Mwalimu-G
Elder Lister
What Was Up With the Apostle Paul?
The problem of the man who wrote more of the Bible than anyone else
Dan Foster
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
The Apostle Paul is generally considered one of the most important figures in the Bible — the man who wrote almost half of the books of the New Testament and is commonly credited with taking Christianity beyond the walls of Jerusalem to the waiting world beyond.
To good evangelicals, he is second only to Jesus Christ. Rarely a Sunday would go by where his surviving letters to the early churches aren’t used as sermon fodder for preachers across the globe. In terms of his influence in the subsequent Christian movement, after Christ, he is peerless and ought to be regarded as one of the greatest religious leaders of all time.
But Paul also had a problem.
A great, big problem.
How do we know? Because Paul, himself, tells us all about his problem in Scripture — well, sort of…
Paul’s Big Problem
In 2 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul alludes to his great big problem:
When we say, “I have a thorn in my flesh,” we are really saying, “There is something annoyingly painful in my life. I don’t like it. I often wish I didn’t have it. I am frustrated by its presence. It makes almost everything harder, daily haunting me as I carry out my vocation, my family responsibilities, and practically everything else I do. I feel that my life would be more effective and productive without it. Above all, I have begged God, sometimes in tears, for it to be removed. But still, it remains.”
That’s a thorn in the flesh. And Paul had one.
But what was it?
Paul’s thorn is among the most famous afflictions in history, but the thing is, we don’t even know what it was. While it is clear that he had some kind of problem, the details are unhelpfully vague.
I sometimes feel that Paul would be a much more relatable character in history if he came clean about his struggles. After all, don’t we all have thorns of one kind or another? Perhaps I am not alone in my speculation about what exactly the thorn in Paul’s flesh was. There have been lots of explanations tossed about by various scholars.
Here are a few popular — and unpopular — theories about Paul’s great, big problem.
Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay
Was it his hardships?
The most popular theory was that the thorn in Paul’s flesh was the various hardships he faced. And he certainly faced a few. In 2 Corinthians 11:24–29, Paul shares a rather impressive list of troubles that he has endured:
Was it a disease?
Some believe that Paul’s thorn could have been a physical affliction. This was certainly plausible given all the physical violence and deprivation he had endured. One can imagine he didn’t come through all that without various scars and wounds.
Or was it some other kind of chronic illness — one that was bothersome without being completely debilitating? Epilepsy is offered as a common suggestion. Malaria and Brucellosis were also reasonably common ailments of the day. Could Paul’s thorn have been one of these?
Was it his eyesight?
In his letter to the Galatian Church, Paul thanks the Galatians for their kindness towards him. He goes on to say, “Without a doubt that you would have done anything to help me. If it had been possible, you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me.” (Galatians 4:15).
For this reason, some people think that Paul had poor eyesight. Perhaps that was the thorn in his flesh.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Was it his enemies?
Was the thorn in Paul’s flesh a reference to his physical enemies. Paul speaks in 2 Timothy 4:14 of a character called Alexander the coppersmith — who caused him great harm.
At various other points in his writing, Paul refers to many people he calls false brothers — who were constantly hounding him and wreaking havoc in the churches that he planted.
Was it Mental Illness?
Since Paul refers to his thorn as a harassing “messenger of Satan,” some people speculate that he could have been vulnerable to significant spiritual-psychological struggles.
This is certainly plausible given the cumulative trauma of the violent persecution that Christians had to endure at the time. Paul was living in constant danger and with daily anxiety, not only for his own well-being but for the well-being of the people and the churches that Paul loved and bore the weight of responsibility for. It must have taken a mental and psychological toll.
Was it some of the other disciples?
It’s no secret that initially, the Apostle Paul was met with resistance from the “Super-apostles’ in Jerusalem — the big wigs like Peter and James. This was not entirely surprising considering that Paul spent his pre-Christian days persecuting and killing Christians.
However, later on, Peter and Paul have a major dispute because Peter refuses to eat with the gentiles, which incensed Paul — the champion of the non-Jewish believers (Galatians 2:11–13). Could the thorn in Paul’s flesh have been the early religious systems of the day and the various conflicts he experienced within the church?
