1563 英翻中 (林後11課12章) A preacher in paradise 天堂的传道人 07/05/2026
CHAPTER ELEVEN A PREACHER IN PARADISE 2 Corinthians 12:1–10
第十一課 天堂的传道人 哥林多後书 12:1-10
This
section is the climax of Paul’s defense of his apostleship and his love for the
believers at Corinth. He was reticent to write about these per[1]sonal
experiences, but there was no other way to solve the problem. In fact, to avoid
exalting himself, Paul described his experience in the third person rather than
the first person. He shared with his readers three experiences from God.
这一段是保罗为他的使徒身份和他对哥林多信徒的爱辩护的高潮。他不愿写这些个人经历，但没有其他方法可以解决问题。事实上，为了避免高抬自己，保罗用第三人称而不是第一人称来描述他的经历。他与读者分享了来自上帝的三个经验。
1. Glory: God Honored Him (12:1–6)
1. 荣耀：上帝尊荣他（12:1-6）
The
Judaizers were anxious to receive honors, and they boasted about their “letters
of recommendation” (2 Cor. 3:1ff.). But Paul did not look for honor from men;
he let God honor him, for that alone is the honor that really counts.
犹太教徒渴望获得荣誉，他们吹嘘他们的“推荐信”（2 Cor. 3:1ff.）。但保罗不求人的尊荣；他让上帝尊重他，因为只有这一点才是真正重要的荣耀。
First,
God honored Paul by giving him visions and revelations. Paul saw the glorified
Christ on the very day he was converted (Acts 9:3; 22:6). He saw a vision of
Ananias coming to minister to him (Acts 9:12 ),
and he also had a vision from God when he was called to minister to the
Gentiles (Acts 22:17 ).
首先，上帝通过给保罗异象和启示来荣耀他。保罗在悔改的那一天就看到了荣耀的基督（使徒行传 9:3；22:6）。他看到亚拿尼亚来为他服务的异象（使徒行传 9:12），当他被召唤为外邦人服务时，他也看到了来自上帝的异象（使徒行传 22:17）。
During
his ministry, he had visions from God to guide him and encourage him. It was by
a vision that he was called to Macedonia Corinth Jerusalem 23:11 ).
在他的事工中，他有来自上帝的异象来引导和鼓励他。正是通过异象，他被召唤到马其顿（使徒行传 16:9）。当哥林多的事工困难时，上帝通过异象鼓励保罗（使徒行传 18：9-10）。在耶路撒冷被捕后，保罗再次受到来自上帝的异象的鼓舞（使徒行传 23:11）。
An
angel appeared to him in the midst of the storm and assured him that he and the
passengers would be saved (Acts 27:23).
一位天使在暴风雨中向他显现，向他保证他和乘客都会得救（使徒行传 27:23）。
Along
with these special visions that related to his call and ministry, spiritual
revelations of divine truth were also communicated to Paul (see Eph. 3:1–6).
God gave him a profound understanding of the plan of God for this present age.
Certainly Paul understood the mysteries of God.
除了这些与他的呼召和事工有关的特殊异象外，神圣真理的属灵启示也传达给了保罗（见以弗所书 3：1-6）。神使他对神对这个时代的计划有了深刻的理解。保罗当然明白上帝的奥秘。
God
also honored Paul by taking him to heaven and then sending him back to the
earth again. This marvelous experience had taken place fourteen years before
the writing of this letter, which would place the experience in about the year
AD 43. This would be the period in Paul’s life between his departure for Tarsus 9:30 ) and his visit from Barnabas
(Acts 11:25 –26). There is
no record of the details of this event, and it is useless for us to speculate.
