II Corinthians 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 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.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
Today marks the 250th birthday of the United States of America. God has blessed the world with giving the United States a place of prominence. The United States has had a shaky history. There have been some moments of great excitement and also moments of great loss. Under the current president, Israel has done much better than under the last president. Sadly, the United States is quickly losing its freedom due to a careless attitude toward Islam. The Muslims have taken some key positions and they do not intend to stop their invasion of the United States. If they can gain control of the congress or Senate it will be the end of the U.S. As we have mentioned before, the Bible does not mention North America at all. The Bible focuses on the Middle East.
God is not finished with Israel. He never will be. He has set Israel to the side, spiritually speaking, and has raised up a new entity called the Church. The first church was in Jerusalem and from there churches were started across the Middle East and Asia. From there they have spread into Europe and into North America. God’s design has been for all people to hear the Gospel of Christ and be saved. The purpose of a true local church is the proclamation of the Gospel.
God will again raise up Israel to be the spiritual leaders of the world. God does not support the faulty “replacement theology” imagined by the Catholics and others.
I heard of a man who believes it is his duty to usurp the place of the local pastor and this man will officiate at weddings that the pastor will not take. This is not a good thing. A true local pastor is ordained of God and he must uphold God’s Word. Any person who thinks he can side step the local godly pastor and suggest that God blesses things that His Word clearly does not, is in trouble with God. That is a serious problem to be avoided.
In Paul’s second recorded letter to the saints in Corinth he was directed by God to address the response of the faithful saints to those saints who had been unfaithful, but had repented and done right by God. He was also told to address the false teachers who were imposters and who were trying to take authority where they had none.
In the previous chapter, and now in this chapter, God directed the apostle Paul to address the opposition to his ministry. He was not one to exalt himself. He was a servant of the true God. He understood that all he was, was due to God’s gift of eternal life that had been offered to him. He received that gift and was trained by the Lord Jesus Christ for the ministry. He was told that his main task would be as the apostle to the Gentiles.
He would continue to talk about his relationship to the true God and the Lord Jesus Christ. He began here by speaking of visions and revelations of the Lord. The Scriptures were not yet completed during the time of Paul’s earthly ministry. God sometimes communicated to the holy men He chose to write the Scriptures by means of visions. God revealed truths to the apostles that had not been revealed before.
In verse 2 Paul began to give a testimony of a time in his life from about fourteen years ago. He had been unconscious and thus did not know whether he was in the body or not. God knew what took place then, but he did not. He did know that while in that state, he was caught up to the third heaven. Thus we learn that there are three heavens. Genesis 1:1 declares:
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Heaven is singular in that verse. In chapter 2:1 we read of the “heavens”. We know that God created the firmament above the earth and called that heaven. We know that the birds fly in the firmament, in one of the heavens. We also learn that the sun, moon and stars are in the firmament (Genesis 1:14-17), one of the heavens. In our text we learn that God dwells in the third heaven.
In verse 3 Paul again speaks of the fact that he did not know what had happened to his body at that time. He knew that in the spirit he had been taken up to the third heaven.
We must remember that this was a unique event that only happened to a few people in Bible times. God is not telling us this is the norm and that we should expect this if we are “spiritual” enough.
In verse 4 Paul stated that he was caught up into paradise. There he heard things that he could not repeat. They were too wonderful for him to be able to repeat. They were things that God showed him, but not things that needed to be recorded for all of mankind.
In verse 5 Paul stated that he would glory in the One he met while in paradise. He would not glory of himself. He would not glory in his infirmities. He was not super spiritual and thus suffered differently than others.
It is interesting to note here, that Paul, as an apostle suffered infirmities. The Charismatics falsely claim that if a person has enough faith, they should never suffer anything. They have an imaginary god and an imaginary Bible. Sadly, there are many gullible people who are willing to listen to these imposters because it makes them feel good. Many are striving to have what these imposters claim all people of “faith” should experience. There are many lies told to try to make it seem as if some of those in that camp have “arrived” at a higher level of spirituality.
Paul was not a promoter of heresies. God is not a promoter of heresies. The truth is that true, faithful saints can be sick, and can have infirmities and will die. The important fact is to be born again and be given spiritual life. The soul of man does not need to be “sick” or deficient. God wants the soul to be strengthened.
Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Pastor Bartel