Was it temptation?
Paul was a normal human being — even though he is occasionally treated like some kind of sinless demi-God. That means he was subject to all of the usual trials and temptations common to all human beings.
Is it possible that Paul’s thorn was some kind of temptation? After all, Paul’s own testimony about himself was that he was a vile sinner in need of grace, just like the rest of us. So, was Paul gripped by some kind of desire that he perceived as sinful? Could it have been some kind of carnal temptation toward a particular woman? Or man? The brings me to my next point.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
Was it his sexuality?
This suggestion would, no doubt, cause a stir amongst conservative believers. But could Paul have possibly experienced same-sex attraction? After all, he was a single man, which would also explain his reticence to go into details about the nature of the thorn.
If you read the Scripture where Paul talks about his thorn, the sexuality narrative fits: “I didn’t want the thorn, I asked God to take it away. God didn’t.” How many members of the LGBTIQ community who’ve grown up in the church would share the same story?
Okay, so this theory is wildly unpopular and certainly a long shot, but I wouldn’t rule it out either!
We don’t really know — and that’s a good thing
At the end of the day, we will never know exactly what the thorn in Paul’s flesh was — but that’s a good thing.
If Paul had specifically stated the identity of his thorn, he would have lost the ability to relate to those who were not afflicted in the same way. Instead, the generality of Paul’s reference to the thorn means that we can all apply it to our own particular problems.
After all, we all have thorns, don’t we?
For some, it is a physical ailment; for others, a psychological condition, a struggle of sexuality or gender, a relational challenge, or a life circumstance.
What Paul’s thorn in the flesh shows us is that our weaknesses, our failures, and our infirmities can have a redemptive purpose and are the very things that allow God to do his best work. After all, nobody learns anything when life is easy. Muscles are built by resistance. And the people who inspire us are, after all, those who have learned to live with thorns and somehow overcome them.
The problem of the man who wrote more of the Bible than anyone else
Dan Foster
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
The Apostle Paul is generally considered one of the most important figures in the Bible — the man who wrote almost half of the books of the New Testament and is commonly credited with taking Christianity beyond the walls of Jerusalem to the waiting world beyond.
To good evangelicals, he is second only to Jesus Christ. Rarely a Sunday would go by where his surviving letters to the early churches aren’t used as sermon fodder for preachers across the globe. In terms of his influence in the subsequent Christian movement, after Christ, he is peerless and ought to be regarded as one of the greatest religious leaders of all time.
But Paul also had a problem.
A great, big problem.
How do we know? Because Paul, himself, tells us all about his problem in Scripture — well, sort of…
Paul’s Big Problem
In 2 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul alludes to his great big problem:
More traditional translations of the Bible call Paul’s problem “A thorn in the flesh” — from which we derive the commonly used idiom to describe anything that's a painful nuisance in our lives.
When we say, “I have a thorn in my flesh,” we are really saying, “There is something annoyingly painful in my life. I don’t like it. I often wish I didn’t have it. I am frustrated by its presence. It makes almost everything harder, daily haunting me as I carry out my vocation, my family responsibilities, and practically everything else I do. I feel that my life would be more effective and productive without it. Above all, I have begged God, sometimes in tears, for it to be removed. But still, it remains.”
That’s a thorn in the flesh. And Paul had one.
But what was it?
Paul’s thorn is among the most famous afflictions in history, but the thing is, we don’t even know what it was. While it is clear that he had some kind of problem, the details are unhelpfully vague.
I sometimes feel that Paul would be a much more relatable character in history if he came clean about his struggles. After all, don’t we all have thorns of one kind or another? Perhaps I am not alone in my speculation about what exactly the thorn in Paul’s flesh was. There have been lots of explanations tossed about by various scholars.
Here are a few popular — and unpopular — theories about Paul’s great, big problem.
Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay
Was it his hardships?
The most popular theory was that the thorn in Paul’s flesh was the various hardships he faced. And he certainly faced a few. In 2 Corinthians 11:24–29, Paul shares a rather impressive list of troubles that he has endured:
To suggest that this list of trials might have proved a hindrance would be a gross understatement, don't you think? No doubt, these things may have been the thorn that Paul was talking about.
