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Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 13

Theme                            : The pattern of sanctification         

Because of the false teachers’ influence, Paul was fearful that the Corinthians would fall back into their former sins. To forewarn the Corinthians before visiting them for the third time, Paul focused on several elements of the sanctification process in this concluding section, the first of which is repentance (2 Cor. 12:20-21).

1. Pattern of sanctification: Church Discipline (13:1-4). After calling for their repentance, Paul now turned to the next step of sanctification, namely church discipline, which addresses the issue of what to do with those who sin and refuse to repent. Because Paul’s gentleness was severely criticized by the false apostles as being weak, he would demonstrate his apostolic power and authority by not sparing anyone who refuses to repent in this third visit.

2. Pattern of sanctification: Examining our faith (13:5-6). However, in order for the Corinthians to truly repent and accept discipline, they must first be in Christ. Therefore Paul called them to examine themselves in order to determine their true spirituality. If their faith is real, they too will know that Paul is a genuine apostle since they were the fruit of his ministry.

3. Pattern of sanctification: Obedience and Integrity (13:7-14). Paul’s deepest desire is not to be approved by the Corinthians, but for them to be obedient and complete, hence he constantly prayed for their obedience and perfection in Christ. It is only when the Corinthians are willing to follow the pattern of sanctification then they will be able to experience the spiritual blessing of God’s presence in love and peace.

Praying the Scripture

1. The biggest problem facing the church today is the disinterest in confronting sinning people in the church in order to bring them to repentance and restoration. This signaled a lack of concern for holiness and a shallow commitment to Scripture. Yet church discipline is the first instruction that the Lord Jesus Christ gave regarding the church (Matt. 18:15-17). Let’s pray that we will not be indifferent to the sins of our brothers and sisters in Christ, but seek to restore them to holiness with a spirit of gentleness (Gal. 6:1).

2. Unlike what was taught in the Roman Catholic church, it is possible for believers to examine themselves to see if they were truly saved. However, genuine saving faith is not a mere profession of faith (Luke 8:13-14), baptism (Eph. 2:8-9), being part of the visible church (Matt. 13:25-30), feeling conviction for sin (Matt. 27:3-5) or merely believing the facts of the gospel (John 8:31, James 2:19). Rather, genuine faith is marked by penitence (Matt. 5:3-4; Ps. 32:5; 1 John 1:7-10), desire for righteousness (Matt. 5:6; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 John 2:29), submission to divine authority (Luke 14:25-35), obedience (Luke 6:46; Matt. 7:21; John 8:31; John 14:15), love for God and other people (1 John 5:2; 1 John 3:14; 1 John 2:9-11). Let’s pray that we will humbly examine ourselves in light of God’s truth so that we will not be self-deceived.

经文：哥林多后书13

主题：成圣的模式

因着假教师的影响，保罗深怕哥林多人会返回起初的罪行。为在第三次探访前预告他们，保罗在这总结篇把焦点着重在成圣过程的几个要素，而为首的就是悔改（12:20-21）。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 12

Theme                            : Discernment

As part of their scam to deceive the Corinthians, the false apostles undoubtedly claimed visions and revelations of their own. To counter their phony claims, Paul reluctantly related his own genuine vision.

1. Vision of God’s soldier (12:1-4). With characteristic humility, Paul related his vision as a third person, but it is obvious that he was that man (2 Cor. 12:7). This vision probably took place sometime between Paul’s return to Tarsus from Jerusalem (Acts 9:30) and his commissioning by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-3). It is possible that God may have granted Paul this glimpse of heaven to steel him against the suffering he would experience on his missionary journeys.

2. Suffering of God’s soldier (12:5-10). Paul had received many visions in his life (cf. Acts 9:3-12; 16:9-10; 18:9-10; 22:17-21; 23:11; 27:23-24). To humble his otherwise proud flesh, the Lord allowed Paul to undergo intense suffering. The identity of that “thorn in the flesh” has been much debated, but it is best understood as a demonic messenger of Satan who had used the false apostles to deceive the Corinthians into a rebellion against him.

