Many
have heard of the Apostle Paul. Many have read of his exploits for the Lord if
they have read the book of Acts and the letters to Corinth, Thessalonia,
Philippi, and yes Galatia!Of the
passage found in Acts 9:10-13 Ananias has been told to go to the specific
street called Straight and to inquire at the house of Judas for one called
Saul of Tarsus, for behold he is praying.
Of the
word given by the Lord through Ananias to Saul, in verse 15 speaks this: “Go,
for he is a chosen vessel of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles, kings
and the children of Israel.”
But
Saul called Paul in Acts 13:9 did not get into alignment with the Lord till we
read of him in Acts 18. Reading in Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed
from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila,
born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla
(because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came
to them. Yes a lot of activity occurred for Paul. A eureka moment happened when
Paul would meet up with this couple to form a team for God’s purposes! These
three have shown up in Corinth. It was the place where the lowest of the low
would live. This Corinth was totally destroyed by the Romans by
their really rebellious behavior. The men who inhabited here were submitted to
the lusts of the flesh and violence!
Corinth
was home to the most rebellious, those who destroyed whatever they came into contact
with including other people’s lives. So leveled by Rome, it is some years later
that rebuilding is going on by Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. Of course being a
wilderness area now, it was Caesar who organized groups of men go in to live
there for a “gift” or even for “a reward” just set up a base port to
live from that area for those involved in regard to shipping and the such for port activity. So it was
many sailors and military that sought that extra incentive to go to Corinth. Do
you know any heading to Corinth right now? Let’s say: that incentive for a
lottery, free ice cream or that free beer? And I am not here talking about any
military people but only those who submit to fleshly things.
As
with any new establishment, the roughest of the rough men came to call Corinth
home. Again, on its trajectory with sinful lusts, this community would have its
brothels to accommodate all those men. Their drinking abilities would be
mentioned on foreign ports. One such greeting or testifying statement was that
if any man showed up drunk, he was not called a “drunk” but a Corinthian! Now,
that is gaining the wrong kind of notoriety!
So
here you have Paul appearing to meet up with Aquila and his wife Priscilla. A
team has been formed. But did not God tell that word to Paul that he
was to go before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel….and in
that order!
But
Paul had tried time and again to go to the Jews first! He encountered the Jew
Bar-Jesus in Paphos, a false prophet( Acts 13). In Acts 13: we are told that
John Mark has left the team of Barnabas and Saul. In verse 13 Now when Paul and
his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia and John,
departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.
After
John Mark deserted the work and returned to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas proceeded
about 100 miles inland, passing through Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia. The
towns mentioned in this tour are the Pisidian Antioch, where Paul delivered his
first address of which we have any record that is found in
Acts13:16-51. Returning by the same route to see and encourage the
converts they had made, they ordained elders in every city to watch over the
churches which had been gathered and then they sailed from Perga directly for
Antioch, from which they had set out.
In
Acts 14:1 he and Barnabas went to the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a
great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 2 But
unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against
brethren. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the
Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and
wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the multitude of the city was divided:
Part sided with the Jews, and part with the Apostles. 5 And when a
violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to
abuse and stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and
Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.
In
Acts 15 there is the division over John Mark. Verse 36: then after some days
Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city
where w have preached the word of the Lord and we can see
how they are doing.” 37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John
Mark. 38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had
departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. 39
Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so
Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed,
being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. 41 And he went through
Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches.
Here
we see that Paul and Barnabas are separated, and never again will meet! But we
do know that Paul, however, afterwards speaks with honor of Barnabas, and sends
for Mark to come to him at Rome found in Colossians 4:10 and 2 Timothy 4:11! .
Paul
took with him Silas, instead of Barnabas, and began his second missionary
journey about 51 A.D. This time he went by land, revisiting the
churches he had already founded in Asia. But he longed to enter into
"regions beyond," and still went forward through Phrygia and Galatia
(16:6). Contrary to his intention, he was constrained to linger in Galatia, on
account of some bodily affliction we see in Galatians 4:13-14. From
those verses: You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel
to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise
or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Taken
from that “thorn in the flesh” we see in 2 Corinthians 12:7. And lest I should
be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelation , a thorn in the
flesh was given to me, a messenger of satan to buffet me; lest I be exalted
above measure.
That
“thorn in the flesh” is a person! Yes, there are those who
have taught that it was some kind of sickness. But they are wrong!
Check the Scriptures for yourself!
In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
gives the terminology of glorifying in infirmities. This does not been mean
sickness. Reading 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NKJV And He said to me, “My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore
most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak,
then I am strong.
If you
will now take a look at 2 Corinthians 11:30, Paul uses the exact terminology of
“glorying in infirmities” that is used just a few verses later in speaking
about this thorn. In his writing of this letter to the church in Corinth, we
find in the eleventh chapter he had just finished listing what those infirmities
were. And those Paul listed in verses 23-29: as imprisonment, stripes,
shipwrecks, & being stoned; & not one of these even speaks of sickness.
Verse
27 mentions weakness and painfulness, which some have tried to make mean
sickness, but it is just as possible he could have been weary and suffered
painfulness from such things as being stoned and left for dead as one can see
by reading Acts 14:19.
Because
Acts 11:26-27 mentions, in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of
robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils
in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among
false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness---
All
these things listed in 2 Corinthians 11 refer to persecutions as infirmities.
So, in context, Paul’s thorn was a demonic angel or put another way, a
messenger sent by Satan which continually stirred up persecution against him.
The Thorn is a person!
We can see this also from
the Old Testament. In reference you will see it in Numbers 33:55: but
if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it
shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and
thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell., Joshua
23:13 …13 know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out
these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you and
scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good
land which the LORD your God has given you. and Judges 2:3
Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be
thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you. It is people
spoken of as being “ thorns in your sides and thorns in your eyes.
