Why Did God Allow Satan 2 Buffet Paul With A Messenger/Thorn 2 Corinth 12:7

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DoveSpirit05

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Paul had a vision of heaven some time ago!!

upload_2020-4-30_11-40-52.gif2Corinth 12:2-4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven.

And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth

How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

So he was obvioursly exstatic at the idea that he was going there so God had to make sure he didn’t get all puffed up!!


2. (2Corinth 12:7) The presence of Paul’s thorn in the flesh.

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.

a. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations: Paul’s vision was so impressive that it would have been easy for him to be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations. He could have gloried in himself or caused others to glory in him because of this experience.

i. Paul was not immune to the danger of pride. No one is. “The best of God’s people have in them a root of pride, or a disposition to be exalted above measure, upon their receipt of favours from God not common to others.” (Poole)

b. A thorn in the flesh was given to me: To prevent being exalted above measure, Paul was given this. In this, Paul reveals the real reason for telling of his heavenly vision: not to glorify himself but to explain his thorn in the flesh.

i. It seems that everyone could see the thorn in the flesh Paul suffered from – it was no secret. His heavenly vision was a secret until now, but everyone saw the thorn. Some among the Corinthian Christians probably thought less of Paul because of his thorn in the flesh, but they knew nothing of the amazing spiritual experience that lay behind it.

ii. “He says, ‘There was given to me.’ He reckoned his great trial to be a gift. It is well put. He does not say, ‘There was inflicted upon me a thorn in the flesh,’ but ‘There was given to me.’ ” (Spurgeon)

c. What is a thorn in the flesh? When we think of a thorn, we think of a somewhat minor irritation. But the root word Paul used for thorn here describes a tent stake, not a thumbtack.

i. In the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint, the word skolops (thorn) shows “something which frustrates and causes trouble in the lives of those afflicted.” (Kruse)

d. A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me: In a strange way, the thorn was given – ultimately given by God – but it was also a messenger of Satan.

i. Satan probably jumped at God’s permission to afflict Paul and did so with malice towards the apostle. But God had a purpose in it all and allowed Satan’s messenger to successfully keep Paul from being exalted above measure.

ii. To buffet me means that this thorn in the flesh – the messenger of Satan – “punched” Paul. He felt that he was beaten black and blue by this messenger of Satan.
 
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theophilus

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Satan was allowed to buffet Paul for the same reason he was allowed to test Job, and the result was the same in both cases. Both Paul and Job grew closer to God and knew him better because of their experiences.