TRUSTED WITH A THORN

II Corinthians 12:1-10

Introduction:  Many Christians are burdened with suffering.  Although suffering often leaves the believer despondent, it also serves as a great source of blessing in the believer’s life.  It is through suffering that we fully experience the grace of God and deepen our ministries of help and encouragement.

Suffering itself cannot be satisfactorily explained by the natural mind.  Much misunderstanding comes from the fact that God often does not remove the pain from a child of God although he may be praying intently for such removal .  In the life of Paul we see such a case.  Paul suffered greatly in the flesh, and his prayer for deliverance was answered with “no”. 

Paul’s account of his prayer and the answer he received gives us an explanation of the purpose of God in suffering and the attitude we as believers should have in accepting his will.  Paul understood that God would use the thorn to develop him more thoroughly as a minister.  Paul’s spiritual refinement became more important to him than his natural relief.

I.  Paul’s Translation: The Minister’s Privilege – 12:1-6

    A.  The Privilege of Enlightenment – vs. 1,7 – “visions and revelations…abundance of the revelations”

             1.  Paul’s exposure to the visions and revelations speaks of the insight the minister of God enjoys. 

             2.  Paul was chosen as a minister to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.  Every minister God calls, He

                 equips with divine revelation.  Paul received the revelation directly from God and he penned it down in

                 the New Testament.  Now, we as ministers of the same message, are given discernment by the same Spirit

                 of inspiration to digest and deliver the Word of God.

             3.  God ordains the minister as a mediator of God’s wisdom to men!  The Great Shepherd uses the under-

                 shepherd to direct the flock of God.  The occasion of receiving instructions for the flock grants the under-

                 shepherd the privilege of a unique relationship with the Saviour. 

    B.  The Privilege of Experience – vs. 2-6 – “caught up to the third heaven… into paradise”

             1.  This experience was an honor to Paul – Paul so reverenced his opportunity to receive the revelation of

                 God that he spoke of himself in the third person when describing it.  Paul knew he did not have the right

                 to boast of the experience as having any thing to do with his personal character.

             2.  This experience humbled Paul –  In verse 5, we see the humbling affect the experience had on Paul.  Paul

                 stated that he would be a fool to glory in himself.  Seeing the glory of God always produces humility. 

                 The closer one gets to God, the more unholy he sees himself.

II.  PAUl’s thorn: The Minister’s Pain – 12:7-8

    A.  Paul Describes His Problem – vs. 7

             1.  A Personal Appointment – “there was given to me” – The trouble Paul experienced had been specifically

                 given by divine providence.  Each has a burden which must be born personally.

             2.  A Physical Ailment –“a thorn in the flesh” – There is much debate over the exact details of this thorn. 

                 The important point is that he suffered greatly in his flesh.

             3.  A Powerful Adversary – “a messenger of Satan to buffet me” – God must have allowed Satan to send a

                 demon to continually afflict the apostle.  This may speak of the battles Paul no doubt had in his mind with

                 depression and discouragement.

             4.  A Purposeful Allotment – “lest I should be exalted above measure” – God gave this thorn to control the

                 attitude of Paul.  Otherwise, Paul acknowledged that he would have been lifted up in pride and would

                 have ventured outside the realm of his calling.

    B.  Paul Details His Prayer – vs. 8

             1.  A Precise Prayer – “For this thing” – Paul specifically prayed over this matter of suffering. 

             2.  A Pleading Prayer – “I besought the Lord” – The term “besought” denotes the fervency with which Paul

                 made his request.  The intensity of his suffering drove him to intense prayer.

             3.  A Persistent Prayer – “thrice” – Paul repeatedly made his request. 

             4.  A Purposeful Prayer – “that it might depart from me” – Paul desired that the Lord would take from him

                 the suffering.

III.  paul’s training: The Minister’s Perfection – 12:9a

    A.  God’s Personal Reply  – “And he said unto me”

             1.  The reply of God reveals his concern for the believer.  God listens to the request of his children and is

                 concerned with our sufferings.

             2.  God’s attention to our suffering does not guarantee our relief from suffering.  Paul received and answer

                 from the Lord, but it was not the answer he was looking for.

