Galatians 12

CHAPTER 12

 

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn (12:1-10)

1-2 Fourteen years before writing this letter, Paul had a vision or revelation of heaven. That revelation was so amazing that Paul can’t even speak about it in an ordinary way. Instead of saying, “I had a vision,” Paul says: “I know a man in Christ who had a vision” (verse 2). We know that Paul is referring to himself when he says this, because in verse 7 he writes: To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh.

The revelation was this: A man (Paul) was caught up to the third heaven (verse 2). The third heaven is a Jewish expression, which means a place where God is present. According to Jewish belief in Paul’s time, the “first heaven“ was the sky and the “second heaven” was the universe. According to that belief, then, the ȁthird heaven” signifies the spiritual heaven where Christ sits on the right hand of God (see Acts 1:10-11; Ephesians 1:20), and where believers in Christ will live with God forever.

In this revelation Paul is not sure whether his body was taken up into this third heaven, or whether only his spirit was taken up.

3-4 What is Paradise? (verse 4). Paradise is mentioned also in Luke 23:43 and Revelation 2:7. Many Bible scholars think that Paradise is a place believers in Christ go to as soon as they die. There, without a body, the souls and spirits of believers remain until the end of the world, at which time Jesus will come again and give each believer a new resurrected body (see Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Then, when they have received their new resurrected bodies, believers will enter heaven—the third heaven—where they will live with God and Christ forever.

Notice, in verse 4, that Paul says he was caught up to (into) Paradise; but in verse 2, he says he was caught up to (as far as) the third heaven. In the Greek, Paul uses two different words for “to” in these verses. He seems to be saying that he was taken “into” Paradise, but that he only reached “as far as” the third heaven but not into it. Many Bible scholars believe that this shows that Paradise and the third heaven are two different places.

But other scholars believe that Paradise and the third heaven are really the same place. The Bible gives us very little description of life after death. Therefore, it is not possible to be certain about this matter. Paul says that he is not permitted even to talk about it! (verse 4).

5 Paul writes: I will boast about a man like that; that is, Paul will boast about the revelation that God had given to him. But Paul will not boast about himself. If Paul boasts about himself, it will be about his weaknesses (see verses 9-10).

6 Paul could legitimately have boasted about his accomplishments, because his boasting would have been completely true. Paul’s accomplishments were surely great. He had established many churches. He had received many gifts from the Holy Spirit. He had performed many signs, wonders and miracles (verse 12). But even though all this was true, Paul will not boast about it, lest others begin to praise him instead of praising God (2 Corinthians 3:5). Paul does not want to exalt himself. He remembered Christ’s teaching: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11).

7 The thorn in Paul’s flesh and the messenger of Satan mentioned here are the same thing. Paul does not say what the thorn in his flesh was. But we can understand that it was some kind of special trial or human weakness that afflicted Paul. Some believe it was an eye disease; others think it was malaria, or epilepsy, or some form of depression. Some believe it was the same malady which Paul referred to in Galatians 4:13-14, whatever that malady was. Others believe Paul’s thorn was some temptation that kept coming upon Paul during times of difficulty.

It is to our advantage that Paul does not tell us exactly what his thorn was. Because if we knew exactly what Paul’s thorn was, we might then be tempted to say: “I don’t have any ‘thorn’ like that; therefore, Paul’s teaching here about his thorn has no relation to me.”

But, in fact, this teaching about Paul’s thorn is extremely important for us, because every Christian has some kind of “thorn” or “thorns.” That is, every one of us has some kind of bodily or mental weakness. Through this weakness, we are made humble. God cannot easily work through a person who is conceited and proud. Thus we can see that although God gave Paul amazing gifts and experiences, He at the same time gave Paul a “thorn” to keep him humble.

Let us, therefore, not complain about our “thorn,” whatever it might be. That thorn has been given to us for our spiritual benefit (Hebrews 12:10-11). Because of our thorn, our weakness, God’s power will be more visible in our lives (see 2 Corinthians 4:7 and comment).

Paul says here that his thorn is a messenger of Satan; that is, his thorn has been sent by Satan. For example, we know that Satan can cause various diseases (Luke 13:16). But let us not forget that Satan is always under God’s ultimate control. Satan cannot send us any kind of “thorn”—any kind of trouble or suffering—without God’s permission (Job 1:6-22; 2:1-10). God always overcomes evil with good in the lives of those who love Him (see Genesis 37:28; 45:4,8; 50:20; Romans 8:28 and comment).

