October 17: Acts 22-28

When Paul is telling the story of his conversion to King Agrippa, he quotes God as saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." ~ Acts 26:14b I've read many books and notes about the origins of common phrases and idioms, so I was curious about what "kick against the goads" meant.

The basic definition of "goad" is "something that pierces." It refers literally to animal claws or human instruments that have sharp points on them, or figuratively to something that torments or incites. It can also refer to "authority", so the phrase "to kick against the goads" could mean the same as "to buck authority".

The side notes in my Quest Study Bible explain that a "goad" was a stick tipped with pointed iron that was used to direct and guild livestock. Farmers used a goad to encourage a slow or wayward oxen to pick up the pace. If the oxen fought back and kicked the goad, it could injure itself. The phrase "to kick against the goads" became a common phrase that meant to challenge or resist authority. It was often true that the more the animal rebelled, the more injury it sustained. So it is often with us, the more we rebel against God's guidance, the more we suffer.

Saul had been "kicking against the goads" when he was persecuting Christian because he had been challenging God's authority. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament suggests that Paul used this phrase (and Luke included it in the account) because it was a Greek proverb that the Hellenist Agrippa would understand.

God may use sharp points or stings to guide us back to His plan when we go astray. We can either accept his guidance and follow his leading, or we can resist his authority, which will inevitably lead to more pain and suffering.