1542 英翻中(林前二章) 09/04/2026
但复活最伟大的见证人之一是保罗本人，因为作为一个非信徒，他完全相信耶稣已经死了。他的生命发生了根本性的改变——这种改变给他带来了逼迫和痛苦——这无疑证明了主确实已经从死里复活了。保罗明确表示，他的得救纯粹是上帝恩典的作为。但当他侍奉主时，这种恩典在他里面并通过他起作用。 “生于不合时宜”可能是指以色列未来得救，他们像保罗一样，在荣耀中看到弥赛亚（亚 12:10-13:6；提前 1:16）。
CHAPTER
TWO YOU DON’T HAVE TO
FAIL! 2 Corinthians
1:12—2:17
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.
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 Corinth because he had changed his plans
and apparently not kept his promise. When Christians misunderstand each other,
the wounds can go very deep. Then, there was the problem of opposition to his
apostolic authority in the church. One of the members—possibly a leader—had to
be disciplined, and this gave Paul great sorrow. Finally, there were the
difficult circumstances Paul had to endure in Asia (2 Cor. 1:8–11), a trial so
severe that he despaired of life.
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 spiri[1]tual
resources that kept Paul going?
1. A Clear Conscience
(1:12–24)
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. 6:22–23; Rom. 2:14–16).
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.
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 Corinth “if the Lord permit” (1 Cor. 16:2–8). Paul wanted to gather
the offerings that the Corinthians collected for the poor Jewish believers and
give the church the privilege of sending him and his associates on their way to
Jerusalem.
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 Macedonia. He would then add the Corinthian
collection to that of the Macedonian churches and go on his way to Jerusalem.
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 fol[1]lowing
“fleshly wisdom” (2 Cor. 1:12), of being careless with the will of God (2 Cor.
1:17), and of making plans just to please himself. They were saying, “If Paul
says or writes one thing, he really means another! His yes is no, and his no is
yes.”
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 4:13–17).
第二章你不必失败！ 哥林多後书 1:12—2:17
约翰·F·肯尼迪在他的《勇气档案》一书中写道：“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。
在这封非常私人的信中，保罗向哥林多人（和我们）敞开了心扉，并透露了他所经历的考验。首先，他受到了科林斯一些人的严厉批评，因为他改变了计划，显然没有遵守诺言。当基督徒互相误解时，伤口会很深。然后，就是在教会中反对他的使徒权威的问题。其中一名成员——可能是一位领袖——必须受到纪律处分，这让保罗非常难过。最后，保罗不得不在亚洲忍受艰难的环境（哥林多后书 1:8-11），这种考验如此严峻，以至于他对生命感到绝望。
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，而且从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。让保罗坚持下去的属灵资源是什么？
1. 无愧的良心（1:12-24）
我们的英语单词 conscience 来自两个拉丁词：com，意思是“与”，和 scire，意思是“知道”。良心是一种内在的能力，它“知道”我们的精神，当我们做对时认可，但在我们做错时指责。良心不是上帝的律法，但它见证了这个律法。是让光线进来的窗户；如果窗户因为我们不服从而变脏，那么光线就会变得越来越暗（见马太福音 6：22-23；罗马书 2：14-16）。
保罗在使徒行传中的书信和口述事工中用了 23 次良心这个词。 “我在此操练自己，对神对人，常存无亏的良心”（使徒行传 24:16）。一个人有良心，就是正直，没有口是心非；他可以信任。
为什么哥林多人指责保罗欺骗和粗心？因为他被迫改变计划。他最初承诺“如果主允许”（林前 16:2-8）将在哥林多过冬。保罗想要收集哥林多人为可怜的犹太信徒收集的供物，并让教会有特权将他和他的同伙送往耶路撒冷。
令保罗感到遗憾和尴尬的是，他不得不改变这些计划。我同情他，因为在我自己有限的事工中，有时我不得不改变计划，甚至取消会议——而且没有使徒权威的好处！ “计划会让你陷入困境，”威尔·罗杰斯说，“但你必须努力摆脱困境。”保罗现在计划两次访问哥林多，一次是在前往马其顿的途中，另一次是在从马其顿的途中。然后，他会将科林斯式的收藏添加到马其顿教堂的收藏中，然后前往耶路撒冷。
唉，即使是 B 计划也不得不取消。为什么？因为他自己的爱心无法忍受另一次“痛苦的访问”（林后 1:23；2:1-3）。保罗已经通知教会他改变了计划，但即使这样也没有让反对者安静下来。他们指责他遵循“肉体的智慧”（哥林多后书 1:12），对上帝的旨意漠不关心（哥林多前书 1:17），并制定计划只是为了取悦自己。他们说：“如果保罗说或写的是一件事，他的意思是另一件事！他的肯定就是否定，他的否定就是肯定。”
上帝子民之间的误解往往很难解开，因为一个误解往往会导致另一个误解。一旦我们开始质疑他人的诚信或不信任他们的话，各种问题的大门就打开了。但是，无论控告他的人怎么说，保罗都坚定不移，因为他问心无愧。他写的，他说的，他的生活都是一致的。毕竟，他已经在“如果主允许”的情况下添加到他原来的计划中（林前 16:7；请注意雅各书 4:13-17）。
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.
