What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh?

The Thorn in the Flesh in 2 Corinthians

What was Paul's thorn in the flesh? We're going to answer that question. You can also discover more on GotQuestions .org. Paul speaks of a thorn in the flesh in 2 Corinthians. He calls it a messenger of Satan that had a purpose of torment.

Many explanations have been put forward, but whether Paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction, or something else entirely, has never been answered with satisfaction. Paul was not talking of a literal thorn.

Popular metaphorical interpretations of the thorn include temptation, a chronic eye problem, malaria, migraines, epilepsy, and a speech disability. Some even say that the thorn refers to a person, such as Alexander the coppersmith, who did Paul a great deal of harm.

Why God Allowed the Thorn

No one can say for sure what Paul's thorn in the flesh was, but it was a source of real pain in the apostle's life. Paul clues us in concerning the thorn's purpose, to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations.

So God's goal in allowing the thorn in the flesh was to keep Paul humble. Anyone who had encountered Jesus and was commissioned personally by him would, in his natural state, become puffed up. Add that to the fact that Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to write much of the New Testament, and it is easy to see how Paul could become haughty, or exalted above measure, or too.

Proud.

Paul’s Prayer and God’s Answer

Paul also says that the affliction came from, or by, a messenger of Satan. Just as God allowed Satan to torment Job, God allowed Satan to torment Paul for God's own good purpose. No one likes to live in pain.

Paul sought the Lord three times to remove this source of pain from him. He probably had many good reasons why he should be pain-free. He could have a more effective ministry. He could reach more people with the gospel.

He could glorify God even more. But the Lord was more concerned with building Paul's character and preventing pride. Instead of removing the problem, whatever it was, God gave Paul more overwhelming grace and more compensating strength.

Paul learned that God's power is made perfect in weakness. The exact nature of Paul's thorn in the flesh is uncertain. There is probably a good reason that we don't know. God likely wanted Paul's difficulty to be described in general enough terms to apply to any difficulty we may face now.

The Lesson for Believers Today

Whether the thorn we struggle with today is physical, emotional, or spiritual, we can know that God has a purpose and that His grace is all-sufficient. That answers the question, what was Paul's thorn in the flesh?

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