The Literal Meaning of Genesis (continued)
eyes of the body. J know, he says, a man in Christ, who fourteen years ago.... "This I know, and let no one who believes me doubt my word." But whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows.
CHAPTER 5§
How is Paul certain about the vision seen but uncertain about the manner in which he saw 1t?
13. What, then, does he know and distinguish from what he does not know, so that he may not deceive those who believe him? This same man, he says, was caught up to the third heaven. Now that heaven was either body or spirit. If it was a body and was seen with the eyes of the body, how does he know that it is that heaven and not know that he saw it in the body? But if it was spirit,!> either it was represented under the image of a body (and in this case it is just as doubtful whether it was a body as it is whether it was seen in the body) or it was seen as wisdom is seen in the mind without any bodily images. And yet in this supposition it is certain that it could not have been seen by the body. Hence either both things!® are certain or both uncertain. How can he be certain about what he saw and uncertain about the manner in which he saw it? Obviously he could not have seen an incorporeal nature by means of the body. But bodies, even if they can be seen!" without their visible corporeal qualities, are certainly not in this case seen by means of the body but in a manner altogether different (if there is any vision of this sort). Hence it would be strange if this kind of vision could resemble ocular vision so closely as to deceive St. Paul or force him into a state of doubt, so that, having seen a corporeal heaven otherwise than with the eyes of the body, he would say he was uncertain whether he saw it in the body or out of the body.
14. But the Apostle, who took such pains to distinguish what he knew from what he did not know, could not be guilty of a lie. Hence perhaps'!® we should interpret him to mean that, when he was caught up to the third heaven, he could not tall