I Corinthians 15:8 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 15:8 Commentary: Paul’s ‘Abortion’ and Undeserved Grace
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does Paul mean by calling himself ‘one born out of due time’? This study examines the Greek term ektroma and its implications for apostleship and grace.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul sees himself as an unworthy, late addition to the apostolic witness, emphasizing God’s grace by contrasting it with his own lowliness.
- Key words: ektroma (abortion/stillborn); eschaton (last); ōphthē (appeared, divine passive).
- Main debate: Whether the metaphor highlights sudden conversion (Calvin, Gill) or unworthiness from persecution (Barnes, Wesley).
- Theological theme: God’s grace is most evident when the recipient is least deserving.
- Best use: Preaching or teaching on redemption, humility, and the call of unlikely people.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth.
WEB World English Bible 2000
and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
KJV King James Version 1769
And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And last of all--as to the untimely birth--he appeared also to me,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and last of all, as to an abortion, he appeared to me also.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And last of all, he was seen also by me, as by one born out of due tine.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y el postrero de todos, como á un abortivo, me apareció á mí.
E por último de todos também foi visto por mim, como que a um nascido fora do tempo.
Après eux tous, il m’ est aussi apparu à moi, comme à l’ avorton;
Am letzten ist er auch von mir, einer unzeitigen Geburt gesehen worden.
En ten laatste van allen is Hij ook van mij, als van een ontijdig geborene, gezien.
e, ultimo di tutti, apparve anche a me, come all’aborto;
A na ostatek po wszystkich ukazał się i mnie, jako poronionemu płodowi.
а после всех явился и мне, как некоему извергу.
末了 也 顯給我看；我如同 未到產期而生的人一般。
And last of all, as by one whose birth was out of the right time, he was seen by me.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 15:8
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Paul uses a deliberately harsh image to express his profound unworthiness. The Greek word ektroma (ἔκτρωμα) means an abortion or stillborn embryo, not merely a premature birth. Vincent notes that it appears only here in the New Testament and in the Septuagint for nephel, a dead foetus. Barnes argues Paul applies it to himself because he once persecuted the church, making him like “something vile, loathsome, unworthy.” Wesley says no one could abase himself more. Calvin and Gill emphasize the suddenness of his conversion: like an infant wrenched from the womb before its time, Paul was called before being formed by years with Christ. The Cambridge Bible adds the metaphor conveys something violent and strange. The consensus is clear: Paul is not just being modest; he is claiming that compared to the other apostles, he had no natural place in their ranks. His inclusion is pure anomaly, and therefore pure grace.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Emphasis on sudden conversion: Calvin and Gill argue that the metaphor mirrors Paul’s violent, instantaneous call on the Damascus road, parallel to a premature birth forced before the proper time.
- Emphasis on unworthiness and persecution: Barnes, Vincent and Wesley hold that the term highlights Paul’s moral condition as a persecutor; an abortion is loathsome, and Paul feels loathsome for harming the church.
- Emphasis on late addition to the apostolic college: Grotius (via JFB and Gill) and Clarke connect the term to Roman political language for extra senators; Paul was a supernumerary apostle added after the original group was complete.
What is clear: Paul is expressing profound humility and acknowledging that his apostleship is undeserved, abnormal, and entirely the product of God’s grace.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Focus of the metaphor | Paul uses the term to express his low self-esteem and abnormal path to apostleship. | Some see the emphasis on suddenness (Calvin, Gill, Cambridge Bible), others on his moral unworthiness as a persecutor (Barnes, Wesley, Vincent). |
| Possible reference to Roman political usage | The term may have been used for illegally added senators. | Clarke examined Suetonius for this but found no such epithet; Gill refers to the idea but does not confirm it. Most commentators (Barnes, Vincent) reject or ignore this connection. |
| Literal vs metaphorical reading | Paul is not referring to his physical appearance or a nickname from enemies. | A minority view (Wetstein, noted by Barnes) suggested <em>ektroma</em> meant small stature; nearly all modern commentators reject this. The metaphor is widely understood as self-abasement. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First Corinthians was written to a church in a wealthy, morally lax port city. Paul addresses a denial of the resurrection by some there (1 Cor 15:12). To counter this, he recites a chain of resurrection witnesses: Peter, the Twelve, five hundred brothers, James, all the apostles, then, last of all, himself. The list establishes the resurrection as an attested fact. Paul’s placement at the end is intentional: his encounter on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3, 6) occurred long after the others, well after Christ’s ascension.
