It was permanent since god was not willing to take it away from paul vs. We are not sure what the thorn is or why paul decides not to go into more detail, but i. Paul s testimony of the blessing and power of adversity in his life reminds us that if we endure it well in our own lives, god shall exalt us on high. 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. Here, joshua was referring to people, not diseases or infirmities. After adam and eve sinned, the ground was cursed and thorns and thistles sprang up. It was something god allowed in order to keep paul from becoming conceited vs.
The greek word for messenger is angelos and is also translated angel. Cole it is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. What was apostle pauls thorn in the flesh pauls thorn and thirty one questions. Pdf a critical analysis of pauls thorn in the flesh 2. This presentation will first examine the overall concept of a biblical worldview and then the context of 2 corinthians 12 and offer several key points of analysis on. Pauls thorn in the flesh study resources blue letter bible. Thorn in the flesh is a phrase of new testament origin used to describe an annoyance, or trouble in one s life, drawn from paul the apostle s use of the phrase in his second epistle to the corinthians 12. People often refer to paul s thorn as if it were an operative condition throughout paul s life. These scriptures make a person to think that it was a physical weakness, or his appearance had some flaws. But this way all of us can identify with that thorn in the flesh that paul prayed about three times, specifically asking god to remove it. Though it is not profitable, i will go on to visions and revelations from the lord.
There have been various theories offered, such as a chronic sickness and bad eyesight. Paul s thorn in the flesh a sermon by george muller of bristol a sermon preached by george muller on sunday evening, july 11th, 1897 at bethesda chapel, great george street, bristol and lest i should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given. Paul speaks of a thorn in the flesh in 2 corinthians 12. Perspectives on healing in the writings of mark, luke and paul. Lessons to learn from pauls thorn devos from the hill. This brief essay seeks to settle the matter once and for all. Religious ideas about pauls thorn have caused so many to suffer needlessly, believing they were pleasing god.
I have a theory on what paul s thorn in the flesh might have been but i cant be 100% certain. Paul shares that to keep himself humble, god has given him a thorn in his flesh. Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalti. Thorn in paul s flesh the thorn in paul s flesh has been a topic that is a brain teaser to people that study the bible for ages. And lest i should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet me, lest i should be exalted above measure. Paul s thorn in the flesh was the many human messengers that satan sent against him to stop him from making known the gospel of christ. What was the thorn in the flesh to which paul makes reference in 2 corinthians 12. Although there is nothing to be gained, i will go on to visions and revelations from the lord. One of the most common arguments to the idea that it is god s will for all to be healed is the mention of what the scriptures refer to as the apostle paul s thorn in the flesh. I knew a man in christ above fourteen years ago, whether in the body, i cannot tell. Before delving into the various theories surrounding paul s thorn in the flesh, what has been written by paul s own hand must be analyzed.
Pauls thorn in the flesh to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me. To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations. Commenting on the first six verses of the 12th chapter, mr. We do not have to sift through paul s thorn, job s boils, or timothy s. Ive heard some people say it was a disease he couldnt recover from. In the chronological context of the epistles, paul and the churches he planted were harassed from the very beginning by these judaizers of high reputation the. Had paul told us exactly what his thorn was, scores of us, perhaps you included, would have been deprived of a great truth because we would reason, my thorn is different from pauls. Pauls thorn in the flesh is a deceptive sacred cow, so to speak, that holds many in bondage. Many explanations have been put forward, but whether paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional afflictionor something else entirelyhas never been answered with satisfaction. There are a lot of conjectures as to what was the thorn or stake. The thorn was a fallen angela demon assigned by satan, which caused all paul s persecutions and troubles mentioned in 2 cor. Here s a bibliography of the most significant mentions of pauls thorn in the flesh i could find in my scholarly monographs and journals. Thorn in the flesh is a phrase of new testament origin used to describe an annoyance, or trouble in ones life, drawn from paul the apostles use of the phrase in.
Paul referred to this burden as a thorn in the flesh 2 corinthians 12. However, paul s thorn in the flesh wasnt a physical sickness, and god did answer his prayer. It makes much more sense to me that this thorn was a person, a false messenger of satan. Treasures from god s word i resisted him facetoface. The context is a report of visions and revelations of the lord, in particular an account of how a man in christ paul himself was taken up to the third heaven, to paradise. The purpose of this essay is to examine paul s thorn in the flesh in light of a biblebelieving supernatural worldview. Pauls thorn in the flesh logos bible software forums. Paul relates his lesson in four verses in 2 corinthians 12. Someone has so aptly stated that deception wouldnt be so deceiving if it wasnt so deceptive.
Beck, who even went on to suggest that the physical debility was some visual impairment. Back in paul s day, there was no way to effectively treat cataracts. It s clear from the context that paul identified god as his thorn giver, not satan. There is no verse of scripture giving any indication that the thorn was anything other than people, and certainly no verse saying it was a sickness. We just dont know because the bible does not tell us. It doesnt mean we cant offer some educated guesses, but first, let s take a look at the relevant scripture.
What was pauls thorn in the flesh, when paul says he prayed three times that it may be removed. He could have burned his cornea or he could have developed cataracts. The primary evidence surrounding paul s thorn in the flesh is found in 2 cor. Gerald janzen christian theological seminary abstract on the nature of paul s thorn in the flesh, ralph p.
And what we believe about that thorn what is was where it came from and so on will have a direct effect on our ability to. Its only mention is tied to pauls private rapture into paradise, 2cor. No one can say for sure what paul s thorn in the flesh was, but it was a source of real pain in the apostle s life. A paragnosis1, journal of the american academy of religion, volume xxix, issue 2, 1 april 1961, page. The following is an excerpt from the macarthur new testament commentary on 2 corinthians 12. But, pauls thorn in the flesh kept coming to my mind. I think it is not ironic that paul called his physical or mental trial a thorn because thorns are indicative of the fall of man. He calls it a messenger of satan that had a purpose of torment. The existence of illness or suffering in a believer s life does not necessarily constitute a sinful life or a life that lacks faith. And lest i should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to.
Christians have debated over what that thorn in the flesh was for a long time. Ff bosworth christ the healer 0011 pauls thorn in the flesh. Pauls thorn in the flesh andrew wommack ministries. These were the heathens that the israelites had to deal with as they entered into their promised land of canaan. And lest i should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of satan to buffet me, lest i be exalted above measure.
The apostle paul endured great hardships to serve the lord 2 corinthians 11. Frank, thank you for the interpretation, and explanation of pauls thorn in the flesh. Paul s thorn in the flesh and lest i should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet me, lest i should be exalted above measure. If we look at the context of paul s thorn in the flesh, we find that infirmity does not mean sickness in 2 corinthians 12. But ive heard other people say this isnt right because paul had the gift of healing and could have healed any sickness he had, so we need to take him literally when he calls it a messenger of satan, to torment me. Yet something tormented paul and was an incredible burden for him. This presentation will first examine the overall concept of a biblical worldview and then the context of 2 corinthians 12 and. Paul seems to conceal as much as he reveals about the thorn in the flesh that was given to him lest he exalt himself 2 cor 12. Each time i read of the apostle paul s thorn in the flesh, i learn something new.
He wrote 8 more letters before his martyrdom in 66 ad. And lest i should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the. Stevens december 29, 2011 the question of just what constituted the apostle pauls thorn in the flesh has been speculated upon and debated for a long time. However, 2 corinthians, written in 58 ad, was one of paul s earlier letters. Recently an evangelical theologian ventured into the. Treasures from god s word pauls thorn in the flesh living as christians you can succeed despite your thorn in the flesh. When paul saw the risen lord in all of his shekinah glory, he was blinded for three days. To arrive at our conclusion, we shall make use of the pertinent pauline. A critical analysis of pauls thorn in the flesh 2 cor 12. What is that thorn in the flesh and why would god give. It appears that paul had to have this thorn, and i could not reconcile it with matthew 8. Pauls thorn in the flesh it is necessary to go on boasting. We know god has the power to healit is his absolute and perfect will to heal you. But since hebrew thorn in the flesh, like english thorn in my side, refers to persons numbers 33.
For this thing i besought the lord thrice, that it. Paul wrote about his thorn in the flesh in 2 corinthians 12. Paul did not receive a physical thorn in his flesh therefore the expression is figurative. The fact that jesus wore a crown of thorns shows that he was victorious over the fall and reversed the cursethe curse that sin brings eternal death.