2Corinthians 12 -- The Lord's Second Coming

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1 It is necessary to boast, though nothing is gained by it; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

In this chapter Paul reveals quite a bit about the rapture. I think it is necessary as part of a book that deals with the new testament ministry whose goal is to bring us successfully to the rapture and yet nothing is gained by it. As a teacher I often feel the same way. We end the year with an exam. Some teachers put up a daily count “so many days till the Regents”. I don’t do that because to me there is nothing to be gained by doing that. Likewise I often feel there is nothing to be gained by those who focus intently on “when” the rapture is. Still it is necessary to discuss this.

2 I know a [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, [only] God knows—such a man was caught up to the [b]third heaven.

This is very strange way to present this. He has prefaced this chapter with a chapter on pseudo apostles and counterfeit apostles and I suppose they all will trumpet their dreams and visions that they had. Probably a great way to draw a crowd of people with itching ears. In that same chapter he described how the apostasy would take place. The serpent would beguile Eve to lead her away from the pure devotion to Jesus Christ. I think these dreams and visions are certainly a favorite tactic of the serpent. But here we have come to the very end of the New Testament ministry and Paul is telling us about the rapture. The word we call “rapture” is the greek word here used for “caught up”. The first one is to the third heaven, not sure what is going on with that. When we get raptured are we in the body or not? Not clear. But he is very precise that it takes place fourteen years before the end of this age.

 

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Examples of foolish boasting. Examples of messengered of Satan. Treating people who are telling you the truth disdainfully. The "super apostles" treating you as being an inferior. Strife, jealousy, arrogance, disorder, impurity, sexual immorality and decadence.

 

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3 And I know that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, [only] God knows— 4 was caught up into [c]Paradise and heard inexpressible words which man is not permitted to speak [words too sacred to tell].

And there is a second experience, this one is caught up to Paradise.

5 On behalf of such a man [and his experiences] I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.

I like how he will boast “on behalf of such a man” but not on his own behalf. In other words he is referring to all the saints who get raptured at the end of the age whether in the first rapture or the second, and he will boast on their behalf because all of them have been chosen by God.

6 If I wish to boast, I will not be foolish, because I will be speaking the truth. But I abstain [from it], so that no one will credit me with more than [is justified by what] he sees in me or hears from me.

Foolish boasting is when you say you are more than you are. You are setting yourself up to get exposed and humiliated. Hence it is foolish. But if you are speaking the truth it can still be boasting but it isn’t foolish because it is true. The problem is that people hearing it can give you more credit than you deserve. They may think Paul can do things or know things that are not true. Most of us are prone to do that so he doesn’t want to say anything that would result in this unbalanced response.