I am not writing this to shame you, but to admonish you, as my beloved children.

Even if I am not an apostle to others, to you at least I am; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

To the Jews I am become like a Jew, that I may win Jews; to those under the Law, like one under the Law, though I am not under the Law, myself;

to those outside the Law, as one outside the Law, to win those outside the Law (though I am not outside the law of God, but inside the law of Christ).

If the foot should say, "Because I am a hand, I am not part a part the body," would it not indeed be a part of the body?

Or if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," would it be any less a part of the body?

For I am the least of the apostles, I who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.