So many people have suggestions and opinions as to what Paul’s thorn was when he was sharing with the people of Corinth about it. In 2 Corinthians 12, he called his “thorn…in the flesh” a “messenger of satan.” Paul didn’t tell them specifically what it was, but I’m sure we all can speculate in our own ways what it could possibly be.
Paul said that this thorn was “given” to him. And why was it given to him? The text says that it was given to him to keep him from “becoming conceited.” That leads to another question of “why?”. Why would he become conceited? What was he prone to becoming conceited and puffed up about? When you read just a little further, the text says, “because of the surpassing greatness of the revelation.”
So let’s dig deeper. Let’s do a little background work. Paul was once known as Saul of Tarsus. Christians feared him because of the persecution that he doled out among them. He would find out where the Christians – those who followed “the Way” – and he would break up the gathering. He would take the Christians and imprison them. He was very religious. Paul studied under Gamaliel, which was considered to have been the best of the best of rabbis to train under in those days. So when he persecuted the Christians, he really thought that he was doing “God’s Work” by eradicating the world of these ‘vermin’.
In one instance, there was a gathering of men, including him, while Stephen was defending and proclaiming the name of Jesus beginning at the very beginning of the plan of redemption and salvation. The men took off their outer cloak, and they placed them at the foot of Paul. Paul stood watch in agreement with the judgment and stoning of Stephen, the first martyr of the faith after the resurrection of Jesus. At that point, he was merciless.
Paul got permission to travel to Damascus to capture Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem. But this is where God had other plan’s for him. Instead of reaching Damascus and beginning his tirade on the Christians that he found, Jesus stopped him in his tracks. Paul got to personally meet Jesus. He was stopped, sight was taken away from him, and he heard the very voice of the Creator of the Universe, Our Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ Our Lord and King. Paul personally encountered Jesus. And Jesus asked Paul point-blank, “Why are you persecuting Me?” He didn’t say, “why are you persecuting Christians?” He said, “ME”. Paul got a wake-up call. And God met Paul in the best way to get his attention. He knocked him on his butt to get his undivided attention.
"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, ESV)
This is the text that I read and had so many questions about. I was drawn to this passage, and I wanted to go deeper. Paul packs so much into these letters to the people he was writing to. He seems to have wanted to give as much information as he could when he is not in person with them.
This thorn that Paul was “given” was to keep him from being conceited with the great and wonderful truths that he was to proclaim to peoples that didn’t know God personally. This was a huge honor to be brought into God’s amazing work in this way. He was given wisdom and understanding that wasn’t able to be comprehended by most others. And rather than begin to be boastful and prideful, Paul was given a thorn “in his flesh”.
Paul asked for this thorn to be removed from him three times. He begged God to take it from him. However, God was using this for Paul’s good. He was keeping Paul humble, and He was making sure that his proclamation of glory was directed at God and not himself. Paul wanted to be rid of this thorn, whatever you may think it is. And the fact that the text says that Paul asked three times, shows not only that he prayed, but that he stopped praying for something that he already got an answer to.
Looking up different thoughts on what the thorn may have been for Paul, I sought out respected leaders in theology and faith, those who would dive deep into the understanding of the Scriptures. In essence, I sought out the faith version of “think tanks” who sought out the wisdom of God not only in their personal walks of life and prayer, but specifically in the Scripture. And I found so many ideas of what this thorn could have been. It is disputed as to what it is among the various scholars, it is debated in love. In my opinion, what the thorn is was not stated specifically because God’s Word is timeless, individual, and general. It was meant for all people and each individual.
The most frequent possibilities include:
- Paul’s inner psychological struggles:
- Paul’s grief over his earlier persecutions of the church (like the condoning of the stoning of Stephen and the zealous seeking out of Christians before his Damascus road encounter), sorrow over Israel’s unbelief (especially since he was one of those that didn’t believe until God met him), or continuing temptations (like sexual temptations, lust, self-righteousness, judgmentalism, etc.).
- Paul’s opponents, who continue to persecute him:
- In Numbers 33:55 and Ezekiel 28:24, the thorns that are spoken of refer to Israel’s enemies. Paul was being persecuted as a Christian now in the same way that he persecuted Christians. He was stoned, shunned, yelled at, imprisoned, nearly killed, and slandered. These indignities that were done to him by the false apostles and the opposition from them were particularly on account of him proclaiming the gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is powerful and mighty. This is His promise and hope.
