2 CorinthiansSample

True strength comes from a relationship with God—from an encounter with the living God. But this strength is often not visible from the outside. Paul's opponents probably accused him of exactly that: that he was not a "real" apostle—after all, he had not received special revelations or visions like the "great ones" among the apostles. Paul contradicts this. But one can tell how reluctantly he speaks about such things: He reports in the third person and remains vague. His concern is not to put himself in the spotlight, but to confirm his calling. He only says this much: He was in the third heaven and he heard—probably on another occasion—inexpressible words in Paradise. But he remains reserved. And we also should not read more into it than what he says.

Excursus: The Third Heaven

In the Jewish understanding at the time of Paul, a distinction was made between different "layers of heaven"—similar to how we today might speak of the "atmosphere," "outer space," and the "spiritual dimension." It was usually assumed that there were three or even seven heavens.

• First Heaven: The visible heaven—that is, the atmosphere where birds fly and clouds move.
• Second Heaven: The realm of the stars and planets—what we would call outer space.
• Third Heaven: The dwelling place of God—the invisible, spiritual world where God's presence is. In this view, the "third heaven" was the highest and most holy place.

More important to him than this vision is what God placed in his life afterward: a "thorn in the flesh." We do not know exactly what that was. But we know the result: This weakness taught Paul not to rely on himself, but on Jesus. "My power is made perfect in weakness," the Lord said to him.

For Reflection
How do I deal with my weaknesses? Do they lead me closer to Jesus—or do they pull me away from Him?