C ONCEPTS OF FAITH

pauls thorn
in the
By Charles Capps

1st Quarter 2013

Charles Capps Ministries

Flesh

omeone has so aptly stated that deception wouldnt be so deceiving if it wasnt so deceptive. Pauls thorn in the esh is a deceptive sacred cow, so to speak, that holds many in bondage. Religious ideas about Pauls thorn have caused so many to su er needlessly, believing they were pleasing God. Several years ago, I was in a certain church, having gone there to preach on Sunday morning. I sat in on the pastors Sunday school class. at was the wrong thing to do, because then I didnt feel free to preach what I felt I should preach, for it was going to plow his ground cross-ways. I learned that

everything I had to say was going to be contrary to what he taught. A er hearing what he taught, if I taught against it, I would have caused a lot of confusion. I didnt believe it was wisdom to do that in his church. e Sunday school lesson that day was on the chastening of the Lord. He said the Lord sometimes chastens us with sickness. I said to myself, Self, you are going to behave and mind your own business. But then he started talking about Pauls thorn in the esh. He said, Ive been to several Bible colleges, and no professor has ever been able to tell me what Pauls thorn in the esh was, and no one knows.

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Well, I had stood it about as long as I could, and I said, Would you mind if we take what the Bible says it is? And of course, he agreed. So I turned to II Corinthians 12:7 and read it. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

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be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Jesus said it this way: You make the Word of God of none e ect by the tradition of men. (Matt. 15:6) Following the tradition of men will make the Word of God ine ective in your life. In II Corinthians chapter twelve, we find Pauls account of his revelation and the reason why the messenger of Satan was assigned to him.

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bu et me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (II Cor.12:3-7) e reason Pauls thorn has stuck so many people is because they have assumed that God gave it to him. It is that assumption that has kept them from putting up any resistance to that which Satan has assigned to them. I have heard that Pauls thorn was everything from sore eyeballs to ingrown toenails. But Paul identi ed it as the messenger of Satan to bu et him. It was not sickness, it was not sore eyeballs, or ingrown toenails. And it certainly wasnt blindness, for he was healed of that when Ananias laid hands on him in Acts 9:18. Paul identi ed the thorn as the messenger of Satan. He was dispatched to stir up trouble everywhere Paul preached. Some say, We will never know what Pauls thorn in the esh was as though it were hidden from us. Others say, I dont understand why God wouldnt heal Paul.

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to God. Resist the devil, and he will ee from you. James didnt say that the devil would ee from God. For it was not Gods responsibility to resist him. But the devil will ee from you who are here on earth. So if Paul didnt resist by taking authority over this messenger of Satan then God wouldnt. Let us say it another way, God couldnt if Paul didnt. Jesus couldnt do a thing about it, if Paul didnt act on the authority of Gods Word. e reason why many people dont understand what Pauls thorn in the esh was, is that they believe God gave it to him. But, did you notice, that the Scripture didnt say that God gave Paul the thorn in the esh? It was an angel of the devil who was dispatched to Paul. Yet some Bible commentaries state that God gave Paul a thorn in the esh and it was some sort of sickness or disease to keep Paul humble. And because of that

DECEPTION WOULDNT BE SO DECEIVING IF IT WASNT SO DECEPTIVE.

But he already knew what the Scripture said; he just didnt believe it because it was contrary to what he had been taught. He had been indoctrinated and his mind had been blinded by religious ideas of men. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth,) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine in rmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the esh, the messenger of Satan to

In II Corinthians Paul said: But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (II Cor.11:3) Notice that Paul didnt say, Im afraid, the devil is so great, hes going to defeat us in life. But, I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should

Subtle Deception

RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU

But since Pauls thorn was not sickness or disease, it wasnt a matter of God healing Paul. It was a matter of Paul acting on the authority of Gods Word to defeat the purpose of the messenger of Satan. James 4:7 says, Submit yourselves therefore mentality, they read the Lords answer to Paul, My grace is su cient for thee, and they assume that Jesus said, No Paul, I wont heal you. (II Cor. 12:9) But that wasnt what He said at all. Notice verse seven again, Lest I

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should be exalted above measure there was given to me a thorn in the esh(II Cor. 12:7) Some have thought that Paul had too much pride because of the revelation. So God gave him a thorn in the esh to keep him humble. I dont believe you can nd in Scripture any evidence that God had anything to do with giving Paul a thorn in the esh. God does not give His minister a revelation of His Word and then hinder him from preaching it. at would be totally out of character with God and His Word. e phrase, Lest I should be exalted above measure, is referring to the fact, that if it had not been for the messenger of Satan assigned against Paul to stir up trouble, everywhere he preached, Paul would have been exalted to the point that he could have in uenced the known world with this revelation. But he was not able to preach it freely, for Satan hindered him on every hand.

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preach that revelation? The answer is obvious, God didnt do it but Satan did.

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this revelation. Paul had both revival and a riot almost everywhere he preached. e riot was caused by the angel of the devil sent to stop his message. Antioch is where the persecution started, evidently it was because of the revelation Paul preached.

