Paul is taken up into the third heaven and hears words not to be spoken of.

12 No doubt it is not seemly for me to boast. Nevertheless, I will come to visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ about fourteen years ago (whether he was in the body I cannot tell, or whether he was out of the body I cannot tell, God knows) who was taken up into the third heaven. ³ And I know the same man (whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell, God knows), ⁴ how he was taken up into Paradise and heard words not to be spoken, which no man can utter. ⁵ Of this man I will boast. Of myself I will not boast, unless it be of my infirmities. ⁶ And yet if I chose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. Nevertheless, I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be, or hears from me.

⁷ And lest I should be unduly lifted up through the greatness of the revelations, there was given to me unquietness of the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me – because I should not be unduly lifted up. ⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord three times, to put it from me. ⁹ And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect through weakness. Very gladly therefore will I rest in my weakness, so that the strength of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore I am content in infirmities, in reproach, in need, in persecutions, in anguish, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹ I am made a fool in going on about myself. You have compelled me. I ought to have been commended by you. For in nothing was I inferior to the chief apostles. Though I am nothing, ¹² yet the signs that mark an apostle were wrought among you with all patience – with miracles, and wonders, and works of power. ¹³ For in what were you less favoured than other congregations? – unless it is in that I was not burdensome to you. Forgive me this wrong done to you! ¹⁴ And now the third time I am ready to come to you, and still I will not be a burden to you. For I seek not yours, but you. Also, the children ought not to lay up for the fathers and mothers, but the fathers and mothers for the children. ¹⁵ I will very gladly give, and will be given, for your souls – though the more I love you, the less I am loved in return.

¹⁶ But granted that I did not impose upon you, nevertheless I was crafty and took you with guile – ¹⁷ Did I rob you through any of the men that I sent to you? ¹⁸ I asked Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus defraud you of anything? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in like steps? ¹⁹ Again, do you think that we are justifying ourselves to you? We speak in Christ, in the sight of God.

But we do all things, dearly beloveds, for your upbuilding. ²⁰ For I fear lest it come to pass that when I come, I will not find you such as I would like, and you will find me such as I would not want. I fear lest there be found among you debate, envying, anger, rivalry, backbiting, whisperings, swelling, and discord. ²¹ I fear that when I come again, God may bring me low among you, and I may be constrained to bewail many of those who have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and wantonness that they have committed.