DOCSLIB.ORG

Strengthening Words from the Savior's Lips

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Strengthening Words from the Savior's Lips Sermon #1287 Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit 1 STRENGTHENING WORDS FROM THE SAVIOR’S LIPS NO. 1287 A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD’S-DAY MORNING, APRIL, 2, 1876, BY C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON. “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9. PAUL, when buffeted by the messenger of Satan, addressed his prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ, and not, as he usually did, to the heavenly Father. This is a somewhat remarkable fact, but it is clear from the passage before us. He says, “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice,” and that the Lord here is the Lord Jesus is pretty clear from the fact that he says in the next verse, “that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” His prayer was not directed to God absolutely considered, nor does he speak of the power of God, but his prayer was directed to the Lord Jesus Christ, and it was the power of the Lord Jesus Christ which he desired to rest upon him. It is an infallible proof of our Lord’s divinity, that He may be ad- dressed in prayer; and this is one instance with several others, which show us that we may legitimately present our petitions, not only to the ever-blessed Father, but also to His Son Jesus Christ. There seems to me to be a peculiar fitness in a prayer to Jesus when the temptation came from a messenger of Satan, because the Lord Jesus has endured the same temptation Himself, and knows how to succor them that are tempted. Moreover, He has come to earth to destroy the works of the devil. In His lifetime He mani- fested peculiar power over unclean spirits, and was constantly casting them out from those whom they tormented. It was one of His few rejoicing notes, “I saw Satan like lightning fall from heaven.” It was by the name of Jesus that devils were expelled after Christ had risen into glory. “Jesus I know,” said the spirits whom the sons of Sceva endeavored in vain to exorcise. Devils felt the power of Jesus, and there- fore it was wise and natural that the Apostle Paul should, when buffeted of Satan, turn to Jesus and ask Him to bid the evil spirit depart from him. Is it not a little remarkable also that this prayer was not only addressed to Jesus, but was offered in much the same manner as the prayer of our Lord in the garden? The Apostle prayed three times, even as our Lord did when He too was sorely buffeted by the powers of darkness. Paul’s thrice-repeated cry was intensely earnest, for he, “besought” the Lord thrice. And Paul, singularly enough, met with very much the same answer as his Master, for our Lord was not permitted to put aside the cup, (it could not pass away from Him unless He drank it), but an angel appeared unto Him strengthening Him, and so in Paul’s case the trial was not taken away from him, but he was strengthened by kind, assuring promises, and by being led to see that God would be glorified by his enduring the trial. I see, then, the Lord Jesus reflected in His servant Paul as in a mirror! I hear the three-times repeated prayer, I mark the cup stand- ing unremoved, and I see the strength imparted in the midst of weakness! Our text fell from the lips of Jesus Christ, Himself, and if anything could make its language sweeter than it is in itself it would be this fact, that He Himself delivered the promises to His chosen Apostle. It is Jesus who says in the promises of the text, “ My grace is sufficient for you; My strength is made per- fect in weakness.” This truth of God casts a soft, mellow light upon the promises, helps us to interpret them, and enables us to derive all the greater comfort from them. When Jesus speaks, a special charm surrounds each syllable. The exact tense of the Greek promises are not easy to translate into English. The Apostle does not merely tell us that his Lord said these promises to him 14 years ago, but the tense connects the past with the present, as if he felt that the answer was not simply something past, but something which continued with him in its consoling power. The echoes of what his Lord had said were still sounding through his Volume 22 Tell someone today how much you love Jesus Christ. 