by Jamie Pantastico | Apr 22, 2025 | Daily Encouragement |
What does it mean?
📖 1 Corinthians 15:8
“Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”
When the apostle Paul penned 1 Corinthians 15, he was giving the most thorough explanation of the resurrection in all of Scripture. He walked through the foundational truth of the gospel—Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (vv. 3–4)—and he listed eyewitnesses who saw the risen Lord. Then he said something deeply personal and theologically profound:
“Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”
(1 Corinthians 15:8, NKJV)
What does it mean to be “born out of due time”? Why would Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, use such strange and abrupt language to describe himself?
A Different Kind of Apostolic Calling
The word Paul uses here—“ektroma“ in the Greek—literally refers to a miscarriage or premature birth. It’s an unsettling word. It implies something unexpected, out of order, and outside the normal process.
Paul wasn’t being poetic. He was being brutally honest. Unlike Peter and the Eleven, who walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry and saw Him after the resurrection on the road, in rooms, by the sea—Paul didn’t. In fact, he was actively persecuting the church when the risen Lord appeared to him.
Paul’s apostleship came after Christ had already ascended into heaven. He saw the risen Lord not in Jerusalem or Galilee, but on the road to Damascus. His encounter with the glorified Christ (Acts 9:3–6; Acts 26:12–18) was unique and unlike any other.
He wasn’t just late—he was out of sync with the timeline altogether.
Why This Matters
Paul’s use of “born out of due time” highlights something profound:
His calling and his gospel were not part of the prophetic program—but a mystery revealed later, directly by the risen, glorified Lord.
As he wrote in Galatians 1:11–12:
“But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Paul wasn’t an add-on or a backup plan if the nation of Israel would reject Jesus as their Messiah—he was the chosen vessel to reveal the mystery of Christ and His body, the Church (Ephesians 3:1–6). But this revelation came outside the due time, apart from the prophetic timeline, and after the risen Lord had already returned to glory.
That’s why Paul calls it “my gospel” (Romans 2:16; 2 Timothy 2:8).
It was not the same gospel Peter and the Eleven preached in Acts 2 and 3, which was centered on the earthly kingdom promised to Israel. Paul’s gospel revealed the heavenly calling of the Church, the Body of Christ.
A Pattern of Grace
In 1 Timothy 1:16, Paul explains another reason for his out-of-order calling:
“However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.”
Paul was a pattern—an example of the abundant grace and mercy of God. He was the chief of sinners, in his brutal persecution of the Jerusalem church, yet was shown the riches of God’s grace through the direct appearance of the risen Christ. His life was an object lesson of salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), apart from the Law, apart from works, and apart from Israel’s prophetic promises.
Final Thoughts: Seen Last, But Not Least
When Paul says, “Last of all He was seen by me,” he means it. No other apostle after him was given a personal appearance of the risen Lord Jesus with a new revelation. Paul’s encounter was final. It marked the beginning of something entirely new—the dispensation of the grace of God (Ephesians 3:2).
So while Paul saw himself as “born out of due time”—outside the expected order—his calling wasn’t a mistake.
It was a revelation of God’s hidden plan, made known through the one who once tried to destroy the Church, but was transformed by the One he once persecuted.
🧾 Key Takeaways:
- Paul’s phrase “born out of due time” means he was called outside the prophetic timeline.
- His apostleship was not earthly and not from man, but from the risen, glorified Christ.
- Paul’s gospel reveals the mystery of the Church and the believer’s identification with Christ.
- He is a pattern of grace, showing that salvation is by faith alone through God’s mercy. Paul certainly didn’t work for his salvation!
📖 Study Passages:
- 1 Corinthians 15:3–10
- Acts 9:1–6; Acts 26:12–18
- Galatians 1:11–12
- 1 Timothy 1:12–16
- Ephesians 3:1–9
- Romans 2:16
- 2 Timothy 2:8
© 2025 Jamie Pantastico | MesaBibleStudy.com
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by Jamie Pantastico | Apr 21, 2025 | Daily Encouragement, The Resurrection According to Paul |
Series Title: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ According to Paul
“…that Christ died for our sins, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen…”
—1 Corinthians 15:3–5
Paul begins 1 Corinthians 15 by delivering what he declares as the one and (only) gospel “by which you are saved”—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures.
But right after proclaiming the resurrection, Paul adds something essential:
“…and that He was seen…”
The resurrection wasn’t a mystical vision or a private revelation—it was a bodily, visible, verifiable event. Jesus didn’t rise in secret. He appeared—to Peter, to the twelve, to over 500 brethren at once, to James, and, finally, to Paul himself (1 Corinthians 15:5–8).
Why is this important?
Because the gospel is historical and eyewitness-confirmed. It’s not based on dreams, philosophy, or religious tradition. The risen Christ was seen, touched, heard, and testified to by many—most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this letter (v. 6). The evidence could be verified.
But Paul adds something unique in verse 8:
“Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”
Paul’s encounter was different. Jesus had already ascended. Yet the risen, glorified Christ personally appeared to Paul, revealing a new message—the gospel of grace, distinct from what the twelve preached (Galatians 1:11–12).
This final post in our series brings it all together:
- Jesus Christ truly rose from the dead bodily.
- He was seen after He rose from the dead by over 500 people.
- His resurrection guarantees ours.
