The subjects of Paul’s Gentile mission and his so-called “conversion” have occupied biblical scholars since the pioneering work of F. C. Baur in the nineteenth century. As most scholars credit Paul’s decision to preach to non-Jews with the eventual transformation of Christianity from a Jewish sect into a separate religion, and given the dramatic portrayal of his conversion in Acts, this attention is unsurprising. This book examines the origins of Paul’s mission to the Gentiles through a close study of his claims to have been personally commissioned to undertake such a mission by Jesus.

However, this book argues that it is the rejection of Paul’s claims to be an apostle in the same sense as the other apostles that ultimately underlies his “mission to the Gentiles.” This argument is advanced through a careful analysis of Paul’s references to his “conversion” in Galatians 1:15-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:8, paying particular attention to Paul’s evocative use of the language of abortion. The contextualization of this curious self-description in 1 Corinthians 15:8 draws upon a growing body of work concerning an area of ancient life that continues to fascinate and perplex moderns; the exposure of unwanted infants.