The Biblical truth about Paul's thorn in his side

  1  Corinthians 12:7 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a THORN IN THE FLESH, the MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET ME, lest I should be exalted above measure.”

The verse says “the messenger of satan to buffet me”. The word messenger was used over 100 times in the Bible and about 90% of the time it referred to a spiritual being and the others were a man/men. “Nowhere” in the Bible is it referred to as an illness or sickness. 

It also says “buffet”. Buffet means to, strike, hit, apply blows, like a person being hit or a wave of the sea buffeting against the boat. The same Greek word was used in Mark 14:65 to describe the hits, blows and strikes Jesus received. 

Now let’s look at the phrase “thorn in the side” (flesh/eye, depending on what Bible version you are reading). That phrase was used multiple times in the Bible and it  ALWAYS meant the same thing. God used that same phrase when he was talking to the Israelites.:

Numbers 33:55 – “But if YE WILL NOT DRIVE OUT THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND from before you; then it shall come to pass, that THOSE WHICH YE LET TO REMAIN of them shall be pricks in your eyes, AND THORNS IN YOUR SIDES, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.”

The phrase is specifically talking about people.

Joshua 23:13 – “ Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more DRIVE OUT ANY OF THESE NATIONS from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and SCOURGES IN YOUR SIDES, AND THORNS IN YOUR EYES, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.”

The phrase specifically refers to people, a nation.

Judges 2:3 - Wherefore I also said, I will not DRIVE THEM OUT FROM BEFORE YOU; but they shall be as THORNS IN YOUR SIDES, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

The phrase refers to people.

Do you realize that was God speaking to the Israelites in those verses? That was God using the phrase about the thorn. When Paul used the phrase about a thorn in his flesh he was talking to God and using the exact words that God had used. Paul knew exactly what he meant when he said it to God and God knew exactly what Paul meant when Paul said it.

In not one of those verses that used the phrase does the phrase refer to a sickness or illness of any kind. In fact there is NOT one verse in the Bible where the phrase even implies that it could be a sickness or illness. HOW, WHY are people willing to believe what a man says in a seminar, at a gathering, writes in a book or a website or even from the pulpit IF it doesn’t have ONE single scripture to support it. Why are Christians willing to allow a single false teaching with NO Scriptural basis to cause uncertainty, doubt, questions or unbelief about God’s anointed word?

The phrase “thorn in your side” means an annoyance, a frustration, or a harassment from a man, men, or a nation. There is not one time in the Bible where the phrase thorn in the side was used to reference a sickness or illness. 

When you now consider the words messenger of satan is referring to a spiritual being or a man/men, and t

The word buffet refers to hitting, blows, etc. 

and every time the phrase thorn in the flesh/side referred to people or a nation 

It makes the verse very clear.

Then nd then when you consider there are NONE (not one) verse that even specifically implies that 2 Corinthians 12:7 is about a sickness or illness hopefully you will agree, it is absolutely clear what that verse means.