QOTW - What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh?

The Question of the Week from GotQuestions.org The Question of the Week by GotQuestions.org [Click here to view this email as a webpage]( What’s new on the GotQuestions.org Podcast? [Episode 183 - What are the Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age? with Rosaria Butterfield]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Question: “What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh?” Answer: Paul speaks of a “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7. He calls it “a messenger of Satan” that had a purpose of “torment.” Many explanations have been put forward, but whether Paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction—or something else entirely—has never been answered with satisfaction. Since he was not talking of a literal thorn, he must have been speaking metaphorically. Some of the more popular theories of the thorn’s interpretation include temptation, a chronic eye problem, malaria, migraines, epilepsy, and a speech disability. Some even say that the thorn refers to a person, such as Alexander the coppersmith, who did Paul “a great deal of harm” (2 Timothy 4:14). 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. Paul clues us in concerning the thorn’s purpose: “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations.” So, God’s goal in allowing the thorn in the flesh was to keep Paul humble. Anyone who had encountered Jesus and was commissioned personally by Him (Acts 9:2-8) would, in his natural state, become “puffed up.” Add to that the fact that Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to write much of the New Testament, and it is easy to see how Paul could become “haughty” (KJV) or “exalted above measure” (NKJV) or “too proud” (NCV). Paul also says that the affliction came from or by a “messenger of Satan.” Just as God allowed Satan to torment Job (Job 1:1-12), God allowed Satan to torment Paul for God’s own good purpose. No one likes to live in pain. Paul sought the Lord three times to remove this source of pain from him (2 Corinthians 12:8). He probably had many good reasons why he should be pain-free: he could have a more effective ministry; he could reach more people with the gospel; he could glorify God even more! But the Lord was more concerned with building Paul’s character and preventing pride. Instead of removing the problem, whatever it was, God gave Paul more overwhelming grace and more compensating strength. Paul learned that God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (verse 9). The exact nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh is uncertain. There is probably a good reason that we don’t know. God likely wanted Paul’s difficulty to be described in general enough terms to apply to any difficulty we may face now. Whether the “thorn” we struggle with today is physical, emotional, or spiritual, we can know that God has a purpose and that His grace is all-sufficient. For Further Study: [Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit by Charles Swindoll]( [More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What’s new on GotQuestions.org? [What is sin?]( [Why did Jesus refer to the temple as “my Father’s house” (John 2:16)?]( [What does it mean that Jesus had godly fear (Hebrews 5:7)?]( [What does it mean that God is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9)?]( [Who is the accuser of the brethren in Revelation 12:10?]( [What does it mean that one will be taken and the other left (Matthew 24:40)?]( --------------------------------------------------------------- GotQuestions.org seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical answers to spiritually-related questions. To continue in this mission, we need your support! For more information, please visit our [Support Page]( GotQuestions.org Recommends: --------------------------------------------------------------- The GotQuestions.org Network: This message was sent to {EMAIL} from: Got Questions Ministries | 6050 Stetson Hills Blvd., #254 | Colorado Springs, CO 80923 [iContact - Try It Free!]( [Unsubscribe](