第十一章

¹⁶   我再說，誰也不要以為我是愚昧的；就算這樣，也要接納我這個愚昧的人，使我可以稍微地誇口。   ¹⁷   我這樣滿有自信地誇口，不是照著主所吩咐的，而是好像愚昧人在說話。   ¹⁸   既然有許多人按著世俗的標準誇口，我也要誇口。   ¹⁹   你們那麼精明，竟然樂意容忍愚昧的人。   ²⁰   如果有人奴役你們，侵吞、榨取你們，向你們趾高氣揚，打你們的臉，你們就容忍吧！   ²¹   說來慚愧，我們太軟弱了。說句愚昧的話，如果有人在甚麼事上是勇敢的，我也是勇敢的。   ²²   他們是希伯來人嗎？我也是。他們是以色列人嗎？我也是。他們是亞伯拉罕的後裔嗎？我也是。   ²³   他們是基督的僕人嗎？說句狂話，我更是。我受更多的勞苦，更多的坐監，受了過量的鞭打，常常有生命的危險。   ²⁴  我被猶太人打過五次，每次四十下減去一下，   ²⁵   被棍打過三次，被石頭打過一次，三次遇著船壞，在深海裡飄了一晝一夜；   ²⁶   多次行遠路，遇著江河的危險、強盜的危險、同族的危險、外族的危險、城中的危險、曠野的危險、海上的危險、假弟兄的危險；   ²⁷   勞碌辛苦，多次不得睡覺，又飢又渴，多次缺糧，赤身挨冷。   ²⁸   除了這些外面的事，還有為各教會掛心的事，天天壓在我的身上。   ²⁹   有誰軟弱，我不軟弱呢？有誰陷在罪裡，我不焦急呢？   ³⁰   如果必須誇口，我就誇自己的弱點。   ³¹   主耶穌的父　神是應當永遠受稱頌的，他知道我沒有說謊。   ³²   在大馬士革，亞里達王手下的總督把守著大馬士革城，要拘捕我，   ³³   我就被人放在一個大籃子裡，從城牆的窗戶縋下來，逃脫了他的手。

 

默想

1. 慢慢地讀這段經文，處身其中，好像親自經歷這些苦難，風暴、監牢、被打、被搶、饑寒交加、無眠無休、各樣危險。這樣一個偉大的屬靈領袖的履歷，與今天社會上所訴求的領袖，有何不同？
2. 神今天仍然在尋找軟弱的人，好在他們身上來彰顯神的能力。我要這份福氣嗎？

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在“靈程筆記”簿上面。

 

 

CHAPTER 11

¹ I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! ² I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. ³ But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

⁵ I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”^{. 6} I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. ⁷ Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

 

MEDITATION

1. Both Jesus’ and Paul’s gentleness was misunderstood as weakness.  How has that resulted in blessing (Mt 5:5)?  Where, in my life, do I need to embrace their example right now?
2. God is still looking for “weak” people in whom to display His strength.  Am I willing to “apply” for the job?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2011 “Spiritual Journal” book.