捐助的动机

关于服事[a]圣徒的事,其实我不必给你们写什么, 因为我知道你们的乐意之心。为此,我向马其顿人夸耀你们,说:“亚该亚人从去年就已经准备好了。”你们的热心激励了他们中的大多数人。 不过我派这些弟兄去,是为了我们在这方面对你们的夸耀不至于落空,好让你们能照着我所说的准备好; 免得万一有些马其顿人和我一起来,发现你们并没有预备好,我们就会因着对你们的确信而蒙羞,更不用说你们了。 所以,我认为必须鼓励这些弟兄先到你们那里去,把你们已经许诺的惠赠[b]提前安排好,这样就表明你们所预备好的就是惠赠[c],而不是被强取的。

又有这话:播撒吝啬的人,也收获吝啬;播撒祝福的人,也收获祝福。 每个人要照着心里预先定好的,不要为难,也不要勉强,因为神喜爱那乐意给与的人。 神能使一切的恩典丰丰富富地临到你们,使你们总是在一切事上都能知足,在一切美善的工作上充实满溢。 正如经上所记:

“他施舍,赐予穷人;
他的义行永远常存。”[d]

10 供应种子给撒种的,又供应粮食给人吃的那一位,将要供给并增加你们的种子,而且增多你们义行的果子, 11 使你们在一切事上都得以富足,以致十分慷慨,就藉着我们生出对神的感谢之心。 12 因为这服事的工作[e],不仅补足了圣徒们的缺乏,并且能藉着对神的许多感谢而充实满溢。 13 他们藉着这次服事[f]的凭证,因你们顺服了那为基督福音所做的告白,也因你们给他们和众人的慷慨分享[g],他们就会荣耀神; 14 并且他们因着神赐给你们这无限的恩典,就切切地想念你们,为你们祈祷。 15 感谢神,因他有无法描述的恩赐[h]

Footnotes

  1. 哥林多后书 9:1 服事——或译作“供应”。
  2. 哥林多后书 9:5 惠赠——原文直译“祝福”。
  3. 哥林多后书 9:5 惠赠——原文直译“祝福”。
  4. 哥林多后书 9:9 《诗篇》112:9。
  5. 哥林多后书 9:12 服事的工作——或译作“供应的事”。
  6. 哥林多后书 9:13 服事——或译作“供应”。
  7. 哥林多后书 9:13 分享——或译作“捐献”。
  8. 哥林多后书 9:15 恩赐——指“藉着他的独生子所施行的救恩”。

For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:

Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.