1 Corinthians 15:9
New International Version
For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

New Living Translation
For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

English Standard Version
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Berean Standard Bible
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Berean Literal Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

King James Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

New King James Version
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

New American Standard Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

NASB 1995
For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

NASB 1977
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Legacy Standard Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, and not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Amplified Bible
For I am the least [worthy] of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I [at one time] fiercely oppressed and violently persecuted the church of God.

Christian Standard Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

American Standard Version
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For I am the least of the Apostles and I am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Contemporary English Version
I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God's church that I don't even deserve to be called an apostle.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

English Revised Version
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I'm the least of the apostles. I'm not even fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted God's church.

Good News Translation
For I am the least of all the apostles--I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God's church.

International Standard Version
For I am the least of the apostles and not even fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted God's church.

Literal Standard Version
for I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Assembly of God,

Majority Standard Bible
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

New American Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

NET Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

New Revised Standard Version
For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

New Heart English Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Webster's Bible Translation
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Weymouth New Testament
For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not fit to be called an Apostle--because I persecuted the Church of God.

World English Bible
For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.

Young's Literal Translation
for I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I did persecute the assembly of God,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Resurrection of Christ
8And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth. 9For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.…

Cross References
Acts 8:3
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

1 Corinthians 10:32
Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God--

2 Corinthians 12:11
I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those "super-apostles," even though I am nothing.

Ephesians 3:8
Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

1 Timothy 1:15
This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.


Treasury of Scripture

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

the least.

2 Corinthians 11:5
For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

2 Corinthians 12:11
I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

Ephesians 3:7,8
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power…

because.

Acts 8:3
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Acts 9:1
And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

Acts 22:4,5
And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women…

Jump to Previous
Apostle Apostles Assembly Attacks Church Cruel Deserve Fit Least Meet Persecute Persecuted Right Unfit Worthy
Jump to Next
Apostle Apostles Assembly Attacks Church Cruel Deserve Fit Least Meet Persecute Persecuted Right Unfit Worthy
1 Corinthians 15
1. By Christ's resurrection,
12. he proves the necessity of our resurrection,
16. against all such as deny the resurrection of the body.
21. The fruit,
35. and the manner thereof;
51. and of the resurrection of those who shall be found alive at the last day.














(9) For I am the least of the apostles.--Paulus Minimus. Here the mention of his conversion--the thought of what he had been before, what he had become since--leads the Apostle into a digression, occupying this and the next two verses. The two thoughts of his own inherent nothingness and of his greatness by the grace of God are here mingled together in expressions of intense personal feeling. While he was a persecutor he had thought that he was acting for the Church of God; he was really persecuting the Church of God. The Christian Church had completely taken the place of the Jewish Church--not merely abolished it, but superseded it.

Verse 9. - For. This and the next verse are an explanation of the strong and strange term which he had applied to himself. The least of the apostles. In St. Paul there was a true and most deep humility, but no mock modesty. He knew the special gifts which he had received from God. He was well aware that to him had been entrusted the ten talents rather than the one talent. He could appeal to far vaster results than had been achieved by the work of any other apostle. He knew his own importance as "a chosen vessel," a special instrument in God's hands to work out exceptional results. But in himself he always felt, and did not shrink from confessing, that he was "nothing" (2 Corinthians 12:11). The notion that he here alludes to the meaning of his own name (Paulus, connected with παῦρος, φαῦρος, equivalent to "little") is very unlikely. In Ephesians 3:8 he goes further, and calls himself "less than the least of all saints," though even there he claims to have been the special apostle of the Gentiles. Because I persecuted the Church of God. This was the one sin for which, though he knew that God had forgiven him (1 Timothy 1:13), yet he could never quite forgive himself (Galatians 1:13). In my 'Life of St. Paul' I have shown from the language used, that this persecution was probably more deadly than has been usually supposed, involving not only torture, but actual bloodshed (Acts 8:4; Acts 9:1), besides the martyrdom of St. Stephen. We can imagine how such deeds and such scenes would, even after forgiveness, lie like sparks of fire in a sensitive conscience.

"Saints, did I say? with your remembered faces;
Dear men and women whom I sought and slew?
Oh, when I meet you in the heavenly places,
How will I weep to Stephen and to you!"


Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
γάρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

I
Ἐγὼ (Egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

am
εἰμι (eimi)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

least
ἐλάχιστος (elachistos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - Superlative
Strong's 1646: Superlative of elachus; used as equivalent to mikros; least.

of the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

apostles
ἀποστόλων (apostolōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 652: From apostello; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ.

[and]
ὃς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

am
εἰμὶ (eimi)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

unworthy
ἱκανὸς (hikanos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2425: From hiko; competent, i.e. Ample or fit.

to be called
καλεῖσθαι (kaleisthai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Strong's 2564: (a) I call, summon, invite, (b) I call, name. Akin to the base of keleuo; to 'call'.

an apostle,
ἀπόστολος (apostolos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 652: From apostello; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ.

because
διότι (dioti)
Conjunction
Strong's 1360: On this account, because, for. From dia and hoti; on the very account that, or inasmuch as.

I persecuted
ἐδίωξα (ediōxa)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1377: To pursue, hence: I persecute. A prolonged form of a primary verb dio; to pursue; by implication, to persecute.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

church
ἐκκλησίαν (ekklēsian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1577: From a compound of ek and a derivative of kaleo; a calling out, i.e. a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation.

of God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


Links
1 Corinthians 15:9 NIV
1 Corinthians 15:9 NLT
1 Corinthians 15:9 ESV
1 Corinthians 15:9 NASB
1 Corinthians 15:9 KJV

1 Corinthians 15:9 BibleApps.com
1 Corinthians 15:9 Biblia Paralela
1 Corinthians 15:9 Chinese Bible
1 Corinthians 15:9 French Bible
1 Corinthians 15:9 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 15:8
Top of Page
Top of Page