⁹ For I am the least of the apostles^(A) and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted^(B) the church of God.^(C)

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹¹ I have made a fool of myself,^(A) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”^[a](B) even though I am nothing.^(C)

³ But Saul^(A) began to destroy the church.^(B) Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

¹³ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor^(A) and a violent man, I was shown mercy^(B) because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.^{(C) 14} The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly,^(D) along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.^(E)

¹⁵ Here is a trustworthy saying^(F) that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners^(G)—of whom I am the worst.

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel^(A) by the gift of God’s grace given me^(B) through the working of his power.^{(C) 8} Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,^(D) this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles^(E) the boundless riches of Christ,^(F)

⁹ “I too was convinced^(A) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose^(B) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.^{(C) 10} And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people^(D) in prison,^(E) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.^{(F) 11} Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,^(G) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

²³ They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith^(A) he once tried to destroy.”^(B)

⁶ as for zeal,^(A) persecuting the church;^(B) as for righteousness based on the law,^(C) faultless.

¹³ For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism,^(A) how intensely I persecuted the church of God^(B) and tried to destroy it.^(C)