1 Cor. 15-16 CSB
“Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me. For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 15:8-10
What great Providence of God that we would be in 1 Corinthians 15 on this very Easter Sunday. This chapter is one of the greatest on the resurrection in the entire bible. An entire theology of the resurrection can be found here where Paul describes all the reasons why the resurrection is legitimate and necessary for our faith. His main point is that if the resurrection did not occur then we are all striving in vain. The power of this resurrection is what kept Paul going in his apostolic ministry, and it is what he encouraged the Corinthians to lean on in the very last verse of the chapter; “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that in Him your labor is not in vain.”
This chapter is some of Paul’s most eloquent theology. We are often tempted to think of him as the greatest of all apostles and the one who wrote much of the New Testament. Yet, Paul would never describe himself in that way. In his mind, he was the least of all the apostles and not worthy to be called one. Why is that the case? Well, like most of us, Paul was harder on himself than anyone else, and the specter of his past haunted him his entire life. He remembered his complicity in the death of Stephen and all of the people he persecuted before he was saved. He also realizes that what was at work for good in him was not anything that he can take credit for but it was instead all because of the grace of God.
However, the most telling indictment he makes on himself is the phrase “one born at the wrong time.” In Greek, it is the term (tw ektrwmati) “ektromati” and it is a special word that refers to more than just one who was “born at the wrong time.” In reality, it is used to describe a stillbirth, a miscarriage; something that is born twisted, deformed and incapable of sustaining life on its own. Paul is saying that he is the last person on the planet who could expect the honor of having the resurrected Lord appear to him. Paul knew his past, he could look into his heart and he knew that he deserved absolutely nothing from Jesus. And, yet, even though he was “ektromati” Jesus still appeared to him… one who is the least of all and not worthy to be called an apostle… one who cannot even exist, much less accomplish anything, apart from His Grace. That is the message of Easter; He died for those who don’t deserve it and He rose again and reveals Himself to those who don’t deserve it, so that His grace may work mightily through those who don’t deserve it.