上帝也荣耀了保罗，把他带到天堂，然后又把他送回地上。这个奇妙的经历发生在写这封信的 14 年前，大约是公元 43 年。这将是保罗在离开大数（使徒行传 9:30）和访问巴拿巴（使徒行传 11：25-26）。这个事件的细节没有任何记录，我们猜测也没有用。
Jewish
rabbis were accustomed to speaking about themselves in the third person, and
Paul adopted that approach as he unfolded this experience to his friends (and
enemies) at Corinth. So wonderful was this experience that Paul was not quite
sure whether God had taken him bodily to heaven, or whether his spirit had left
his body. (There is quite a contrast between being “let down” in a basket and
being “caught up” to the third heaven!) Paul affirmed here the reality of
heaven and the ability of God to take people there. The third heaven is the
same as “paradise,” the heaven of heavens where God dwells in glory. Thanks to
modern science, men today have visited the heaven of the clouds (we fly above
the clouds) and the heaven of the planets (men have walked on the moon), but
man cannot get to God’s heaven without God’s help.
犹太拉比习惯于以第三人称谈论自己，保罗在向哥林多的朋友（和敌人）展示这种经历时采用了这种方法。这种经历是如此美妙，以至于保罗不太确定上帝是否将他的身体带到了天堂，或者他的精神是否已经离开了他的身体。 （被“放下”在篮子里和“被提上”到第三层天之间有很大的对比！）保罗在这里肯定了天堂的真实性和上帝带人去那里的能力。第三层天与“天堂”相同，即神在荣耀中居住的天上的天堂。多亏了现代科学，今天的人已经到过云的天堂（我们在云层之上飞行）和行星的天堂（人们在月球上行走），但没有上帝的帮助，人无法到达上帝的天堂。
The
interesting thing is that Paul kept quiet about this experience for fourteen
years! During those years, he was buffeted by his “thorn in the flesh,” and
perhaps people wondered why he had such a burdensome affliction. The Judaizers
may have adopted the views of Job’s comforters and said, “This affliction is a
punishment from God.” (Actually, it was a gift from God.) Some of Paul’s good
friends may have tried to encourage him by saying, “Cheer up, Paul. One day
you’ll be in heaven!” Paul could have replied, “That’s why I have this thorn—I
went to heaven!”
有趣的是，保罗对这段经历保持了 14 年的沉默！那些年，他被自己的“肉中刺”折磨着，也许人们想知道他为什么会有如此沉重的痛苦。犹太教徒可能采纳了约伯的安慰者的观点，并说：“这种苦难是上帝的惩罚。” （实际上，这是上帝的礼物。）保罗的一些好朋友可能试图鼓励他说：“振作起来，保罗。总有一天你会在天堂！”保罗本可以回答说：“这就是为什么我有这根刺——我去了天堂！”
God
honored Paul by granting him visions and rev[1]elations, and by
taking him to heaven; but He honored him further by permitting him to hear
“unspeakable words” while he was in heaven. He overheard the divine secrets
that are shared only in heaven. These things could be spoken by God and by
beings in heaven, but they could not be spoken by men.
上帝赐予保罗异象和启示，并将他带到天堂，以此来荣耀他。但他进一步尊重他，让他在天堂时可以听到“说不出的话”。他无意中听到了只有在天堂才能分享的神圣秘密。这些话神能说，天上的众生能说，人却不能说。
Could
the Judaizers relate any experiences that were like this one? Even Moses, who
was intimate with God, met the Lord on the mountaintop; but Paul met the Lord
in paradise. Paul had exercised great spiritual discipline during those
fourteen years, for he had told this experience to no one. There is no doubt
that this vision of God’s glory was one of the sustaining powers in Paul’s life
and ministry. No matter where he was—in prison, in the deep, in dangerous
travels—he knew that God was with him and that all was well.
犹太化者可以讲述任何类似的经历吗？就连与神亲近的摩西，也在山顶遇见了主；但保罗在乐园里遇见了主。保罗在那十四年里锻炼了很大的属灵操练，因为他没有告诉任何人这个经历。毫无疑问，这种对上帝荣耀的异象是维持保罗生活和事工的力量之一。无论他在哪里——在监狱里、在深渊里、在危险的旅途中——他都知道上帝与他同在，一切都很好。
You and
I are not going to heaven till we die or till our Lord returns. But we have a
marvelous encouragement in the fact that we are today seated with Christ in the
heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). We have a position of authority and victory “far
above all” (Eph. 2:21 –22).
While we have not seen God’s glory as Paul did, we do share God’s glory now
(John 17:22 ), and one day
we shall enter into heaven and behold the glory of Christ (John 17:24 ).
