The Thorn In Your Fleshনমুনা

What was Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”? 

There are many different opinions as to what the exact identification of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” really was. Some have speculated that Paul might have had some form of physical illness, particularly, an eye disease or disability. 

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul did state that he had a “bodily illness” when he preached to them and that they would have plucked out their eyes and given them to him to help him in the midst of his illness (Galatians 4:13-15). 

Others have suggested that the broader context of the Corinthian letters in which Paul experienced interpersonal conflict and persecution from opponents and false teachers provided a better explanation for the further definition of the thorn as a “messenger of Satan [sent] to torment him.” Paul’s opponents were becoming a great source of personal affliction as he mourned over the false reports they were giving to his beloved congregations. 

In any case, whether affliction by disease or affliction at the hands of people, Paul found himself in a season of excruciating pressure and stress that he fittingly described as “torment” (2 Corinthians 12:7). The question that is thus evoked in Paul (and in our own seasons of affliction, whether physical or interpersonal) is the question of why we must undergo this “thorn in the flesh” experience. 

What are some afflictions, either physical or interpersonal, that you have experienced over this past year? What afflictions are you currently experiencing? 

If you would like to hear more about God in the midst of trials, we would like to give you a complimentary download of a full-length sermon from Dr. Tony Evans. Simply click here.