The Bible does not explicitly explain God's reasoning, but Les Feldick teaches that God called Paul by His own sovereign grace and made him a nobody so the gospel would spread only by God's power.
Paul himself testified that God separated him from his mother's womb and called him by grace to preach the gospel among the Gentiles (Galatians 1:15-16). Les Feldick repeatedly emphasizes that Paul had to begin as a nobody, with no natural appeal or advantage, so the miraculous spread of the gospel could only be credited to God.
Galatians 1:15-16 — This is the clearest direct passage where Paul explains his own calling: God separated him, called him by grace, and revealed His Son in him to preach among the Gentiles.
Scripture records Paul's own testimony that God was behind his calling: "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen" (Galatians 1:15-16). The reason is presented as God's sovereign pleasure, not Paul's merit. Paul described his arrival in Corinth as coming "not with excellency of speech or of wisdom," determined to know nothing among them "save Jesus Christ, and him crucified," and he was with them "in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling" (1 Corinthians 2:1-3). Scripture also records Paul's summary of the gospel: "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Nowhere does the Bible give an explicit, single explanation for why God chose Paul as the primary messenger to the Gentiles, but it consistently shows that this choice was an act of God's grace.
Les Feldick teaches that God never gave a full explanation of His reasoning, but Paul recognized that it was "when it pleased God" that he was separated and called by grace (Galatians 1:15-16). Les emphasizes that Paul, though educated at the feet of Gamaliel, had to understand that he began as a nobody when it came to serving God's grace, especially to the Gentiles. He did not come with intellectual degrees, eloquent speech, or physical appeal; his converts came strictly through the working of the Holy Spirit. Les also stresses that Christianity would never have gotten off the ground without the miraculous working of God, since Paul was not in any one place very long and often worked alone in cities steeped in idolatry and immorality.
Paul's own testimony, quoted by Les Feldick, is that God "separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace" to "reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the heathen" (Galatians 1:15-16). Les points out that Paul's call was not mainly to the Jews but to the Gentiles, and that this was a matter of God's sovereign grace rather than anything Paul had done.
Les Feldick answers emphatically no. He notes that Paul was not like Apollos in magnetism or charisma, and that Paul physically had little to offer. Paul came "not with excellency of speech" and was "with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling" (1 Corinthians 2:1, 3). Les teaches that God made Paul begin as a nobody despite his rabbinic education, so that God's grace and power would be everything.
Les Feldick points out that Paul came into the ungodly city of Corinth with no fanfare and no advance men, and simply began preaching the gospel. Out of that came multitudes of pagans, and Paul literally turned the Roman Empire upside down. Les attributes this to the miraculous working of God, because Paul was not in any one place long enough and the odds were impossible without divine power.
Les describes Corinth as probably the most lascivious, immoral, and morally corrupt city in the Roman Empire—a double seaport with trade from the eastern Mediterranean on one side and Rome and Spain on the other. It was steeped in idolatry, mythology, and gross immorality. Into this setting came Paul with the simple gospel of Christ crucified, buried, and risen.
The Moral Setting of Corinth
Les describes Corinth as a double seaport and probably the most lascivious, morally corrupt city in the Roman Empire, showing why Paul's preaching work there was remarkable.
Paul Arrives Alone
Les says Paul came into this ungodly city with no fanfare and no advance men, simply preaching the gospel, and from it pagans came in multitudes—he turned the Roman Empire upside down.
Paul's Lack of Natural Appeal
Les teaches Paul did not attract people by appearance or speech; his converts came strictly through the Holy Spirit's working, pointing to God's power rather than human ability.
The Simplicity of Paul's Message
Les emphasizes Paul came without intellectual degrees or Greek philosophy, bringing only the cross of Christ, so the gospel's spread must be credited to God.
Into Idolatry and Immorality
Les underscores that Paul entered a city steeped in idolatry and gross immorality, making his success inexplicable apart from God's working.
Called by Grace to the Gentiles
Les highlights Galatians 1:15-16, where Paul says God separated him from his mother's womb and called him by grace to preach among the Gentiles.
Miraculous Work of God
Les says Christianity would never have gotten off the ground without the miraculous working of God, because Paul was not in any one place long enough.
Paul Begins as Nobody
Les teaches that despite Paul's education under Gamaliel, he had to understand he began as a nobody, coming in weakness and fear, so that God's grace and power would be everything.
Galatians 1:15-16: But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
This verse shows Paul's own explanation of his call: it pleased God, it was by grace, and the purpose was preaching among the Gentiles.
1 Corinthians 2:1-3: And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
Paul describes his deliberate refusal to use human eloquence or wisdom, and his own weakness, showing the gospel advanced by God's power.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Paul identifies the content of the gospel he preached, which is the message that transformed the wicked Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:13: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Paul reminds the Corinthians that their temptations and testings were common to all people, connecting to the morally corrupt setting in which he preached.
No, Scripture does not give an explicit explanation. Paul says "when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace" (Galatians 1:15). Les Feldick simply points to God's sovereign grace as the reason.
No. Les Feldick teaches that despite Paul's education at the feet of Gamaliel, Paul had to begin as a nobody. He did not come with excellency of speech or human wisdom, and he was with the Corinthians in weakness and fear.
Les teaches that Paul's lack of natural appeal made it clear that converts came strictly through the Holy Spirit's working. The spread of Christianity was miraculous, since Paul was not in one place long enough for it to survive on human effort.
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