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Meaning of Paul thorn in the flesh

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Meaning of Paul thorn in the flesh

The meaning of Paul’s thorn in the flesh was ‘a messenger of Satan’ whose mission was ‘to buffet’ Paul. This is recorded in 2 Corinthians 12:7, which says

“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.”

According to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 9th edition, the word ‘buffet’ means

‘To knock or push somebody or something roughly from side to side.’

This was the impact of the ‘thorn in the flesh’ on Paul’s life. Meaning, the experience must have caused Paul a lot of discomfort.

Notice that in 2 Corinthians 12:8, Paul uses the words ‘thing’ and ‘it’ to refer to the thorn in the flesh. This is what the scripture says

“Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.”

Who gave Paul the thorn in his flesh?

The Bible does not explicitly tell us the origin of Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Therefore, what we have in Christian circles is just speculation.

However, we can say that despite the origin of this thorn in the flesh, God ‘allowed’ it to remain with his servant.

Why was Paul given the thorn in the flesh?

Paul was given the thorn in the flesh in order to keep his pride in check. We read this in the first portion of 2 Corinthians 12:7, which says

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations…”

So, the main reason why Paul was given the thorn in the flesh was to prevent him from becoming boastful because of the many revelations he had received from God. In other words, it was used to humble Paul so as to prevent him from falling into the sin of pride, which the LORD God hates and does not therefore hesitate to punish.

Why didn’t God remove Paul’s thorn?

God did not allow the thorn in the flesh of Paul to depart from him because He wanted Paul to comprehend the power of His grace. This is found in 2 Corinthians 12:8–9, which says

“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.”

Notice that Paul petitioned the Lord three times for the thorn in his flesh to depart, but the Lord did NOT answer that prayer. Instead, the Lord opted to teach Paul about the power of His grace in the face of human weaknesses. This really humbled Paul, who now, instead of focusing on how to get rid of the thorn in the flesh, chose to live with it and rely upon God’s grace and strength to overcome its power over him.

So, Paul chose to rejoice in the face of infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, and distresses, so that the power of Christ would become manifest in the face of his weakness. We read this in 2 Corinthians 12:10, which says

“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.”

Therefore, Paul would no longer boast in the revelations he received but in his infirmities in order for God’s strength to be made manifest.

Lessons from Paul’s thorn in the flesh

As believers, each one of us has his or her own ‘thorn in the flesh’ to contend with. It may be betrayal, breakdown in relationship, disappointment, failure, lack, sickness, among others. Whatever your ‘thorn in the flesh’, like Paul, we should choose not to focus on it but instead focus on the grace of God available to see us through it all.

We also learn from Paul that praying to God so that He can ‘remove’ the thorn in the flesh may not bear fruit. Especially if it is God’s desire that you live with the ‘thorn’. If this is the case, then praying for His grace to see us through the ‘thorn season’ may be the best option to go for.

All in all, we should always remember that the reason for the ‘thorn’ is to keep our pride in check, in the face of our ‘highly cherished accomplishments.’ So the ‘thorns’ are a constant reminder that despite our achievements in certain areas of our lives, there will still be other areas where we will find ourselves ‘helpless.’ It is during such moments that we should strive to cement our relationship with God, by drawing closer and closer to Him through prayer and, where possible, fasting. By so doing, we are assured of His comfort and strength.

I hope the information was helpful. Thank you.

Related Post: Why is pride considered one of the seven deadly sins

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Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/

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