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"Pain in the ear or head (Tertullian). Such troublesome characters as Hymenaeus and
Alexander (Chrysostom), epilepsy (M. Krenkel, J. Klausner), ophthalmia (J. T. Brain),
convulsive attacks (M. Dibelius), sufferings caused by constant persecutions (J. Murick),
attacks of depression after periods of exaltation (H. Clavier), the agony caused by the
unbelief of his Jewish brethren (P. H. Menoud), malaria (W. M. Ramsay, E. B. Allo), or
by the memory of his persecution of the church (A. Osiander, A Schlatter)."
The very variety of ideas shows that certainty is unattainable. The Greek skolops
means `thorn' or `splinter' rather than `stake' (R.V. margin). This is confirmed by the
LXX (compare Numb. 33: 55; Ezek. 28: 24; Hosea 2: 6). The examples of this
word in the papyri strongly confirm this rendering. The dative case (te sarki) could be
either locative `in the flesh', or a `dativus incommodi', `for the inconvenience of the
flesh'. If the latter, then we have to understand the word `flesh' in the peculiar sense of
the sinful old nature. This was the interpretation of the Reformers and some of the early
Fathers who regarded the word in a spiritual way, sent by the Lord `for the flesh', i.e., to
quell any possible pride or arrogance that might have arisen in the Apostle after such an
exalted experience.
However, we believe that the plain, literal meaning of the Bible, wherever it makes
good sense and is in accord with the general teaching of Scripture, is always to be
preferred to `spiritualizing'. That Paul suffered sever physical trials, II Corinthians has
already made clear in chapter 7: In Gal. 4: 13-15 the Apostle referred to a physical
ailment evidently connected with his eyes, for he bears witness to the fact that the
Galatian believers would have given him their own eyes if they could have done so. It
would appear that he suffered from a chronic and ugly discharge from his eyes. The
word `reject' in verse 14 is literally `splitting out' something offensive. In spite of this
affliction which sometimes made him look revolting, these believers loved him so much
that they could completely overlook this. And after his vision of the glory of the
risen Saviour at his conversion which he described as "above the brightness of the sun"
(Acts 26: 13), and which rendered him blind for three days (Acts 9: 9), we can well
believe that his eyes were left permanently weak. Satan could have aggravated this
condition, for the Word of God reveals that with the Lord's permission, he can affect the
body. Job was an O.T. example, and the bent woman in Luke 13: 16 (described as
`whom Satan hath bound') is another.
However, the Lord's grace is all-sufficient at all times and for every experience; as
He said, "My power is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12: 9). Thus, when the
effectiveness of Paul's preaching was so evident, then the transcendent power was
manifestly the Lord's and not his own. This was a witness in itself. "Most gladly
therefore", he said, "will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me" (verse 9). This is not the statement of a fanatic who rejoices in pain, but
rather of one who is being protected by the overshadowing and almighty power of Christ.
The phrase `may rest upon me', means literally `may pitch His tent upon me', a beautiful
thought.
Thus he was able to endure the `thorn' and the sufferings it cause, for Christ's sake.
No one in his senses can take pleasure in suffering which is brought on either by