I was asked a question. Why wasnt Paul healed.

[HAZARD]

Wayn222e asked a question, "Why wasn't Paul healed.

Hi Wayne222

Because he wasn't sick. 

2 Cor. 12:7, 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.

Pauls thorn in the flesh was the "messenger, and angel of Satan>"This angel followed Paul and buffeted him when he was tempted to become exalted. Paul lists in 11:23-27 some of the things that this angel caused him to go through to keep him humble. There is not one disease in the whole list.

2 Cor. 11:  23, Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

    24, Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

    25, Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

    26, In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

    27, In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

[missmuffet]

Many will not be healed of their pain and suffering physically and mentally while on this earth.Paul had a "thorn in his side" and yes this was a physical burden. God did not heal Paul because he did not want him to become conceited. He wanted to keep him humble. Paul learned that God's "power is made perfect in weakness". God has a purpose for pain and suffering and His grace is sufficient.

[Guest shiloh357]

15 minutes ago, HAZARD said:

Wayn222e asked a question, "Why wasn't Paul healed.

Hi Wayne222

Because he wasn't sick. 

2 Cor. 12:7, 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.

Pauls thorn in the flesh was the "messenger, and angel of Satan>"This angel followed Paul and buffeted him when he was tempted to become exalted. Paul lists in 11:23-27 some of the things that this angel caused him to go through to keep him humble. There is not one disease in the whole list.

2 Cor. 11:  23, Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

    24, Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

    25, Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

    26, In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

    27, In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

Paul was stoned and left for dead in his first missionary journey.   The way a person was stoned was they were tied down to the ground and the first stone to be used weighed 70-100 lbs.   That stone was tossed upon the head of the victim in order to immediately crush the head.   The other stones were pretty much a formality as the victim was dead on the first blow.

Paul survived the stoning but would have suffered head trauma similar to how a person who has been in car accident and has incurred blunt force trauma to the head by hitting windshield.  Often they have a "tick" or some other disability, such as poor eyesight and other problems that pretty much stay with them the rest of their lives.

Paul's head trauma would have been pretty extensive and he would have never fully recovered from it.  Add to that the beatings, and the floggings and having to spend weeks in prison cells full of urine and feces, rats, getting infected because of his wounds as a result of those dank conditions, and Paul would not have been an impressive person to look at.   He would been sick, disabled in various ways, scarred up  and scabbed up and then add to that the extreme undernourishment of Roman prisons (they did not feed the prisoners), and Paul had quite a bit going against him. 

Paul was not in the best of health in his ministry.  But that was by design.  The very conditions that Paul's enemies thought disqualified him as an apostle, were the very proof of his apostleship and calling.  No one who was not convinced he was called would not have gone through what Paul did, and remain faithful to the ministry.

[HAZARD]

1 hour ago, missmuffet said:

Many will not be healed of their pain and suffering physically and mentally while on this earth.Paul had a "thorn in his side" and yes this was a physical burden. God did not heal Paul because he did not want him to become conceited. He wanted to keep him humble. Paul learned that God's "power is made perfect in weakness". God has a purpose for pain and suffering and His grace is sufficient.

Paul lists in 2 Cor. 11:23-27 some of the things that this angel caused him to go through to keep him humble. There is not one disease in the whole list.

[missmuffet]

18 minutes ago, HAZARD said:

Paul lists in 2 Cor. 11:23-27 some of the things that this angel caused him to go through to keep him humble. There is not one disease in the whole list.

The Bible tells us that Paul suffered a "thorn in the side" so we trust God's word. We do not question it. The Bible is silent on what Paul suffered. We need to accept that.

[HAZARD]

24 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

The Bible tells us that Paul suffered a "thorn in the side" so we trust God's word. We do not question it. The Bible is silent on what Paul suffered. We need to accept that.

Pauls thorn in the flesh had nothing to do with sickness or disease, it was A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN to buffet me, LEST I SHOULD BE EXAULTED ABOVE MEASURE. 

 

2 Cor. 12:6-7,   v. 6, 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.

v. 7, And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given me A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN to buffet me, LEST I SHOULD BE EXAULTED ABOVE MEASURE. 

[missmuffet]

53 minutes ago, HAZARD said:

Pauls thorn in the flesh had nothing to do with sickness or disease, it was A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN to buffet me, LEST I SHOULD BE EXAULTED ABOVE MEASURE. 

 

2 Cor. 12:6-7,   v. 6, 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.

v. 7, And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given me A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN to buffet me, LEST I SHOULD BE EXAULTED ABOVE MEASURE. 

We do not know what the thorn in the side was that Paul had to deal with. The Bible is silent on that. We need to respect when the Bible is silent on a topic. God would tell us if he wanted us to know.

[HAZARD]

5 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

We do not know what the thorn in the side was that Paul had to deal with. The Bible is silent on that. We need to respect when the Bible is silent on a topic. God would tell us if he wanted us to know.

Paul himself tells us what the thorn in his flesh was in 2 Cor. 12, v.7.

v. 7, And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given me A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN to buffet me, LEST I SHOULD BE EXAULTED ABOVE MEASURE. 

[missmuffet]

5 minutes ago, HAZARD said:

Paul himself tells us what the thorn in his flesh was in 2 Cor. 12, v.7.

v. 7, And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given me A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN to buffet me, LEST I SHOULD BE EXAULTED ABOVE MEASURE. 

No,that does not tell you what the disorder was that Paul suffered.

[MorningGlory]

IMO, speculating as to the nature of Paul's 'thorn in the side' is futile. If God wanted us to know He would have let us know.  To me it seems as though the Lord wanted us to consider that Paul DID have this affliction and ministered to others in spite of it rather than focus on the affliction itself.