{"id":1777,"date":"2015-06-11T18:54:17","date_gmt":"2015-06-11T18:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1777"},"modified":"2015-06-11T18:54:38","modified_gmt":"2015-06-11T18:54:38","slug":"pauls-thorn-in-the-flesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1777","title":{"rendered":"Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul states he was given a thorn in the flesh that God refused to remove. He said he was given this in order that he might not boast of having been caught up to the third heaven. He went on to say God\u2019s peace is made perfect in weakness.
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\nI don\u2019t see this passage as a paradigm for accepting sickness, moral failure or defeat in general. Paul was not making a sweeping theological statement, nor was his intent to suggest that God humbles us through failure. On the contrary, Paul exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to \u201cstand firm and let nothing move us.\u201d In numerous other passages, he similarly encourages us to persevere in the face of adversity. Either we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us or we cannot. Either we are more than conquerors, or we are not.<\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s thorn in the flesh did not provoke him to sin, or offend others, incidentally.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Jesus states in absolute terms we can receive anything we can believe for. (Mark 11:24, John 15:7, John 14:13-14, Luke 11:9-10)<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t see a biblical precedent for waging a war we can’t win or fighting battles that end in defeat.<\/p>\n

The Christ who lives in us knows no equal.<\/p>\n

Therefore, for those who interpret this passage as an example of conditional surrender, I have two questions. Did God tell you the affliction your battling was meant to humble you?
\nHave you been caught up to the third heaven? Alan Smith<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul states he was given a thorn in the flesh that God refused to remove. He said he was given this in order that he might not boast of having been caught up to the third heaven. He went on to say God\u2019s peace is made perfect in weakness. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2654,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=2654","url_meta":{"origin":1777,"position":0},"title":"Turning all Your Mountains into Roads of Travel","author":"hollysmith","date":"March 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I will turn all my mountains into roads of travel. (Is. 49:11) God will make our obstacles serve His purpose. We all have mountains in our lives and often they are people and things that threaten to block our spiritual progress. The obstacles may be untruths told about us, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"27657362_10215220518450056_9152352819134650825_n","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/27657362_10215220518450056_9152352819134650825_n-199x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1956,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1956","url_meta":{"origin":1777,"position":1},"title":"Strategies for Overcoming Strongholds","author":"hollysmith","date":"June 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This blog is from Lance Walnau. It was just too good not to republish. Enjoy! When the Apostle Paul said that we \u201cwrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers,\u201d what did he mean? The verse found in Ephesians 6:12 makes something very clear. Paul did not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"images-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/images-1-300x141.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2351,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=2351","url_meta":{"origin":1777,"position":2},"title":"Planting Good Thought Seeds","author":"hollysmith","date":"May 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes our thought patterns accumulated over time produce action and quality of life. On the other hand, sometimes our thinking has produced stagnation or mediocrity. If we believed that everything we were going through is preparation to be used in our future and for our good-we would change our outlook.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"desert road","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/desert-road-300x202.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2540,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=2540","url_meta":{"origin":1777,"position":3},"title":"Planting Good Thought Seeds","author":"hollysmith","date":"June 26, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes our thought patterns accumulated over time produce action and quality of life. On the other hand, sometimes our thinking has produced stagnation or mediocrity. If we believed that everything we were going through is preparation to be used in our future and for our good-we would change our outlook.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"desert road","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/desert-road-300x202.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2627,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=2627","url_meta":{"origin":1777,"position":4},"title":"Planting Good Thought Seeds for Transformation","author":"hollysmith","date":"November 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes our thought patterns accumulated over time produce action and quality of life. On the other hand, sometimes our thinking has produced stagnation or mediocrity. If we believed that everything we were going through is preparation to be used in our future and for our good-we would change our outlook.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"1381807_10202267073102018_1149318027_n","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1381807_10202267073102018_1149318027_n-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1302,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1302","url_meta":{"origin":1777,"position":5},"title":"Holly’s Spotlight Interview","author":"Lisa Ramsey","date":"June 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Tuesday, 16 April 2013 with Phyllis Jenkins Publisher\/CEO, Powerful Journey Magazine PJ: How did you come up with the name The Cracked Pot? Holly:\u00a0I saw a cracked pot in a dream. 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