2 Corinthians 12:6
For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but [now] I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me [to be], or [that] he heareth of me.
Note 9 at 2 Cor. 12:6: Paul had just said in the previous verse that the only thing he would glory in was the sufferings he had endured for Christ. Now he is saying, "Even if I wanted to boast about my accomplishments, I would not be lying or exaggerating like a fool (see note 2 at 2 Cor. 11:1, p. 1033). Everything I would brag about would be the truth." Paul could have put all his critics to silence with his credentials, but he refused to do so, lest someone think of him too highly.
Note 10 at 2 Cor. 12:6: Paul wanted the Corinthians to respect him and acknowledge his apostolic authority, but he didn't want them worshiping him. Paul's desire was not to draw attention to himself, but rather, his ultimate goal was that Christ should be glorified.
2 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.
Note 11 at 2 Cor. 12:7: Paul's use of the word "exalted" here has caused many people to assume God was the author of this "thorn in the flesh." The reasoning is that "being exalted" is pride, and certainly God is the one who would counter pride. However, the scriptures speak of a godly type of exalting which has nothing to do with pride. There is a promise to the person who humbles himself, that God will exalt him (1 Pet. 5:6). Other scriptures speak of God exalting His true believers (Ps. 37:34; 92:10; Mt. 23:12). The Lord exalted or magnified Joshua in the sight of the Israelites so they would respect him and follow his leadership (Josh. 3:7; 4:14).
This is not speaking of Paul having a pride problem that God had to deal with through affliction. This is speaking about Paul being so respected and honored in the sight of people that Satan had to do something to make him and his gospel less attractive. He did that through persecution (see note 13 at this verse). The devil gave Paul a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him from being exalted in the eyes of people.
Note 12 at 2 Cor. 12:7: Paul makes it very clear that this "thorn in the flesh" came because of the abundance of revelations he had received. So anyone who is claiming to have a thorn like Paul's would have to also have a similar number of revelations. Paul's revelations produced about one half of the New Testament scriptures and one of the greatest missionary thrusts the church has ever had. Until someone receives revelations which are proportional to Paul's, he shouldn't hide behind Paul's thorn in the flesh.
Note 13 at 2 Cor. 12:7: This phrase, "thorn in the flesh" was not original with Paul. It was an Old Testament term which referred to the negative influence ungodly people had on righteous people. In Numbers 33:55, Moses said, "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 remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell." Joshua 23:13 says, "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." Judges 2:3 says, "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." Paul drew on Old Testament terminology to refer to the persecution he had suffered.
Note 14 at 2 Cor. 12:7: There has been much debate about what Paul's thorn in the flesh was. Most people believe it was sickness sent from God to keep Paul humble (see note 11 at this verse). That is not the case. Paul's thorn in the flesh was persecution which came from the devil, to make people think twice about accepting the gospel because of the persecution which accompanied it (see note 13 at this verse).
One of the reasons people think Paul's thorn was sickness is because of the use of the word "infirmities" in verses 9 and 10. They presume infirmities is referring to some type of sickness. However, as explained in note 22 at verse 9, page 1042, the word "infirmities" in context is referring to persecution.
Paul makes it very clear in this verse that Satan was the author of this thorn, not God (see note 16 at this verse). The reason God didn't take Paul's thorn away was not because He wanted to afflict Paul. It was because we are not redeemed from persecution. Paul later stated this in 2 Timothy 3:12, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
If the Lord stopped all persecution against His followers, Saul would have died before he became the apostle Paul. Paul was one of the leaders of the persecution against Christians (see note 1 at Acts 9:1, p. 619). The Lord didn't redeem Stephen from persecution, but used it to glorify Himself and prick the heart of the future apostle Paul. Therefore, the Lord has not redeemed us from persecution. He loves even those who persecute us just as He loved those who persecuted Him (Lk. 23:34). He desires their conversion, not their judgment.
Note 15 at 2 Cor. 12:7: The Greek word that was translated "messenger" here is "aggelos," which means "a messenger, especially an angel." It was translated "angel," "angels," or "angel's" a total of 176 times in the New Testament. The only other time it was translated "messenger" was in reference to John the Baptist being the "messenger" sent before the Lord (Mt. 11:10; Mk. 1:2; Lk. 7:27). This same Greek word was also translated "messengers" a total of three times (Lk. 7:24; 9:52; Jas. 2:25). This word is specifying a demonic angel that was assigned to Paul by the devil.
