Did He have the revelation in the body or out of the body?
It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago–whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows–such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
J.
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The most common opinion is that St. Paul is referring to himself in the third person, and refusing to specifically identify himself out of a sense of modesty and humility.
So to address the topic itself. I don’t believe in taking NDE’s as revelatory concerning what happens after this mortal life. Just as a matter of principle.
A few months ago, around December 2024, I was deep in preparation for an exam I had been working towards for nearly a year. I felt confident in my abilities, and when school resumed after Christmas break, we began practice exams.
One of my bad habits is skipping meals whenever I feel like I have “more important” things to do, so I was often eating only once or twice a day in favor of studying. On one fateful exam day, my head started to feel light and I became short of breath. I removed my sweater, thinking it was just the heat, but then everything went black.
I woke up in the nurse’s office and was later taken to the hospital, where doctors told me my blood sugar was dangerously low because I wasn’t eating enough. I thought that was the end of it—but it wasn’t.
The very next morning, while doing my routine, I fainted again. This time it was worse: my body went stiff, my skin turned pale, and even though I could see and hear everything, I couldn’t move. I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been for those who witnessed it, thinking I had died right in front of them.
At the hospital, the doctors decided to run a scan—and what they discovered shocked me. I had been living with a tumor growing inside me for over 16 years, completely unnoticed. If it had remained any longer, I would have lost my life. I was rushed into emergency surgery, and by God’s grace, I recovered quickly.
By the time the real exam came, I was fully healed and able to write it unhindered. Looking back, I truly believe this was God’s way of ensuring all my efforts did not go to waste. If I had collapsed during the actual exam, I might not have had the chance for surgery and recovery.
Today, having received my results and passed with flying colors, I see clearly what the enemy was trying to stop. My destiny is in God’s hands, and His plans will always prevail. May the schemes of the devil never succeed in any of our lives.