What is the Thorn in Flesh Really?

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”  2 Corinthians 12:7

Not too long again I was challenged to study this passage of scripture again afresh.  The challenge had unintentionally come from a person who was using this passage in way I had never considered and I wanted to be sure I understood God’s Word correctly.  You see, I try to be one of those pastors that stands firm on what he believes but also tries not to simply ignore the “interpretations” of others no matter how far off the norm they seem.  This does not mean I am going to change my doctrine, but it means I will try restudy to be sure that I know what I believe.  I take 2 Timothy 2:15 very seriously.  So if you have ever questioned me on something and it seemed as if I ignored you, know that I probably went home and studied again to be sure I was standing where I should. 

In 2 Corinthians 12 I found several things:

1. This “thorn in the flesh” was not a sin or a temptation to sin as Paul asked the Lord to remove it three times and God basically said, “No.”  God will always forgive our sin (1 John 1:9) and He never tempts us with sin (James 1:13).  This means we cannot say that God allows us to have some sinful addiction or behavior so that we learn to trust Him more.
2. The “thorn in the flesh” was clearly a physical weakness that affected his daily life but it did not hinder his daily walk with God.  This weakness actually enhanced Paul’s walk with God (2 Corinthians 12:10) as it drove him to rely on God in way that Paul would not have know without the weakness, thus making him stronger.  So if we have a weakness that drives away from God then how can we say it’s something given by God?  Sin does not come from God but from the world, the flesh, and the devil and anything that drives us away from God does not come from Him either!  He wants us to be drawn to Him not pushed away from Him (John 12:32). 
3. Paul’s thorn was allowed by God to keep Paul humble because God had done some amazing things through Paul that clearly could become points of pride.  For instance in the context of 2 Corinthians 12:1-6, Paul was taken to heaven to hear things “which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”  This means that if something in our lives builds us up in our own minds, then it is not from God, because God ONLY send down that which is “good” (James 1:17).  God does not allows things in our lives to break us but to build us.  If something is breaking us then either God is not the author of it is not breaking us as we think.
4. Finally, Paul takes pleasure in that these weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:5) and the specific thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7) because it causes him to rely on God.  Paul mentions five different types of struggles that showed God’s strength in him.  These are found in 2 Corinthians 12:10; infirmities (diseases of the body), reproaches (verbal insults), necessities (needs caused by a disaster), persecutions (punishment for beliefs), and distresses (emotional anguish).  But none of them are caused by God and none of them could destroy Paul’s faith.  

The term “thorn in the flesh” was uniquely used by Paul’s to describe his struggle as it was never used anywhere else in Scripture.  This does not diminish its truth as “all scripture is given by inspiration of God.”  But it must clearly not be the major focus of Christian lives due to the lack of emphasis in Scripture.  However, it can be a wonderful lesson for all believers that God wants us, even in our bodily weaknesses, to be built in our relationship with Him.  He wants to strengthen us through our weaknesses and not be destroyed by them.  He does not want to falter in our daily lives as He is not the author of the real hurts in the world today - Satan is that force.  Let’s focus on the Author of Peace and Strength not the author of confusion and pain.