Q

uestion

185

What is the thorn in his side that Paul

describes?

Brandon Gilvin

A.

The short answer to this question is: No one knows.

It’s an interesting turn of phrase. Paul describes a “thorn in his

fl esh.” Given that we live in a post-Freudian world, and given the

preoccupation that Paul has with the term “fl esh” and his use of the term in

relation to issues of sex and sexuality, it’s easy for us to make the connection

between Paul’s claim of suffering and something sexual.

A variety of theories abound. Could Paul be talking about a woman he

fi nds attractive? Could it be that Paul’s feelings for this woman were strong

enough to make him consider settling down and ending his preaching? Was

Paul struggling with repressed homosexual desire? Is this some sort of verbal

self-fl agellation in which he reminds his readers (and himself) that he has no

interest in indulging in his desires for other men?

I’ve personally wondered whether Paul is referring to some sort of geni-

tal infection or venereal disease. Given Levitical preoccupations with bodily

discharge, and even references to infections in the gospels, it is possible.

Paul could also have had a bad hip.

Regardless of whether Paul’s phrase is rooted in actual physical pain, it

serves as an interesting parallel to his theology of the cross. For Paul, Jesus’

crucifi xion didn’t simply take on historical signifi cance; it took on cosmic sig-

nifi cance, and the suffering of Jesus was an act that signifi ed God’s solidarity

with and divine empathy for humanity.

Much of Paul’s rhetoric ties this suffering with the suffering of the early

church under Roman Imperial rule and gives it a redemptive quality. Paul’s

“thorn,” whether truly physical or simply angsty rhetoric, demonstrates that

he sees his suffering as part and parcel of his ministry. It is what prevents him

from becoming too self-congratulatory and keeps his ego in check.

Christian Piatt

A.

No one knows for sure what the thorn was in Paul’s side. Some

speculate he was plagued by addiction or perhaps by some psy-

chological disorder. There are even those who suspect he may have

struggled with his sexuality or that he was possessed by a spirit who tried to

prevent him from carrying out his ministry.

Clearly, Paul was a tormented character, as indicated in the following

Bible verses: