【林后12:19下】…我们本是在基督里当神面前说话。亲爱的弟兄啊，一切的事都是为造就你们。”【2 Cor12:19b】…We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.

保罗的哥林多书信，深触我心，一颗火热、爱主爱弟兄的灵魂跃然纸上：基督忌邪的烈火在他心中燃烧，一副慈母严父的心肠，不住的温柔劝勉、也严厉责备。Paul’s letters to the Corinthians deeply move my heart. On every page shines a soul aflame with love for the Lord and for the brethren. The jealous fire of Christ burned within him. With the heart of both a gentle mother and a firm father, he spoke with unceasing tenderness and exhortation, yet also with stern rebuke. 为救陷在罪中的弟兄，忧愁焦急，痛心疾首、肝胆欲裂，流泪祈求。For the sake of his brothers who had fallen into sin, he was filled with sorrow and anguish, torn within, pouring out prayers with tears. 保罗以基督为榜样，好牧人为羊舍命…为救自己弟兄，宁愿自己被挂在十字架上受咒诅，也心甘情愿…Paul followed Christ as his example—the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. For the salvation of his own brethren, he was even willing, if it were possible, to be accursed upon the cross, and he would accept it gladly.

保罗本不愿意把自己暗中在主里所做的、所思所想告诉人。他知道自己也有人性的软弱，若不在主里，很容易陷入自夸。Paul was not willing to boast of the hidden things he had done, or of the thoughts and meditations he had in the Lord. He knew that he too shared in human weakness, and that apart from the Lord he could easily fall into pride. 耶稣说：“人凭自己说，是求自己的荣耀；惟有求那差他来者的荣耀，这人是在真理的，是义的。”For Jesus said, “Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” (John 7:18)因此保罗凡事以基督的心为心，反复祷告，被圣灵鉴察更新，以求自己动机纯正，能凭着无愧的良心、无伪的信心、清洁的爱心来服事。Therefore Paul sought in all things to have the mind of Christ. He prayed continually, that by the searching and renewing work of the Holy Spirit, his motives might be made pure; that he might serve with a clear conscience, with sincere faith, and with love undefiled.

因此，保罗能拿着使徒的权柄，站立在神面前。他写信、说话，都是照基督的指示，为了救信徒脱离罪，被重新建立。他说这些话语，不是为自己辩解，而是堵住仇敌和糊涂人的口，不给魔鬼机会。Thus Paul was able to stand before God with the authority of an apostle. When he wrote letters or spoke, it was under Christ’s direction, for the sake of saving believers from sin and building them up again. He did not speak these words to defend himself, but to silence the mouths of the enemy and of the foolish, giving no opportunity to the devil. 作为使徒，他深知他肩上的重担，他定意要为所托付的灵魂交账，所以竭力用诸般智慧，劝戒、教导，使人完完全全归向基督，走上成圣的道路。即便面对误解、抵挡，敌对，他也不后退妥协。As an apostle, he knew well the great burden laid upon his shoulders. He was resolved to give account for the souls entrusted to him, and therefore he laboured with all wisdom to admonish and to teach, so that everyone might be presented fully to Christ, walking the path of holiness. Even in the face of misunderstanding, opposition, and hostility, he did not shrink back nor compromise. 在不住的操练饶恕和爱仇敌过程中，他越来越体会基督的心肠，与主一同受苦，效法基督的死，不断地丧掉自己，不断丢弃人眼中看为的成功和尊贵，让基督在他里面显大。保罗只愿在审判台前得到基督的奖赏。In the continual practice of forgiving and loving his enemies, he grew ever deeper in his experience of the heart of Christ, sharing in the sufferings of the Lord, conforming to His death, dying daily to self, and casting away the worldly honour and success that men esteem, that Christ might be exalted in him. Paul desired only to receive the reward from Christ at His judgment seat.

主啊，对比保罗，我就看见自己的差距有多大，就有动力不停向标杆奔跑。感谢你在我身边，也赐下可见的属灵榜样，提醒我谦卑，让自己头脑时刻保持清醒，有属灵的自知自明，不自以为是。Lord, when I look at Paul, I see how far I fall short. Yet this gives me strength to press on toward the goal. Thank You for being with me, and for giving visible spiritual examples around me, reminding me to walk in humility, to keep a clear mind, and to have true spiritual self-awareness, not thinking of myself more highly than I ought. 主啊，求你给我加力量，在环境里更殷勤祷告。求你鉴察我，我的心，我的动机我常常不知道，不要让我陷进我旧人的邪情私欲里去。愿我的心与你心合一，效法保罗，效法我周围的任何肢体，如同他们效法基督。Lord, grant me strength to pray more earnestly in every circumstance. Search me, O God—my heart, my motives, which I often do not even know myself. Do not let me fall into the sinful desires of my old nature. May my heart be one with Yours, that I may follow Paul, and follow the brothers and sisters around me, even as they follow Christ. 愿我的标杆跟保罗一样：不再是我，我的成功，我的面子、乃是基督在我里面活，在我里面说话，行事，为人。因此一切事都互相效力，成为荣耀神、造就自己、也造就他人的事。May my goal be as Paul’s: no longer I, nor my success, nor my honour, but Christ living in me—speaking, acting, and walking through me. And so may all things work together for good, to the glory of God, for my own edification, and for the building up of others.

（陈弟兄 Raymond Chan）