Thorn in the Flesh

Mark Dunagan
10/25/15 - Sunday Morning

Thorn in the Flesh

The faithful apostle Paul prayed fervently to the Lord on three occasions and his request was not granted!  Why?  Well let’s take a further look:

“Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn 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).

What The Thorn Was Not

• The thorn in the flesh was not a sinful activity on Paul’s part.  I say this because when a Christian keeps on engaging in a sin that is not something to boast about.  When I am continuing in a sin the power of Christ does not rest upon me, in fact, when I do this the gospel looks really weak.  When I am sinning I am not being perfected, I am being corrupted.  When God’s professed people persist in any sin such discredits the gospel (2 Samuel 12:14 “However, because by this deed your have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme”; 1 Timothy 5:14 “and give the enemy no occasion for reproach”; 1 John 3:10 “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God”).
• The thorn in the flesh did not arise because Paul was making foolish or sinful choices.  Rather this thorn showed up to keep Paul humble.
• The thorn in the flesh was not a flaw or problem that Paul could change about himself or his circumstances, for Paul had drastically changed and had completely dedicated himself to following God (Galatians 2:20).
• The thorn in the flesh was something that Paul could not remove or change.  Something he had no control over.  Fleeing or forsaking it was not an option.
• In light of this some have suggested that Paul suffered from some sort of chronic illness.  Maybe, but the book of Acts does not give the impression that Paul was a sickly individual.  In fact, in light of all his travels he seems to have been very hearty.  Others suggest that this thorn in the flesh applies to various or a specific opponent that made his life very difficult, in particular in the quest of spreading the gospel.
• Actually in the context we have a list of the type of things that would fall in the thorn category:  “I am well content with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake” (2 Corinthians 12:10).  For when I am weak.  Again we are not taking about a moral weakness, rather we are talking about things that Paul had no control over, such as persecution which brings its own hardships, and challenges.

It seems to us that Paul is thinking graphically of a body helplessly impaled.  He sees himself as it were transfixed, painfully held down and humiliated” (Hughes p. 447).  “Is the sharp, piercing pain that is produced when a thorn is driven deeply into the flesh” (Lenski p. 1300). 

A Messenger of Satan

Whatever the particular thorn was, it was inflicted by Satan and permitted or allowed by God, yet it was not more than Paul could handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).  Compare with the example of Job (Job 2:1ff).  “The present tense of the verb ‘to buffet me’ seems to imply that the trouble was ongoing.  We should be glad that the particular thorn isn’t mentioned.  By leaving the precise nature of this thorn unrevealed, God is telling us that one specific ailment or temptation should not get all the sympathy or focus. 

I Besought the Lord Three Times

Knowing the character of Paul is seems obvious that his motivation in praying for its removal was not selfish.  Paul was always concerned about one overriding thing, the spread of the gospel.  It would appear that Paul believed that he could do more for the kingdom if this thorn were removed.  Paul certainly felt that he had good reasons why this thorn in the flesh should be removed, and he was definitely not afraid to suffer for the sake of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23-33).

My Grace is Sufficient For Thee

“The tense of the verb indicates that the reply was a continuous answer, one to be accepted for Paul’s whole life” (Erdman p. 124).   “My grace is enough for thee” (Knox). “My grace is all you need” (NEB).  “Paul is here told that he is to remember that he is the unworthy object of God’s unceasing favor” (Tasker p. 178).  God is saying to Paul that the “thorn in the flesh” was not too much to bear, in fact, such a problem had already been tempered by God’s grace (1 Corinthians 10:13).

My Power is Perfected In Weakness

“My strength finds its full scope in thy weakness” (Knox).  “Power comes to its full strength in weakness” (NEB).  The weakness under consideration here is not unfaithfulness, that is, spiritual weakness.  Neither is this an automatic given.  We must cooperate with God for His power to be perfected in our state of need.  As with other areas of growth, we must “let” this process happen (James 1:2-4).  “This brief explanation showed Paul why the Lord gave him the thorn in the flesh.  It was done lest he lift himself up unduly and thus become a tool that was unfit for the Lord.  The verb shows that the thorn was a gift to Paul, a blessing to him” (Lenski 1305-1306).

• When I allow a trial to humble me and face up to the truth that I cannot handle life all by himself, then I am actually stronger and will be more effective than when I considered myself rather self-sufficient.
• The same is true when I come out of a trial with full confidence in God’s wisdom and His love (Habakkuk 3:16-19).
• Or when I am going through hardship and yet I am continually grateful for my blessings (Romans 1:14; Luke 6:35; Acts 14:17).
• When others see us experiencing trials, yet still hopeful, optimist, grateful and cheerful.  They realize that we have access to a power that is not of this world.

I Am Well Content With Weaknesses

“More than ever, then” (Knox).  “He will glory in them rather than complain of them” (Erdman p. 125).  “This is not the cry of a fanatic rejoicing in pain” (Tasker p. 179).   Paul is well content to live with the thorn because not only is it helping him stay close to God, but God is being glorified in the process.

Remember Gideon?

There were Israelites who came to help Gideon in his mission to defeat God’s enemies.  Yet God said, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me’” (Judges 7:2).  So God proceeds to whittle down the Israelite army from 32,000 to 300 (Judges 7:7).  With this 300 God would deliver Israel because He wanted the message clearly sent, that this deliverance was clearly due to God’s power.  In like manner God often does the same thing in the lives of individual believers. 

• When people see you overcoming horrible circumstances that simply destroyed and ruined countless others, it is clear you have chosen rely upon and  access a power that is Divine.
• When people see you forsaking and simply walking away from sins that have entrapped and resulted in billions of addicted and messed up lives, people are seeing that you are cooperating with the power of God.

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net