在我们死去或我们的主再来之前，你和我不会去天堂。但是，我们今天在天上与基督同坐（以弗所书 2:6）这一事实给我们带来了极大的鼓舞。我们拥有“远超一切”的权威和胜利的地位（弗 2:21-22）。虽然我们没有像保罗那样看到上帝的荣耀，但我们现在确实分享了上帝的荣耀（约翰福音 17:22），总有一天我们会进入天堂并看到基督的荣耀（约翰福音 17:24）。
Such an
honor as this would have made most peo[1]ple
very proud. Instead of keeping quiet for fourteen years, they would have
immediately told the world and become famous. But Paul did not become proud. He
simply told the truth—it was not empty boasting— and let the facts speak for
themselves. His great concern was that nobody rob God of the glory and give it
to Paul. He wanted others to have an honest estimate of him and his work (see Rom.
这样的荣誉会让大多数人感到非常自豪。他们不会沉默十四年，而是立即告诉世界并成名。但保罗并没有变得骄傲。他只是说出了真相——这不是空洞的吹嘘——让事实自己说话。他最关心的是，没有人会夺走上帝的荣耀并归给保罗。他希望别人对他和他的工作有一个诚实的评价（见罗马书 12：3）。
How
could Paul have such a great experience and still remain humble? Because of the
second experience that God brought to his life.
保罗怎能拥有如此丰富的经历，却仍保持谦卑？因为上帝带给他的第二次经历。
2. Goodness: God
Humbled Him (12:7–8)
2. 良善：上帝使他谦卑（12:7-8）
The
Lord knows how to balance our lives. If we have only blessings, we may become
proud; so He permits us to have burdens as well. Paul’s great experience in
heaven could have ruined his ministry on earth; so God, in His goodness,
permitted Satan to buffet Paul in order to keep him from becoming proud.
主知道如何平衡我们的生活。如果我们只有祝福，我们可能会变得骄傲；所以他也允许我们有负担。保罗在天上的伟大经历可能毁了他在地上的事工。因此，上帝出于良善，允许撒但攻击保罗，以防止他变得骄傲。
The
mystery of human suffering will not be solved completely in this life.
Sometimes we suffer simply because we are human. Our bodies change as we grow
older, and we are susceptible to the normal problems of life. The same body
that can bring us pleasures can also bring us pains. The same family members
and friends who delight us can also break our hearts. This is a part of the
“human comedy,” and the only way to escape it is to be less than human. But
nobody wants to take that route.
人的苦难之谜，今生不会完全解开。有时我们受苦仅仅是因为我们是人。随着年龄的增长，我们的身体会发生变化，我们很容易受到生活中的正常问题的影响。能给我们带来快乐的身体，也会给我们带来痛苦。同样让我们高兴的家人和朋友也会让我们心碎。这是“人间喜剧”的一部分，摆脱它的唯一方法就是做人。但没有人愿意走那条路。
Sometimes
we suffer because we are foolish and dis[1]obedient to the
Lord. Our own rebellion may afflict us, or the Lord may see fit to chasten us
in His love (Heb. 12:3ff.). King David suffered greatly because of his sin; the
consequences were painful and so was the discipline of God (see 2 Sam. 12:1–22;
Ps. 51). In His grace, God forgives our sins; but in His government, He must
permit us to reap what we sow.
有时我们受苦是因为我们愚昧不顺服主。我们自己的叛逆可能会折磨我们，或者主可能认为适合在他的爱中管教我们（来 12:3 及以下）。大卫王因他的罪而受尽折磨；后果是痛苦的，上帝的管教也是如此（见 2 Sam. 12:1-22;
Ps. 51）。在祂的恩典中，上帝赦免了我们的罪；但在祂的管理中，祂必须允许我们种下什么就收什么。
Suffering
also is a tool God uses for building godly character (Rom. 5:1–5). Certainly
Paul was a man of rich Christian character because he permitted God to mold and
make him in the painful experiences of his life. When you walk along the shore
of the ocean, you notice that the rocks are sharp in the quiet coves, but
polished in those places where the waves beat against them. God can use the
“waves and billows” of life to polish us, if we will let Him.