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.
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. 5:37 tlb). Only a per[1]son with bad
character uses extra words to strengthen his yes or no. The Corinthians knew
that Paul was a man of true character, because he was a man with a clear
conscience. During his eighteen months of min[1]istry among them,
Paul had proved himself faithful; and he had not changed.
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.
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. 1:20 niv). Jesus Christ reveals the promises, fulfills the promises, and
enables us to claim the promises! One of the blessings of a good conscience is
that we are not afraid to face God or men, or to claim the promises God gives
in His Word. Paul was not guilty of “manipulating” the Word of God in order to
support his own sinful practices (see 2 Cor. 4:2).
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.
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.
All
Christians have been anointed by the Spirit (2 Cor. 1:21). In the Old
Testament, the only persons who were anointed by God were prophets, priests,
and kings. Their anointing equipped them for service. As we yield to the
Spirit, He enables us to serve God and to live godly lives. He gives us the
special spiritual discernment that we need to serve God acceptably (1 John
2:20, 27).
The
Spirit has also sealed us (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13) so that we belong to Christ
and are claimed by Him. The witness of the Spirit within guarantees that we are
authentic children of God and not counterfeit (Rom. 5:5; 8:9). The Spirit also
assures us that He will protect us, because we are His property.
当你问心无愧时，你就会活在耶稣基督再来的光中（第 14 节）。 “耶稣基督的日子”是指基督出现并将他的教会带到天堂的那一天。保罗确信，在基督的审判台上，他会为哥林多信徒欢欣，他们也会为他欢喜。无论今天有什么误解，当我们站在耶稣基督面前时，一切都会被赦免、被遗忘，并转化为荣耀，以赞美耶稣基督。
当你问心无愧时，你就会认真对待神的旨意（15-18 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。有时他不确定神要他做什么（使徒行传 16:6-10），但他知道如何等候主。他的动机是真诚的：他寻求取悦主，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。
耶稣教导我们要说到做到。 “简单地说，‘是的，我会’或‘不，我不会’。你的话就足够了。用誓言来巩固你的诺言，表明有些事情是错误的”（马太福音 5:37 tlb）。只有性格不好的人才会用多余的词来加强他的“是”或“否”。哥林多人知道保罗是一个有真正品格的人，因为他是一个问心无愧的人。在他们中间的十八个月里，保罗证明了自己是忠诚的。他没有改变。
当你问心无愧时，你就是在荣耀耶稣基督（19-20 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，侵蚀人品；但最终真相会浮出水面。哥林多人得救是因为保罗和他的朋友们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？传道人的见证和行走必须同时进行，因为我们所做的工作是从我们的生活中流露出来的。
关于耶稣基督没有是非。他是上帝对那些相信他的人的“永恒的肯定”。 “因为无论上帝作出多少应许，在基督里都是肯定的。因此，通过他，我们对上帝的荣耀说阿门”（2 Cor. 1:20 niv）。耶稣基督启示了应许，实现了应许，使我们能够得到应许！无愧于良心的福分之一是我们不惧怕面对神或人，或宣称神在他的话语中所给予的应许。保罗并没有犯“操纵”上帝的话语以支持他自己的犯罪行为（见哥林多前书 4:2）。
最后，当你问心无愧时，你就会与神的灵相处融洽（21-24 节）。成立一词是一个商业术语，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。
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，因为圣灵没有使他知罪，他知道他的动机是纯洁的，他的良心是清楚的。
所有的基督徒都被圣灵膏抹（林后 1:21）。在旧约中，唯一被上帝膏抹的人是先知、祭司和君王。他们的恩膏装备他们服务。当我们屈服于圣灵时，他使我们能够侍奉上帝并过敬虔的生活。他给了我们特殊的属灵洞察力，我们需要以可接受的方式侍奉上帝（约翰一书 2:20, 27）。
圣灵也印证了我们（林后 1:22；以弗所书 1:13），因此我们属于基督并被他认领。圣灵的见证保证我们是上帝真正的儿女，而不是假冒的（罗马书 5:5；8:9）。圣灵也向我们保证他会保护我们，因为我们是他的财产。
Finally,
the Holy Spirit enables us to serve others (2 Cor. 1:23–24), not as “spiritual
dictators” who tell others what to do, but as servants who seek to help others
grow. The false teachers who invaded the Corinthian church were guilty of being
dictators (see 2 Cor. 11), and this had turned the hearts of the people away
from Paul, who had sacrificed so much for them.
