2 Corinthians 12:4 (WEB)
how he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Fathers and councils · 30
Tertullian
“It, too, has eyes and ears of its own, by means of which Paul must have heard and seen the Lord; it has, moreover all the other members of the body by the help of which it effects all processes of thinking and all activity in dreams.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2–4.
Read the whole comment“For, sinner as I am of every dye, and born for nothing save repentance, I cannot easily be silent about that concerning which also the very head and fount of the human race, and of human offence, Adam, restored by exomologesis to his own paradise, is not silent.” — editor's note: Cf. Gen. iii. 24 with Luke xxiii. 43, 2 Cor. xii. 4, and Rev. ii. 7. [Elucidation IV.]
Read the whole comment“Now, although Paul was carried away even to the third heaven, and was caught up to paradise, and heard certain revelations there, yet these cannot possibly seem to have qualified him for (teaching) another doctrine, seeing that their very nature was such as to render them communicable to no human being.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
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Origen
- Origen, Against Celsus VI.6Book VI
“Nay, Paul even heard “unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
Read the whole comment - Origen, Against Celsus VII.43Book VII
“Such are the things which Paul labours to express when he says, “I heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter,” where the word “heard” is used in the sense of “understood;” as in the passage, “He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
Read the whole comment - Origen, De Principiis II.7Book II
“We must therefore know that the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, who teaches truths which cannot be uttered in words, and which are, so to speak, unutterable, and “which it is not lawful for a man to utter,” i.e., which cannot be indicated by human language.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
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Gregory of Nyssa
“So do we find it with Paul, who once in Paradise was admitted to mysteries, when he had been caught up there, and had become a spectator of the wonders that are above the heavens, and saw and heard “things which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”” — editor's note: 2 Corinth. xii. 4.
Read the whole comment- Gregory of Nyssa, On Virginity On Virginity.12On Virginity
“One might even be bold to say that this might be found the way by which a man could be again caught up into Paradise out of this world which lieth in the Evil, into that Paradise where Paul was when he saw the unspeakable sights which it is not lawful for a man to talk of.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
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Irenaeus of Lyons
“…all the Scriptures loudly proclaim; and Paul expressly testifies that there are spiritual things when he declares that he was caught up into the third heaven, and again, that he was carried away to paradise, and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2, 3, 4.
Read the whole comment“…such as have the Spirit; in which place also Paul the apostle, when he was caught up, heard words which are unspeakable as regards us in our present condition), and that there shall they who have been translated remain until the consummation [of all things], as a prelude to immortality.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
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Cyril of Jerusalem
“For Peter was there, who carrieth the keys of heaven: and nothing wonderful, for Paul was there, who was caught up to the third heaven, and into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful far a man to utter.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4.
Read the whole comment“Elias was taken up only to heaven; but Paul both into heaven, and into paradise (for it behoved the disciples of Jesus to receive more manifold grace), and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for man to utter.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4.
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Eusebius of Caesarea
“…even unto the sights of the third heaven, had been carried to the very paradise of God, and had been deemed worthy to hear unspeakable utterances there.” — editor's note: See 2 Cor. xii. 2–4.
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John Cassian
- John Cassian, Conferences XI–XVII XVII.24Conference XVII
“…even unto the third heaven: and I know such a man, that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for man to utter.”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2–4.
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Ambrose of Milan
“I cannot deny the one; the other I fear to search into, for if Paul says that the words which he heard when caught up into the third heaven might not be uttered, how can we explain the secret of this generation from and of the Father, which we can neither hear nor attain to with our understanding?” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2–5.
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Augustine of Hippo
“He was already there who said that he was “caught up into the third Heaven, and there heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4.
Read the whole comment“One man regardeth the day to the Lord; another receives a clearer draught from the breast of the Lord; another is caught up even to the third heaven, and hears unspeakable words.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2–4.
Read the whole comment“Moreover, that some from the dead are sent to the living, as, on the other hand, Paul from the living was rapt into Paradise, divine Scripture doth testify.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4
Read the whole comment“Thus the Apostle says, that he “was caught up into the third heaven, and heard ineffable words.”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2–4.
Read the whole comment“For if the Apostle Paul saith, that he “was caught up even unto the third heaven, and that he heard unspeakable words;” how much more unspeakable is He, who showed such things, which could not be spoken by him to whom they were shown?” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
Read the whole comment“Behold Paul ascending: “I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago was caught up into the third heaven (whether in the body, or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth), and that he heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2–4.
Read the whole comment“…it to be that whereof he had said that he was caught up into the third heavens, and there heard unspeakable words “which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4.
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Athanasius of Alexandria
“…or what was in harmony with love and godliness—clave to these things more and more, and was carried up even to heavenly places, and was borne to Paradise; to the end that, as he surpassed the conversation of men, he should be exalted above men.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
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Jerome
“But, you say, “we read that Saint Paul was caught up to the third heaven, into paradise.”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4.
Read the whole comment“For instance, the Apostle has no doubt about doubting whether he was in the body or out of the body when he was carried up into the third heaven.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
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Basil the Great
“…individual, as for instance of Paul, that he alone was caught into the third heaven and “heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter,” and of human nature, as when David says, “as for man his days are as grass,” not meaning any particular man, but human nature generally; for every man is…” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
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Hilary of Poitiers
“He who had been caught up into the third heaven and had heard unspeakable words, reveals to the perception of human understanding as much as human nature can receive.” — editor's note: Cf. 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4.
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“…fully preached the Gospel, even though he had been prematurely caught up to the third heaven, and had a vision of Paradise, and had heard unspeakable words.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4.
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Clement of Alexandria
“How then, if that is truly the promise after our departure hence, say they that they know “what eye hath not known, nor hath entered into the mind of man,” who have not perceived by the Spirit, but received from instruction “what ear hath not heard,” or that ear alone which “was rapt up into the third heaven?”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 2–4.
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Hippolytus of Rome
“Now this (mystery) was not made known to previous generations, as he says, it has been written, “By revelation was made known unto me the mystery;” and, “I have heard inexpressible words which it is not possible for man to declare.”” — editor's note: 2 Cor. xii. 4.
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Cross-references · 47
Cited together in The Refutation of All Heresies VII.14.
Cited together in The Refutation of All Heresies VII.14.
Cited together in The Refutation of All Heresies VII.14.
Cited together in De Principiis II.7.
Cited together in De Principiis II.7.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.6.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.6.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.5.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in Letters Letter 144.
Cited together in Letters Letter 144.
Cited together in The Refutation of All Heresies VII.14.
Cited together in De Principiis II.7.
Cited together in Against Eunomius I.22.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Letters Letter 144.
Cited together in On Care to Be Had for the Dead Chapter 18.
Cited together in Against Eunomius I.22.
Cited together in Against Eunomius I.22.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.6.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.5.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.5.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.5.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.5.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.5.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.5.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.5.
Cited together in Against Celsus VII.43 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Letters Letter 144.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.5.
Cited together in Letters Letter 144.
Cited together in Letters Letter 144.
Cited together in The Prescription Against Heretics Chapter 23.
Cited together in Letters Letter 144.