The name “Saul,” meaning “request and demand,” implies that even after Saul was saved his life was one of seeking and pursuing (Acts 9). Within a few days after Saul was baptized in Damascus, “he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, that this One is the Son of God. And all who heard him were amazed… But Saul was all the more empowered, and he confounded the Jews dwelling in Damascus by proving that this One is the Christ” (Acts 9:20-22). The result of Saul's zealous preaching, however, was not so positive. In Damascus the Jews took counsel to kill him (v. 23). In Jerusalem all the disciples feared Saul, not believing that he was a disciple, but Barnabas led Saul to the apostles (vv. 26-27). Then while Saul was with the apostles he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord (v. 28). He spoke and disputed with the Hellenists, but the result was that the Hellenists attempted to do away with him (v. 29). All of this indicates that Saul's seeking and pursuing were probably filled with fleshly strength. The very meaning of his name, “request and demand”, implies that Saul was demanding God to do things according to his own way.

According to the Bible Saul's name was changed to “Paul” after he was sent out by the Lord to preach the gospel. It occurred during his first journey (Acts 13:9). Saul may have been considering changing his name for a long period of time. He had already gained a number of rich experiences. At his conversion on the way to Damascus he had received heavenly visions (Acts 9:3-6; 22:6-11; 26:12-19). While in the Arabian wilderness he had gained the rich speaking of the Lord in the truth (Gal. 1:17). Through being persecuted in Damascus (Acts 9:23-25; 2 Cor. 11:32-33) and in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26-29) he had experienced Christ in his sufferings. In Jerusalem he had enjoyed a rich fellowship with the apostles (Gal. 1:18). In Antioch he had enjoyed the sweet fellowship of the church life (Acts 11:25-30). Eventually he had even received the speaking of the Lord to be sent out to do the Lord's work (Acts 13:1-4).

However, on this first journey Saul experienced a particular incident which revealed to him what constituted the strength of the world (Acts 13:5-12). Saul met two men, Bar-jesus and Sergius Paulus. Bar-jesus was a Jewish false prophet and a magician. Although he was a false prophet he represented the world of orthodox religion, in this case Judaism. He even had a respectable name, “Bar-jesus,” which means “the son of Jesus.” This person was joined with Sergius Paulus, a councilman, representing the world of politics. The name “Sergius” means “the earth-born wonder,” which indicates that his political power came from an earthly source. The association between the false Jewish prophet and the earthly politician in this section of Acts implies that false religion leads earthly politics and is, in fact, more powerful than politics. The world of politics is under the influence of the world of religion. Saul's experience with these two men helped him to realize that there exists a realm of politics and religion which constitutes the strength of the world. In this realm someone representing the orthodox religion, having a proper name (“Bar-jesus”) yet actually practicing his religion in falsehood, could influence someone of the earth (“Sergius”). Orthodox religion, which is without the reality of Christ, is even more powerful than politics on this earth. This entire incident must have caused Saul to realize that the two most powerful things on earth are religion and politics.

Saul further realized that he had been called by Jesus Christ to be an anti-testimony to the realm of Bar-jesus and Sergius Paulus. At this point he probably decided that he could no longer call himself “Saul.” He could no longer be the “demanding” seeker of God according to his fleshly strength. Instead he would change his name to “Paul,” meaning “little,” and become someone who was “little” in the eyes of God and men. According to the Greek root of the word, “Paul” also means “to stop, to cease.” This describes what Paul would practice all his life: “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

Paul was outside of the realm of Bar-jesus (religion with its falsehood) and of Sergius Paulus (earth-bound politics). Paul had become a servant of the Lord. According to his own estimation he was only “little,” and even his operation was with little usefulness. Thus he could say concerning himself, “To me, less that the least of all saints, was this grace given to announce to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel” (Eph. 3:8). He testified, “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor. 15:9). He declared, “...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. But because of this I was shown mercy, that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ might display all His long-suffering for a pattern to those who are to believe on Him unto eternal life” (1 Tim. 1:15b-16). No matter how much Paul accomplished in his operation, according to his own estimation he was always a “little” person.

The Greek word for apostle is “apostolos” (apostolos). In ancient times “apostolos” referred to a naval fleet carrying supplies that was sent out for a mission (Kittle). It is significant that the “apostolos” took no initiative of its own, nor did it authorize the mission. This definition of “apostolos” implies that the apostles in the New Testament were sent out by the Lord with a mission. Furthermore, they were richly supplied to accomplish that mission. Yet these apostles did not initiate their mission, nor did they have the power to make any commands by themselves. All initiation and all power came from the One who sent them. In Eph. 1:1 Paul used the phrase, “an apostle of Christ Jesus.” According to Greek grammar, the word “apostle” is used with the genitive case “of Christ Jesus,” which indicates that the source of Paul's apostleship was Christ Jesus. The Lord initiated the sending of Paul, and gave him all the power necessary to be an apostle.

The Greek word for “apostle” denotes not only the naval fleet itself, but also the operation of that navy. Of course, a navy operates on the sea, not on the land. In the Bible the sea spiritually signifies the kingdom of darkness, which is the realm of death. The apostles were commissioned to fight a spiritual battle. They were sent into the kingdom of darkness to pioneer for the Lord's interest. It was in the midst of this kingdom of darkness that the spiritual riches within the apostles were manifested, testified, and dispensed into others. For this reason, when Paul was first saved he was sent to the Gentiles and charged by the Lord to “open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

This understanding of “apostle,” as referring to a naval fleet carrying supplies for a mission, has four implications. Firstly, a healthy apostle must have a clear calling, purpose, commitment, and direction from the Lord Himself, as one who has been sent on a mission. Secondly, an apostle must be a person equipped with heavenly riches in life and in truth for the sake of his operation, comparable to a richly-supplied naval fleet. Thirdly, an apostle must have the ability to protect and to conquer. For the apostle to “protect” means that he must shepherd and guard the churches. For the apostle to “conquer” means that he must raise up new churches for God's economy. Fourthly, because the word “apostle” refers not to a single ship but rather to a naval fleet, the apostle must realize that he is part of a corporate entity, an apostleship, and his entire operation is exercised corporately, not as an individual.

