2 Corinthians 12:3 (DRB)

Passage

And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth):

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 12:1 If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed) but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ: above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven.

2 Corinthians 12:3 And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth):

2 Corinthians 12:4 That he was caught up into paradise and heard secret words which it is not granted to man to utter.

2 Corinthians 12:5 For such an one I will glory: but for myself I will glory nothing but in my infirmities.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "such", "whether", "body", and "knoweth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "such" and "whether", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "I know a man in Christ above..." into verse 4's "That he was caught up into paradise...", so "such" and "whether" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "such" and "whether" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.