格林多后书 2 Corinthians Chapter 12
2 Corinthians
Chapter 12

1 I 1 must boast; not that it is profitable, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

若必须夸耀──固然无益──我就来说说主的显现和启示。

2 I know someone in Christ who, fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows), was caught up to the third heaven.

我知道有一个在基督内的人,十四年前,被提到三层天上去──或在身内,我不知道,或在身外,我也不知道,惟天主知道──

3 And I know that this person (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows)

我知道这人──或在身内,或在身外,我不知道──天主知道──

4 was caught up into Paradise and heard ineffable things, which no one may utter.

他被提到乐园里去,听到了不可言传的话,是人不能说出的。

5 About this person 2 I will boast, but about myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.

对这样的人,我要夸耀;但为我自己,除了我的软弱外,我没有可夸耀的。

6 Although if I should wish to boast, I would not be foolish, for I would be telling the truth. But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me

其实,即使我愿意夸耀,我也不算是狂妄,因为我说的是实话;但是我绝口不谈,免得有人估计我,超过了他在我身上所见到的,或由我所听到的。

7 because of the abundance of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, 3 a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.

免得我因那高超的启示而过于高举自己,故此在身体上给了我一根刺,就是撒殚的使者来拳击我,免得我过于高举自己。

8 Three times 4 I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me,

关于这事,我曾三次求主使它脱离我;

9 5 but he said to me, 6 "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.

但主对我说:"有我的恩宠为你够了,因为我的德能在软弱中才全显出来。"所以我甘心情愿夸耀我的软弱,好叫基督的德能常在我身上。

10 Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 7

为此,我为基督的缘故,喜欢在软弱中,在凌辱中,在艰难中,在迫害中,在困苦中,因为我几时软弱,正是我有能力的时候。

11 8 I have been foolish. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I am in no way inferior to these "superapostles," even though I am nothing.

我成了狂妄的人,那是你们逼我的。本来我该受你们的褒扬,因为纵然我不算什么,却一点也不在那些超等的宗徒以下。

12 9 The signs of an apostle were performed among you with all endurance, signs and wonders, and mighty deeds.

宗徒的记号,也在你们中间,以各种的坚忍,借着征兆、奇迹和异能,真正实现了;

13 10 In what way were you less privileged than the rest of the churches, except that on my part I did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

其实,除了我本人没有连累过你们这件事外,你们有什么不及别的教会之处呢?关于这个委屈,你们宽恕我罢!

14 Now I am ready to come to you this third time. And I will not be a burden, for I want not what is yours, but you. Children ought not to save for their parents, but parents for their children.

看,这已是第三次我预备好,到你们那里去,我还是不连累你们,因为我所求的不是你们的东西,而你们自己;原来不是儿女应为父母积蓄,而是父母该为儿女积蓄。

15 I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your sakes. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

至于我,我甘心情愿为你们的灵魂付出一切,并将我自己也完全耗尽;难道我越多爱你们,就该少得你们的爱吗?

16 But granted that I myself did not burden you, yet I was crafty and got the better of you by deceit.

是啊!我没有连累过你们,但我是出于狡猾,以诡诈榨取了你们。

17 Did I take advantage of you through any of those I sent to you?

在我所打发到你们那里去的人中,难道我曾借着其中的一位,占过你们的便宜吗?

18 I urged Titus to go and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? And in the same steps?

我曾请求了弟铎,并打发了一位弟兄同去;难道弟铎占过你们的便宜吗?我们行动来往,不是具有一样的心神,一样的步伐吗?

19 11 12 Have you been thinking all along that we are defending ourselves before you? In the sight of God we are speaking in Christ, and all for building you up, beloved.

到如今你们以为我是向你们申辩罢!其实,我们是在基督内当着天主的面说话;这一切,亲爱的,都是为建树你们,

20 For I fear that 13 when I come I may find you not such as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; that there may be rivalry, jealousy, fury, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.

因为我怕我来到的时候,见你们不合于我所想望的,你们也见我不合于你们所想望的:就是怕有争端、嫉妒、愤怒、分裂、毁谤、挑唆、自大、纷乱;

21 I fear that when I come again 14 my God may humiliate me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, immorality, and licentiousness they practiced.

又怕我到的时候,我的天主再使我在你们前受委屈,并为那许多从前犯了罪而不悔改他们所习行的不洁、淫乱和放荡的人而恸哭。



Footnotes(注解)

1 [1-4] In the body or out of the body: he seemed no longer confined to bodily conditions, but he does not claim to understand the mechanics of the experience. Caught up: i.e., in ecstasy. The third heaven . . . Paradise: ancient cosmologies depicted a multitiered universe. Jewish intertestamental literature contains much speculation about the number of heavens. Seven is the number usually mentioned, but the Testament of Levi (2:7-10; 3:1-4) speaks of three; God himself dwelt in the third of these. Without giving us any clear picture of the cosmos, Paul indicates a mental journey to a nonearthly space, set apart by God, in which secrets were revealed to him. Ineffable things: i.e., privileged knowledge, which it was not possible or permitted to divulge.

2 [5-7] This person: the indirect way of referring to himself has the effect of emphasizing the distance between that experience and his everyday life, just as the indirect someone in Christ (2 Cor 12:2) and all the passive verbs emphasize his passivity and receptivity in the experience. The revelations were not a personal achievement, nor were they meant to draw attention to any quality of his own.

