1616 英翻中 (歌羅西書第3課) A prisoner’s prayer 囚犯的禱告 16/06/2026

1616 英翻中 (歌羅西書第3課)           A prisoner’s prayer                囚犯的禱告                   16/06/2026                      

I have often thought of that statement when I find myself in the midst of trying circumstances. It is not talent or training that guarantees victory: it is perseverance. “By perseverance the snail reached the ark,” said Charles Spurgeon.                                                                                              当我发现自己在尝试要做某事的環境中时，總記得這句格言 : 司布貞说，“蜗牛因坚持不懈的爬，終於到达方舟，”  不是才能，或好的训練可保證得到勝利，而是坚忍。                                                               

Chapt 3           A prisoner’s prayer              Colossians 1:9–12                                                                  第三課            囚犯的禱告                           歌罗西书   1:9–12                 

        The prayers in Paul’s prison letters are certainly unique. To begin with, he prayed for others and not for himself. The requests in his prayers center on spiritual blessings, not on material or physical matters. Of course, it is not wrong to pray about physical or material needs. But spiritual needs are vastly more important.
保罗监狱信中的祷告確實是唯一的。首先，他为别人，並不是为自己祷告。他祷告中的要求是以屬靈的祝福为中心，而不是在物质或切身需要。当然，对身体或物质需求的祷告也是必要的。但在屬靈上的需求更是重要。
 
        How would you pray for a group of people you had never seen? All that Paul knew about the believers in Colosse he learned from their faithful pastor, Epaphras. Paul knew of the false teaching that was threatening the church, so he centered his praying on that problem. In his prayer, Paul made three requests.
如何为一群你从未见过的人祷告？保罗是從信实的以巴弗牧师得知的歌羅西的信徒。保罗知道是假教師的教導威胁教会，所以他的祈祷，集中在这问题上。保罗在這祷告中提出三件要求做到的事。
 
        He Prayed for Spiritual Intelligence (1:9).  The false teachers promised the Colossian believers that they would be “in the know” if they accepted the new doctrines. Words like knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual understanding were a part of their religious vocabulary, so Paul used these words in his prayer.
他为屬灵的智慧祷告（1：9）.。 假教师對歌罗西的信徒承诺，若他们接受了新的教义，他们将会  “知道”。 像知道，智慧和屬靈上悟性等詞，都是他们宗教词汇中的一部分，所以在保罗的祷告中用上这些詞彙。
 
        Satan is so deceptive! He likes to borrow Christian vocabulary, but he does not use the Christian dictionary! Long before the false teachers had adopted these terms, the words had been in the Christian vocabulary.
撒旦是大骗子！牠喜欢借用基督信徒的用語，但牠不使用基督信仰的词典！在假教师早已采用这些基督信仰的术语之前，它們一直是基督信仰的词汇。
 
        The phrase “for this cause” relates the prayer to what Paul had written in Colossians 1:6 “and knew the grace of God in truth.” The report from Epaphras convinced Paul that these believers truly knew Christ and were born again. But there was much more to learn from Him and about Him! “You do not need a new spiritual experience,” Paul was saying. “You only need to grow in the experience you have already had.”
該短语  “为这些緣故” 与保罗在“歌罗西书1章6節中所写的禱告：“并且知道上帝恩典的真理”  相關。來自以巴弗的报告，在报告中说服保罗，这些信徒是真识道基督，并且重生。但是，對耶穌是上帝的兒子及有關祂更多人性的事還要學習！保罗说，“你不需要新的屬靈体验。 只需要用已經拥有的屬靈經驗使靈命得以增长”。
 
        When a person is born into God’s family by faith in Jesus Christ, he is born with all that he needs for growth and maturity. This is the theme of Colossians: “And you are complete in Him” (Col. 2:10). No other experience is needed than the new birth. “Do not look for something new,” Paul warned the church. “Continue to grow in that which you received at the beginning” (author’s paraphrase).
凡在上帝的家中，因信靠耶稣基督而重生的，他是生來就具有成长和成熟所需要的一切。 “你们在祂里面是豐盛的”  這是歌罗西书的主题（西2:10）。新生儿不需要其他经验。保罗警告教会說，“不要去尋找新的东西。從一开始时就有的豐盛繼續成长“（著作者的比較释義）。
 
