and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.

'last of all' -'it is the final link in the chain that began with Peter and means "finally". (Fee p. 732)

'child untimely born' -'to one untimely born.' (NASV) 'Lit., as to the miscarriage.' (Robertson p. 188) 'the word literally refers to any kind of premature birth (abortion, stillbirth, or miscarriage.' (Fee p. 733)

'Paul is one who from the spiritual point of view was not born at the right time because he had not been. disciple during the lifetime of Jesus. His calling to the apostolic office..could not take place in the normal, orderly, organic sequence. Moreover, his calling is forced as well as abnormal...He is torn from his previous course of life by the powerful intervention of the exalted Christ..The main emphasis is on the abnormality of the process.' (Willis p. 534)

'He thus contrasts himself with the other apostles who more gradually and naturally matured from disciples, by years of nurture, into fully developed messengers of Christ.' (Erdman p. 156)

'he appeared to me also' -Paul didn't consider his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, as. "visionary experience". But an actual resurrection appearance of the same kind as the others mentioned in this series. His seeing Jesus was as "objective" as theirs. (Acts 9:5; Acts 22:14; Acts 26:16)

Point to Note:

Paul's language here shuts the door on any future apostles being chosen, who don't fit into the above appearance categories. An apostle (besides being hand-picked by God) had to meet the very qualification of having seen the resurrected Christ. (Acts 1:21) While others saw Jesus in. vision (Acts 7:55; Revelation 1:12) Paul was the last one that Jesus actually appeared to.

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising

Old Testament