8-9 In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed three times: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup (death on the cross) be taken from me” (Matthew 26:39,42,44). Didn’t God answer Jesus’ prayer? Yes, He answered it. But He answered it not with a “Yes,” but with a “No.” God gives us an answer to all our prayers, but He may not give us the answer we hoped for. His answer will be better for us than what we had hoped for. God answers our prayers not in the way we ask, but in a way that will lead to our greatest good. And He knows far better than we do how to achieve our greatest good. God always gives His children good gifts (Matthew 7:9-11). For Paul, that thorn was a “good gift.”

Is it suitable for us to pray for our “thorn” to be removed? Yes, it is suitable. Like Paul, we can pray that our thorn might be taken away. Perhaps God will take away one or more of our thorns. But God will leave at least one thorn with us, that we might remain humble and always dependent on God’s power.

No matter what our weakness is, God will always give us sufficient grace to do His will (Philippians 4:13). The weaker we are, the greater will God’s power appear in us (2 Corinthians 4:7). Therefore, Paul all the more gladly boasts about his weaknesses (verse 5).

Let us never complain against God. Rather, let us praise and thank Him for every difficulty, every trial, every need that He allows to come into our lives (Job 1:21-22).

10 Paul not only endures weaknesses … insults … hardships … persecutions … difficulties; he takes delight in them! Paul delights in them, because when he is weak, then he is strong. Paul delights in all these hardships, because through them the comfort of Christ overflows in his life (2 Corinthians 1:5). Paul delights in them, because through them the life of Jesus is being revealed in his body (see 2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

Paul delights in his weaknesses for Christ’s sake. Paul does not seek such hardships and difficulties for his own spiritual benefit, as the followers of other religions do. Rather, everything Paul seeks is for Christ’s sake alone. God will reward us only for what we do and endure for Christ’s sake (see Matthew 5:11; 19:29).

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians (12:11-21)

11 Paul has made a “fool” of himself by boasting. Yet the Corinthians themselves forced Paul to write that way. They are the ones who should have been boasting about Paul! Because they didn’t commend Paul, Paul had to commend himself; he had to “boast” about himself. Otherwise, there would have been no one to refute the statements of those false apostles, those “super-apostles.”

Paul himself is nothing; that is, he is only a weak and frail man. Nevertheless, he is not in the least inferior to those “super-apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5).

12 Paul has proven that he is a true apostle by the signs, wonders and miracles that he has performed, and also by the fruit that has resulted from his preaching (see 1 Corinthians 9:2).

13 Many of these signs and wonders had been done at Corinth. The church at Corinth had been founded by a true apostle of Christ. Therefore, the Corinthian church was not inferior to any other church—except in one thing: they had not given any support to their apostle Paul. In refusing to take any help from them, Paul had deprived the Corinthians of the chance to boast that they had helped him. Because he has deprived them of this chance to boast, Paul sarcastically asks them to forgive him for this wrong.

14 It was on Paul’s first visit to Corinth that he founded the church there (Acts 18:1). Paul’s second visit to Corinth was the painful visit (2 Corinthians 2:1).

Paul does not seek the Corinthians’ possessions. Rather, Paul seeks the Corinthians themselves—that is, their love, their hearts. As their spiritual father, he is coming to Corinth not to receive help from them but rather to give help to them.

15 Any human father desires to be loved by his children. He hopes that just as he has loved his children, his children will return his love. But even if the children do not show any love to their father, he will nevertheless, with tears, keep on loving them all the more. Paul’s love for the Corinthians was like that.

16 Paul did not take any money from the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:9). Yet his enemies accused him of being crafty. They said that the collection Paul had been raising for the poor believers in Jerusalem was trickery—that is, Paul was raising the money for himself! In this verse Paul sarcastically repeats their false accusation as if he agreed with it.

17-18 Paul had sent Titus and our brother to Corinth to help the Corinthians complete the collection (2 Corinthians 8:16-18; 9:5). Paul asks the Corinthians: Did Titus or this brother exploit you or in any way take advantage of you? The answer is no.

19 Paul has not been defending himself before the Corinthians in the same way he would defend himself before a judge (see 1 Corinthians 4:3). Paul here has been speaking only in the sight of God. Paul has spoken in this way not for his own sake, but for the strengthening of the Corinthians.

20 Paul is afraid that when he meets the Corinthians he is going to find that they are still worldly (see 1 Corinthians 3:1-3). If this should be the case, then the Corinthians are not going to find Paul the way they like him either! Because Paul will be coming with a whip (1 Corinthians 4:21).

Let us examine the list of sins which Paul writes here. Are any of these sins in our church? (see Mark 7:21-23; Galatians 5:19-21).

21 Paul has taken much pride in the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 7:4). But if they refuse to repent of their sins and harden their hearts against Paul, then Paul will certainly be made humble before them; he will be grieved. Paul fears that just as a human father grieves over a wayward and rebellious son, so he will be made to grieve over his beloved Corinthians.

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