        Every believer needs to have “the knowledge of His will.” The Greek word translated “knowledge” in this verse carries the meaning of “full knowledge.” There is always more to learn about God and His will for our lives. No Christian would ever dare to say that he had “arrived” and needed to learn nothing more. Like the college freshman who handed in a ten-page report titled “The History of the Universe,” that Christian would only declare his ignorance.
每位信徒都需要有 “真知道祂的旨意”。这经文 “知道”  用希腊语翻译成  “滿心知道。”
對上帝和祂对我们生命的旨意的事，总是有更多要了解的。没有基督徒敢说，他已經  “夠了”，不需要再繼續去学习。像大学新生一样，递交了十页报导题目为  “宇宙的历史”，基督徒可能会宣告他的无知。
 
        The will of God is an important part of a successful Christian life. God wants us to know His will (Acts 22:14) and understand it (Eph. 5:17). God is not a distant dictator who issues orders and never explains. Because we are His friends, we can know what He is doing and why He is doing it (John 15:13–15). As we study His Word and pray, we discover new and exciting truths about God’s will for His people.
上帝的旨意是基督徒生活成功的重要部分。上帝要我们知道祂的旨意（徒22:14）并理解祂的旨意（弗5:17）。上帝不是只发命令，而是遥控永不解釋的不講理的人。因为我们是祂的朋友，要知道祂做什么，为什么祂要这样做（约15：13-15）。当学习祂的话语和向祂祈祷时，我们會发现上帝对祂的子民的旨意，既新鮮又令人兴奋的真理。

        The word filled is a key word in Colossians. It was also a key word in the teachings of the false teachers who had invaded the Colossian church. Paul used it many times (see Col. 1:19, 25; 2:2, 9–10; 4:12, 17 [complete = “filled full”]). The word carries the idea of being fully equipped. It was used to describe a ship that was ready for a voyage. The believer has in Christ all that he needs for the voyage of life. “And you are complete in Him” (Col. 2:10). “And of His fullness have all we received” (John 1:16).
“豐盛”  這词是歌罗西书中的关键词。“豐盛” 也是假教师的教導，滲入歌罗西教会的的关键词。保罗多次使用（參   西1:19，25; 2：2，9-10; 4:12，17 [豐盛  =  “充滿”]）。“豐盛” 具有设备齐全的意思。用来描述生命的船已完全准备好要起程。信徒在基督里已有他生命之旅一切所需。  “你们在祂里面豐盛”（西2:10）。 “從祂豐滿的恩典裡我們都領受了、而且恩上加恩。”（约1:16）。

        In the language of the New Testament, to be “filled” means to be “controlled by.” When we are filled with anger, we are controlled by anger. To be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) means to be “controlled by the Spirit.” Paul’s prayer, then, is that these believers might be controlled by the full knowledge of God’s will.
新約中的  “充满” 一詞意味着  “受控制”。当我们充满愤怒时，我們受愤怒所控制。要成为  “充满圣灵”（弗5:18）意思是  “要受圣灵控制”。   保罗的祷告是說，这些信徒已經滿心知道上帝的旨意。
 
         But how does this take place? How can believers grow in the full knowledge of God’s will? Paul’s closing words of Colossians 1:9 tell us: “By means of all wisdom and spiritual insight” (literal translation). We understand the will of God through the Word of God. The Holy Spirit teaches us as we submit to Him (John 14:26; 16:13). As we pray and sincerely seek God’s truth, He gives us through the Spirit the wisdom and insight that we need (Eph. 1:17).
但這是什麼說法呢？信徒怎麼樣會滿心知道上帝的旨意呢？  保罗在歌罗西书1章9節的结语中說，“是由於所有內在的智慧和屬靈的洞察力”（直译）。我们讀上帝的話就能理解祂的旨意。當順服祂時, 圣灵就教导我们（约14:26; 16:13）。当我们禱告並且真诚地寻求上帝的真理时，祂經过我们內住的圣灵，和所需要的智慧和洞察力賜給我們（弗1:17）。
 
        The general will of God for all His children is given clearly in the Bible. The specific will of God for any given situation must always agree with what He has already revealed in His Word. The better we know God’s general will, the easier it will be to determine His specific guidance in daily life. Paul did not encourage the Colossians to seek visions or wait for voices. He prayed that they might get deeper into God’s Word and thus have greater wisdom and insight concerning God’s will. He wanted them to have “all wisdom”—not that they would know everything, but that they would have all the wisdom necessary for making decisions and living to please God.
上帝在圣经中，对祂兒女有一般旨意，可由普遍啓示領悟得到。對祂兒女的特定旨意必须與祂的话特別啟示一致。我们越了解上帝的一般旨意，就越容易确定祂在日常生活中的特定的引导。保罗不鼓励歌罗西人寻求異象或等待祂說話。保羅祈祷说，他们可能会更深入上帝的话语，因此对上帝的旨意會有更多的智慧和啟示。保羅聁望他們拥有  “豐滿的智慧”， 不是說他们会知道一切，而是要有一切必要的智慧做出决定，過著使上帝喜悅的生活.

