2 Corinthians 12:1–21: When God Leaves the Thorn

The Apostle Paul could not secure relief from the thorn that tormented him. What was this thorn? We don’t really know. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to remove it. The answer was a promise of sufficient grace. Paul’s account confronts the expectation that extraordinary faith should produce an extraordinary escape from weakness. It also reveals the strength by which he continues to spend himself for a congregation that questions his love. What can we say about the love and grace of God when suffering persists even for the faithful?

The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, Indiana, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 12:1–21.

To learn more about Christ Lutheran, visit clc-in.org.

What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.

In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.