SUBJECT:   2 Corinthians 12:2-3  “Out of body”

QUESTION:  What did Paul mean by the phrase, “out of body” in these verses?  If there is no such thing as an "out of body experience", why would Paul have used that phrase?  Why didn’t Paul know whether it was real or vision?

ANSWER:

Here are the verses you referred to:

2 Corinthians 12:2-3

2 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.

3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

The phrase "out of the body" is simple to define on its face.  The word "body" is "soma" and specifically means your human, physical body.  The "out of" has the following meaning:

NT:1622

ektos (ek-tos'); from NT:1537; the exterior; figuratively (as a preposition) aside from, besides:

KJV - but, except (-ed), other than, out of, outside, unless, without. ~Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary

Paul is saying that he experienced a specific incident.  He is making it clear that he knew not how it took place and also that it was immaterial.  Let me give you an example of what I mean.

One day while in Las Vegas, I went to the Star Trek Experience.  I was placed into a shuttle craft that was absolutely real as far as the interior was concerned.  Outside the craft was a screen but I did not know this until after the ride.  At the moment the screen was activated, I found myself on the shuttle bay of the Starship Enterprise.  Because of hydraulics under the shuttle, it made jerking movements that matched perfectly what I was seeing outside the shuttle.  The shuttle left the shuttle bay and we were transported out into space.  We flew all around the Enterprise.  We were under attack from Klingon ships.  Their phasers blasts hit our shuttle and though protected by the shields, we were knocked about wildly.

For all practical purposes (as far as all my senses were concerned) I WAS on that shuttle, in space and under attack by Klingon ships.  As far as the information my brain was taking in, it mattered not whether it was all simulation or real.  I was experiencing the adventure.

I, had I not known better, could have written to you that I was transported into an episode of Star Trek.  "Whether it was simulation or real, I know not".  After I left the building (the Hilton Hotel) that houses the Star Trek Experience, I felt as if it was real.  All my senses were stimulated by convincing data.  Such was the case with Paul.  Paul is telling us that what he experienced was so real that he could not tell the difference.  The point was what happened (the vision he saw/experienced).

I personally believe it was a vision.  There is no reason for Paul to have actually been taken to heaven.  God had not done this before though He could have.

Paul was there and said that he knew not which it was (vision or real) so, clearly, we cannot determine which it was either.  Therefore it IS immaterial.  The purpose for its being there is merely to show that God did it and it was very real as far as Paul was concerned.

The term "out of body" is used differently today.  Notice this from one dictionary I found on the Internet:

out-of-body experience (OBE)

                     An out-of-body experience (OBE) is a feeling of departing from one's physical

                     body and observing both one's self and the world from outside of one's body.

                     The experience is quite common in dreams, daydreams, and memories, where we

                     quite often take the external perspective. Some people experience an OBE while

                     under the influence of an anesthetic or while semi-conscious due to trauma.

                     Some people have an OBE while under the influence of drugs. Finally, some

                     people experience an OBE when they are near death.

Paul is not describing this situation.  Paul is stating that he experienced something as real but was not sure whether he was in his

physical body or whether he left his body and was in a spirit form (his mind was present in heaven).  He is stating that he was not sure whether he was there or not; whether it was real or a vision.  In any case, he is NOT describing observing both one's self and the world from outside of his body.  See the difference.  We do not want to confuse the Biblical phrase with man's current language and phraseology.

Paul is not describing this situation (the definition of out of body experience above).  Paul is stating that one of two things was possible:

1)       He went to heaven in his physical body.

2)       He had a vision.  In the vision, he was taken to heaven.

He is NOT describing observing both one's self and the world from outside of his body.  See the difference?  We do not want to confuse the Biblical phrase with man's current language and phraseology.

 
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