The term ektroma carries a brutal force. In Greek medical writers like Hippocrates and Aristotle, it meant a dead abortion. In Jewish Scripture it translates the Hebrew nephel, a stillborn child, the most pitiable of human remains (Job 3:16; Ps 58:8; Eccl 6:3). Roman writers occasionally used abortivus for someone improperly added to a governing body (Clarke mentions Suetonius, though he finds no such epithet). Gill and Grotius pick up this idea: Paul saw himself as a supernumerary apostle, a late addition not entitled to the office.
The literary context is crucial. Paul has just listed six groups of witnesses; now he includes himself, but with a qualifier that nearly cancels the honor. He is the abortion among apostles. The phrase “last of all” (eschaton de pantōn) means both chronologically last and utterly least. His confession in verse 9, “I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle”, ties the metaphor directly to his past as a persecutor. Early Christian readers would hear the self-accusation as extraordinary; in a culture obsessed with honor, Paul volunteers the lowest possible status.
This is not false humility. Paul is saying that whenever God appoints someone by sheer, unexpected grace, the normal rules do not apply. His apostleship is an exception that proves the rule that God chooses the unworthy.
Textual Notes
The Greek text of 1 Corinthians 15:8 is stable across all major manuscripts, with no significant variant readings. The word ektroma appears only here in the New Testament, and the construction hōsperei tō ektromati (ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι) is consistently attested. No textual issues alter the meaning or interpretation of the verse.
Reception History
Early church writers such as Chrysostom and Augustine saw in this verse a model of apostolic humility: Paul’s willingness to use an offensive term about himself silenced critics and magnified grace. Medieval commentators often allegorised the “untimely birth” as the church born from the side of Christ, but Paul’s personal application remained central. Reformers like Calvin and Luther seized on the verse to argue that ministry depends on God’s call, not human merit. In the Methodist tradition, Wesley and Clarke used the passage to confront pride and to assure the penitent that no past disqualifies them from God’s service. Modern evangelical preaching frequently cites this verse when discussing redemption from a troubled past. The vividness of the term continues to unsettle readers, which is precisely Paul’s intent: grace that raises an abortion can raise anyone.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The last witness. Paul places himself at the tail of a chain of credible witnesses, emphasizing that his call came after Christ’s ascension and after the foundation of the apostolic community.
- The abortion metaphor. Paul calls himself an ektroma, a stillborn, a non-entity. This is not a humble-brag but a confession that his apostleship defies nature; it could only be the work of God.
- Grace that overrides unworthiness. The term points to God’s grace, not Paul’s virtue. Grace does not polish a worthy candidate; it resurrects the dead.
Five-point outline
- Paul’s place in the witness list, “last of all”, he is both the final chronological witness and the least qualified.
- The meaning of ektroma, an abortion: violent, unexpected, incomplete, unworthy of the name “apostle.”
- Why Paul chooses this image, to highlight his past as a persecutor (v. 9) and the sheer impossibility of his conversion.
- What the metaphor does not mean, it is not about his physical appearance or a slur from enemies; it is his own self-verdict.
- How grace functions, God’s power is most visible when the object is most unworthy. Paul’s labour “more than all of them” is not self-praise but the overflow of grace (v. 10).
Illustration hooks
- A person with a criminal record being hired for a position that usually requires a clean background, the scandal of second chances.
- An athlete disqualified for doping but later reinstated on appeal; the team must decide whether to welcome them back.
