As I began to dig into this, and praying for revelation and understanding, what the Holy Spirit took me to did not agree with what many seem to think is meant. It actually seems that as with many interpretations so many just take what someone else says and run with it. I am going to present to you what He revealed to me, and encourage you to dig into this if you are led to do so.
To start I want to provide a high level of what a few bible commentators interpret Paul’s thorn in the flesh to be.
- Tertullian thought it was a headache
- Ramsay identified it as recurrent malarial fever
- John Calvin made it "fleshly temptation"
- Martin Luther considered it "spiritual temptation"
Since Paul used the phrase “in the flesh” many quickly interpret it to be some sort of physical affliction or temptation of the flesh. However, the Word of God always interprets itself, you just have to study and pray and the Holy Spirit will give wonderful revelation!
I am not going to do a verse by verse breakdown in this study. If you want to read the entire context you can do so beginning in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. I am going to present the key verses, and show that the revelation is found in the “three”!
2 Corinthians 12:7 (NKJV)
"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."
Paul had been given many wonderful revelations from Jesus, but he was unable to share many of them. He felt it was allowed in order to keep him humble and not let pride sneak in. Yet we see Paul bring it before God in prayer.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NKJV)
"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."
Now this is where we see the first “three”, and as I mentioned this is a key to interpreting the thorn in the flesh. So we must keep reading in chapter 12 until we come to verse 14.
2 Corinthians 12:14 (NKJV)
"Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children."
Paul was a man of prayer, he continually sought what the Lord would have him do. I believe with this being Paul's third visit to come, this would be his third prayer seeking God if he was to go. Who is Paul writing this letter to and warning them that he is coming a third time? The Church of Corinth! So let's keep reading and see if we come across another “three”. As you continue to read I want to draw your attention to what Paul is warning them about concerning his coming visit.
2 Corinthians 12:20-21 (NKJV)
"For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced."
Ouch! After all of Paul's letters and visits he is still dealing with a church full of carnal believers being led by the flesh… Ok, now in the next verse, which is the first verse of chapter 13 we see.
2 Corinthians 13:1-2 (NKJV)
"This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare."
Not only does this verse contain the third reference to “three”, but it even reiterates “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” I believe what is revealed in this “key of three” is that the thorn in the flesh is in fact the carnal, immature Christians in the Corinthian church! Can we see Paul ever point out that this group was in fact immature and hinder him from sharing further spiritual truths with them?
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NKJV)
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"
Remember that it was a messenger of Satan that was keeping him from sharing his revelations. We know from scripture that Satan influenced other people before (Peter, Judas, Ananias and Sapphira), and there are a couple powerful scriptures found in the Old Testament in the Book of Numbers and 2 Samuel that actually refers to people as exactly what Paul said he was dealing with, a thorn in the flesh!
Numbers 33:55 (NKJV)
“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.”
2 Samuel 23:6 (NKJV)
“But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands.”
I just do not believe any type of physical affliction could hinder someone from sharing spiritual revelation. What does truly hinder it, is a people not mature enough to receive the knowledge!
“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:6-8)
Christians are not to remain immature and carnal, they are to be continually growing and being transformed into the image of Jesus! Apostolic leaders are called to equip and help mature the Body of Christ, not babysit them! Saints it's time to grow up and mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ!