GLOVES OF GRACE FOR HANDLING THORNS
2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-10
NASB
1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations [a]of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago —whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows —such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man —whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows — 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.
7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to [a]torment me —to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast [a]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with [a]insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
12:1 [a]Or from 12:7 [a]Lit beat 12:9 [a]Lit in 12:10 [a]Or mistreatment
NLT
1 This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I[*] was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know —only God knows. 3 Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 that I was caught up[*] to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.
5 That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. 6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
[12:2] Greek I know a man in Christ who. [12:3-4] Greek But I know such a man, 4that he was caught up.
Ours is the age of the self-made person who is more than adequate. Not only do we want to appear as though we have our lives together, but we want it to appear that we have put our own lives together better than most. The word “adequate” originally comes from Latin and means “make level to” or “being equal to a requirement.” The common colloquialism “I’m equal to the task” would be a good way to put it in today’s idiom. But the idea of more than adequate brings with it a touch of conceit, doesn’t it? “Not only can I do it, but I can do it better than most. I’m self-sufficient.” The sense is that we can measure up to any task. We dislike the thought that we might be unequal to any challenge . . . or that someone else might be more “equal” than we are! This kind of thinking tends toward competition, rivalry, and even open conflict.task. We dislike the thought that we might be unequal to any challenge . . . or that someone else might be more “equal” than we are! This kind of thinking tends toward competition, rivalry, and even open conflict.
In our era of self-sufficiency, three kinds of people appear to have it all together. First, the highly intelligent seem to have an edge on everybody. With keen wits and a couple of academic degrees to boot, the intellectuals try to stay on top of every situation with a cascade of golden phrases meant to outdo the competition. Second, the greatly gifted tend to dominate pop culture. Talented musicians produce smash hits. Sports icons rake in an obscene amount of cash. Good-looking orators can demand a huge honorarium or draw votes in the political realm. For the gifted, winning comes so easy. Third, in our Christian circles the deeply religious appear to glide through life with an appropriate Scripture on their tongues and an abundance of faith to move mountains and create joy in their hearts. They describe their prayer and devotional lives as rich and rewarding and they exude a sense of calm and tranquility. They seem to be so aligned with the Holy Spirit that nothing could pull them off course.
What we don’t often see among the highly intelligent, greatly gifted, and deeply spiritual, however, are the great gaps of inadequacy that they live with. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” That verse should cut every one of us down to size. Nobody gave themselves their smarts, talents, or spiritual devotion. Everything we have —from ability to opportunity —comes to us as a gift from God. James said, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (Jas. 1:17).
So how does God remind us to acknowledge His generosity and to rely on His strength when He’s given us such marvelous abilities? How does God prevent the arrogance of more-than-enough adequacy and the sin of self-sufficiency? He gives us a thorn in the flesh. Let’s look closely at 2 Corinthians 12 to gain more insight into this significant —and often overlooked —reality.
THE THREE HEAVENS
2 CORINTHIANS 12:2
The various ways people perceive the universe in the twenty-first century differ from the ways people understood the cosmos in the first. Today, many scientists believe all existence is simply matter and energy; the difference between “heaven” and “earth” is one of location, not levels of existence. Those who believe in a spiritual dimension of the universe often view the supernatural dimension as existing alongside of or within the present material universe, or perhaps existing on a completely separate plane of reality.
In the ancient world in which Paul preached and wrote, a number of cosmologies competed for adherents. The Gnostics viewed the universe as comprised of dozens or even hundreds of levels of being, each inhabited by distinct ranks of creatures. Others viewed the world as having two basic realms, the spiritual and the physical, constantly in conflict as good versus evil or light versus dark.
The biblical Jewish and Christian view of the cosmos reflects a moderately hierarchical and mildly dualistic worldview. Unlike much religious and philosophical literature of the time, the Bible doesn’t precisely spell out details of cosmology. It rather utilizes categories and concepts of the day, leaving much to mystery and speculation.
What is this biblical view of the cosmos? The Bible understands three basic “levels” of the universe —the heavens, the earth, and below the earth.[159] The term “heavens” may be further divided into three levels. The “first heaven” includes the sphere surrounding the earth. Today we call this the “atmosphere” or “sky,” in which birds fly and clouds drift. The “second heaven” includes everything in the cosmos above the earth’s atmosphere —the moon, sun, planets, stars, and galaxies. From a modern worldview perspective, both the first and second “heavens” are technically still part of the physical universe. Not so with the “third heaven.” In the biblical sense, the “third heaven” was the term used to describe the dwelling place of God, the angels, and any other spirit beings. Paul says that he was “caught up to the third heaven. . . . into Paradise” (2 Cor. 12:2, 4). We might call this today the “spiritual realm,” a plane of reality accessible only by heavenly invitation, like the one the apostle John received in Revelation 4:1.