- Someone who comes to faith late in life and feels they missed the chance to serve in meaningful ways.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is my past too bad for God to use me in any important way?”
- “What does it mean that an ‘abortion’ can be an apostle? Does that make the office less holy?”
- “If Paul saw Christ, why does that matter for us who have not seen him?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us to consider why Paul describes his own calling in such stark terms. The image is shocking, but it reveals something about how God works through people whom the world, or even the church, might dismiss. Use these questions to help your group move from what Paul says to what it means for their own lives.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Corinthians 15:3, 8. Why do you think Paul includes a list of witnesses before mentioning himself? What does it add to his argument?
- Paul uses the Greek word ektroma, a stillborn child or an abortion. Why such a harsh term? How does it make you feel to hear an apostle describe himself this way?
- Compare verse 8 with verse 9: “I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle.” How does the metaphor connect to his reason for feeling unworthy?
- Some commentators say Paul emphasizes the suddenness of his conversion (Calvin, Gill); others say he emphasizes his unworthiness as a persecutor (Barnes, Wesley). Which view do you find more convincing, and why?
- In verse 10, Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” How does this statement change the meaning of the “abortion” metaphor? Does grace compensate for the abnormality, or does it work through it?
- Think of a time you felt like an “abortion”, someone who didn’t belong or shouldn’t have been chosen. How does Paul’s example speak to that experience?
- If Paul can be an apostle despite his past, what does that mean for people in your church who feel disqualified by their history?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Acts 9:3 | As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. |
| Acts 9:6 | But rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.” |
| Acts 9:17 | Ananias departed and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” |
| Acts 18:9 | The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Don’t be afraid, but speak and don’t be silent; |
| Acts 22:14 | He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. |
| Acts 22:18 | and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’ |
| Acts 26:16 | But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you; |
| I Corinthians 9:1 | Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that Paul, having seen Christ only in a post-resurrection vision, stood outside the original twelve apostles. The phrase "born out of due time" points not to a late birth but to being an extra, additional apostle, like a senator appointed beyond the normal number.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that Paul's phrase "as one born out of due time" does not refer to being late to see Jesus, but to feeling utterly vile and unworthy. Paul compares himself to an abortion, a thing loathsome and unfit, because of his past persecution of the church.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads Paul's "one born prematurely" as a reference to his sudden conversion. Unlike the other apostles, who were formed over time under Christ's earthly ministry, Paul was violently brought into the apostolic body before he was ready, making his calling a clear act of undeserved grace.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the Greek phrase Paul uses for "born out of due time" describes an unnatural, violent birth. This fits Paul's sudden, unprecedented conversion. The word also suggests something small and weak, which matches Paul's self-description as the least of the apostles in the next verse.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And last of all he was seene also of me, as of one borne out of due time.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on Paul's unusual phrase "born out of due time," interpreting it as an abortion or miscarriage. This highlights how sudden and unexpected Paul's conversion was, and how unworthy he felt. Gill also notes that Christ's appearance to Paul was a physical vision from heaven, not merely a spiritual experience.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws on Grotius to explain Paul's self-description as one "born out of due time" as a premature infant — puny, underdeveloped, barely viable. Paul means his sudden Damascus road conversion made him an apostle by irregular, abrupt divine intervention, unlike the others who came to faith through a longer, natural process.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that the Corinthians were not merely confused about the resurrection but flatly denied it, whether by twisting it into allegory or rejecting it as unreasonable. He insists the resurrection is a literal, future reality tied to God's recompense, not a symbolic change of life or a past event.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent argues that the Greek word Paul uses for himself means a stillborn fetus, not simply one born late or out of due time. He connects the phrase with Christ’s appearance to Paul, not with the expression “last of all.” Paul emphasizes his spiritually unformed condition at conversion, like a dead embryo next to living apostles.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Paul could not have abased himself any further than with this one term. Calling himself an "untimely birth" places him below the status of a man, so he claims he is unworthy even of the name apostle.