Note 16 at 2 Cor. 12:7: Paul made it very clear that this was a messenger (see note 15 at this verse) of Satan, not of God. However, the false belief that the devil can only do what God allows him to do (see note 7 at Rom. 8:28, p. 801) has led many people to change Paul's clear statement and place the responsibility on God for Paul's thorn in the flesh. That is not the case. God is not the author of our problems (see note 2 at Jn. 9:2, p. 296; see note 4 at Mk. 4:16, p. 193; see note 3 at Lk. 13:16, p. 335).
Note 17 at 2 Cor. 12:7: The New American Heritage dictionary defines the word "buffet" as "to hit or strike against repeatedly." This is describing the work of this messenger of Satan as being a repeated action. Paul suffered persecution everywhere he went (Acts 20:23). If Paul's thorn was a sickness, it would have to be repeatedly given and retracted to carry the full meaning of this word "buffet." But the scripture clearly states that it was not a disease but the messenger (angel-see note 15 at this verse) of Satan sent to repeatedly strike against Paul. Paul speaks of these attacks in verse 10 as being reproaches, persecutions, and distresses for the sake of Christ.
2 Corinthians 12:8
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
Note 18 at 2 Cor. 12:8: If a person accepts the idea that Paul's thorn was persecution which came from a demonic angel (see note 15 at v. 7, p. 1041), then you might wonder why he would pray three times to have this removed. It is possible that Paul accepted persecution as an inevitable part of the Christian life but he wasn't sure he had to put up with a demonic spirit that incited this persecution. The Lord told him that God's grace would be sufficient and that He would use these persecutions to display His strength in Paul. Once Paul saw this, he actually took pleasure in the persecutions he suffered (v.10), knowing that God would get the ultimate glory.
Note 19 at 2 Cor. 12:8: It is interesting to note that Paul makes special mention of the fact that three times he prayed about this thorn in the flesh. The average Christian today would have no way of knowing how many times he has prayed over situations. Typically, they pray incessantly over the same request. That was not Paul's way of praying. Apparently, praying three times over one thing was unusual for Paul.
2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Note 20 at 2 Cor. 12:9: The Lord didn't remove Paul's thorn because Jesus didn't redeem us from persecution (see note 14 at v. 7, p. 1041). If Paul's thorn had been sickness or poverty, then he could have prayed and received deliverance. But in persecution, the Lord doesn't deliver us, He strengthens us to be able to bear all things, thereby bringing glory to Himself and conviction to our persecutors.
Note 21 at 2 Cor. 12:9: This is not speaking of physical weakness or character flaws. The Lord is telling Paul that when he gives up, then the Lord takes over. Any time we cease trusting in ourselves and trust in God, the Lord shows His strength. It is when we lean on our own abilities that we get in trouble.
Paul had more reason to trust in himself than his critics did. He had the better resume. But he had learned the lesson of not trusting in himself. He had counted all his accomplishments as manure (Phil. 3:7-8 ), and he had become totally dependent upon Christ living through him (Gal. 2:20). He had learned to be weak in himself so that Christ could be strong in him.
The Lord's power delivers us from things such as sin, sickness, poverty. That is not to say that Christians never sin, never get sick, or never have financial problems. But the Lord's power is always available to bring us victory over all these things. However, concerning persecution and the many day to day problems that we encounter, the Lord hasn't provided deliverance from these, but rather the strength to endure. We have to have the motivation to change the things that we can change, the strength of Christ to persevere through the things we can't, and wisdom to know the difference.
Note 22 at 2 Cor. 12:9: As explained in note 21 at 2 Corinthians 11:30, page 1039, the word "infirmity" here is not referring to sickness. The context of this verse makes this very evident. In chapter 11, Paul listed the things that he called his infirmities (2 Cor. 11:23-30). None of these included sickness (see note 17 at 2 Cor. 11:27, p. 1039). His infirmities were the hardships that he suffered because of the preaching of the gospel. In the next verse he confirms this again by listing five things that he suffered joyfully. None of them were sickness (see note 25 at v. 10, p. 1043).
A further list of Paul's persecutions and infirmities are listed in Acts 9:23, 26-29; 13:6-12, 44-50; 14:1-19; 16:12-40; 17:1-14; 18:1-23; 19:23-31; and 20:3.
Note 23 at 2 Cor. 12:9: Paul was not just glorying in suffering, as some masochists do today. The reason he took pleasure in suffering was because he knew the Lord's strength would be manifest in his weakness and the Lord would use this to bring glory to His name.
An example of this is found in Acts 14:19-21. Paul was stoned and left for dead at Lystra. If he wasn't dead, he was so close to it that those who wanted to kill him thought he was dead and left. "Howbeit as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city. . ." (Acts 14:20). The next day he traveled (probably walked) over 20 miles to Derbe (see note 3 at Acts 14:20, p. 658). This wasn't bad for a man who had been killed the day before.
It had to be God's strength that enabled Paul to travel the day after his stoning. There were probably cuts, bruises, and swollen parts of his body that testified to what he had been through, yet he didn't miss a day ministering for the Lord. Certainly this was an even stronger witness of God's power to those he ministered to in Derbe. God's strength overcame Paul's weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Note 24 at 2 Cor. 12:10: Even though Paul asked three times for the infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses to be removed, God's reply was that His strength, that is, God's grace, would strengthen Paul to continue in victory regardless of the circumstances of life. Paul's statement that he will gladly glory in his infirmities, that is, his weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon him, was a mind set that Paul developed of a continuing faith and dependence upon the Lord regardless of the circumstances that he may face. A parallel passage could be found in Philippians 4:11-13 as he concluded that his Christian life was lived through the strengthening power of Jesus Christ.
Note 25 at 2 Cor. 12:10: Paul listed five things that he took pleasure in suffering: infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses. Four of these things (excluding infirmities) are clearly referring to hardships which Paul endured as a result of preaching the gospel. Therefore, it would be inconsistent to interpret "infirmities" as some type of sickness, when all the other things listed here refer to things inflicted by people. This word "infirmities" is referring to lack or inadequacies caused through people (see note 22 at v. 9, p. 1042).
Note 26 at 2 Cor. 12:10: There is a big difference between suffering for Christ's sake and just suffering. Some teach that all suffering is therapeutic, and that is not so. Peter said, in 1 Pet. 4:15-16, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed: but let him glorify God on this behalf." Suffering persecution and hardships related with preaching the gospel is what Paul is speaking of here.
Note 27 at 2 Cor. 12:10: God's strength is infinitely superior to ours both physically, mentally, and emotionally. Therefore, one of our biggest liabilities is trust in ourselves. When we are recognizing our comparative weakness and trusting in God, then we are truly strong.
For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but [now] I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me [to be], or [that] he heareth of me.
Note 9 at 2 Cor. 12:6: Paul had just said in the previous verse that the only thing he would glory in was the sufferings he had endured for Christ. Now he is saying, "Even if I wanted to boast about my accomplishments, I would not be lying or exaggerating like a fool (see note 2 at 2 Cor. 11:1, p. 1033). Everything I would brag about would be the truth." Paul could have put all his critics to silence with his credentials, but he refused to do so, lest someone think of him too highly.
Note 10 at 2 Cor. 12:6: Paul wanted the Corinthians to respect him and acknowledge his apostolic authority, but he didn't want them worshiping him. Paul's desire was not to draw attention to himself, but rather, his ultimate goal was that Christ should be glorified.
2 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.
Note 11 at 2 Cor. 12:7: Paul's use of the word "exalted" here has caused many people to assume God was the author of this "thorn in the flesh." The reasoning is that "being exalted" is pride, and certainly God is the one who would counter pride. However, the scriptures speak of a godly type of exalting which has nothing to do with pride. There is a promise to the person who humbles himself, that God will exalt him (1 Pet. 5:6). Other scriptures speak of God exalting His true believers (Ps. 37:34; 92:10; Mt. 23:12). The Lord exalted or magnified Joshua in the sight of the Israelites so they would respect him and follow his leadership (Josh. 3:7; 4:14).
This is not speaking of Paul having a pride problem that God had to deal with through affliction. This is speaking about Paul being so respected and honored in the sight of people that Satan had to do something to make him and his gospel less attractive. He did that through persecution (see note 13 at this verse). The devil gave Paul a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him from being exalted in the eyes of people.
Note 12 at 2 Cor. 12:7: Paul makes it very clear that this "thorn in the flesh" came because of the abundance of revelations he had received. So anyone who is claiming to have a thorn like Paul's would have to also have a similar number of revelations. Paul's revelations produced about one half of the New Testament scriptures and one of the greatest missionary thrusts the church has ever had. Until someone receives revelations which are proportional to Paul's, he shouldn't hide behind Paul's thorn in the flesh.
