What was the Apostle Paul's' thorn in the flesh?

Question

He said he had one.
Was he getting whacked at?

Answer 1

Paul writes at Galatians 4:

12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.

You may recall that Paul was knocked off his horse on the road to Damascus and blinded. Although he was miraculously given his sight back, it's evident from the passage above that he was not given perfect sight. This is the thorn in his flesh. It's important to note that blindness (either total or partial) was dispised in those days (see verse 14). However, Paul compliments the Galatians for overlooking this and freely receiving the gospel.

Answer 2

Church tradition suggest that Paul's thorn was an illness which Father God did not see fit to heal. Some early church writers describe something close to malaria. You would need to access sources from the Vatican library to see this. Tertulian was quoted to me as well as Augustine although he was much later.

Answer 3

To tell you the truth, the Bible doesn't say what his problem was. Most people just speculate.

Answer 4

it was heartburn