        Spiritual intelligence is the beginning of a successful, fruitful Christian life. God puts no premium ignorance. I once heard a preacher say, “I didn’t never go to school. I’m just a igerant (ignorance) Christian, and I’m glad I is!” A man does not have to go to school to gain spiritual intelligence, but neither should he magnify his “igerance.”  
屬靈的智慧是成功且豐富的基督徒生活的开始。上帝不會為“无知”而付出額外的費用。我有一次，曾经听過一位传道人说，“我上過学。只是一個無知的基督教徒，我很高兴我是(I is)!”  人不必要去学校获得屬靈智慧，但他也不应该誇大他的無知。
 
        Great men of God like Charles Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, and H. A. Ironside never had the privilege of formal Bible training. But they were devoted students of the Word, learning its deeper truths through hours of study, meditation, and prayer. The first step toward fullness of life is spiritual intelligence—growing in the will of God by knowing the Word of God.
上帝重用的僕人，像司布貞，摩根和H．A．愛郎賽( Ironside)等人，他們从未有幸受過正式的圣经學校的训练。但是，他们是誠心學習上帝話的學生，用很長的时間研讀聖經，默想，和祈祷，来学习更深一层的真理。通过真知道上帝的道，是迈向生活屬靈上的智慧豐滿的第一步，就是經由真知道上帝的話，在上帝的旨意中成长。
 
1. He Prayed for Practical Obedience (1:10)
1. 保羅为對上帝實用順服而祷告（1:10）
 
        The false teachers in Colosse attracted people through their offer of “spiritual knowledge,” but they did not relate this knowledge to life. In the Christian life, knowledge and obedience go together. There is no separation between learning and living. The wisdom about which Paul prayed was not simply a head knowledge of deep spiritual truths (see Col. 1:28; 2:3; 3:16; 4:5). True spiritual wisdom must affect the daily life. Wisdom and practical intelligence must go together (see Ex. 31:3; Deut. 4:6; 1 Cor. 1:19).
歌羅西的假教师以如何操練  “屬靈知识” 來吸引人，但他们并没有将这知识与生活联系在一起。在基督徒的生活中，智慧顺服是聯繫在一起。学习和生活之间不能分离。保罗所祈祷的智慧不只是屬靈真理的头脑深刻智慧（参   西   1:28; 2：3; 3:16; 4：5）。真正的屬靈智慧必定影响日常生活。智慧和实用的知識必须走在一起（參  出31：3; 申4：6; 林前1:19）。
 
        In my pastoral ministry, I have met people who have become intoxicated with “studying the deeper truths of the Bible.” Usually they have been given a book or introduced to some teacher’s tapes. Before long, they get so smart they become dumb! The “deeper truths” they discover only detour them from practical Christian living. Instead of getting burning hearts of devotion to Christ (Luke 24:32), they get big heads and start creating problems in their homes and churches. All Bible truths are practical, not theoretical. If we are growing in knowledge, we should also be growing in grace (2 Peter 3:18).
在我的牧會經驗裡，遇到過陶醉在 “研究更深奧的圣经的真理” 的會友。  通常當人给他们一本书，或者介绍给他们一卷教师的录音带。不久之后，看來他们是頂聪明的，却变得愚蠢！ 他们发现  “更深奧的真理” 只能使他们脱离現实的基督徒生活。代替以更火熱的心献给基督（路24:32），却是在家里和教會造成问题和變得头大。圣经裡所有的真理都是实用的，而不是理论的。若要在知道上更多的増長，就必須要更多的恩典（彼後3:18）。
 
         Two words summarize the practicality of the Christian life: walk and work. The sequence is important: first wisdom; then walk; then work. I cannot work for God unless I am walking with Him, but I cannot walk with Him if I am ignorant of His will. The believer who spends time daily in the Word and prayer (Acts 6:4) will know God’s will and be able to walk with Him and work for Him.
用两句話总结基督徒生活的实用性：與上帝同行，和一起作工。顺序很重要：首先要有智慧; 然後與主同行，然後一起工作。除非我和主同行，否则不能與祂一起工作，如果我不了解上帝的旨意，就不能和祂同行。 信徒每天化時間在祷告和讀經上（徒    6：4）将会知道      上帝的旨意，並且能够和祂同行，並與祂一起作工。

