What was Paul's thorn in the flesh: spiritual, physical, emotional?

[JerryfromMass]

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:7 "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.", but he never expounds on the nature of this thorn in the flesh.

I suspect it was pride. Pride can have an effect on the flesh: haughty speech, over confidence, cocky swagger, insolence, etc. But Paul tells us in Ephesians that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but with the evil spirit realm.

What do you make of the thorn in the flesh?

 

[B-A-C]

What do you make of the thorn in the flesh?

The "flesh" is usually referring to the physical body in the Bible.

I know of no place in the Bible where God "healed" pride. It is up to us to control our thoughts.

 

[JerryfromMass]

The "flesh" is usually referring to the physical body in the Bible.

I know of no place in the Bible where God "healed" pride. It is up to us to control our thoughts.

Yes, I agree flesh usually refers to the physical. But Paul says "a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited", which implies his thorn in the flesh is more spiritual or emotional in nature. If we have a "carnal" mind, the word carnal refers to the flesh, but the mind is not physically flesh. Having a carnal mind implies engaging in spiritual battle. Your thoughts?

 

[PloughBoy]

a messenger of Satan. simple How many different kinds of Messengers must Satan have. Could it be a Third of the Host that came out of Heaven. For they are Angels if they are they are still powerful. And there was a "war in Heaven". And i read:
(Revelation 12BSB
"Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.” And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child."

For those who never met him They will.

 

[Admon Mikha'el]

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:7 "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.", but he never expounds on the nature of this thorn in the flesh.

I suspect it was pride. Pride can have an effect on the flesh: haughty speech, over confidence, cocky swagger, insolence, etc. But Paul tells us in Ephesians that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but with the evil spirit realm.

What do you make of the thorn in the flesh?

Good grief!!! Do Christians have such a difficult time reading the Word? What does it say?

2 Corinthians 12:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, (it was)the messenger of Satan (which was sent) to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Try reading the punctuation too, that's what its there for! And listen to the Holy Spirit instead of your intellect....That's what happens when you try to interpret the Word...You don't need to interpret the Word since its already in English.

 

[PloughBoy]

Good grief!!! Do Christians have such a difficult time reading the Word? What does it say?

2 Corinthians 12:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, (it was)the messenger of Satan (which was sent) to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Try reading the punctuation too, that's what its there for! And listen to the Holy Spirit instead of your intellect....That's what happens when you try to interpret the Word...You don't need to interpret the Word since its already in English.

LOL

 

[Admon Mikha'el]

LOL

Sorry....That was funny? Please explain

 

[PloughBoy]

Sorry....That was funny? Please explain

Concerning Readers trying to interpret what has already been interpret.

 

[Admon Mikha'el]

Concerning Readers trying to interpret what has already been interpret.

Thank you....My sense of humor is gone too, so I missed that.

 

[JerryfromMass]

Good grief!!! Do Christians have such a difficult time reading the Word? What does it say?

2 Corinthians 12:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, (it was)the messenger of Satan (which was sent) to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Try reading the punctuation too, that's what its there for! And listen to the Holy Spirit instead of your intellect....That's what happens when you try to interpret the Word...You don't need to interpret the Word since its already in English.

And after all that huffing and puffing you still didn't answer the question. Good grief for sure.

 

[Admon Mikha'el]

And after all that huffing and puffing you still didn't answer the question. Good grief for sure.

I did answer....READ the VERSE 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, (it was)the messenger of Satan (which was sent) to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure....At least this curmudgeon can read.

 

[JerryfromMass]

I did answer....READ the VERSE 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, (it was)the messenger of Satan (which was sent) to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure....At least this curmudgeon can read.

You might be able to read, but comprehending is a separate matter altogether. You still haven't answered the question re: is Paul's thorn spiritual, physical, emotional? Scripture doesn't explicitly say whether the thorn in Paul's flesh is spiritual, physical, or emotional. Answer the question.

 

[Admon Mikha'el]

You might be able to read, but comprehending is a separate matter altogether. You still haven't answered the question re: is Paul's thorn spiritual, physical, emotional? Scripture doesn't explicitly say whether the thorn in Paul's flesh is spiritual, physical, or emotional. Answer the question.

Sir When you consider that a demon is a spirit, don't you think the answer is obvious? It was spiritual!!

 

[JerryfromMass]

Sir When you consider that a demon is a spirit, don't you think the answer is obvious? It was spiritual!!

