Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
Translate, "I know," not "I knew."
a man—meaning himself. But he purposely thus distinguishes between the rapt and glorified person of II Corinthians 12:2, II Corinthians 12:4, and himself the infirmity-laden victim of the "thorn in the flesh" (II Corinthians 12:7). Such glory belonged not to him, but the weakness did. Nay, he did not even know whether he was in or out of the body when the glory was put upon him, so far was the glory from being his [ALFORD]. His spiritual self was his highest and truest self: the flesh with its infirmity merely his temporary self (Romans 7:25). Here, however, the latter is the prominent thought.
in Christ—a Christian (Romans 16:7).
above—rather, simply "fourteen years ago." This Epistle was written AD 55-57. Fourteen years before will bring the vision to AD 41-43, the time of his second visit to Jerusalem (Acts 22:17). He had long been intimate with the Corinthians, yet had never mentioned this revelation before: it was not a matter lightly to be spoken of.
I cannot tell—rather as Greek, "I know not." If in the body, he must have been caught up bodily; if out of the body, as seems to be Paul's opinion, his spirit must have been caught up out of the body. At all events he recognizes the possibility of conscious receptivity in disembodied spirits.
caught up— (Acts 8:39).
to the third heaven—even to, etc. These raptures (note the plural, "visions," "revelations," II Corinthians 12:1) had two degrees: first he was caught up "to the third heaven," and from thence to "Paradise" (II Corinthians 12:4) [CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, Miscellanies, 5.427], which seems to denote an inner recess of the third heaven [BENGEL] (Luke 23:43; Revelation 2:7). Paul was permitted not only to "hear" the things of Paradise, but to see also in some degree the things of the third heaven (compare "visions," II Corinthians 12:1). The occurrence TWICE of "whether in the body . . . I know not, God knoweth," and of "lest I should be exalted above measure," marks two stages in the revelation. "Ignorance of the mode does not set aside the certain knowledge of the fact. The apostles were ignorant of many things" [BENGEL]. The first heaven is that of the clouds, the air; the second, that of the stars, the sky; the third is spiritual (Ephesians 4:10).
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing 2 Corinthians 12:2:
Acts 8:39-40
Acts 26:16-18
1 Corinthians 5:4
1 Corinthians 11:23
2 Corinthians 11:6
2 Corinthians 12:1
2 Corinthians 12:2
Galatians 4:15
1 Peter 3:18
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