63 英翻中 You do not have to fail ! 第2課 你必不至失败! 20/05/2025
CHAPTER
2 YOU DON’T HAVE TO
FAIL! 2 Corinthians
In his book Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy wrote, “Great crises
produce great men and great deeds of courage.” While it is true that a crisis
helps to make a person, it is also true that a crisis helps to reveal what a
person is made of. Pilate faced a great crisis, but his handling of it did not
give him either courage or greatness. How we handle the difficulties of life
will depend largely on what kind of character we have; for what life does to us
depends on what life finds in us. 约翰 · 甘乃迪(John F. Kennedy)在他的《勇气档案》书中写道,“巨大的危机产生了伟大的人,产生了伟大的勇气。”虽然危机确实有助于塑造一个人,但危机也有助于揭示一个人是由什么构成的。彼拉多面临着巨大的危机,但他的处理并没有给他勇气或伟大。我们如何处理生活中的困难,很大程度上取决于我们拥有什么样的性格;因为生命对我们做了什么,取决于生命在我们身上找到了什么。
In this
very personal letter, Paul opened his heart to the Corinthians (and to us) and
revealed the trials he had experienced. To begin with, he had been severely
criticized by some of the people in
What kept Paul from failing? Other people, facing these same crises, would have collapsed! Yet Paul not only triumphed over the circumstances, but out of them produced a great letter that even today is helping God’s people experience victory. What were the spiritual resources that kept Paul going? 是什么让保罗没有失败?其他人,面对同样的危机,会崩溃!然而,保罗不仅战胜了环境,而且還从惡劣环境中产生了一封伟大的信,即使在今天,它仍在帮助上帝的子民经历胜利。让保罗坚持下去他的属灵资源是什么?
1. A Clear Conscience
(
Our
English word conscience comes from two Latin words: com, meaning “with,” and
scire, meaning “to know.” Conscience is that inner faculty that “knows with”
our spirit and approves when we do right, but accuses when we do wrong.
Conscience is not the law of God, but it bears witness to that law. It is the
window that lets in the light; and if the window gets dirty because we disobey,
then the light becomes dimmer and dimmer (see Matt.
Paul
used the word conscience twenty-three times in his letters and spoken ministry
as given in Acts. “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience
void of offense toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). When a person has a
good conscience, he has integrity, not duplicity; and he can be trusted. 保罗在使徒行传中的书信和口述事工中用了 23 次 “良心” 這詞。 “我因此自己勉勵,对上帝对人,常存无亏的良心”(使徒行传 24:16)。人有良心,就是正直,不能口是心非;他值得信任。
Why
were the Corinthians accusing Paul of deception and carelessness? Because he
had been forced to change his plans. He had originally promised to spend the
winter in
Much to
Paul’s regret and embarrassment, he had to change those plans. I sympathize
with him, for in my own limited ministry I have sometimes had to change plans
and even cancel meetings—and without benefit of apostolic authority! “Plans get
you into things,” said Will Rogers, “but you have to work your way out.” Paul
now planned to make two visits to Corinth, one on his way into Macedonia, and
the other on his way from
Alas,
even Plan B had to be scrapped. Why? Because his own loving heart could not
endure another “painful visit” (2 Cor. 1:23; 2:1–3). Paul had informed the
church about his change in plans, but even this did not silence the opposition.
They accused him of following “fleshly wisdom” (2 Cor.
Misunderstandings
among God’s people are often very difficult to untangle, because one
misunderstand[1]ing
often leads to another. Once we start to question the integrity of others or
distrust their words, the door is opened to all kinds of problems. But, no
matter what his accusers might say, Paul stood firm because he had a clear
conscience. What he wrote, what he said, and what he lived were all in
agreement. And, after all, he had added to his original plan “if the Lord
permit” (1 Cor. 16:7; and note James
When
you have a clear conscience, you will live in the light of the return of Jesus
Christ (v. 14). “The day of Jesus Christ” refers to that time when Christ
appears and takes His church to heaven. Paul was certain that, at the judgment
seat of Christ, he would rejoice over the Corinthian believers and they would
rejoice over him. Whatever misunderstandings there may be today, when we stand
before Jesus Christ, all will be forgiven, forgotten, and transformed into
glory, to the praise of Jesus Christ. 当你问心无愧时,就活在耶稣基督再来的光中(第 14 节)。 “耶稣基督的日子”是指基督出现,并将祂的教会带到天堂的那一天。保罗确信,在基督的审判台前,他会为哥林多信徒欢欣,他们也会为他欢喜。无论今天有多麼大的误解,当我们都站在耶稣基督面前时,一切都会赦免、遗忘,并转化为荣耀,都變成為赞美耶稣基督。
When
you have a clear conscience, you will be serious about the will of God (vv.
