Three times Paul besought the Lord that the “thorn” might depart from him; his action reminds us of the Lord’s thrice-uttered prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-47), just before His betrayal. In the Lord’s prayer we see the fullest submission, as before Him was the awful suffering of Calvary, climaxed by His being forsaken of God (Luke 22:41-45; Heb. 5:7-8).
The trial about which the apostle had prayed—the thorn in his flesh for whose removal he asked, must have been something that he felt might interfere with his preaching.
“But ye know that in weakness of the flesh I announced the glad tidings to you at the first; and my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye did not slight nor reject with contempt; but ye received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What then was your blessedness? for I bear you witness that, if possible, plucking out your own eyes ye would have given them to me.” (JND)
We have such bad hearts that when God does not give what we ask for in prayer, the heart being much set upon having its desire, we may even rebel against the unsearchable wisdom that says “No!” to our desire. It was not so with the apostle; let it never be so with us who rejoice in the same precious Saviour and Lord.
“And He said to me, My grace suffices thee; for My power is perfected in weakness” (verse 9, JND). No accidental circumstance was the “thorn,” but part of the purpose of the Lord for the good of His servant, and for our blessing, if we are able and willing to learn by the trials of other saints. The grace of the Lord Jesus is enough to fill the believer’s heart with rapture. Most of the epistles close with the desire that that grace be with those addressed, and we may with profit turn to many Scriptures which tell of this wondrous theme; among them are 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 1:19-26; 2:1-11; 3:7-14; Col. 1:9-27; 2 Tim. 2:1.
“Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may dwell upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in straits, for Christ; for when I am weak then I am powerful.” (verses 9-10, JND).
“Most gladly”—this is not the language of disappointment, but rather of one who has learned his Master’s will, and delights in it. And thoroughly had the lesson been learned. Paul’s weaknesses or infirmities (what was contrary to the strength of men, like his being lowered in a basket over the wall of Damascus) he would boast in, in order that the power of Him whom he served might dwell upon him.
Christian, cannot you and I learn deeply for ourselves here, as we pause to think of this pattern saint in circumstances which made nothing of self; of his applying day by day in himself the lesson he had learned in the matter of his thorn? O that much more of Christ and correspondingly less of self shall henceforth be seen in us in our ways and conversation! Little do most of us know practically of what the apostle in verse 10, wrote, summing up the frequent experiences of his path as “weaknesses,” “insults,” “necessities,” “persecutions,” “straits,” for Christ; concerning all of which he could say that he took pleasure in them, for, said he, “when I am weak, then I am powerful.” Blessed man!
What an insight into the life of the apostle we have gained through the forced testimony from his pen that these chapters have contained!
“I have become a fool; ye have compelled me; for I ought to have been commended by you; for I have been nothing behind those who were in surpassing degree apostles, if also I am nothing. The signs indeed of the apostle were wrought among you in all endurance, signs and wonders, and works of power” (verses 11-12, JND). There had been ample proof of an apostolic ministry during Paul’s years at Corinth, but if saints of God do not walk as becomes saints, that most blessed ministry of Christ will be without its proper effect.
“For in what is it that ye have been inferior to the other assemblies, unless that I myself have not been in laziness a charge upon you? Forgive me this injury. Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be in laziness a charge, for I do not seek yours, but you, for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. Now I shall most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls, if even in abundantly loving you I should be less loved” (verses 13-15, JND).
Thus the affections of the new nature in the apostle continued to flow, and would continue, with undiminished service for these saints whose worldly ways had given him much grief. Their low spiritual state appears again in the verses that follow. Paul, they said, did not himself burden them, but being crafty he took them by guile, so that through Titus or others, he might profit from the Corinthians. The charge was utterly false (verses 16-18).
“Ye have long been supposing” (or ye have of old supposed) “that we excuse ourselves to you; we speak before God in Christ, and all things, beloved, for your building up. For I fear lest perhaps coming I find you not such as I wish, and that I be found by you such as ye do not wish; lest (there might be) strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, evil speakings, whisperings, puffings up, disturbances; lest my God should humble me as to you when I come again, and that I shall grieve over many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented as to the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practiced” (verses 19-21, JND).
With this solemn foreboding, the chapter closes, and the Epistle draws near to its end. Unsparingly sin had been dealt with in the First Epistle, and many had humbled themselves as a result, but a deep work remained to be done, and the Lord’s servant warned those who had sinned before, and had not repented. There must be no compromise with sin where Christ is owned as Lord and Saviour.