Fire On Your Head

Messenger of Satan or God?

I have never watched people live in defeat from misunderstanding a passage as much as this one misinterpreted passage of Scripture. Of course I'm talking about how people try telling themselves that God gave them a thorn just like Paul's, which I politely hope to show is terrible misinterpretation of Scripture.

It is not disputed that Paul may have had an eye problem in his older age. Numerous scholars and theologians teach this, and research can be found easily on the internet I would imagine. However, it would be bad exegesis to use the passage where Paul talks of a thorn in his flesh to arrive at that conclusion. This passage teaches nothing of the sort, and I hope to unravel a few common traditional thoughts that are tied to it.

This will be the first of three posts, because I favor writing in a series as opposed to really long blog posts. In general, our study will follow like such : 1) what the thorn was, 2) what God's reaction was when Paul sought to have it removed, and 3) and why this subject even matters at all. I basically will break it down and ask questions, sometimes rhetorical, based on observations on the text. In a way, I've been leading up to this study with my entries on faith as of late. It seemed natural and obvious to flow into the subject of healing after laying down some of those foundations first.

The text I'm referring to is 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:

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. 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. (English Standard Version)

Word Study

First word: "Thorn" Strong's number 4647 "skolops", meaning "withered at the front, that is, a point or prickle (figuratively a bodily annoyance or disability): - thorn." (emphasis mine)

Something figurative cannot necessarily be treated as literal in the Word of God. For example, texts in the Psalms refer to God being a strong tower (Psa 61:3), also to take shelter in the shadow of His wings (Psa 91:1), and Jesus said "I am the Bread of Life" (John 6:35) which would not literally mean God is a concrete loaf of bread that has wings! But this use of the word skolops means it can be referred to as a bodily annoyance.

Other instances of it being used in Scripture can give an idea of what is likely to be meant.

Joshua 23:12-13:

"But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you."

In this context, the 'thorn' has a negative connotation, and is a source of pain and annoyance as a result of failing to drive out the nations in the land Israel is possessing. Thorns are a result of disobedience. God here allowed them, but was not the author or originator of the whips on their back or thorns in their eyes--it was their disobedience and this would be a reminder to them perpetually in generations to come.

Ezekiel 28:24:

" No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD ."

Again notice that the Lord promises at one point to remove this thorn. And in both texts used so far, thorns are referred to as people--both in the sense that they are 'enemies' of God's people. For other examples, please look at Isaiah 55:13, Hosea 10:8, Micah 7:4.

Our next word to look at will demonstrate why I personally don't accept that God was the one who gave Paul the thorn. I've had someone tell me recently "if God or Paul wanted us to know what the thorn was, we would have been told so." Well, if we read the text we can find out it was a 'messenger of Satan'.

Second Word: "Messenger [of Satan]" Strong's number 32 aggelos: "a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication a pastor: - angel, messenger."

First observation: the messenger is clearly stated as being from SATAN. That's reason enough to conclude that God didn't put this thorn in Paul's side! Second observation about the messenger: it's a person or angel, and clearly NOT a disease.

This Greek word aggelos appears 188 times in the Bible and is translated "angel" 181 times, and "messenger" the other 7 times. In all 188 instances, it is a person and not a noun or a thing, without any exception.

Examples of this word being used in Scripture--and translated differently you will notice--will demonstrate what Paul is saying and referring to. The times that the word aggelos is translated as messenger, are verses such as Matt 10:11, Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27 which invariably say "Behold, I send my messenger (aggelos) before your face, who will prepare your way before you." But notice how it's translated in Matthew 25:31: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels (aggelos) with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne."

Consider that the thorn was not a physical disease, but a personal figure. The same with a Messenger of Satan. It's now twice as easy to understand what Paul was dealing with since we are told two things, not just one. The second qualifies the first. We learn from this word study and the literal definition is either an angel or it's implied in the Greek that it could mean a pastor. From reading the context we see Paul is in no way talking about a physical problem, but after reading chapter 11, we're more inclined to see how he could likely be referring to persecution.

