“I
went out to preach after my bible school as I could not hold back talking to
someone about Jesus Christ. I was excited as I was getting good responses and
audiences
But
then,
I
met this guy. He listened to me attentively and when I asked him if he is ready
to give his life to Jesus Christ, He asked me a question. He asked, why would
Paul have a torn on his flesh which he died with, yet it was recorded he did
great healing. Why could not hi heal himself? “
That
was account of a young sister who shared her experienced who worked in the area
where my company is.
This lead to the question of what actually is the torn on
Paul’s flesh ?
There
are however, countless theories as to what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. The
most popular range from illnesses to haunting guilt for persecuting the church
to a sexual addiction that Paul never got victory over.
Looking carefully at the text as below:
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for
this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn
[splinter] in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep
me from exalting myself!
Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it
might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness.”
Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses,
with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,
with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I
am strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
Paul plainly
identifies the thorn. It was a “messenger of Satan” whose purpose was to
torment Paul. The word “torment” means to strike with the first, to rain blows
upon, to treat with violence. It’s often translated “harass.”
When Paul asks the
Lord to remove the thorn, the Savior responds saying, “My power is perfected in
weakness” (v.9).
Paul immediately says
that he would rather “boast in his weaknesses” so that Christ’s power may dwell
in him (v. 9).
What’s telling here is
that Paul’s entire discussion in Chapter 11 (just before he mentions the thorn
in the flesh) is about his “weaknesses.” In that chapter, Paul gives us a
robust list of hardships that he endured for the gospel.
At the end of the
list, he refers to these hardships as “weaknesses” (see 11:30). This is the
same Greek word that’s used for “weaknesses” in 12:5 and 12:9-10.
In addition, Paul
begins his argument in chapter 11 by talking about the “false apostles” and
“deceitful workers” who transform themselves as angels of light. He goes on to
say that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (11:14).
Interestingly, the
Greek word for “angel” in 11:14 is the same word for “messenger” in 12:7 (which
Paul refers to as a “thorn”).
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading
as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel
[messenger] of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as
servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve (2
Corinthians 11:13-15).
Paul tells us that
these “false apostles” are “servants” of Satan. That is, they are messengers of
the devil, doing his bidding. They masquerade themselves as messengers of light
just as Satan does. They traffic in slander, innuendo, misrepresentation, and
defamation (see 12:10; Paul calls this the “evil report” in 2 Cor. 6:8). They
also bring persecution.
Right after Paul talks
about his thorn in the flesh, he brings up the false apostles again saying:
I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to
have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the
“super-apostles,” even though I am nothing (12:11).
Consequently, if we
read Chapter 11 to Chapter 12 as a discussion about Paul’s weaknesses in which
he is boasting, we begin to make better sense of what Paul’s thorn is all
about.
In the Old Testament,
the term “thorn” is used as a metaphor for a person or group that persecutes
God’s people:
But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from
before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them
shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns
in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell
(Numbers 33:55; see also Joshua 23:13 and Judges 2:3).
In this context, God’s
enemies are called “thorns” in Israel’s sides (flesh) that “vex” and torment
them. These “thorns” were human beings inspired by God’s enemy.
When we read the New
Testament in a narrative way, taking it in its chronological sequence, we
discover that everywhere Paul planted a church, a group of detractors opposed
his ministry and sought to discredit his apostolic authority in the eyes of the
Christians for which he cared.
In Galatians, Paul
indicates that this group of detractors was headed up by one man in particular.
The group of people = But there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:7). As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! (Galatians
5:12).
The one man that
headed them up = But the one who is troubling you will bear his judgment, whoever he is (Galatians 5:10).
At the end of the
letter, Paul says something interesting:
From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my
body the brand-marks of Jesus.
You can almost hear a
prayer behind this statement in which Paul is asking the Lord to remove this
person who is troubling him and the churches.
Putting all of this
together, an interesting picture emerges.I believe this article of great to many and so,will be to you.Thanks to Frank Viola
Paul’s thorn appears
to be a man (inspired by Satan) who was obsessed with discrediting Paul and his
ministry.
This man followed Paul
wherever he traveled, beginning in South Galatia (Acts 14ff.). He sought to
undermine Paul’s work.
This “messenger” or
“servant” of Satan was in league with a group of others who followed him
(Galatians 1:7; 5:12). They followed in Paul’s footsteps to the churches in
Galatia, probably Thessalonica, and then to Corinth (he possibly could have
been the leader of the “super-apostles” that Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians
11).
On three occasions,
Paul asked the Lord to remove this person from his life. For he was a torment,
a frustration, a harassment to Paul and his work.
But the Lord answered
and said that His grace is sufficient. The Lord didn’t remove the thorn. He
instead caused Paul to forebear it.
Near the end of his
life, Paul would reflect back on the persecutions he endured in Galatia saying,
You know all about my . . . persecutions, sufferings – what kinds of things happened to me in
Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra [churches in Galatia], the
persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them (2
Timothy 3:10-11).
The persecutions and
afflictions still came, but they didn’t stop Paul from moving forward. By God’s
grace, Paul endured them all, for God’s grace was
sufficient. While this text probably isn’t referring specifically to Paul’s
“thorn,” the principle involved is the same.
Note that the men who
visited Galatia and Corinth with their “gospel” seemed to have been fellow
Hebrews from the Jerusalem church (although undoubtedly operating without its
approval and misrepresenting the assembly — see 2 Corinthians 11:22 and
Galatians 1-2).
That is, these men
were recognized Christians – in name at least.
(Incidentally, when a
person is being driven by the devil to attack or harass a servant of God, the
attacker/harasser is never in touch with the source of his or her behavior. In
fact, they will often use religious language and justifications to clothe their
fleshly obsession.)
To my mind, this
interpretation fits the evidence better than the alternatives. And it’s one
that is confirmed by the experience of many servants of God.
In short, if you are
serving the Lord Jesus Christ in a way that touches that which is closest to
His heart, you will encounter a “thorn in the flesh” . . . sooner or
later. And woe to the person who allows themselves to be manipulated by God’s
enemy in that way.
You may also like to read these topics
Get this and YOU ARE MADE !
You are getting what you have lost !
I CANT MANAGE
