The mental ailment theory identifies the thorn as some form of mental illness. The spiritual affliction theory identifies the thorn as a spiritual or moral problem. The final theory, the ministerial opposition theory, understands the thorn as persecution or resistance to Paul’s ministry. The adherents of the fourth viewpoint believe that Paul is addressing his many adversaries. If the physical ailment theory pertaining to Paul’s thorn in the flesh is a tenable position, then there should be evidence of the apostle suffering from physical issues within the apostle’s writings. Another study found that amongst patients with COVID-19 and underlying CKD, 83.93% of cases had severe disease with 53.33% mortality, while amongst those with liver diseases, 57.33% were severe with a mortality of 17. Like a father working long hours for the betterment of one’s family, so Paul took on these sufferings with gladness in hope that the churches would not have to suffer the same. It was increasingly apparent also that although the armamentarium of 18th century medicine — special diets, bleeding, purging, emetics and blistering — was as effective in the management of hypochondriasis and hysteria as it was in other disorders, it had little effect on madness itself. Chen et al. recorded presence of autoimmune disease in 1.1% of their participants72. According to Heneka et al. 36, neurological signs and symptoms of COVID-19 may result from systemic...