The realm of existence “below the earth” also has both a physical and spiritual dimension. Physically, it may refer simply to the grave or to underground spaces from which water may flow or lava may spew. Or it may refer to the place of spirits who have departed from the earthly plane but have not been admitted into the presence of God. In both cases the same terms often are used —sheol [H7585] in the Old Testament or hadēs [86] in the New. Context helps determine whether the text is referring to the physical or the spiritual realm.
So, when Paul described being caught up “to the third heaven. . . . into Paradise,” he referred to his own, personal translation into a place in the spiritual realm, not to another planet or even another galaxy.
— 12:1-6 —
At the time of Paul’s writing, as we have learned, Corinth had been invaded by Judaizing false teachers who wished to compel everybody, including Gentiles, to observe every detail of the Law of Moses in the very same manner that they did. Many had impressive credentials, gifts, skills, and holier-than-everybody-else lifestyles that drew the attention of a fair percentage of the Corinthian congregation. Some of the impressionable believers were beginning to be swayed by all the testimonies of great ability. So Paul, although he hated boasting, found it necessary to remind the Corinthian church that his own credentials could stand up against anybody’s (2 Cor. 11).
Uncomfortable with trumpeting his gifts and experiences, Paul adds a brief explanation of his view on boasting: “Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable” (12:1). David Lowery explains, “He did it . . . in the hope that it would silence his critics and enable him to minister freely. He also neatly turned his readers’ attention from these irrelevant credentials to those that were an apostle’s authentic marks.”[160]
I know all of us can think of circumstances in which we are expected to talk about ourselves, our gifts, training, experiences, and accomplishments. Job interviews, political campaigns, promotional media interviews —all of these require some kind of establishment of authority or qualifications. When such necessary self-promotion crosses the line into selfish braggadocio, however, it accomplishes nothing. People are put off by it, and God is never impressed. It neither edifies others nor honors the Lord.
And yet the crisis in Corinth required that Paul re-establish his authority among the church. Therefore, Paul adds a postscript to his résumé. He snags their attention with a credential that he has never revealed. He tells his readers of an experience he had fourteen years earlier when he was taken to paradise (12:1-4).
Although in this passage Paul writes in the third person, most commentators believe he’s indirectly describing his own experience.[161] It’s likely that he chose to write this way out of modesty or perhaps out of reverence. The timing of the event places it during Paul’s wilderness experience just after his conversion, a time when he was not in contact with anyone (Gal. 1:17-18). Imagine that! Paul had actually been “caught up” into the highest spiritual realm, much like the apostle John would experience about fifty years later (Rev. 4:1). There, in the presence of angelic beings and the Lord Himself, he heard things “which a man is not permitted to speak” (2 Cor. 12:4). The experience was so extraordinary that he couldn’t tell if it had occurred while still in his physical body or outside his body (12:2-3). All he knew was that his experience was “inexpressible” (12:4).
This brief account of the most astounding of Paul’s “visions and revelations of the Lord” (12:1) packs a powerful rhetorical punch. Against his boastful, arrogant opponents who loved to draw attention to themselves with their accounts of spiritual experiences, Paul trumps them all with an account he kept secret for over a decade. The fact that he had never shared this experience is itself part of his rhetorical strategy. Think about this for a minute. Whereas false teachers trying to boost their perceived authority point to every little personal experience they can to toot their own horns, Paul seems to have sat silently on his indescribable experience for fourteen long years. And even at this writing, he seems reluctant to let people know about it.
Unlike the media-grabbers of today, Paul didn’t capitalize on his experience. We see no vying for speaking engagements or book contracts. No plans for a made-for-TV movie. No magazine articles, blogs, or websites. Paul’s profound visit to “the other side” stayed where it belonged —in Paul’s own heart and mind. It personally empowered him with unparalleled knowledge and confidence in the face of his apostolic ministry, but instead of exploiting his experience, he kept it under wraps. He waited until circumstances required him to reveal it.
Uncomfortable with sharing the extreme nature of his “visions and revelations of the Lord” (12:1), Paul suddenly shakes his readers out of their mode of the thrilling and supernatural. Yes, such heavenly encounters would be perfect grist for those who love to boast, but from Paul’s perspective he would be much better off boasting about his weaknesses (12:5). Paul wants to make sure no one gives him credit for the glory he experienced, so he doesn’t describe it in detail. He speaks not a word about his interaction with the Lord. In fact, it wasn’t even permissible to do so (12:4). Instead, Paul makes sure his readers know he told the truth, and he refuses all temptations to boast further. Why? So no one could put him on a pedestal or canonize him into supersainthood. He would rather people pay attention to his lifestyle and his preaching —both of which point people to Jesus Christ instead of to himself (12:6).
— 12:7-10 —
Shifting from the sublime heights of heavenly bliss to the mundane depths of earthly suffering, Paul draws attention to the flip side of his unparalleled spiritual experience. To keep him from succumbing to pride “because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,” God gave Paul a constant reminder of his inadequacy: a “thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan” (12:7).
Commentators have speculated without end on what the “thorn” represents because Paul gave no specific details. Some have suggested that it represented spiritual temptations —the urge for Paul to doubt and waver in his faith when things got hard. Others suggest the thorn refers to suffering and persecutions (like those described in 2 Cor. 11). Some have narrowed it to one specific kind of enticement: sexual temptation that tested Paul’s commitment to remain celibate (cf. 1 Cor. 7:7). Still others have guessed some kind of physical handicap, disfigurement, or disease: perhaps a speech impediment, poor eyesight, a hunchback, epilepsy, malarial fevers, or even migraines.[162] Though we cannot be dogmatic, it may very well be that Paul suffered from failing eyesight. In light of his statement in Galatians 4:15 —“if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me” —many conclude that Paul suffered from some affliction of his eyes. Poor eyesight may also explain the reason Paul pointed out the “large letters” he used to write with his own hand (Gal. 6:11). In any case, so severe was the sting of this thorn that three times he pleaded with the Lord to take it away from him (2 Cor. 12:8). But each time the request was denied. The Lord, however, didn’t leave him without comfort.
The Lord Himself explained to Paul why he allowed the affliction to remain: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (12:9). The word “perfected” is the Greek term teleō [5055], meaning “finished” or “fulfilled.” The idea seems to be that just as Christ could cry out “It is finished” when the power of God was demonstrated through the extreme weakness of the Son’s death on the cross, so in Paul’s life God’s all-sufficient grace demonstrated its power through the thorn in his flesh. What a paradox! Paul never forgot that “God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong” (1 Cor. 1:27).
Because of this truth, Paul determines to boast about his weaknesses rather than his strengths. Through those weaknesses “the power of Christ may dwell” in him (2 Cor. 12:9). You see, if Paul had it all together and had been miraculously and wonderfully healed at his first or second request, then people might be able to point to Paul’s intelligence, giftedness, and devotion as the source of his adequacy. But because Paul had debilitating physical struggles as well as countless external trials, the astounding success of his ministry can be attributed only to the grace of God. No wonder, then, Paul could say, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10).
APPLICATION: 2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-10
When Thorns Rip at Your Adequacy
The thorns that humbled Paul and allowed him to glow with God’s empowering grace are still around today. They come in various forms: trials, sickness, tragedies, difficulties, persecutions, temptations, and the stressors of life. Each of us has at least small, prickly thorns scratching at our hearts, minds, and bodies, irritating and influencing us. Yet we, too, can learn to handle these thorns with the gloves of grace.
First, look within. Instead of praying that the thorns would be removed, I suggest you look within and remember that God has permitted these things not for our punishment or our harm, but for our good. The thorns are not in and of themselves good. But the good that God brings out of painful situations is worthy of praise. As you think about your own trials, be careful what you call “thorns” in your life. Spouses, children, and parents aren’t thorns, though they may bring opportunities to test your patience! Those relationships certainly bring about spiritual growth. But they aren’t thorns. Remember that “thorns” in Paul’s sense involve physical ailments, painful experiences, emotional trauma —something that will be removed in the resurrection and the new world, but are nevertheless a nagging, unavoidable presence in your life today.
What thorns are you dealing with today? Depression? A chronic illness? The effects of an accident? Emotional scars? Post-traumatic stress disorder? The aftermath of addiction? Physical debilitation? Some kind of handicap? Let me encourage you to ask the Lord to make His grace sufficient for you. If He wants to remove this thing, of course He can. But Paul’s example teaches us that His strength can flow through you in the midst of your weaknesses. So embrace the weakness. Don’t love the bad, but have faith and hope in the good that He can fashion from it.
Second, look beyond. Instead of staring at the stinging thorns, focus on the fragrant grace that will give you hope, strength, peace, and joy in the midst of the pain. This requires us to periodically close our eyes to the suffering around us and let our biblically informed imaginations travel to the future world. Can I suggest you memorize the following passage so you can call it to mind in the midst of dealing with the sharpest thorns?
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” (Rev. 21:3-5)
Paul himself caught a glimpse of the “paradise” reserved in the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2-4). What we can only imagine, he saw. Yet we can know with confident hope that Christ will one day restore this perfect dwelling place when He returns in glory to establish His kingdom on the earth. In that day, the original curse of “thorns and thistles” will be lifted (Gen. 3:17-18; Rev. 22:3), and in paradise we will be free from all pain and suffering forever.