        After all, our purpose in life is not to please ourselves, but to please the Lord. We should walk worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1) and worthy of the gospel (Phil. 1:27), which means we will walk worthy of God (1 Thess. 2:12). In short, we should walk to please God (1 Thess. 4:1).
毕竟，生活目的不是為我们自己的喜好，而是要討主的喜悅。我们與主同行時，应该與蒙召的恩相稱（弗4：1），與福音的恩相稱（腓1:27），意思是要對得起上帝（帖前2:12）。简而言之，我们在主同行時应该要討上帝的歡心（帖前4：1）。

        It is not we who work for God; it is God who works in us and through us to produce the fruit of His grace (Phil. 2:12–13). Christian service is the result of Christian devotion. The work that we do is the outflow of the life that we live. It is by abiding in Christ that we can produce fruit (John 15:1ff.).                      
 不是我们为上帝工作。而是上帝在我们裡面作工， 並使用我们為祂結恩典的果子
（腓2：12-13）。基督徒的事奉是他們献身所結的果子。我们所做的工作是我们生活的流露。只有在基督里才能結果子（约15：1  比照研讀）。
 
        God must make the worker before He can do the work. God spent thirteen years preparing Joseph for his ministry in Egypt, and eighty years preparing Moses to lead Israel. Jesus spent three years teaching His disciples how to bear fruit; and even the learned apostle Paul needed a “postgraduate course” in Arabia before he could serve God with effectiveness. A newborn babe can cry and make its presence known, but it cannot work. A new Christian can witness for Christ and even win others—but he must be taught to walk and learn God’s wisdom before he is placed in an office of responsible ministry.
上帝必须在祂的僕人能工作之前造就他們，祂用十三年時間造就约瑟，并使用八十年时間造就摩西，他才能领导以色列人出埃及。耶稣使用三年時間教导门徒如何去结果子;  即使学問淵博的使徒保罗，也需要在阿拉伯讀  “慱士後的课程”，才能有效地侍奉上帝。 新生婴孩能哭泣，令人知道他的存在，但他不能工作。 剛信主的基督徒可以见证基督，甚至帶領他人信主 — 但是，在他要擔任有责任的執事的職位之前，則必须被教导與主同行，並学习上帝的智慧。

          God’s wisdom reveals God’s will. As we obey God’s will in our walk, we can work for Him and bear fruit. We will not just occasionally serve God; we will be “fruitful in every good work” (Col. 1:10). But there is a blessed by-product of this experience: “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10). As we walk with God and work for God, we get to know Him better and better.
上帝的智慧啟示了祂的旨意。当我们顺服上帝的旨意與祂同行时，才能为祂工作而結果子。我们不会偶然的事奉上帝; 我们一定要先  “在一切善事上結果子”（西1:10）。但是，这经验帶來祝福的副产品：“漸漸的多知道上帝”（西1:10）。当我们与上帝同行，为祂工作时，我们就多知道祂。
 
        Our Christian lives desperately need balance. Certainly we get to know God better as we pray in our private rooms and as we meditate on His Word. But we also get to know Him as we walk in our daily lives and work to win others and help His people.
基督徒的生活迫切需要平衡。誠然，当我们在私人房间里祈祷，并且默念祂的话语时，我们就多知道上帝。但是，在日常生活中與上帝同行，並争取失喪的人，且帮助祂的子民之後，我們會多知道上帝。
 
        Worship and service are not competitive. They always go together. When He was ministering on earth, our Lord retired to pray—then He went out to serve. We need to avoid the extremes of impractical mysticism and fleshly enthusiasm. As we spend time with God, we get to understand Him and His will for our lives, and as we go out to obey Him, we learn more.
崇拜和事奉並不會互相競爭。它们总是同時進行。当我们的主在地上事奉时，總是先退到山上祈祷 — 然后祂才開始事奉。我们需要避免极端不實用的神秘主义，和苦待肉体的热情主義。当我们和上帝在一起时，将會體認出上帝和祂為我们生命的旨意，並且当我们順服祂出去事奉祂时，就会学到更多。

        Practical obedience means pleasing God, serving Him, and getting to know Him better. Any doctrine that isolates the believer from the needs of the world around him is not spiritual doctrine. Evangelist D. L. Moody often said, “Every Bible should be bound in shoe-leather.”   Paul would agree.
实用的順服就是討上帝的喜悦，侍奉祂，多知道祂。任何将信徒脫離他對所在的世界的需要的隔离教义，都不是屬靈的教义。慕迪(D. L. Moody)福音传教士经常说，“每一本圣经都应该绑在鞋帶上。”  保罗会同意這意思。              
 
