2 Corinthians 12:4 (LSB)

Passage

was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.

2 Corinthians 12:3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—

2 Corinthians 12:4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

2 Corinthians 12:5 On behalf of such a man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in weaknesses.

2 Corinthians 12:6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will consider me beyond what he sees in me or hears from me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "caught", "paradise", "heard", "inexpressible", "words", "permitted", and "speak". 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 how such a man..." into verse 5's "On behalf of such a man I...", 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.