TRIALS
EXPLANATION - The Apostle Paul had experienced great suffering, persecution*, and opposition to his ministry. He even struggled with personal weakness ... a “thorn in the flesh”. Thru it all, Paul affirmed God’s faithfulness.
NOTE: PAUL’S THORN IN THE FLESH (2 Corinthians 12:7)
Paul speaks of a “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7. 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. Since he was not talking of a literal thorn, he must have been speaking metaphorically. Some of the more popular theories of the thorn’s interpretation 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” (2 Timothy 4:14). 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.
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. 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. [1]
IMPORTANCE - Paul told the Corinthians that God is absolutely faithful in all things, all the time. Trials tend to keep us from becoming prideful and teach us dependence on God. He comforts us, so we can comfort others.
CHURCH DISCIPLINE
EXPLANATION - Paul uses this platform to defend his view of church discipline. Neither immorality, nor false teaching can go ignored. The church’s approach to discipline is to neither be too lax nor too severe and the person who has corrected their behavior is to be reinstated once they have repented. The guilty party must be made to understand and accept that their behavior had been unacceptable in the eyes of God. Discipline must be an integral part of any church.
IMPORTANCE - The goal of all church discipline should be correction, not vengeance. No paybacks allowed. For a church to be effective for the Lord, they must both confront and solve problems head-on, NOT ignore them. No matter what, our approach is to be based on love, for love conquers all.
Up next, part 2 of the Mega Themes. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name and for His glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
* hound; afflict; torture; torment; badger; bother.
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