3rd heaven

2 Corinthians 12.

In this chapter, Paul continues his boasting that he feels the need to continue in.

lets start with verse 1

The New International Version Chapter 12

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 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. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.

The first heaven refers to the earth’s atmosphere

the second heaven is basically what we see as the universe, sun moon stars

the third heaven is the place at which God lives, what we know as

This discussion of this man is an indirect reference to himself.

So Paul is beginning here, to share an experience with them.

vs. 6

The New International Version Chapter 12

Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

If Paul were to choose to boast about this experience, he would be telling the truth.

however, he didn’t want to boast of these things

but wanted to speak about what they had seen or heard from him.

Now we can look at a lot of writings in Scripture and find that Paul could easily boast about many things.

The accomplishments for God’s Kingdom that happened through Paul are great

and many people would want to boast about such things,

Paul, however, did not want to.

Many have tried speculate what Paul’s thorn was.

This thorn was clearly painful and brought him torment.

We also know that Satan served as the deliverer of this thorn, but the ultimate source of it was God.

This is similar to Job, as God allowed Satan to intervene in Job’s life and this appears to be the same with Paul

it also served to keep Paul humble, which seems to have worked

vs. 8

The New International Version Chapter 12

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Verse 8 reminds us again that the source of this was God’

Rather than rebuking satan for it, Paul asks the Lord to take it away.

Recognize, this is the same Paul who was stoned nearly to death, drug out of the city and left for dead, then he got up and walked right back in

For Paul to plead with the Lord to take the thorn away, it must have been some pretty great torture.

God responds to God’s plea, but not in the way that Paul had hoped.

God reminds Paul that His grace is sufficient to and His power is made perfect in weakness

this was a moment of weakness for Paul, and God is sharing His power and protection

We all deal with thorns of some kind, so it shouldn’t matter to us what Paul’s was, because we need to worry about our own.

often times, we are too worried about our thorn and not recognizing the fact that God’s grace should be sufficient enough to see us through.

vs. 10

The New International Version Chapter 12

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

At this point, Paul’s entire perspective had changed

no matter what he came against, he was willing and able to endure for the sake of Christ

The same should be the same for us.

we have to be willing to endure for Christ’s sake.