1 2 Strengthening Words from the Savior’s Lips Sermon #1287 soul! I should not miss the Apostle’s meaning if I read it, “He has been saying to me, ‘My strength is sufficient for you.’” The promises had an abiding effect upon the Apostle’s mind not merely for the time reconciling him to the particular trouble which had afflicted him, but cheering him for all the rest of his life—strengthening him in all future trials to glory in his infirmities and render praise to God. It is a sweet thing to have a text of Scripture laid home to the heart for present uses, but when God the Holy Spirit so applies a promise that it abides in the heart for the term of one’s natural life, then are we fa- vored indeed! Elijah’s meat gave him strength for 40 days, but what is that meat which endures unto eternal life? What bread must that be which feeds me through the whole period of my pilgrimage? Here, then, we have before us food which Jesus Himself provides, so nutritive that His Spirit can cause us to remember the feast to our dying day! O Lord, feed us now and give us grace to inwardly digest your gracious word. With this preface, which I beg you to remember during the discourse, since it indicates my line of thought, we now come to the text itself—a mass of diamonds, bright and precious! In the text we notice three things—first, grace all-sufficient; secondly, strength perfected; and, thirdly, power indwelling. I. In the text even the most superficial observer notices a promise of GRACE ALL-SUFFICIENT. In the case of our Lord Jesus, the Spirit so rested upon Him as to be sufficient for Him at all times. Never did the Spirit of God fail to uphold the man Christ Jesus under the most arduous labors, the most terrible temptations, and the bitterest suffering; and therefore He completed the work which His Father gave Him to do, and in death He was able to exclaim, “It is finished!” The Lord here assures His chosen serv- ant that it should be the same with him—“My grace,” said He, “is sufficient for you.” To bring out the full meaning of these few promises, I will give you four readings of them. The first is a strictly grammatical one, and is the first sense which they bear. Taking the promise translated grace to mean favor or love—for that also is included in the promise charis—how does the passage run? “My favor is sufficient for you.” Do not ask to be rid of your trouble, do not ask to have ease, comfort, or any other form of happiness—My favor is enough for you, or as good Dr. Dodge reads it, “My love is enough for you .” If you have little else that you desire, yet surely it is enough that you are My favored one, a chosen subject of My grace. “My love is enough for you.” What a delicious expression! You do not need an explanation. Repeat the promises to yourselves, and even now conceive that the well- beloved looks down on you, and whispers, “My love is enough for you.” If you have been asking Him three times to deliver you from your present affliction, hear Him reply, “Why do you need to ask Me anymore? My love is enough for you.” What do you say to that? Do you not answer, “Yes, Lord, indeed it is. If I am poor, if You will me to be poor, I am content to be severely tried, for Your love is enough for me. If I am sick, so long as You will come and visit me and reveal Your heart to me, I am satisfied, for Your love is enough for me. If I am persecuted, cast out and forsaken, cheerfully will I bear it if a sense of Your love sustains me, for Your love is enough for me. Yes, and if I should be left so alone as to have no one to care for me in the whole world, if my father and my mother should forsake me, and every friend should prove a Judas—‘Your love is enough for me.’” Do you catch the meaning, and do you see how Paul must have been comforted by it if he understood it in this primary and most natural sense? “O Paul, it is sufficient for you that I have made you to be a chosen vessel to bear My name among the Gentiles; it is enough for you that I have loved you from before the foundation of the world, that I redeemed you with My precious blood, that I called you when you were a blasphemer and injuri- ous, that I changed your heart, and made you love Me, and that I have kept you to this day, and will keep you even to the end by My love.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Studies in the Book of 2 Corinthians PART FOUR: Weeks 24-31 Group Applications Personal Study Week 24 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 (ESV)
