2 Corinthians 12:2

2 Corinthians 12:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
• New International Version (NIV)I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

Context of 2 Corinthians 12:2

1Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows-- 4was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

2 Corinthians 12:2 word by word

Οἶδα ἄνθρωπον ἐν Χριστῷ πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων, εἴτε ἐν σώματι οὐκ οἶδα, εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος οὐκ οἶδα, ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν, ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ.Read the interlinear

• a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• in ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• who fourteenδεκατέσσαρεςdekatessares · fourteenG1180
• yearsἔτοςetos · yearG2094
• agoπρόpro · beforeG4253
• in the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• suchτοιοῦτοςtoioutos · such as thisG5108
• caughtἁρπάζωharpazō · to seizeG726
• thirdτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 12:2

• 2 Corinthians 12:3And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows--
• 2 Corinthians 5:17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
• 2 Corinthians 13:5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?
• Isaiah 45:24They will say of Me, ‘Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’ Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
• John 6:56He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
• John 15:4Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
• John 17:21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
• Romans 8:1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
• Romans 16:7Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
• 1 Corinthians 1:30But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
• Galatians 1:22I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ;
• Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
• Acts 14:6they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region;
• Acts 22:17“It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
• 2 Corinthians 5:6Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--
• 1 Kings 18:12It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 12:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2I knew a man in Christ - I knew a Christian, or a Christian man; for to such alone God now revealed himself, for vision and prophecy had been shut up from the Jews. Fourteen years ago - On what occasion or in what place this transaction took place we cannot tell; there are many conjectures among learned men concerning it, but of what utility can they be when every thing is so palpably uncertain? Allowing this epistle to have been written some time in the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2I knew a man in Christ - I was acquainted with a Christian; the phrase “in Christ” meaning nothing more than that he was united to Christ or was a Christian; see Romans 16:7. The reason why Paul did not speak of this directly as a vision which he had himself seen was probably that he was accused of boasting, and he had admitted that it did not become him to glory. But though it did not become him to boast directly, yet he could tell them of a man…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2I know a man in Christ who was caught up: In Greek, Paul modestly uses the third person to refer to himself. The third heaven is a Jewish term for being in God's immediate presence. Fourteen years ago means around AD 43.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Translate, "I know," not "I knew." a man--meaning himself. But he purposely thus distinguishes between the rapt and glorified person of 2Co 12:2, 4, and himself the infirmity-laden victim of the "thorn in the flesh" (2Co 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…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 12:2

• Heaven
• Paul
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Christ, Messiah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Backbiting
• Crafty
• Excuse
• Gain
• Grace
• Heaven

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings