A Thorn in the Flesh

2 Corinthians 12 1-6

v.1 Once again Paul hesitates to speak of his personal accomplishments. He is introducing an amazing personal encounter with the Lord. It involved visions and revelations.

Visions are supernatural revelations that involve both seeing and hearing something from the Lord. The book of Acts records many visions that Paul received.

At his conversion on the Damascus road (9:3-12).

The Macedonian call for help (16:9-10).

In Corinth encouraging him to stay and minister (18:9-10).

Warning him to leave Jerusalem (22:17-21).

Encouraging him to be a witness in Rome (23:11).

Revealing that no one would be killed in the sea storm (27:23-24).

Revelations are truths revealed supernaturally by God. They may be heard audibly or simply spiritually. All visions are revelations but not all revelations are visions. Visions involve both seeing and hearing. Revelations may only involve hearing but could involve both seeing and hearing.

Paul did not glory in this personal experience because it was not profitable for the Corinthians. It was a personal encounter with God that encouraged him. The Corinthians, however, could not live off of Paul’s personal encounters with the Lord.

Peter warned against following experiences when he declared that the word of God is more sure than the experience he had on the Mount of Transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16-21). Paul hesitated in sharing his experience because it was not necessary or profitable to the Corinthians. He shares it to defend his apostleship and to introduce another way that he could boast in his weakness (12:9).

v.2 At first it may seem that Paul is talking about someone other than himself. He begins the account in the third person. Paul was, however, speaking of himself as the evidence indicates. He was simply doing so reluctantly.

* Paul would not be bragging if it did not happen to him.

* Paul knew too many details about the vision for it not to be him (4).

* Paul was the one who received the thorn as a result of the revelation (7).

This specific vision occurred fourteen years earlier. It is not recorded in the book of Acts. It would have occurred in the early 40’s AD.

Paul says that he was transported to the third heaven. The heavens are divided into three parts throughout scripture.

* The first heaven is within the earth’s atmosphere. It is where the clouds are and rain comes from (Isaiah 55:10).

*The second heaven is outside the earth’s atmosphere. It is where the stars and planets are (Psalm 8:3).

* The third heaven is the place where the fullness of God dwells and the departed saints live (Matthew 6:9).

Paul did not know if he entered the third heaven in his body or out of his body. He was only aware that he was caught up to the third heaven. This implies that he was taken very quickly and suddenly into the presence of God.

v.3-4 Paul was confident that God knew if he was in our out of his body and that was all that mattered. In verse four we see that Paul was taken to paradise. We are not to assume that the third heaven is a different place than paradise. “Paradise” and the “third heaven” are two different ways of describing the same place. Paradise is in the presence of God. It is where the tree of life is (Rev. 22:2).

While in Paradise, Paul heard unspeakable words. What Paul heard and saw he was not able nor permitted to speak. It was probably revealed to Paul to personally encourage him as he withstood the enemy day in and day out. For fourteen years he had not even mentioned it. And even now he gives very little detail.

Paul is the opposite of many of the so-called teachers of our day. They claim visions and secret trips to heaven. They write books explaining all of the details. These people have nothing in common with Paul. Paul recognized that there are some things that are not to be shared with humanity until we meet the Lord (Deut. 29:29).

v.5 Paul would not even mention himself in connection with such a glorious event. He would boast on behalf of “this man” as if he were another. Paul would only boast in his own weaknesses (11:23-33). He knew that his experience was not a result of his own merit. God gave him this amazing heavenly adventure. He would take no credit for himself.

v.6 If Paul chooses to boast in his visions it would not be foolish boasting. The reason is simple. His boasting is true. He did encounter the Lord in a personal way in the third heaven. Paul’s reasoning to refuse to boast in visions is revealed in this verse as well. He doesn’t want people to think of him more highly than they should. Paul wanted to be judged by his character (sees) and the content of his message (hears). Any one can claim to have experienced visions. We cannot call someone a legitimate teacher of the Word because they claim to have had supernatural experiences. That is both foolish and dangerous. We must measure teachers by character and content.

