Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: Does God Command Evil Spirits?

Paul’s thorn in the flesh. This is a mysterious phrase Paul uses that has stumped commentators for centuries. 

In II Corinthians 12:7, Paul writes

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

Paul experienced some kind of hardship in his life- and what exactly it was, we don’t know. A sickness, a demonic attack, some kind of earthly trial or hardship, we aren’t entirely sure. That’s the part that commentators theorize about- and that’s NOT the part I want to focus on today.

I’m more interested in where it came from. Now you say: well Luke, it’s obvious where it came from- it came from the devil. Paul right there said it was a messenger of Satan.

Sure. But why was it given to Paul? He said it was to keep him from getting conceited, which means prideful or arrogant. 

Now let me ask you a question: is Satan interested in keeping us from becoming too prideful or arrogant? No! Satan wants us more prideful, not less. Satan wants us full of ourselves. Satan wasn’t interested in helping Paul be more humble. God is the one who wants that.

Which means that this evil spirit was allowed into Paul’s life by God. The Lord allowed this evil spirit to go after Paul

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. 

Turn to II Corinthians 12, and let’s get weird.

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0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - Breaking Down the Context

10:30 - God’s Sovereignty Over Evil Spirits

17:30 - Evil Spirits as a Tool

21:30 - Newsletter

23:00 - Sometimes It’s Not Our Own Sin

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Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!