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2 Corinthians 12:3

ESV 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 —
NIV And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—
NASB And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—
CSB I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows—
NLT Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know
KJV And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
NKJV And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—

What does 2 Corinthians 12:3 mean?

Using as much humility as is possible, Paul is describing his experience of being taken to the "third heaven" 14 years prior. In order to avoid being given any personal credit for the experience, he begins by saying that it happened to a man he knows. He clearly means the Corinthians to understand that this is his story, however (2 Corinthians 12:6–7).

Paul describes himself as being "caught up" into paradise. This is a form of the same Greek word, harpazo, that he uses in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 to describe what will happen to the believers who remain alive when Christ returns. Some traditions describe this future event as the "rapture" of the church.

In the previous verse, Paul called his destination the third heaven. Now he refers to it as paradise. In both cases, believers understood this to be the dwelling place of God and angels. Jesus told the believing criminal on the cross next to Him that "today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

Paul repeats once more that he does not know whether he travelled to paradise in his body or through some type of vision. He is confident that it happened, however, and that God knows whether he was there in person or in spirit.
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Context Summary
Second Corinthians 12:1–10 contains Paul's description of an astonishing experience. He was transported, in some sense, to the third heaven or paradise, where he received an unspeakable revelation from God. To keep him humble afterwards, God gave him a ''thorn in the flesh'' and refused to remove it despite Paul's pleas. Instead, God told Paul His grace was more than enough, and that His power was made perfect in Paul's weakness. Paul declares once again that he will boast in his weakness and be content in his suffering—because when Paul is weak, it more clearly proves that Christ is powerful.
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Chapter Summary
With as much humility as possible, Paul describes an astounding experience. He was caught up to the ''third heaven'' and received a revelation from God that he cannot reveal on earth. He refuses to brag about it, but mentions it in order to introduce the consequences of that experience. To keep Paul humble, God gave him a ''thorn in the flesh,'' some malady which the Bible does not explicitly explain. Paul has learned to be content in his suffering since God's power is made perfect in his weakness. He chastises the Corinthians for not commending him since they know him. He defends himself against a charge of crafty swindling, and he expresses concern that he will find some still living in sin when he arrives in Corinth.
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