Misinterpretation in KJV (XVIII)

2 Corinthians 12:2 (King James Version)

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.

2 Corinthians 12:2 (New International Version)

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.

I

know

a

man

in

Christ

who

fourteen

years

ago

→

οἶδα1

→

ἄνθρωπον2

ἐν3

Χριστῷ4

τὸν23 τοιοῦτον24

δεκατεσσάρων7

ἐτῶν6

πρὸ5

oida

anthrōpon

en

Christō

ton toiouton

dekatessarōn

etōn

pro

was

caught

up

to

the

third

heaven

.

Whether

it

was

in

the

body

→

ἁρπαγέντα22

←

ἕως25

►27

τρίτου26

οὐρανοῦ27

εἴτε8

•

•

ἐν9

→

σώματι10

harpagenta

heōs

tritou

ouranou

eite

en

sōmati

•

•

or

out

of

the

body

I

do

not

know

—

God

οὐκ11

οἶδα12

εἴτε13

ἐκτὸς14

►16

τοῦ15

σώματος16

→

►18

οὐκ17

οἶδα18

ὁ19 θεὸς20

ouk

oida

eite

ektos

tou

sōmatos

ouk

oida

ho theos

knows	.
οἶδεν21
oiden

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 2 Co 12:2.

2 Corinthians 12:2 renders “I knew a man” when the Greek verb tense demands “I know a man,”[1] fundamentally altering whether Paul speaks of a past revelation or present knowledge. This mistranslation obscures the passage’s rhetorical and theological dimensions.

The Grammatical Issue

The Greek present-tense verb indicates Paul’s ongoing knowledge of this person’s experience, not a past acquaintance. By rendering it in the past tense, the KJV creates temporal distance between Paul’s speaking and his knowledge, suggesting he merely recalls an old event rather than maintaining present awareness of it. The shift from present to past tense fundamentally changes the force of Paul’s statement.

The Rhetorical Context

Paul is employing third-person speech as part of a satirical style in which he pretends to be less than he really is, and the uncertainty regarding details is part of the satirical nature of these verses. In verses 1–6 Paul uses paradoxical language, treating ecstatic heavenly visions—which his opponents valued—in a satirical fashion as having no value in authenticating one’s apostleship, speaking in a way his readers would have recognized as “tongue in cheek.”[2] The present-tense formulation strengthens this ironic posture: Paul maintains present knowledge of his own experience while feigning detachment through third-person narration.

The Theological Significance

Paul states that he actually ascended into the highest heaven but does not know whether he went in his physical body or whether the experience was in his spirit only. Indeed, it did happen; he was caught up to the highest heaven. The question for Paul was whether it was a bodily ascension or “in spirit only.”[2] The present tense underscores Paul’s certainty about the event itself while maintaining genuine uncertainty about its nature—a distinction the KJV’s past tense obscures. By using “knew,” the KJV weakens Paul’s rhetorical irony and makes his uncertainty appear more comprehensive than the text intends.

[1] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Philippians, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2004), 301.
[2] Roger L. Omanson and John Ellington, A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 217–218.