苦难也是上帝用来建立敬虔品格的工具（罗马书 5:1-5）。当然，保罗是一个具有丰富基督徒品格的人，因为他允许上帝在他痛苦的人生经历中塑造和造就他。当您沿着海岸漫步时，您会注意到安静的海湾中的岩石很锋利，但在海浪拍打它们的地方却很光滑。如果我们愿意，上帝可以用生命的“波涛汹涌”来打磨我们。
Paul’s
thorn in the flesh was given to him to keep him from sinning. Exciting
spiritual experiences—like going to heaven and back—have a way of inflating the
human ego; and pride leads to a multitude of temptations to sin. Had Paul’s
heart been filled with pride, those next fourteen years would have been filled
with failure instead of success.
保罗肉体上的刺被赐给他，以防止他犯罪。令人兴奋的精神体验——比如去天堂和回来——有一种膨胀人类自我的方式；骄傲导致许多犯罪的诱惑。如果保罗的心中充满了骄傲，那么接下来的十四年将充满失败而不是成功。
We do
not know what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. The word translated “thorn” means
“a sharp stake used for torturing or impaling someone.” It was a physical
affliction of some kind that brought pain and distress to Paul. Some Bible
students think that Paul had an eye
affliction (see Gal. 6:11 );
but we cannot know for sure. It is a good thing that we do not know, because no
matter what our sufferings may be, we are able to apply the lessons Paul
learned and get encouragement. God permitted Satan to afflict Paul, just as He
permitted Satan to afflict Job (see Job 1—2). While we do not fully understand
the origin of evil in this universe, or all the purposes God had in mind when
He permitted evil to come, we do know that God controls evil and can use it
even for His own glory. Satan cannot work against a believer without the
permission of God. Everything that the enemy did to Job and Paul was permitted
by the will of God.
我们不知道保罗身上的刺是什么。翻译成“刺”的词的意思是“用来折磨或刺穿某人的锋利的木桩”。这是某种身体上的痛苦，给保罗带来了痛苦和痛苦。一些圣经学生认为保罗有眼病（见加 6:11）；但我们无法确定。我们不知道这是一件好事，因为无论我们遭受什么苦难，我们都能应用保罗学到的教训并得到鼓励。上帝允许撒但折磨保罗，就像祂允许撒但折磨约伯一样（见约伯记 1-2）。虽然我们不完全了解这个宇宙中邪恶的起源，或者上帝允许邪恶降临时的所有目的，但我们确实知道上帝控制着邪恶，甚至可以为了自己的荣耀而使用它。没有上帝的许可，撒旦不能对信徒作工。仇敌对约伯和保罗所做的一切都是神的旨意所允许的。
Satan
was permitted to buffet Paul. The word means “to beat, to strike with the
fist.” The tense of the verb indicates that this pain was either constant or
recurring. When you stop to think that Paul had letters to write, trips to
take, sermons to preach, churches to visit, and dangers to face as he
ministered, you can understand that this was a serious matter. No wonder he
prayed three times (as his Lord had done in the Garden, Mark 14:32 –41) that the affliction might be removed
from him (2 Cor. 12:8).
撒但被允许攻击保罗。这个词的意思是“打，用拳头打击”。动词的时态表明这种疼痛是持续的或反复出现的。当你停下来想到保罗有信要写、有旅行要走、布道要讲道、教堂要参观，以及他传道时要面对的危险时，你就会明白这是一件严肃的事情。难怪他三度祈祷（正如他的主在花园里所做的那样，马可福音 14:32-41），希望可以消除他的痛苦（林后 12:8）。
When
God permits suffering to come to our lives, there are several ways we can deal
with it. Some people become bitter and blame God for robbing them of freedom
and pleasure. Others just give up and fail to get any blessing out of the
experience because they will not put any courage into the experience. Still
others grit their teeth and put on a brave front, determined to “endure to the
very end.” While this is a courageous response, it usually drains them of the
strength needed for daily living; and after a time, they may collapse.