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. 1:14). He
enables us to enjoy the blessings of heaven in our hearts today! Because of the
indwelling Holy Spirit, Paul was able to have a clear conscience and face
misunderstandings with love and patience. If you live to please people,
misunderstandings will depress you; but if you live to please God, you can face
misunderstandings with faith and courage.
2. A Compassionate
Heart (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
Corinth to deal with this problem (2 Cor. 12:14; 13:1) and had also written a
painful letter to them about the situation. In all of this, he revealed a
compassionate heart. Note the evidences of Paul’s love.
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.
“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.
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. 1:23–24). Love always considers the feelings
of others and seeks to put their good ahead of everything else.
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.
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 chil[1]dren,
they would chasten them.
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. 4:15).
“Peace at any price” is not a biblical principle, for there cannot be true
spiritual peace without purity (James 3:13–18). Problems that are swept under
the rug have a way of multiplying and creating even worse problems later on.
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 appreci[1]ate
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.”
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.
最后，圣灵使我们能够为他人服务（林后 1:23-24），而不是作为告诉别人该做什么的“精神独裁者”，而是作为寻求帮助他人成长的仆人。入侵哥林多教会的假教师犯了独裁者的罪行（见哥林多前书 2 章 11 节），这使人们的心远离了为他们做出如此多牺牲的保罗。
圣灵是上帝的“认真”（首付、保证、保障），有一天我们将在天堂与他同在，并拥有荣耀的身体（见弗 1:14）。祂使我们今天在心中享受天堂的祝福！因着内住的圣灵，保罗得以有无愧的良心，以爱心和耐心面对误解。如果你活着是为了取悦别人，误解会让你沮丧；但如果你活着是为了取悦上帝，你可以用信心和勇气面对误解。
2. 慈悲的心（2:1-11）
哥林多教会的一位成员给保罗带来了极大的痛苦。我们不确定这是否是保罗在哥林多前书 5 章中所写的那个人，那个生活在公开淫乱中的人，或者是另一个人，一个公开挑战保罗使徒权威的人。为了解决这个问题，保罗快速访问了哥林多（哥林多后书 12:14；13:1），并且还给他们写了一封关于这种情况的痛苦信。在这一切中，他流露出一颗慈悲的心。注意保罗爱的证据。
爱把别人放在第一位（1-4 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和平。
“忠实是朋友的伤口；仇敌的亲嘴是诡诈的”（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）伤害一个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，以免我们伤害自己。
保罗本可以行使他的使徒权柄，命令人们尊重他，服从他。但他更愿意以耐心和爱心服侍。上帝知道保罗改变计划的动机是让教会免于进一步的痛苦（林后 1:23-24）。爱总是考虑他人的感受，并力求将他人的利益置于一切之上。
爱也寻求帮助他人成长（5-6 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管教了这个人，并且他悔改了自己的罪并得到了恢复。
真正的管教是爱的证据（见希伯来书 12）。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，他们就会管教他们。
教会纪律不是一个流行的主题或普遍的做法。太多的教会对这些事情一无所知，而不是顺服圣经，勇敢地面对这种情况，“用爱心说诚实话”（弗 4:15）。 “不惜一切代价的和平”不是圣经原则，因为没有纯洁就不可能有真正的属灵和平（雅各书 3:13-18）。被扫到地毯下的问题有一种方法会在以后成倍增加并产生更严重的问题。
保罗面对的那个人，教会管教的那个人，得到了这种慈爱的关注。当我还是个孩子的时候，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，阻止我伤害自己。现在我明白他们所说的“这对我们的伤害比对你的伤害更大”时的真正意思。
爱宽恕并鼓励（7-11 节）。保罗敦促教会家庭宽恕这个人，并给出了充分的理由来支持这一劝告。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”（林后 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.
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.
Paul
gave a third reason: they must forgive the offender for the church’s sake (2
Cor. 2:11). When there is an unforgiving spirit in a congregation because sin
has not been dealt with in a biblical manner, it gives Satan a “beachhead” from
which he can operate in the congregation. We grieve the Holy Spirit and “give
place to the devil” when we harbor an unforgiving spirit (Eph. 4:27–32).
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.
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.
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.
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 Corinth? Paul had open
doors of ministry at Troas, but he had no peace in his heart to walk through
those doors. Humanly speaking, it looked like the end of the battle, with Satan
as the victor.
