That scenario is also not remotely my construction on reality.
Nor is it the Biblical one.
I don't think the NT makes any kind of pecking order remotely clear. There will likely be one in Heaven . . . but it probably won't matter there, either--even less than it matters here.
Paul contributed immeasureably to the early Church. Good things. Of course, his training and purifying experiences in the wilderness were no doubt crucial.
And, he continued to endure hardships most of us would terminally cringe at imagining.
But hey, throwing rocks at Paul must tickle God's heart greatly. /sar
What are hardships when one has faith? There are only two possibilities. We either know God will provide us sanctuary or He will abandon us. I know the first is true as I have experienced it more than once. Through His actions He has earned my faith and following.
I don't believe you and I are far apart, although you may be more accepting of certain individuals. I too, was almost struck by lightning. The brilliant, flash of white, the heat upon you as if your face were on fire, enveloped by the sound of thunder, hair standing on end and the feeling of ants crawling upon your skin as the electricity bounds you? Perhaps I should start sending letter to the congregation and telling how to change things.
I could start by telling them to end the practice of women reading the Bible on the altar. Perhaps I could tell the Vatican to divest the stocks in condom companies and birth control pill manufacturers and arms companies and getting out of the business of business and back into the business of religion. Perhaps I should tell them to elect a young man to the Papacy with the strength and fortitude to face the muslim threat?