             3.  God’s will supersedes our desires.  The path he ordains may be difficult, but we must submit.

    B.  God’s Promised Reliability – “My grace is sufficient for thee”

             1.  God’s answer may not be what our flesh desires, but if we submit to His will, our experience in His

                 grace will be much greater than our experience of suffering.

             2.  “Grace” refers to the divine influence of God in our lives.  It is often associated with the gift of God’s

                 power to overcome. 

             3.  God promises that his grace will be sufficient.  Sufficient or “arkeo” means “to be possessed of unfailing

                 strength; to be strong, to suffice, to be enough;   to defend, to ward off ; to be satisfied, to be contented.

                 Thayer speaks of the word as describing the lifting of a barrier.  No matter what the burden or obstacle,

                 God’s grace will be enough for the believer to endure and overcome.

             4.  God is reliable.  His grace will indeed give us the power to overcome!  While the walls of trouble may

                 seem to be a hindrance, they actually serve as opportunities for the believer to see the power of God.

    C.  God’s Perfect Results – “for my strength is made perfect in weakness”

             1.  God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise.  See I Corinthians 1:26-29.

             2.  The choice of weak things assures God that He alone will receive the glory for the works accomplished. 

                 The accomplishments of those suffering stand as a testimony of Gods greatness.

             3.  His strength is made perfect when we come to the realization of two things.

                 a.  We realize the truth of John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in

                     him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

                 b.  We realize the truth of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

             4.  The possibilities of ministry are limitless when we rely upon the strength of Christ.  We can exceed our

                 own expectations of ministry.  Paul reminds of this truth in Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are

                 more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

IV.  Paul’s triumph: The Minister’s Perspective – 12:9b

    A.  Paul’s Attitude – “Most gladly” 

             1.  Paul’s understanding of the principle of the thorn allowed him to accept his trials with the right attitude.

             2.  “Most gladly” comes from “hedista” meaning “with great pleasure.”  No longer did Paul view his thorn

                 as pain, but looked upon it pleasantly.

    B.  Paul’s Appreciation – “will I glory in my infirmities” 

             1.  Paul understood the blessing of being counted worthy to suffer for the Lord.  His suffering was working

                 for him an eternal weight of glory.

             2.  Suffering should not cause the believer to shrink back in shame, but rather praise God for the opportunity

                 to partake in the sufferings of Christ.

             3.  Appreciation can only be present when the believer perceives his suffering to be a privilege and not a

                 problem.  The experience of suffering places the believer in partnership with Deity.  The more we share

                 with Christ, the more we learn of his person!

    C.  Paul’s Acknowledgment – “that the power of Christ may rest upon me”

             1.  The thorn of suffering prepares the believer to become a channel of God’s power. 

             2.  In essence, the thorn represents the threshold of a new ministry!  If we can be entrusted with the thorn

                 God will empower us for greater accomplishments!

             3.  Paul speaks of the power of God as resting upon him.  The term “rest” is translated from “episkenoo (ep-

                 ee-skay-no'-o)” and means “to tent upon; to abide with!”  Patient submission to suffering invites God to

                 take up permanent residence around the believer.  God will build a personal place where the believer as a

                 priest may experience the glory of God.

V.  PAUL’s testimony: The Minister’s Purpose – 12:10

    A.  Suffering Testified of Paul’s Desire – “Therefore I take pleasure…”

             1.  Paul’s training led to his triumph , and his triumph gave him a testimony of victory to tell.

             2.  The pleasure Paul speaks of refers to contentment of mind.  Paul literally began to prefer suffering as a

                 way of life because it exposed him more and more to the power of God.

    B.  Suffering Testified of Paul’s Devotion – “for Christ’s sake”

             1.  Paul was devoted to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

             2.  Paul relinquished his own desires and comfort so that he could promote the Gospel of Christ.

    C.  Suffering Testified of Paul’s Dependence – “for when I am weak, then am I strong”

             1.  The thorn taught Paul that the believer is the strongest when his weakness causes him to fully lean upon

                 the God in faith.  God loves to work when all seems hopeless.  He works in the realm of impossibility.

             2.  Outward weaknesses are overcome by inward power of God’s grace.