    Weak is STRONG Studies in the book of 2 Corinthians PART FOUR: Weeks 24-31 Group Applications Personal Study Week 24 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 (ESV) , Paul, myself entreat you, by the walk in the flesh, we are not waging war meekness and gentleness of Christ—I according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons who am humble when face to face with of our warfare are not of the flesh but have Iyou, but bold toward you when I am divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am destroy arguments and every lofty opinion present I may not have to show boldness raised against the knowledge of God, and with such confidence as I count on showing take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 against some who suspect us of walking being ready to punish every disobedience, according to the flesh. 3 For though we when your obedience is complete. beyond what is necessary—only inasmuch Context as it pushes them towards holiness and love for each other. • 10:1 When Paul speaks of the meekness and gentleness of Christ, he is pointing to • 10:3 Paul does a little wordplay here— the way in which Christ walked humbly he is apparently being accused by false before men with kindness and compassion teachers in Corinth of “walking in the despite his incredible power and wisdom. flesh” or living by his worldly lusts and Meekness is not weakness, but rather passions. He takes this accusation and power under control.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Teaching Application
    TEACHING APPLICATION Thank you for your interest in the ministry of Grace Academy. You are invited to fill out this initial application and return it to the school office. Upon qualification, we will request that you have your placement file forwarded to our office and a personal interview will be arranged. The key to a successful Christian school is its staff. We are grateful for those who are professionally qualified, who love and know children and who, by the pattern of their lives, exemplify Christ. Grace Academy is committed to integrity and excellence in Christian education; working in partnership with parents to equip children who will impact a changing world. It is our prayer that God fulfills His perfect will in the lives of all applicants. Grace Academy does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, or disability. Application date: ________/________/ _______ Home Phone Number ( ) ______-________ Position desired: _________________________ Cell Phone Number ( ) _____-__________ Full time____________ Part time____________ Email Address: ________________________ Date available: ________/________/ _________ Name ________________________________________________________________________ Last First Middle Current Address ________________________________ ________________________________ Street City State Zip CHRISTIAN BACKGROUND A. On a separate sheet of paper write out your Christian testimony and baptism experience. B. Please read the attached Statement of Faith and indicate below your degree of support. ____ I fully support the Statement as written without reservations. Signature _____________________________________________________________________ ____ I support the Statement except for the area(s) listed and explained on a separate paper. The exceptions represent either disagreements or items for which I have not yet formed an opinion for conviction.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9 Commentary
    2 Corinthians 12:9 Commentary PREVIOUS NEXT 2 CORINTHIANS - PAUL'S MINISTRY IN THE LIGHT OF THE INDESCRIBABLE GIFT Click chart to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Another Chart from Charles Swindoll A Third Chart Overview of Second Corinthians 2Co 1:1-7:16 2Co 8:1-9:15 2Co 10:1-12:21 Character Collection Credentials of Paul for the Saints of Paul Testimonial & Didactic Practical Apologetic Past: Present: Future: Misunderstanding & Explanation Practical Project Anxieties Apostle's Solicitation for Judean Apostle's Vindication Apostle's Conciliation, Ministry & Exhortations Saints of Himself Forgiveness, Reconciliation Confidence Vindication Gratitude Ephesus to Macedonia: To Corinth: Macedonia: Preparation for Change of Itinerary Certainty and Imminence Visit to Corinth Explained of the Visit 2Co 1:1-7:16 2Co 8:1-9:15 2Co 10:1-12:21 2Corinthians written ~ 56-57AD - see Chronological Table of Paul's Life and Ministry Adapted & modified from Jensen's Survey of the New Testament (Highly Recommended Resource) & Wilkinson's Talk Thru the Bible INTRODUCTIONS TO SECOND CORINTHIANS: IRVING JENSEN - Introduction and study tips - excellent preliminary resource - scroll to page 1877 (Notes on both 1-2 Cor begin on p 1829) JOHN MACARTHUR 2 Corinthians Introduction - same as in the Study Bible JAMES VAN DINE 2 Corinthians - Author, Purpose, Outline, Argument CHARLES SWINDOLL - 2 Corinthians Overview MARK SEIFRID - The Message of Second Corinthians: 2 Corinthians as the Legitimation of the Apostle J VERNON MCGEE - 2 Corinthians Introduction DAN WALLACE - 2 Corinthians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline DAVID MALICK - An Introduction To Second Corinthians 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.
    [Show full text]
  • April 17Th 2Cor. 12.1-10 2
    Crossroads Women’s Bible Study Winter/Spring 2020 2 Corinthians “All Things Become New” 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 – The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful Instructor: Maryellen Stipe I. Introduction – Paul’s Last Words to the Corinthians in His Own Defense A. Paul was restrained in writing about his personal experiences, but we see him share some rarely shared details in this chapter. Our only verdict must be that there was no other way to solve the problem of the false “super apostles.” He finishes off his letter by explaining a very deep and profound theology of suffering in order to defend himself and bring enlightenment to the Corinthians. B. It is evident that he wants to avoid exalting himself. In fact, in his first example, Paul describes his experience in the third person rather than the first person. This was an often-used teaching method of the Jewish rabbis of the time and Paul utilizes it skillfully. C. Paul defends himself once more against the malevolent accusation of his enemies. He shares three important experiences from God that became a part of his legacy and reveals some incredible truths about how God works in lives of his children. II. How God Honored Paul – The Good (12:1-6) It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
    [Show full text]
  • Brad H. Young, "The Ascension Motif of 2 Corinthians 12 in Jewish, Christian and Gnostic Texts
    Grace Theological lournal 9. 1 ( 1988) 73- 103 THE ASCENSION MOTIF OF 2 CORINTHIANS 12 IN JEWISH, CHRISTIAN AND GNOSTIC TEXTS BRAD H. YOUNG The heavenly ascent motif is common in religious documents of late antiquity. A preoccupation with the similarities between these accounts leads some to overlook the equally important differences. Care should be taken, however, to distinguish between mystical eso­ tericism and extraordinary religious encounter. Earlier Jewish traditions provide the proper context for under­ standing Paul's visions and revelations; certain Gnostic texts evidence yet another distinct stage of development in the ascension motif. But thematic parallels do not warrant the assumption that various reli­ gious traditions are basically identical in origins. And parallels should not lead to indiscriminate grouping of essentially unrelated texts. * * * HE motif of the ascension through the celestial spheres provides T many insights into the religious thought of various traditions and sects in late antiquity. Here the primary texts for examination are: Paul's experience in 2 Cor 12: I - 10, selected rabbinic narratives, the Ascension of Isaiah and the Nag Hammadi Apocalypse of Paul. Before turning to the textual examination, a few preliminary observa­ tions must be made in view of the great methodological problems presented by this theme. At the outset, it must be noted that the ascension motif is not uniquely Jewish or distinctively Gnostic. Neither does Paul's description in 2 Corinthians make it an exclu­ sively Christian motif. In fact, the heavenly ascent is very widespread and appears in many religious contexts. In some of the ascent des­ criptions, it is difficult to determine if a literal heavenly journey is taking place or if a vision is being described.
    [Show full text]
  • “AN EXAMINATION of 2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-13” Willie A
    “AN EXAMINATION OF 2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-13” Willie A. Alvarenga AN EXAMINATION OF 2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-3 Willie A. Alvarenga P.O. BOX 210667 Bedford, TX 76095 (817) 268 3222; 681 4543 [email protected] www.backtobibleknowledge.com 2 AN EXAMINATION OF 2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-13 Throughout the years, scholars and various Christians have taken the time to examine the words penned by the Apostle Paul in 2 Cor 12:1-13. Various interpretations have been attributed to this section of Scripture. Many questions have occupied the minds of many as they study this portion of Scripture. Questions such as: who was the person that was caught up to the third heaven? What is the third heaven? What were those inexpressible words that this person heard, and that were not lawful to utter? And has anyone gone to heaven already besides the Son of God? These questions have been the center of attention for many students of the Word. I am sure that many have wondered what the answer to these questions is. A careful analysis of the structure, genre, language, setting, and theological meaning can help us to understand what the Apostle Paul meant by these thought provoking words. As we take the time to examine the answers to these questions, and the presentation of these very important factors which deal with an exegesis of the text, let us keep an open mind to evaluate the information that will be presented in this brief study. With regard to the person that was caught up to the third heaven, some have suggested that this person is a reference to the Apostle Paul, while others believe that this person could be Apollos, who taught in Corinth after Paul, or Jesus, or an anonymous friend1 The phrase “I know a man in Christ” has given interpreters some difficulty.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 Corinthians 12 Study Guide 1 None of Us Goes Through This Life Looking for Pressures, Trials, Disappointment, Heartaches
    2 Corinthians 12 study guide None of us goes through this life looking for pressures, trials, disappointment, heartaches, sorrow of failures or rejection. They manage to find us all on their own. But how we handle them is our choice. The enemy knows many of our weaknesses and seems to know the absolute perfect time to draw us to our knees. This can work to his demise if we are believers; for on our knees is exactly where we can find our “help in time of need” (Heb. 4:6). I read one time that “Whatever brings you to your knees in weakness carries the greatest potential for your personal success and spiritual victory.” Paul could have listed many accomplishments but he chose to tell those who would read this letter what he had found to be the key to experiencing a victorious life. 2 Cor. 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 1. Are you growing weary from trying? 2. Would you say you are in a valley experience of life? 3. Do you fear your weakness is going to get the better of you? 4. Are you, like Paul, dealing with a thorn in the flesh? When we accept our weakness as an area we cannot control on our own, that is the time we can release the trial and allow our God to go to work. I saw a bumper sticker one time that said “Let go and let God” I did not even recognize the magnitude of those five little words that day.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 Corinthians David E
    Luther Seminary Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary Faculty Publications Faculty & Staff choS larship 2014 2 Corinthians David E. Fredrickson Luther Seminary, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/faculty_articles Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Fredrickson, David E., "2 Corinthians" (2014). Faculty Publications. 322. https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/faculty_articles/322 Published Citation Fredrickson, David. “2 Corinthians.” In Fortress Commentary on the Bible. The New Testament, edited by Margaret Aymer, Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, and David A. Sánchez, 473–501. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty & Staff choS larship at Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. ■-1 i V:j : 2 Corinthians David E, Fredrickson 1; £ Introduction Second Corinthians has impressed itself on scholars as a collection of originally separate Pauline writings, a quilt made of several letter fragments. The integrity of the letter has so been put in doubt that even Paul’s authorship in the case of one passage (6:14—7:1) has, for plausible reasons, been called into question. The letter as we read it today appears to have seams, to have been sown together at a time unknown by an editor unnamed. Note the abrupt and, by current standards, inexplicable transitions between 2:13 and 14; 6:13 and 14; 7:1 and 2; 7:16 and 8:1; 8:24 and 9:1; and 9:15 and 10:1.
    [Show full text]
  • Acts 1 Study and Discussion Questions Lesson Ten: Corinthians, Part 4 – 2 Corinthians 8-13
    1 Acts 1 Study and Discussion Questions Lesson Ten: Corinthians, Part 4 – 2 Corinthians 8-13 Read 2 Corinthians 8-9. 1) What background information concerning Paul’s collection of an offering for the church in Jerusalem do you find in the following passages: Acts 11:27-30, 19:21, 20:16; 24:17; Romans 15:25-27; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; and Galatians 2:10? According to Galatians 2:10, Paul had been urged at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) to encourage the churches of the Diaspora to “remember the poor in Jerusalem.” Acts 19 and 20 mention Paul’s intention of getting to Jerusalem. In his speech to Felix in Acts 24, he confirmed what we learn from Romans 15 and 1 and 2 Corinthians: that he had been gathering a collection for the Jerusalem church as he traveled through Asia, Macedonia and Greece. 2) According to 2 Corinthians 8-9, what did Paul hope would motivate the Corinthians’ participation in this offering? Paul hoped the Corinthians would have been motivated to participate 1) by the example of the Macedonian Christians, who gave eagerly and generously despite a severe trial (8:1-5), 2) by the example of the Lord Jesus Himself, who gave up all the riches of heaven and became human (impoverished) for our sake (8:9), 3) by their eagerness to complete what they had started (8:10-12), 4) by their interest in “equality” among the churches through mutual sharing of resources (8:14-15), 5) in order to uphold their reputation (9:4), by faith that God would supply their needs in return (9:11), and out of knowledge that their generosity would cause others to praise and thank God and pray for them (9:11-14).
    [Show full text]
  • Statement of Faith
    WE BELIEVE the Bible is God's written revelation to man. It is composed of sixty-six books which are divinely inspired and inerrant in all their parts. The Bible is infallible and the final authoritative source for faith and conduct (Psalm 12:6; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). WE BELIEVE in the Genesis account of creation: that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness - not by evolution; and that man was created in innocence, but voluntarily sinned. As a consequence, all men are now sinners, inclined to evil, and are under just condemnation without defense or excuse (Genesis 1:1-3:15). WE BELIEVE there is one true and living God, eternally existent in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, coequal, perfect in their attributes, each deserving worship and obedience. God is the Creator and sustainer of all things which He miraculously accomplished by the Word of His power in six literal days (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 31:17; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:24; 48:16; John 1:3; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 13:14; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:2). WE BELIEVE Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity who possesses all the divine attributes. He is fully God and fully man. He was conceived miraculously through the virgin birth without losing any of His divine essence. He lived a sinless life out of obedience to the Father. His incarnation was for the purpose of revealing God, redeeming men, and ruling over God's kingdom.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 When God Does His Most Perfect Work 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
    When God Does His Most Perfect Work 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Introduction. 1) There is a serious sickness that runs rampant in our culture which has now infiltrated the church, seducing and deceiving God’s people. I call it “Christian Rock-Star Syndrome,” “Christian Superstar Obsession,” or “Christian Celebrity Infatuation.” This disease is no respecter of persons. It has infected men and women, young and old. It runs the gambit theologically from the lunacy and bizarre world of the charismatic Word- Faith movement all the way to staunchly Reformed circles. Sam Storms is most certainly correct when he says, “Mega-church pastors, health-and-wealth advocates, and best- selling authors are promoted and praised as if they are in better standing with the Lord than the faithful but unacknowledged housewife or the quiet pastor who tends a flock of less than a hundred folk in rural Alabama.” (“Superstar-less Christianity,” 9-18-06). 2) In many instances these powerful personalities use their platform not to build the body of Christ but to gut it. They strut sitting down, use and abuse simple and naïve persons for their own agendas and personal kingdom building. They are like the hireling of whom Jesus warned in John 10 “does not care about the sheep” (10:13). They know nothing of honesty and integrity, humility and sincerity. 3) Still others, perhaps unwittingly, have bought into a kind of Christian humanism that gives more credence to experience than Scripture, to triumphs and successes, than they do to the cross and passion of a Suffering Servant Savior.
    [Show full text]
  • “Thorn in the Flesh”? in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul Speaks Of
    What is Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”? In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul speaks of “a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me.” Has Paul been demonized? What is this thorn that Paul speaks of? 1. Various commentators understand Paul’s thorn as a metaphor for a physical ailment or disease such as pain in the head, speech impediment or eye problems. Given Paul’s training under the illustrious rabbi Gamaliel, he would have extensive knowledge of the Old Testament. How did the Old and New Testament use the term “thorn”? Study Numbers 33:55; Joshua 23:13; Judges 2:3; Ezekiel 2:6; 28:24; Micah 7:4; Luke 6:44 and Hebrew 6:8. Both the Old and New Testament appear to use the term “thorn” in the figurative sense to symbolize human beings who are adversaries to God’s people. Other terms used in conjunction with “thorns” (such as “trouble, snare, trap, scorpions, rebellious, etc.) portray an image of an enemy who is harmful and injurious in both a physical and spiritual sense. While the Greek term for “thorn” literally meant “a sharp spine of a plant,” there aren’t any instances where the term “thorn” was used to symbolize a physical ailment, disease or temptation. 2. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, should the “messenger of Satan” be taken figuratively or literally? When Paul has used the term “messenger” throughout his epistles, he has always referred to a person. This understanding would be consistent with the context of 2 Corinthians 10, 11, 12 and 13 where he is speaking of opponents of the Corinthian church.
    [Show full text]