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哥林多后书生命读经 · 第1篇

引言（一）

INTRODUCTION (1)
1读经：哥林多后书一章一至十一节。哥林多后书的特点在于该书有一篇很长的引言。这卷书信有十三章，头一章半是引言。圣经中没有别卷书有这样长的引言。
1Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 1:1-11 The book of 2 Corinthians is unique in that it has a very long introduction. This Epistle contains thirteen chapters, and the first one and a half chapters are the introduction. No other book in the Bible has such a long introduction
2哥林多后书的引言这么长，是因为1本卷书的背景相当复杂。保罗在哥林多前书中，在许多事上对付哥林多信徒，与他们争论，并且责备他2们。因著这个背景，哥林多后书需要一篇长的引言。这段引言实际上是一些安慰的话。保罗知道自己在前书里管教了哥林多人，所以需要在这卷书信里缠裹他们的伤处。保罗在这里所作的，就像父母管教孩子之后，又给他们一些安慰。假定一个孩子作错了事，受到父母严厉的管教；孩子悔过之后，父母会花点时间安慰孩子。在林后头一章半里，保罗把油倒在哥林多人的伤处，这伤乃是保罗管教他们所造成的。这段引言这么长，还有一个原因，就是保罗非常重感情。他虽然重感情，却合宜得体。他责备哥林多信徒的时候，虽然受到灵的约束，情感还是非常的强。例如，在林前四章二十一节他问：『你们愿意怎么样？是要我带著刑杖，还是要我在爱和温柔的灵里，到你们那里去？』这些话指明，他的情感很强烈。当保罗倒油在哥林多信徒的伤处，并将其缠裹起来时，他运用他的情感，以非常积极的方式释放他的感情。因此，他需要长一点的时间来表达他的感情。
2The introduction to 2 Corinthians is long because the background of this book is quite complicated. In Corinthians Paul dealt with the Corinthian believers regarding many things. He argued with them and rebuked them. Because of this background, it was necessary for Corinthians to have a lengthy introduction. This introduction is actually a word of comfort. Paul realized that, because he had disciplined the Corinthians in the first Epistle, he needed to bind up their wounds in this Epistle. The first one and a half chapters of 2 Corinthians are related to this binding up of wounds. What Paul was doing here is similar to the comfort a parent may give to a child after the child has been disciplined. Suppose a child misbehaves and is seriously disciplined by his parents. After the child repents, the parents will spend time to comfort the child. In the first chapter and a half of 2 Corinthians, Paul pours oil into the wounds of the Corinthians, wounds caused by his discipline. Another reason for this lengthy introduction is that Paul was a very emotional person. He was a person strong in his emotion in a proper way. Although he was restricted by the Spirit when he was rebuking the Corinthian believers, he was still strong. For example, in 1 Corinthians 4:21 he asks, “What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?” These words indicate that he was strong in his emotion. When Paul was pouring oil into the wounds and binding them up, he exercised his emotion and released it in a very positive way. Thus, he needed a longer time to express his emotion.
3林后一章三节透露出保罗的感情：『我们主耶稣基督的神与父，就是那怜恤人的父，和赐诸般安慰的神，是当受颂赞的。』保罗在四至五节题到患难、苦难、安慰，也指明他是个重感情的人。据我看来，保罗似乎可以把这三节圣经浓缩成为一句话，说，『亲爱的哥林多弟兄们，我既然得了神的安慰，现在我要安慰你们。』但因著保罗极重感情，信就写得好像有点重复。在六、七、八节中，他继续说到苦难、患难和安慰。因著保罗满了感情，他需要有机会，积极的释放他的感情。
3Verse 3 reveals Paul’se motion: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassions and God of all encouragement.” Paul’s reference to affliction, suffering, and encouragement in verses 4 and 5 also indicates that he was emotional. It seems to me that Paul could have condensed these three verses into one sentence and said, “Dear Corinthian brothers, since I have been encouraged by God, I would now encourage you.” But because Paul was very emotional, he wrote in a way that seems repetitious. In verses 6, 7, and 8 he continues to speak of suffering, affliction, and encouragement. Because Paul was emotional, he needed the opportunity to release his emotion positively.
