Question: In your article on heaven, May 2011, you stated that the man in 2 Corinthians 12:2 was "no doubt" Paul himself.

Question: In your article on heaven, May 2011, you stated that the man in 2 Corinthians:12:2I 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.
See All... was "no doubt" Paul himself. May I ask for some clarification? Paul had stated that the prophets never lose mental control (1 Corinthians 14:32). They did not go into trances, comas, or out-of-body experiences. If that is a true interpretation, then Paul would have known whether he was in the body or out of the body. There was a person who had such an experience in Revelation:10:1-4 [1] And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: [2] And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, [3] And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. [4] And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
See All.... John was also caught up into the third heaven (Revelation:1:10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
See All...) and given words he could not reveal--the third heaven, not pertaining to altitude, but time, as Peter explained in 2 Peter:3:6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
See All...,7,13. As best as I can interpret, Paul never spoke of himself in the third person, as the case would be in 2 Corinthians 12. It seems that 2 Corinthians:12:5Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
See All... clarifies beyond doubt that this man was not Paul. If I am missing something, please let me know.

Response: It seems very likely to be the case that the Apostle Paul is referring to himself in 2 Corinthians:12:2-7 [2] 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. [3] And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) [4] How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. [5] Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. [6] For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. [7] And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
See All.... First of all, it is a very personal account of an exalted experience, and Paul, in his humility, seems to use the third person to temper any glory that might be bestowed upon him. Verse 7 clearly indicates his reluctance to boast lest he himself be exalted. Why should Paul himself need a "thorn in the flesh" if he were speaking of another man's revelation?

Additionally, it would certainly not be out of character—nor out of biblical context—for Paul to speak of himself in the third person. John ("the beloved") appears to have done so (John 13:23;19:26;20:2;21:7, 21:20). In like manner, Paul wrote, "Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities...lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me" (2 Corinthians:12:5-6 [5] Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. [6] For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
See All...).

Regarding your statement that "prophets never lose mental control," you've missed the context of 1 Corinthians:14:32And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
See All...: "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." That verse simply indicates that the prophets, i.e., teachers or preachers, have control of what they say and when they are to say it, so that there is no confusion or disorder in a gathering of believers. Acts 10:10 and 11:5 declare that Paul and Peter, both prophets, had trance experiences.

One of the most striking aspects of this entire account is that while Paul clearly intended to speak about "visions and revelations of the Lord" (v. 1), in the end, he not only "failed" to describe what he saw, but he was also forbidden to repeat what he had heard! (Obviously, he was redirected by the Holy Spirit, in much the same manner as was Jude in verse 3 of his epistle).

The Word of God gives many examples of believers who have had supernatural spiritual experiences. We know that what they experienced was true because it was reported to us in the Scriptures, God's objective truth. Spiritual experiences in the Lord for believers today are personal and subjective and therefore cannot always be validated objectively. Two criteria that must be applied are: 1) Are the experiences supported by Scripture in general through teaching or example? and 2) Is the specific content reflective of the character of God, His Word, and His love for those who have committed or will commit their lives to Him? Allowing spiritual experiences to take precedence over God's Word will lead one down an experiential or mystical pathway to delusion and worse.