What Was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?

One of the more mysterious and debated passages in the New Testament is found in 2

Corinthians 12:7, where it talks about Paul's thorn in the flesh.

2 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV)

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

What exactly was Paul referring to?

Scholars and Bible readers have long pondered and debated the meaning of this thorn.

In this post, we will explore two commonly held interpretations.

After considering the each, I encourage you to study further and prayerfully reflect on where this examination leads you.

Two Possible Interpretations for Paul's Thorn in the Flesh

1. Physical Ailment or Sickness

One common interpretation is that Paul’s thorn was a physical affliction.

Some suggest it could have been poor eyesight, migraines, epilepsy, or a chronic illness.

This view finds support in verses like Galatians 4, where Paul mentions a bodily ailment:

Galatians 4:13–15

13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.

Proponents of this view argue that a debilitating physical issue would serve as a humbling reminder of human weakness—fitting Paul’s explanation that the thorn kept him from becoming conceited.

2. Persecution from People (A Thorn of Opposition)

This second view I believe aligns most clearly with Scripture is that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was the persecution he experienced from people.

Throughout his ministry, Paul was frequently opposed, attacked, beaten, and imprisoned.

This interpretation draws strong support from the Old Testament use of the metaphor "thorn in the side," which consistently referred to human adversaries.

Numbers 33:55

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell.

Here, God warns the Israelites that if they fail to drive out the pagan nations from Canaan, the remaining inhabitants would become constant sources of irritation and trouble.

The “thorns” are not illnesses, but actual people—enemies who resist God's people and bring harm.

The consequence of disobedience was not a vague internal struggle but real, external conflict.

Joshua 23:13

know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you.

This passage not only restates the earlier warning but adds to it.

The language becomes more vivid, describing the nations as a snare, trap, whip, and thorns.

These are all physical, relational images.

The people who remained would ensnare Israel through military pressure and through cultural and spiritual compromise.

These thorns are clearly people who cause external distress and spiritual hindrance.

Judges 2:3

So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.

In this context, God speaks after the Israelites repeatedly disobey Him by not removing the pagan nations as instructed.

As a consequence, God declares that He will allow those nations to remain, and they will become thorns—a metaphor for persistent trouble, harassment, and spiritual danger.

Once again, the term "thorns" unmistakably refers to people.

Analyzing Paul's Thorn in the Flesh Meaning

Bringing this understanding into the New Testament, we know from Paul’s letters and the book of Acts that he endured constant opposition from both Jewish and Gentile groups.

He was whipped, stoned, imprisoned, and falsely accused—often in the very cities where he was planting churches.

His sufferings came from people who resisted the gospel and actively sought to silence him.

These repeated and targeted attacks fit well with the Old Testament imagery of adversaries being "thorns" in the sides of God's people.

By referring to a “messenger of Satan,” Paul may be highlighting the spiritual dimension of this persecution—how these human opponents were used by the enemy to try to hinder his mission and discourage his spirit.

But instead of giving in, Paul sought the Lord.

Even when God did not remove the thorn, He gave Paul a greater revelation:

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Conclusion

While there may be debate as to the nature of Paul’s thorn, considering the biblical usage of similar phrases and the apostle’s own experiences, the persecution view stands out as the most consistent with Scripture in my opinion.

Paul’s life was one marked by suffering for the gospel.

He bore the brunt of spiritual warfare through human opposition, yet he remained steadfast, relying not on his own strength but on God’s grace.

Whatever our own thorns may be—whether opposition, hardship, or weakness—we can

take heart in the same truth:

God’s power shines brightest through our trials, and His grace is enough to carry us through.