Alternative Explanation

"For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “superapostles"...And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. " 2 Cor 11:4-5, 12-15

For almost all of the rest of chapter 11 Paul lists all sorts of things he's been through as an apostle, such as shipwrecks, imprisonments, etc... Of all the things Paul mentions, not one of them is a sickness or perpetual infirmity (ie, like the eye problem many teach he may have had), but the physical things he mentions in this list are things like beatings, floggings, and fastings.

So with that flow of thought in mind, and after pouring his heart of love out in writing to the Corinthians about his concern, would Paul really suddenly refer to a disease or sickness in an abstract way that has nothing to do with what he's been talking about? I highly doubt it. Paul's thorn is popularly taught to be an eye problem, ophthalmia--I don't dispute whether he had such a problem because there's credible evidence elsewhere in Scripture that he might have, but I believe this text isn't one that supports it. I submit to you for consideration, based on the evidence I've provided so far, that the thorn was in fact more likely to be a person--maybe a false apostle, or an angelic figure (demon) and judging from reading statements he peppers 1 and 2 Corinthians with--that this person or these people were false messengers of the Gospel who likely were hindering Paul's Gospel work and scattering his flock.

Also, does God give revelation to us and then change His mind and beat us half to death because He gave us too much? If the revelation of the things of God were what caused him to get the thorn, to keep him from becoming too conceited, why would God have given him or allowed Paul to obtains such 'greatness of revelation in the first place? Why would God then turn around and then say "oops, I accidentally gave you too much knowledge and revelation--have this thorn in your side"? There are lots of things God can use to keep people from being too highly exalted, but the following texts show it was not God who orchestrated this in Paul's life or in his physical body.

My Grace is Sufficient?

The purpose of this part of the study is to demonstrate not only is God not against us, but that He is for us, and a word study and careful look at the word 'grace' and just what God says to Paul in response to his crying out to Him, will demonstrate one aspect of God's merciful character.

There is a lot to cover in just these few verses and there's even enough to write books about. But I do feel more strongly about showing people the thorn in Paul's flesh was 1) not from God, and 2) not a disease or a sickness, and therefore the major concern of mine is already dealt with. We are so sickness-minded in the Body of Christ, that we just think God wants us to tolerate everything the devil throws at us and go to the doctor instead of using what The Doctor already gave us and appropriate it.

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. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Sometimes we read Scripture with our 'pre-understanding'--that's to say, with an understanding already formulated, or lenses or a bias that causes us to interpret Scripture according to what we already think, without carefully reading the Scripture and letting it speak for itself. I believe this is one of those texts. Nowhere does this Scripture insinuate--even if you keep reading--that God was unwilling to do anything about the thorn in Paul's flesh. In fact, I would like to take you on a journey of how come I feel God already answered Paul's problem before he went to the Lord, and just wanted to remind him of it.

Word Study

First word: "grace" GK 5485 "charis" From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy). (emphasis mine).

This word never gets translated into words like 'mercy' or 'compassion' from Greek to English, and those two words come from different roots. When studying a word and its context, it's necessary in Scripture if we really want to grasp its meaning, to go to the original source and compare other instances of it being translated--either as another word, or just how it's used in other contexts. An English definition for a word will not give as clear of an idea of what the author of Scripture is saying as does the original language (in this New Testament instance, Greek).

Of the 155 times charis is translated grace, only half or so actually mean something like 'unmerited favor'. Click here for examples of it denoting a divine ability, enabling, or gifting: Luke 2:40, Acts 4:33, 6:8, Romans 1:5, 12:3, 12:6. From clicking on each of the links to these verses, it's clear from the immediate context that although grace is unmerited favor, there's another layer to it denoting spiritual power or ability in these passages.

Another instance of this word charis being used:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace (charis) in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

An Old Testament example of God speaking to a man in a similar way as He did to Paul here is found in the life of Moses, in Exodus. When Moses brought Israel to the sea, he cried out to God who responded in a way that would offend most Christians: "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground." (Exodus 14:15-16). I can almost picture the Lord saying it like "why are you bothering to come to me about it? I already gave you what you need--now use it--lift up your rod!" Likewise, Paul is being told "what I've already given you (grace/charis/enablement) is all you need."

