12:3,4
This man (presumably Paul) saw amazing things. He was taken up to Paradise and heard things that no one is permitted to tell. So why is Paul saying this? Essentially he is saying that whatever the false apostles are boasting about he has seen much greater things. He is also saying he does not speak about them. First because God does not permit him too, and most poignantly here, he has no wish to boast about these things. They do not make him great. The power of the gospel does not lie in the greatness of the messenger. For one thing, the messenger (including you and me) is not great. Most importantly, the power of the gospel is based on who Jesus Christ is and what He has done.
12:5
Such a man and the vision he saw would be worth boasting about if that sort of boasting was in order. In contrast, the things the false apostles boasted about were nothing at all, mere figments of their imagination, if indeed that. Perhaps a similar situation today would be some so-called prophecies. I do believe that prophecy is still a relevant gift for the church, but some of the stuff that passes for prophecy is rubbish. However, Paul had no wish at all to boast about himself, except his weaknesses.
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