当上帝允许苦难临到我们的生活时，我们可以有几种方法来处理它。有些人变得痛苦，责备上帝剥夺了他们的自由和快乐。其他人只是放弃并且无法从体验中获得任何祝福，因为他们不会在体验中投入任何勇气。还有一些人咬紧牙关，摆出一副勇敢的样子，决心“坚持到底”。虽然这是一种勇敢的反应，但通常会耗尽他们日常生活所需的力量；一段时间后，它们可能会崩溃。
Was
Paul sinning when he prayed to be delivered from Satan’s buffeting? I don’t
think so. It is certainly a normal thing for a Christian to ask God for
deliverance from sickness and pain. God has not obligated Himself to heal every
believer whenever he prays; but He has encouraged us to bring our burdens and
needs to Him. Paul did not know whether this “thorn in the flesh” was a
temporary testing from God, or a permanent experience he would have to learn to
live with.
当保罗祈祷脱离撒旦的打击时，他是在犯罪吗？我不这么认为。基督徒祈求上帝从疾病和痛苦中解脱，这当然是一件很正常的事。神并没有责备自己在每一个信徒祷告的时候医治他。但他鼓励我们把我们的负担和需要带给他。保罗不知道这个“肉体上的刺”是来自上帝的暂时考验，还是他必须学会忍受的永久经历。
There
are those who want us to believe that an afflicted Christian is a disgrace to
God. “If you are obeying the Lord and claiming all that you have in Christ,”
they say, “then you will never be sick.” I have never found that teaching in
the Bible. It is true that God promised the Jews special blessing and
protection under the old covenant (Deut. 7:12ff.), but He never promised the
New Testament believers freedom from sickness or suffering. If Paul had access
to “instant healing” because of his relationship to Christ, then why didn’t he
make use of it for himself and for others, such as Epaphroditus (Phil.
2:25ff.)?
有些人希望我们相信受苦的基督徒是上帝的耻辱。他们说：“如果你顺服主并声称你在基督里拥有的一切，那么你就永远不会生病。”我从未在圣经中找到过这样的教导。诚然，上帝在旧约下应许犹太人特别的祝福和保护（申 7:12ff.），但他从未应许新约信徒免于疾病或痛苦。如果保罗因为与基督的关系而获得“即时医治”，那么他为什么不为自己和他人使用它，例如以巴弗提（腓立比书 2:25ff.）？
What a
contrast between Paul’s two experiences! Paul went from paradise to pain, from
glory to suffering. He tasted the blessing of God in heaven and then felt the
buffeting of Satan on earth. He went from ecstasy to agony, and yet the two
experiences belong together. His one experience of glory prepared him for the
constant experience of suffering, for he knew that God was able to meet his
need. Paul had gone to heaven—but then he learned that heaven could come to
him. Grace:
保罗的两次经历是何等的对比！保罗从天堂到痛苦，从荣耀到苦难。他在天上尝到了神的祝福，又在地上感受到了撒旦的打击。他从狂喜到痛苦，然而这两种体验却是相通的。他一次荣耀的经历为他不断经历苦难做好了准备，因为他知道上帝能够满足他的需要。保罗已经去了天堂——但后来他知道天堂可以临到他。优雅：
3. God Helped Him
(12:9–10)
3. 上帝帮助了他（12:9-10）
Two
messages were involved in this painful experience. The thorn in the flesh was
Satan’s message to Paul, but God had another message for him, a message of
grace. The tense of the verb in 2 Corinthians 12:9 is important: “And He [God]
has once-for-all said to me.” God gave Paul a message that stayed with him. The
words Paul heard while in heaven, he was not permitted to share with us; but he
did share the words God gave him on earth—and what an encouragement they are.
这次痛苦的经历涉及两条信息。肉体上的刺是撒但给保罗的信息，但上帝给他另一个信息，恩典的信息。哥林多后书 12:9 中动词的时态很重要：“祂 [上帝] 对我说了一遍。”上帝给了保罗一直伴随着他的信息。保罗在天堂听到的话，他不被允许与我们分享；但他确实分享了上帝在地球上给他的话语——它们是何等的鼓励。
It was
a message of grace. What is grace? It is God’s provision for our every need
when we need it. It has well been said that God in His grace gives us what we
do not deserve, and in His mercy He does not give us what we do deserve.
