Paul’s Pain in the Neck

Jesus does not send messengers of satan to keep apostles out of pride. It was not literally a thorn and it was not literally in his flesh. Paul used figures of speech and some sarcasm in 2nd Corinthians, in pleading his case against false apostles. Persecution is a fact of the Christian life and does not magically go away just because we pray three prayers. Fallen angels are territorial and religious. As Paul brought the gospel to unreached areas, he disturbed these angels, who stirred up religious people, who relentlessly persecuted Paul.