Note 13 at 2 Cor. 12:7: This phrase, "thorn in the flesh" was not original with Paul. It was an Old Testament term which referred to the negative influence ungodly people had on righteous people. In Numbers 33:55, Moses said, "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 remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell." Joshua 23:13 says, "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." Judges 2:3 says, "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." Paul drew on Old Testament terminology to refer to the persecution he had suffered.
Note 14 at 2 Cor. 12:7: There has been much debate about what Paul's thorn in the flesh was. Most people believe it was sickness sent from God to keep Paul humble (see note 11 at this verse). That is not the case. Paul's thorn in the flesh was persecution which came from the devil, to make people think twice about accepting the gospel because of the persecution which accompanied it (see note 13 at this verse).
One of the reasons people think Paul's thorn was sickness is because of the use of the word "infirmities" in verses 9 and 10. They presume infirmities is referring to some type of sickness. However, as explained in note 22 at verse 9, page 1042, the word "infirmities" in context is referring to persecution.
Paul makes it very clear in this verse that Satan was the author of this thorn, not God (see note 16 at this verse). The reason God didn't take Paul's thorn away was not because He wanted to afflict Paul. It was because we are not redeemed from persecution. Paul later stated this in 2 Timothy 3:12, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
If the Lord stopped all persecution against His followers, Saul would have died before he became the apostle Paul. Paul was one of the leaders of the persecution against Christians (see note 1 at Acts 9:1, p. 619). The Lord didn't redeem Stephen from persecution, but used it to glorify Himself and prick the heart of the future apostle Paul. Therefore, the Lord has not redeemed us from persecution. He loves even those who persecute us just as He loved those who persecuted Him (Lk. 23:34). He desires their conversion, not their judgment.
Note 15 at 2 Cor. 12:7: The Greek word that was translated "messenger" here is "aggelos," which means "a messenger, especially an angel." It was translated "angel," "angels," or "angel's" a total of 176 times in the New Testament. The only other time it was translated "messenger" was in reference to John the Baptist being the "messenger" sent before the Lord (Mt. 11:10; Mk. 1:2; Lk. 7:27). This same Greek word was also translated "messengers" a total of three times (Lk. 7:24; 9:52; Jas. 2:25). This word is specifying a demonic angel that was assigned to Paul by the devil.
Note 16 at 2 Cor. 12:7: Paul made it very clear that this was a messenger (see note 15 at this verse) of Satan, not of God. However, the false belief that the devil can only do what God allows him to do (see note 7 at Rom. 8:28, p. 801) has led many people to change Paul's clear statement and place the responsibility on God for Paul's thorn in the flesh. That is not the case. God is not the author of our problems (see note 2 at Jn. 9:2, p. 296; see note 4 at Mk. 4:16, p. 193; see note 3 at Lk. 13:16, p. 335).
Note 17 at 2 Cor. 12:7: The New American Heritage dictionary defines the word "buffet" as "to hit or strike against repeatedly." This is describing the work of this messenger of Satan as being a repeated action. Paul suffered persecution everywhere he went (Acts 20:23). If Paul's thorn was a sickness, it would have to be repeatedly given and retracted to carry the full meaning of this word "buffet." But the scripture clearly states that it was not a disease but the messenger (angel-see note 15 at this verse) of Satan sent to repeatedly strike against Paul. Paul speaks of these attacks in verse 10 as being reproaches, persecutions, and distresses for the sake of Christ.
2 Corinthians 12:8
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
Note 18 at 2 Cor. 12:8: If a person accepts the idea that Paul's thorn was persecution which came from a demonic angel (see note 15 at v. 7, p. 1041), then you might wonder why he would pray three times to have this removed. It is possible that Paul accepted persecution as an inevitable part of the Christian life but he wasn't sure he had to put up with a demonic spirit that incited this persecution. The Lord told him that God's grace would be sufficient and that He would use these persecutions to display His strength in Paul. Once Paul saw this, he actually took pleasure in the persecutions he suffered (v.10), knowing that God would get the ultimate glory.
Note 19 at 2 Cor. 12:8: It is interesting to note that Paul makes special mention of the fact that three times he prayed about this thorn in the flesh. The average Christian today would have no way of knowing how many times he has prayed over situations. Typically, they pray incessantly over the same request. That was not Paul's way of praying. Apparently, praying three times over one thing was unusual for Paul.
2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Note 20 at 2 Cor. 12:9: The Lord didn't remove Paul's thorn because Jesus didn't redeem us from persecution (see note 14 at v. 7, p. 1041). If Paul's thorn had been sickness or poverty, then he could have prayed and received deliverance. But in persecution, the Lord doesn't deliver us, He strengthens us to be able to bear all things, thereby bringing glory to Himself and conviction to our persecutors.
Note 21 at 2 Cor. 12:9: This is not speaking of physical weakness or character flaws. The Lord is telling Paul that when he gives up, then the Lord takes over. Any time we cease trusting in ourselves and trust in God, the Lord shows His strength. It is when we lean on our own abilities that we get in trouble.
Paul had more reason to trust in himself than his critics did. He had the better resume. But he had learned the lesson of not trusting in himself. He had counted all his accomplishments as manure (Phil. 3:7-8 ), and he had become totally dependent upon Christ living through him (Gal. 2:20). He had learned to be weak in himself so that Christ could be strong in him.
The Lord's power delivers us from things such as sin, sickness, poverty. That is not to say that Christians never sin, never get sick, or never have financial problems. But the Lord's power is always available to bring us victory over all these things. However, concerning persecution and the many day to day problems that we encounter, the Lord hasn't provided deliverance from these, but rather the strength to endure. We have to have the motivation to change the things that we can change, the strength of Christ to persevere through the things we can't, and wisdom to know the difference.
Note 22 at 2 Cor. 12:9: As explained in note 21 at 2 Corinthians 11:30, page 1039, the word "infirmity" here is not referring to sickness. The context of this verse makes this very evident. In chapter 11, Paul listed the things that he called his infirmities (2 Cor. 11:23-30). None of these included sickness (see note 17 at 2 Cor. 11:27, p. 1039). His infirmities were the hardships that he suffered because of the preaching of the gospel. In the next verse he confirms this again by listing five things that he suffered joyfully. None of them were sickness (see note 25 at v. 10, p. 1043).
A further list of Paul's persecutions and infirmities are listed in Acts 9:23, 26-29; 13:6-12, 44-50; 14:1-19; 16:12-40; 17:1-14; 18:1-23; 19:23-31; and 20:3.
Note 23 at 2 Cor. 12:9: Paul was not just glorying in suffering, as some masochists do today. The reason he took pleasure in suffering was because he knew the Lord's strength would be manifest in his weakness and the Lord would use this to bring glory to His name.
An example of this is found in Acts 14:19-21. Paul was stoned and left for dead at Lystra. If he wasn't dead, he was so close to it that those who wanted to kill him thought he was dead and left. "Howbeit as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city. . ." (Acts 14:20). The next day he traveled (probably walked) over 20 miles to Derbe (see note 3 at Acts 14:20, p. 658). This wasn't bad for a man who had been killed the day before.
It had to be God's strength that enabled Paul to travel the day after his stoning. There were probably cuts, bruises, and swollen parts of his body that testified to what he had been through, yet he didn't miss a day ministering for the Lord. Certainly this was an even stronger witness of God's power to those he ministered to in Derbe. God's strength overcame Paul's weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Note 24 at 2 Cor. 12:10: Even though Paul asked three times for the infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses to be removed, God's reply was that His strength, that is, God's grace, would strengthen Paul to continue in victory regardless of the circumstances of life. Paul's statement that he will gladly glory in his infirmities, that is, his weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon him, was a mind set that Paul developed of a continuing faith and dependence upon the Lord regardless of the circumstances that he may face. A parallel passage could be found in Philippians 4:11-13 as he concluded that his Christian life was lived through the strengthening power of Jesus Christ.
Note 25 at 2 Cor. 12:10: Paul listed five things that he took pleasure in suffering: infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses. Four of these things (excluding infirmities) are clearly referring to hardships which Paul endured as a result of preaching the gospel. Therefore, it would be inconsistent to interpret "infirmities" as some type of sickness, when all the other things listed here refer to things inflicted by people. This word "infirmities" is referring to lack or inadequacies caused through people (see note 22 at v. 9, p. 1042).
Note 26 at 2 Cor. 12:10: There is a big difference between suffering for Christ's sake and just suffering. Some teach that all suffering is therapeutic, and that is not so. Peter said, in 1 Pet. 4:15-16, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed: but let him glorify God on this behalf." Suffering persecution and hardships related with preaching the gospel is what Paul is speaking of here.
Note 27 at 2 Cor. 12:10: God's strength is infinitely superior to ours both physically, mentally, and emotionally. Therefore, one of our biggest liabilities is trust in ourselves. When we are recognizing our comparative weakness and trusting in God, then we are truly strong.
WELCOME! 