- And it is the very heart of Paul’s gospel—the good news that saves.
Paul writes with boldness because he saw the risen Lord with his own eyes—and we believe by faith, through his testimony, by the Spirit of God.
Thanks for following along this series on The Resurrection of Jesus Christ According to Paul. If it’s stirred your heart or deepened your understanding, share it with someone who needs to know that Jesus Christ is risen indeed—and that changes everything.
by Jamie Pantastico | Apr 21, 2025 | The Resurrection According to Paul |
Series Title: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ According to Paul
Scripture:
“The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
—1 Corinthians 15:56–57
This is resurrection victory—victory over all things. Christ’s resurrection is the culmination of everything God has done on behalf of mankind. The grave is not the end. Death is no longer our master. The law no longer condemns us, and sin has no power over us. All of it—death, law, and sin—was nailed to His cross. There is now no condemnation. We are in Christ, and Christ is risen.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ didn’t just break open the tomb—it broke the power of death itself.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul builds an unshakable foundation for the believer’s hope. He doesn’t present resurrection as a future theory—it’s a guaranteed reality, anchored in the resurrection of Christ.
“For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.”
—1 Corinthians 15:21
Paul makes it personal: the same power that raised Jesus will raise those who are His—the Body of Christ—at His coming (v. 23). This is not a general resurrection at the end of time like Martha believed in John 11:24. This is a mystery revealed to Paul—we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed (v. 51).
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”
(1 Corinthians 15:52)
This is the resurrection tied to the catching away of the Body of Christ—what many call the Rapture. It’s distinct from Israel’s prophetic program. It’s part of the mystery gospel given only to Paul (1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Romans 16:25).
That’s why Paul can shout:
“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
And then:
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is resurrection victory—victory over all things. Christ’s resurrection is the culmination of everything God has done on behalf of mankind. The grave is not the end. Death is no longer our master. The law no longer condemns us, and sin has no power over us. All of it—death, law, and sin—was nailed to His cross. There is now no condemnation. We are in Christ, and Christ is risen.
by Jamie Pantastico | Apr 20, 2025 | Daily Encouragement |
“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”
—Colossians 1:18
“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
—1 Corinthians 15:20
Paul calls Jesus Christ “the firstborn from the dead”—but what does that mean? Weren’t others raised from the dead before Him, like Lazarus or the widow’s son?
Yes, but those resurrections were temporary. They were brought back to life in their mortal bodies—only to die again. Jesus Christ is the first to rise in glorified, incorruptible resurrection life, never to die again.
“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
—1 Corinthians 15:20
In Israel’s calendar, the Feast of Firstfruits came just after Passover. A sheaf of the first ripe grain was offered to God as a symbol of the full harvest to come (Leviticus 23). Paul applies that imagery directly to Christ. His resurrection is the guarantee—the down payment—of a greater harvest: the resurrection of the Body of Christ.
“Each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”
—1 Corinthians 15:23
This is future, bodily resurrection for believers, revealed first and foremost to Paul (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, 1 Corinthians 15:51–52). And it’s tied directly to His identity as the head of the Body, the Church—not the King of Israel, not the Son of David on His throne (that will come), but the resurrected Lord of glory seated at the right hand of the Father (Colossians 3:1).
His resurrection didn’t just prove He was alive—it was the guarantee of a future harvest. And those who believe Paul’s gospel are already spiritually raised with Him (Ephesians 2:6) and will one day be raised bodily like Him (Philippians 3:20–21).
Bible Reading:
- Colossians 1:18
- 1 Corinthians 15:20
- Leviticus 23
- 1 Corinthians 15:23
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
- 1 Corinthians 15:51–52
- Colossians 3:1
- Ephesians 2:6
- Philippians 3:20–21
by Jamie Pantastico | Apr 20, 2025 | Daily Encouragement |
Romans 6:4–5
“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”
When Paul speaks of the resurrection, he doesn’t just describe it as something Jesus did—he shows us how it fundamentally changes who we are.
In Romans 6, Paul teaches that believers are spiritually united with Christ—in His death and His resurrection. We died with Him. We were buried with Him. And we were raised with Him. We have a new identity in Christ.
“Just as Christ was raised from the dead… even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
This newness of life isn’t symbolic or emotional—it’s real. When we believed the gospel, something supernatural happened: we were placed into Christ, the resurrected Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 12:13). And because He lives, we live.
This is one of the most staggering revelations Paul received from the resurrected Lord Jesus. No prophet, no apostle before him taught this. Peter didn’t preach this on Pentecost. This is Paul’s gospel “good news”—that we are no longer “in Adam,” but now “in Christ” (Romans 5:12–19). This new identity was forged in resurrection.
“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”
(Romans 6:5)
This isn’t a future promise only—it’s a present reality. We’ve been raised to live now as those who are alive from the dead (Romans 6:11). That’s resurrection power. That’s newness of life.
The Christian life isn’t a moral improvement plan—it’s the outworking of a brand-new creation, birthed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We live, not by striving to be better, but by walking in the reality of who we are in Him.
This truth is central to Paul’s gospel, and it’s why he said:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
(Galatians 2:20)
Bible Study:
- Romans 6:4-5
- 1 Corinthians 12:13
- Romans 5:12–19
- Romans 6:11
- Galatians 2:20
