Commentators explain that Paul's phrase "one born out of due time" uses a Greek word that literally means an abortion or miscarriage. He uses this shocking term to express his profound sense of unworthiness. Feeling vile for having persecuted the church, Paul saw himself as unfit to be an apostle, like an undeveloped, untimely birth compared to the others. This raw humility is a powerful example of a heart transformed by God's grace.