1 . Ay) truly. — ou tofipspei ftoi, it is not expedient for me) on account of the danger of becoming elated, and of the buffetings of Satan, and of hindering the exercise of Christ’s power. — eXi {xropai) I will come , he does not say, I come. He does not eagerly run at it ; so, I will glory , not I glory , at the very con-
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elusion of ver. 5. — yap, for ) The cause, stated in the form of a short preface. — hrtra<siag %a l dcroxaXu^ps/g, visions and revelations) Visions , in reference to seeing ; revelations , to hearing, 1 Sam. ix. 15, lxx. Both in the plural number, because those raptures had two degrees [when he was caught up first “ to the third heaven,” ver. 2 ; then u into paradise,” ver. 4], as he presently mentions. So of revelations , ver. 7. Paul had more visions and revelations, independently of these here. — Kvp/ou, of the Lord) ver. 8, i.e ., of Christ, ver. 2.
2. O 7dcc’ sirs' apnoiyt vra, I knew: whether : caught up) These things, repeated in the next verse, not only keep the reader in pleasant suspense, sharpen his mind, and add weight to well- considered [just] glorying (boasting) ; but also plainly express a double movement in this action. Clemens Alex. Strom. 1. v. sug rpirov ovpavov , xaxs/@sv sig rov exapdbsi<sov, f. 427. So also Irenaeus, 1. 2, c. (56) 55 (where Grabius adds Justinus M., Methodius, and of more recent writers Jeremy Taylor), likewise 1. 5, c. 36, where (comp. Matt. xiii. 23 ; John xiv. 2) he infers different habitations from the diversity among those who pro- duce fruit [fruits of faith], and fixes a difference of abode, diuffroXiiv o/xfaswg, for those who have their joy in heaven, in paradise, in the splendour of the city. Athanasius in Apol., xal scog rp/rov ovpctvov rjptfdtfQri ? tai sig rov ^apdbsiffov avq vsyfr\, u and he was caught up into the third heaven, and was borne up into paradise.” Orig. or his translator, on Rom. xvi., has these words, into the third heaven, and thence into paradise. Oecumenius, riprrdyri s ojg rpirov ovp uvou xui ‘xdXiv bosldsv sig rov Kupdds/ffovy u he was caught up to the third heaven, and again thence into paradise.” That different revelations are mentioned in this passage is acknowledged by Hilarius Diac. Primasius, Anselm, Pope Gregory in Estius, as well as Jerome on Ez. xxviii., Pelag. on this passage, Cassiodor. Haymo, Aquinas. The occurrence of the expression, lest I should he exalted , twice, corresponds to the fact, that he was twice caught up. Certainly paradise , coming last in the gradation with the emphatic article, denotes some inner recess in the third heaven, rather than the third heaven itself ; an opinion which was very generally held by the ancients. See Gregor. Obs., c. 18 ; comp. Luke xxiii. 43, note, and Rev. ii. 7. Therefore the privilege was vouch-
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