“Therefore, whether it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:11‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

They are the apostles. So whether it was Paul or the apostles that proclaimed the Gospel to us the most important thing is that we have believed. So it does not matter how we heard the gospel it is most important that we responded to the Holy Spirit’s leading to the Gospel. 

“Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:”

‭‭John‬ ‭16:7-8‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/jhn.16.7-8.hcsb

We are not saved because of Billy’s or Peter’s or Paul’s message. We are saved because we have heard Jesus’ message. 

“What I am saying is this: Each of you says, “I’m with Paul,” or “I’m with Apollos,” or “I’m with Cephas,” or “I’m with Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name?”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:12-13‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/1co.1.12-13.hcsb

“For whenever someone says, “I’m with Paul,” and another, “I’m with Apollos,” are you not unspiritual people? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:4-8‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/1co.3.4-8.hcsb

Paul had a purpose to accomplish in God’s work in the early Chruch, Apollos had his work, Peter and the apostles had their work. They have passed down the message to the next generation and through the power of God, it has remained intact all the way to us. Now the torch has been handed to us to proclaim the good news to the next generation of pre-Christians. It is our job to plant seeds of the word of God. It is our job to water those seeds in the life of the hearer. But It is still God’s job to cause those seeds to grow. We just have to be faithful to speak the words God gives us to speak. 

What if Paul received Jesus on the way to Damascus but never went out to preach to the Gentiles? Then Aquilla and Pricilla would have never heard the truth from Paul. If they never would have believed then Apollos would have never been told the whole truth of the Gospel. 

“After this, he left Athens and went to Corinth, where he found a Jewish man named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them, and being of the same occupation, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.

So Paul, having stayed on for many days, said good-bye to the brothers and sailed away to Syria. Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because he had taken a vow.

A Jew named Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was powerful in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught the things about Jesus accurately, although he knew only John’s baptism. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained the way of God to him more accurately.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭18:1-4, 18, 24-26‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/act.18.1-4,18,24-26.hcsb

This is one example of what would have happened if Paul had not begun to speak the gospel to those whom God called him to preach. 

What about us. What would have happened if we have never heard the message of Jesus? Where would we be? Who would not be a Christian because we never became a Christian? More than likely if we were to trace back our spiritual family tree it would go all the way back to Paul and then Jesus.

I want to trace another spiritual tree real quick to read the whole story go here.

http://www.travisagnew.org/2013/07/22/the-chain-of-events-for-billy-grahams-conversion/

Billy Graham heard the message from Mordecai Ham. Who heard it from Billy Sunday. Who heard it from Wilbur Chapman. Who heard it from Dwight L. Moody. Who heard it from Edward Kimball who was Moody’s Sunday school teacher. So what if Edward Kimball would have never reached out to Moody with the gospel? Billy Grahm would have never had the opportunity to reach 2.2 Million people with the Message of Jesus. 

Has your Spiritual Family tree stoped with you or does it keep spreading out to more people?

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:5‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/jhn.15.5.hcsb