保罗与假使徒

11 请你们多包涵,听我说几句愚妄话吧!我知道你们一定会包容我。 我要求你们忠贞不渝,正如上帝要求祂的子民忠贞不渝一样。因为我曾把你们当作贞洁的少女许配给一位丈夫——基督。 但我真怕你们会像被狡猾的蛇欺骗的夏娃一样,思想受迷惑,失去了对基督纯真专一的心。 有人来传另一位耶稣——与我们所传的不同,或要你们接受另一个灵——与你们所接受的不同,或要你们相信另一种福音——与你们所相信的不同,你们竟欣然容忍。 我想,我一点也不比那些“超级使徒”差。 我虽然不善辞令,但我认识真理。这一点,我在各样的事上已经向你们证明了。

我为了把福音白白地传给你们,甘愿卑微,以擢升你们,我这样做有罪吗? 我“抢夺”其他教会,拿了他们的资助,来服侍你们。 我在你们那里经济拮据的时候,没有拖累过你们任何人,因为马其顿来的弟兄姊妹补足了我的缺乏。我没有在任何方面成为你们的负担,将来也不会成为你们的负担。 10 我凭我心中基督的真理说,亚该亚地区无人会阻止我这样夸口。 11 为什么呢?难道我不爱你们吗?上帝知道我爱你们!

12 我现在所做的,将来还会继续做下去,为了要断绝那些投机分子的机会,使他们无法吹嘘自己的职分与我们一样。 13 其实这些人是假使徒,为人诡诈,冒充基督的使徒。 14 这不足为奇,因为连撒旦都装成光明的天使, 15 它的爪牙若冒充公义的仆人,又何足为奇呢?他们最终必得到应得的报应。

保罗的诸多苦难

16 我再说,谁也别把我当作傻瓜。如果你们真的当我是傻瓜,就把我当傻瓜看待吧!好让我也能说几句自夸的话。 17 我这样说,并不是主的意思,而是像一个傻瓜一样夸口。 18 既然许多人凭血气夸口,我当然也可以夸口。 19 因为你们这些聪明人竟然甘愿忍受那些傻瓜, 20 就算有人奴役、剥削、利用、侮辱你们,打你们耳光,你们都能逆来顺受! 21 惭愧得很,我必须说,我们太软弱了,做不出那样的事!

然而,别人敢夸口的,让我再讲一句傻话,我也敢。 22 他们是希伯来人,我也是。他们是以色列人,我也是。他们是亚伯拉罕的子孙,我也是。 23 他们自称是基督的仆人,我说句狂话,我更是!我比他们更辛苦,坐牢更多,身受更重的鞭打,经常出生入死。 24 我被犹太同胞鞭打了五次,每次三十九鞭[a] 25 被罗马人用棍打了三次,被人用石头打了一次,遇到船难三次,曾在大海上漂浮了一天一夜。 26 我常常四处奔波,遭遇江河的危险、盗贼的威胁、同胞的威胁、外族的威胁,城中的危险,旷野的危险,海上的危险和假信徒的威胁。 27 我劳碌困苦,不得安眠,又饥又渴,挨饿受冻,赤身露体。 28 此外,我还挂虑众教会的事,天天承受着压力。 29 有谁软弱,我不感同身受呢?有谁失足犯罪,我不心急如焚呢?

30 如果一定要夸耀,我情愿夸耀自己的软弱。 31 主耶稣的父——永受称颂的上帝知道我不撒谎。 32 在大马士革的时候,亚哩达王手下的总督吩咐人把守城门,要逮捕我。 33 我只好藏在筐子里,被人从城墙上的窗户缒下去,才逃出了他的魔掌。

Footnotes

  1. 11:24 三十九鞭”希腊文是“四十鞭减一鞭”。

11 I would that ye would suffer a little thing of mine unwisdom, but also support ye me.[a]

For I love you by the love of God; for I have espoused [spoused] you to one husband, to yield a chaste virgin to Christ [to give you, a chaste virgin, to one man, Christ].

But I dread, lest as the serpent deceived Eve with his subtle fraud, so your wits be corrupted, and fallen down from the simpleness that is in Christ.

