哥林多后书 10
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
保罗论自己的职分
10 你们以为我在你们中间的时候很温和，不在你们中间的时候却很严厉。如今，我保罗以基督的谦卑和温柔亲自劝你们： 2 我去的时候，请不要逼我这样严厉地对待你们，我的严厉是用来对付那些说我凭血气行事的人。 3 因为我虽然活在血肉之躯里，但在属灵的争战上，却不是凭血气之勇。 4 我们争战的兵器不是属血气的，乃是从上帝而来的能力，可以摧毁坚固的营垒， 5 击破一切的谬论和阻碍人们认识上帝的骄傲言论，夺回被掳去的心思意念，使其顺服基督。 6 等你们完全顺服主后，我们就要惩罚那些叛逆的人。
7 你们只会看事情的表面。如果有人相信自己属于基督，他就应该再想一想，我们跟他一样也是属于基督的。 8 因为主赐给我们权柄是为了造就你们，不是为了毁坏你们，就算我为这权柄稍微夸口，也不会感到羞愧。 9 我不想你们认为我写信是要威吓你们。 10 因为有人说：“他信中的话有分量，很严厉，他本人却软弱无能，言语粗俗。” 11 说这话的人要留心：我们不在你们那里的时候，在信上怎么说，与你们见面时也会怎么做。
12 我们不敢和那些自我推荐的人相提并论！他们以自己的尺度衡量自己，自我比较，实在不明智！ 13 但我们并非漫无边际地夸口，而是在上帝为我们定下的范围之内夸口，你们也包括在这范围之内。 14 其实把你们包括在我们夸口的范围之内一点都不过分，因为我们曾把基督的福音传到你们那里。 15 我们没有超出范围拿别人辛劳的成果夸口，只盼望随着你们信心的增长，我们的范围也得到极大的扩展， 16 使我们可以把福音传到你们以外的地方，而不是在别人的工作范围内拿别人的成就夸口。 17 “要夸耀，就当夸耀主的作为。” 18 因为，蒙悦纳的是主所称许的人，而不是自我称许的人。
2 Corinthians 10
New Catholic Bible
Paul’s Self-Defense[a]
Chapter 10
Recommendation from Human Beings or from God?[b] 1 I myself, Paul, exhort you by the gentleness and the mercy of Christ, I who am “timid” when I am face to face with you, but “bold” when I am at a distance! 2 I beg you that when I am in your presence I will not have to act with boldness and the self-assurance that I consider necessary when I oppose some of those who accuse us of acting according to human standards.[c]
3 [d]Although we are human beings, we do not engage in battle according to human standards. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they possess the divine power to destroy strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every proud pretension against the knowledge of God, and we compel every thought to surrender in obedience to Christ. 6 What is more, once your obedience is complete, we are prepared to punish every disobedience.
7 [e]Face the facts squarely. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on the fact that we belong to Christ as much as he does. 8 It is possible that I tend to boast a bit too much about our authority, which the Lord has entrusted to us for building you up rather than for tearing you down, but I will not apologize for doing so.
9 Therefore, I do not want to seem to be someone who frightens you with my letters. 10 Some may assert, “His letters are impressive and forceful, but his personal appearance is insignificant, and he cannot speak well.” 11 Let them understand that what we are in our letters when we are absent will be the same as what we are in our deeds when we are present.
12 We do not dare to rank ourselves or to compare ourselves with any of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they only demonstrate their ignorance. 13 In contrast, we will not boast beyond the proper limits. Rather, we will measure ourselves according to the standard that God laid down for us, which enabled us to reach out all the way to you.
14 We are not overreaching ourselves as we would be if we had not come to you; indeed, we came to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 Neither are we boasting immoderately of the labors of others. Our hope is rather that, as your faith increases, our influence among you will be greater than ever, 16 so that we may preach the gospel to regions beyond you, rather than boasting about work already done in someone else’s region.
17 If anyone would boast, let him boast in the Lord.[f] 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is really approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 10:1 All at once, the tone of the Letter changes. The text becomes harsh and unyielding. It indicates that some missionaries have slipped into the Corinthian community, probably Jewish Christian in origin, who wish to take over this new Church. Their human and religious pretensions go beyond all measure. They strive to discredit Paul, and many Christians lend a complacent ear to their calumnies and caricatures. Paul rebukes both his attackers and those who failed to defend him, for the Christian life itself is at stake and the authenticity of the Gospel of Jesus is threatened. The Letter is no longer a paternal address to children but a strong indictment.
Some exegetes think that these chapters were part of a stern Letter mentioned earlier (2 Cor 2:3); if so, the text predates the rest of the present Letter. - 2 Corinthians 10:1 In order to be accepted and applauded, the false apostles seek their human prestige. They have nothing more than that, for they usurp the work of others. In contrast, Paul and his coworkers are missionaries of the Gospel in the midst of Gentiles and it was they who founded the community of Corinth—that is their recommendation. The work of God has become a reality through their efforts.
- 2 Corinthians 10:2 Human standards: literally, “according to the flesh.”
- 2 Corinthians 10:3 Paul is ready to wage war, but his weapons are not those prized by this world and forged by human pride and arrogance. They have “the divine power” (e.g., the Word of God and the Spirit) and can demolish arguments and every pretension put forth against “the knowledge of God” (see Rom 1:18-23). Among the latter are the reasonings by which the false apostles strive to shake the faith of the Corinthian Christians (see 1 Cor 2:13f).
- 2 Corinthians 10:7 Paul makes use of Jeremiah’s description of the purpose of the prophetic power given him by God (see Jer 1:9-10; 12:16f; 24:6). The Apostle’s intention is to build up, not to tear down.
- 2 Corinthians 10:17 Let him boast in the Lord: boasting is not wrong when it is done “in the Lord.” Paul boasts of God’s work accomplished through him in the community (2 Cor 10:13-16; see 2 Cor 1:12-14). This is his recommendation (2 Cor 3:1-3). See note on 1 Cor 1:29-31.
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