Bible Jesus Paul Damascus and Goads

1 Corinthians 15: 56-67

The Bible, Jesus Christ, 

Saint Paul on the Road to Damascus and Goads

Blog post by Mary Katherine May

But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (John 6:68 NKVJ).  In these two beautiful, simple sentences Peter spoke profoundly what every professing Christian should echo.  Christ is all and in all.  Peter also declares that the words spoken by Jesus represent him. 

~I am the Bread of Life. (John 6)~Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11)~I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14)

 Later, when Peter contradicted himself in the courtyard of the high priest after professing that he would never deny Christ, the rude awakening was devastating.  He hadn’t lived up to what he said. 

Our words and actions represent who we are at our very core.  As Christians, they do even more because they represent the Lord whom we profess.  What we say in our daily walk can either reveal or reject.  Johann Heerman over 300 years ago spoke eloquently from his heart when he wrote, Who was the guilty?  Who brought this upon thee?  Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee!  ‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee; I crucified thee.

Today after wondering about it for a long time I decided to take a look at the word GOAD as used in the Holy Bible. Being a city person, there is no good reason for me to know what a goad is.  Living in a suburb of Minneapolis, when would I have need of a stick with a sharp, pointed end used to prod animals like cows into moving along?

In the King James Version of the Holy Bible goad (Strong’s Concordance H1861) is used twice, both in the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 21 the goads, along with coulters, axes, forks and mattocks were being sharpened to be used as weapons in battle.  The second Scripture using goad, Ecclesiastes 12:11, is related to New Testament text.

King James Version

11 The words of the wise are goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.  12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.  13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

English Standard Version

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.  12 My son, beware of anything beyond these.  Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.  13 The end of the matter; all has been heard.  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.   14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Acts 9:5 and Acts 26:14

In the New Testament, however, there has been some discrepancy in usage of goad, due to loose interpretation and text sources.  Most Bible translations do not include goads in Acts 9:5 because of the consensus opinion that it was added by Erasmus in his 1516 translation. The entire text added by Erasmus here is, it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said to him,

Where goad is found, and it is in some but not all translations, is in Acts 26:14.  I quote the New King James Version followed by the King James Version.

Acts 26:14 NKJV: “And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “So I said, “Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Acts 26:14 KJV: And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

In the language of today a goad would be the object used and a prick would be the result of the action by the object.  Were the meanings of goad and prick the same in 1611 when the KJV was introduced?  The standard, reliable references we have help a great deal in understanding what the Lord wants us to know.

from Strong’s Concordance

G2759 κέντρον (ketron)

Neuter noun. 1 a sting, as that of bees, scorpions, locusts. Since animals wound by their sting and even cause death, Paul attributes death, personified as a sting, i.e. a deadly weapon. 2 an iron goad, for urging on oxen, horses and other beasts of burden 2.1 hence the proverb, “to kick against the goad”, i.e. to offer vain and perilous or ruinous resistance (italics added)

From Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the New Testament Words (G2759) Goad: from kenteo, “to prick,” denotes (a) “a sting,” Rev. 9:30; metaphorically, of sin as the “sting” of death, 1 Cor. 15:55, 56; (b) “a goad,” Acts 26:14, RV, “goad” (marg., “goads”), for AV, “pricks” (in some mss. Also in Acts 9:5), said of the promptings and misgivings which Saul of Tarsus had resisted before conversion.

Before I conclude it will benefit to look at three other Scripture passages where ketron is used, as follows.  All three verses translate ketron into English by using the word sting.

1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Corinthians 15:56 KJV The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

Revelation 9:10 KJV And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails; and their power was to hurt men five months.

Jesus asked Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.  Going against Jesus, fighting who He is and what He taught, denying Christ’s divinity is fighting a losing battle.  Jesus tells Saul that he is hurting only himself.  It is no different that if a cowherd were to stand with a goad pointing out with a cow deliberately walking into it and stabbing itself.

Returning to the Ecclesiastes text as reference point, I will note that the goads, the words of the wise, are given by one shepherd.  Ultimately there is only one source of wisdom that matters, despite how much anyone reads. Bucking up against the Word of Life, Jesus Christ, has a negative impact.  It is a poisonous sting that leads to spiritual death, separated from the Lord, from Heaven and from eternity. 

How does that relate to us living now?  No doubt that our actions and words, i.e. our sin, that deny Jesus Christ, the one Shepherd of Life are goads that prick and sting even unto death.  Great Lent is a time for reflection, and thinking on what goads—i.e. teachings of Christ and Christ himself—we are fighting against is time well spent.