(An Excerpt from Chapter 5 of My Book: Rise and Be Healed)

Reasons for Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh (2 Corinthians 12:1-7)

(d) Paul described this thorn in the flesh as a messenger from Satan. “Angelos” is the Greek word used here. It’s the word used for angels. This was an angel from the devil, “sent to buffet me” he said. To buffet here means, to attack, hit or box, again and again.To understand what Paul was referring to in chapter 12, as the thorn in the flesh and the buffeting of him by this angel of Satan, we need to look at chapter 11. Remember that the Bible was not written in chapters and verses (That’s why you have to learn the law of contextual interpretation: where you find the meaning of a verse or passage in its context); it was the translators who broke it down into chapters and verses according to their own perception. Where they felt like it was a different thought being expressed, they broke it up; ended the chapter, and started another one, but imperfections have been found with this.

The Bible does not tell us that the translation of the Bible was inspired by God. It was the writing of the Bible itself that was inspired by God, hence the translators’ liberty to rearrange the books. It’s like 1 Corinthians 12 which teaches about the gifts of the Spirit, and then it gets to the last verse and says: “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” (KJV). So it says the way to access spiritual gifts is by coveting them – meaning to desire passionately. But it says “…. shew I unto you a more excellent way” to accessing the gifts of the spirit, and it goes on to chapter 13:1 and it starts talking about charity or love. So love is the more excellent way to the gifts of the spirit. The translators cut it off and put the love subject into another chapter, but the reality is, both subjects are in the same chapter. So we ought not to separate them in our minds when we read them. Chapter 13 was spoken in the same breath as the last verse of the preceding chapter. We find the same thing in Hebrews 11 – what we call the hall of faith – that talks about the stories of great men and women who accomplished great things by faith.

As soon as it concludes the list of these accomplishments in verse 40, in the first verse of the twelfth chapter, it says: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses…” (KJV). Who are the “cloud of witnesses” mentioned here? All the people he had mentioned earlier in Hebrews chapter 11. So you see it’s all together. We need to find out what happened to Paul in chapter 11 to have a full understanding of the reason behind his statement in chapter 12. We’ll look at a few verses: “I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.” 2 Corinthians 11:16 (KJV) The same theme of boasting is what continued in chapter 12 verse one when he said: “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.” And also in verse five: “Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.” To glory means to boast. So you see he’s speaking in the same breath in which he began to speak in verse 18 of chapter 11: “Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.” 2 Corinthians 11:18-20 (KJV). Here, he was talking about the way some false ministers were coming against them with the Law of Moses and were taking advantage of the Corinthians. “I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.” 2 Corinthians 11:21 (KJV). “If they have any credentials I have mine,” Paul implied.

Notice in the beginning he had said he wanted to talk like a fool. It is foolish to start priding ourselves in the things of this life: in degrees, wealth and all of those things. It’s all foolish. Even when we pride ourselves in our spiritual accomplishments, it’s foolish all the same, because there is nothing you have that you were not given. You cannot pride yourself in the gifts of the spirit. Is it your family inheritance? Someone gets healed through you supernaturally; was it your property? Were you being used to heal like that before you got born again? So why act as if you didn’t receive it from God? All the glory belongs to Him. “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 frequent, in deaths oft.” 2 Corinthians 11:22-23 (KJV). Here, Paul talks about all the troubles he went through, and went into chapter 12 to explain that he has had great supernatural experiences.

He explained how much he knew and had experienced God through the revelations and visions he had seen; some of which were relevant to earthly ministry, and some that were irrelevant, which he wasn’t permitted to discuss. Because of the tendency for these things to make him proud, God permitted a messenger of Satan to continually raise up trouble for him everywhere he went. It was this angel of Satan that entered into the governor who raised a whole garrison of soldiers against one man. It was this same devil that entered into people and made them beat him up many times. In fact he was killed! In one of the accounts in Acts of the Apostles, they stoned him to death. They ensured he was dead before they left him. After they left, the Holy Spirit breathed on him and he revived and entered the city again. There were times when there was so much trouble; they had to let him down by a basket. So this messenger of Satan was a thorn in his flesh.

When you read Acts 16 and 17 you will understand better. This messenger of Satan was an irritating problem. Everywhere Paul went, there was trouble. It was a persistent, recurrent and irritating problem. “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: …And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers… And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” Acts 16:16,18-19,23-25

They were delivered from this situation and they moved on to Thessalonica, preaching the gospel. “But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, these that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; ….And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.” Acts 17:5-6,8-10 (KJV).But there was trouble there also. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so… But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.” Acts 17:11,13 (KJV).

This behavior was the operation of the same messenger of Satan. When you see human beings operating this way, there’s a demonic force behind it. They experienced all manner of trouble everywhere they went. A child of God, however, has authority over principalities and over powers. There is no angel of darkness that should be troubling the life of a child of God or a man of God that should not obey when addressed. For once, Paul discovered trouble was being stirred up for him everywhere. He discerns it’s a devil behind it and addresses the power of darkness, but his authority is defied. Who is that devil that will defy the name of Jesus? “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.” 2 Corinthians 12:8 That’s what to do when problems are naughty. You ask the Lord to intervene and take it away. But in Paul’s case God said to him: “… My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul was weak against this principality. Everywhere he went, he couldn’t stop trouble, no matter how much he prayed. So it was not a physical weakness, neither was it sickness.

(e) Sickness is not at all mentioned as one of the things constituting a thorn in the flesh in chapter 11. Things like perils, judgment, death, and some other things were mentioned, but not a single mention of sickness or disease.

(f) Paul was weak against the thorn by divine permission. Under normal circumstances a child of God should be able to take care of any thorn he finds in his side. You should be able to arrest and stop any thorn in the flesh that rises up in your life, because you have authority as a child of the living God. You’ve been quickened and raised up with Christ and you’re seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6-7). You’ve been given the name above every other name: the authority that no devil can defy. (Mark 16:17) Paul must have exercised authority over angels (messengers) of Satan many times successfully, but by divine permission, he faced stubborn resistance from this one. Paul needed it so that he will continue to seek God always. When you go through situations stronger than you, you are totally dependent upon God. It was a situation that kept him humble and totally dependent on God. Stubborn circumstances keep us on our knees. This was a situation that reminded Paul of his humanity and of God’s absolute power over all situations. It reminded him that he was human and not God.

(g) Grace was given to Paul to sustain him in that season. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV). God was telling Paul, “Naturally you can’t handle it, but by grace you will.” When He sought the Lord concerning it thrice and God spoke to him giving him the assurance of grace, Paul was assured he would survive it. So he knew even when he found himself in a shipwreck that he would survive. Even when he was adrift at sea for a day and a night, he knew he would make it; because of grace.What are you going through? Grace will put you over: there’s sustaining grace to survive and to overcome. This was a season in Paul’s life. When the season is over, you will find yourself victorious. But Paul’s thorn in the flesh was not a sickness or disease. Nothing in the Bible tells us so. It wasn’t a sickness for the Jews when the terminology was used, neither was it a sickness for Paul.

If God ever gives you a thorn in the flesh, it won’t be a sickness. He does not use sickness to punish or teach His children lessons. “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matthew 7:9-11 (KJV).

If we as humans with all our imperfections know how to give good things unto our children, will God then use a snake to whip any of His children just to make them fall in line? God disciplines, but never with sickness. Healing is God’s will.