Re: 2Cor 12:7 The thorn in the flesh and the messenger of Satan.

From: Don Wilkins (dwilkins@ucr.campus.mci.net)
Date: Tue Dec 08 1998 - 19:48:19 EST


At 05:19 PM 12/8/98 -0800, Bill W. Rodgers wrote:
>Ian E. Rock wrote:
>>
>> 2Cor.12:7 - KAI TH UPERBOLH TWN APOKALUYEWN. DIO INA MH UPERAIRWMAI,
>> EDOQH MOI SKOLOY TH SARKI, AGGELOS SATANA, INA ME KOLAFIZH, INA MH
>> UPERAIRWMAI.
>>
>> What did Paul mean when he spoke of "SKOLOY TH SARKI, AGGELOS SATANA"?
>> Are they the same, with the same purpose? Or was the thorn to keep him
>> from being too elated, while the messenger was just to harrass him? Can
>> we justify claims then that the thorn was an impediment located in his
>> physical body? Do we have any instances in Hellenistic literature where
>> these terms are used? And is the meeting in Paul the same as in these
>> external references? I was told that the TLG could provide some of this
>> information, but I do not have access to it in Barbados, (Codrington
>> College). Your inputs and assistance greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Regards
>> Ian E. Rock
>> Ordinand
>> Codrington College
>> St. John, Barbados, West Indies
>>
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>Ian: I did a quick search of the TLG and could only find SKOLOY and
>SARX used together in Galen, the medical writer, and one of his
>imitators. In every case they are using the phrase in a literal sense.
>The phrase occurs in many of the early church writers, but they are
>quoting 2Cor 12:7. There is a figurative use of SKOLOY by itself in
>the LXX of Ez. 28:24.
>
>As for AGGELOS SATANA, the phrase seems to be restricted to early church
>writers.
>
>I think Paul might have been referring to some kind of physical ailment,
>but I think it rather more likely he was referring to some type of
>spiritual "satanic message" which was as painful as any literal "thorn
>in the flesh."
>--
>======================================================
>Bill W. Rodgers e-mail: billfred@erols.com

Kudos to Bill for doing the TLG searches. The concept may have come rather
from Jewish sources. In the Talmud there are a number of references to
thorns, and the Mishnah says that one can use a small needle on the Sabbath
to remove a thorn (Shab. 17.1). There are also particular demons mentioned,
and some are said to cause blindness and diseases of the eye. Connecting
these ideas may be a bit superficial, but it could support the common notion
that Paul is referring to a demon who caused him some sort of eye trouble
and was in effect a "thorn in the flesh".

Don Wilkins

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