First Corinthians 1:1 in the King James Version says this:
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ
through the will of God...
All other popular versions of the Bible say the same thing, with one exception.
The Joseph Smith Translation words it this way:
Paul, an apostle, called of Jesus Christ
through the will of God...
It seems clear to me that Paul is trying to make the point that JESUS called Paul to be an apostle.
It happened obviously on the road to Damascus. Literally called him with His own voice. It was direct and there was no middle man. Just like with the first 12 apostles. Just like with Moses and all true prophets. GOD calls them face to face.
Now someone out there is going to point out the story of replacing Judas Iscariot. After Judas took his own life the 13th apostle (Matthias) was chosen by casting lots. That was not done like the original 12, or like Paul, but the two candidates were men who had seen JESUS. The key factor is GOD made his will known and the apostle had to be someone who had literally been in CHRIST's presence and almost certainly had heard His voice.
As an aside, casting lots can be a way for those of us who have not yet spoken with CHRIST to get information from Him. It you do not think so, ask yourself why Nephi and his brothers used the method to determine which of them would approach Laban first in an attempt to obtain the Brass Plates. If it is good enough for GOD to pick an apostle, then it should be good enough for us.
By the way, CHRIST can pick as many apostles as He wants. I am convinced that his wife Mary, counts as the First apostle of His resurrection. She was the first person to see him after he conquered death and made it possible for all of us sinners to live again. That is not a coincidence.
Paul's call was not a feeling or prompting given to Peter, Jacob (James), and John in Jerusalem and then passed on to the Jewish Christians. Paul was not chosen like the Utah version of Mormonism because he was a sycophant from Utah who was related to someone already in the quorum via the diluted bloodlines of polygamy.
GOD knows what He is doing. I am sure when the general membership found out later that JESUS had made Saul/Paul His newest witness, there were some fools who left the flock. The point is that JESUS chose Paul and He was not worried about the fallout. CHRIST knew that Paul was fearless and tireless. By adding the Holy Spirit to the mix, He would get one of the greatest missionaries of all time. JESUS knew that He would lose a few weak goats in Israel and gain hundreds (hopefully thousands) of new sheep in the Roman Empire.
GOD uses the best way to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of the greatest number of his children. And he does not care if it hurts your feelings. He knows that emotion is not truth. He knows our hearts better than we know them. Trust GOD, even if what He is doing does not make sense to you at the time. It will make sense eventually.
