What was Paul doing before he was saved?
Before salvation, Paul was a rebel who tried to stamp out every instance of the name of Jesus of Nazareth. He opposed Christ and His followers, and later called himself the leader of sinners, the head of the line, saved by God's grace.
Les explains that before Paul was saved, he was a rebel trying to stamp out every instance of the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Paul admits it took the grace of God to save that rebel. In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul calls himself the leader, the head of the line, the first to be saved by such grace. This shows God saved him by grace, not by works.