2 Corinthians 12:4 (DRB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

2 Corinthians 12:6 For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish: for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "caught", "paradise", "heard", "secret", "words", "granted", and "utter". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "caught" and "paradise", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "And I know such a man whether..." into verse 5's "For such an one I will glory...", so "caught" and "paradise" 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 "caught" and "paradise" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.