What motivated Paul to preach?

[KingJ]

I have been pondering this question for the last few days. What motivated Paul to not only repent of his sins, but to lay his life down 100% for God's work?

Many god bashers would say it is due to God revealing Himself to Paul. Showing preferential treatment. This is easily debunked. God has revealed Himself / performed miracles for many, who have either turned their back on Him or done nothing for Him. Pharoah saw eleven amazing miracles by God, ten plagues and one sea parting.

An encounter with God is surely amazing and life changing, but it does not result in one now deciding to serve God at the level Paul did. So what motivated Paul?

There is a clear difference between Paul and other great men and woman of God in scripture. So, what motivated Paul to spread the good news at the level he did? 180% direction change. Living 100% for himself to 100% for God. Almost like a walking mouth piece of God on earth. I accept that he was compelled to spread the good news. But he understood something about the importance of spreading the good news that most (me included) do not properly grasp. He came back from his revelation with a bond fire on his rear. He was so pro active and motivated.

I will use an example to try and explain what I am trying to convey.

Lets say you have a very sick mother. What state must your mother be in if she requires your presence 24/7, compared to an hour a day / once a week / once a month? She must be clinging onto her life surely. Why else would you be there 24/7?

So, what did Paul understand about the good news and God that resulted in him giving God his time 24/7?

The only thing I can think of is that he grasped God's gift of free will. When randomness and free will enters the world, God ties His hands and does not get involved in many things. Christianity is not a religion that is forced on anyone. Well according to scripture, should not be. God truly needs us to reach the lost and witness for Him. Paul grasped that 1. God is good and 2. He need us as free will is real. God gets excited when someone converts Luke 15:7. If He wills that all be saved 1 Tim 2:4 and all are not saved, there is true free will. 1 + 1 = 2.

Well, those are my thoughts, interested to hear yours.

 

[Charlie24]

I have been pondering this question for the last few days. What motivated Paul to not only repent of his sins, but to lay his life down 100% for God's work?

Many god bashers would say it is due to God revealing Himself to Paul. Showing preferential treatment. This is easily debunked. God has revealed Himself / performed miracles for many, who have either turned their back on Him or done nothing for Him. Pharoah saw eleven amazing miracles by God, ten plagues and one sea parting.

An encounter with God is surely amazing and life changing, but it does not result in one now deciding to serve God at the level Paul did. So what motivated Paul?

There is a clear difference between Paul and other great men and woman of God in scripture. So, what motivated Paul to spread the good news at the level he did? 180% direction change. Living 100% for himself to 100% for God. Almost like a walking mouth piece of God on earth. I accept that he was compelled to spread the good news. But he understood something about the importance of spreading the good news that most (me included) do not properly grasp. He came back from his revelation with a bond fire on his rear. He was so pro active and motivated.

I will use an example to try and explain what I am trying to convey.

Lets say you have a very sick mother. What state must your mother be in if she requires your presence 24/7, compared to an hour a day / once a week / once a month? She must be clinging onto her life surely. Why else would you be there 24/7?

So, what did Paul understand about the good news and God that resulted in him giving God his time 24/7?

The only thing I can think of is that he grasped God's gift of free will. When randomness and free will enters the world, God ties His hands and does not get involved in many things. Christianity is not a religion that is forced on anyone. Well according to scripture, should not be. God truly needs us to reach the lost and witness for Him. Paul grasped that 1. God is good and 2. He need us as free will is real. God gets excited when someone converts Luke 15:7. If He wills that all be saved 1 Tim 2:4 and all are not saved, there is true free will. 1 + 1 = 2.

Well, those are my thoughts, interested to hear yours.

I believe Paul was being groomed and prepared for apostleship long before he met Christ on the road to Damascus.

He was one of the most educated of his day, a scholar of the Law of Moses and highly respected among the Sanhedrin. So much so that the Sanhedrin gave him the authority to arrest anyone who was a Christian and bring them bound to Jerusalem.

The Gospel was beginning to spread from Israel and God needed a superman who had great knowledge of the Law, a man who had no idea what "give up" meant. God needed a man who was acquainted with the Gentiles and the Jews. Paul could not have been more perfect for what God needed.

I believe God knew Paul before he was born, as God knew Jeremiah before he was born, and prepared him to be the greatest worker for Christ the world has ever known.