Paul was an apostle according to this pattern. Firstly, from the moment when Paul was saved, at the very beginning of his Christian life, the Lord clearly called him with a purpose and a commitment. The Lord told him, “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a minister and a witness both of the things in which you have seen Me and of the things in which I will appear to you” (Acts 26:16). Secondly, Paul was richly equipped with the heavenly riches in life and truth. He commended himself along with the other apostles: “But in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, …in the word of truth, in the power of God; …as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things” (2 Cor. 6:4-10). Thirdly, Paul was committed with a mission to raise up, shepherd, and protect the churches. Paul said to the elders from Ephesus, “I did not withhold any of those things that are profitable by not declaring them to you and by not teaching you publicly from house to house... I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And from among you yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverted things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not cease admonishing each one with tears” (Acts 20:20, 29-31). Finally, Paul realized that his apostleship was not independent of the other apostles. Paul kept himself in fellowship with ones like James, Cephas, and John who were in Jerusalem (Gal. 2:2-10).

Further insight can be gained by breaking the word “apostolos” into its two components, the Greek words “apo” (apo) and “stello” (stellw). “Apo” (apo) means “from” (Strong, Gk. 575) which implies that the apostle has a master. “Stello” (stellw) has three meanings. First, “stello” means “to set apart and to send” (Thayer). Before he was sent, Paul was set apart by the Lord for a particular purpose. He was drawn out from among mankind in the sense of being “hand-picked” by the Lord. Paul spoke of God setting him apart from his mother's womb (Gal. 1:15). The Lord told Ananias that Paul was “a chosen vessel to Me, to bear My name before both the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15-16). The Lord said to Paul, “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a minister and a witness…” (Acts 26:16-18). Paul was also set apart to pursue the truth in the wilderness, receiving the gospel through a revelation by Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:11-12,15-17). He was set apart to experience the church life (Acts 9:30; 11:25-26). He was set apart, most of all, to be sent to do the Lord's work (Acts 13:2). The Lord set him apart for a special purpose, preparing him with all the riches and all the experiences of life. When the time was ready and Paul was sufficiently equipped, then he was sent out by his Master.

The second meaning of “stello” is “to set in order, to arrange, to fit out, to prepare, to equip, and to prepare one's self” (Thayer). Before being sent out, Paul was trained, furnished, equipped, and prepared, so that he could be of use to the Lord. The third meaning of “stello” is “to cease to exist, to remove one's self, withdraw one's self, to depart and to abstain from familiar interaction with one” (Thayer). In other words, Paul had to remove himself from whatever was from his old life and his old world. Everything that he had considered to be gains in his life before Christ he now considered as loss on account of Christ (Phil. 3:5-11). He was crucified, terminated (Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 15:10). As we have seen, the name “Paul” means “to cease.” For Paul to be an “apostle” also includes the same aspect of “to cease, to withdraw one's self.” This is very significant. Paul's person and constitution (“to cease”) equaled his apostleship (“to cease”). Because Paul's person ceased and became nothing (1 Cor. 15:9-10), he could bear such an apostleship. This is consistent with the divine ways of God. As those who follow the Lord, we must experience a termination, and then we must be reconstituted. Everything of our old life and old world has to go. Then everything of God must be brought for us to be reconstituted. This is God's way with all of us, but it is especially and particularly true of those whom He has set apart as apostles.

The usage of “apostle” in the Old Testament merely meant a naval fleet in the literal sense of the word (both in Hebrew and in the Septuagint-Kittle), and it never had the meaning found in the New Testament. The New Testament usage of this word was produced in the Lord Jesus' ministry when He worked with His disciples. The first use of the word “apostolos” in the New Testament is in Matt. 10:2. It was used by the Lord Jesus in reference to sending His disciples out with authority to preach the gospel. Later, in the book of Acts, this word was strongly used even before Paul began his ministry. Peter, for example, spoke concerning “this ministry and apostleship” in Acts 1:25. When the Lord first used this word the disciples may have had the simple thought of being sent out, just like naval ships, to preach the gospel. But the Lord's understanding was that to be an apostle involved much more than merely being sent out. The Lord had already set apart His twelve apostles with a full realization of the equipping, the preparation, and the training necessary to constitute the twelve with all the riches of life, truth, experiences, and operations. In Matt. 4 the Lord called Peter, Andrew, James and John out of their fathers' occupation. In Matt. 5-7 He taught His disciples the constitution of the heavens. In Matt. 8 the disciples saw the Lord cleanse a leper, heal the centurion's servant and Peter's mother, adjust the views of some who desired to follow Him, rebuke the winds and the seas, and cast out demons from two men. In Matt. 9 the disciples saw the Lord forgive the sins of a paralytic, eat with tax collectors and sinners, and reveal the religious concepts of the disciples of John the Baptist. After bringing His disciples through all of these experiences, the Lord sent them out and gave them authority over the power of Satan and his kingdom (Matt. 10:1). It was only after they were sufficiently equipped that the Lord could send them out as apostles to fulfill His purpose.