Someone has made an acrostic of the word grace: God’s Riches Available at
Christ’s Expense. “And of his [Christ’s] fullness have all we received, and
grace for grace” (John 1:16 ).
这是恩典的信息。什么是恩典？当我们需要时，它是上帝为我们的每一个需要而提供的。有人说，上帝在他的恩典中给了我们不应该得到的东西，而在他的怜悯中，他没有给我们应得的东西。有人对恩典这个词作了一个离合背道而驰的词：以基督为代价可获得上帝的财富。 “我们从他[基督]的丰满里领受了一切，而且恩上加恩”（约翰福音1:16）。
It was
a message of sufficient grace. There is never a shortage of grace. God is
sufficient for our spiritual ministries (2 Cor. 3:4–6) and our material needs
(2 Cor. 9:8) as well as our physical needs (2 Cor. 12:9). If God’s grace is
sufficient to save us, surely it is sufficient to keep us and strengthen us in
our times of suffering.
这是一个足够恩典的信息。从来不缺少恩典。上帝足以满足我们的屬靈事工（2 Cor. 3:4-6）和我们的物质需求（2 Cor. 9:8）以及我们的身体需求（2 Cor. 12:9）。如果上帝的恩典足以拯救我们，那么在我们受苦的时候，它肯定足以保守我们并加强我们。
It was
a message of strengthening grace. God permits us to become weak so that we
might receive His strength. This is a continuous process: “My power is [being]
made perfect in [your] weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9 niv). Strength that knows itself
to be strength is actually weakness, but weakness that knows itself to be
weakness is actually strength.
这是加强恩典的信息。上帝允许我们软弱，好让我们得着祂的力量。这是持续的过程：“我的力量在 [你的] 软弱中得到完全”（2 Cor. 12:9 niv）。知道自己是力量是剛強，实际上是弱点，但知道自己是軟弱的弱点实际上是力量。
In the
Christian life, we get many of our blessings through transformation, not
substitution. When Paul prayed three times for the removal of his pain, he was
asking God for a substitution: “Give me health instead of sickness, deliverance
instead of pain and weakness.” Sometimes God does meet the need by
substitution; but other times He meets the need by transformation. He does not
remove the affliction, but He gives us His grace so that the affliction works
for us and not against us.
在基督徒的生活中，我们通过转变而不是替代获得许多祝福。当保罗为消除他的痛苦而祈祷三遍时，他是在祈求上帝给他替代：“赐我健康而不是疾病，拯救我而不是痛苦和软弱。”有时上帝确实通过替代来满足需要；但其他时候，他通过变化来满足需要。祂并没有除去苦难，而是赐给我们祂的恩典，使苦难对我们起作用，而不是对我们不利。
As Paul
prayed about his problem, God gave him a deeper insight into what He was doing.
Paul learned that his thorn in the flesh was a gift from God. What a strange
gift! There was only one thing for Paul to do: accept the gift from God and
allow God to accomplish His purposes. God wanted to keep Paul from being
“exalted above measure,” and this was His way of accomplishing it.
当保罗为他的问题祷告时，上帝让他更深入地了解他在做什么。保罗得知他肉体上的刺是来自上帝的礼物。多么奇怪的礼物！保罗只有一件事要做：接受上帝的恩赐，让上帝完成祂的旨意。上帝想要阻止保罗“被高举过头”，而这是他完成它的方式。
When
Paul accepted his affliction as the gift of God, this made it possible for
God’s grace to go to work in his life. It was then that God spoke to Paul and
gave him the assurance of His grace. Whenever you are 539 D.The apostle,
exercising loving authority—12:11 —13:14 2 Corinthians 12 going through
suffering, spend extra time in the Word of God; and you can be sure God will
speak to you. He always has a special message for His children when they are
afflicted.
