Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem

Probing the mystery of Satan’s messengerPaul’s enigmatic “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians has baffled interpreters for centuries. Many offer suggestions as to the identity of Satan’s messenger; others despair that the puzzle is unsolvable. In Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem, Kenneth Berding reopens the case. He follows a trail of clues that includes ancient beliefs about curses, details from Paul’s letters, Jesus’s own suffering, and the testimony of the earliest Christian interpreters. Berding offers twenty criteria―some familiar, others neglected―that any proposal must explain. While the usual suspects fall short, Berding suggests a new solution―one that satisfies all the evidence and gives us a fuller view of Paul. Far from an abstract puzzle, Paul’s own suffering is relevant to Christians today.Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh is an accessible study that casts new light on Pauline studies, first–century background, and theological and pastoral concerns.Editorial ReviewsDr. Berding has written an absorbing book about Paul’s thorn in the flesh that not only assists readers in understanding a contested New Testament passage but also prompts us to have a fuller, more human understanding of the great apostle whose life experiences may have been strikingly similar to those of contemporary Christians who suffer from chronic illnesses.Eckhard J. Schnabel, Gordon-Conwell Theological SeminaryWith Churchillian bulldoggedness, Berding has faced a perennial crux of interpretation head on and has succeeded magnificently. Don’t miss this book!David Alan Black, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary