2 Corinthians 12:7 - Printer Friendly

What does 2 Corinthians 12:7 mean?

ESV: 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.

NIV: or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

NASB: Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!

CSB: especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself.

NLT: even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

KJV: 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.

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.

Verse Commentary:

In an extraordinary experience, Paul was taken to the third heaven or paradise. This is the dwelling place of God. There, he was shown things he was not allowed to reveal on earth. The experience was so intense that Paul doesn't know whether he travelled in his physical body or outside of it. He insists, though, that it actually happened and God knows the details of how it came to be (2 Corinthians 12:1–6).

Now Paul adds that what God showed him were "surpassing great" revelations. It's possible that Paul saw what eternity would be like, and now knew things the rest of humanity could never know. Such an unmeasurable gift would have given Paul seemingly limitless confidence to keep preaching, despite terrible suffering. It also gave him the perspective that such suffering in this life was not worth comparing to the glory of eternity (2 Corinthians 4:17).

However, God understood that such knowledge also had the potential to make Paul proud, arrogant, and conceited. God wanted Paul to be Christlike in his humility instead of seeing himself as being above those he served. To guarantee this, God gave to Paul a "thorn in the flesh." The word for thorn here is the Greek skolops. The term most literally defines a pointy piece of wood, and might be better translated into English as "a stake." The imagery Paul creates here is that of a sharp object stabbed into his body, unable to be removed, bringing chronic pain and discomfort.

Paul describes this stake, or thorn, or splinter in his body as a "messenger from Satan." That phrasing has invited considerable debate. Paul attributes certain consequences to Satan elsewhere (1 Corinthians 5:5; 10:10). Since this malady was given by God, though, its constant harassment served the purpose of keeping Paul humble and dependent on Christ for his strength. Paul's meaning, then, would not be that this was literally something sent by or invented by Satan. Rather, this was something allowed by God for His own purposes.

Even more debate has surrounded the exact identity of this "thorn in the flesh." Some think it might have been a problem with Paul's eyesight (Galatians 6:11). It might have been a physical weakness or tremor (1 Corinthians 2:3). Perhaps it was something that disrupted Paul's speech (2 Corinthians 10:10). It might have been a multiple-symptom condition such as multiple sclerosis or the aftereffects of a stroke. Paul's thorn could possibly have been something emotional, such as depression (2 Corinthians 1:8). It may have been aggressive discouragement or conflict with another person (1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 4:14). Perhaps Paul faced a persistent temptation to some sin (Romans 7:22–25).

Scripture never tells us what this terrible burden was. The fact that Scripture does not reveal the exact nature of Paul's "thorn" seems deliberate. Vagueness, rather than specifics, allows his experience to reveal important truths, applicable to all believers. If we knew with 100% certainty what his condition was, it would become easy to miss the greater points.

Three lessons stand out. First, humility in His servants is enormously important to God. Second, God is willing to allow Satan a limited level of power to create helpful weakness in His children. As Paul shows in the following verses, God's power is made perfect in a believer's weakness, not in our strength. Third, spiritual strength is no guarantee of health, wealth, or prosperity—as Paul's reference to his own prayer makes clear (2 Corinthians 12:8–9).

Second Corinthians 12:1–10 contains Paul's description of an astonishing experience. He was transported, in some sense, to the third heaven or paradise, where he received an unspeakable revelation from God. To keep him humble afterwards, God gave him a ''thorn in the flesh'' and refused to remove it despite Paul's pleas. Instead, God told Paul His grace was more than enough, and that His power was made perfect in Paul's weakness. Paul declares once again that he will boast in his weakness and be content in his suffering—because when Paul is weak, it more clearly proves that Christ is powerful.

Chapter Summary:

With as much humility as possible, Paul describes an astounding experience. He was caught up to the ''third heaven'' and received a revelation from God that he cannot reveal on earth. He refuses to brag about it, but mentions it in order to introduce the consequences of that experience. To keep Paul humble, God gave him a ''thorn in the flesh,'' some malady which the Bible does not explicitly explain. Paul has learned to be content in his suffering since God's power is made perfect in his weakness. He chastises the Corinthians for not commending him since they know him. He defends himself against a charge of crafty swindling, and he expresses concern that he will find some still living in sin when he arrives in Corinth.

Chapter Context:

Second Corinthians 12 follows Paul's sarcastic ''boasting'' about his suffering for Christ. The chapter continues with Paul refusing to take credit for an astounding revelation from God. Given a ''thorn in the flesh'' to keep him humble, Paul learned to be content with his suffering since God's power was made perfect in his weakness. Still, the Corinthians should have defended him to the false apostles and not believed lies about him swindling money from them with no evidence. He is concerned that when he comes to visit them, he will find some still unrepentant of specific sins. This leads Paul to his final warnings and the close of his letter, in chapter 13.

Second Corinthians returns to similar themes as those Paul mentioned in his first letter to this church. Paul is glad to hear that the church in Corinth has heeded his advice. At the same time, it is necessary for Paul to counter criticisms about his personality and legitimacy. Most of this text involves that subject. The fifth chapter, in contrast, contains comforting words which Christians have quoted often in times of hardship. Paul also details his expectations that the church in Corinth will make good on their promise to contribute to the needs of suffering believers in Jerusalem.

Accessed 5/5/2024 4:35:37 AM