paradise, “fourteen years ago” (v 2). Perhaps Paul’s opponents guaranteed that he would not become too conceited by ridiculing him for his thorn (Martin 1986, 393). If so, their hypocrisy is now revealed to the gaze of all. Most significantly, his thorn was given (edothē) to him as John Wesley observes, “by the wise and gracious providence of God” (1950, 673). The passive verb allows for the possibility that Satan was its source. Paul does identify it as a messenger of Satan (angelos satana). He