‘It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

May 7, 2021

‘It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

Acts 26:14b

Read: Acts 26:12-23       

The first thing I noticed today is the verse quoted above. It does not appear in Acts 9, which records Paul’s Damascus Road experience, nor does it appear in Paul’s testimony about that experience in chapter 22. A ‘goad’ is like a cattle prod and, in this context, refers to Paul kicking against God’s will.

Secondly, this is the third time Paul’s experience on the Road to Damascus is recorded in Acts. The Book of Acts is not just a chronological listing of the events in the early life of the church. Luke is very intentional about what is included. If an event is included three times, it is worth contemplating. In today’s reading, Paul includes an expanded account of what Jesus told him on the Damascus Road and then responds, “I obeyed” God. That little statement puts Paul in the same position as Peter and the other Apostles when they affirmed that their ministry was a response of obedience to God. (See Acts 4:19 & 5:29) I think Paul’s response begs the question to all followers of Jesus: who are we obeying?

My Takeaway: Paul says his message was that people needed to repent, turn to God, and prove they have changed their lives by the good things they do. (v.20) I think a very good question I need to ask myself, every day, is whether there is evidence that my life has changed. Am I more like Jesus, or still pretty much the same as the ways of the world?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.