15–18). Paul did not make his plans carelessly or haphazardly; he sought the
leading of the Lord. Sometimes he was not sure what God wanted him to do (Acts
16:6–10), but he knew how to wait on the Lord. His motives were sincere: he was
seeking to please the Lord and not men. When we stop to consider how difficult
both transportation and communication were in that day, we can marvel that Paul
did not have more problems with his busy schedule. 当你问心无愧时,你就会认真对待上帝的旨意(15-18 等节)。保罗没有草率地或随意地制定他的计划。他寻求主的引导。有时他不确定上帝要他做什么(使徒行传 16:6-10),但他知道如何等候主。他的动机是真诚的:他寻求討主的喜悦,而不是取悦人。当我们停下来想想那天的交通和通讯有多困难时,我们会惊叹保罗在他繁忙的日程安排中没有更多的问题。
Jesus
instructed us to mean what we say. “Say just a simple, ‘Yes, I will’ or ‘No, I
won’t.’ Your word is enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow shows that
something is wrong” (Matt.
When
you have a clear conscience, you glorify Jesus Christ (vv. 19–20). You cannot
glorify Christ and practice deception at the same time. If you do, you will
violate your conscience and erode your character; but eventually the truth will
come out. The Corinthians were saved because Paul and his friends preached
Jesus Christ to them. How could God reveal truth through false instruments? The
witness and the walk of the minister must go together, for the work that we do
flows out of the lives that we live. 当你问心无愧时,你就是在荣耀耶稣基督(19-20 兩节)。你不能在荣耀基督的同时实行欺骗。如果这样做,就会违背良心,污衊你的人品;但最终真相仍会浮出水面。哥林多人得救是因为保罗,和他的朋友向他们传讲耶稣基督。上帝怎么能通过虚假的工具来揭示真理呢? 传道人的见证和生活言行必须同时相稱,因为我们所做的工是从我们的生活中流露出来的。
There
is no yes-and-no about Jesus Christ. He is God’s “eternal yes” to those who
trust Him. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in
Christ. And so through Him the Amen is spoken by us to the glory of
God” (2 Cor.
Finally,
when you have a clear conscience, you will be on good terms with the Spirit of
God (vv. 21–24). The word established is a business term and refers to the
guarantee of the fulfilling of a contract. It was the assurance that the seller
gave to the buyer that the product was as advertised, or that the service would
be rendered as promised. 最后,当你问心无愧时,你就会与上帝的灵相处融洽(21-24 等节)。 “成立” 是商业术语,是指履行合同的保证。这是卖方向买方保证产品与广告一样,或者服务将按承诺提供。
The Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that He is dependable and will accomplish all that He has promised. Paul was careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit; and, because the Spirit was not convicting him, he knew that his motives were pure and his conscience was clear. 圣灵是上帝的保证,祂是可靠的,会成就祂所应许的一切。保罗小心翼翼地不让圣灵担忧。而且,因为圣灵没有使保羅知罪,他知道他的动机是纯洁的,他的良心是清楚的。
All
Christians have been anointed by the Spirit (2 Cor.
The
Spirit has also sealed us (2 Cor.
Finally,
the Holy Spirit enables us to serve others (2 Cor.
The
Spirit is God’s “earnest” (down payment, guarantee, security) that one day we
shall be with Him in heaven and possess glorified bodies (see Eph.
2. A Compassionate
Heart (2:1–11) 2. 熱愛的心(2:1-11)
One of
the members of the Corinthian church caused Paul a great deal of pain. We are
not sure if this is the same man Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians 5, the man
who was living in open fornication, or if it was another person, someone who
publicly challenged Paul’s apostolic authority. Paul had made a quick visit to
Love
puts others first (vv. 1–4). He did not think of his own feelings, but of the
feelings of others. In Christian ministry, those who bring us great joy can
also create for us great sorrow; and this was what Paul was experiencing. He
wrote them a stern letter, born out of the anguish of his own heart, and bathed
in Christian love. His great desire was that the church might obey the Word,
discipline the offender, and bring purity and peace to the congregation. 爱把别人放在首位(1-4 等节)。他考虑的不是自己的感受,而是别人的感受。在基督教事工中,给我们带来极大喜乐的人,也会给我们带来极大的悲伤;这就是保罗所经历的。他给他们写了一封严厉的信,来自他自己内心的痛苦,沐浴在基督徒的爱中。他最大的愿望是教会可以顺服圣经,管教犯罪者,并为会众带来纯洁与平靜。
“Faithful
are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Prov.
