7 Because of the incredible importance of the revelations, to keep me from feeling too important, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan*‘Satan’ is Satan. Down through human history God has always used Satan, demons and evil men, both to punish evil and to restrain it (usually in those who are evil). Here God does so with Paul before the fact, that is, to forestall the sin. The procedure was sufficiently unusual that God actually explained to Paul why He did it. to beat on me—to keep me from feeling too important. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more cheerfully about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may take up residence upon me.*That is what the Text says, ‘take up residence’. I would say that for most of us unusual manifestations of God’s power are sporadic (if there are any at all)—if the power ‘takes up residence’, the manifestations should be a regular occurrence. The trouble is, there is evidently a considerable price in suffering that must be paid. 10 So then, I take pleasure in weaknesses,*Well, I must confess that I have not gotten there yet. in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.