“Messenger” of Satan Defined
[This is supplemental information to prove that Paul’s thorn was a sentient being, not a sickness, in case you’re interested.]
If we are to believe that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was an illness, we must believe that the word messenger in the phrase, “the messenger of Satan sent to buffet me” refers to a disease or a thing, not a being. Given that the Greek word used for messenger (angelos) appears often in the New Testament, let’s look at all the places in the New Testament where this same Greek word is used, and see what conclusion we reach. I have underlined the word into which angelos was translated in each verse below. I have left out one case where a related word that means angelic was translated “as the angels.” The summary statistics are shown at the end.
By the way, if you ever want to do a study on angels in the New Testament, here is a good place to start!
“But while he [Joseph] thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream...” – Matthew 1:20.
“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him” – Matthew 1:24.
“Behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother...” – Matthew 2:13.
“But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother...” – Matthew 2:19-20.
“He shall give his angels charge concerning thee...”—Matthew 4:6.
“Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” – Matthew 4:11.
“But what went ye out to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” – Matthew 11:9-10.
“The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” – Matthew 13:39.
“The Son of man shall send forth his angels...” – Matthew 13:41.
“The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just” – Matthew 13:49.
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels...” – Matthew 16:27.
“That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” – Matthew 18:10.
“For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” – Matthew 22:30.
“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect...” – Matthew 24:31.
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven...” – Matthew 24:36.
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him...” – Matthew 25:31.
“Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” – Matthew 25:41.
“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” – Matthew 26:53.
“And behold, there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” – Matthew 28:2.
“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye...” – Matthew 28:5.
“As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” – Mark 1:2-3.
“And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.” – Mark 1:13.
“Of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:38.
“They neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.” – Mark 12:25.
“And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather the elect from the four winds...” – Mark 13:27.
“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven...” – Mark 13:32.
“And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias...” – Luke 1:11-13.
“And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel...”—Luke 1:18-19.
“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God...” – Luke 1:26.
“And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured...” – Luke 1:28.
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary...” – Luke 1:30.
“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee...” – Luke 1:34-35.
“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” – Luke 1:38.
“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not...” – Luke 2:9-10.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God...” – Luke 2:13.
“As the angels were gone away from them into heaven...” - -Luke 2:15.
“His name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb” – Luke 2:21.
“He shall give his angels charge over thee...” – Luke 4:10.
“And when the messengers of John [who asked if Jesus was the Messiah or if they should look for another (v.19)] were departed...” – Luke 7:24.
“But what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” – Luke 7:26-27.
“Of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” – Luke 9:26.
“And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.” – Luke 9:51-52.
“Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” – Luke 12:8-9.
“There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” - -Luke 15:10.
“The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom...” – Luke 16:22.
“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” – Luke 22:42-43.
“Saying, that they had also had a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.” – Luke 24:23.
“Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” – John 1:51.
“For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” – John 5:4.
“The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.” – John 12:29.
“And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” – John 20:12
“But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth...” – Acts 5:19
“And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly at him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel” – Acts 6:15.
“There appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.” – Acts 7:30.
“The same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush” – Acts 7:35.
“This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers...” – Acts 7:38.
“Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.” – Acts 7:53
“And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south...” – Acts 8:26.
“He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God, coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.” – Acts 10:3.
“And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius departed...” – Acts 10:7.
“Cornelius...was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.” – Acts 10:22.
“And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said into him, Send men to Joppa...” – Acts 11:13.
“And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself...and he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision...and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod...” – Acts 12:7-11.
“Then said they, it is his angel.” – Acts 12:15.
“And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory…” – Acts 12:23.
“For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit...” – Acts 23:8.
“We find no evil in this man, but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.” – Acts 23:9.
“For there stood by me this night an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not...” – Acts 27:23-24.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers...” – Romans 8:38.
“We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” – 1 Corinthians 4:9.
“Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” – 1 Corinthians 6:3.
“For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.” – 1 Corinthians 11:10.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels...” – 1 Corinthians 13:1.
“And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” – 2 Corinthians 11:14.
“There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me...” – 2 Corinthians 12:7.
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel...” – Galatians 1:8.
“And it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” – Galatians 3:19.
“And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 4:14.
“Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels...” – Colossians 2:18.
“When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels” – 2 Thessalonians 1:7.
“Justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles...” – 1 Timothy 3:16.
