Description: Paul's enigmatic "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians has baffled interpreters for centuries. This book explores ancient beliefs about curses, details from Paul's letters, Jesus's own suffering, and the testimony of the earliest Christian interpreters, suggesting a solution that satisfies the evidence and gives us a fuller view of Paul.
Brief description: Kenneth Berding (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is professor of New Testament studies at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. Before coming to Biola, he was a church planter in the Middle East. An overseer at Redemption Hill Church, he has a heart for God and ministry and has written many worship songs. He is the author or co-editor of numerous articles and books, including Sing and Learn New Testament Greek, Walking in the Spirit, What the New Testament Authors Really Cared About, Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, and What Are Spiritual Gifts? Rethinking the Conventional View. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Institute for Biblical Research, and the Society of Biblical Literature.
Review Quotes:
"Dr. Berding has written an absorbing book about Paul's thorn in the flesh that not only assists readers in understanding a contested New Testament passage but also prompts us to have a fuller, more human understanding of the great apostle whose life experiences may have been strikingly similar to those of contemporary Christians who suffer from chronic illnesses."
--Eckhard J. Schnabel, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
"With Churchillian bulldoggedness, Berding has faced a perennial crux of interpretation head on and has succeeded magnificently. Don't miss this book!"
--David Alan Black, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary