journeys; John Mark, who left us on our first preaching journey (Acts 13:13), but later became very useful to me in my ministry Colossians 4:10-11; 2 Timothy 4:11); Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchrae, who helped many people, including me (Romans 16:1-2); Aquila and Priscilla, who among other things, risked their necks for me (Romans 16:3-4); Timothy, who was like a son to me, and who had a genuine concern for others (Philippians 2:19-22); Titus, who brought me great comfort when I was downcast (2 Corinthians 7:6-7); Epaphroditus, who ministered to me while I was in prison (Philippians 2:25-30); and Onesiphorus, who often refreshed me by the many different ways he ministered to me (2 Timothy 1:16-18). I thank God for these brethren, and for many more just like them. What a fellowship we have in the Lord!

Question: In last week’s interview, you talked about the blessings of being a Christian. Surely there have been some hardships, too.

Paul: Oh, without question. You’ll find a long list of my hardships in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. But you won’t hear me complaining, and I’ll tell you why. First, when you do anything for Christ’s sake, you should rejoice, not complain (Philippians 1:29). Secondly, much of what I suffered was for the good of others (2 Timothy 2:10), so how could I grumble about that? Thirdly, these hardships actually helped me—they made me stronger spiritually (Romans 5:3-4). Fourthly, in comparison to eternity, these hardships last for only a moment (2 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Peter 1:6). And finally, while some may consider my hardships severe, I consider them light—light when compared to the eternal weight of glory. When I think about the glory ahead, these hardships just don’t seem like a big deal at all (Romans 8:18).