当保罗接受他的苦难是上帝的礼物时，这使上帝的恩典有可能在他的生活中发挥作用。就在那时，上帝对保罗说话，并给了他，祂恩典的保证。只要你是使徒，行使爱的权柄—12:11—13:14 2 哥林多前书 12 经历苦难，花更多的时间在祂的话语中；你可以肯定上帝会和你说话。当祂的孩子们受苦时，上帝总是给他们特别的信息。
God did
not give Paul any explanations; instead, He gave him a promise: “My grace is
sufficient for thee.” We do not live on explanations; we live on prom[1]ises.
Our feelings change, but God’s promises never change. Promises generate faith,
and faith strengthens hope.
上帝没有给保罗任何解释；相反，祂给了他应许：“我的恩典够你用的。”我们不靠解释为生；我们生活在应许中。我们的感觉会改变，但上帝的应许永远不会改变。应许产生信心，信心增强希望。
Paul
claimed God’s promise and drew on the grace that was offered to him; this
turned seeming tragedy into triumph. God did not change the situation by
removing the affliction; He changed it by adding a new ingredient: grace. Our
God is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10 ),
and His throne is a “throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16 ). The Word of God is “the word of his grace” (Acts 20:32 ), and the promise is that “he
giveth more grace” (James 4:6). No matter how we look at it, God is adequate
for every need that we have.
保罗宣告了上帝的应许，并汲取了祂赐给他的恩典。这把看似悲剧变成了胜利。上帝并没有通过消除苦难来改变情况。祂通过添加新成分来改变它：恩典。我们的上帝是“施恩的主”（彼得前书 5:10），祂的宝座是“施恩的宝座”（来 4:16）。上帝的道是“祂恩典的道”（使徒行传 20:32），而应许是“上帝赐更多的恩典”（雅 4:6）。无论我们如何看待它，祂足以满足我们的每一个需要。
But God
does not give us His grace simply that we might “endure” our sufferings. Even
unconverted people can manifest great endurance. God’s grace should enable us
to rise above our circumstances and feelings and cause our afflictions to work
for us in accomplishing positive good. God wants to build our character so that
we are more like our Savior. God’s grace enabled Paul not only to accept his
afflictions, but to glory in them. His suffering was not a tyrant that
controlled him, but a servant that worked for him.
但上帝赐给我们恩典并不是为了让我们“忍受”苦难。即使是未悔改的人也能表现出极大的忍耐。上帝的恩典应该使我们能够超越我们的环境和感受，并使我们的苦难为我们工作，以实现积极的好处。祂要塑造我们的品格，使我们更像我们的救主。上帝的恩典使保罗不仅能够接受他的苦难，而且能够以这些苦难为荣。他的痛苦不是控制他的暴君，而是一个为他工作的仆人。
What
benefits did Paul receive because of his suffering? For one thing, he
experienced the power of Christ in his life. God transformed Paul’s weakness
into strength. The word translated “rest” means “to spread a tent over.” Paul
saw his body as a frail tent (2 Cor. 5:1ff.), but the glory of God had come
into that tent and transformed it into a holy tabernacle.
保罗因受苦而得到什么好处？一方面，他在生命中经历了基督的大能。上帝将保罗的软弱变为力量。翻译成“安息”的词的意思是“搭帐篷”。保罗将他的身体视为一个脆弱的帐篷（2 Cor. 5:1 比照研讀），但上帝的荣耀已经进入了那个帐篷，并将它变成了圣幕。
Something
else happened to Paul: he was able to glory in his infirmities. This does not
mean that he preferred pain to health, but rather that he knew how to turn his
infirmities into assets. What made the difference? The grace of God and the
glory of God. He “took pleasure” in these trials and problems, not because he
was psychologically unbalanced and enjoyed pain, but because he was suffering
for the sake of Jesus Christ. He was glorifying God by the way he accepted and
handled the difficult experiences of life.
在保羅的生命中起了變化, 能够以自己的软弱为荣。这并不意味着他更喜欢痛苦而不是健康，而是他知道如何将他的软弱转化为资产。是什么造成了不同？上帝的恩典和祂的荣耀。他在这些试炼和问题中“乐在其中”，不是因为他心理失衡并享受痛苦，而是因为他为耶稣基督而受苦。他通过接受和处理生活中的困难经历的方式来荣耀上帝。
“It is
a greater thing to pray for pain’s conversion than its removal,” wrote P. T.
