Paul’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, hints in Paul’s letters, similarities with Jesus’s suffering, and the attempts of the earliest Christian interpreters. Berding offers twenty criteria—some familiar, others neglected—that any proposals 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, including Berding’s own health struggles.
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.
280 pages.
- Introduction
- Why We’re Skeptical
- What Others Think
- Clues from the Historical Context
- Clues from the Book of Job
- Clues from the Literary Context (Part 1)
- Clues from the Literary Context (Part 2)
- Clues from the Literary Context (Part 3)
- Clues from the Suffering of Jesus
- Clues from Irenaeus and Tertullian
- Clues from Galatians
- Layered and Less-Likely Connections
- Pulling it All Together
- Comparing Positions
- Face to Face with a Partial Solution
- A Fuller Portrait of Paul
Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem is in the following collections:
