Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh

     In the twelfth chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks of “visions and revelations of the Lord” (v. 1) and briefly describes a remarkable heavenly experience (vv. 2-4). He then confesses, “that I should not be exalted by the surpassing excellence of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me …” (v. 7a).¹ It is depicted here as a “messenger” [aggelos] of Satan, the purpose of which, “that it might maltreat [kolaphizō] me that I should not become exalted” (v. 7b). Paul pleaded with the Lord three times that it might be taken away (v. 8), yet it persisted.

     A “thorn” [skolops]² signifies a sharp affliction, while “flesh” is indicative of something physical (cf. 2 Cor. 5:16; 10:2-3; 11:18). This follows the lengthy account of Paul’s vexations that included beatings, imprisonments, stoning, and various perils (11:23-26). As Satan’s aggelos, readers are reminded of the preceding warnings about “false apostles” (11:13) exposed as masquerading “servants” of Satan (11:15), who himself masquerades as an aggelos of light (11:14). Moreover, these troublemakers were prone to violence (11:20), and the word used here for the maltreatment inflicted on Paul is kolaphizō, which literally means to “strike with the fist” (cf. 1 Cor. 4:11).³

     Contextually, therefore, Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” seems to be a veiled allusion to the incessant opposition he was facing, particularly “persecutions … for Christ” (12:10; cf. 1:8-10; 7:5; 4:8-12; 6:4-9; 11:23-26). This interpretation is consistent with similar imagery in the OT (Num. 33:55; Josh. 23:13; Ezek. 28:24) and is confirmed by what is known about the persistent challenges he endured throughout his ministry (see Acts 9:16, 23, 29; 13:8, 45, 50; 14:2, 5, 19, 22; 15:1-2; 16:19-24, 37, 39; 17:5, 13, 32; 18:6, 12; 19:9, 23-31; 20:23, 29-31; 21:11, 27-33; 22:22, 25; 23:2, 10, 12; 24:27; 25:2-3; 26:21; 28:17, 30; 1 Cor. 15:30; Gal. 5:11; 1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 2:17; 4:14; cf. Rom. 5:3; 8:35-36).

     Other suggestions have included some type of physical malady (cf. Gal. 4:13), such as headaches, malaria, epilepsy, poor eyesight (cf. Gal. 4:15; 6:11), or a speech impediment (cf. 1 Cor. 2:1-4; 2 Cor. 10:10); perhaps a psychological disorder. At the end of the day, the observation of P. E. Hughes is worth noting: “the plain fact is that it is impossible to escape from the realm of conjecture, which is by its nature the realm of inconclusiveness. Presumably those to whom the Apostle wrote knew well enough the character of this particular infirmity with which he was afflicted, but there is an absence of any firm tradition which might enable us to identify it” (Second Corinthians 442).

     “And [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you; for the power is perfected in weakness’” (2 Cor. 12:9a). In the Lord’s response to Paul, the verb arkeō (“suffice”) in the Greek text is the first word of the sentence, placing emphasis on the sufficiency of divine grace. Though employed with a variety of nuances, “grace” has a heavy emphasis in Paul’s writings, particularly in the letters sent to Corinth.⁴ As he has stated earlier, “But [by the] grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been worthless, but I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God that [was] with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).

     “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ might dwell upon me” (2 Cor. 12:9b). This “boasting” started at 11:16, in response to unjustified attacks, and “weakness” was introduced at 10:10 as an insult from antagonists. But Paul has shown it to be a virtue in the Lord’s service (11:21, 29, 30; 12:5, 9, 10; 13:3, 4, 9). Divine power is more clearly evident in the face of human frailty (see 3:5; 4:7; 6:7; 13:4; cf. 1 Cor. 2:1-5).

     “Therefore I am well pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, and difficulties for Christ; for when I might be weak, then I am strong” (12:10). This strength-out-of-weakness paradox clashes with man’s infatuation with achievement, prosperity, status, notability, power, and success. Nevertheless, adversity is inevitable for everyone in this imperfect world, and especially for servants of Christ (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 2 Tim. 3:12). Paul, through his “thorn in the flesh,” teaches us that humility and greater dependence on God are constructive benefits to be appreciated and utilized. Let us be thankful, therefore, no matter what challenges we face, that we still have access to the same source of comfort and strength!

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

     ² This is the only occurrence of the word skolops in the NT. It refers to anything with a sharp point that causes pain, like a stake, thorn, or splinter. See Num. 33:55; Ezek. 28:24; Hos. 2:6 (LXX).

     ³ The present tense indicates ongoing abuse (see also Matt. 26:67; 1 Pet. 2:20).

