From: J.D.F.=van=Halsema%BW_KG%TheoFilos@esau.th.vu.nl
Date: Sat Jun 21 1997 - 05:59:08 EDT
Subject: 2 Corinthians 12:7
06-20-1997 James Clardy <JClar100@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>But my question is in reference to verse 7. Is the "skolops tHi sarki"
>(thorn in the flesh) something which Paul received from God? Obviously,
>many scholars think that it is. (And, I'm aware of many of the possible
>interpretations as to what the thorn is, i.e., poor eyesight, a disease,
>persecution, etc.) However, as I read the text, I find no mention of the
>thorn being given to Paul by God. What am I overlooking?
What you are overlooking is the fact that the passive form EDOQH has to be
taken as a "passivum divinum". Compare V.P. Furnish, 2 Corinthians (Anchor
Bible), p. 528:
"This is a conventional use of the passive voice to avoid mentioning the
divine name".
Idem, p. 547:
"...Paul personalizes the affliction by calling it "an angel of Satan". This
does not really contradict the point that God had given it to him for a
reason, because Satan is often portrayed in Jewish and Christian literature
as an agent of God's purposes (cf. Job 2:6-7).
Hope this helps!, Erik
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Erik van Halsema / |Research Assistant / Lecturer
Johan D.F. van Halsema |Faculty of Theology
mailto:j.d.f.van_halsema@esau.th.vu.nl |Vrije Universiteit
mailto:jdfvh@dds.nl |De Boelelaan 1105,
http://huizen.dds.nl/~jdfvh |NL - 1081 HV Amsterdam
|Fax +31 (0)20-4446635
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