Paul said he was like one born before the due time because he came on the scene of God's revelation before the nation of Israel's 'due time' — he was, as Les Feldick shows, like a child born ahead of schedule.
Les Feldick teaches that Paul was speaking of himself spiritually as one born too early — a preemie. Israel as a whole had not yet reached its day of national spiritual birth, which is still future at the Second Coming. Paul's sudden conversion on the Damascus road, and the secret truths revealed to him, came about 2,000 years before Israel's due date, making him like a child delivered prematurely.
1 Corinthians 15:8 — This is the verse where Paul describes himself as seen by the risen Christ 'as of one born out of due time' — the exact phrase the question asks about.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:8, 'And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.' The immediate context is his list of Christ's post-resurrection appearances — to Peter, to the twelve, to more than five hundred brethren, to James, and to all the apostles — with Paul coming last. He adds in verse 10, 'But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.' The Scriptures also show that a body of truth was kept hidden until Paul's day. In Ephesians 3:3-6 Paul writes that by revelation God 'made known unto me the mystery' — 'which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.' Colossians 1:26 says the same truth was 'hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.' Scripture itself does not use the phrase 'born out of due time' to define itself; these verses give the surrounding truth of revelation that Paul connected to his unique calling.
Les Feldick teaches that when Paul wrote 'last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of the due time' (1 Corinthians 15:8), Paul was using the picture of a child that arrives before it is due — a preemie. Les says Paul was speaking of himself spiritually as one who came on the scene before the due time for the nation of Israel as a whole. God's timetable puts the birth of the nation of Israel out at the end of the Tribulation, at the Second Coming of Christ, yet Paul was saved by revelation 2,000 years earlier — so he was, in that sense, delivered prematurely. Les emphasizes that Paul's sudden conversion on the Damascus road is the 'sampling' of what the nation of Israel will one day experience. Israel as a nation, Les explains, will one day suddenly understand who Jesus is — they 'shall look upon me whom they have pierced' (Zechariah 12:10) — and the nation will be born in a day (Isaiah 66:8). Israel could have experienced this national spiritual birth at Christ's first coming, but they rejected Him. Paul instead received the revelations of the mysteries — truths that had been hid from ages and generations and that Israel and even the Twelve had no concept of — before the nation's due time.
Les Feldick says Paul was speaking of himself spiritually as a mother-to-be who has lost her baby — a preemie, one that came before its time. Paul meant that he had arrived on the scene before the due date for the nation of Israel as a whole. Israel's national spiritual birth is still in the future; Paul was saved and given revelations about 2,000 years before that due date.
Les teaches that Paul's sudden conversion on the road to Damascus is the pattern. Just as Paul was saved in a moment, miraculously, so also the remnant of the nation of Israel will yet be saved at a future date — at the end of the Tribulation, at the Second Coming, when they look on the One they pierced and mourn for Him. Les says the whole nation will be born in a day (Isaiah 66). Paul experienced that kind of resurrection power ahead of the nation.
Les points out that the truths Paul preached were not an extension of what Peter preached; they were a whole new revelation. The mystery of Christ had been kept secret — hid from ages and generations — and was not made known to the sons of men in earlier ages. Les says Israel never had a concept of these truths, and the Twelve had no concept of them either. While God was dealing with Israel, the Gentiles were left outside the covenant promises — without Christ and without God in the world — but now, as a result of the revelations given to Paul, things have changed: the Gentiles are fellow heirs and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel.
Les says Israel could have experienced their national spiritual birth at the time of Christ's first coming. Christ presented Himself as the King of Israel and performed all the signs to prove who He was. But Israel rejected Him, so the national birth was postponed. Paul, meanwhile, was saved and saw the Lord in resurrection as a Jew who was born before the due date — before Israel's day of national salvation.
Revelation: An Unveiling
Les shows that everything we hold as doctrine came through Paul, and that his gospel was a whole new revelation — an unveiling of the mystery God gave to him for the Gentiles.
Paul's Own Explanation of Due Time
Les directly explains 1 Corinthians 15:8: Paul was speaking spiritually as one born before the due time for Israel as a nation — like a child that came early, he arrived before Israel's expected day.
A Preemie in God's Timetable
Paul was saved 2,000 years before Israel's national birth at the end of the Tribulation; Les says Paul saw himself as a preemie, delivered prematurely, with Israel's remnant yet to experience the same salvation.
Israel's Birth Could Have Come Earlier
Les teaches that Israel could have been born as a nation at Christ's first coming, but rejected Him; Paul experienced the resurrection and revelations as a Jew born before that future due date.
A Sampling of Israel's Future Salvation
Paul was like a preemie because at a future date the whole nation will experience the same sudden Damascus-road-style salvation, when they look on the One they pierced and the nation is born in a day.
Mysteries Hidden from Israel and the Twelve
Les shows that the Pauline truths were held in the mind of God — Israel never had a concept of them, the Twelve had no concept, and God revealed the secrets to this 'renegade' Saul of Tarsus.
Gentiles: From Outside to 'But Now'
Before Paul, the Gentiles were outside the covenant promises, without Christ and without God; Les shows that as a result of revelation, 'but now' things have changed for them.
Hidden in Other Ages, Now Revealed
Paul's knowledge came as a result of revelations; the mystery of Christ was not made known in other ages or generations, but is now revealed — that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs in Christ by the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 15:8: And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Paul's only use of the phrase 'born out of due time' — the verse that raises this question.
1 Corinthians 15:10: But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Paul immediately ties his unique apostleship to the grace of God.
Ephesians 3:3-6: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Paul says the mystery was revealed to him and had not been made known in previous ages.
Colossians 1:26: Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
The mystery Paul proclaimed had been hidden from earlier generations but was now made manifest.
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.
Quoted by Les as the future moment when Israel will suddenly recognize Jesus — the same suddenness Paul experienced.
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.
Quoted by Les as the prophecy that the nation of Israel will one day be born in a day.
Paul meant that he came onto the scene before the due time for the nation of Israel. As Les Feldick explains, Paul was saved and given revelations 2,000 years before Israel's national day of salvation — so he was like a child born before its time.
Les Feldick says Paul was speaking of himself spiritually as a mother-to-be whose baby came before its due time — a preemie. The point is not that Paul was literally such a child; it is that he had come too early in relation to Israel's expected national conversion.
Les teaches that revelation means an unveiling — something that has been kept under wraps is suddenly unveiled. Paul's knowledge of the mysteries came by revelation; the mystery of Christ had been hidden from ages and generations and was then revealed through him.
Yes, according to Les. Paul's Damascus Road conversion is the sampling of how the remnant of Israel will be saved in a future day — suddenly, at the Second Coming, when they look on the One they pierced and the nation is born in a day.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About God's Righteousness — Romans 3