The Vision of the Third Heaven

     The Vision of the Third Heaven 

Some have speculated that Paul’s vision of the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12 might be connected to the event in Acts 14:19-20, when he was stoned and left for dead in Lystra. However, the text does not explicitly link the two events.


Arguments for the Connection


Near-Death Experience – In Acts 14:19-20, Paul was stoned by a mob and dragged out of the city, presumed dead. Some believe that during this possible near-death or unconscious state, he could have experienced the vision he later describes in 2 Corinthians 12.



 The Timeline Fits 

Paul says his vision occurred “fourteen years ago” (2 Cor. 12:2). If 2 Corinthians was written around 55–57 AD, this would place the vision around 41–43 AD, roughly when the Lystra stoning happened (~47–49 AD). While not an exact match, it is within the general timeframe of his early missionary journeys.



Paul’s Uncertainty About the Body 

Paul says he does not know whether he was “in the body or out of the body” (2 Cor. 12:3), which could suggest a near-death or unconscious state, making the Lystra incident a plausible context.




Arguments Against the Connection


No Explicit Link in Scripture

Nowhere does Paul connect the vision with Lystra or a stoning. If they were the same event, one might expect him to make this clear.



Different Emphasis in Acts and 2 Corinthians – Acts 14 focuses on Paul’s miraculous survival and return to ministry, while 2 Corinthians 12 emphasizes the paradox of revelation and weakness.



Earlier Date of the Vision? – If Paul’s vision happened 14 years before writing 2 Corinthians (~55 AD), it would place the event around 41 AD, which is before Paul’s first missionary journey and before he visited Lystra (~47 AD). This suggests the vision may have occurred earlier in his life, perhaps during his time in Tarsus or Antioch (Acts 9:30, 11:25-26).




Conclusion


While it's possible that Paul’s vision occurred when he was stoned at Lystra, the chronology doesn’t align perfectly, and there is no direct biblical evidence linking the two events. Instead, the vision might have been an earlier experience that shaped Paul’s understanding of his calling. Either way, Paul downplays the significance of the vision itself, emphasizing instead that his weakness and suffering (his thorn in the flesh) are what truly display God’s power (2 Cor. 12:9-10).


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