12:2 a man in Christ. Although he speaks indirectly, Paul clearly means himself.

third heaven. According to a common enumeration, the first heaven was the atmosphere of the birds and clouds, the second was the sky in which we see the stars, and the third would be heaven, the dwelling place of God. For fourteen years Paul had not made this experience a focus of his teaching, as some would have done. His focus was the message of Christ: “what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord” (4:5).