3. Concerns of God’s soldier (12:11-21). Despite the Corinthians’ failure, Paul nevertheless loved them as his spiritual children (1 Cor. 4:15). He did not want their money, he wanted their hearts and so he is willing to sacrifice himself for them. Here is the point which marks the transition to the closing section of this epistle, which deals with the edification of the church and sanctification of its members. It is out of this painful concern for the Corinthians’ holiness that prompted Paul to call for their repentance.

Praying the Scripture

1. Unlike modern charlatans who claimed trips to heaven and visions of God, Paul gave no sensational, detailed description of what he saw or experienced in heaven. This is because visions and revelations do not benefit the church and could lead to pride. What God wants us to know is already revealed in the Bible. Let’s pray that we will be built up and sanctified by the word of God (Acts 20:32), not by any “extraordinary” visions and revelations.

2. God is sovereign over all of His creation and allow Satan to bring devastating suffering on His saints to achieve their greater usefulness (cf. Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Luke 22:31). Let’s pray that we will joyfully embrace the trials that God allow us to undergo, knowing that it is through them that God to display His greatest grace and power in our life and so “the testing of your faith produces endurances” (James 1:2).

3. The supernatural miracles done by the apostles were signs pointing them as genuine messengers of God to draw the onlookers’ attention to the message they proclaimed. Once the apostles had laid the doctrinal foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20), the foundation does not need to be continuously laid today by self-proclaimed apostles. Let’s pray that we will be discerning towards everyone who claimed to be a messenger of God by evaluating their message against the complete Word of God.

经文：哥林多后书12

主题：辨别能力

假使徒为要欺哄哥林多人，无疑声称他们有异象和启示。为击垮他们伪造的申明，保罗以勉强地述说自己得到的真实异象。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 11

Theme                            : Confronting the False Apostles     

After his defense, Paul now turned to address the false apostles.

1. Indictment of God’s soldier (11:1-6). Before confronting the false apostles, Paul revealed that his motive for doing so was to call the Corinthians back to loyalty. Here, he issued a series of indictment on the Corinthians’ disloyalty, each one introduced by the Greek conjunction gar (“for”), namely disloyalty to Christ and disloyalty to the truth.

2. Confrontation of God’s soldier (11:7-15). As Paul confronted with the false apostles, the specific issue on hand is money, which is always a prime motivation for false teachers (Rom 16:18, 1 Tim 6:5, Tit 1:11, 2 Peter 2:3, Jude 11). Unlike Paul who lovingly and humbly proclaimed the truth without charge, the greedy false teachers deceptively abused the Corinthians and took money from them. Here, Paul listed three marks of a true apostle (humility, truth and love) and three corresponding marks of a false apostle (pride, deception and abuse), which may still be used to distinguish true men of God from false teachers today.

3. Boasting of God’s soldier (11:16-33). Because the Corinthians had naively accepted the false apostles’ lies, Paul was forced to boast of his apostolic credentials in order to counter their false claims, though he did so with great reluctance. In this section, Paul presented his apostolic credentials that set him apart from the false apostles: his experience of suffering (v23-27), his deep concern for the church well-being (v28-29) and his embarrassing weakness (v30-33, cf. Acts 9:25).

Praying the Scripture

1. God’s jealousy for His holy name and for His people is a major Old Testament theme (Ex. 20:5; Ex. 34:14; Deut. 4:24). Likewise, Paul also displayed godly jealousy which manifested itself in extreme concern and righteous indignation at the possibility of the Corinthians’ defection. Let’s pray that we will also be concerned for our brothers’ and sisters’ spiritual welfare with a godly jealousy.

2. To those who lack strong convictions, Paul’s denouncement of the false teachers may be seen as a shocking lack of tolerance. Yet to discern true teachers from false spiritual leaders is vital to the health of the church in order to protect God’s flock. Let’s pray that we will be discerning and firm in standing for the truth, and not to sacrifice truth for the so-called “unity” which is prevalent in many evangelical circles today.

3. The first credential listed by Paul was suffering, because that is what Jesus said would characterize His apostles (Matt. 10:16-25). On the other hand, false teachers frequently seek a life of ease and comfort. Let’s pray that we, as children of God and fellow heirs with Christ, will not be afraid of suffering in order that we may also be glorified with Christ (Rom. 8:17).

经文：哥林多后书11

主题：与假使徒对峙

为自己辩护后，保罗把焦点转向假教师。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 10

Theme                            : The Soldier of God 

As the word “now” (NASB) indicates, this passage begins a new section of the epistle, particularly addressed to the false apostles and their deluded followers who were bidding their time to conduct more subtle warfare against Paul. To stamp out the last traces of their rebellion, Paul’s tone became strong, authoritative and confrontational.

1. Qualities of God’s soldier (10:1-6). Before beginning his assault on the false apostles, Paul expressed his unwillingness to engage in combat out of compassionate desire to spare his rebels. But the false apostles had twisted Paul’s genuine humility as cringing weakness and this compelled Paul to fight fiercely to preserve his integrity for the sake of the truth. They were mistaken to think that Paul was not a competent soldier, for Paul, being armed with the truth of God, was fully equipped to win the spiritual battle.

2. Defense of God’s soldier (10:7-18). In defending his authenticity as the true apostle of Christ, Paul gave the marks of a true man of God and commanded the Corinthians to consider the evidence that are before them. A true man of God is known by his relationship to Jesus Christ (v7). He does not intimidate people, but use his authority to build up the church (v8). He does not rely on fleshy methods (v10), but on the power of God (1 Cor 2:5) to persuade people. His life was totally consistent whether in private or in public (v11). He is humble (v12, 15-17) and contented to minister within the sphere in which God has placed him (v13). Unlike false teachers who focused in temporal acclaim, he only looks toward his heavenly reward (v18).

Praying the Scripture

1. All believers are soldiers in the spiritual war against the kingdom of darkness. Let’s pray that we will be a courageous warrior for the truth, while at the same time be compassionate and humble.

2. Spiritual warfare is not a battle with demons, but a battle for the minds of people who are captive to lies and ideologies devised by demonic powers that are in opposition to Scripture. Hence, the objective of our warfare is to change how people think so that they will no longer be held captive to a damning ideology. To assault and throw down the fortresses of false religions, opinions, beliefs and philosophies, only one weapon will suffice: the truth. Thus the only offensive weapon in the Christian soldier’s armor is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). Let’s pray that we will be fully equipped with the Word of truth to fight in the spiritual war.

3. Humble men of God realize that they have nothing to boast about. The essential truth, “he who boasts is to boast in the Lord” (cf. Ps. 20:7; Ps. 34:2; Jer. 9:23-24), is a stinging rebuke to all self-glorying false teachers. Let’s pray that we will strive to be a humble messenger of God, seeking only for the Lord’s glory and the Lord’s reward.

经文：哥林多后书10

主题：神的精兵

这段经文开启了书信的另一阶段，专门针对当时隐暗攻击保罗的假教师和被他们欺哄的信徒而论。为彻底断绝他们最后的抵挡，保罗的语气变得强烈，并带权威，绝不相让。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 9

Theme                            : Blessings of Giving 

This chapter continued the thought expressed at the end of chapter 8 on giving.

1. Completing the giving (9:1-5). The Corinthians’ original zeal for giving had prompted Paul to boast about them to the Macedonians, which in turn stirred them up to contribute so sacrificially to the project. However, the rebellion against Paul, incited by false teachers, had apparently halted their giving. To forestall the embarrassment of being unprepared when the Macedonians arrived for the collection, Paul urged the Corinthians to finish what they had started.

