Dr Paul Allen

  One of the cruellest insinuations made about Paul was that he was under God's manifest displeasure. His attackers pointed to his thorn in the flesh, v. 7. It is not clear what this was, but the terms used are physical, and the indications are that it was excruciating.  Paul is forced to explain how it is that he has this disability, and in doing so he breaks a self-imposed silence of fourteen years. Fourteen years ago he, “a man in Christ”, had a stupendous experience. He was caught up to the third heaven and saw things impossible to communicate in human language.  Paul’s amazing humility comes out in the fact that he kept silent for so long about something that others would have shouted from the housetops. There had been a possibility of pride, and the Lord had taken effective steps. Paul was given that which proved both painful and humbling. He prayed the Lord thrice for its removal, addressing Him who, in the days of His flesh, had thrice prayed the Father, “Take aw...

We get the term “thorn in the flesh” from the apostle Paul : 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. ( 2 Corinthians 12:7 ) Paul’s thorn is among the most famous afflictions in history, and we don’t even know what it was. There’s been a lot of speculation over the years. Paul’s thorn could have been a physical affliction. This is plausible given all the physical violence and deprivation he endured ( 2 Corinthians 11:23–27 ), and some think he may have suffered from an eye disease ( Galatians 4:15 ). “The most redemptive gift of pain in history was given to us through the most evil means.” Or since he referred to his thorn as a harassing “messenger of Satan,” he could have been vulnerable to significant spiritual-psychological struggles. This is plausible given the cumulative trauma of violently persecuting Christians , then...