Why does Paul refer to "a man" instead of himself in 2 Corinthians 12:2? Passage “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.” (2 Corinthians 12:2) Immediate Literary Context Chapters 10–13 of 2 Corinthians form Paul’s vigorous defense against self-styled “super-apostles” (11:5). These men boasted in visions, revelations, eloquence, and credentials. Paul counters by “boasting” in weakness (11:30) and by recounting a single, unparalleled revelation—yet he refuses to attach his name to it. The surrounding verses (12:1,5-9) reveal that the man is Paul himself: “On behalf of such a man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses” (v. 5). Verse 7 clinches the identification: “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh.” The pronoun switch from third person (vv. 2-5) to first person (v. 7) is deliberate and transparent. Third-Person Self-Reference: An Ancient Rhetorical Convention Classical rhetoric recognized ethopoeia and paraleipsis—devices that allow a speaker to mention something indirectly while seeming modest. Jewish rabbinic writings employ similar strategies; examples appear in the Damascus Document and in 4QInstruction from Qumran, where authors speak of themselves as “someone.” The Fourth Gospel’s “disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 21:20) and Daniel’s “one like a son of man” (Daniel 7:13) illustrate the same idiom. First-century audiences would grasp that Paul was speaking autobiographically while sidestepping overt self-promotion. A Demonstration of Humility and Avoidance of Boasting Corinth prized orators who gloried in personal exploits. Paul intentionally reverses the cultural norm. By distancing himself from the man in the vision, he models Proverbs 27:2—“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth.” His switch back to “I” only when discussing weakness (v. 7) underscores the theme: genuine apostleship is validated by Christ’s power displayed through frailty (12:9-10), not by spiritual credentials trumpeted for admiration. Protecting the Sanctity of the Revelation The event occurred “fourteen years ago”—most likely c. AD 42, before his first missionary tour (Acts 13). Paul has kept it private for over a decade. Relating it anonymously maintains reverence, guarding the sublime encounter from curiosity-seekers and sensationalism. The Mishnah warns against unprepared discussion of the “Merkabah” (heavenly chariot; m. Hagigah 2.1); Paul’s reserve parallels that caution. Separating the Man from the Message By detaching the experiencer (“a man in Christ”) from himself, Paul directs attention to two truths: 1. The experience was “in Christ”—rooted in union with the risen Lord, not in personal merit. 2. God alone grants heavenly visions; whether “in the body or out of the body…God knows.” The epistemic disclaimer stresses divine sovereignty and the limits of human perception, pre-empting speculative Gnostic interpretations about out-of-body travel. An Implicit Claim to Apostolic Authority While modest, the account still authenticates Paul’s office. He has witnessed “paradise” and heard “inexpressible words” (v. 4). Galatians 1:11-12 likewise states that his gospel came “through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Early church fathers—e.g., Irenaeus, Against Heresies 2.30.7, and Tertullian, Against Marcion 5.12—cite this passage to affirm Paul’s apostolic stature. Dating the Experience Counting back fourteen years from the composition of 2 Corinthians (spring/summer AD 56) places the vision around AD 42. This aligns with Paul’s “silent years” in Tarsus (Acts 9:30; Galatians 1:21-24). Luke’s concise narrative leaves space for such a profound event before Barnabas recruited him for Antioch (Acts 11:25-26). Comparative Biblical Examples of Oblique Self-Reference • Moses is called “the most humble man on earth” in the third person (Numbers 12:3). • Isaiah says “a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5) without naming himself directly. • John the Revelator relays his experience in the first person (Revelation 1:10) but later bows out of the scene so that the Lamb receives full focus (5:4-14). Paul’s literary choice sits comfortably within this canonical pattern. Pastoral and Theological Implications 1. Authentic Christian leadership magnifies Christ, not the leader. 2. Spiritual experiences must be tested against Scripture and humility (1 John 4:1). 3. God gives extraordinary revelations not for status but for service—and He may balance them with thorns to keep His servants dependent (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). 4. The episode offers empirical evidence—along with the empty tomb and 500 eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)—that the unseen realm is real, reinforcing the hope of bodily resurrection. Summary Paul refers to “a man” instead of naming himself to honor humility, deflect glory to Christ, protect the sanctity of a heavenly revelation, employ accepted rhetorical convention, and yet still affirm his apostolic authority. The consistent manuscript tradition, corroborating cultural parallels, and immediate textual context leave no doubt that Paul was the unnamed man. His stylistic choice serves the epistle’s overarching aim: to showcase God’s power perfected in human weakness. |
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