2. Benefits of giving (9:6-15). To motivate the Corinthians in completing their giving, Paul uses a familiar agricultural imagery that generous givers will reap generous blessings from God (“sow bountifully…reap bountifully”) while those who hold back selfishly and fearing loss will forfeit gain (“sow sparingly…reap sparingly”). The reason God gives back to those who give is not so that people can consume on their own desires, but to ensure that generous believers will lack nothing and even have the means to further express that generosity in order for the cycle of giving to continue. Therefore, giving should be voluntary and Christians should be happy, joyous givers. Such giving and receiving will produce glory and thanksgiving to God and give evidence that they possessed a living faith (cf. James 2:14-26).

Praying the Scripture

1. The NASB uses the phase “not affected by covetousness” instead of “exaction” in ESV to warn of the sin which could keep the Corinthians from meeting their commitment. Covetousness (greed) characterizes unbelievers (Ps. 10:3; Rom 1:29; 1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:3), especially false teachers (1 Tim. 6:5; Titus 1:11; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 11) and is a form of idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5). Let’s pray that we will not allow the sin of covetousness to hinder our giving.

2. The most outrageous example of materialism in the name of Christianity is unquestionably the Prosperity Gospel, which claim that God’s will is for all believers to be rich and healthy. This has reduced God to a utilitarian genie who simply grants believers’ every desire. Let’s pray that we will not listen to such prosperity lies, but to obey Jesus’ command: “do not store up for yourself treasures on earth…but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matt 6:19-20).

3. Human wisdom teaches that prosperity comes from grasping for wealth. But God’s plan for financial soundness is the exact opposite: generous giving (Prov. 3:9-10; Prov. 11:24-25; Prov. 19:17, Mal. 3:10; Luke 6:38). Since giving naturally seems to result in having less, it takes faith to believe that giving will open up God’s blessing. Let’s pray that we will not cling on to worldly wealth, but give cheerfully and voluntary to the Lord according to what we have purposed in our heart.

经文：哥林多后书9

主题：奉献的祝福

这段经文延续了第八章捐钱的主题。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 8

Theme                            : A Model for Christian Giving       

After the relationship between Paul and the Corinthian church had been restored, he could now discuss with them the issue of giving.

1. The model for Christian giving (8:1-9). To stimulate the Corinthians’ giving, Paul first pointed out the example of the Macedonian churches (Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea), who gave generously and sacrificially despite their deep poverty. This showed that giving is the behavior of devout Christians, which is motivated by God’s grace, is filled with joy and generosity, and performed as a sacrificial act of worship. But the greatest example of such love and sacrifice the world has ever known is the Lord Jesus Christ, who became poor to make unworthy ones rich.

2. Giving with faithfulness (8:10-15). To further motivate the Corinthians, Paul reminded them that they were the first to start the collection for the Jerusalem saints a year ago (cf 1 Cor 16:1-4). However, after false teachers led a rebellion against Paul, the Corinthians temporarily halted their giving as they doubted Paul’s credibility. Now that most of the Corinthians have repented, Paul urged them to resume collecting the offering again in order to complete what they had started.

3. Collecting with integrity (8:16-24). Because Paul’s enemies at Corinth had accused him of being in the ministry for money, Paul was careful to mention that God had put the same desire in Titus and an unnamed brother to ensure that the collection were handled with absolute honesty and integrity. The involvement of other godly leaders enhanced the project’s credibility and prevents false accusations that might discredit him further.

Praying the Scripture

1. Despite their deep poverty, the Macedonian believers were amazingly generous (cf. 11:9; Phil 2:25; 4:15, 18). This is because they first give themselves wholeheartedly to the Lord, which is then followed by their financial giving to the church. Let’s pray that we will learn from the Macedonians’ example in giving as a demonstration of our love and worship to God.

2. In the incarnation of Christ, the eternal God became poor by taking on human flesh and humbling Himself even to the point of death on the cross. By doing so, He defeated the powers of hell, accomplished the work of redemption God assigned Him and gave His people the priceless riches of salvation – forgiveness, joy, peace and eternal life. Knowing Christ’s sacrificial love should motivate us to give freely, sacrificially and generously to others. Let us thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His redemptive work on the cross and follow His example in giving generously to our brothers and sisters in need (James 2:15-16; 1 John 3:17).

