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2nd Corinthians 12:7-10
Introduction
The bible passage from 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10 written by the Apostle Paul is titled ‘The Thorn in the Flesh.’ Paul wrote the second book of Corinthians to the church in Corinth, giving them advice on various matters concerning their faith and Christian life. To reinforce his message, Paul used his own life as an example. The purpose of this paper is to compare the passage based on three different versions of the bible: the New International Version, the New King James Version and the Common English Bible. Additionally, the paper will interpret the meaning of the passage, and its application to Christian life.
Investigation
Literary Questions
The bible passage is part of Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth to encourage them in their journey of faith and Christianity. In the letter, Paul addresses the Church directly using the first person, using his own experiences. He explains that God sent him a ‘thorn in the flesh’ lest he begin to trust in himself and become proud.
The passage fits in quite well with the verses that come before and after it. Verse 6 of the New International Version states that “Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say….” This gives a background as to some of the reasons that may lead Paul to conceit (Barrier 4). God had revealed so much to Paul, such that he could afford to boast about his revelations. Verse 7 then goes on to explain how God also sent Paul some challenges to keep him dependent on God and keep him from pride. Verse 11 that comes after the passage explains that Paul’s trails did not make him any less inferior to other apostles.
Grammatical Questions
There are some differences in the wording of the passage in the three translations, and these may affect the interpretation of the passage. Verse 10 in the three translations uses some different words:
I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties (NIV)
I’m all right with weaknesses, insults, disasters, harassments, and stressful situations (CEB)
I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses (NKJV) (Biblegateway)
The New King James and New International Versions each state that Paul delighted and took pleasure in his challenges, while the Common English Bible uses a different phrase, ‘I’m all right.’ This shows that Paul merely endured his suffering, while the other two say that he was happy to suffer.
The wording of the different problems that Paul went through is also different, and this might make a person interpret them more lightly in one version as compared to the others.
The structure of the passage varies in the three translations, mainly in the words used as explained. However, the three passages retain the same words in speaking about God’s grace being sufficient through suffering, and also when Paul says that how weakness is what makes him strong.
Historical Questions
The historical background of the passage is that it was written after Paul had visited the Church in Corinth, and had his authority challenged. The members if the Corinthian church even went as ass far as to insult him, and Paul wrote to them to express his disappointment. However, in the latter parts of the letter, he speaks of his joy upon learning that the Corinthians had repented, and that he culprits had been identified. Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth carried the message that even in the face of persecution, he rejoiced because God’s grace remained sufficient through all difficulties.
Verse 10 of the passage is based on the background of the history of the writing. Paul speaks of weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties. Before Paul converted into Christianity, he had been one of the biggest persecutors of the Christian Church. However, after God appeared to him, Paul become one of the strongest apostles and for this reason, God revealed many things to him (Schellenberg 518). Some people felt that Paul had too much authority, and this is why he was insulted by the Corinthian church. Aside from the Corinthian Church, he had also faced a lot of persecution from different quarters, for example he had been thrown into jail, stoned, beaten and endured other sufferings. These kinds of challenges are what Paul refers to in Verse 10. All of these challenges are from the ‘messenger of Satan’ as Paul states.
Theological Questions
The main message of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 is that God’s grace is sufficient for Christians no matter how great their suffering might be. In addition to many persecutions from enemies of the Church, Paul was also insulted and challenged by fellow Christians. Paul was trying to tell his critics and persecutors that even in the face of attacks, he remained steadfast in his faith. He asserted that times of weakness led Christians to rely even more on God, therefore making them stronger (Moss 321).
I find several important principles in the passage. The first is warning against pride when one feels God’s favor upon their lives. The passage tells us about God’s grace that is sufficient for His people even in their darkest hour. The passage also teaches Christians that suffering and difficulties are inevitable part of their Christian journey, and the best thing they can do is to count on God’s grace that is especially manifested in times of weakness. The passage also warns the Church against causing the suffering of fellow members and church leaders. The church should respect its leadership because they have been ordained by God. The church of Corinth felt that Paul had too much authority.
Paul asks God to take his trials away three times, but God failed to do so. This is another sign that Christians should accept God’s will in their lives, even when it is not what they want. Christians must have absolute confidence of God especially in times of problems.
Application
The bible passage from Corinthians is one that I have learnt a lot from. Paul was one of the greatest Apostles, yet his experiences are applicable to the daily life of a Christian. First, Paul fought against pride, something that all Christians must strive to avoid. Paul says that God sent him a thorn in the flesh, to keep him from conceit. Most of the time, Christians begin to get conceited, thinking that God favors them more than others (Ellington 331). This passage has helped me to understand that guarding against pride is a fundamental principle of faith. Another important point I learned from the passage is that sometimes, Christians do not get what they want from God; rather we should trust God to do His will in our lives. Temptations and challenges come to us so that God can give us His strength in our times of weakness. God’s grace is sufficient in all seasons of our lives, but even more so when we experience difficulties from quarters we do not expect. The lessons from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians apply to every Christian even today.
Works Cited
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “The Thorn in the Flesh” Biblegateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+12%3A7-10&version=NKJVBarrier, Jeremy. “Visions of Weakness: Apocalyptic Genre and the Identification of Paul’s Opponents in 2 Corinthians 12: 1-6.” Restoration Quarterly 47.1 (2005): 4.
Ellington, Dustin W. “Not Applicable to Believers? The Aims and Basis of Paul’s” I” in 2 Corinthians 10—13.” Journal of Biblical Literature 131.2 (2012): 325-340.
Moss, Candida R. “Christly possession and weakened bodies: Reconsideration of the function of Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12: 7–10).” Journal of Religion, Disability & Health 16.4 (2012): 319-333.
Schellenberg, Ryan S. “Paul, Samson Occom, and the Constraints of Boasting: A Comparative Rereading of 2 Corinthians 10–13.” Harvard Theological Review 109.4 (2016): 512-535.