         Paul has prayed that we might have spiritual intelligence, and that this intelligence might result in practical obedience. But there is a third request that completes these first two; and without it, the Christian life could not be mature.
保罗為我们祈祷可能得到屬灵的智慧，該智慧可能会导致對上帝实用的順服。但是還有第三个要求來完成前两个要求;  否則，基督徒的生活就不会成熟。
 
He Prayed for Moral Excellence (1:11–12) 
祂为卓越的道德而祷告（1：11-12）
 
        Wisdom and conduct should always be related to moral character. One of the great problems in our evangelical world today is the emphasis on “spiritual knowledge” and “Christian service,” without connecting these important matters to personal character.
智慧与行为应始终与道德品格相关聯。今天在福音派領域的重大问题之一，就是强调  “屬靈知识” 和 “基督徒事奉”，而沒有将它們重要事项与人的品格联系在一起。
 
         For example, some teachers and preachers claim to have God’s wisdom—yet they lack love and kindness and the other basic qualities that make the Christian life beautiful and distinctive. Even some “soul-winning Christians” are so busy serving God that they cannot take time to check facts—so they publish lies about other Christians. For some months, I read a certain religious publication. But when I discovered that they had no “Letters to the Editor” column (except for praise), and that they never published a correction or apologized for an error, I stopped reading the magazine.
例如，一些教师和传道人声称拥有上帝的智慧 — 但他们缺乏爱和善良，以及使基督徒生活美丽而独特的其他基本素质。即使是一些  “灵魂得救的基督徒” 也是如此忙碌的服事上帝，他们不肯花时间检查事实 — 所以他们對其他基督徒发表谎言的論述。几个月来，我读了一些宗教出版物。但是，当我发现他们没有 “给编辑的信” 這一栏目（除了赞美之外），他们从来没有公布过纠错，或者为错误而道歉，所以我停止阅读这本杂志。

        Knowledge, conduct, service, and character must always go together. We know God’s will that we might obey it, and, in obeying it, we serve Him and grow in Christian character. While none of us is perfectly balanced in these four factors, we ought to strive for that balance.
知识，行为，事奉和品格必须永远結合在一起。我们知道上帝的旨意，我们可以順服祂，并且在順服祂时，我们事奉祂，并促成基督徒性格的成长。虽然，这四个因素我们都無法做到完全平衡，但我们全力以赴使其達成平衡。
 
        It is God’s energy that empowers us. Colossians 1:11 reads, in effect, “With all power being empowered according to the might of His glory.” Paul used two different Greek words for God’s energy: dunamis (from which we get our word dynamite) means “inherent power”; and kratos means “manifested power,” power that is put forth in action. The grace of our Christian lives is but a result of God’s power at work in our lives. Spiritual growth and maturity can come only as we yield to God’s power and permit Him to work in us.
上帝的大能赋予權力。我們在歌罗西书1章11節读到，实际上是 “按照祂的荣耀大能赋予权力。”  保罗用上述不同的两种希腊语表达上帝的大能：dunamis（从其中得到炸药這名词）是指  “固有的权力”;  而克拉托(kratos)是指  “証明大能”  的权力。我们基督徒生活的恩典，只不过是上帝的大能，彰顯在基督徒生命中，事奉祂權力的结果。只有当我们屈服于上帝大能，并允许祂在我们里面作工时，屬靈成长和成熟才能出現。
      
         We usually think of God’s glorious power being revealed in great feats of daring—the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, David leading a victorious army, or Paul raising the dead. But the emphasis here is on Christian character: patience, longsuffering, joyfulness, and thanksgiving. The inner victories of the soul are just as great, if not greater, than the public victories recorded in the annals of history. For David to control his temper when he was being maligned by Shimei was a greater victory than his slaying of Goliath (2 Sam. 16:5–13). “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city” (Prov. 16:32 nasb).
我们通常认为上帝的光荣的大能，只显露在以色列人过红海，大卫领导军队戰胜歌利亞，或保罗使死人復活。但在这里的重点是指基督徒的品格：忍耐，堅忍，喜乐和感恩。灵裡的内在胜利正如历史史上记录的公開的胜利一样的伟大，甚至更偉大。因为大卫控制他的脾气，当掃羅的兒子示每凶恶的對他时，他付出的堅忍，比他杀了歌利亚獲得更大的胜利（撒下16：5-13）。 “不輕易發怒的，勝過勇士;  治服己心的，強如取城”（箴16:32  新國際版）。
 