在我自己的牧灵事工中，我曾在聚会中分享受纪律的成员被宽恕并恢复团契；在我的生命中，它们是崇高而神圣的时刻。当一个教会家庭向一位被赦免的弟兄或姊妹保证，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。每个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。
他们应该为主的缘故确认他们对被宽恕的兄弟的爱（2 哥林多前书 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悲伤的救主之间。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。
保罗给出了第三个理由：他们必须为教会的缘故原谅冒犯者（林后 2:11）。当会众中有一种不宽恕的精神，因为罪没有以圣经的方式得到处理，它给了撒旦一个“滩头阵地”，他可以从这里在会众中运作。当我们怀有不饶恕的精神时，我们会让圣灵担忧并“给魔鬼留地步”（弗 4:27-32）。
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了。我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。
当一个得罪的弟兄姊妹按圣经管教，悔改了，那么教会家庭就必须饶恕和挽回这个肢体，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——怀有不饶恕的精神，那么撒但就会利用这种态度作为滩头阵地，对教会发起新的攻击。
保罗能够克服他所面临的问题，因为他有一颗无愧的良心和一颗富有同情心的心。但还有第三种精神资源给了他胜利。
征服的信心（2:12-17） 保罗的计划在亚洲看来完全落空了。提多在哪里？科林斯发生了什么？保罗在特罗亚的事工之门敞开，但他心里没有平安穿过这些门。从人的角度来说，这似乎是战斗的结束，撒旦是胜利者。
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. 2:14). This song of praise was born out
of the assurances Paul had because he trusted the Lord.
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. 8:28). This promise is not an excuse for carelessness, but it is
an encouragement for confidence.
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 lead[1]ers
he wanted to reach! It was the providence of God at work, the fulfilling of
Romans 8:28.
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 Rome gave to their
conquering generals. It was their equivalent of the American ticker-tape
parade.
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.
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 Rome when the citizens were
treated to a full[1]scale
Roman Triumph.
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 11:14–22; Eph. 4:8; Col. 2:15). What a splendid victory!
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 tri[1]umph.
We do not fight for victory; we fight from victory. Neither in Asia nor in
Corinth did the situa[1]tion
look like victory to Paul, but he believed God—and God turned defeat into
victory.
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.
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; 508 B.Glorious—3 2 Corinthians 2—3 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.
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.
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.
“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. 8:31, 37).
除了一件事：保罗有一个得胜的信心！他能够爆发出赞美并写道：“感谢上帝”（2
Cor. 2:14）。这首赞美之歌源于保罗因信靠主而得到的保证。
保罗确信上帝在引导他（14 节上）。环境并不舒适，保罗无法解释其中的弯路和失望，但他确信上帝在掌权。只要我们爱他并努力顺服他的旨意，信徒就总能确定神在为好而努力工作（罗马书
8:28）。这个应许不是粗心大意的借口，而是对信心的鼓励。
我的一个朋友要在铁幕后会见一位基督徒领袖，安排出版某本书，但一切都落空了。我的朋友独自一人在一个危险的地方想知道下一步该怎么做，当他“偶然”接触到一个陌生人时——他把他带到了他想接触的领导者面前！这是上帝的旨意在工作，应验了罗马书
8:28。
保罗也确信上帝正在带领他得胜（14 节下）。这里的图片是“罗马胜利”的图片，这是罗马对征服他们的将军的特别致敬。这相当于他们的美国自动收报机游行。
如果一位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获得罗马的胜利。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。
游行队伍将沿着一条特殊的路线穿过城市，并在 Circus
Maximus 结束，无助的俘虏将通过与野兽搏斗来娱乐人们。在罗马，这是一个非常特别的日子，市民们受到了全面的罗马胜利的对待。
这段历史如何适用于今天背负重担的信徒？耶稣基督，我们伟大的统帅，来到异域（地球），彻底击败了敌人（撒旦）。祂没有杀死五千人，而是使五千多人获得了生命——五旬节时有三千多人，五旬节后不久又有两千多人（使徒行传
2:41；4:4）。耶稣基督夺取了战利品——被罪和撒但束缚的迷失灵魂（路加福音
11:14-22；弗 4:8；西
2:15）。多么辉煌的胜利！
胜利的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——跟随基督的胜利。我们不为胜利而战；我们从胜利中战斗。无论是在亚洲还是在哥林多，情况对保罗来说都不像是胜利，但他相信上帝——上帝把失败变成了胜利。
保罗确信神在带领他时正在使用他（14c-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。
保罗用香的这幅图画描绘了基督教的事工。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。对神来说，信徒就是耶稣基督的芬芳。对其他信徒来说，我们是生命的芬芳；
508 B.Glorious—3 2 哥林多前书 2—3 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。
难怪保罗喊道：“谁能做这些事呢？” （2 肺心病 2:16）。他在下一章给出了答案：“我们的充足来自上帝”（林后 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列车时，根本不需要聪明和“兜售”上帝的话语！他们可能会误解他，但上帝知道他的心。
我们不必失败！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、富有同情心的心和得胜的信心。
“如果上帝支持我们，谁能反对我们？ ……不，通过爱我们的主，我们在所有这些事情上都得胜了”（罗
8:31, 37）。
感謝主。
