Paul in one of his letters to the church in Corinth, writes that he was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment him. Now many have debated what this thorn in the flesh could be, some say it was a physical condition, some say it was an addiction or a particular sin, and others say it was a demon. Historians have even surmised that it could have been a chronic eye problem from when God blinded him on the Road to Damascus, some even say that the thorn refers to a person, such as Alexander the coppersmith, who Paul writes, “did me a great deal of harm” 2 Timothy 4:14. But since Paul gives no further clarification and no one can say for any certainty what this thorn in the flesh was, we can only guess. Now one thing that we don’t have to guess at is that whatever it was, it was a source of real pain in Paul’s life.
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:7b-9NIV
The first thing Paul says about the thorn in his flesh is that it was given to him, “in order to keep me from being conceited…” To keep Paul from being conceited, God allowed this thorn to torment him. So first off we see that it had a purpose, to keep Paul from being conceited or to keep him from boasting, but boasting about what? Earlier in this passage Paul wrote about these false apostles who were constantly boasting about themselves and their accomplishments, to which he replies, in somewhat of a mocking tone, may I boast a little, and then goes on to list his qualifications and the events that have transpired after his salvation. But I do not believe that this is why God would have allowed a thorn to torment him because he is speaking rather humbly about these things so they don’t seem to be a source of pride.
For me personally I believe this is a matter of sin and of salvation because in his letter to the Roman church, he writes candidly, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” Romans 7:15-23NIV Paul says, “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” Which sounds like something that was sent to torment him, a thorn in the flesh if you will.
Like all of us, Paul struggled against his sinful flesh, he said the things I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. If that realization doesn’t humble a person about their need for Jesus I don’t know what will. Paul realizes his greater and greater need for the forgiveness of sins because of the continual sins that torment him. Have you ever felt that way? You try to do the right thing, try to walk in the light, try to live your life obedient to the commands of God, and then in an instant you blow it, and you don’t understand why you did it, that’s what Paul dealt with and I believe he referred to it as a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan which tormented him. In Genesis 3 it was satan who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, in Matthew 4 he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, and in 1 Peter 5:8 Peter warns us to watch out because “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” When you look at all of this as a whole, it seems to me that Paul’s thorn in the flesh could possibly be referring to his sinful flesh. Do we know for certain? No, but could this very well apply to Paul, and apply to every believer? Yes! Because Paul says that he prayed that God would take it away and God responded by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
What do we need grace for? In his letter to the church at Ephesus Paul writes, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9NIV God’s sufficient grace saves us from our sins, not just on the day we are saved but every day after until we reach eternity. In our weakness and our ability to overcome sin in our lives, Jesus is shown to be powerful.
So what do we do when we are weak and powerless, continue sinning so that Jesus is seen as powerful, or experience more of God’s grace? No! John in his first epistle writes, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” 1 John 1:9,2:1-2NLT. And then Paul to the church at Ephesus writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13NIV
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