         The word patience means “endurance when circumstances are difficult.” It is the opposite of despondency. This word is never used in reference to God, for God does not face difficult circumstances. Nothing is impossible with God (Jer. 32:27).
忍耐的意思是  “在情况惡劣时仍然能有堅持。”  与沮丧相反。这词从来不用于關於上帝，因祂從不會面对困难的环境。對"上帝豈有難成的事"（耶32:27）。
 
        Patience is an important characteristic of the maturing Christian life. If we do not learn to be patient, we are not likely to learn anything else. As believers, we are able to rejoice even in our tribulations, because we know that “tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance proven character; and proven character, hope” (Rom. 5:3–4 nasb).
忍耐是成熟基督徒的重要特征。如果我们沒有耐心，就不可能学习任何其他的事物。作为信徒，即使在苦难中，我们也能喜樂，因为知道  “患难生忍耐; 忍耐生老練; 老練生盼望”（罗5：3-4新國際版）。
 
          We must never think that patience is complacency. Patience is endurance in action. It is not the Christian sitting in a rocking chair, waiting for God to do something. It is the soldier on the battlefield, keeping on when the going is tough. It is the runner on the racetrack, refusing to stop because he wants to win the race (Heb. 12:1).
我们永远不要以为忍耐是自满。忍耐是行动中的堅持力。基督徒不是坐在搖摇椅中，等待上帝來做一些事。而是战场上的士兵，坚持奮戰下去。就如赛跑者正在跑道上，因为要赢得比赛，他不能停止（来12：1）。
 
         Too many Christians have a tendency to quit when circumstances become difficult. The saintly Dr. V. Raymond Edman, late president of Wheaton College (Illinois), used to remind the students, “It is always too soon to quit.”
太多的基督徒因為当前情况变得艱难时就放棄。威尔顿学院（伊利诺州）已故总统雷蒙 · 埃德曼(Dr. V. Raymond Edman)博士曾经提醒学生  “总是太早放棄。”
 
         I have often thought of that statement when I find myself in the midst of trying circumstances. It is not talent or training that guarantees victory: it is perseverance. “By perseverance the snail reached the ark,” said Charles Spurgeon.
当我发现自己在尝试要做某事的環境中时，總記得這句格言 : 司布貞说，“蜗牛因坚持不懈的爬，終於到达方舟，”  不是才能，或好的训練可保證得到勝利，而是坚忍。
 
        Along with patience, we need longsuffering. This word means “self-restraint” and is the opposite of revenge. Patience has to do primarily with circumstances, while longsuffering has to do with people. God is longsuffering toward people because of His love and grace (2 Peter 3:9). Longsuffering is one fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is among the “grace garments” that the believer should wear (Col. 3:12).
随着忍耐，我们還需要堅忍。它的意思是  “自我克制”，与报复相反。對環境必须先要忍耐;  對人則需堅忍，要长久辛苦的對付。因为上帝滿有大爱和恩典，所以祂對人以堅忍（彼前3：9）。堅忍是聖灵所結的果子（加5:22）。信徒应该披戴基督的  “恩典的袍子”（西3:12）。
 
        It is amazing how people can patiently endure trying circumstances, only to lose their tempers with a friend or loved one. Moses was patient during the contest with Pharaoh in Egypt. But he lost his temper with his own people and, as a result, forfeited his right to enter the Promised Land (Num. 20). “Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit” (Prov. 25:28 新國際版).
人耐心堅忍受審的環境，令人惊奇的是，只能對他朋友或亲人失去自己的脾气。在与埃及法老的論戰中，摩西是有堅忍的。但他對自己的同胞却失去了耐心，结果不得進入应许之地（數   20章）。 “人不制伏他自己的心，就好像毀壞的城邑，没有墻垣”（箴25:28）。
 
        Patience and longsuffering go together if we are growing spiritually. Paul listed them as the marks of the true minister of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 6:4–6). Certainly, Paul displayed these graces in his own life (2 Tim. 3:10). The great example of patience and longsuffering in the Old Testament is Job (James 5:10–11). In the New Testament, of course, it is Jesus Christ.
若我们要在靈命上增长，忍耐和堅忍必須要結合在一起。保罗将它们列为耶稣基督真正職事的标记（林前6：4-6）。誠然，保罗在自己的生活中彰显出这些恩典（提前3:10）。旧约中忍耐和堅忍的伟大榜样是约伯（雅5：10-11）。在新约里，誠然是耶稣基督。
 
It is easy for God to perform miracles in the realms of the material or physical, because everything in creation obeys His command. Jesus could heal Malchus’s ear, but He could not automatically change Peter’s heart and remove the hatred and violence that was in it (Luke 22:50–51). God could bring water out of the rock, but He could not force Moses to be patient.
上帝在物质或身体的领域上行神迹比較容易，因为一切被造物都遵守祂的命令。耶稣可以治愈马魯(Malchus)的耳朵，但祂不能自动的改变彼得的心，消除他心中的仇恨和暴力（路22：50-51）。上帝可以把水从岩石中奔流出来，但祂無法使摩西有耐心。
 
