Paul was stoned and left for dead at Lystra, Galatia. (According to a map in the back of one of my Bibles, Lystra was part of Galatia, along with Derbe and Iconium.) If you had just been stoned and left for dead at Lystra, you might have an "infirmity of the flesh," too! Paul continued to preach immediately despite what had happened. It was only "at the first." Obviously, God healed Paul and he went on to other places. Much later, on his second missionary journey, Paul returned to Galatia. We can assume that Paul no longer considered this "at the first" and that he was healed by then. After all, he talked about "the trial that was in my flesh" when he wrote to the Galatians, not "the trial that I have been carrying around in my flesh that God calls my thorn in the flesh!"


In fairness, we should look at this entire passage, because critics often cite it in relation to Paul's thorn in the flesh:


Galatians 4:13-15:

Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you at the first.
Any my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

This has been used to "prove" that Paul had an eye disease, but these verses do not prove that. First, the expression, "would have plucked out your own eyes" is possibly a statement of affection that is not to be taken literally. Second, it is possible that some of the rocks thrown at him in Lystra did injure Paul's eyes, but that is quite a different story from getting a disease somewhere. And at any rate, this trial did not continue, so Paul obviously got healed even if he was having eye trouble.


Since Paul never mentions sickness or disease of any kind in his list of trials in 2 Cor 11:23-27, and practically every other kind of trial imaginable is listed there, we must conclude that Paul was not having a problem with some terrible disease.

This is proof, as cited in the Paul's thorn in the flesh answer, that whatever this problem was could not have been Paul's "thorn in the flesh." Paul could not get rid of his "thorn in the flesh," but he obviously got rid of whatever condition this was. Obviously, God healed Paul of whatever infirmity he had "at the first," because he never mentioned preaching anywhere else at any time "through infirmity of the flesh."

Another hint to the nature of Paul's infirmity is found in Gal 6:17 -- Paul bore in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus. These marks were from his ill treatment, not from chicken pox or some other disease.


Thus, this verse can be used as a healing scripture, not as a "sickening scripture" the way some would use it. If God healed Paul of his infirmity, you know he desires to do the same for you.

See the Paul's Thorn reply for an elaboration on this answer.