Paul and His Epistles

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1915 edition. Excerpt: ... senger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 33 This is the only occurrence of the phrase "a thorn in the flesh" in the Pauline epistles, and from this passage we gather the following facts concerning it. (1) It was some sort of an agonizing bodily pain. The translation "thorn" probably is too mild for the Greek word 6Aoyi. It may be rather a "stake." Then the experience would not be represented by the prick of a thorn or even the pain caused by the deep piercing of a thorn which could be extracted with more or less ease. It would be represented better by the agony of the unfortunate wretch who was impaled on a stake. It would stand for the most excruciating torture which a mortal might bear. (2) It was recurrent or intermittent. Paul says that he prayed three times concerning it. It would be natural to conclude that these prayers were offered at the time of the three illnesses of which we find explicit mention in the epistles--the experience mentioned in this passage, the sickness in Galatia, and the later sickness in Asia Minor, in which Paul had received the sentence of death. We may not be sure that these were the three occasions on which he prayed, but it would appear probable if a certain malady which seemed to him like a stake in the flesh had fallen upon him three...