2 Corinthians 12:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Paul laid down laws and limits for him, for example when he delivered the fornicator to him for the destruction of the flesh (1 Cor 5:5). The devil did not dare transgress them. What, then, does what was said mean? In Hebrew, Satan means "adversary." Scripture in the Third Book of Kingdoms also gives this name to adversaries (3 Kgdms 5:4). Speaking of Solomon, it says, "There was no satan in his days," that is, no opponent who would fight against him or trouble him. Therefore the Apostle's words have this meaning: God was not pleased that our preaching should spread without hindrance, since He wished to humble our high opinion of ourselves. Rather, He permitted adversaries to attack us. This was indeed sufficient to cast down proud thoughts. A headache could not produce this. Thus, by the name angel of Satan, he means Alexander the coppersmith, the companions of Hymenaeus and Philetus, and all the adversaries of the word. They entered into contests with him and opposed him, cast him into prison, beat him, and dragged him about, since they were doing satanic works. Just as Scripture calls the Jews sons of the devil because they emulated his works, so it calls every opponent an angel of Satan. Therefore the words, "a thorn in the flesh was given to me to buffet me," do not mean that God Himself armed the adversaries, or punished and restrained the Apostle through them. Far be it. They mean only that He allowed and permitted it for a time.

Therefore the meaning of his words is this: God did not allow my preaching to prosper without dangers and labors, lest I become proud because I had been counted worthy of many revelations. Why, then, does he say that an angel of Satan was given to him, and not angels? Probably because in every place there was one man who opposed him and stirred up the people, while the others followed him as their leader. Or, what is still more likely, he called the very thing itself, the opposition to the preaching and the bearing of dangers, an angel of Satan. By whom was it given? God permitted it, he says, for this is the meaning of the word "given." It was not so that he would trouble me once, but that he would trouble me continually. As for the words "lest I be exalted above measure," some understand them thus: lest people glorify me. But although Paul said something similar elsewhere, here he says something else, namely, lest I become proud. For he too was a man.

The vision of the angel when he was in distress at sea (Acts 27:23). And the ascent now read, up to the third heaven, with the hearing of ineffable words.

Concerning the thorn in the flesh and the angel of Satan, some say that by these names the Apostle indicates a disease of the ears or a headache caused in him by demonic cooperation. But they have no proof for this. Tertullian, On Chastity, and Jerome on the fourth chapter of Galatians.

Some say that the thorn and angel of Satan signify many grievous torments of the body. Others say they mean illnesses. Others understand them as temptations, reproaches, necessities, and attacks of enemies. Cyprian, On Mortality; Theophylact and Theodoret on this passage. Yet such interpreters explain generally and plurally what Paul stated particularly and singly.

Others take the thorn and angel of Satan to mean fleshly lust. Augustine, second sermon on Psalm 58. But they are refuted, first, by sound reason. Since Paul says that the thorn in the flesh and the angel of Satan were given to him so that he might not be exalted, that is, might not become proud, then, if these signify fleshly lust, it follows that God healed one passion by another passion, fleshly pride by lust. That is, He healed one sin by another sin. Who does not see how vile and unreasonable this is?

Second, they are refuted by Paul himself, who loudly proclaims: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God" (Gal 2:20).

How, then, could fleshly lust coexist in one crucified with Christ? How could one who was not alive, but dead to the lusts of the flesh, be tormented by them? Where Christ lives, who is purity itself, every impure lust flees from there.

Listen to another interpretation, founded upon the opinion of that wondrous man who honored Paul above all and labored more than all to understand and interpret his epistles. See Chrysostom on this passage.

A thorn is any piece of wood that has one very sharp end. The cross, that most tormenting instrument, is also called a thorn. Paul said, "a thorn was given to me," in order to indicate the sharpest and most piercing pain. He said "a thorn in the flesh" to show that not only the soul, but also the flesh, felt the torment of such pain.

Satan, in the Hebrew dialect, means slanderer and adversary. Therefore an angel of Satan is a servant of the slanderer and enemy, that is, of the devil. A servant of the devil is one who hinders the salvation of a man.

Thus he called every man who opposed and hindered the saving preaching of the faith an angel of Satan. Above all he meant Alexander the coppersmith, who did him much harm and especially resisted the preaching of the Gospel (2 Tim 4:14-15).

He was a thorn, that is, a torment, pain, and cross to his heart. For the most blessed Apostle desired nothing so much as the spreading and increase of faith in Christ.

Since obtaining desired things puffs up the heart, while not obtaining them humbles one's thoughts, proud thoughts are strengthened in times of joy and prosperity. In times of sorrow and misfortune, every exaltation flees from us, and in its place come humble-mindedness and abasement.

Therefore he said that a thorn, an angel of Satan, was given to him to afflict him, lest he be exalted while reflecting on the excellence of the revelations. The excellence of the revelations disposed his mind toward proud thoughts. But Alexander, by hindering the preaching of the Gospel and grieving him, brought his heart down into thoughts of humble-mindedness.

But one who remembered his conversion and calling with deep gratitude, and who placed his justification in the merits of Jesus Christ, certainly could not fall into despair from remembering that he had once been a persecutor of Christians. For this he was ready to endure every possible persecution and suffering. At the same time, he was sure that his sin had been forgiven. Others, including Augustine, Jerome, and Theophylact, see in this thorn of the flesh, or, as our Slavonic translation says, this troubler of the flesh, the passionate desires of fleshly lust. They understand it as the burning of fornication, which could have been especially strong in Paul, fiery by nature. This alone, they say, could have troubled his conscience, endangered the purity of his virginal life, and prevented the Apostle from being exalted even by the bodily sufferings and labors which he endured for Christ. But it is most natural to think that by the thorn in the flesh the Apostle meant sharp attacks of neurasthenia. Suddenly and instantly, like a blow of the fist to the face, κολαφίζειν, these made him powerless and without strength of will. This happened precisely when he had to appear publicly as a preacher of the Gospel.

But what is special about fleshly lust? Everyone experiences it, not only the unmarried but also the married. Yet Saint Paul, by his manner of expression, gives the thought that something particular was given to him, something not common to all.

Moreover, the afflicter given to him, κολαφιζει, strikes him on the cheeks and acts mercilessly and cruelly. Fleshly lust, however, is the most flattering and insinuating enemy. Therefore this thought cannot be accepted.

Our interpreters hold that Saint Paul is speaking here, as before, of external calamities and hostility from the enemies of the Gospel, who are instruments of Satan.

Thus Saint Chrysostom says: "What these words of the Apostle mean will be determined by itself when we discover who the afflicter is and who the angel of Satan is. Some said that this meant a certain headache produced by the devil. But this is impossible. Paul's body could not have been delivered into the hands of the devil, because the devil himself yielded to Paul at his command alone. Paul appointed laws and limits for him when, for example, he delivered the fornicator to him for the destruction of the flesh, and the devil did not dare to transgress them.

What, then, does what is said mean? Satan in Hebrew means adversary. Holy Scripture, in the Third Book of Kings, also calls opponents by this name (3 Kgs 5:4). Narrating about Solomon, it says: 'There was no satan in his days,' that is, no rival who would war against him or trouble him.

Therefore the Apostle's words have this meaning: God did not will that our preaching spread without hindrance, wishing to humble our high opinion of ourselves, but allowed adversaries to attack us. This was sufficient to cast down proud thoughts, while a headache could not have done this.

Thus by the angel of Satan he means Alexander the coppersmith, the associates of Hymenaeus and Philetus, and all the opponents of the word. They entered into disputes and fought against him, threw him into prison, beat him, and dragged him about. For they were doing the works of Satan.

Just as Sacred Scripture calls the Jews sons of the devil because they emulated his works, so it calls every opponent an angel of Satan. Therefore the words, 'there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, that it might buffet me,' do not mean that God Himself armed the opponents, or punished and restrained the Apostle through them. May this not be. They mean only that He permitted and allowed them for a time."

Theophylact also resolves the question: why is it said "an angel of Satan" when there were many who rose up? "Why did the Apostle not say 'angels of Satan,' but 'angel'? Because in each place one particular adversary usually rose up against Paul and stirred up the people against him, and the rest rose up at his instigation.

Or, what is much better, the Apostle called the very matter itself an angel of Satan. That is, the opposition to the preaching and the causing of calamities for the preachers." Theodoret says: "By the angel of Satan he meant insults, mockeries, and popular uprisings."

Some understood the words, "lest I be exalted," to mean, lest I be glorified by men. But Paul does not say this here, although he said something like it above. Rather, he says precisely this: lest I become vainglorious, for he too was a man.

So say Theodoret, Oecumenius, Saint John of Damascus, Ambrosiaster, and also Photius in Oecumenius.

Now you see that Satan readily receives authority from the servants of God, but he does not possess it by right of ownership. Therefore we must know that persecution comes from the devil, from whom evil comes, and this evil constitutes persecution. Neither can persecution exist without the evil of the devil, nor can the testing of faith exist without persecution. The evil needed for the testing of faith is not the cause of persecution, but only its instrument. The will of God for the testing of faith precedes persecution, and in this lies the meaning of persecution. After this follows the evil of the devil as the instrument of persecution, and in this lies the meaning of the testing. In other respects also, evil, insofar as it opposes righteousness, bears witness to what it opposes. Thus one may say that righteousness is perfected by injustice, as strength is perfected through infirmities. "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong" (1 Cor 1:27). Even evil can lead to the glorification of righteousness, if it is put to shame.