Paul’s Vision and Thorn in the Flesh

II Corinthians 12:1–10
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In the previous chapter Paul’s focus of attention has been on earthly, physical experiences in the gospel. Now he shifts his attention to two experiences he has had from God. In order to avoid exalting himself he describes these experiences in the third person.

1. The Revelation (vv. 1-6) - Fourteen years before the writing of  this letter Paul had been caught up into the very  presence of Christ in heaven (v. 20). Paul was not quite sure whether God had taken him bodily to heaven, or whether his spirit had left his body. Possibly this  was when he was stoned and his broken and bruised body lay in the dust near Lystra (Acts 14:19). At any rate Paul had kept quiet about this experience for 14 years. If he had been seeking honor for himself, he would have immediately told what had happened and would have become famous. Instead, he exercised discipline and told his experience to no one.
2. The thorn in the flesh (vv. 7-10) - The Lord knows how to balance our lives. If we have only victories and blessings, we may become proud; so He permits us to have burdens as well.  For this reason he permitted his dear apostle to have a “thorn in the flesh."  We do not know what it was except that it was some annoying, painful and persistent source of suffering. Some Bible schol­ars think it was an eye affliction of some kind (Galatians 6:11). Three times Paul asked the Lord to remove it but instead He just gave him the grace to endure it. An acrostic of the word grace is God’s Riches Available at Christ’s Expense.

Application

God did not give Paul any explanations but instead gave him His grace. When I face obstacles, it is only by His grace and His power that I will be made effective to do a work with everlasting value.