“I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things...” – 1 Timothy 5:21.
“Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time...” – Hebrews 1:4-5.
“And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits...” – Hebrews 1:6-7.
“But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand...”—Hebrews 1:13.
“For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast...” – Hebrews 2:2.
“For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come...” – Hebrews 2:5.
“Thou madest him a little lower than the angels...” – Hebrews 2:7.
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death...” – Hebrews 2:9.
“For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” – Hebrews 2:16.
“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels” – Hebrews 12:22.
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” – Hebrews 13:2.
“Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?” – James 2:25.
“Which things the angels desire to look into” – 1 Peter 1:12.
“Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” – 1 Peter 3:22.
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell...” – 2 Peter 2:4.
“Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.” – 2 Peter 2:11.
“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation...” – Jude 6
“And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” – Revelation 1:1.
“The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches...” – Revelation 1:20.
“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write...” – Revelation 2:1.
“And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write...” – Revelation 2:8.
“And unto the angel of the church Pergamos write...” – Revelation 2:12.
“And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write...” – Revelation 2:18.
“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write...” – Revelation 3:1.
“But I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” – Revelation 3:5.
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write...” – Revelation 3:7.
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write...” - -Revelation 3:14.
“And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy...” – Revelation 5:2.
“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne...” – Revelation 5:11.
“I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth...” – Revelation 7:1.
“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea” – Revelation 7:2.
“And all the angels stood round about the throne...” – Revelation 7:11.
“And I saw the seven angels that stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer...” – Revelation 8:2-3.
“And the smoke...ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” – Revelation 8:4.
“And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar...” – Revelation 8:5.
“And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” – Revelation 8:6.
“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail...” – Revelation 8:7.
“And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea...” – Revelation 8:8.
“And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven...” – Revelation 8:10.
“And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten...” – Revelation 8:12.
“And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” – Revelation 8:13.
“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth...” – Revelation 9:1.
“And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon...” – Revelation 9:11.
“And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed...” – Revelation 9:13-15.
“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire” – Revelation 10:1.
“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven” – Revelation 10:5.
“But in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound...” – Revelation 10:7.
“Go, and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book...” – Revelation 10:8-9.
“And I took the little book out of the angel's hand...” – Revelation 10:10.
“And the angel stood, saying, Rise...” – Revelation 11:1.
“And the seventh angel sounded...” – Revelation 11:15.
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels” – Revelation 12:7.
“He [Satan] was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” – Revelation 12:9.
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel...” – Revelation 14:6.
“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen...” – Revelation 14:8.
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast...” – Revelation 14:9.
“And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb” – Revelation 14:10.
“And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice...” – Revelation 14:15.
“And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire...” - -Revelation 14:17-18.
“And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth...” – Revelation 14:19.
“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” – Revelation 15:1.
“And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues...” – Revelation 15:6.
“And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials...”—Revelation 15:7.
“And no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” – Revelation 15:8.
“And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways...” – Revelation 16:1.
“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea...” – Revelation 16:3.
“And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers...” – Revelation 16:4.
“And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous...” – Revelation 16:5.
“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun...” – Revelation 16:8.
“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast...” – Revelation 16:10.
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates...” – Revelation 16:12.
“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air...” – Revelation 16:17.
“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials...” – Revelation 17:1.
“And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel...” – Revelation 17:7.
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power...” – Revelation 18:1.
“And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence...” – Revelation 18:21.
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying...” – Revelation 19:17.
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key...” – Revelation 20:1.
“And there came unto me one of the angels which had the seven vials...” – Revelation 21:9.
“And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels…” – Revelation 21:12.
“According to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.” – Revelation 21:17.
“The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.” – Revelation 22:6.
“I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.” – Revelation 22:8.
“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things...” – Revelation 22:16.
Summary Statistics:
Number of cases where angelos was translated angel, angels, angel’s = 179
Number of cases where angelos was translated messenger, messengers = 7
Total number of times the word angelos is used in the New Testament = 186
Total number of cases where the word angelos clearly refers to a sentient being, and definitely not a thing or disease = 186
Total number of cases where the word angelos could conceivably refer to a disease or any other thing that is not a sentient being = 0
This should be proof to even the most stubborn healing critic that Paul’s thorn in the flesh, a messenger (angelos) of Satan, was a sentient being, not a disease.