27:6). Paul knew that his words would wound those he loved, and this brought
pain to his heart. But he also knew (as every loving parent knows) that there
is a big difference between hurting someone and harming him. Sometimes those
who love us must hurt us in order to keep us from harming ourselves. “朋友加的伤痕出於信实;仇敌的亲嘴是欺騙”(箴 27:6)。保罗知道他的话会伤害他所爱的人,这给他的心带来了痛苦。但他也知道(正如每个慈爱的父母都知道的那样)損傷某人和伤害他是有很大区别的。有时,爱我们的人必须伤害我们,以免我们損害自己。
Paul
could have exercised his apostolic authority and commanded the people to
respect him and obey him; but he preferred to minister with patience and love.
God knew that Paul’s change in plans had as its motive the sparing of the
church from further pain (2 Cor.
Love
also seeks to help others grow (vv. 5–6). It is worth noting that Paul did not
mention the name of the man who had opposed him and divided the church family. However,
Paul did tell the church to discipline this man for his own good. If the person
referred to is the fornicator .mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5, then these verses
indicate that the church did hold a meeting and discipline the man, and that he
repented of his sins and was restored. 爱也寻求帮助他人成长(5-6 兩节)。值得注意的是,保罗没有提到反对他,并分裂教会家庭的人的名字。然而,保罗确实告诉教会,为了他自己的利益管教这个人。如果所指的人是哥林多前书五章提到的淫乱者,那么这几节经文表明教会确实开会來管教这人,并且他對自己的罪悔改,并得到了重建。
True
discipline is an evidence of love (see Heb. 12). Some young parents with
“modern views” of how to raise children refuse to discipline their disobedient
off[1]spring
because these parents claim they love their children too much. But if they
really loved their children, they would chasten them. 真正的管教是爱的顯示(见 希伯来书 12章)。一些对如何抚养孩子有“现代观点”的年轻父母,拒绝管教他们不听话的后代,因为这些父母声称他们太爱自己的孩子。但如果他们真的爱他们的孩子,他们就必定会管教他们。
Church
discipline is not a popular subject or a widespread practice. Too many churches
sweep such things under the rug instead of obeying the Scriptures and
confronting the situation boldly by “speaking the truth in love” (Eph.
The man whom Paul confronted, and whom the church disciplined, was helped by this kind of loving attention. When I was a child, I didn’t always appreciate the discipline that my parents gave me, though I must confess that I deserved far more than I received. But now that I look back, I can thank God that they loved me enough to hurt me and hinder me from harming myself. Now I understand what they really meant when they said, “This hurts us more than it hurts you.” 保罗面对的那人,教会管教的那个人,得到了这种慈爱的关注。当我还是孩子的时候,我并不总是欣赏父母给我的管教,尽管我必须承认,我应得的远远超过我得到的。但现在回想起来,我可以感谢上帝,他们爱我足以伤害我,但阻止我伤害自己。现在我才明白他们所说的,“管教对我们的伤害,比你对自己的伤害更大”时的真正意思。
Love
forgives and encourages (vv. 7–11). Paul urged the church family to forgive the
man, and he gave solid reasons to back up this admonition. To begin with, they
were to forgive him for his own sake, “lest [he] be swallowed up with overmuch
sorrow” (2 Cor. 2:7–8). Forgiveness is the medicine that helps to heal broken
hearts. It was important that the church assure this repentant member of their
love. 爱能宽恕并鼓励(7-11 等节)。保罗敦促教会家庭宽恕这人,并给出了充分的理由来支持这劝告。首先,他们要为他自己的缘故原谅他,“以免 [他] 被过度的悲伤吞没”(哥林多后書 2:7-8)。宽恕是帮助治愈破碎心灵的良药。教会向这位悔改的成员保证他们的爱是很重要的。
In my
own pastoral ministry, I have shared in meetings where disciplined members have
been forgiven and restored to fellowship; and they have been high and holy
hours in my life. When a church family assures a forgiven brother or sister
that the sin is forgoten and the fellowship restored, there is a sense of the
Lord’s presence that is wonderful to experience. Every parent who disciplines a
child must follow that discipline with assurance of love and forgiveness, or
the discipline will do more harm than good. 在我自己的牧養事工中,曾在聚会中分享,受纪律管教的成员,被宽恕後恢复团契的事;在我的生命中,它们是崇高而神圣的时刻。当教会家庭向一位被宽恕的弟兄或姊妹保证,罪已被忘记,团契得以恢复时,就会有一种奇妙的体验到主的同在。凡管教孩子的父母都必须,以爱和宽恕的保证来遵守管教,否则管教弊大于利。
They
should confirm their love to the forgiven brother for the Lord’s sake (2 Cor.
2:9–10). After all, discipline is as much a matter of obedience to the Lord as
it is obligation to a brother. The problem was not simply between a sinning
brother and a grieving apostle: it was also between a sinning brother and a
grieving Savior. The man had sinned against Paul and the church, but he had
most of all sinned against the Lord. When timid church leaders try to whitewash
situations instead of facing them honestly, they are grieving the heart of the
Lord. 他们应该确认是为主的缘故,对被宽恕的兄弟是以爱心來做(哥林多後书 2:9-10)。毕竟,管教既是对主的顺服,也是对兄弟的义务。问题不只是在一个有罪的兄弟和一个悲伤的使徒之间:也存在于一个有罪的兄弟和一个憂心的救主之间。这个人得罪了保罗和教会,但最重要的是他得罪了主。当胆怯的教会领袖试图粉饰情况,而不是诚实地面对它们时,他们正在使主的心伤心。
Paul
gave a third reason: they must forgive the offender for the church’s sake (2
Cor.
One of
Satan’s “devices” is to accuse believers who have sinned so that they feel
their case is hopeless. I have had people write me or phone me to ask for help
because they have been under satanic oppression and accusation. The Holy Spirit
convicts us of sin so that we will confess it and turn to Christ for cleansing;
but Satan accuses us of sin so that we will despair and give up. 撒但的“诡计”之一,是控告犯了罪的信徒,使他们觉得自己的案子没有希望。曾有人给我写信或打电话寻求帮助,因为他们一直受到撒旦的压迫和指责。圣灵使我们知罪,使我们认罪,并转向基督来洁净;但撒旦指责我们有罪,所以我们会绝望和放弃。
When an
offending brother or sister is disciplined according to the Bible, and repents,
then the church family must forgive and restore the member, and the matter must
be forgotten and never brought up again. If the church family—or any person in
the family— carries an unforgiving spirit, then Satan will use that attitude as
a beachhead for new assaults against the church. 当得罪人的弟兄姊妹按圣经管教悔改,那么教会家庭就必须饶恕和挽回这肢体,这件事必须忘记,不再提起。如果教会家庭 — 或家庭中的任何人 — 怀有不饶恕的意念時,那么撒但就会利用这种心态藉作滩头阵地,对教会发起新的攻击。
Paul
was able to overcome the problems that he faced because he had a clear
conscience and a compassionate heart. But there was a third spiritual resource
that gave him victory. 保罗能够克服他所面临的问题,因为他有无愧的良心和富有同情的心。但还有第三种屬靈资源賜给他得到胜利。
A
Conquering Faith (2:12–17). It
appeared in Asia that Paul’s plans had completely fallen apart. Where was
Titus? What was going on at
Except
for one thing: Paul had a conquering faith! He was able to break out in praise
and write, “Thanks be unto God” (2 Cor.
Paul
was sure that God was leading him (v. 14a). The circumstances were not
comfortable, and Paul could not explain the detours and disappointments, but he
was sure that God was in control. The believer can always be sure that God is
working everything together for good, so long as we love Him and seek to obey
His will (Rom.