- Some kind of physical affliction:
- Some of these examples include ophthalmia, malaria, migraines, epilepsy, speech impediment, acute bodily pain, diabetes, frequent fevers, or any number of sickness or ailments. It is not stated, so all we can do is speculate. But most commentators seem to believe that his thorn is some sort of physical affliction.
- Some kind of demonic harassment:
- Because the text says specifically, “a messenger of Satan,” some believe that the thorn that Paul has is actually demonic attacks. I don’t think that he is referring to this because, again in my opinion only since this is not specifically stated, I think that messengers of satan refers to temptations to sin. They are given to us to goad us on, motivating us move when we want to sit in our contentment. In reading the commentary of Matthew Henry, I read, “Indeed it is a great grievance to a good man to be so much as tempted to sin.”
I’m sure by now you are at least leaning toward one of these categories. I settled on the first category. And more specifically, I think that his thorn is regret for persecuting Him in His people. I think that Paul regrets condoning the stoning to death of Stephen. I think that he thought about it often, replaying the events in his mind. I think that he remembers the men and women that he caused to be ripped from their children and families, imprisoned, and put to death. This reminds me of the various things that I’ve done in my past that I regret. Various choices that I have made that were wrong, not good for me or those around me, and ultimately, not honoring to God. I find myself replaying the events over and over in my mind late at night before bed. There have been times when I would become so overwhelmed in my grief for having hurt someone or dishonored God that I would cry out to him. My hurting heart would beg him to take these thoughts and feelings from me. I would tell him that it hurts so much. This is probably why I resonate this disclosure of Paul’s thorn so much. And it is probably why I think that the thorn is “regret” in the first place.
We see how much he struggled with this thorn, and how he prayed for God to remove this thorn from him three different times. He begged and pleaded with God to take whatever it was away from him because it hurt so much. But God used this thorn for his good. And before you get hung up on God giving Paul a messenger from Satan, remember, God is Sovereign over everyone and everything. And he uses all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
When we are struggling with something over and over and over, when we find ourselves in the same situations perpetually even though we are doing everything we can to get out of the situation, when we keep crying out to God about it, but we still remain in it, remember, He is using this for something in your life – emotionally, physically, or spiritually – to strengthen you, motivate you, prepare you, and many other things.
When you lift weights, do you lift it once, and then think to yourself, “Wow! I am super strong now. I don’t have to work on that anymore because I can do anything”? When you do one crunch or sit-up, do you stand up, look in the mirror, and see a six-pack with that ever allusive v-cut? No! You lift, squat, press, row, or whatever other exercise you’re using to get fit over and over And in doing this with God’s power in you, your weakness is made stronger. These situations, these thorns may hurt, but they are strengthening you in your faith, your walk, your relationships, your trust, your accountability, your work ethic, your whatever.
Paul said that Jesus told him, “my grace is sufficient for you (v. 9).” He said, “for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul’s earthly weaknesses would be what God used to perfect and demonstrate His power. When Paul wrote this, he had finished praying for the thorn to be removed. He stopped praying for something that he already had the answer to.
This reminds me of my kids. One of them will come up to me and ask me for a cup of coffee. I will respond with, “no, but thank you for asking.” Then, inevitably, they will continue to ask and beginning with “But Mom, please.” I will continue to politely say, “Son, I told you no. Please, have some water.” I am denying something that they want to drive them closer to what they need. Of course, their response is one that includes stomping and the phrase, “Come on, Mom!” This repetitive asking, when I have clearly given him my answer, just causes him to get frustrated and upset. It doesn’t cause him to get the cup of coffee.
Like this, we, too, ask over and over with the expectation that God will give it to us if we just keep asking, even though God said, “no.” I feel the need to insert an answer to a possible question or rebuttal that may arise after reading this. The parable that Jesus spoke of about the woman asking the secular judge over and over until she received an answer, was just that. He didn’t answer her until he got irritated enough with her consistent inquiries that he gave her what she wanted, not caring if it was what she needed. In this instance, God has given him something that hurts but does not harm in order to keep him from being harmed by what may not hurt.
He is using this situation in our lives to grow and strengthen us. So, “for the sake of Christ”, let us be “content with our weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.”
"For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10, ESV)
Gotta go fill up my cup…..
Coffee with Candee 