Second word: "power" GK 1411 "dunamis" From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. (emphasis mine again)

The following verses, showing power/dunamis being used elsewhere should show that Paul is not being told that God has just enough power for Paul's emotions to be settled while he goes through whatever he goes through. Rather, power is usually used in Scripture for miraculous denotation:

• "And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?" Acts 3:12
• "And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" Acts 4:7
• "And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (charis again used here) was upon them all." Acts 4:33
• "On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal." Luke 5:17
• "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you." Luke 10:19 - though this is in a negative context, it still serves the purpose of demonstrating the word's use.
• "And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49

Third word: "weakness" GK 769 "astheneia" From G772; feebleness (of body or mind); by implication malady; moral frailty: - disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.

Yes. This word does mean weakness or malady. I almost didn't even really need to show that to you to prove my point. However, depending on the translation you use, Paul lists 5 or 6 things, of which this word astheneia is one of them. That means there's a 1 in 6 chance (or 5 if you want to cling to whatever translation you use and it only has 5 listed not 6) that at the forefront of Paul's mind he's likely referring to his thorn as being a malady. "So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses" (v.10, Amplified Bible)

Non-Traditional Approach

Contrary to what is popularly taught, and based what the text says, I hope this clears up some confusion people may have concerning 1) what Paul's thorn was, 2) that God did not give it to Him and 3) that God's reaction to Paul is not what is usually taught--that He just kinda told Paul to tolerate it. From what we've already established as being the context of the previous chapter, clearly sickness is not on Paul's mind, but he's saying in passing that it's one of the things he doesn't let get him down and let's Christ be magnified through. It seems to me given his ministry to the Gentiles, and from things he says elsewhere, and also from just plain reading Acts, we can predict or assume that Paul would walk in relatively divine health if he was healing people and ministering with signs and wonders following. Therefore, it's feasible that something ELSE (or someONE else) is the thorn he has just referred to.

Why Does It Matter What The Thorn Was?

As mentioned, it is commonly taught without much dispute that Paul had an eye disease based on a few circumstantial Scripture references (revolving around 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 as our anchor), and that he could barely see as a result. In fact, the conditions of this disease are such that he would have had puss oozing out of his eyes down his face at any given moment. I hope to show just a few reasons why this view is preposterous.

Acts 19:11-12 says "And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them."

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but if someone had such a contagious and disgusting eye disease, would we really be passing around handkerchiefs they used--in order to heal sick people and cast out demons with them--or would we not burn them or dispose of them in order to avoid having the infection spread? Of course not, we'd do all we could to avoid having others get contaminated!

So I've taken some time to really ponder why I took the energy and time and gathered some resources to provide some reading about Paul's thorn. Most things are actually just side issues to me--believe it or not, except for things pertaining to healing. If the Bible is clear about something, there is no discussion needed on it. If the Bible is vague on something, then people are free to have their own opinions on. However the Bible is not vague on this topic or this passage, but very clear. It's our perception of these passages and our 'faith eyeglasses' that need fixing. If we let the Scripture merely say what it says, we'd have way less confusion in the Body of Christ, and certainly way less people living in defeat when it comes to seeing a healing in their life, because of a false understanding of this passage and ones seemingly like it.

When dealing with the subject of divine healing, I have yet to find someone in opposition to the subject matter and having faith for it in our day, who does NOT bring up the issue of Paul's thorn, and that therefore "see, even Paul was sick with something God [allegedly] put on him! Aha!" Therefore any further discussion or study on the subject should at least deal with this particular roadblock for many hungry seekers of the truth.

And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted. Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him] about this and begged that it might depart from me; But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength). (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Amplified Bible)

One doesn't actually need to look this passage up in the Amplified translation of the Bible to see from reading in context Paul is not talking about having something physically wrong with him necessarily. No more effort will be spent in this installment trying to persuade the reader of that.

Who really cares what the thorn was or who it came from?