For if he that cometh, preacheth another Christ, whom we preached not, or if ye take another spirit, whom ye took not [whom ye received not], or another gospel, which ye received not, rightly ye should suffer.

For I ween that I have done nothing less than the great apostles.

For though I be unlearned in word, but not in knowing. For in all things I am open to you. [For why though I be unlearned in sermon, or word, but not in science, or knowing. Forsooth in all things I am showed, or made known, to you.]

Or whether I have done sin, meeking myself [meeking, or making low, myself], that ye be enhanced, for freely I preached to you the gospel of God?

I made naked other churches, and I took wages to your service. [I spoiled, or made naked, or took gifts, of other churches, taking wages to your service.]

And when I was among you, and had need [And when I was with you, and needed], I was chargeous to no man; for brethren that came from Macedonia, fulfilled that that failed to me [supplied, or fulfilled, that that failed to me]. And in all things I have kept [me], and shall keep me without charge to you.

10 The truth of Christ is in me; for this glory shall not be broken in me in the countries of Achaia [in the regions, or countries, of Achaia].

11 Why? for I love not you? God knoweth.

12 For that that I do, and that I shall do, is that I cut away the occasion of them that will occasion, that in the thing, in which they glory, they be found [such] as we.

13 For such false apostles be treacherous workmen, and transfigure them(selves) into apostles of Christ.[b]

14 And no wonder, for Satan himself transfigureth him(self) into an angel of light. [And no wonder; soothly he Satan transfigured him into an angel of light.]

15 Therefore it is not great, if his ministers be transfigured as the ministers of rightwiseness, whose end shall be after their works.

16 Again I say, lest any man guess me to be unwise [lest any man deem me unwise]; else take ye me as unwise, that also I have glory a little what.

17 That that I speak, I speak not after God, but as in unwisdom [but as to unwisdom], in this substance of glory.

18 For many men glory after the flesh, and I shall glory.

19 For ye suffer gladly unwise men, when ye yourselves be wise.

20 For ye suffer, if any man driveth you into servage [if any man drive you into servage], if any man devoureth, if any man taketh, if any man is enhanced [by pride], if any man smiteth you on the face.

21 By unnobleness I say, as if we were frail in this part[c]. In what thing any man dare, in unwisdom I say, and I dare.

22 They be Hebrews, and I; they be Israelites, and I; they be the seed of Abraham, and I;

23 they be the ministers of Christ, and I. As less wise I say, I more; in full many travails, in prisons more plenteously, in wounds above manner [in wounds above manner, or over measure], in deaths oft times.

24 I received of the Jews five times forty strokes one less;

25 thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I was at ship-break, a night and a day I was in the deepness of the sea;

26 in ways oft, in perils of rivers [in perils of floods], in perils of thieves, in perils of kin, in perils of heathen men, in perils in [the] city, in perils in desert, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren,

27 in travail and neediness, in many wakings, in hunger, in thirst [in travail and neediness, either mis-ease, in many wakings, in hunger and thirst], in many fastings, in cold and nakedness.

28 Without those things that be withoutforth, mine each day's travailing is the busyness of all churches. [Without those things that be withoutforth; mine each day's waking, or studying, the busyness of all churches.]

29 Who is frail, and I am not frail? who is caused to stumble, and I am not burnt? [Who is sick, and I am not sick? who is offended, and I am not burnt?]

30 If it behooveth to glory, I shall glory in those things that be of mine infirmity [that be of my infirmity, or frailty].

31 [For] God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is blessed into worlds, knoweth that I lie not [knoweth, that I gab not, or lie not].

32 The provost of Damascus, of the king of the folk of Aretas [The provost, or keeper, of Damascus, of the king of the folk Arteas], kept the city of Damascenes to take me;

33 and by a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and so I escaped his hands.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:1 I would that ye would sustain a little thing of mine unwisdom, but also support ye me, or bear up me/or bear me up.
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:13 For why such apostles be treacherous, or guileful, workmen, transfiguring them into apostles of Christ.
  3. 2 Corinthians 11:21 After unnobility, I say, as if we were sick in this part