2 Corinthians 12:4

ὅτι ἡρπάγη εἰς τὸν παράδεισον. If the repetition of ἁρπάγεσθαι is somewhat in favour of the identification of paradise with the third heaven, the καὶ before οἶδα (2 Corinthians 12:3) is in favour of separate cases of rapture. ‘I know a man … and I know such a one’ points to two experiences: haec iterata plane duplex rei momentum exprimunt (Bengel). Had S. Paul put a καί before εἰς τὸν παράδεισον, there could have been no doubt. Irenaeus (II. xxx. 7) plainly distinguishes the two; “was caught up even to the third heaven, and again was carried into paradise.” Tertullian (de Praes. Haer. 24) similarly; “was caught up even to the third heaven and was carried into paradise.” Clement of Alexandria (Strom. v. xii. p. 693 ed. Potter) also; “caught up even to the third heaven and thence into paradise.” Cyril of Jerusalem (Cat. Lect. xiv. 26) likewise; “Elijah was taken up only to heaven; but Paul both into heaven and into paradise.” Epiphanius writes to John, Bishop of Jerusalem; “When he mentions the third heaven, and then adds the word ‘paradise,’ he shows that heaven is in one place and paradise in another” (Jerome, Ep. li. 5). But we are unable to fix the meaning of either ‘third heaven’ or ‘paradise.’

From the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs (Leviticus 2:3) we know that some Jews about S. Paul’s time distinguished seven heavens; in which they were followed by the Valentinian Gnostics, and later by the Mahometans. But we do not know whether this idea was familiar to S. Paul; still less whether he is alluding to it here. Irenaeus (II. xxx. 7) contends against the notion that the Apostle reached the third of the Valentinian heavens and left the four higher heavens unvisited. Here, ἕως implies that the ‘third heaven’ is a very high heaven, if not the highest; and he uses both ‘third heaven’ and ‘paradise’ as terms which his readers will be likely to understand. But we cannot infer from this that both terms were already familiar to them. S. Bernard (de Grad. Hum.) makes the three heavens symbolize the Trinity and the three graces of humility, charity, and perfect union with the Father in glory.

Jewish ideas respecting paradise were fantastic and conflicting. Sometimes it was thought of as the Garden of Eden, either still remaining on earth or removed to another world; sometimes as that part of the region below the earth in which the souls of the righteous are at peace; sometimes as a region in heaven; which seems to be the meaning here. The Book of the Secrets of Enoch (which, like the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, was written about the time of S. Paul, and therefore is evidence for ideas current in his day) throws much light on this subject. It describes the seven heavens, and in one place either the third heaven is paradise or it contains paradise: “These men took me from thence and placed me in the midst of a garden … and in the midst [is] the tree of life, in that place on which God rests when He comes into paradise” (viii. 1–3). In another passage the idea is different: “I went to the East, to the paradise of Eden, where rest has been prepared for the just, and it is open to the third heaven, and shut from this world” (xlii. 3). In the Testaments (Leviticus 18) ‘the heavens’ and ‘paradise’ seem to be different. In the Psalms of Solomon (14:2), in the παράδεισος κυρίου, the saints are the trees of life (a great advance on the usual materialism); but there is no indication of the relation of heaven to paradise.

It is impossible to determine whether S. Paul was influenced by, or even was acquainted with, any of these ideas. With the thought of a plurality of heavens we may compare ὁ� (Ephesians 4:10) and ἀρχιερέα μέγαν διεληλυθότα τούς οὐρανούς (Hebrews 4:14; comp. Hebrews 7:26). Only three times does the word παράδεισος occur in the N.T. (here; Luke 23:43; Revelation 2:7). In the O.T. it is either ‘a pleasure-ground’ (Nehemiah 3:8; Song of Solomon 4:13; Ecclesiastes 2:5) or ‘the garden of Eden’ (Genesis 2:9-10; Genesis 2:15-16, &c.). Nowhere does it appear to be used to convey any special revelation respecting the unseen world. See Hastings’ DB. ii. pp. 668 ff.

In the Fathers S. Paul is sometimes said to have heard unutterable words in the third heaven. This is mere laxity of quotation: it is no proof that the writer identifies paradise with the third heaven.

ἤκουσεν ἄρρητα ῥήματα ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν�. The play upon words (comp. 2 Corinthians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 3:2; 2 Corinthians 4:8, &c.) can be reproduced in English; unutterable utterances which a man may (Matthew 12:4; Acts 2:29) not speak (2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 7:14). The last clause explains ἄρρητα, ‘things which may not be uttered,’ arcana verba, quae non licet homini loqui (Vulgate). He has no right, not he is unable, to utter them. The word ἄρρητος is found here only in Biblical Greek, but is fairly common in classical Greek of sacred names, mysteries, &c. The addition of ἀνθρώπῳ is not superfluous: no human being ought to repeat on earth what has been said in heaven. Calvin here has some good remarks as to the vanity of speculation respecting the things which the Apostle was not allowed to reveal. Stanley contrasts the reticence of the Apostle with the details given by Mahomet. People who claim to have received revelations commonly do give details. It is specially remarkable that S. Paul never quotes these experiences in heaven as evidence for his teaching. How easy to have claimed special revelation in defence of his treatment of the Gentiles! There is a somewhat similar paronomasia in the ἀλάλους λαλεῖν of Mark 7:37.

This statement about ‘hearing unutterable utterances’ is in itself conclusive against the identification of this incident with the trance in the Temple (Acts 22:17 ff.), in telling of which the Apostle says nothing as to his being caught up to heaven, but does tell what the Lord said to him. Moreover, the trance in the Temple seems to have taken place at an earlier date than this incident. 2 Corinthians was probably written about A.D. 57. ‘Fourteen years ago’ takes us back to about A.D. 43. But the trance appears to have followed soon after the conversion, which cannot be placed either much earlier or much later than A.D. 37 (see on 2 Corinthians 11:32); and there cannot have been six years between the conversion and the trance. But if the identification of this incident with the trance is chronologically impossible, still more impossible is its identification with the conversion; yet this also has been suggested. Perhaps the strangest theory of all is the one which identifies the being caught up even to the third heaven with the unconsciousness caused by the stoning at Lystra, when he was supposed to be dead (Acts 14:19). Could S. Paul write of unconsciousness after being nearly killed by maltreatment in such words as he uses here? On the “reticence, or studied vagueness, or emphatic assertion of the symbolism,” of Scripture respecting the special revelations of God made to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Ezekiel, S. Stephen, and S. Paul, see Lightfoot, Sermons on Special Occasions, pp. 94–97.