Was it a disease?
Some believe that Paul’s thorn could have been a physical affliction. This was certainly plausible given all the physical violence and deprivation he had endured. One can imagine he didn’t come through all that without various scars and wounds.
Or was it some other kind of chronic illness — one that was bothersome without being completely debilitating? Epilepsy is offered as a common suggestion. Malaria and Brucellosis were also reasonably common ailments of the day. Could Paul’s thorn have been one of these?
Was it his eyesight?
In his letter to the Galatian Church, Paul thanks the Galatians for their kindness towards him. He goes on to say, “Without a doubt that you would have done anything to help me. If it had been possible, you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me.” (Galatians 4:15).
For this reason, some people think that Paul had poor eyesight. Perhaps that was the thorn in his flesh.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Was it his enemies?
Was the thorn in Paul’s flesh a reference to his physical enemies. Paul speaks in 2 Timothy 4:14 of a character called Alexander the coppersmith — who caused him great harm.
At various other points in his writing, Paul refers to many people he calls false brothers — who were constantly hounding him and wreaking havoc in the churches that he planted.
Was it Mental Illness?
Since Paul refers to his thorn as a harassing “messenger of Satan,” some people speculate that he could have been vulnerable to significant spiritual-psychological struggles.
This is certainly plausible given the cumulative trauma of the violent persecution that Christians had to endure at the time. Paul was living in constant danger and with daily anxiety, not only for his own well-being but for the well-being of the people and the churches that Paul loved and bore the weight of responsibility for. It must have taken a mental and psychological toll.
Was it some of the other disciples?
It’s no secret that initially, the Apostle Paul was met with resistance from the “Super-apostles’ in Jerusalem — the big wigs like Peter and James. This was not entirely surprising considering that Paul spent his pre-Christian days persecuting and killing Christians.
However, later on, Peter and Paul have a major dispute because Peter refuses to eat with the gentiles, which incensed Paul — the champion of the non-Jewish believers (Galatians 2:11–13). Could the thorn in Paul’s flesh have been the early religious systems of the day and the various conflicts he experienced within the church?
Was it temptation?
Paul was a normal human being — even though he is occasionally treated like some kind of sinless demi-God. That means he was subject to all of the usual trials and temptations common to all human beings.
Is it possible that Paul’s thorn was some kind of temptation? After all, Paul’s own testimony about himself was that he was a vile sinner in need of grace, just like the rest of us. So, was Paul gripped by some kind of desire that he perceived as sinful? Could it have been some kind of carnal temptation toward a particular woman? Or man? The brings me to my next point.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
Was it his sexuality?
This suggestion would, no doubt, cause a stir amongst conservative believers. But could Paul have possibly experienced same-sex attraction? After all, he was a single man, which would also explain his reticence to go into details about the nature of the thorn.
If you read the Scripture where Paul talks about his thorn, the sexuality narrative fits: “I didn’t want the thorn, I asked God to take it away. God didn’t.” How many members of the LGBTIQ community who’ve grown up in the church would share the same story?
Okay, so this theory is wildly unpopular and certainly a long shot, but I wouldn’t rule it out either!
We don’t really know — and that’s a good thing
At the end of the day, we will never know exactly what the thorn in Paul’s flesh was — but that’s a good thing.
If Paul had specifically stated the identity of his thorn, he would have lost the ability to relate to those who were not afflicted in the same way. Instead, the generality of Paul’s reference to the thorn means that we can all apply it to our own particular problems.
After all, we all have thorns, don’t we?
For some, it is a physical ailment; for others, a psychological condition, a struggle of sexuality or gender, a relational challenge, or a life circumstance.
What Paul’s thorn in the flesh shows us is that our weaknesses, our failures, and our infirmities can have a redemptive purpose and are the very things that allow God to do his best work. After all, nobody learns anything when life is easy. Muscles are built by resistance. And the people who inspire us are, after all, those who have learned to live with thorns and somehow overcome them.
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