4这段引言这么长，还有一个原因就是哥林多人非常复杂。一面，他们喜欢保罗；另一面，他们和保罗有些不愉快。保罗用这么长的引言来化解他们的复杂，叫他们平静下来，好领受他的话。
4Another reason for this long introduction is that the Corinthians were very complicated. On the one hand, they liked Paul; on the other hand, they were somewhat unhappy with him. He used this long introduction to resolve their complications and calm them down so that they could receive his word
壹 著者与受者
I. THE WRITERS AND THE RECEIVERS
5在这一长段的引言里，我们能看见保罗这个人。我非常爱保罗。他重感情、富有同情、而且柔细；他也是坚刚，甚至是强硬；他诚实、单纯、又真诚。有时候他很有礼貌，但他从不耍手腕。我从保罗身上学了许多。我这一生跟两个人学得最多；第一位是保罗，第二位是倪柝声弟兄。一节说，『凭神旨意，作基督耶稣使徒的保罗，和弟兄提摩太，写信给在哥林多神的召会，同著在全亚该亚的众圣徒。』亚该亚在马其顿南方，是罗马帝国的一省，今天希腊的主要部分，其中有哥林多城。写哥林多后书的有保罗和提摩太二人，收信的乃是在哥林多神的召会，同亚该亚遍处的众圣徒。
5In this long introduction we can see Paul’s person. I very much love Paul. He can be emotional, sympathetic, and tender. He can also be strong and even tough. He is honest, simple, and sincere. Sometimes he may be polite, but he is never political. I have learned a great deal from Paul. Throughout my life I have learned the most from two persons: the first is Paul; the second is Watchman Nee. Verse 1 says, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy the brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia.” Achaia was located south of Macedonia. A province of the Roman Empire, it formed the major part of today’s Greece. The city of Corinth was in this province. The writers of 2 Corinthians were Paul and Timothy; the receivers were the church of God in Corinth with all the saints in the whole of Achaia
贰 问安
II. GREETING
6二节是保罗问安的话：『愿恩典与平安，从神我们的父，并主耶稣基督归与你们。』保罗在他的书信中常是这样问安。
6Paul’s greeting is found in verse 2: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This greeting is commonly used by Paul in his Epistles
参 神的安慰
III. THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF GOD
一 受安慰以安慰人
A. Encouraged to Encourage
7保罗在三至四节说，『我们主耶稣基督的神与父，就是那怜恤人的父，和赐诸般安慰的神，是当受颂赞的；祂在我们一切的患难中安慰我们，叫我们能用自己从神所受的安慰，安慰那些在各样患难中的人。』怜恤，或作怜悯、体恤、同情。安慰，含鼓舞的意思。这里这样称呼神是怜恤人的父，和赐诸般安慰的神，乃因这是一封安慰和鼓励的书信，是使徒因著哥林多信徒的悔改，得了安慰和鼓励之后写的。保罗在四节说，我们能用自己从神所受的安慰，安慰那些在患难中的人。我们必须先经历神的安慰，然后才能用所经历于神的这安慰，去安慰别人。因此，我们受了安慰，就可以去安慰别人。这是需要经历的。当我们有了经历，我们就有所需要的属灵本钱，去安慰别人。如果你从来没有受过苦难，从来没有得过神的安慰，你就无法安慰别人。你所安慰人的话是空洞的。你会像一个人开了一张巨额支票，银行里却没有储金来抵付这张支票。你没有实际，没有经历，也没有属灵的本钱。我们必须先为著主的权益受苦，而得主的安慰和鼓励。然后，这种经历要成为属灵的本钱，来安慰别人。这样，我们得了安慰，也能安慰别人。
7In verses 3 and 4 Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassions and God of all encouragement; Who encourages us in all our affliction, that we may be able to encourage those who are in every affliction through the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.” The Greek word rendered compassions also means mercies, pity, sympathy. Encouragement is slightly different from comfort and consolation and has the sense of being cheered. Such a title as the Father of compassions and God of all encouragement is ascribed here to God because this Epistle is one of comfort and encouragement, written by the apostle after he was comforted and encouraged by the repentance of the Corinthian believers. In verse 4 Paul says that we encourage those in affliction through the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. First we must experience the encouragement of God. Then we shall be able to encourage others with the encouragement we have experienced of God. Hence, we are encouraged so that we may be able to encourage others. This requires experience. When we are experienced, we have the spiritual capital necessary for encouraging others. If you have never suffered and have never been encouraged by God, you will not be able to encourage others. Your words of encouragement will be empty. You will be like someone writing a check for a large amount of money without having the funds in the bank to back up such a check. You do not have the reality, the experience, the spiritual capital. First we ourselves must suffer for the Lord’s interests and then be comforted and encouraged by God. Then this experience will become the spiritual capital to encourage others. In this way, we are encouraged and then we encourage others.
