Wrong thinking produces wrong believing and this results into wrong experiences..
Job suffered this fate.
He later found out
Job 42:5 KJV
[5] I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
He had lived on assumption.
A Different translation puts it clearer.
Vs 5 In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. (Good news)
Many of us can be like that
James warns us of seeing God in a light of presumption or assumption
James 1:13, 16-17 KJV
[13] Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
16] Do not err, my beloved brethren.
[17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
The believer has a responsibility to be filled with knowledge.
That's why any local church that downplays the accurate teaching of the scriptures is not safe.
We must seek to have knowledge.
Precise and accurate knowledge of What God did for him in Christ
Ephesians 1:17 KJV
[17] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
This was Paul’s prayer.
Growth is dependent on this
Ephesians 4:13-14 KJV
[13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
[14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Else we become susceptible to error and deceit.
It's the will of God that we be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:4 KJV
[4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
That said.
We have since seen that Paul’s thorn in the flesh wasn't sickness and disease.
Some go further to quote other texts apart from the one studied earlier to buttress such unfounded claims.
Galatians 4:13-14 KJV
[13] Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. [14] And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
It is claimed Paul pastored this church here with a very conspicuous disease which had to do with his eye or eyes.
Galatians 4:15 KJV
[15] Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
It might appear so in context, but we must ascertain precise facts to know precisely what he meant here.
Some settled facts...
Paul wrote to Galatia, the church there.
He wrote to believers
He took the gospel to them.
In verse 13 he is making reference to his first encounter with them.
Let's digress a little.
He uses same words with the church at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 2:1-3 KJV
[1] And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
[2] For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
This can be historically tracked in the book of acts
Acts 18:1, 4, 6 KJV
[1] After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
4] And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
[6] And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
He was opposed by Jews who withstood him.
Hence his submission in his letter
1 Corinthians 1:22-23 KJV
[22] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
[23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
And also the Greeks (Gentiles)
Acts 18:17 KJV
[17] Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
Sosthenes was the Jew, who stood with Paul
1 Corinthians 1:1 KJV
[1] Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
So Paul’s weakness in 1 Corinthians 2:3 wasn't sickness but the opposition he received and his inadequacy.
Just as we saw in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.
Now back to Galatia.
Did Paul refer to a physical infirmity in His letter to the church in Galatia?
Let's see the text again
Galatians 4:13, 15 KJV
[13] Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. [15] Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
It appears so, since he refers to his eyes also here unlike other texts this an obvious physical description.
Now just like Corinth, let’s see when he first preached to them
The book of acts should help us track this
Acts 14:6-10 KJV
[6] They were ware of it , and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:
[7] And there they preached the gospel.
[8] And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:
[9] The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
[10] Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
Certain cities are mentioned here, Lystra, and Derbe, Lycaonia (and other cities around)
Lystra was a Lycaonian city in the southern part of the Roman province Galatia.
Lycaonia was the country of the Lykaones, a district of Asia Minor, comprised within the Roman province Galatia an including the cities of Derbe and Lystra.
So Derbe was a city within Galatia.
So those Paul wrote to lived in these places
That said.
After the miracle, Paul was stoned for refusing deification.
Acts 14:19 KJV
[19] And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
Stoned meant they pelted him with rocks like Stephen
Acts 7:58 KJV
[58] And cast him out of the city, and stoned him : and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
In this case Stephen died.
But not Paul.
Acts 14:20 KJV
[20] Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
He rose up not from the dead but from the obvious injuries sustained from this near fatal assault.
And he departed to Derbe (remember where Derbe was)
Acts 14:21 KJV
[21] And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
Back again to Lystra!
To preach and teach.
Remember the very next day!
He got there wounded.
Not sick of disease but wounded via persecution.
No other instance do we find Paul so described in Acts.
He didn't stop going to Galatia.
Acts 16:1-2, 6 KJV
[1] Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
2] Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
[6] Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
Infact met and found Timothy there.
However, his first visit was accompanied with near fatal skirmishes.
Hence his submission to them
Galatians 4:13-15 KJV
[13] Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. [14] And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
[15] Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
This was Acts 14.
The other apostles suffered such fate too
Acts 5:40-41 KJV
[40] And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them , they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41] And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
Peter and john .This must have inflicted pain and injury.
The apostles suffered this in the hands of their tormentors and still continued to preach and teach in physical pains and agony yet in much joy
2 Corinthians 11:23-25 KJV
[23] Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
[24] Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
[25] Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
Much pain, physical affliction by the enemies of the gospel.
Such that they had encounters with near death experiences.
Same way Jesus bled via stripes on his body, this happened to Paul and the apostles.
Matthew 27:30 KJV
[30] And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Yet Paul with these went to Derbe to preach in pains.
He wasn't sick, he was beaten, he came to them and in the same state
Hence his letter
Galatians 1:2 KJV
[2] And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
This said, such attempts to see Paul experience of persecution as proof text to justify why divine healing isn't available or why God may “allow" sickness in our lives is error of interpretation and moreso, attempting to say God sent the crowds to stone him!
That will be preposterous and huge hogwash.
Paul demonstrated Gods healing power in the two churches in question.
Corinth
2 Corinthians 12:12 KJV
[12] Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
From the four gospels to the book of acts when you read signs and wonders and miracles, healing is a major feature
Acts 5:12, 16 KJV
[12] And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch
. [16] There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
Peter and the twelve
Acts 8:6-7 KJV
[6] And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. [7] For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
Phillip
Acts 19:11-12 KJV
[11] And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul
: [12] So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
Definitely Paul.
So he worked healing miracles in the church at Corinth!
And taught them about gifts of healing
1 Corinthians 12:9, 28 KJV
[9] .....To another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
28] And God hath set some in the church.....then gifts of healing
How would he be justifying God as being honored in sickness in the same place?
Galatia
Galatians 3:5 KJV
[5] He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Miracles!
Healing miracles, things of the spirit.
That's how he started out there
Acts 14:10 KJV
[10] Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
A major witness of his ministry in Asia which included Galatia were miracles
Acts 15:12 KJV
[12] Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
Acts 19:10-11 KJV
[10] And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. [11] And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
Paul never preached sickness as a sign of Gods will or proof of his own obedience to God.
It's false doctrine and misrepresents the gospel of Christ.
Healing is ours today and sickness isn't part of Gods will whether permissive, express, implied or perfect will!
Hope this clear enough? We continue later
I call you blessed.
Jesus is Lord, We Win
Pastor Chris Segun Onayinka