Today we continue our series on healing using the book Christ the Healer as our guide. We do not mail out copies of this book but we have provided a free pdf download on our resources page. Also, there is an audible version of this book you can listen to through Youtube. A paid audible version of this book is available on Audible.com. We are not in any way affiliated with Youtube or Audible.com.

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We start Chapter 14 today where Bro. Bosworth devotes this chapter to Paul’s Thorn which is mentioned in 2 Corinthians Chapter 12:7-10. Many have used this passage to try to prove that Paul was sick and therefore it’s proof that not only does God some time say no, but also sometimes it’s not God’s will for us to be well. 

I want to cover some of the points that Bro. Boswoth covers and possibly even bring out some more.

I hope you will begin to see this chapter not as evidence of God saying no, but rather God’s faithfulness and willingness for his power to flow through us. It’s a passage of faith and power, not of doubt and defeat.

Let’s begin by reading 2 Corinthians Chapter 12:1-10

It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. For I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven fourteen years ago—whether in the body, I don’t know, or whether out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. 3 I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I don’t know; God knows), 4 how he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. 6 For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me or hears from me. 7 By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. 8 Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. 

I’ll come back to this later but notice Paul said he takes pleasure in weakness for when he is weak, then he is strong. He’s not talking about illness here.

Many have used this passage to try and say God’s will isn’t to heal, at least not everyone. They say Paul had some type of illness which he referred to as a thorn in the flesh and though he asked God to take it away, he did not.

Paul mentions several things he was dealing with but did you notice sickness was not one of them? These are what Paul mentions in verse 10, “Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake.”  Was sickness or disease one of the things he mentions? No.

So what was the thorn in the flesh? Can we know what Paul was referring to?

Yes we can.

Listen closely while I read part of the passage again.

Verse 7. “By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.”

Paul referred to the thorn in the flesh given to him as a messenger for satan. Now would God send a messenger of satan to Paul or would satan send his messenger? God wouldn’t do that but the devil would.

Now, what was the purpose of this messenger? To torment Paul. 

Everywhere Paul went people were stirred up against him or he faced dangers of other kinds. These things were happening because a messenger of satan was assigned to Paul to make his life and his call filled with opposition.

Let’s back up one chapter to read some of these things.

2 Corinthians 11

24 Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep. 26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers; 27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness. 28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.

Notice again Paul is talking about boasting in weakness, the weakness that comes from all the difficulties he was facing.  The things that happened to Paul were meant to stop him.

Now I want you to see something else. When we see phrases like or similar to “thorn in the flesh” in the Scriptures, it’s always referring to people and them being difficult or combative.

Numbers 33:55 “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land in which you dwell.”

Joshua 23:13 ”Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you.”

Judges 2:3 “Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”

2 Samuel 23:6 “But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with the hand.”

Ezekiel 2:6  “You, son of man, don’t be afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you dwell among scorpions.”

If we continue to apply the meaning of these types of expression to what Paul wrote the same way they are used in the rest of the Scripture, then clearly it’s talking about difficult and harmful interactions with people, not sickness.

Paul’s thorn in the fleas was not sickness. It was a messenger of satan sent to torment him by stirring up people against him everywhere he went.

Now in our next podcast, we are going to see how knowing this gives us courage to keep pressing on through the obstacles that we face.

Blessings in Christ,

Tim Dumas