Forsyth, and this is true. Paul won the victory, not by substitution, but by transformation.
He discovered the sufficiency of the grace of God.
P. T.
Forsyth 写道：“祈祷痛苦的转变比消除痛苦更重要。”这是真的。保罗赢得了胜利，不是通过替代，而是通过转变。他发现上帝的恩典是足够的。
From
Paul’s experience, we may learn several practical lessons.
从保罗的经历，我们可以学到几个实际的教训。
1. The
spiritual is far more important to the dedicated believer than the physical.
This is not to suggest that we ignore the physical, because our bodies are the
temples of the Spirit of God. But it does mean that we try not to make our
bodies an end in themselves. They are God’s tools for accomplishing His work in
this world. What God does in developing our Christian character is far more
valuable than physical healing without character.
1. 对献身的信徒来说，靈命远比物质重要。这并不是说我们忽视身体，因为我们的身体是上帝之灵的殿堂。但这确实意味着我们尽量不让自己的身体成为肉體慾望的目的。它们是上帝在这个世界上完成工作的工具。祂在培养我们基督徒品格方面所做的，远比没有品格的身体医治更有价值。
2. God
knows how to balance burdens and blessings, suffering and glory. Life is
something like a prescription: the individual ingredients might hurt us, but
when properly blended, they help us.
2. 上帝知道如何平衡负担与祝福、苦难与荣耀。生活就像一个处方：个别成分可能会伤害我们，但如果混合得当，它们会帮助我们。
3. Not
all sickness is caused by sin. The argument of Job’s comforters was that Job
had sinned, and that was why he was suffering. But their argument was wrong in
Job’s case, as well as in Paul’s case. There are times when God permits Satan
to afflict us so that God might accomplish a great purpose in our lives.
3. 并非所有的疾病都是由罪引起的。约伯的安慰者认为约伯犯了罪，这就是他受苦的原因。但他们的论点在约伯和保罗的情况下都是错误的。有时上帝允许撒旦折磨我们，以便祂在我们的生活中完成伟大的目的。
4.
There is something worse than sickness, and that is sin; and the worst sin of
all is pride. The healthy person who is rebelling against God is in worse shape
than the suffering person who is submitting to God and enjoy[1]ing
God’s grace. It is a paradox—and an evidence of the sovereignty of God—that God
used Satan, the proudest of all beings, to help keep Paul humble.
4. 有比疾病更糟糕的东西，那就是罪；最严重的罪是骄傲。健康的人背叛上帝，比受苦的顺服祂並享受祂恩典的人更糟糕。这是衝突悖论 — 也是上帝主权的证据 — 上帝使用了众生中最骄傲的撒旦来帮助保罗保持谦卑。
5.
Physical affliction need not be a barrier to effective Christian service.
Today’s saints are too prone to pamper themselves and use every little ache or
pain as an excuse to stay home from church or refuse to accept opportunities
for service. Paul did not permit his thorn in the flesh to become a stumbling
block. In fact, he let God turn that thorn into a stepping-stone.
5. 身体上的痛苦不必成为有效的基督徒服务的障碍。今天的圣徒太容易放纵自己，以每一个小小的疼痛为借口，不去教堂或拒绝接受服务的机会。保罗不允许他身上的刺成为绊脚石。事实上，他让上帝把那根荆棘变成了踏脚石。
6. We
can always rest in God’s Word. He always has a message of encouragement for us
in times of trial and suffering.
6. 我们可以永远安息在上帝的话语中。在考验和苦难的时候，他总是给我们鼓励的信息。
The
great French mystic, Madame Guyon, once wrote to a suffering friend, “Ah, if
you knew what power there is in an accepted sorrow!”
伟大的法国神秘主义者 — 盖恩夫人曾经写信给一位受苦的朋友，“啊，如果你知道在接受的悲伤中有什么力量！”
Paul
knew about that power, because he trusted the will of God and depended on the
grace of God. That same power can be yours today.
保罗知道上帝的大能，因为他相信上帝的旨意，依靠上帝的恩典。今天，同样的力量也可以属于你。
