My Notes
Authors
John Calvin - Commentaries
**I knew a man in Christ As he was desirous to restrain himself within bounds, he merely singles out _one _instance, and that, too, he handles in such a way as to show, that it is not from inclination that he brings it forward; for why does he speak in the person of another rather than in his own? It is as though he had said, “I should have preferred to be silent, I should have preferred to keep the whole matter suppressed within my own mind, but those persons 880880 “Ces opiniastres ambitieux;” — “Those ambitious, obstinate persons.” will not allow me. I shall mention it, therefore, as it were in a stammering way, that it may be seen that I speak through constraint.” Some think that the clause in Christ is introduced for the purpose of confirming what he says. I view it rather as referring to the disposition, so as to intimate that Paul has not here an eye to himself, but looks to Christ exclusively.
When he confesses, that he does not know whether he was _in the body, _or _out of the body, _he expresses thereby the more distinctly the greatness of the revelation. For he means, that God dealt with him in such a way, 881881 “Que Dieu a tellement besongne et precede enuers luy;” — That God had in such a manner wrought and acted towards him.” that he did not himself understand the manner of it. Nor should this appear to us incredible, inasmuch as he sometimes manifests himself to us in such a way, that the manner of his doing so is, nevertheless, hid from our view. 882882 “Est incomprehensible a nostre sens;” — “Is incomprehensible to our mind.” At the same time, this does not, in any degree, detract from the assurance of faith, which rests simply on this single point — that we are aware that God speaks to us. Nay more, let us learn from this, that we must seek the knowledge of those things only that are necessary to be known, and leave other things to God. (Deuteronomy 29:29 .) He says, then, that he does not know, whether he was wholly taken up — soul and body — into heaven, or whether it was his soul only, that was caught up
Fourteen years ago Some 883883 “Ne se contentans point de ceci;” — “Not contenting themselves with this.” enquire, also, as to the place, but it does not belong to us to satisfy their curiosity. 884884 “Mais nous n’auons point delibere, et aussi il n’est pas en nous de satisfaire a leur curiosite;” — “But we have not determined as to this, and it does not belong to us to satisfy their curiosity.” The Lord manifested himself to Paul in the beginning by a vision, when he designed to convert him from Judaism to the faith of the gospel, but he was not then admitted as yet into those secrets, as he needed even to be instructed by Ananias in the first rudiments. 885885 “Es premiers commencemens de la religion;” — “In the first elements of religion.” (Acts 9:12 .) That vision, therefore, was nothing but a preparation, with the view of rendering him teachable. It may be, that, in this instance, he refers to that vision, of which he makes mention also, according to Luke’s narrative. (Acts 22:17 .) There is no occasion, however, for our giving ourselves much trouble as to these conjectures, as we see that Paul himself kept silence respecting it for fourteen years, 886886 “This vision Paul had kept secret for fourteen years. He had doubtless _often _thought of it; and the remembrance of that glorious hour was doubtless one of the reasons why he bore trials so patiently, and was willing to endure so much. But before this he had had no occasion to mention it. He had other proofs in abundance that he was called to the work of an Apostle; and to mention this would savour of pride and ostentation. It was only when he was _compelled _to refer to the evidences of his apostolic mission that he refers to it here.” — Barnes. — Ed. and would not have said one word in reference to it, had not the unreasonableness of malignant persons constrained him.
Even to the third heaven. He does not here distinguish between the different heavens in the manner of the philosophers, so as to assign to each planet its own heaven. On the other hand, the number _three is made use of (κατ ἐζοχὴν) by way of eminence, _to denote what is highest and most complete. Nay more, the term _heaven, _taken by itself, denotes here the blessed and glorious kingdom of God, which is above all the spheres, 887887 “Par dessus tons les cieux;” — “Above all the heavens.” and the firmament itself, and even the entire frame-work of the world. Paul, however, not contenting himself with the simple term, 888888 “Non content de nommer simplement le ciel;” — “Not contented with simply employing the term heaven.” adds, that he had reached even the greatest height, and the innermost _recesses. _For our faith scales heaven and enters it, and those that are superior to others in knowledge get higher in degree and elevation, but to reach the _third heavens _has been granted to very few.