        A pastor often visited a Christian young man who had been badly burned. The young man had to lie still for hours, and it was difficult for him to perform even the basic functions of life.
牧师经常拜访一位遭受严重烧伤的年輕基督教。这年轻人必須安靜的躺下數小时，甚至他难以做到生命的基本功能。
 
       “I wish God would do a miracle and heal me,” the young man said to his pastor one day.
年轻人有一天对他的牧师说， “我希望上帝会行神迹來醫治我。”
 
       “God is doing a miracle,” the pastor replied, “but not the kind you are looking for. I have watched you grow in patience and kindness during these weeks. That, to me, is a greater miracle than the healing of your body.”
牧师回答说，“上帝正在行神迹，但不是你所要的那种。在數星期中，我一直注視你的耐心和善良的增長。那对我来说，比醫治你身体痊愈是更大的神迹。”
 
         God’s power is evidenced in our lives not only in our patience and longsuffering, but also in our joyfulness. When circumstances are difficult, we should exhibit joyful patience, and when people are hard to live with, we should reveal joyful longsuffering. There is a kind of patience that “endures but does not enjoy.” Paul prayed that the Colossian Christians might experience joyful patience and longsuffering.
上帝的大能在我们的生活中彰顯，不仅是忍耐和堅忍，而且還有在我們的喜乐中。環境困难的时候，我们应该表现出心境喜乐的忍耐，当人困苦的生活在一起时，我们应该表现喜乐的堅忍。有一种耐心是“忍耐，但不喜樂。”保罗對歌罗西基督徒的祈祷，可能是经历喜乐的忍耐和堅忍。
 
        We often use the words joy and happiness interchangeably, but a distinction should be made. Happiness often depends on happenings. If circumstances are encouraging and people are kind, we are happy. But joy is independent of both circumstances and people. The most joyful epistle Paul wrote was Philippians, and he wrote it from jail as he faced the possibility of being martyred for his faith.
人经常使把喜乐和快樂，顛倒的互换使用，但它們是应该有区别的。快樂往往取决于事情的發生。如果環境令人鼓舞，人很善良，我们會很快樂。但喜樂却不受環境和人的影響。保罗所寫的腓立比书，是在他所写的信件中，表現出真正喜乐的信，他从坐监開始写，一直到他面临着为了基督信仰，而將要殉难的可能性。
 
        Only God’s Spirit working within us can give us joy in the midst of problem circumstances and problem people. “The fruit of the Spirit is … joy” (Gal. 5:22). Joy is not something that we ourselves “work up”; it is something the Spirit Himself “works in”—“joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17 niv).
只有上帝的灵在我们的内心，才能在困擾的環境和擾人的人群問題中，为我们带来喜乐。 “圣灵的果子是喜乐”（加5:22）。喜乐不是我们自己能  “做得到” 的。这是圣灵自己  “在祂裡面” 中所行的 ---  “在圣灵中的喜乐”（罗14:17）。
 
         I can recall times in my life when all the circumstances around me pointed to difficulty and possible defeat. Yet my heart was filled with a spiritual joy that could only come from God. Sad to say, I also remember times (far too many!) when I gave in to the problems around me, and I lost both the joy and the victory.
我可以回忆起我生命中的时光，周围我的所有環境都指向困难，和可能失败时。可是我的心却充满了只能从上帝那裡才有的屬靈的喜乐。可悲的是，我還记得有幾次（太多次！）当我被周围環境的问题攪亂時，我就失去了上帝所賜的喜樂和胜利。
  
         The fourth evidence of God’s power in our lives is thankfulness. Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit will be joyful and thankful (Eph. 5:18–20). When we lose our joy, we start complaining and becoming critical.
上帝在我们生命中的力量的第四个证据是感激之情。充满圣灵的基督徒将是快乐和感恩（以弗所书5：18-20）。当我们失去喜悦时，我们开始抱怨并变得至关重要。
 
