I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
Oida (G1492) - 'I know;' not "I knew."
A man - meaning himself. He distinguishes between the rapt and glorified person of 2 Corinthians 12:2; 2 Corinthians 12:4, and himself, the infirmity-laden victim of the "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7). Not the glory, but the weakness, belonged to him. He did not even know whether he was in or out of the body when the glory was upon him. His spiritual self was his highest and truest self; the flesh, with its infirmity, his temporary self (Romans 7:25). Here, however, the latter is prominent.
In Christ - a Christian (Romans 16:7).
Above - rather, "fourteen years ago." This letter was written 55 AD - 57 AD Fourteen years before will bring the vision to 41 AD - 43 AD, the time of his second visit to Jerusalem (Acts 22:17). He had long been intimate with the Corinthians, yet had never mentioned it before: it was not a matter lightly to be spoken of.
I cannot tell - Greek, 'I know not.' If in the body, he must have been caught up bodily; if out of the body, his spirit must have been caught up out of the body. At all events, he recognizes the possibility of conscious receptivity in disembodied spirits. Caught up (Acts 8:39; Acts 10:10) - "a trance;" Greek, ecstasy.
To [ heoos (G2193 )] the third heaven - `even to,' etc. These raptures (plural, "visions," "revelations") had two degrees: first, he was caught up "to the third heaven;" thence to "paradise" (2 Corinthians 12:4), 'an inner recess of the third heaven' (Bengel) (Luke 23:43; Revelation 2:7). Paul was permitted not only to 'hear' the things of paradise, but to see also in some degree the things of the third heaven (cf. "visions," 2 Corinthians 12:1). The occurrence TWICE of 'whether in the body, etc., I know not, God knoweth,' may mark two stages in the revelation. 'Ignorance of the mode does not set aside the fact. Even the apostles were ignorant of many things.' The first heaven is that of the clouds, the air; the second, that of the stars, the sky; the third is above both, where God's glory continually shines (Ephesians 4:10).