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. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. vv.2-4
Read chapter 12
Don't you wish you could just see what heaven was like now? To know what it's like and if it compares to this world and worth striving for? Well Paul went to paradise and had intimate time with God. Not even Moses got that kind of intimacy; yes Moses was with the Lord on a mountain top, but you cant even imagine what Paul being in paradise with Christ was like. Paul here speaks in the third person, something that was often done by rabbis then but also shows his humbleness in this experience. It was so wonderful that Paul didn't even know if he went in body or out of his body. This experience happened fourteen years ago and this is the first we read of it. How could he have kept quiet about that, other than his humbleness and let truth speak in the here and now. After having seen Paradise, or the New Heaven and New Earth (Rev. 21), Paul knew every suffering, joy, hardship, relationships in this life was nothing compared to the riches and life to come.
No one may have that same experience today as Paul did, but we can still seek intimate time with God in our own place. And that time can be just as encouraging, humbling, wonderful, marvelous, awe struck! What does intimacy with Jesus look like to you? How has intimacy with Christ shaped who you are and how you live life?
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