8哥林多前书是使徒的辩论，这辩论击败并征服受搅乱及迷惑的哥林多人；现今哥林多后书带他们回到对基督，就是他在前书所辩论之主题的经历，因此，后书比前书更重经历，更主观且更深入。在前书，主题是基督、那灵同我们的灵、召会以及恩赐。在后书，基督、那灵同我们的灵、以及召会，都有进一步的发展，但恩赐甚至没有题到。在后书，恩赐为职事所顶替，这职事是由对基督之丰富的经历，经过受苦、消耗的压力、以及十字架杀死的工作而构成、产生并形成的。哥林多后书描绘一个模型、榜样，给我们看见十字架的杀死如何作工，基督如何作到我们里面，以及我们如何成为基督的彰显。这些构成了基督的众执事，并产生为著神新约的职事。前书消极的对付恩赐，后书积极的说到职事。召会需要职事，远过于恩赐。职事供应所经历的基督；恩赐只教导关于基督的道理。使徒作基督执事的证据，不是恩赐，乃是由经历基督的苦难、患难，而产生并形成的职事。
8The first Epistle to the Corinthians was the apostle’s argument, an argument which defeated and subdued the Corinthians, who had been distracted and confused. Now the second Epistle brings them back into the experience of Christ, who was the subject of his argument in the first Epistle. Hence, the second Epistle is more experiential, more subjective, and deeper than the first. In the first, Christ, the Spirit with our spirit, the church, and the gifts are covered as the major subjects. In the second, Christ, the Spirit with our spirit, and the church are further developed, but the gifts are not even mentioned. They are replaced in this book by the ministry, which is constituted of, and produced and formed by, the experiences of the riches of Christ through sufferings, consuming pressures, and the killing work of the cross. The second Epistle gives us a pattern, an example, of how the killing of the cross works, how Christ is wrought into our being, and how we become the expression of Christ. These constitute the ministers of Christ and produce the ministry for God’s new covenant. The first Epistle deals negatively with the gifts; the second speaks positively about the ministry. The church needs the ministry much more than the gifts. The ministry is to minister Christ whom we have experienced; the gifts are just to teach the doctrines concerning Christ. The proof that the apostles are ministers of Christ does not consist in the gifts, but in the ministry produced and formed by the experience of the sufferings of Christ, His afflictions.
二 被压绝望
B. In Affliction Pressed Down unto the Despairing of Life
9在五节保罗说，『因为基督的苦难怎样满溢到我们身上，照样我们所受的安慰，也藉著基督而洋溢。』这里的苦难不是指为基督所受的苦难，乃是指基督自己的苦难，而为祂的门徒所分受的。（太二十22，腓三10，西一，彼前四13。）这里的『基督』（原文有指定冠词），不是名称，乃是基督情形的标示。（Darby，达秘。）在这里，这是指受苦的基督，祂照著神的旨意为祂的身体受患难。使徒有分于这样一位基督的苦难，并藉著这样一位基督得著安慰。根据林后一章六至七节所说，他们所受的患难和安慰，都是为著叫信徒得安慰。
9In verse 5 Paul says, “Because even as the sufferings of the Christ abound unto us, so through the Christ our encouragement also abounds.” Here the sufferings are not sufferings for Christ, but Christ’sown sufferings as shared by His disciples (Matt. 20:22; Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24; 1 Pet. 4:13). “The Christ” is a designation 24 of the condition of Christ, not a name (Darby). Here it refers to the suffering Christ, who suffered afflictions for His Body according to God’s will. The apostles participated in the sufferings of such a Christ, and through such a Christ they received encouragement. According to verses 6 and 7, their affliction and encouragement were all for the encouraging of the believers.
10八节说，『弟兄们，关于我们在亚西亚所遭遇的患难，我们不愿意你们不知道，就是我们被压太重，力不能胜，甚至连活命的指望都绝了。』这里的被压，意思是负重，受压，原文与五章四节之『负重』同。保罗写哥林多前书的时候，人在亚西亚。当时他和他的同工，都遭遇患难。他们所遭遇的逼迫和攻击过于沉重，以致被压太重，力不能胜。他们被压到一个地步，凭著自己天然的能力不能忍受，甚至连活命的指望都绝了。他们衡量当时的处境，连活命的指望都没有了。他们确信自己是必死的，一定会被逼迫他们的人杀害。在九节保罗继续说，『自己里面也断定是必死的，叫我们不信靠自己，只信靠那叫死人复活的神。』断定是必死的，直译，是死的答案，或，是死的反应。当使徒在患难的重压之下，甚至连活命的指望都绝了，他们也许问自己，他们受苦的结果是甚么？答案或反应乃是死。
10Verse 8 says, “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, as to our affliction which came to us in As i a, that we were excessively burdened, beyond our power, so that we despaired even of living.” The word burdened here, the same Greek word as in 5:4, means weighed down, pressed down. Paul was in Asia when he wrote 1 Corinthians. At the time, he and his co - workers were in affliction. The persecution and attack upon them was extremely heavy. They were heavily burdened, burdened beyond their power. They were burdened to such an extent that by their natural power they could not bear it. They even despaired of life. According to their estimate of the situation, they had no hope of living. They were sure that they would die, that they would be killed by the persecutors. In verse 9 Paul continues, “But we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not have confidence in ourselves, but in God, Who raises the dead.” Literally, the word sentence means answer, or response. When the apostles were under the pressure of affliction, despairing even of life, they may have asked themselves what the issue of their suffering would be. The answer, or response, was death.
11使徒受逼迫的时候，不知道结果会怎样。据他们自己估计，必死无疑。这是他们对自己的体认，而导致一个特殊、重大的决定，使他们不信靠自己。对他们来说，已经没有出路了。他们所信靠的乃是那叫死人复活的神。
11While they were being persecuted, the apostles wondered what the outcome would be. According to their estimation, they were dying. This was a self - insight which led to a particular vital decision. It caused them to have no confidence in themselves. As far as they were concerned, there was no way out. Their confidence was in God, who raises the dead.
12死的经历引我们进入复活的经历。复活就是那叫死人复活的神。十字架的工作了结我们的己，使我们在复活里经历神。十字架的经历总是带进对复活之神的享受。这样的经历产生并形成职事。（4～6。）这在四章七至十二节有进一步的描述。保罗在哥林多前书快结束时说到复活；现今在哥林多后书开头，他把信徒再带回到复活这件事上。我们将要看见，这与职事有关。职事不是我们作甚么的问题，乃是我们生活的问题。本卷书信所启示的职事和生活，都是出于复活的生命。
12The experience of death ushers us into the experience of resurrection. Resurrection is the very God who resurrects the dead. The working of the cross terminates the self that we may experience God in resurrection. The experience of the cross always issues in the enjoyment of the God of resurrection. Such experience produces and forms the ministry. This is further described in 4:7-12. Toward the end of 1 Corinthians Paul speaks of resurrection. Now at the beginning of 2 Corinthians, Paul brings the believers back to this matter of resurrection. As we shall see, this is related to ministry. Ministry is not a matter of our doing; it is a matter of our living. Both the ministry and the living revealed in this Epistle are of resurrection life
13在哥林多前书，保罗宣告复活这个事实。复活应当是我们每天的生活；复活应当成为我们的能力，使我们胜过罪和死，并活在七日的第一日里。如今在哥林多后书，保罗作见证，给我们看见使徒如何活在七日的第一日里。他们无法活在第七日，无法活在旧造里。这意思是说，他们不可能活在自己里面，他们不信靠自己。我们不信靠自己，意思是说，我们再也不能活在旧造里。因著使徒活在七日的第一日里，所以他们只信靠复活的神，就是叫死人复活的神；他们看自己如同已死。这指明保罗不仅写有关复活的事，他所活的就是复活。保罗在一章十节继续说，『祂曾救我们脱离那极大的死亡，并且仍要救我们，我们指望祂将来还要救我们。』『仍要救』指最近的将来，而『将来还要救』指长远的将来。这里保罗不是说，神要救他们脱离大患难，而是脱离『极大的死亡』。神乃是救他们脱离死亡的境遇。