A friend of mine was to meet a Christian leader behind the iron curtain and arrange for the publishing of a certain book, but all the arrangements fell through. My friend was alone in a dangerous place wondering what to do next, when he “chanced” to make contact with a stranger—who took him right to the very leaders he wanted to reach! It was the providence of God at work, the fulfilling of Romans 8:28. 我的一位朋友要在铁幕后会见一位基督徒领袖,安排出版某本书,但一切都落空。他独自一人在一个危险的地方想知道下一步该怎么做时,当他“偶然”接触到一位陌生人时 ,把他带到了他想接触的领导者面前!这是上帝的旨意的作為,应验了罗马书 8章28節的應許。
Paul
was also sure that God was leading him in triumph (v. 14b). The picture here is
that of the “Roman Triumph,” the special tribute that
If a
commander in chief won a complete victory over the enemy on foreign soil, and
if he killed at least five thousand enemy soldiers and gained new territory for
the emperor, then that commander in chief was entitled to a Roman Triumph. The
processional would include the commander riding in a golden chariot, sur[1]rounded
by his officers. The parade would also include a display of the spoils of
battle, as well as the captive enemy soldiers. The Roman priests would also be
in the parade, carrying burning incense to pay tribute to the victorious army. 如果总司令在外国领土上完全战胜了敌人,并且如果他杀死了至少五千名敌军,并为皇帝赢得了新的领土,那么这位总司令就有资格稱為 “罗马的胜利者”。游行将包括骑着金色战车的指挥官,周围环绕着他的军官。游行还将包括展示战利品以及俘虏的敌方士兵。罗马祭司也将参加游行,携带焚香向胜利的军队致敬。
The
procession would follow a special route through the city and would end at the
Circus Maximus, where the helpless captives would entertain the people by
fighting wild beasts. It was a very special day in
How
does this piece of history apply to the burdened believer today? Jesus Christ,
our great Commander in chief, came to foreign soil (this earth) and completely
defeated the enemy (Satan). Instead of killing five thousand persons, He gave
life to more than five thousand persons—to three thousand plus at Pentecost and
to another two thousand plus shortly after Pentecost (Acts 2:41; 4:4). Jesus
Christ claimed the spoils of battle—lost souls who had been in bondage to sin
and Satan (Luke
The victorious general’s sons would walk behind their father’s chariot, sharing in his victory; and that is where believers are today—following in Christ’s triumph. We do not fight for victory; we fight from victory. Neither in Asia nor in Corinth did the situation look like victory to Paul, but he believed God—and God turned defeat into victory. 戰胜将军的儿子们会跟在父亲的战车后面,分享他的胜利;这就是今天的信徒 — 跟随基督,同享祂的胜利榮耀。我们不为胜利而战;却是从胜利中去战斗。无论是在小亞細亚,还是在哥林多,情况对保罗来说都不像是胜利,但他相信上帝 — 祂把失败变成了胜利。
Paul
was sure that God was using him as He was leading him (vv. 14c–17). As the
Roman priests burned the incense in the parade, that odor affected different
people in different ways. To the triumphant soldiers, it meant life and
victory; but to the conquered enemy, it meant defeat and death. They were on
their way to be killed by the beasts. 保罗确信上帝在带领他时,正在使用他(14節後半段 至17 节)。当罗马祭司在游行中烧香时,这种气味以不同的方式影响着不同的人。对胜利的士兵来说,这意味着生命和胜利;但对于被征服的敌人来说,这意味着失败和死亡。他们正准备被野兽杀死。
Using
this image of the incense, Paul pictured the Christian ministry. He saw
believers as incense, giving forth the fragrance of Jesus Christ in their lives
and labors. To God, believers are the very fragrance of Jesus Christ. To other
believers, we are the fragrance of life; but to unbelievers, we are the
fragrance of death. In other words, the Christian life and ministry are matters
of life and death. The way we live and work can mean life or death to a lost
world around us. 保罗用香氣來描绘基督教的事工。他视信徒为香,在他们的生活和工作中散发出耶稣基督的香气。对上帝来说,信徒就是耶稣基督的香气。对其他信徒来说,我们是生命的香气;但对非信徒来说,我们是死亡的香气。换句话说,基督徒的生活和事奉,事关生死。我们生活和工作的方式,对于我们周围迷失的世界可能意味着生死。
No
wonder Paul cried out, “And who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:16).
He gave his answer in the next chapter: “our sufficiency is of God” (2 Cor.
3:5). He reminded the Corinthians that his heart was pure and his motives
sincere. After all, there was no need to be clever and “peddle” the Word of
God, when he was following in the triumphant train of the victorious Savior!
They might misunderstand him, but God knew his heart. 难怪保罗喊道,“谁能久承擔这些事呢?” (哥林多後書 2:16)。他在下一章给出了答案:“我们所能承擔,乃是出於上帝”(哥林多後書 3:5)。他提醒哥林多人,他的心是纯洁的,他的动机是真诚的。毕竟,当他跟随得胜救主的胜利遊行列车时,根本不需要聪明,和 “傳講”上帝的话语!他们可能会误解他,但上帝知道他的心。
We
don’t have to fail! Circumstances may discourage us, and people may oppose us
and misunderstand us; but we have in Christ the spiritual resources to win the
battle: a clear conscience, a compassionate heart, and a conquering faith. 我们必不至失败!环境可能使我们灰心,人们可能反对我们,误解我们;但我们在基督里有赢得战斗的属灵资源:无愧的良心、富有同情的心和得胜的信心。
“If God
be for us, who can be against us? … Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom.
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