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themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (II Cor. 11:13-14) One translation says, Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. is word angel is the very same Greek word that is translated

Trouble Started at Antioch

Evidently, this messenger of Satan was assigned to Paul at Antioch. For the Scripture says, the disciples were called Christians rst in Antioch. (Acts 11:26) at is signi cant, because Paul spent one whole year at Antioch preaching the revelation. (v.26) Paul taught this revelation with such e ectiveness that the people began to call them Christians. No doubt, Paul shared the revelation of how the rebirth of the human spirit had caused them to become new creations that never existed before. I believe the preaching of this revelation so exalted Pauls

MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU

In John 11:47-48 when Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, the Pharisees and the chief priests said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him alone, all men will believe on him. In Jesus ministry the Gospel was growing to such measure, until they said everyone was turning to Him. I believe this is what Paul is referring to in essence, Lest I should be exalted above measurethere was given me a thorn in the flesh. He was saying, I would have been exalted above measure through this revelation even to the point that the world would have received this gospel. You may say, Well, I dont know about this thorn in the esh being an angel of the devil. e Bible says, In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. (II Cor. 13:1) So, lets go to the eleventh chapter of II Corinthians. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming messenger in chapter 12, verse 7, where Paul says, there was given to me a thorn in the esh, the messenger of Satan. So Paul is literally saying, ere was assigned to me an angel of the devil to bu et me. e word bu et used here means to strike with a clenched st or an open hand. In other words, it was a steady bu eting, to keep the revelation from being preached. It was not sickness and disease. ere was given to me a thorn in the esh, the messenger of Satan. So, if Paul said his thorn in the esh was an angel of the devil, who are we to say that he was wrong? It was his thorn and he ought to have known what it was.

THE REASON PAULS THORN HAS STUCK SO MANY PEOPLE IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE ASSUMED THAT GOD GAVE IT TO HIM.
Ask yourself this question: Why would God give Paul a revelation of the new birth and assign someone to cause trouble everywhere he went, so he couldnt ministry in the eyes of people that he had the potential of reaching the known world with the Gospel. For that reason Satan assigned an angel of the devil, to bu et Paul and stop

Religious Ideas Deceive

It is amazing that so many religious people say Pauls thorn was

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something other than a messenger of Satan when in the same verse that Paul mentioned it, he plainly stated what the thorn was. It is also interesting that they believe it was God who gave Paul the thorn. But even common sense would tell you God did not send an angel of the devil to bu et Paul. God wanted him to preach that revelation, but the devil wanted to keep him from obeying God. Pauls statement, the messenger of Satan to bu et me in the Interlinear Greek-English New Testament states it this way, that me he might bu et. A personal pronoun is used here in the Greek text. at tells us it was not sickness. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is su cient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my in rmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (II Cor.12:8-9) My Grace is su cient for you. What does that mean? Jesus didnt say, No, Paul, I wont heal you, or, No, Paul, it is not My will for you to be delivered. e Lord said, My grace is su cient for you. In other words, Gods grace was su cient to deliver

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him, but Paul must act on Gods Word and resist the devil. If Paul didnt resist him, he wasnt going to ee. e messenger of Satan was not going to leave unless Paul resisted him. It was not Gods responsibility. It was Pauls responsibility to exercise his God-given authority here on earth. Yet, it was Gods anointing that Paul must rely upon for e ective deliverance.

In this wonderful teaching by Charles Capps you will find out how your mouth can give away your power and authority!

where satan gets his power

Exercise Your Authority

Some of you reading this newsletter need to exercise authority over the messenger of Satan that has been assigned to cause you trouble. ey cause problems in nances, in your physical body and many other situations. Satans goal is to keep you o balance physically, nancially and spiritually so you cannot ful ll your calling. God wants you free, but unless you exercise your authority, nothing will change. e good news is that you have been delivered from the authority of darkness and you are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ. Dont wait six months to act on your God-given authority. Victory is available through acting on Gods Word!

Satan is a defeated foe! Jesus defeated Satan and he has no authority over the believers life. Find out how he deceives you, where he gets his power, and learn how to resist him.

