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;
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Gaius Marius Victorinus
AD 400
Was work given before grace? Or did grace come before any works? That which is working is God’s power. So grace had already been given. When it is said that Paul was made a minister according to the gift of God, we understand that the gift of being a minister was given before his working to make him a minister, and his being a minister is the gift and grace of God. –.
To me, the least of all the saints, (i.e. of the faithful) is given this mission by the grace of God, and power from the Almighty of working miracles, and other miraculous gifts from him, who created all things in order to enlighten or bring light to all men, that they may know and be convinced of the dispensation and manner in which God will have this mystery now made known and preached to all the world. (Witham)
Unsearchable and hidden can be given two senses. The riches were previously unable to be searched out. They are now laid open after the Lord’s passion. Another sense, perhaps even better: Those things which by nature were unsearchable to humanity are the ones that have been made known by God’s revelation. –.
Although it is a token of humility to call oneself “the least of all the saints,” one is guilty of deceit if one conceals the truth in the heart and says something else with the tongue. We must therefore look for an argument showing how Paul truly was “the least of all the saints” and yet did not fall from the rank of an apostle. The Lord says in the Gospel. “He who would be great among you, let him be less than all.” … Paul demonstrates this in his actions. … Therefore the apostle Paul was meekest of all who sought to be weak on Christ’s account…. Because of this humility, amazing grace was given to him. In this way he became “the least of all the saints” in order “to preach the unsearchable mysteries of God.” –.
Those who visit a doctor do not complete their journey simply by arriving there. They must also learn the remedy and apply the medicines. We too, having reached this point, need to do the same, by learning the great humility of Paul…. Paul demonstrates humility when he calls himself a blasphemer and a persecutor. He describes himself as a dreadful offender on account of his former sins, which had now been canceled, … hence as “the least of all the saints.” He did not say “of the apostles” but of the saints who come after the apostles. .
They who go to the physician's have not merely to go there and nothing further; they have to learn how to treat themselves, and to apply remedies. And so with us then who come here, we must not do this and nothing else, we must learn our lesson, the surpassing lowliness of Paul. What? When he was about to speak of the vastness of the grace of God, hear what he says, Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given. Lowliness indeed it was even to bewail his former sins, although blotted out, and to make mention of them, and to hold himself within his true measure as where he calls himself a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; 1 Timothy 1:13 yet nothing was equal to this: for formerly, says he, such was I; and again he calls himself, one born out of due time. 1 Corinthians 15:8 But that after so many great and good deeds and at that time he should thus humble himself, and call himself less than the least of all, this is indeed great and surpassing moderat...
The apostle declares that to himself, "less than the least of all saints, was the grace given "of enlightening all men as to "what was the fellowship of the mystery, which during the ages had been hid in God, who created all things."
