The Thorn He Kept: The Gift, the Groaning, and the Grace

Paul prayed three times for his “thorn in the flesh” to be removed. God’s answer was not deliverance—but sufficient grace.

What exactly was Paul’s thorn? Was it a physical illness, spiritual opposition, relentless persecution, or something else? In The Thorn He Kept, John Edmerson carefully examines 2 Corinthians 12:7–10, the meaning of Paul’s mysterious “messenger of Satan,” and the surprising purpose God accomplished through suffering.

Rather than offering speculation as certainty, this Scripture-centered study focuses on what the passage clearly reveals: Paul received an extraordinary gift, endured a painful burden, and discovered a grace greater than his weakness.

Written for Christians facing unanswered prayer, persistent hardship, and seasons of spiritual struggle, this booklet offers a message of enduring hope: God may not always remove the thorn, but He will never withhold the grace needed to bear it.

Discover why weakness is not the end of usefulness—and how the power of Christ can rest upon us when our own strength is gone.