| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with ego {ἐγὼ | egṓ} ‘I’ as an emphatic subject, followed by the postpositive gar {γάρ | gár} ‘for’ linking this statement to Paul’s larger argument about resurrection. The copular clause eimi ho elachistos tōn apostolōn {εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων | eimí ho eláchistos tôn apostólōn} places the predicate nominative elachistos {ἐλάχιστος | eláchistos} ‘least’ with superlative force. The relative clause hos ouk eimì hikanós kaleîsthai apóstolos {ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος | hos ouk eimí hikanós kaleîsthai apóstolos} uses hos {ὃς | hos} ‘who’ and the negative ouk {οὐκ | ouk} ‘not’ to deny the adjective hikanós {ἱκανός | hikanós} ‘worthy’ for the infinitive kaleisthai {καλεῖσθαι | kaleîsthai} ‘to-be-called.’ The causal conjunction dioti {διότι | dióti} ‘because’ introduces the aorist clause ediōxa tēn ekklēsian tou theou {ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ | edíōxa tḕn ekklēsían toû theoû}, where ediōxa {ἐδίωξα | edíōxa} ‘I persecuted’ takes ekklēsian {ἐκκλησίαν | ekklēsían} ‘church’ governed by the genitive theou {θεοῦ | theoû} ‘of God.’ The English rendering preserves the sequence from self-assessment through unworthiness to the reason grounded in past action. |