What does 2 Corinthians 12:8 mean?
One of the oldest and most heinous lies told about the gospel is that religion brings earthly success (1 Timothy 6:3–5). Prosperity teachers and faith healers routinely claim any sickness and struggle can be eliminated by those with enough faith. There is absolutely zero scriptural support for this view; passages such as this prove exactly the opposite. Even the most faithful, sincere, and committed Christian is not immune from hardship, whether that's through persecution (John 15:19) or natural ills (2 Corinthians 5:2–6). Neither sin nor lack of faith is necessary to experience difficult times (John 9:1–3).Among the dangers of the "word of faith" approach is this inevitable disappointment. False teachers tell converts that Christianity means health, wealth, and prosperity. When that promise falls apart, their followers either blame themselves, or they blame their warped perception of the faith. That leads to discouragement, at best, and apostasy, at worst. Christ's own warning about earthly struggles was meant explicitly to avoid this (John 16:33).
Paul's experience involves some unknown "thorn / stake in the flesh." This could have been anything from a physical condition, to emotional distress, to a harassing temptation. It would be absurd to claim Paul lacked faith, and yet he suffered. This thing, whatever it was, was obviously uncomfortable. It likely slowed down Paul's ministry, at least from his point of view. He even prayed—"pleading" with God three times—and that request was denied.
Paul reveals in the following verse that God refused to remove this from his life. It was God's will that Paul endure this. The reason is one Paul may only have fully understood once he realized his prayer would not be granted. The comment made at the end of verse 7 gives God's motivation: to keep Paul humble.
Second Corinthians 12:1–10 contains Paul's description of an astonishing experience. He was transported, in some sense, to the third heaven or paradise, where he received an unspeakable revelation from God. To keep him humble afterwards, God gave him a ''thorn in the flesh'' and refused to remove it despite Paul's pleas. Instead, God told Paul His grace was more than enough, and that His power was made perfect in Paul's weakness. Paul declares once again that he will boast in his weakness and be content in his suffering—because when Paul is weak, it more clearly proves that Christ is powerful.
With as much humility as possible, Paul describes an astounding experience. He was caught up to the ''third heaven'' and received a revelation from God that he cannot reveal on earth. He refuses to brag about it, but mentions it in order to introduce the consequences of that experience. To keep Paul humble, God gave him a ''thorn in the flesh,'' some malady which the Bible does not explicitly explain. Paul has learned to be content in his suffering since God's power is made perfect in his weakness. He chastises the Corinthians for not commending him since they know him. He defends himself against a charge of crafty swindling, and he expresses concern that he will find some still living in sin when he arrives in Corinth.
