„Biada mi, gdybym nie głosił Ewangelii” (1Kor 9,16c). Motywy przepowiadania u św. Pawła
“Woe betide me if I do not proclaim the gospel” (1Cor 9,16c). St Paul’s motives for his proclamation

Summary/Abstract: Why did St Paul proclaim the gospel? What were his motives? His cry in 1Cor 9,16 seems to betray fear; his use of the Greek noun anv ag, kh implies even a certain degree of determinism. But only on the surface of it. A closer examination makes it clear that Paul does not mean the kind of determinism that strips him of his free will. The obligation (even compulsion) to proclaim the Good News flows directly from his conviction of being chosen to do so by God himself. For Paul, his obligation to preach rests on his new understanding of the Law, the community of God’s chosen people and of the entire history of salvation.Paul knew the Jewish Law inside out. Not for him to harbour doubts about Israel having been selected by God for a special relationship with Him, or argue against the motion that one may attain salvation by strictly complying with the Law. That is, until the day when he headed off for Damascus. What happened to him then changed everything. He became aware that he was selected by the Almighty himself to be His personal hand tool in bringing others to that very salvation. His encounter with the Risen Christ shed a totally new light on everything he thought he knew. God wants all to be saved, Jews and pagans and all the rest. For free. But one must believe in Him. If one wants to be saved, the only sure way to comply with is Jesus Christ. Knowing that, Paul could not but proclaim it far and wide. Not doing that would be nothing less than sneaking out of God’s loving hands and cry: Woe to me! That was Pauls fear and determinism.

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