I remember when I had a discussion with someone once that I've known for a long time. She had a condition that she attributed to her past, and upon trying to encourage her, using the Word of God to show that He wants (a.k.a. *wills*) to take this away from her, she insisted she was "being taught a lesson" by the Lord, about sowing and reaping. She told me that she's destined to bear this burden, and you guessed it, her Scriptural support in her mind was "even Paul had a thorn". I've thought about this numerous times since, and in other conversations where people are living in defeat or just plain sick from something but don't want to believe they can be made whole or well. If what I shared in the first two parts of this discussion was wrong, and let's hypothetically concede Paul having a disease or sickness God put on him as a 'thorn in his side'. We also need to take the rest of the passage, which sadly, few Christians can possibly say they live up to: the surpassing greatness of revelations like Paul had. Anybody want to stop there and say they are NOT on the same playing field as Paul now that we factor in this aspect of his having that thorn?!

I know almost no Christian in my life in Canada, the USA, Europe, or South America who lives anything like Paul did. Nobody I know is walking in the dynamic of revelations and ministry like Paul--signs and wonders as frequent and commonly as he did--praying more than others, and having things to say so important that his writings are canonized and now a part of Scripture. The last time someone told me they had a thorn, I asked them if they operate in the same capacity of revelation that Paul had. This brother told me with his own words "definitely not", to which I sharply asked "then what makes you think you need a thorn like his then if you don't do what he did to supposedly merit having one?!" Why do many believers insist on believing that they deserve a thorn without earning it like Paul--so to speak, I'm being hypothetical, remember.

My reason in sharing that point is that a lot Christians I know want it both ways when it comes to their disadvantages. We try to often make God the problem ("He put this on me") instead of seeing what the Word really says concerning His promises and acting on it. If I have heard it once I've heard it a hundred times--enough to write a study on the subject to post here for any who will read. You have no idea how much it feels like someone's ripping my fingernails off whenever I hear "well I guess this [insert here] is just my thorn." No it isn't. We are in a war, and the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10a). Is God your enemy, or the devil?

The Bible also says in Mark 9:23 that all things are possible to those that believe. All things are possible to whom? Them that believe. That statement is not a blanket promise from God, it's conditional. God does His part (all things), mixed together with us doing our part -- believing. Also, implicit in that statement is the fact that what you believe IS important. Faith can only be had where the will of God is known--for faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). So it's important to know WHAT the Word of God says, in order to base our faith on it. That's why so many of my entries take the time to expose what the Scripture says, and not just share an opinion of mine. Too many in the Body of Christ form their opinions and base their doctrines on failure to see something happen. With healing, we hold a double standard to it that I've never seen anyone hold to salvation. If we lay hands on a sick person and they don't get healed, or we are sick and seek healing--and don't get the results, most believers conclude that it's not God's will. Humbug! I know people if you ask them if it's God's will for a muslim to be converted, they'd say yes! Ask them why, and they cite at least one verse like John 3:16. Nobody looks at the Middle East saying "well, that's one billion muslims in the world, and they aren't saved--I guess that means it's not God's will to save all."

We have total faith for peoples' salvation based on at least one Scripture verse! In case after reading other entries I've written on it and there's any doubt in your mind--I repeat to you it is just as much God's will to heal a body as it is to save a person's soul! Both acts were atoned for at the cross. God doesn't say "By His [Jesus'] stripes you are healed" and then put a 'thorn' in you. God's not a sufferer of multiple personality disorder!

I hope my thoughts in this entry were organized enough for you. I especially write these things to boost peoples' faith in the Scriptures for healing because I singlehandedly attribute the mis-teaching out there about Paul's thorn to be one of the main roadblocks to why some don't even believe God for their healing, because they erroneously believe, based on this passage out of context, that God wants them sick. It doesn't glorify God that we are living unhealthy when He paid for all on the cross--our sins and our sickness--both entered the world through Adam and Eve's sin, and both were paid for by the last Adam--Christ on the cross.

Does Jesus put sin on anybody?

No, you say? Well then he doesn't put a disease or sickness on them either, but both are from the pit of hell.

If this page has been beneficial to you, you may enjoy our podcast show where we discussed Paul's thorn in the flesh and kill some sacred cows in the process:

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