WHY DIDN’T PAUL SHARE HIS ‘TRIP TO HEAVEN’ STORY? - by MIKE LEAKE

Found here. Our comments in bold.
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This article contains almost no accurate information. It's astonishing to us that this supposed Bible teacher can wander so far away from what is actually taught in the Bible. And he represents himself as a truth teller who is explaining the real meaning of these things.)
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I suppose you could quibble with my title a bit, because Paul did technically share his story about being caught up into the third heaven. But it took him fourteen years and he only told it when he was “acting the fool” in order to rattle the Corinthians back into a Christ focus. So why? (Indeed, why? We will discover that the author doesn't actually know.)

Consider the situation that Paul faced. At Corinth a group of false teachers were winning the affections of the Corinthians, and they were doing it through bragging about ecstatic experiences and visions and such. (The author provides no scriptural references for this assertion, because there isn't one. There is no verse in either Corinthians one or two that says such a thing.

There were false teachers, but they weren't bragging about their ecstatic experiences, they were preaching another Jesus. 2Co. 11:4:

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

The author is not off to a good start. Hopefully he will improve.) 

It was important for their faith that they adhere to Paul’s gospel (the biblical gospel) instead of this false gospel being pimped by the prosperity goons. (Another undocumented claim. In fact, there is no mention of prosperity in either letter to the Corinthians.)

And Paul had a story which could trump everyone of their stories. So what does he do? He tells his story (2 Corinthians 12:1-10) (But... Paul had been already boasting about his many afflictions. starting at 2Co. 11:22. His story about the third heaven isn't a particular focus. It is merely part of a long explanation to show that he is not inferior to the "super apostles" [2 Cor. 11:5]) 

but prefaces his story by saying, “there is nothing to be gained by it”. And then he shares it as if the thing didn’t even happen to him.

To Paul “visions and revelations” were not beneficial for either establishing or edifying the local church. (Yet another undocumented claim. Rather, Paul went to great lengths to explain the benefits of the operation of the supernatural in 1 Cor. 14.

But more to the point, Paul isn't even discussing the supernatural. He isn't talking about edifying the local church. Paul is setting forth his credentials as an apostle.)

He had this amazing story about going to heaven and being in the very presence of God, and he did not share it.  I suppose he could have shared it in a few local church contexts. (Sigh. The author makes an assertion then immediately backtracks.)

But this is the only place where Paul speaks of his visions and revelations and this trip to heaven. (Note the use of the plural, which is found in the text at 2 Cor. 12:1. The author is trying to minimize Paul's supernatural experiences as not only rare, but unimportant.)

This is certainly the first time that the Corinthians had heard the story. I’ll be as generous as I can here. Though it’s possible that this heavenly trip had zero impact on his ministry, we have to at least say that it had a minimal impact on his ministry. (A totally unjustified conclusion. Paul told us he was boasting! He was reluctant to boast, of course, but did so for a very important reason. He was answering their criticism that he wasn't an apostle!

2Co. 12:11-12 I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles”, even though I am nothing. 12 The things that mark an apostle — signs, wonders and miracles — were done among you with great perseverance. 

What Paul was talking about had nothing at all to do with the author's stated premise.)

That is telling. And it’s important to note the reason why Paul didn’t share this story. (Which the author has already admitted is not the case.)

It is because Christianity is the most falsifiable religion in the world, and God intends to keep it that way. Or to put it another way, Christianity is not founded upon ecstatic personal experiences and God intends to keep it that way. (The author engages in a spectacular non sequitur. Who has ever asserted that Christianity was founded upon "ecstatic personal experiences?" 

So he starts with his false premise, that is, that Paul was explaining his heavenly trip to refute those in the Corinthian church who were bragging about their own experiences, and thus arrives at an unwarranted conclusion that Paul was slapping down the whole idea of the supernatural.)

In this regard Christianity is quite unique. Mormonism depends upon the testimony of Joseph Smith (and maybe the eleven other elders). Those golden plates were given back to the angel. You can’t dig them up. Islam is founded upon the testimony of Mohammed. He alone had the words given to him in that cave. You cannot necessarily prove that it is true. We could go on and on with about every major world religion. Christianity is unique. Find bones in Jerusalem that belong to Jesus Christ and the whole thing is a sham. It’s not dependent upon some person’s personal ecstatic experience. (We find this argument questionable. In actual fact, Christianity is founded on an rationally unverifiable fact, the resurrection. The absence of bones is not affirmative evidence. And, we don't have Jesus standing here physically to verify His words. That requires a supernatural Holy Spirit. We don't have any physical evidence that Paul existed, we only have documents. They're well-attested documents, but nonetheless, they are merely someone writing things down.

The author continues to disappoint us, and we're over half way through the article.)

This is why Paul didn’t share his trip to heaven story. (Why does the author keep mentioning this when it isn't true?)

And, frankly, it’s why we should be far more cautious with saying things like “God told me” or having a local church structured around a “vision” that God has given a pastor or a group of people. (Another non sequitur. Paul's experience has nothing to do with the prophetic. And in fact it has nothing to do with the supernatural. Paul is defending himself from false claims about his apostleship.)

Again, personal ecstatic and unverifiable encounters are not the stuff of the New Testament. (The author just keeps going, making undocumented assertions. If the author is correct,  why would Paul write a prior letter to the Corinthian church about how the supernatural should operate?

Quite to the contrary, the Christian faith is intrinsically a supernatural one. We are saved supernaturally, filled with the Holy Spirit supernaturally, and live out our entire lives as supernatural new creations.) 

Christianity is a put-it-under-the-microscope type of faith.

Notice what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:6, “…but I refrain from [boasting about my trip to heaven], so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.” Do you see what Paul is doing? He is saying, “I’m only going to boast in what you see Christ doing in my life (verifiable) or the gospel I preach (verifiable)”.(Interestingly, Paul  contradicts the author when makes a big deal out of his own boasting.  

2Co. 12:1-2 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 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.

Having said this, Paul then tells why he doesn't want to boast in the very next verse. 2Co. 12:7: 

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

God wanted Paul to not be conceited. About what? "...these surpassingly great revelations...." Hmm, didn't the author just tell us that Paul was concerned about verifiability? Didn't the author just tell us that this is supposed to be a lesson in not relying on supernatural encounters?)

The author wants desperately to impose his own understanding, so much so that he is willing to put words in Paul's mouth.)

The Spirit loves the light. He loves truth. The gospel isn’t afraid of the microscope. If the foundation of your faith isn’t something verifiable (What does this mean? My salvation is somehow empirically testable?)

then it’s something different than what Paul preached. I’m not necessarily saying that dreams, visions, etc. don’t happen. (So he walks it all back. Apparently the supernatural does happen.)

(That’s a different topic for a different day). But what I am saying is that if we are to follow Paul (as he followed Christ) then we’re not going to give such things much weight. They aren’t needed for establishing or edifying the church. (Another undocumented statement. Here's what Paul actually teaches about edifying the church. 1Co. 14:26: 

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

1Co. 14:1:

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

Ep. 4:11-13:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

1Co. 12:28: 

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

The author completely misleads us about Paul's teaching in deference to an agenda. He either deliberately does this, or is so inured to his doctrinal perspective that he cannot see what is actually being taught.)