We can look at all the "firsts" in their contexts
Jesus said,
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And so Peter says (beginning at Jerusalem)
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord
And continues saying
Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Still at Jerusalem
Stephen preaching (as unto the Jew first) beginning at Jerusalem where Paul (then called Saul) was standing consenting to his death
Acts 22:20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
Just before Saul received his sight, the Lord told Ananias who was hesitent to go to Saulto lay hands on him (because of his previous persecution towards the church) the Lord said to him
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel
And even Paul said here
Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
And so the Jew first, then to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16) and so "lo, we turn to the Gentiles"
Acts 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
And the gospel he declared
1 Cr 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1 Cr 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1 Cr 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1 Cr 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Cr 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1 Cr 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1 Cr 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1 Cr 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
1 Cr 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1 Cr 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
1 Cr 15:11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Paul speaking of himself said,
1 Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1 Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
1 Ti 1:14 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1 Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Of this longsuffering Paul speaks of, Peter also writes of the same saying
2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
So in Paul first Jesus was shewing forth all longsuffering as a pattern to them which would believe on him thereafter even as Peter also mentions the longsuffering of the Lord which Paul had wrote unto them. And because Saul persecuted the church of Christ, which is his body, even as the Lord appeared to him saying Saul Saul, why persecutest thou ME?
I cannot say I am following where you are going with this one Doug, so I will leave off from this discussion since I don't think I can add anything more to what I have already posted. And because I have nothing to go on than what you say is so on the thing.
