The Experience of Paul
“Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:7-8) “Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews.” (Acts 20:18-19)
All over the civilized world Paul is spoken of as the “great apostle.” In his own words when compelled to speak of his apostleship and calling, in comparison with some who had assumed to be apostles of Christ, he said, “I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5); yet in his own estimation of himself he considered himself “less than the least of all saints.” (Ephesians 3:8)
It would indeed be a fair and ordinary example of humility among men for one like our brother Paul to truly consider himself on a common level with the rest of us saints. But he says he is less than some of the Ephesian saints, and we would suppose that the saints in that city were on a common level with all the saints everywhere. The apostle is truly in his own estimation on a lower plane than some saints. His expression carries him to a still lower degree. He is not only less than the saints, but less than the least of the saints; and in order to make no room for anyone below him he takes the lowest place, and says he is “less than the least of all saints.”
There is no room for the shadow of a doubt as to his sincerity in this expression. It truly portrays his deep humility. All the advantages that he had as pertaining to the flesh, and those things he previously thought were gain to him, he counted loss for Christ. He willingly humbled himself continually under the mighty hand of God. He was graciously helped in this respect, and when through the abundance of revelations, because of his unusual humility God gave him abundant grace to keep in this condition, so that yet greater usefulness and efficiency might be realized. He could truly say, “when I am weak then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10); for when self was in its proper place, God did most wonderfully manifest His power.
We all look with admiration upon the useful life of this apostle, and it would be natural that we all should desire to be used of God to the same extent as he; but would we be willing to go through the extreme humiliations with him? His life was one of continual hardships and sufferings. On every hand he met the deepest humiliations of affliction, reproach, and distress. It is evident that aside from His death on the cross for sin, Jesus suffered no greater afflictions than Paul, who himself testifies that he was “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus” (2 Corinthians 4:10); and, “we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” (2 Corinthians 4:11-12) “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body’s sake, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24)
These unusual trials doubtless were the “thorn in the flesh,” (2 Corinthians 12:7) and all served the great purpose of keeping him living low down in the valley of humiliation, where the great grace was continually poured out upon him. When under the extreme pressure of all these things his human strength would yield, and his pitiful cry would be poured out into the heart of the blessed Master to remove this thorn, the answer came back, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Praise God! There has never been a need but there has been on hand sufficient grace, for every humble child of God.
We may truthfully conclude that the secret of this apostle’s power was in his humility; for here only could Christ be magnified in his body.