2 Corinthians 12:9
Bible verses · Also called: 2 Cor 12:9, 2 Corinthians 12:9, My grace is sufficient for thee, Thorn in the flesh, My strength is made perfect in weakness
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And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
In this verse the Lord answers Paul, who had prayed three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." It is a classic text on grace amid suffering and weakness, and it is also cited in discussions of divine healing and answered prayer.
Context
In Corinth there were the so-called "very chiefest apostles" (11:5), who boasted of their eloquence and spiritual experiences and disparaged the apostleship of Paul. Saying that he has been compelled to boast, Paul describes being caught up to the third heaven (12:1-4) and then explains that "a thorn in the flesh" was given to him so that he would not be exalted above measure because of that revelation (v. 7). He besought the Lord three times to remove it but received the answer recorded in verse 9, and so he concludes, "when I am weak, then am I strong" (v. 10).
Interpretation
- As a theology of weakness: The verse is read as a summary of the overarching theme of 2 Corinthians, namely that God's power is displayed not through human strength but through weakness. Unlike his opponents, Paul boasts of his weaknesses.
- As one way God answers prayer: Paul's prayer was not answered in the way he desired, yet it was answered not with a refusal but with greater grace. Some read it alongside Jesus' threefold prayer in Gethsemane (Mark 14:35-39).
Debates and Issues
Because Scripture does not identify the "thorn in the flesh," it has been the subject of much speculation. Proposals include an eye ailment (based on Galatians 4:13-15), an illness such as epilepsy, a speech impediment, persistent opponents (based on the use of "thorns" in Numbers 33:55), and spiritual temptation, but none can be established with certainty.
Pentecostal churches that emphasize divine healing tend to regard the thorn not as an illness but as persecution or opposition, and they maintain that God's healing of sickness is the norm. Others cite the verse as grounds for holding that remaining unhealed can also fall within God's grace. The verse is also used to refute the claim that all suffering stems from a lack of faith.
In Korean Churches
The verse is frequently cited in the testimonies of believers with disabilities or chronic illnesses and at prayer meetings for the sick, and a worship song with the same title is widely sung.
Related Passages
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
- 2 Corinthians 4:7
- Galatians 4:13-14
- Philippians 4:13
See also 6
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