Through the Thorns: That's When We See God (2 Corinthians 12)

At the end of 2 Corinthians 11, the Apostle Paul listed some experiences he endured to confirm his position as an apostle. He admitted that he hated to boast about himself. Yet, he felt compelled to mention the authority of his calling to combat the false apostle's supposed authority. Paul stated he was a Hebrew, a seed of Abraham, and a minister of Christ. He said that he endured many sufferings as evidence that he suffered for Christ for the gospel's sake. Paul was shipwrecked, stoned, beaten, imprisoned, and suffered from hunger, thirst, and sleeplessness, all for Christ’s sake—proving his commitment and call to be an apostle.

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul continued to prove his apostleship. Fourteen years before Paul wrote this second letter to the Corinthian Church, he stated that he experienced something that none of the other fake apostles could possibly say they experienced. Paul wrote, “ I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.  And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)

Paul says he was caught up in heaven and heard things so wonderful, divine, and sacred that mankind could not even begin to utter what he heard. This was an amazing revelation. Per Acts 19:11, Paul was so mightily endowed with the Holy Spirit that handkerchiefs on his body were taken to the sick so that they may be healed. That alone should have been enough evidence that Paul was Christ’s apostle.

But this new revelation about Paul being caught up in heaven elevated his position as an apostle above what others may have previously thought. This type of experience, to my knowledge, was above even the experiences of the other apostles. Of course, they all operated within the same Spirit, and they all worked signs and wonders. But no one besides Paul had ascended to heaven and heard such amazing things as he did.

This type of experience was so incredible that if it wasn’t for God's mercy, it could have made Paul prideful. Again, Paul did not want to boast, but his experience and confession of that experience indeed exalted him in the realm of gospel preachers. Any human given that much power, authority, and godly experience may struggle with remaining humble. This is why Paul was given the thorn in his flesh.

Paul wrote, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” (2 Corinthians 12:7) Although Paul experienced magnificent heavenly revelations, and possessed so much Holy Spirit power within him that he could speak blindness onto someone with his mere words, (Acts 13:9-11) he was not able to remove the thorn in his flesh.

“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). Paul’s thorn in the flesh was simply a reminder that he was human. It was a mercy of God to keep Paul’s humility intact. God loved Paul and wanted him to remain humbly subjected to him. So, Paul needed that thorn to remind him that the power was not in him but in Christ. The thorn was a grace and gift from God to keep Paul in surrendered righteousness.

So, even though Paul asked God to remove the thorn, God refused. We must know that God’s refusal is never to withhold us from good but to keep us in the good. God’s refusal to our request is to keep us from harm and in Him. Think of Satan for a moment.

When we read Ezekiel 28, we see that the King of Tyre thought of himself as a god (v.6). Tyre was a beautiful, rich city that built its success on its influence and wisdom. However, because of its greatness, the king and its citizens became proud. We then read of how Ezekiel compared the King of Tyre to Satan.

Satan was full of beauty and wisdom. It is written that he was encrusted with all sorts of breathtaking jewels—sapphire, diamonds, turquoise, and emerald, to name a few. The Bible says he was “perfect in his ways from the day he was created” (Ezekiel 28:15). The Lord made Satan absolutely stunning, and he was on the holy mountain with God. But he was cast down and destroyed because of his pride.

Hearing this account makes Paul’s thorn make sense. We can see how that thorn was a gift—a mercy given because of God’s love and grace. Both angels and men can exalt themselves when God gives them too much of a good thing. So, Paul’s thorn was God’s blessing. It kept him from possibly falling into pride due to having an abundance of godly power and experiences. Furthermore, Paul’s thorn allowed him to boast about Christ rather than himself.

Because Paul’s thorn made him weak, he needed strength. Because he could not use his own Spirit-filled power to heal himself and Christ refused to heal him, Christ was exalted in maintaining Paul in his weakness. Paul’s weakness made him glory in God rather than his own ability.

So, although others saw God's power through Paul’s signs, miracles, and wonders, Paul was able to see God’s glory through his own weakness. Haven’t we all heard of God performing miracles in the lives of others? It displays His glory most beautifully. But there’s a viewpoint of God that we do not get to experience if God grants all our requests in the way or timing we desire.

At my weakest is when I get to see God better. When I do not receive a favorable yes to my request, I can see God’s glory from the underbelly of my trouble. Job says it best in Job 42:5. After Job endured trial after trial and began questioning why the storm ceased to rage, God revealed his Lordship to him. Job’s response to seeing God through his woes was, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.”

It is through the thorns in our flesh that we get to behold God. It is through the troubles that we get to boast in His strength through our weaknesses. With no solution to our problems and no strength for our battles, that’s when we see God. That’s when we witness His power and experience things that we could not have experienced if we had not endured the suffering.

We would never know that God is a mother to the motherless or a father to the fatherless if no one had ever lost their parents. We would never know Him as a healer if no one was ever sick. We wouldn’t know God as a provider if we always had everything—the lack makes room for Him to prove Himself as Jehovah Jireh. There is a glory of God that we only behold through the thorns.

And so, although they hurt, although they are uncomfortable, and we plead with God to take them away, the thorns allow us to see God. His grace is indeed sufficient, and we get to boast about His strength through our weaknesses. Oddly as it may seem, be thankful for the thorns—for through them, we get to see God.

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