提要
保羅繼續回顧他的使徒「資格」。「出於不得已,我必須自誇」(1節,新國際標準版聖經),他說,「我自誇固然無益,但現在我要用一些特別的異象和啟示證明我的屬靈『資格』。」然後,可能由於謙虛,保羅改用第三人稱來敘述他親身的經歷──「或在身內,或在身外,我不知道」──他被「提到第三層天上去」(2節)。他並且確認那「第三層天」就是天堂樂園(4節)。在那裡,他聽見「隱秘的言語,是人不可說的」。這樣的經驗肯定足以使任何人,不論他多麼虛懷若谷,認為自己相當特別。那也就是為什麼保羅繼續告訴我們:「恐怕我因所得的啟示甚大,就過於自高,所以有一根刺加在我肉體上,就是撒但的差役要攻擊我」(7節)。保羅並沒有告訴我們那根「刺」究竟是什麼,但那一定夠他難受的,以致他三次求主醫治,但並未被應允。
你一定認為,有這麼不平凡的屬靈經歷的人,他的禱告一定會特別蒙垂聽,他一定有很大的信心,能使任何痛苦逃離。但保羅並非如此。而重點即在此。
保羅誇的是自己的軟弱。他和你、我一樣,在肉體和心靈上,我們都有一種想要獨立的欲望。但上帝卻要祂的孩子仍保有孩子的樣式──是會成長的孩子,但仍是倚靠祂的孩子。
我們倚賴祂的恩典,倚賴祂的旨意,倚賴祂的愛,壓力就消除了。充足的能力是來自上帝,而不是我們自己。
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Overview
Paul continues reviewing his credentials. "I must go on boasting" says the NIV (v.l). "There is not a lot to be gained by this", Paul says, "but now I'll talk about some of the spiritual credentials I have in terms of visions and revelations." Then, for no apparent reason (perhaps modesty?) he switches into the third person to tell of an experience he had — "in the body or out of the body I do not know" — where he was "caught up to the third heaven" (v.2). He goes on to identify this "third heaven" with "paradise" (v.4). There, he "heard inexpressible things, things that a man is not permitted to tell" (v.4). You can be sure this experience was enough to make anyone, regardless of any developed humility, think he was rather special. That is why Paul goes on to say, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me" (v.7). He does not say what the "thorn" was, but it was enough of an aggravation that he prayed three times for healing, with no success.
You would expect a man who has had such remarkable spiritual experience to be specially favoured when it came to prayer. You would think he had the kind of faith that would make any affliction flee. But he didn't. And that's the point.
Paul is boasting of his weakness. He is just like you and me. We all share a desire to be independent, physically and spiritually. But God makes sure His children stay children. Growing children, yes, but children none-the-less. We are dependent.
Dependent on His grace. Dependent on His will. Dependent on His love. When you get right down to it, that takes the pressure off. The sufficiency is not ours. It's His.
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Prayer
Lord ]esus, we are totally dependent on You. We pray that You will grant our requests, but help us to know, as Paul did, that sometimes You say, "No". You have Your own good reasons and we, Your dependents, trust Your judgment. Give us grace to give thanks in all things. |