Question from a reader:

In a Q&A on your website about who we will rule over on the New Earth, you write, “Paul will be in a position of greater leadership than most of us, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be inaccessible.” What did you base that on? If the greatest will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven, it seems like the street sweeper would be in a position of greater leadership, and Paul would be in a lesser one.

Answer from Randy Alcorn:

I said this about Paul not because of his breadth of influence, but his great faithfulness. When Jesus told His disciples that they would rule over the tribes of Israel, it could appear to be favoritism because of the fact that they were among the twelve. But He had more in mind than that, I think. What Jesus said about the greatest and the least does not mean the greatest will have no reward and all the least will all have rewards. (A poor and unknown person can be faithless.)

Jesus said there was no one greater than John the Baptist, but I’m confident that doesn’t mean John the Baptist will have no eternal rewards. Jesus is correcting the false ideas that the prestigious, the wealthy, the well known, the smartest, strongest, and most fortunate deserve more rewards than the faithful who are unknown. The faithful street sweeper is in God’s eyes far greater than the faithless apostle, but of course, some apostles are faithful and some street sweepers are faithless.

When I look at Paul, I see a very well-known person who will be rewarded not because he was well known or because the world considers him great, but because God looks at his life of profound sacrifice and faithfulness and considers him great. The Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). That’s my take on it.