For
it is people who have their false ‘gods’ they worship! From this Judges 2 and
verse 3: God’s continual driving them out was on the condition that His people
obeyed His voice and were the obedient!
So in Paul’s asking, he asked the Lord to remove persecution from him, not
sickness, and the Lord told him His grace was sufficient. We are not the
redeemed from persecution. Jesus said it He did not come to bring peace on the
earth but division. And it is seen daily from His walk here on earth to this
very day.
Persecution is evident when you have someone trying to push their agenda on you
when there is no place for it. Many a wealthy person has used their wealth as a
tool to harass others. And our Father God knows those who are the oppressed
today!
Again it was Paul who later stated that when he said in 2 Timothy 3:12, “All
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Most gladly,
therefore, he gloried in persecutions, reproaches, necessities, and distresses
that the power of Christ might rest upon him (2 Cor. 12:9).
Here this word “glory” is an old English word. It has the meaning of having
dominion over or to command others. It is used in Exodus 8:9 where Moses told
Pharaoh to glory over him, or command him, when to destroy the frogs. So when
Paul spoke of glorying in these infirmities or persecutions, he was speaking of
victory even in the midst of that continual
harassment. And you remember what Pharaoh said to Moses, right? And you
know that Pharaoh asked Moses to take away the frogs, right? Here in Exodus 8:
8 then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “entreat the LORD that He
may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people
go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the
honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your
people. To destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in
the river only.” 10 So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according
to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD
our God.
Yes,
did you catch that: Pharaoh wanted the “frogs” gone tomorrow!
Jesus came to set captives free. He relieves the oppressed: the widow and the
orphan. Jesus came to make whole those who were the oppressed of the devil. We
have been given power over the enemy: Satan. Healing was the children’s bread,
but they refused Jesus. And in turn they saw their great city come to one great
ruin!
In Paul’s life before his true obedience to the Father, he was stoned and left
for dead in Acts 14:19. But yes, God raised him up and the next day the man
walked at least some twenty miles to start preaching again. The persecution did
not end.
In teachings we have seen Paul stoned to death and the next morning move to
preach some more. But what about those who stoned him? What was their thought
of the whole situation? Did they try to explain why he was still living when he
had rocks that hit him the size of a watermelon or some such object that they
might compare it to! Most certainly, the bruises would still be seen. Those
places opened by sharp rocks to the skin would appear to yell for that a need
of help and some type or medicine. Yes, the natural was seen by the stoning
done, but also that supernatural strength would appear….that of God flowing
through him: For when I am weak, then am I strong (verse 10)
Be cautious of what you submit to, to what you bow down to for Scripture tells
us to SUBMIT TO GOD… …RESIST the devil and he will flee from you.(James 4:7) We
are to resist actively, and resist the enemy while we are being submitted to God. It is His
truth that guides us.
If you submit to fast speeds and there are speed bumps in the road, then
understand and be no fool, you will do something to your vehicle. Or if you
still try to go outside that which is lawful, you could still run sixty m.p.h.
around that speed bump and hit a pedestrian which could cause you much money
and much jail time. If you choose to take something to get people
off your back, understand that you are submitting to thorns.
Obedience is what is required to following the Lord. He will allow us to go and
to do, but it is for His purpose and to His glory we are sent
to see His power come in our lives! Our boasting is in Him… where forgiveness
to others is a part of our lifestyle and that we overcome by His blood and the
word of our testimony!
Persecution is evident when you have someone trying to push their agenda on you
when there is no place for it. Many a wealthy person has used their wealth as a
tool to harass others. Persecution comes from those with thorns. And sometimes you might seem
to be in a brier patch with some stinging going on, but in the reality you are
encountering those who are without God!
For God will never send you to badger another. In the genuine people, you will
see those who want to worship God, to glorify Him and understand that He is the
Sustainer with His wisdom and power to help us walk through His plan for us on
earth!
Paul was experiencing the “gutter” when he entered Corinth. He encountered
those to whom he was sent. To us who live in America, we would see it as the
young man going out west where the new land was going to be settled in the
1800’s – 1900’s. And most of the time, the corrupt men had already put down
some roots in the wild, wild west!
Yes, Paul was told to go to the Gentiles and Paul was not comfortable with
them. He was only comfortable with his peeps the Jews! But he ended up in a
world of hurt. Certainly the word of God went out and people were added but
many wounds were had by Paul and those with him. For a man or woman, that
alignment is costly when not set right with God!
Out of alignment proves to us much like when you see your vehicle is out of
alignment. Many cars and trucks have hit a small rock or several in the roadway
that have that average size of a small cantaloupe to a really large watermelon
that has wiggled its way from a high, secure place to only to fall the
length of the cliffs to the roadway down below at Cape Horn!
Many
a driver, has either had their windshield knocked out suddenly or else they
find the debris in the road could not be maneuvered around! When there is
debris in the roadway, one can find their tires no longer in balance or else
they are shredded and their vehicle’s suspension once aligned is now running at
an angle on the roadway which is not good for the tires nor for the suspension
to do for a long period of time.
(Yes,
have you been behind a truck or SUV that seems to going past you by
passing to move into the right lane in front of you, but their vehicle appears
to moving at angle to the roadway? If so, than at some time on their
road trip, the driver of the SUV evidently hit something going sixty
miles or faster to cause that alignment to shift!
Yes, for Paul, of the word given by the Lord through Ananias to Saul, in verse
15 speaks this: “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine, to bear My name before
the Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel.”
We are to obey the Lord in the instructions He gives us! What is listed first
is the first thing to be done: Gentiles. And there are no “ifs”, “ands”
nor “buts” about it!
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