One of my favorite hymns from seminary days is Grace Greater than Our Sin. It goes back to around 1910, with words by Julia H. Johnston and music by Daniel B. Towner. Few hymns exalt the saving power of the cross as “grace that will pardon and cleanse within” more than this one.
Lately I’ve been thinking about grace greater than our circumstances, the kind of “sufficient grace” Paul spoke about in 2 Cor 12:9. I don’t want to diminish the amazing grace that saves from sin when someone first believes the gospel, but saving grace is just the beginning. There is also sustaining grace for all the obstacles and afflictions that come our way. The grace that first saves from sin continues to save from pain, fear, weaknesses, and insecurities. We shouldn’t be surprised that Paul speaks about grace greater than our circumstances as well as grace greater than sin. Saving grace doesn’t stop saving once we’re saved.
Skolops: Paul’s Fleshly Thorn
2 Cor 12:9 comes near the end of what has been called Paul’s “Fool’s Speech” (2 Cor 11:22-12:10), a text brimming with sarcasm and irony. Paul answers his triumphalist opponents on their own terms by boasting, but he turns boasting on its head by exalting his weakness rather than his strength. Paul’s grace-empowered weakness is actually strength because it exalts the cross. Paul’s opponents’ self-centered strength is actually weakness because it minimizes the cross. Get the paradox?
Paul concludes his focus on weakness by mentioning his σκόλοψ (skolops, used only here in the NT but cf. Num 33:55; Ezek 28:24 in the Septuagint). The word marks a pointed object, like a stake or a splinter, so it fits here as a metaphor for something that “pricks” us, causing pain and affliction. Some think Paul’s “thorn” refers to the challenging circumstances he constantly faced throughout his ministry—persecution, false teachers, rigorous travels, rebellious followers, and the list goes on (e.g. 2 Cor 6:3-10; 11:23-29). George Guthrie makes a good case for this view in his fine commentary on 2 Corinthians. Others point out that Paul’s trying circumstances may have injured his psyche, resulting in constant stress, fear, and anxiety, especially over things like the Corinthians’ problems and Israel’s unbelief in Jesus (Rom 9:1-2). There is truth here, and yet the thorn is in Paul’s flesh, and it involves weakness (2 Cor 12:5, 9-11), leading many to think that Paul speaks of a physical ailment. Some posit recurring bouts with malaria or epilepsy, some sort of disfigurement, or even a speech impediment (2 Cor 10:9-11). The most common view is that Paul had chronic problems with his eyes. Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19). Later he admits he did not recognize the high priest (Acts 23:5). He says the Galatians would have plucked out their eyes and given them to him (Gal 4:13-15). He typically composed his letters with an assistant, and occasionally wrote with large letters to his congregations (Rom 16:22; Gal 6:11). These texts could indicate visual impairment, but advocates of this view may be seeing too much “between the lines.”
Charis: God’s Sufficient Grace
No one knows exactly what affliction Paul was describing when he spoke of his thorn. I think Paul was referring to an some sort of chronic physical pain, but what matters is not the affliction Paul suffered but the grace that enabled him to overcome it and experience the power of God in his ministry. Paul used the word χάρις (charis) to speak of God’s amazing favor nearly 100 times in his letters. Here are some examples of the nuances marked by this word:
- Saving grace that opens people’s eyes to the gospel. (Rom 3:24; Eph 1:7; 2:5, 7-10)
- Ongoing grace for Christian living (Rom 1:7; 16:20)
- Grace that equips Paul for apostolic office (Rom 1:5; 12:3; 15:15; 1 Cor 3:10; Gal 2:9; Eph 3:2)
- Grace that brings spiritual gifts to individual believers (Rom 12:6; Eph 4:7)
- Grace to enable special ministries, such as giving (2 Cor 8:1, 19)
- Future grace that will ultimately abound in this world, offsetting the sin of Adam (Rom 5:17-21)
Grace is the favor of God poured out on his people from the beginning to the end of their lives in Christ. We minimize the grace of God if we think it operates only in our initial salvation. The grace that opens our eyes to believe the gospel keeps our eyes open to the things of God. Saving grace continues as sanctifying, sustaining grace. This is what Paul is talking about in 2 Cor 12:9.
Astheneia: Paul’s Weakness and Ours
In 2 Cor 12:9 Paul speaks of grace-enabled powerful ministry despite thorn-induced weakness (ἀσθένεια, astheneia). Unlike his opponents who boasted in their status and accomplishments, Paul chose to feature his weakness (cf. 1 Cor 2:3; 11:30), because the power of Paul’s ministry was not in Paul’s persona or status but in the cross-centered, Spirit-empowered message that he experienced and preached. Paul had been crucified with Christ; the old Paul had died and the new Paul’s life manifested the life of Christ (Gal 2:20). Paul boasted only in the cross, not in anything related to this world (Gal 2:20). Paul’s “Fool’s Speech” in 2 Cor 11-12 recalls and applies Paul’s “foolish gospel” in 1 Cor 1:18-31. This gospel of a crucified Messiah, apparently a weak and foolish message, was actually the very wisdom and power of God, for the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Cor 1:25 NIV; cf. 2 Cor 13:4).
