12 - Additional Comments and Questions
Chapter 12 Additional Comments and Questions In his classic book titled “Christ the Healer”, gave further and impressive commentary about Paul’s thorn.
"Paul’s Sufferings"
"Soon after Paul’s conversion, God said Ananias, "I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name’s sake," not by sickness, but by persecutions which Paul enumerates as his buffetings. Paul had persecuted the Christians from place to place, and now he, himself, was beginning to experience the same greater persecutions. Specifically, the buffetings instigated by Satan’s angel, Paul goes on to say, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproach, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul first mentions "infirmities" for he realized, and every christian should realize, his weakness and inability in his own strength to stand up against a satanic messenger, and to pass triumphantly through "reproaches, necessities, persecutions, distresses," and all the other buffetings he elsewhere catalogues; and this is why he besought the Lord three times to be rid of "him" (the messenger) who was buffeting him so severely and in so many ways."
"How could it be true that Christ’s strength was made perfect in Paul’s weakness if he was left weak, or unless Paul was an actual partaker of Christ’s strength, which would remove the weakness, whether it was physical or spiritual?" Without God’s strength being imparted to him is a man powerful when he is weak, whether physically or spiritually? Paul saw that the grace of God given him made his very buffetings, even his imprisonment, to work together for his good and to turn out for the "furtherance of the Gospel." What servant of God has learned, and probably more than once, that it is when he is most conscious of his own weakness that the power of Christ rests upon him most: or, that it is when he is consciously weakest in himself that he is the strongest because of depending, not on his own, but on Divine strength?"
Quotes taken from TL Osborn’s book; “Heal the Sick”
“If Paul’s thorn did not hinder the faith of people and his healing ministry, why should it be used to hinder people today? The assumption that God wouldn’t heal Paul even after three requests causes people to abandon God’s promise to heal.”
“It is strange that those who preach the thorn was a sickness, do not pray to be healed but do seek medical assistance. To be consistent they should "Glory in their sickness".
“If the statement "My grace is sufficient for thee" meant that God was telling Paul keep his sickness, it would be the only case in the Bible where God told anyone He wanted them to remain sick".
“Paul said, "I kept back nothing that was profitable to you". Those who do not teach divine healing are at best, unknowingly keeping back a featured blessing of the Bible. Paul said the thorn was given because of the abundance of the revelation he had. Many who are sick among us have no revelation and do not know why they are sick. God gives the revelations, Satan sends the thorns.”
Final Questions and thoughts for you to personally Consider:
Was God’s purpose for giving Paul Visions and Revelations meaningless or unadvised?
Paul learned “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Does that imply he was left weak?
In 2 Corinthians 10-13 Paul’s basic theme was an explanation and listing of his opponents. The whole section refers to the outsiders who were oppressing the Corinthian church
In 2 Corinthians 12:10 Paul mentions weakness in a list which includes “insults, hardships, persecutions & difficulties”. Nothing in his list includes illness or his pride.
If Paul were tempted to feel proud, how proud could he feel when the churches were being subverted as soon as he left them?
If in his weakness’ Paul was made strong by grace, did not that grace make him the classic example of an overcomer?
Can you imaging Paul saying; "I will glory in my opthamia" or "I will glory in my conceit"?
If Christ’s strength was "showing", then how is it that some claim it was not dealt with?
How could it be true that Christ’s strength was made perfect in Paul’s weakness if he was left weak?
If Paul was the "sickest of men" as many have claimed, how could he labor "more abundantly than them all"?
Paul in the plainest words tells what his thorn was. How strange that ministers today should add to the inspired scripture and say it was something else?
In Acts 19; it says that God did special miracles through Paul. Handkerchiefs were placed on his person and given out to the sick in which miracle healings were transferred. It would be more than strange that the sick would find inspiration from one who was in physical torment. Further, the handkerchiefs would be consider infectious if they came from the "sickest of men".
In closing, let me say that truth will not automatically come to the human soul. We must apply ourselves to study, meditation and prayer to hear from God. It is a struggle for all because there are so many distractions. Paul himself said “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection”. (1 Corinthians 9:27) He exhorted that we “put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11) to be strong in the Lord. Peter implied that we can “grow in grace and the knowledge of God”. (2 Peter 3:18) If we are to receive all the benefits of God, such as truth and healing, it is our responsibility to apply ourselves and consecrate ourselves to God. May God bless you in that adventure.