We think that either you think highly of yourself or you think little of yourself. Paul is able to hold together two true assessments, namely, that in himself he is still a flawed, sinful man deserving of rejection and that at the very same time, in the grace of God, he is loved and fruitful. How can Paul do that? How can Paul say in one place, “I’m the worst of sinners,” and then confidently laugh in the face of death, challenging kings who could snuff out his life, and lead this history-changing movement?
