1 Cor. 15:8 (DBY) Paul says in regard to the resurrected Christ being witnessed by others and then him, “and last of all, as to an abortion or premature birth, he appeared to me also.”
What does this mean? At work I was responding to someone and used the word ‘premature.’ The above scripture quickened in me.
* First of all, I would like to make a clarification for reference. I support life and having children. I support adoption. I support birth control and contraceptives. I do not support abortion. I believe it is murder by choice.
The word premature can also means mature or ripe before its time. It also means, “Occurring, growing, or existing before the customary, correct, or assigned time; uncommonly or unexpectedly early.”
When I think of a premature birth or an aborted child the idea I get is the environment in which the child is born into supposes it is not ready for its birth. If this were true I should not have been born or anyone else. No one is a mistake. We are all created in His image. We all have a free-will at birth to choose. We are all born into iniquity and sin. I believe the man and woman who chose to become pregnant are the accountable party making the mistake as well as creating the situation. How can you blame someone who is not yet even born and sentence them to death? That has already been done. Christ has fulfilled that, Rev. 13:8. Why should anyone else have to be sentenced to die? That is not justice, but murder. If an innocent by-standard in a bank is left for dead after a bank robbery is that not murder? Neither that person or the unborn child had a choice to die. Abortions are not accidents. Genuine accidents may result in aborted births. These are not the same. So, if I have an ‘accident’ then abortion is moral? A genuine accident is a situation the mother is totally unaware of. It was not pre-meditated. What about rape or incest? What if that child is the next President, Billy Graham, or you? What about adoption?
The Father sent His Son into this world to die for us while we were yet still in our sin! Therefore, we can by grace, power, and love in us, give birth to these children and remove the curse they were born into. Jesus became a curse for us! Jesus gives salvation. These children deserve salvation.
That was an unplanned, but necessary and good tangent.
Back to Paul being born untimely. I am of the opinion the world was not ready for his birth and possibly some of the church. Peter, growing in grace and knowledge of Christ, 2 Pet. 3:18, still struggled with justfication by works or grace. Paul had to correct Peter, apostle to the Jews, in front of everyone there, Galatians 2:14. And Peter walked with Jesus! The world is not ready for apostles and prophets. They are viewed as the refuse and aborted children of the world. This is what Paul said. I did not make this up. On the contrary, the Church is ready!
I believe the apostle or prophet are similar to pioneers or trail blazers. What if someone came from the future to show you what your race would evolve into? I believe this was and is Christ Jesus, the Last Adam and our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Now, this same Christ dwells and makes His home in us by grace and revelation according to His beautiful word! The future is being created in us from faith to faith and glory to glory. That is why I believe Paul felt he was born prematurely.
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