Hi Zuriel. Then.....why the need for Paul? Judas had been replaced by Matthias and the contingent was back to twelve. Why the need for Barnabas, Luke , Mark, Timothy.....the list goes on.
After the birth of the church, the Light unto Gentiles was available. Philip went down to the city of Samaria in Acts 8, preached the gospel, and baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus. Peter and John were sent to them, prayed and laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
This particular Phillip was the Phillip you see in [Acts 6:5] And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch. This Philip was not one of the Twelve.....and you can see the problems that ensued when he called for help from Peter and John [Acts 8:17 who had been instructed not to go there [Matthew 10:5].
Peter entered into a Gentile house, that of Cornelius.
Peter was not called to evangelize Cornelius as Cornelius was already a God fearing man [Acts 10:2] Peter was sent to Cornelius by the Holy Spirit for a special reason. To show that the way was open for the Gentiles also....to believe and receive eternal life. [Acts 10:45] Paul had not yet been chosen to be the Apostle to the Gentiles.
I have never said that the Gentiles were not worthy of salvation. My only claim is that the original twelve and then eleven were instructed not to go there. Stop and think. Why would our Lord choose Twelve? Why would he instruct them not to go among the Gentiles.....and then all of a sudden it was O.K.? He wanted them to go to the Twelve tribes of Israel....and in fact He says it on more than one occasion. He makes sure they all understand that the Gentiles are to receive salvation also.....and then he selects Paul!
**why the need for Paul?**
I believe there are two very obvious reasons Paul was sent to Asia minor.
1. He was born and raised there (as was Timothy), and was well educated in more than one language. (I think Barnabas, of Cyprus, was comparable in international experience.)
2. His shelf life was not good in Jerusalem.
**you can see the problems that ensued when he (Philip)called for help from Peter and John**
No problem there, Peter was given the keys to the kingdom. He had to be present (opening the doors, so to speak) when the three main groups of people were filled with the Holy Ghost. Jews-Acts 2; Samaritans-Acts 8; and Gentiles-Acts 10.
**Cornelius was already a God fearing man**
So was Nicodemas; but was told, by the Lord, that he needed to be born again.
(multi-tasking overload; gotta go, be back tomorrow to see if this hits 2,000)