No. I don't agree. The answer is left open. I'm not saying g you're wrong, but Paul does complain about a person, and it could be that person was sent by Satan to taunt or mock and ridicule Paul, perhaps even causing Paul physical pain. Perhaps it's an illness. Or perhaps it is spiritual and demonic; Paul does say this thorn in the flesh was given to him through a messenger (angelic being), yet he doesn't go into any detail whether it was an actual physical injury caused by Satan or an illness caused by Satan or an emotional struggle caused by Satan.

I believe it was pride, but I could be wrong, and you could be wrong. Don't let hubris get in the way of answering, though,, because this is a passage of scripture that has been, and continues to be, debated among theologians throughout the world. Just like rapture timing: everyone has a view, they all can't be correct, yet hubris leads one camp to call the camp heretics.

 

[Admon Mikha'el]

No. I don't agree. The answer is left open. I'm not saying g you're wrong, but Paul does complain about a person, and it could be that person was sent by Satan to taunt or mock and ridicule Paul, perhaps even causing Paul physical pain. Perhaps it's an illness. Or perhaps it is spiritual and demonic; Paul does say this thorn in the flesh was given to him through a messenger (angelic being), yet he doesn't go into any detail whether it was an actual physical injury caused by Satan or an illness caused by Satan or an emotional struggle caused by Satan.

I believe it was pride, but I could be wrong, and you could be wrong. Don't let hubris get in the way of answering, though,, because this is a passage of scripture that has been, and continues to be, debated among theologians throughout the world. Just like rapture timing: everyone has a view, they all can't be correct, yet hubris leads one camp to call the camp heretics.

My friend, I don't care if you agree or not....a messenger of Satan is a demon....a spirit person....but believe what you want. It's your right This verse is only debated on by people who want to tell God what He means when He says something....The rest of us simpltons simply go by what the Word says...

 

[JerryfromMass]

My friend, I don't care if you agree or not....a messenger of Satan is a demon....a spirit person....but believe what you want. It's your right This verse is only debated on by people who want to tell God what He means when He says something....The rest of us simpltons simply go by what the Word says...

So, according to you, when Paul says "to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.", he's speaking only of a spiritual attack and it has nothing to do with his physical condition?

The WORD of GOD says "flesh", and you're telling us that you know what God really meant, and God really doesn't mean flesh? But others who read the very same passage and see the word "flesh", and they agree that God means what HE says and God said flesh, so it must mean what God said- FLESH. And you say you "simply go by what the Word says"? Alrighty then.

 

[JerryfromMass]

My friend, I don't care if you agree or not....a messenger of Satan is a demon....a spirit person....but believe what you want. It's your right This verse is only debated on by people who want to tell God what He means when He says something....The rest of us simpltons simply go by what the Word says...

Satan was also allowed to afflict Job: death to his livestock,, death to his servants, death to his children, and covered Job with boils from head to foot. Physical pain caused by spiritual harassment, just like Paul.

 

[Admon Mikha'el]

So, according to you, when Paul says "to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.", he's speaking only of a spiritual attack and it has nothing to do with his physical condition?

The WORD of GOD says "flesh", and you're telling us that you know what God really meant, and God really doesn't mean flesh? But others who read the very same passage and see the word "flesh", and they agree that God means what HE says and God said flesh, so it must mean what God said- FLESH. And you say you "simply go by what the Word says"? Alrighty then.

I'm telling what the Word says. So yes. What He said is what He meant....Paul was getting so much revelation, He was being blessed so much that Satan sent him a demon to buffet him and tear him down....It had nothing to do with pride. So he went to God and asked Him to take the thing away and God showed him how to do it...My empowering PRESENCE is sufficient for the job... God had to tell him that three times before Paul caught on....then he saw that when he is weak Gods power made him strong....if he used it.....
Thorn in the flesh is a simple idiom...such as "Pain in the A..neck" But LOOK.....The Word says that it was a messenger of Satan that was the trouble.....Instead of trying to prove how smart you are, why not simply read the Word and ask the Holy Spirit what He means?

 

[Admon Mikha'el]

Satan was also allowed to afflict Job: death to his livestock,, death to his servants, death to his children, and covered Job with boils from head to foot. Physical pain caused by spiritual harassment, just like Paul.

And?

 

[complete]

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:7 "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.", but he never expounds on the nature of this thorn in the flesh.

I suspect it was pride. Pride can have an effect on the flesh: haughty speech, over confidence, cocky swagger, insolence, etc. But Paul tells us in Ephesians that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but with the evil spirit realm.

What do you make of the thorn in the flesh?

'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.'
(2Corinthians 12:7)

Hello @JerryfromMass,

The context tells us that this was an 'infirmity' and that it was 'in the flesh'. We know from the record that Paul suffered from a medical condition at one point (Galatians 4:13-15) which appears to have affected his eyes.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris