Monday, August 1, 2011

Some More Thoughts On Paul's Thorn

II Cor 6:-10-For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: 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.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.



The traditional way this passage is taught is that paul was recieving so much revelation that He (God) had to give Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble.But there is no way that can be the truth cause it just doesn't line up with other scriptures and of course we know that the scriptures can't be broken.The way to interpet scripture is with other scripture.When you look at this in light of other principles in the word it begins to take on a great picture of those principles working.
   1.Mk 4-The sower sows the word and satan comes to take it away.This is very clear in this situation.Why did the messenger come?Because of the abundance of the REVELATIONS or WORD sown in his heart!To keep him from being exalted above what that revelation would exalt above the things of the world.It wasn't God trying to keep him humble it was the devil doing what he does,keeping us from getting things we don't know about.
      II Pet 1:2-4-Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
    Knowledge of His promises will bring us grace(The devine influnence on the heart (spirit) that is reflected in the life) that will make us a partaker of the devine nature.Now did Jesus have any problem with the devil,NO.Nowhere in the word does He tell us to pray and He will handle the devil for us.He already has and we are his joint heirs.Ja 4:7 says if WE resist the devil he will flee from us.Jesus was telling him that he (Paul) was enough like Himself (Jesus),because of the things he revealed to him,to take care of the devil in that situation.
    Whatever weakness situation that we are in,the grace we recieve will deliver us out of.
    One time they were going to stone Jesus and he just walked right though the middle of them.
    Another thought,how is the devil being allowed in our life going to make us more like Jesus?
     Paul was humble,he even stopped saying all the great things that happen to him so they wouldn't thing he was anything out of the ordinary.Ja 4:6.7 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
     For Paul to stand up and resist the devil and God say "not this time" He would have to destory Himself and we could NEVER stand on a promise because of that statement in the back of our minds  "not this time".
Heb 6:16-20-For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
 There is no debate about it.If God said it we can EXPECT it,hope there means to expect.God didn't just say things and then wait to see if that was what He was wanting.His will is his word and it is forever settled in heaven,where Jesus is the High Preist of it,and in earth where we can depend on it.

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