Why was Paul sufficient if not because of his background?
Paul’s sufficiency came from God, not from his extensive education, Pharisaic credentials, or Hebrew heritage. Scripture says our sufficiency is of God, and Paul counted his former advantages as worthless. He was sufficient because he became a humble servant of the Creator God, relying on God rather than himself.
Les explains that Paul—formerly Saul of Tarsus—was highly educated, the most educated Jew of his day, having sat at the feet of the greatest rabbi, and was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He never once claimed qualification by his training. In Philippians he called all of that dung and cast it aside as worthless so he might become the very workmanship of Christ. His sufficiency was never because of his background, not because he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews or a Pharisee of the Pharisees, but because he was a humble servant of the Creator God. Les also notes this is one example of the difference between law and grace.