Thorn in the Flesh
2 Cor 12 v 7
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Over the centuries, there has been much discussion around this thorn. Some commentators say it was a physical ailment that did not heal, and others say it was a member of the Church.
A third suggestion says it was Paul’s disappointment at how the Jews rejected Jesus.
The Greek word translated as thorn in this verse means a pointed piece of wood, a sharp stake or a splinter. It isn’t strictly a thorn.
Flesh is more complex than meets the eye. The Greek word in this verse is sarx. This tends to mean carnal flesh.
There is another word, which is sometimes translated as flesh. This is soma. The main difference between these two words is sarx is regarding passivity while soma is about activity.
For example, sarx refers to the flesh of the ear, but soma refers to the activity of hearing. It’s the difference between the eye ball and the activity of seeing.
As a side note, Soma is usually translated as ‘body’. So the Church is the ‘Soma of Christ’, the ‘active flesh’ of Jesus on Earth.
So in Paul’s situation, he is probably talking about his carnal flesh. So the thorn sounds like a physical ailment.
Messenger of Satan
This affliction is caused by a messenger of Satan. God allows this, much like how He uses thorn bushes in Hosea.
Hosea 2 v 6
Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.
In the context of chapter 12, the thorn is allowed in order to humble Paul. To help him resist the temptation to take pride in what had been achieved in the early Church.
Maybe God allowed this Satanic messenger to remind Paul of the pride the Devil had, which caused him to fall at the beginning.
Jesus in the Burning Bush
In Acts 7, Stephen speaks to the Sanhedrin. During his speech he discusses the Angel who spoke to Moses through the burning bush.
Acts 7 v 30
After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
The Greek word for bush here is thorn-bush.
If we look at the burning bush account in Exodus, we see the angel is the Angel of the Lord. Who is also Jesus in the Old Testament.
This means Jesus is speaking directly to Moses from the burning thorn bush. Jesus is the one who commands Moses to go to Pharaoh and call for the Hebrews to be set free.
Why a Burning Thorn Bush?
In the Old Testament, we are told thorn bushes can be removed by fire. So with Jesus in the bush, he is burning up and removing Adam’s Curse. The reason the thorn bush is not ‘consumed’ is because His work is not yet complete.
Like Moses, we need to listen to Christ’s commands and, through the Holy Spirit’s power, see ‘thorns and thistles’ removed from our lives.
I will end this series by mentioning that in the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit appears on those in the Upper Room as Tongues of Fire. One interpretation could be that the Holy Spirit was burning up the thorns in their lives, preparing them for the next step in God’s plan.
Blessings to you Fir sharing your thoughts on the Holy Word of God. Another interpretation to Paul’s thorn in the side and a view held by TL Osborne among others is that it refers to the many beatings, imprisonments and the shipwrecks Paul endured.
Very edifying, thank you.