It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast.

I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago -- whether

in the body or out of the body I do not know,

God knows -- how he was caught up into paradise

and heard inexpressible words, which is not lawful

for a man to utter.  Of such a one I will boast;

yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.

2 Corinthians 12: 1 -- 5

            Have you ever read this passage and found it hard to understand and even confusing?  If so, join the ranks!  This is why it is necessary to take time to study God's Word in its completeness and not simply to find proof versus to prove or validate your theology or doctrine.  Not everything written is easy for us to understand and one reason may be that this written to people who understood their language and the idioms of their language.  Therefore, There are certain things that we need to look at closly and try to draw a conclusion that is scriptural and if we can't come to a complete understanding keep studying and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you as you study His word.  Most Bible scholars point to this passage that Paul was speaking of himself and we must come to know whether or not they have a true interpretation of the Scripture.  So we will take time to examine the various possibilities and then align them with Scripture.  Previously Paul has been defending his apostleship and right to teach God's Word to the people and after just writing about various persecutions that he had to undergo due to him being an apostle and a preacher he now says that he it wasn't profitable for him to boast.  In other words, we can speak at times about things that have gone wrong or persecutions that have occurred, and we can speak about how we overcame them, but we are not to boast in regards to them in the efforts that were made to overcome them.  So Paul says that he would come to visions and revelations of the Lord.  Why?  What's he talking about?  Well, if you remember in this study of First Corinthians and Second Corinthians especially First Corinthians Paul had to address those who were misusing the gifts and were having revelations and visions, speaking in some sort of gibberish tongues and he had to correct them that what they were doing was wrong.  Is Paul here referring back to those things and now to speak about them and bring forth an illustration, or is he speaking about himself to point out that one was not to boast about the gifts given to them by God?  And what about this 14 years?  Well, on what occasion or in what place dis this person be caught up into paradise.  There are so many conjectures among learned men and scholars concerning this and how can they help us when everything is so palpably uncertain?  In the last blog I brought up some information that might help us at least get a handle on this and the first thing we have learned is that this letter, Second Corinthians, seem to have been written some time in the year 57, or on Paul's third journey which occurred 53A.D.-57A.D. so if we subtract the 14 years we would get possibly will one of these numbers such as taking 53 -14 and we've arrived at 39 A.D. or, if we take 57 -14 we arrive at 43 A.D. and at this time is when Barnabas brought Paul from Tarsus to Antioch (Acts 11:25 -- 26).  It was at this time also the Barnabas and Paul were sent by the Church of Antioch to bring almost to the poor Christians at Jerusalem.  So it is possible that on this journey possibly or while in Jerusalem, he had this vision, which may have been intended to be the means of establishing him in the faith, and then buy this establishment he was able to be supported during his trials and difficulties and they kept this secret for some 14 years.  Now, I don't have scriptural validity or warrant to support that Paul had kept his secret till then it is only speculation and I don't have exact time in which he had this vision.  So he must walk cautiously and carefully until we have scriptural warrant for our belief.  Remember, Paul also mentioned that this one was caught up to the third heaven, that is caught up into paradise so this is a very pivotal verse.  Some thoughts on this would be: that is in speaking about paradise; we can think of the cross where Jesus on and spoke to be and told him that he would be with Him in paradise (Luke 23: 43).  Now, when Jesus died on the cross His body went to the grave in his spirit went back to Heaven and then was reunited with His body when he was resurrected that Sunday morning.  What more do I have for saying this?  Did not Jesus tell the thief that he would be with Him in paradise, not go to someplace like purgatory, some holding place where he must wait for that is not scriptural.  No, the thief was going to paradise when he died and as with Jesus his body would go to the grave but the spirit would have returned to God and bear a wait until his body and his spirit were to be reunited and we have the fact that this is true because Jesus is spirit was reunited with His body giving us a picture of our resurrection when Jesus comes to gather His bride on the last day.  There are some who believe that he went to Abraham’s bosom in Hades and this is untrue.  The Bible does not teach such false teaching for God gave to you your spirit, your life in that spirit does not die but returns back to God waiting until He comes again on the last day.  They'll also, Paul states to us in this letter that he heard things in heaven that were inexpressible and sacred.  These things were so sacred that they were not to be spoken.  Aren't you glad that God does not use such sacred things not to be spoken and has spoken to us in an earthly language to convey truth to us and just because we are reading and read generated by God we still would not be able to comprehend such language because they were so sacred.  So this is one reason why when I hear someone state that they went to heaven, and write books about it, that they walked around in heaven like they would in a park that I find this to be very unproven and phony, or if this is true, and they saw such inexpressible things, then as Paul said: these were things that were not to be spoken or uttered.

            This is the beginning and we have more to discuss and when such thing that will be discussed in the next blog will be what is meant "third heaven?"  Look forward to this because I believe this will help you to understand as we examine the Greek language for the ages to come to an understanding.

Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD,

            and teach out of Your law,

that You may give him a rest from the days of his adversity,

            until the pit is dug for the wicked.

For the LORD will not cast off His people,

            nor will He forsake His inheritance.

                                     Psalm 94:12 -- 14

Thank God for He has left us His word

           

Richard L. Crumb