     ⁴ Charis (“grace”) appears 156 times in the Greek NT; 100 times in Paul, and 28 times in the Corinthian correspondence: 1 Cor. 1:3, 4; 3:10; 10:30; 15:10; [15:57; 16:3]; 16:23; 2 Cor. 1:2, 12, 15; [2:14]; 4:15; 6:1; 8:1, 4, 6, 7, [16], 19; 9:8, 14, [15]; 12:9; 13:14.

Related Posts: Why Does God Allow Suffering?

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God Answers Prayer

     From 1 John 5:14-15 the Christian learns at least four things about prayer: (1) God hears my prayers; (2) he answers my prayers; (3) this is something in which I can have “confidence”; and (4) the Lord's answers are according to his will, not mine.¹

     It was probably during the period recorded in Acts 20:1-3 that the apostle Paul produced Romans and 2 Corinthians. Two prayers are mentioned in these epistles which serve as good biblical examples of how prayers are answered.

     Paul’s letter to the Romans was written approximately AD 56/57 before he traveled to Jerusalem with a benevolent gift from various congregations. Apparently he had some concerns about what might happen when he got to Jerusalem, but instead of worrying about it he prayed about it and encouraged others to pray for him as well. In Romans 15:30-32 at least three specific prayer requests are made: (1) that Paul may be delivered from unbelievers in Judea; (2) that his service may be acceptable among the Jerusalem saints; and (3) that he may come to Rome with joy. By reading Luke’s historical record of this visit to Jerusalem and subsequent events, we see exactly how these petitions were answered. 

     According to Acts 21:17-20a, the brethren in Jerusalem received Paul gladly and rejoiced in his ministry. It seems that this part of his petition was answered with a resounding “yes.” However, the apostle’s service was not accepted unconditionally. While numerous Jews in Jerusalem had come to believe in Christ, many of them viewed Paul with suspicion, as though he were a traitor to his nation and cultural heritage. His effectiveness and influence among them, therefore, were compromised by this misguided perception.

     In order to show that he had not completely forsaken his people or his past, Paul agreed to carry out a customary ritual in the temple (vv. 20-26). But his attempt to please his Jewish kinsmen led to further complications. He was falsely accused, dragged out of the temple, and nearly beaten to death by unbelieving Jews (vv. 27-33). Fortunately he was delivered from these attackers (vv. 33-34), as per another of his prayer requests (Romans 15:31), yet not without a great deal of distress and suffering. As a result of his arrest in Jerusalem, he was sent to Caesarea (spending two years in prison) and then on to Rome. Paul had prayed that he might come to Rome with joy, but when he finally arrived after several near-death experiences along the way, he was in chains (Acts 28:16). 

     Did God answer the three petitions of Romans 15:30-32? Apparently so. Did he answer them the way Paul wanted? Apparently not. No doubt Paul desired that his service to the Jerusalem saints would be received without reservation, but it wasn’t. He likely would have wanted his deliverance from unbelievers to be void of pain and distress, but it wasn’t. Surely he would rather have come to Rome as a free man, but he didn’t. Nevertheless, as a prisoner in Rome, looking back on these ordeals, Paul had to admit: “the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12). God’s way may have been harder, but it was so much better.

     If Paul’s service in Jerusalem had been accepted unconditionally (as he wanted), the chain of events which eventually took him to Rome likely would not have occurred; consequently so many would have missed out on the Lord’s great blessings through the ministry of this dedicated apostle. The point is, Paul's prayers were answered by God, not necessarily the way he wanted, but obviously so much better than he even knew how to ask.

     Another of Paul’s specific prayer requests is recorded in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. He struggled from what appears to have been a physical malady (“a thorn in the flesh”), concerning which he pleaded with the Lord no less than three times that it might be removed. God’s answer was not “yes,” or even a “qualified yes,” but an absolute “NO.” Thus Paul continued to suffer from this infirmity for the rest of his natural life. But notice his attitude. He didn’t cry, “God hasn’t answered my prayer!” He didn’t complain that God’s answer wasn’t what he wanted. Paul graciously accepted this negative response and acknowledged that the Lord’s way was even better than that for which he had asked. This physical “thorn in the flesh” kept him humble, which ultimately contributed to his spiritual salvation (cf. Proverbs 16:18). It caused him to depend more on God and less on self. It made him a much stronger person. 

     The lesson is simple: God answers prayer. He answers prayer according to his will, not mine. He doesn’t always answer according to my expectations, and his ways are not always the easiest. But I can be assured that his answers are always the very best answers. Even when I don’t get exactly what I ask for, I know that God has something much better in store!

     “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

-- Kevin L. Moore

Endnote:

     ¹ This is a revision of the original version that appeared in The Exhorter 4:1 (Jan.-March 2000). All scripture quotations are from the NKJV.

Related articles: Mike Bensen's When Did Jesus NOT Pray?

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