13In 1 Corinthians Paul declares the fact of resurrection. Resurrection should be our daily life; it should be for us the power to overcome sin and death and live in the first day of the week. Now in 2 Corinthians Paul gives a testimony of how the apostles lived in the first day of the week. They had no way to live in the seventh day, no way to live in the old creation. This means that it was not possible for them to live in themselves. They had no confidence in themselves. To have no confidence in ourselves means that there is no longer any way for us to live in the old creation. Because the apostles were living in the first day of the week, their confidence was solely in the God of resurrection, the God who raises the dead. They regarded themselves as already dead. This indicates that Paul not only wrote about resurrection, but that he lived resurrection. In verse 10 Paul goes on to say, “Who has delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver; in Whom we have hoped that He will also yet deliver.” The words “will deliver” refer to the immediate future, whereas “will also yet deliver” refers to the future in a more general way. Here Paul does not say that God would deliver them from a great affliction, but out of “so great a death.” God delivered them from a death situation
14十一节说，『只要你们也为著我们以祈求配合帮助，好叫许多人因我们藉著许多人所得的恩赐，为我们献上感谢。』配合帮助，或，一同作工。本节的恩赐指所赐的恩典，（12，）就是复活的基督自己，祂是使徒在脱离死亡而复活的经历中，所享受的恩典。人，直译，脸面；含示藉欢乐的面容献上感谢。
14Verse 11 says, “You also helping together by petition on our behalf, that for the gift unto us through many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf.” The Greek words rendered “helping together” also mean working together. The gift in this verse refers to the grace given (v. 12), the grace that the apostles enjoyed in the experience of resurrection out of death. Literally, persons means faces, implying that thanks are given by those with cheerful countenances
15十一节的恩赐（单数）与哥林多前书的恩赐（复数）不同。这里的恩赐是神的恩典，而这恩典就是复活的生命，复活的基督。复活的基督赐给使徒作恩典，这叫使徒能享受脱离死亡而复活的经历。保罗给了我们一个在复活生命里生活的见证。使徒活在复活里。神把他们摆在特别的处境里，这种处境实际上就是死亡。人绝对无法从这种死亡的境遇中逃脱，也没有能力胜过死亡。只有复活的神，就是那位本身就是复活的神，能救他们。神进来救使徒脱离那种死亡的境遇，那样的拯救就是经历复活。神使他们从死亡中得以复活，并且他们经历了神就是复活。不仅如此，那也就是经历复活的基督作恩典，这恩典就是神赐给他们的恩赐。
15The gift in verse 11 is very different from the gifts in 1 Corinthians. The gift is the grace of God, and this grace is resurrection life, the resurrected Christ. The resurrected Christ was given to the apostles as grace. This enabled the apostles to enjoy the experience of resurrection out of death. Paul gives us a testimony of living in resurrection life. The apostles were living in resurrection. God had put them into a particular situation, a situation that was actually death. There was no way for a human being to escape out of such a situation of death or to have the power to overcome it. Only the God of resurrection, the God who is Himself resurrection, could deliver them. He came in to deliver the apostles out of that death situation. That deliverance was an experience of resurrection. God resurrected them out of death, and their experience was an experience of God as resurrection. Furthermore, it was an experience of the resurrected Christ as grace, the gift given to them by God.
16在这几节圣经里，保罗告诉哥林多人，使徒怎样受了安慰，因而能安慰别人。接著他又说到他对复活的基督以及复活之神的经历。因著保罗和他的同工们经历了这样的恩典，他们就有所需要的属灵本钱，能安慰别人。这种经历把他们构成新约的执事，也就是恩典的执事。因此，哥林多后书给我们看见的不是恩赐，乃是职事。不仅如此，职事实际上乃在于藉著受苦的经历，由恩典所构成。
16In these verses Paul tells the Corinthians how the apostles were encouraged and thus were qualified to encourage others. He then goes on to speak of his experience of the resurrected Christ and of the God of resurrection. Because Paul and his co-workers experienced such a grace, they had the spiritual capacity necessary to encourage others. This kind of experience constituted them ministers of the new covenant, ministers of grace. Therefore, what we have in 2 Corinthians is not gift but ministry. Furthermore, ministry is actually a matter of being constituted of grace through experiences of suffering