3 [7] That I might not become too elated: God assures that there is a negative component to his experience, so that he cannot lose proper perspective; cf 2 Cor 1:9; 4:7-11. A thorn in the flesh: variously interpreted as a sickness or physical disability, a temptation, or a handicap connected with his apostolic activity. But since Hebrew "thorn in the flesh," like English "thorn in my side," refers to persons (cf Numbers 33:55; Ezekiel 28:24), Paul may be referring to some especially persistent and obnoxious opponent. The language of 2 Cor 12:7-8 permits this interpretation. If this is correct, the frequent appearance of singular pronouns in depicting the opposition may not be merely a stylistic variation; the singular may be provoked and accompanied by the image of one individual in whom criticism of Paul's preaching, way of life, and apostolic consciousness is concentrated, and who embodies all the qualities Paul attributes to the group. An angel of Satan: a personal messenger from Satan; cf the satanic language already applied to the opponents in 2 Cor 11:3, 13-15, 20.

4 [8] Three times: his prayer was insistent, like that of Jesus in Gethsemane, a sign of how intolerable he felt the thorn to be.

5 [9b-10a] Paul draws the conclusion from the autobiographical anecdote and integrates it into the subject of this part of the boast. Weaknesses: the apostolic hardships he must endure, including active personal hostility, as specified in a final catalogue (2 Cor 12:10a). That the power of Christ may dwell with me: Paul pinpoints the ground for the paradoxical strategy he has adopted in his self-defense.

6 [9] But he said to me: Paul's petition is denied; release and healing are withheld for a higher purpose. The Greek perfect tense indicates that Jesus' earlier response still holds at the time of writing. My grace is sufficient for you: this is not a statement about the sufficiency of grace in general. Jesus speaks directly to Paul's situation. Is made perfect: i.e., is given most fully and manifests itself fully.

7 [10] When I am weak, then I am strong: Paul recognizes a twofold pattern in the resolution of the weakness-power (and death-life) dialectic, each of which looks to Jesus as the model and is experienced in him. The first is personal, involving a reversal in oneself (Jesus, 2 Cor 13:4a; Paul, 2 Cor 1:9-10; 4:10-11; 6:9). The second is apostolic, involving an effect on others (Jesus, 2 Cor 5:14-15; Paul, 2 Cor 1:6; 4:12; 13:9). The specific kind of "effectiveness in ministry" that Paul promises to demonstrate on his arrival (2 Cor 13:4b; cf 2 Cor 10:1-11) involves elements of both; this, too, will be modeled on Jesus' experience and a participation in that experience (2 Cor 9; 13:3b), .

8 [11-18] This brief section forms an epilogue or concluding observation to Paul's boast, corresponding to the prologue in 2 Cor 11:1-15. A four-step sequence of ideas is common to these two sections: Paul qualifies his boast as folly (2 Cor 11:1; 12:11a), asserts his noninferiority to the "superapostles" (2 Cor 11:5; 12:11b), exemplifies this by allusion to charismatic endowments (2 Cor 11:6; 12:12), and finally denies that he has been a financial burden to the community (2 Cor 11:7-12; 12:13-18).

9 [12] Despite weakness and affliction (suggested by the mention of endurance), his ministry has been accompanied by demonstrations of power (cf 1 Cor 2:3-4). Signs of an apostle: visible proof of belonging to Christ and of mediating Christ's power, which the opponents require as touchstones of apostleship (2 Cor 12:11; cf 2 Cor 13:3).

10 [13-18] Paul insists on his intention to continue refusing support from the community (cf 2 Cor 11:8-12). In defending his practice and his motivation, he once more protests his love (cf 2 Cor 11:11) and rejects the suggestion of secret self-enrichment. He has recourse here again to language applied to his opponents earlier: "cunning" (2 Cor 11:3), "deceit" (2 Cor 11:13), "got the better of you" (see the note on 2 Cor 11:20), "take advantage" (2 Cor 2:11).

11 [12:19-13:10] This concludes the development begun in 2 Cor 10. In the chiastic arrangement of the material (see the note on 2 Cor 10:1-13:10), this final part corresponds to the opening; there are important similarities of content between the two sections as well.

12 [19] This verse looks back at the previous chapters and calls them by their proper name, a defense, an apologia (cf 1 Cor 9:3). Yet Paul insists on an important distinction: he has indeed been speaking for their benefit, but the ultimate judgment to which he submits is God's (cf 1 Cor 4:3-5). This verse also leads into the final section, announcing two of its themes: judgment and building up.

13 [20] I fear that . . . : earlier Paul expressed fear that the Corinthians were being victimized, exploited, seduced from right thinking by his opponents (2 Cor 11:3-4, 19-21). Here he alludes unexpectedly to moral disorders among the Corinthians themselves. The catalogue suggests the effects of factions that have grown up around rival apostles.

14 [21] Again: one can also translate, "I fear that when I come my God may again humiliate me." Paul's allusion to the humiliation and mourning that may await him recall the mood he described in 2 Cor 2:1-4, but there is no reference here to any individual such as there is in 2 Cor 2:5-11. The crisis of 2 Cor 2 has happily been resolved by integration of the offender and repentance (2 Cor 7:4-16), whereas 2 Cor 12:21 is preoccupied with still unrepentant sinners. The sexual sins recall 1 Cor 5-7.