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Finances, work, parenting, and relationships come with all sorts of decisions. Some choices are easy, some take work, and others can come with feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed. In order to stop confessing our self-doubt to friends, or ruminating in our thoughts, we all need to find a way to make our choices with wisdom, speak BreAnne Brue the right words, and move on to living our lives is the daughter instead of dwelling on our past decisions. of Beverly, and James 1:5(NKJV) granddaughter of 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask Charles & Peggy of God, who gives to all liberally and without Capps. Working reproach, and it will be given to him. for Charles Capps The simplicity of the Word of God can bring amazing inspiration. The solution seems Ministries for so obvious, but so life-changing. In moments of nine years, she indecision or restlessness, we must stop and ask is currently the for Gods wisdom, and confess the Word of God Creative Director. that we have put in our hearts. BreAnne and her The most important thing my grandfather has husband Zachary taught me is that the words that come out of our live in Oklahoma mouths are powerful! Instead of speaking about and have a 4 year our troubles, lets start confessing gratitude for Gods wisdom in every decision we make. After spending old daughter and 1 year old son. time studying the Bible, it will be easy to have the words coming out of our mouths be the right ones. John 14:26-27(NKJV) 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Gods wisdom and peace will flood over us when we follow His Word and ask for His help and guidance. When every decision is made from Gods insight there will be no place left for anxiety in our lives. Let us move on with a clear head and peaceful heart knowing we have asked, confessed, and received the wisdom of God.
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all together is not showing an honest face before the world; whether it be because of fear or ego. If any of us were perfect, Jesus would not have needed to make the trip to planet earth! It was my privilege to participate in a seminar on restoring the soul. e honesty of the speakers in sharing their own struggles was in itself very healing. Many of the letters and comments that I received after the seminar said, ank you for your honesty. Thank you for showing how to use our faith for healing that unmentionable area, the emotions. I want to share with you highlights of what I believe to be one of the best teachings that I have done.

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however, every case of emotional distress is not demonic, there are other sources to consider: (1) Your ought Life (I Cor. 10:3-5, Phil. 4:8) Feelings are directly linked to thoughts. When you constantly dwell on the negative, you will be depressed, fearful, and in a bad mood no matter how much you pray and read the Bible. (2) Trauma Or Dysfunction in the Family of Origin Phobias, nightmares, and unreasonable fears can afflict adults as well as children who have experienced abuse or traumatic situations. Loss or traumatic situations can produce depression, fear, physical ailments, or other disorders in adulthood. (3) Heredity & Genetic Predisposition (James 3:6) When the Bible speaks of the sins of the fathers a ecting 4 generations, I believe genetics are involved in making those generations vulnerable to attack in a particular area. Mental weakness can be passed on, but it can also be broken through the power of the tongue and the name of Jesus. (4) Chemical Imbalance Manic depression, schizophrenia,

oday we hear much about recovery. ere are divorce recovery workshops, alcohol & chemical dependency support groups, co-dependency recovery classes. It seems that there is a great emphasis on restoring the soul (mind, will, & emotions) and rightfully so. ere are many, many wounded people even in the church. Maybe I should say, especially in the church.

or physical distress would be considered a faith-failure. Instead of seeking support from the body of Christ, many have kept their pain to themselves, su ering as they keep up a good front. Unfortunately, relationship and marital failures have exploded also. Rather than admit their di culties, many have found it necessary to leave the church because of the judgmental attitudes of their peers and leaders. Jesus taught that our faith in God is to be used to solve all the problems of life. We all have something to recover from. Whether you have experienced the trauma of physical, sexual, and verbal abuse,

God is the answer to your ultimate healing and recovery.

In faith circles, people are sometimes hesitant to admit they dont have it all together. To admit that you are in mental, emotional, or just have a negative self-image, God is the answer to your ultimate healing and recovery. Anyone who appears to have it

sources & origins of mental & emotional distress

ere are some teachers who would lead you to believe that all mental and emotional problems are caused by demonic activity. I will be the rst to admit that I have seen demonic oppression cause a great amount of turmoil in the emotional arena;

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and hormonal imbalance which create altered mental and emotional states are o en veri ed by blood chemistry tests. Certain drugs can alleviate symptoms. (5) Spiritual Warfare (Acts 10:38) All of the four above can be accompanied by or caused by demonic oppression. It is my opinion that most of the time demonic oppression does not gain a stronghold without one of the above situations.

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Because I was concerned about the suicidal thoughts she was having, I persuaded her to see a doctor and begin taking an antidepressant. The suicidal thoughts stopped, but her attitude did not change much. I was increasingly concerned as were other close friends. One evening she visited my home expressing her emotional distress to my husband and me. I said, Well, lets pray. At this point, she did not have much faith

This book will show you how to reverse the emotional curse and open the door for physical healing and miracles. Doctors cannot reverse the curse of sickness. Only Jesus can reverse the curse and bring perfect healing and wholeness to an individuals life. In this book, you will learn how to activate Gods power in your body by speaking and acting your faith upon Gods Word.

REVERSE THE CURSE

In faith circles, people are sometimes hesitant to admit that they dont have it all together.
Several months ago, a very dear friend of mine who was my former secretary and had worked for my ministry for 12 years became seriously depressed and suicidal. During a one year period she had several losses including her mothers death and the ending of a serious relationship. The trauma started her on a negative course of thinking along with the natural grief that comes from loss. I prayed for her and tried every natural means possible to bring her out of it, but to no avail. in prayer and to be honest neither did I a er all the months I had prayed for her. As my husband and I joined hands with her and began praying, the anointing came. I saw in the Spirit, the evil power that had attached itself to her will to drain her of life itself. I broke the power of that evil spirit in the name of Jesus and she was set free. It was an instantaneous change and she has been free since that night! (She shares her testimony on disc #1 of this seminar RX for Emotional Recovery.)

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