What was motivating Paul to be so diligent?

#1) Was Paul's experience on the way to Damascus so extraordinary and was 'THE' main factor motivating his ministry? OR

#2) Was Paul imbued by the Holy Spirit to keep him focused? OR

#3) Was Paul driven by guilt of his persecutorial disposition previous to this experience? OR

#4) Was Paul motivated by mixture of all three?

If you like just answer with 1or 2 or 3 or 4 or combination but explanation would be nice. I tend to think he was motivated by all 3 and maybe guilty feelings could also have been his 'thorn in the flesh'.

I would say #1 and #2


2 Corinthians 7:10

I think primarily 1 & 2. But I also think over time, as he became more and more convinced that Jesus was the messiah, this strongly motivated him.

I might be wrong, but the first two seem reasonable to me. Guilt is only a short term motivator. I agree that he likely felt guilty at first. I think Paul got past that when he grew in the grace of the Lord's perspective. Guilty conscience usually tends to bring discouragement and lack of motivation long term to those who let it overwhelm them. Paul describes himself as the chiefest of sinners, but balances that with the most grace filled epistles outside the gospels.

I agree that guilt is a short term motivator. But the memory of something can often spur a lifetime of action. For example, Michael Jordan was cut from the squad early in high school. The experience was the springboard to a career that was marked by effort few ever achieve. I have no doubt that Paul was able to make use of his life experience to some degree. Perhaps this is what he means in 1 Corinthians 15:9-10.
Notwithstanding, both 1 and 2 were certainly factors.

Great question!
He was a consummate lawyer. High diligence is often found among such lawyers today.
He also suffered much and, by those experiences, he learned obedience.
He also was forgiven much and, therefore, he loved much.
These themes are found throughout his writings.
God wastes no experience.

Yes, people's failures are often a source that spurs them to overcome and strengthen themselves. I think that is likely true with Paul as it has been with some of us.
Number 3 asks, "Was Paul driven by guilt...?"
I don't think he was driven by guilt at all.
This is just an educated guess unless scripture backs it, but I think he was guilty before the Lord at first and overcame that by accepting His forgiveness and mercy. That produced love and a major ambition to serve the Lord if even under threats of death. I doubt if a guilty conscience would have produced that.

As to Michael Jordan, he underwent therapy for that childhood trauma. It was televised years ago.

😉

😄

Ah yes, back when SNL was actually funny.

1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.................

When Paul was preaching here he had been ministering for some 15 years I think. So it seems he did sometime let some his past influence him? Or did he need on occasion to bring this up due to the circumstances of those he was preaching to? Maybe these Corinthians were big time persecutors too. I think I read that Corinth was a Roman colonized city from earliest time of Roman power.
Seems possible since Rome as I understand never was at all fond of anything 'Jewish' and even though it may have been here that Gallio was in charge and indifferent the people, like any place, had different sentiments. People in Corinth possibly saw 'Christian' and 'Jew' as one and the same.

I was just positing it as a possibility. I'm not certain one way or the other. It just came to mind as I was posting.

We know Paul's ministry was tough and he was beaten badly on several occasions. Seems like some people would have thrown in the towel but he got right back up. So what went thru his head at those times. His thoughts of Damascus??? We can't know for certain but nice to contemplate. At least for me. Love and Hate being the flip sides of the coin means Paul's love of Jesus was possibly greater than Johns'????What a speculation that is?? Bible actually says Jesus loved John not John loved Jesus....John 20:2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

I always enjoy reading your posts because you, like many here, bring before me new ways of viewing things and things I haven't viewed as yet.

1 Corinthians 9:16-18 KJV
16) For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
17) For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
18) What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

In saying his reward is to make the Gospel without charge - that is, he pays all expenses - he's saying that the dispensation of the gospel was committed to him, and woe to him if he doesn't preach it.

Much love!

Psalms tell us we should 'fear' the Lord. Psalms 115:13 He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.

Plus quite a few other Psalms and other books tell us the same: 'Fear the Lord', and Paul would certainly have been aware of this. And now with his focus having been changed by the Damascus experience. So now he realized the error of his way in persecuting those who he now did all he could to bring them to Christ.

A special kind of 'fear'???

I notice you come up with some insightful comments too.

My view

I say Number 1 ------his experience was profound ----He knew instantly that it was a deity as he calls out--- Lord -----as he was taken over by a bright light which blinded him and brought him and the others to their knees -----

-He was blind and had nothing to eat or drink for 3 days ---so he fasted ------

This I believe is important as by his fasting he was showing remorse and grief over his sins and the spiritual meaning for the # 3 is Spiritual perfection -----

He received the Holy Spirit and had his sight restored only after the laying on of hands ---- -------


I really don't think that it was guilt feelings that gave him the thorn in the Flesh ---the scripture says this ---

2 Corinthians 12 Amp
A Thorn in the Flesh
7 Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the revelations [which I received from God], for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to torment and harass me—to keep me from exalting myself!

So I say --I think that a messenger of Satan was sent to keep Paul from sharing the Knowledge and Wisdom that was reveled to him by God so he couldn't exalt himself and spread God's Message ---- Satan's job is to kill --steal and destroy man ----so the word exalt here means to elevate in power --position and character ------and Satan knew Paul was a great force that would take many souls from him and so he sent a Messenger to stop him ------

I think that is more the result of the blind squirrel nut relationship.

This might be ridiculous but I can't get out of my head the idea that was probably invented by some cartoonist of the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other when I see the word messenger. So then it seems that the 'messenger' here is Paul recalling the way he persecuted the Christians and the feeling of guilt restrains him. V 7 "....the revelations {which I received from God}, convicted him, and at least temporarily restrained him. My guilty feelings at times seem to paralyze me. Even recently I say to myself, "what are you doing talking about Jesus". I have seen threads on this chat of others which to my mind they also deal with just that conviction. Even some popular songs, right or wrong imply that sense.

I think he had--
-- a desire to please God
-- a desire to keep a clean conscience before God, and being faithful was a part of that
--a genuine love for Christ Jesus and for God
--gratitude for his salvation
--love for his fellow man
--an internal drive to find satisfaction with what he did with his life-- kind of a self-actualization thing.

Some of these are just my theory. We can find bits and pieces of some of these in the scriptures, like his desire to keep a clean conscience.

Amen, There's the answer.
John 15:2
New American Standard Bible
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
If only the church would get a hold of that!
#2 is my answer, for without Him I could do nothing.