Thoughts To Consider

1. Be careful of people who boast about visions and revelations.

2. Some experiences are better kept to oneself.

3. Heaven is so awesome that if you could see it you couldn’t explain it.

4. Never measure a teacher by the amount of miracles they perform.

2 Corinthians 12 7- 10

v.7 Because Paul had received so many revelations from God, he may have been prone to becoming proud. Certainly, he was a proud man before he came to Christ. In order to keep Paul humble the Lord gave him a “thorn in the flesh.” A thorn is a painful and bothersome thing. The fact that it was “in the flesh” shows that it related to his humanity. It was something that really bothered his humanity. In a sense it was a “real pain” to him.

Much speculation has been given to exactly what the thorn was. Some believe that it was Paul’s eyesight (Gal. 4:15, 6:11), a speech problem (2 Cor. 10:11), or some other physical ailment.

The text reveals what the “thorn” was. It was a messenger of Satan. “Messenger” is “aggelos” in the Greek. It can be used to identify an angel. The fact that it was a “messenger of Satan” would mean that it is an angel that comes from Satan. That would refer to a demon. The demon was sent to harass Paul.

The purpose of the demon was to keep Paul humble. This proves that while the demon may have been “of Satan” it was “from God”. Satan would never send a demon to keep Paul humble. He would send demons to make Paul proud. Humility is one of the greatest Christian virtues. Pride is one of the worst.

This truth reveals that:

God is completely sovereign, even over demons.

God uses demons to perform His will.

Christians cannot simply demand demons to leave and expect it to happen always.

God has used demons in many different cases to accomplish His will (1 Kings 22:19-23, 1 Samuel 16:14, Job 1:12). There is no reason that we should think He would quit now.

It is hard for us to imagine that God uses demons in His redemptive plan, but the reality is that He does (1 Cor. 5:5).

v.8 We should understand Paul’s thorn to be a demonically inspired false teacher, probably at Corinth. He was probably a ringleader of sorts who caused trouble in the churches Paul loved so dearly. This would fit the context of Second Corinthians (10:3-5;11:28).

Paul didn’t attempt to cast out the demon or bind it. He didn’t prayer walk around the church claiming victory. He simply sought the Lord concerning the matter. He plead with God that the problem would “depart”. He wanted the false teacher simply to leave. Paul asked the Lord on at least three different occasions for this to happen. The Lord would answer Paul’s prayer, but not in the way he wanted Him to.

v.9 God’s answer to Paul’s prayer is:

“My grace is sufficient for you.” Grace is God’s unmerited favor. His grace saves us and enables us to live a life pleasing to Himself. Regardless of the severity of the trial, God’s grace would sustain Paul through it. It may seem to Paul that he needs the thorn removed in order to serve God. God knew he did not need the thorn removed. All Paul needed was the grace of God. Whatever life deals us we can be sure that grace of God is sufficient to see us through it (9:8).

“My power is made perfect in weakness” God is strongest in us when we are weakest in ourselves. In order for God to display more power in Paul’s life it was necessary that he remain weak in himself. Trials are used by God to get us to completely rely on Him. Paul recognized that there was nothing he could do to remove this thorn in the flesh. He would have to endure him. It takes more of the power of God for us to endure a trial than it does for us to have it removed. Therefore, God’s strength in us is shown in a greater way than it would be without trials.

Paul’s response to God was amazing. He resolved that rather than complain of his weaknesses he would boast in them. He would boast in them because they enabled the power of Christ to work in him. He wasn’t pleased with the false teachers, but he was pleased with how God was using the situation to make him a more fit vessel for the work of the Lord.

v. 10 Paul was content with his sufferings because he knew that they were working for his good and God’s glory.

Weaknesses, insults, and hardships come by virtue of our being Christians (6:4). Persecutions are physical punishments that come as a result of being a believer. Calamities are very uncomfortable situations in which one has no room to move. It could refer to a situation in which there is no escape.

Paul is willing to endure all of these things for Christ’s sake. He knew that when these trials made him weak in himself that he was the strongest in the power of God. Paul responded to trials in the godliest of ways. God’s grace enabled him to do that.

Thoughts to Consider

1. God is more concerned that we be humble than he is that we be successful.

2. With great privilege often comes great trial.

3. We learn more by enduring the trials of life than by escaping them.

4. God’s grace is sufficient even for the darkest of hours.

5. It is possible to be content when we don’t get our own way.