2 Corinthians 12:1-4 It is necessary to go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
Interpreters have debated whether the vision of heaven by this unnamed man is referring to Paul. The context is the best indicator that this is indeed Paul’s own testimony but he uses the third person so as to lower himself and not boast of this awesome spiritual experience. Another clue is his opening statement in verse 1 that he feels it necessary to add one more experience. Perhaps he felt this way because the opponents were boasting in their visions or displayed ecstatic experiences. First Corinthians 14 shows that this church was attracted to such experiences. Part of this may have been their religious context with the nearby Oracle of Delphi, the mystery religions, and other pagan cultic activities. So Paul goes on to write about “visions and revelations.” Visions would be more passive encounters of looking into a situation. Revelations are more the explanation of something hidden or secret. Adding these two terms together make a powerful pair for seeing awesome things that are especially revealed in a unique situation.
Verse 2 introduces the controversial idea. Paul knows a “man in Christ” who had these experiences. This phrase could simply be a designation for a Christian, but it has deeper meaning for Paul. To be “in Christ” is to experience in a deep way relationship with Christ through the Holy Spirit. All believers are in Christ. Being in Christ is God’s purpose for humanity. The more we give ourselves to Christ, the more we are “in” him in the sense that we begin to know and experience what it means to have him as Lord. The Holy Spirit is the key link that brings Christ and believers together in this relationship. Paul is such a man. It is likely he is writing about himself here since he knows what this experience was about. He is just reluctant to boast of this about himself lest he set himself up as a super Christian. He is trying to be humble but still get the point across.
So, assuming this is Paul’s own experience for the above reasons, This vision took place 14 years prior. There is no way to determine when this was in his life. Some people have argued that this was his Damascus road experience, but that is highly unlikely because this vision was specific of the resurrected Jesus. The heavenly vision is of heaven itself. He was “caught up” (a word later used for “rapture” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17). This is an aorist passive participle, implying that this is something done to him as an act of God. Paul could not determine whether this was physical or spiritual; only God knows. It was so overwhelming that he was detached from all of his awareness. Paul emphasizes this by repeating the phrase “in the body or out of the body” again in v. 3. This was just an awesome experience and there are no adequate words for it.
Paul saw and heard things in his vision. The was taken to the third heaven. The Jews of that time believed heaven had different levels, with quite a variety of ideas about this. And then he heard things that he cannot describe or retell. There is no way to know any more details about this. Guessing only leads to speculation, which is not a good interpretive methodology. Paul’s basic point is more important. In this context, he is showing a deeply profound experience that few people have ever experienced. He is almost putting himself on the level of Miciah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel who all had visions of heaven and God’s throne, although he does not specially claim to have seen the heavenly throne. Boasting in this experience using the third person unnamed “man in Christ” saves him of setting himself too high. By doing all this, he is putting himself higher than the opponents, whatever their claims may have been. Paul experienced something rare, and this vision was likely granted to him because he was “in Christ.” This was a display of God’s grace to Paul.
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