1 Corinthians 15:9 (DBY)

Passage

For *I* am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called apostle, because I have persecuted the assembly of God.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:7 Then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles;

1 Corinthians 15:8 and last of all, as to an abortion, he appeared to *me* also.

1 Corinthians 15:9 For *I* am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called apostle, because I have persecuted the assembly of God.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by God's grace I am what I am; and his grace, which [was] towards me, has not been vain; but I have laboured more abundantly than they all, but not *I*, but the grace of God which [was] with me.

1 Corinthians 15:11 Whether, therefore, I or they, thus we preach, and thus ye have believed.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "least", "apostles", "persecuted", and "assembly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "least", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "and last of all as to an..." into verse 10's "But by God's grace I am what...", so "called" and "least" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "least" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.