As he reflected on his experiences in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Paul resolved to serve God even if God did not deliver him from trying circumstances and chronic pain. Similarly, the three Hebrews resolved not to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s image even if they were to be thrown into the fiery furnace (Dan 3:16-18). Jesus resolved to obey the Father, even if it meant the cross (Mark 14:32-42). Paul’s three prayers for removal of the thorn recall Jesus’ three prayers to be spared the agony of the cross, a stake much crueler than Paul’s thorn. In all these cases weakness became strength when reliance on God and his promises overcame a culture that exalted human pride, status, and accomplishments.
It may surprise us that, in God’s providence, Paul’s bad relationship with the Corinthians, exacerbated by his chronic pain, has brought great good to the church. Paul spoke of his thorn as both a gift of God to keep him humble and as a messenger of Satan to torment him (2 Cor 12:7; cf. Job). Satan intended the thorn to produce pain and defeat, but by God’s grace it led to powerful ministry and teaching. Grace becomes greater than our circumstances when we, like Paul, integrate our human weakness with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Paul drank deeply from the inexhaustible reservoir of God’s wisdom and grace in Jesus and the cross. May we do likewise when we are pricked by our own thorns today.
We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. (2 Cor 4:7-11 NIV)
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb 4:14-16 NIV)
Additional Resources . . .
- Richard Bauckham presents helpful thoughts on Paul’s weakness here.
- Daniel Akin has a detailed exegetical study of 2 Cor 12:1-10 here.
- Even If: Faithfulness Regardless of Your Situation: Watch a series of sermons on Daniel at Chapel Pointe here.
- Watch MercyMe perform “Even If” here.
- Matt Maher performs “Your Grace is enough” here.
- Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932) wrote many memorable poems and hymns during a lifetime of physical affliction due to arthritis. Listen to “He Giveth More Grace” here and “God Hath Not Promised” here.
Jerry Wittingen says
David
Great reminder that grace involves our total being all the time. We are such fragile creatures, and require grace to become sanctified and just to survive.
Jerry
David Turner says
Thanks Jerry. Jesus told us “apart from me you can do nothing.” The branch can’t live unless it’s connected to the vine.
GW says
Thank you, David. It’s inexpressible how this article has revived me as I’m passing through hardships. Indeed, God’s sufficient grace has comforted me in this reading.
David Turner says
This is great to hear Getachew. Praise the Lord. Like Paul said in 2 Cor 1, the God of all comfort comforts us so that we can comfort others with the comfort we have received from him. That’s a lot of comfort for one verse!
Eldon Grubb says
For those of us who trusted Christ as a child, his sustaining, growing grace has been there all the time. I received a few neat awards for Christian character, but still needed loads of his grace. He is so patient with us – more than we are with others.
David Turner says
Thanks Eldon. Patience is part of the spiritual fruit in Gal 5 that boils down to Christlikeness.
Mary says
I had to skip out on today’s activities with our mission group due to my thorn. Your lesson could not have come at a better time. You focused my attention again on Jesus and God’s grace-not my weakness. It’s very humbling to be the weak link on a team. That’s what I’m experiencing on several fronts here. And yet the Lord never fails to surprise me.
Just when I wonder what I’m doing here, He brings some unlikely person across my path. I’ve had a God-appointment every day, I think. Today it was with you and this writing. Thank you.
Still learning after all these years . . .
David Turner says
Mary, your experience is very much like Paul’s in his jars of clay passage, 2 Cor 4:7 ff. When we are afflicted but not crushed, it shows that the power belongs to God, not to us. Thank you for sharing an experience that embodies and illustrates what I was trying to get at in the post.
Mary says
You wrote: “Paul spoke of his thorn as both a gift of God to keep him humble and as a messenger of Satan to torment him (2 Cor 12:7; cf. Job). Satan intended the thorn to produce pain and defeat, but by God’s grace it led to powerful ministry and teaching. Grace becomes greater than our circumstances when we, like Paul, integrate our human weakness with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Paul drank deeply from the inexhaustible reservoir of God’s wisdom and grace in Jesus and the cross. May we do likewise when we are pricked by our own thorns today.”
Yes, so that’s what happened yesterday.
I missed the group activities again, but the Lord had another assignment for me that brought me great joy and our national hosts a blessing (in their words). My thorn disabled me and kept me inside, literally. But slowing down and coming to a complete stop actually provided the opportunity to interact at a very deep level with this family for a full day.
God’s grace.
Amazing.
David Turner says
It’s great to hear this. It sounds like God is using you because of the thorn, not just in spite of the thorn.
Johnson Rajendran says
It’s a wonderful reminder that God’s grace supersedes the difficult circumstances of the believers. God’s grace helps to work beyond our ability to recognize His grace at the end of the day. Thank you.
David Turner says
You’re welcome Johnson, and you’re quite right that the Potter’s grace and faithfulness works far beyond the pot’s ability to recognize its work.