2 Corinthians 12:3 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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2 Corinthians 12:3

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It is necessary to repeat this, it is so profound, so remarkable, so solemn. What he heard is inexpressible; it cannot be described in human language, and furthermore it is not lawful to utter it. The margin of your Bible will offer you the alternative translation of ‘possible’, but actually it is more lawful than possible. It is not proper; it is not right for him to describe this experience even if he could, because it was for him only. ‘How that he was caught up,’ snatched up. It happened very, very suddenly. Too suddenly for Paul even to be aware whether it was in or out of the body. He was snatched up ‘into paradise’ – not now called the third heaven but paradise. Paradise is only mentioned in two other places in the New Testament. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ to the dying thief, ‘Today shalt thou be with me in paradise’, and in Revelation 2:7. What happened? Well, the apostle was admitted to the very presence of the Lord, the highest wonder, and he is overwhelmed. There are things about heaven, paradise, glory, the risen Lord, which, if we were told them, we could not begin to grasp them because paradise is wonderful beyond all human comprehension. Although this experience is not recorded anywhere else, there are a number of Scriptures which reflect it. In Romans 8.38 he says, ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ That truth was revealed to him separately, but these words have become saturated with the experience that he records here in 2 Corinthians, and as he pens them there in Romans 8, he is so certain he has seen the Lord. One who has seen the Lord in glory, is able to assure us nothing is able to separate us from the love of Christ. And 1 Corinthians 15.50 there are wonderful words: ‘Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.’ When the apostle Paul wrote these words remember they were doubly sealed in his mind by the fact that he had been into paradise and seen both the Lord and the happy saints. He had not seen the resurrection bodies yet, but he had seen the saints in glory. ‘In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when his corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ He has seen the happy saints, not yet clothed upon with resurrection bodies, but he had seen these glorious things, and they were certain to him. We could also look at 2 Corinthians 5.1-4 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

Application

Well, what about us? Well, it is a pattern for us. You and I will never be snatched up into paradise before the time when we go to be with Christ at death but, you know, we are given mighty, spiritual encouragements. Is there anybody here who has forgotten his or her testimony? What a shame. We regularly remember what Christ did for us, not only so that we can tell others, because it is one of the most powerful parts of our witness, but for ourselves we need to remember the mercy of Christ and how he delivered and what he took us from and what he brought us to.

Have you been in great distress in your life? I am sure you have, and tremendous need and you didn’t know where to turn and you poured out your heart before the Lord and in his time he intervened and you could scarcely believe the things he did and the things that happened for you. Remember those things. Diary them if you are that kind of person. Give thanks for them often because, you know, it is these experiences which help to buoy you through all your difficulties and your trials and keep your faith firmly in the Lord. Answered prayer; times of great light and understanding; communion with the Lord. These are precious things; they are some of the pillars of your assurance and your endurance and your patience in life and they all amount to this. Paul was kept on that road. We will not have quite his experience but we will have many others which are designed to be remembered and to lift our souls.

Questions

And we have to ask, why Paul only? Why should Paul see the risen Lord in this way and hear things about Heaven; things that couldn’t possibly be spoken on earth, why him? Calvin puts it rather beautifully. He would suffer enough in his life time to break 1,000 hearts and God, Christ in his great kindness gave him this tremendous encouragement early in his ministry and he would go through anything in the light of that experience; in the light of that realisation of future glory and great truths beyond anything he could ever reveal. It was material incomprehensible in an earthly environment.

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

2 Corinthians 12:3 Commentary and Bible Study