What's A thorn Anyway

The Bible records another incident in which some teach as being God's Will concerning sickness and disease. It states that the Apostle Paul dealt with sickness in his body. However, a closer look at this reveals something entirely different.  This incident deals with what the Bible records as Paul’s thorn in the flesh. “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. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

For many, the thought that is widely accepted is that Paul had a sickness which God refused to heal. So let us look at this and see if this thinking is scriptural. First, the expression “thorn in the flesh” is used elsewhere in the Bible. It refers to what God said would happen to the Israelite's if they failed to obey Him by not driving out the inhabitants of the land which the Lord had given to them. “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.” (Numbers 33:55) 

Next, Paul says, “…a messenger of Satan to buffet me…” The word messenger is the same word most often transliterated as “angel” elsewhere in the New Testament. Paul is saying that the thorn in the flesh was an angel of Satan that buffeted him. To buffet means to strike with a fist. Paul never says that the buffeting was sickness. After Gods response, Paul then says that he would rather boast in his infirmities. The word infirmity in this scripture does not mean sickness, but weakness. This is why God’s response is as such, “… for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Again, not sickness but weakness. Therefore, we conclude that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a satanic angel that stirred up persecution against Paul wherever he went.

Let's look at some of the things that Paul dealt with for the gospel's sake that reveals the persecution that he faced. "Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool, I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches." (2 Corinthians 11:22-28)

Can any one of us honestly say that they have suffered what Paul had suffered for Christ? No! He was not sick or sickly but persecuted. He understood something that most in the church cannot even comprehend, Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, (weakness) that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, (weakness) in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul understood that weakness was nothing more than the place where the power of God could come upon him. Honestly, if God's power is going to come upon a person, sickness and or disease will certainly be dispossessed. PTL