Objection 74: Paul makes clear that it is possible for him to be “out of the body” (2 Cor. 12:1-4), proving that man is an immaterial soul or spirit, who can live independently of his body.
The passage, in its context, reads thus:
“It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 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 knows); such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows) how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” 2 Cor. 12:1-4.
Preliminarily, even those who believe that we have, or are, an immortal soul also believe that the soul stays within the body until the instant of death. (The idea of astral projection is from eastern mysticism, not from any species of Christianity.) Indeed, they believe that the soul departing the body results in death to the body. Two of their proof texts indicate (as they interpret them) that bodily death is, or is caused by, the departure of the soul from the body:
“And it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died).” Gen. 35:18.
“And the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.” 1 Kings 17:22.
We will examine these texts closely under Objection 81, but, for now, let us acknowledge that, according to those who hold to the doctrine of unconditional immortality, if Paul’s soul was out of his body, his body would have died!
But is anyone really bold enough to assert that Paul does not know whether or not he died over 14 years ago? And if he did die, he must have been raised from the dead when he returned from “the third heaven.” That would be well worth writing about, yet Paul makes no allusion anywhere in his writings to his having died and been resurrected. Obviously, there is something very wrong with this interpretation of the passage.
The clue as to how rightly to interpret this passage is found in the second sentence: “I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.” Paul is speaking of “visions and revelations”! He is talking about what he saw and experienced while in vision, and he is saying that what he experienced was so real and vivid that he is not certain whether he was bodily transported to heaven—”in the body”—or whether the vision was shown to him in his mind—“out of the body.”
If Paul was not literally taken to heaven, he seemed to be there nevertheless, and naturally he might describe that state as being “out of the body.” How better could one express the thought of being in a far-off place without literally going there?
In writing to the Colossian church Paul uses this very same kind of language: “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joyful and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” Col. 2:5. Everyone understands this mode of expression; no one finds in these words proof of an immortal entity called a soul.
In fact, we might write to a friend with whom it will not be possible for us to be on a certain important occasion: “I'll be with you in spirit.” But none of us believes that when we speak thus we mean that an immortal entity within us will flit away at a certain time to be with the friend. Why, then, should anyone think that Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:1-5 is teaching the doctrine of a disembodied soul?