肉体上的一根刺
使徒保罗对神非常忠心，然而他却“有一根刺 … 在〔他〕的肉体上” － 可能是一种令他甚为烦恼的疾病，他称之为“撒但的差役要攻击”他。我们不清楚这根刺是什么，但它却令保罗感到比所期待的自己更软弱。
刺能刺痛、撕破、和刺伤人。然而，保罗这个例子指出，因着他肉体上的那根刺，神能够更有力地在他里面作工。
虽然保罗曾三次求主拿走他那根刺，但主的回应是：“我的恩典够你用的，因为我的能力是在人的软弱上显得完全。”
保罗指出，有一根刺加在他身上，是要使他“免得 … 过于自高。”意思是说，保罗知道，如果他没有这根刺，他可能会变得自高自大的。所以，保罗教导我们，他肉体上的刺其实对他有益处；这是神赐的恩典，免得他成为教会中自高自大的领袖。而我们也当然为此感谢神。
这并不表示我们应当求神赐我们一根在肉体上的刺，我们相信神最知道什么对我们最有益处。然而，假若神真的容许某些特别的苦难临到我们，我们也可以相信衪能够把苦难变为祝福的，就如保罗在另一卷书所说的：“我们晓得万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处，就是按他旨意被召的人”（罗马书8:28）。
主神啊，求你在我们里面，藉着我们动工，好叫别人能在我们的生命中清楚看见你的能力和良善。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
哥林多后书 12:1-10
1我自夸固然无益，但我是不得已的。如今我要说到主的显现和启示。
2我认得一个在基督里的人，他前十四年被提到第三层天上去——或在身内，我不知道；或在身外，我也不知道；只有神知道。
3我认得这人——或在身内、或在身外，我都不知道，只有神知道——
4他被提到乐园里，听见隐秘的言语，是人不可说的。
5为这人，我要夸口；但是为我自己，除了我的软弱以外，我并不夸口。
6我就是愿意夸口，也不算狂，因为我必说实话；只是我禁止不说，恐怕有人把我看高了，过于他在我身上所看见、所听见的。
7又恐怕我因所得的启示甚大，就过于自高，所以有一根刺加在我肉体上，就是撒旦的差役要攻击我，免得我过于自高。
8为这事，我三次求过主，叫这刺离开我。
9他对我说：“我的恩典够你用的，因为我的能力是在人的软弱上显得完全。”所以，我更喜欢夸自己的软弱，好叫基督的能力覆庇我。
10我为基督的缘故，就以软弱、凌辱、急难、逼迫、困苦为可喜乐的，因我什么时候软弱，什么时候就刚强了。
A Thorn In The Flesh
"He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" - 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
The apostle Paul was dedicated to God. But Paul had a "thorn in the flesh"—possibly a disease that bothered him quite a lot. He called it "a messenger of Satan, to torment" him. We don't know what it was, but somehow it made Paul weaker than he wanted to be.
Thorns prick, scratch, and wound. However, the point of Paul's example is that because of his thorn in the flesh, God was able to work through him more powerfully.
Although Paul pleaded three times with the Lord to take his thorn away, the Lord responded, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Paul notes that he was given his thorn "in order to keep . . . from becoming conceited." This means Paul knew that if he did not have this thorn, he could have become proud. So Paul is teaching us that his thorn in the flesh was actually a good thing. It was a sign of God's grace to keep him from becoming a proud leader in the church. And we can surely thank God for that.
This does not mean we should ask God to give us a thorn in the flesh. We can trust that God knows what is best for us. But if God does allow us to have a particular kind of suffering, we can also trust that he can use it to do good. As Paul writes in another place, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Lord and God, work in us and through us, that your power and goodness in our lives may be clear to others. In Jesus' name, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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