        The Colossian epistle is filled with thanksgiving. Paul gave thanks for the church in Colosse (Col. 1:3), and he prayed that they might grow in their own thanksgiving to God (Col. 1:12). The Christian life should abound with thanksgiving (Col. 2:7). One of the evidences of spiritual growth in our Bible study is thanksgiving (Col. 3:15–17). Our prayers should always include thanksgiving (Col. 4:2). The Christian who is filled with the Spirit, filled with the Word, and watching in prayer will prove it by his attitude of appreciation and thanksgiving to God.
歌罗西书信充满了感恩。保罗对罗马斗兽场的教会感谢（上1：3），并祈祷他们可以自己成长为上帝感恩（列1:12）。基督徒的生活应该充满感恩（列2:7）。圣经研究中屬靈成长的证据之一，是感恩（列3：15-17）。我们的祷告应该永远包括，感恩节（列4：2）。充满圣灵充满圣灵的基督徒，以祷告的方式看待，将以他对上帝的赞赏，和感恩的态度证明自己。

        Some people are appreciative by nature, but some are not, and it is these latter people who especially need God’s power to express thanksgiving. We should remember that every good gift comes from God (James 1:17) and that He is (as the theologians put it) “the Source, Support, and End of all things.”   The very breath in our mouths is the free gift of God.
有些人自然欣赏，但有些人不是，而后者则是特别需要上帝的力量表达感恩。我们应该记住，每一件好礼物都是从上帝来的（雅各书1:17），他是（作为神学家所说的）“所有事物的来源，支持和结局”。我们口中的呼吸是免费的礼物的上帝.

         Years ago, Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois had a life-saving squad that assisted passengers on the Lake Michigan boats. On September 8, 1860, a passenger boat, the Lady Elgin, floundered near Evanston, and a ministerial student, Edward Spencer, personally rescued seventeen persons. The exertion of that day permanently damaged his health and he was unable to train for the ministry. When he died some years later, it was noted that not one of the seventeen persons he had saved ever came to thank him.
几年前，伊利诺斯州埃文斯顿的西北大学有一个救生队，帮助密歇根湖上的乘客。 1860年9月8日，一艘客船Elgin夫人在埃文斯顿附近溺水，一名部长学生爱德华·斯潘塞亲自救了十七人。那天的劳累永久地损害了他的健康，他无法为该部训练。几年后，当他去世时，有人指出，他救了十七个人中也没有一个感谢他。
   
        Thankfulness is the opposite of selfishness. The selfish person says, “I deserve what comes to me! Other people ought to make me happy!” But the mature Christian realizes that life is a gift from God, and that the blessings of life come only from His bountiful hand.
感恩与自私的相反。自私的人说：“我应得到什么来到我身边！其他人应该让我开心！“但是，成熟的基督徒意识到生命是上帝的恩赐，生命的祝福只是从他丰盛的手中得来的。
 
       Of course, the one blessing that ought to move us constantly to thanksgiving is that God has made us “meet [fit] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:12). The word fit means “qualified”: God has qualified us for heaven! And, while we are waiting for Christ to return, we enjoy our share of the spiritual inheritance that we have in Him (Eph. 1:11, 18–23).
当然，应该让我们不断感恩的一个祝福就是上帝使我们“认识（适合）分享圣徒的传承”（列1:12）。合适的词意味着“合格”：上帝已经使我们成为天堂！而且，当我们等待基督回来的时候，我们享受我们在祂所拥有的属灵继承中的份额（以弗所书1:11,18-23）。
 
         In the Old Testament, God’s people had an earthly inheritance, the land of Canaan. Christians today have a spiritual inheritance in Christ. Canaan is not a picture of heaven, for there will be no battles or defeats in heaven. Canaan is a picture of our present inheritance in Christ. We must claim our inheritance by faith as we step out on the promises of God (Josh. 1:1–9). Day by day, we claim our blessings, and this makes us even more thankful to the Lord.
在旧约中，上帝的子民有地上的遗产，迦南地。基督徒今天有在基督里有属灵的遗产。 迦南不是天堂的照片，因为没有战斗或失败天堂。迦南是我们现在在基督里继承的照片。当我们走上帝的应许时，我们必须借着信心要求我们的产业（约书1：1-9）。我们每天都要求我们的祝福，这使我们更加感激耶和华。
 
        As we review this marvelous prayer, we can see how penetrating it is. We need spiritual intelligence if we are going to live to please God. We also need practical obedience in our walk and work. But the result of all of this must be spiritual power in the inner man, power that leads to joyful patience and longsuffering, with thanksgiving.
当我们审查这奇妙的祷告时，我们可以看到它是多么的渗透。如果我们要活着去見上帝，我们需要屬靈的智慧。我们也需要在我们的與上帝同行和與祂工作中实际的顺从。但是，所有这一切的结果必须是内心屬靈的精神力量，力量会导致快乐的忍耐和忍耐的感恩。

Have you been praying this way lately?
你最近一直在祷告吗？