Paul was using the language of a premature birth — his Damascus Road salvation came ahead of God's appointed time for the nation of Israel.
Les Feldick explains that Paul used the word picture of a premature physical birth — a 'preemie.' Paul's sudden conversion on the road to Damascus came about eight years after Pentecost, 2,000 years before God's appointed time for the nation of Israel to be 'born in a day' (Isaiah 66:8). Paul experienced the resurrected Lord and received revelation while the rest of Israel remained blinded. He was, in his own words, like one born before the due time of Israel's national salvation.
1 Corinthians 15:8 — This is the exact verse in question — Paul's statement that Jesus 'was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.'
First Corinthians 15:8 — 'And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time' — is the verse in question. It comes after the record that the risen Lord 'was seen of James; then of all the apostles' (1 Corinthians 15:7), and it is immediately followed by Paul's explanation: 'For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God' (1 Corinthians 15:9). Elsewhere Scripture speaks of Israel's future, sudden awakening and national birth. Isaiah 66:8 asks, 'Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once?' Zechariah 12:10 describes Israel looking upon the One whom they pierced and mourning for Him 'as one mourneth for his only son.' And Acts 26 records Paul's own testimony of his zealot past and his encounter with the risen Christ.
Les Feldick teaches that Paul chose the phrase 'born out of due time' as a word picture from physical birth. He explains that a baby born before its due time is called a 'preemie' in our present-day language, and that Paul was comparing himself to such a premature delivery. Paul was not like an 'abort' — he simply came too early. That due time, Les explains, is the national salvation of Israel. Israel could have experienced a national spiritual birth when Christ presented Himself as King at His first coming, but the nation rejected Him. Because of that rejection, God's timetable now puts the birth of the nation out to the end of the Tribulation, at the Second Coming of Christ. On that day the remnant of Israel will suddenly believe — they will look on Him whom they pierced and mourn (Zechariah 12:10), and the nation will be born in a day (Isaiah 66:8). Paul, saved miraculously on the road to Damascus about eight years after Pentecost, experienced that same kind of resurrection salvation ahead of time. He was, in his own words, a 'preemie' — one born before the due date of Israel's salvation. He received all these revelations of the doctrine of grace while the rest of Israel was blinded, but their day is coming. Paul also called himself the least of the apostles because he had persecuted the church, or assembly, of God — the Jewish believers of the early Acts period.
Les Feldick draws the meaning from physical birth. He compares Paul's language to a rancher watching the 'due date' of a mama cow and to a mother giving birth before the due time — which in our present-day language is called a 'preemie.' Paul is saying that he came prematurely, before the appointed time. Les clarifies that Paul was not like an 'abort'; he simply came too early in relation to God's timetable for Israel.
Les teaches that Paul received all his revelation 'before the due time' as far as the nation of Israel was concerned. The whole nation of Israel was still blind to the great things Paul experienced — their day is coming. Israel could have experienced their national spiritual birth at Christ's first coming, when He presented Himself as King and performed all the signs to prove who He was, but the nation rejected it.
Les teaches that God's timetable now puts the birth of the nation out at the end of the Tribulation, at the Second Coming of Christ. Israel will not be saved 100%, but the remnant will. As Paul was saved in a moment on the road to Damascus, so the nation will suddenly understand who Jesus is — they will look on Him whom they pierced and mourn (Zechariah 12:10), and the nation will be born in a day (Isaiah 66:8). Les reminds us that a thousand years with God is just a day.
Because, as Paul himself writes, he 'persecuted the church of God' (1 Corinthians 15:9). Les identifies this as the assembly of God — those Jewish believers back in the book of Acts. Paul never forgot that Saul of Tarsus was a religious zealot, a fanatic for Judaism, and that he had persecuted the believers. Acts 26 records this.
Why Paul's Letters Are the Most Neglected in the Bible
But what I found when I was doing some of these mathematical problems, that it was just like something that I just couldn't break through. It was just like a cement wall. But all of a sudden, all of a sudden, it opened it up. And you couldn't write fast enough. And especially in geometry and trigonometry and something.
Israel's Sudden Belief and the Least of the Apostles
Les connects 'born before the due time' to Israel's future moment of belief at the Lord's return, and he explains Paul's 'least of the apostles' statement by Paul's persecution of the Jewish believers in Acts.
Revelations Before Israel's Due Time
Les explains that Paul received his revelations 'like one born before the due time' — he came too early, and the rest of Israel was blinded, though their day is coming.
A Jew Born Before the Nation's Due Date
Les shows that Paul experienced resurrection power as a Jew born before the due date of Israel's delivery — a national spiritual birth Israel could have had at Christ's first coming but rejected.
A Preemie Saved 2,000 Years Early
Les says Paul was like a preemie delivered prematurely; his Damascus Road salvation is the pattern for the remnant of Israel who will be saved at the Second Coming, at the end of the Tribulation.
A Preemie Pointing to Israel's Future Salvation
Les explains that Paul was born as a preemie in relation to the whole nation of Israel, which will one day experience the same saving realization — looking on Him whom they pierced and being born in a day.
The Preemie Illustration and the Damascus Road
Les defines 'born out of due time' as a baby born prematurely — a preemie — and notes that Paul saw the ascended Lord only after his conversion, about eight years after Pentecost.
The Due-Date Word Picture
Les sets up the illustration of due dates from the natural world — like a rancher watching a mama cow's due date — to show that everything is on God's timetable, including Paul's appearance 'as one born before the due time.'
1 Corinthians 15:8: And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
This is the exact phrase in question — Paul's description of his own encounter with the risen Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:9: For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Paul connects his 'born out of due time' statement to his past persecution of the church of God, which Les identifies as the Jewish believers of Acts.
Isaiah 66:8: Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Les points to this verse as the future national birth of Israel to which Paul's premature experience points.
Zechariah 12:10: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Les cites this as the moment Israel will suddenly understand who Jesus is — the same kind of realization Paul had on the road to Damascus.
Acts 26:9-11: I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
Paul's own testimony of his zealot persecution of believers, which Les connects to Paul being 'the least of the apostles.'
Paul meant his salvation came prematurely. Les Feldick explains that Paul used the word picture of a baby born before its due date — a 'preemie' — to say that he experienced the resurrection salvation that Israel as a nation will one day experience, only ahead of time.
No. Les Feldick clarifies that Paul was not an 'abort'; he simply came too early. The comparison is to a premature birth, not to a terminated pregnancy — his experience came before the appointed time for the nation of Israel.
Les teaches it will happen at the Second Coming of Christ, at the end of the Tribulation, when the remnant of Israel suddenly believes — looking on Him whom they pierced (Zechariah 12:10) and being born in a day (Isaiah 66:8).
Because he persecuted the church, or assembly, of God — the Jewish believers in the early chapters of Acts (1 Corinthians 15:9). Les notes that Paul never got over this, and cites Acts 26 where Saul of Tarsus is described as a religious zealot and fanatic for Judaism.
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul's Letters Are the Most Neglected in the Bible