3. Though Paul encouraged the Corinthians to give generously, he did not expect them to give beyond their means. At the same time, it is also wrong to use their lack of resources as an excuse not to give. The most important issue is not the amount, but the attitude of the heart. Believers are expected to give in proportion to their resources, not more, but also not less. Let’s pray that we will give careful considerations to our giving and give in proportion to our resources.

经文：哥林多后书8

主题：信徒奉献的模式     

当保罗与哥林多教会之间的关系恢复后，他便能与他们谈论有关奉献的事了。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 7

Theme                            : Loyalty and Comfort         

Having God’s promises in the previous chapter provides powerful motivation for believers to separate from unbelievers. In this passage, Paul continued his plea for the Corinthians to break away from the false teachers and return to him.

1. Paul’s love and loyalty for the Corinthians (7:1-4). The apostle knew that as long as the Corinthian church clung to their sinful associations with his enemies, their love relationship with him could not be restored. Therefore it is all the more urgent for the Corinthians to follow his instructions in 6:14-7:1 and sever all ties with the false teachers. Here, Paul reminded them of his innocence against all the false charges and his loyalty towards them.

2. Paul’s comforts from the Corinthians (7:5-16). In 2 Cor. 7:5, Paul returned to the narrative that broke off from 2 Cor. 2:14 – 7:4 on the events that followed the sending of the severe letter. In this section, God comforted the anxious, grieving pastor and restored his joy through the safe return of Titus and the repentance of the Corinthian believers. As a result of their repentance, the Corinthians demonstrated their loyalty towards Paul by uniting to discipline the individual who attacked him (cf. 2 Cor. 2:6) and reaffirmed their submission to Paul’s authority (cf. Heb. 13:17). This encouraged Paul to share with them a project that was dear to his heart in chapters 8-9 and also gave him the boldness to confront the remaining pockets of resistance to his apostolic authority in chapters 10-13.

Praying the Scripture

1. Despite their unfaithfulness, disloyalty and sin, Paul maintained great confidence and trust in the Corinthians – not because of them, but because he knew that God would complete the saving work He had begun in them (cf. Phil. 1:6). This demonstrated true love that “believes all things, (and) hope all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). Let’s pray that we will believe and hope for the best in our brothers and sisters in Christ even in their imperfection.

2. True biblical repentance is not emotional human remorse seeking to relieve stress and improve one’s circumstances. Such remorse is simply the sorrow of the world – wounded pride, getting caught, self-pity – which has no healing and transforming capability. It only produces guilt, shame, resentment, depression, hopelessness and even death (cf. Mt. 27:3-5). But true repentance involves a sorrow over sin which produced a genuine change of heart, leading to a turning away from sin to holiness. This is a healing and transforming sorrow that is according to the will of God, intending for us to feel because it produces repentance. Let’s pray that we will experience godly grief over our sins because repentance is a gracious work of God in the human heart (cf. Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25).

经文：哥林多后书7

主题：忠义及安慰 

神在上个篇章所列出的应许，是予信徒和非信徒分别为圣的强力动机。在这段经文中，保罗继续求哥林多教会要离开假教师，重归于他。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 6

Theme                             : Servants of God      

As ambassadors of Christ, believers bring the message of reconciliation to a hostile world, which could either be embraced or rejected. Nowhere is such tension between honor and dishonor better expressed than Paul in this passage.

1. Paradox of God’s servants (6:1-10). As privileged coworkers of God (cf. 1 Cor. 3:9), Paul could not permit the Corinthian church to be deceived by a false gospel or be led astray from the true path of sanctification, hence he pleaded earnestly with them not to receive the grace of God in vain. Not only that, he also demonstrated great endurance as a true ambassador of Christ, even as he faced contrasting paradox in his ministry (v8-10).

2. Appeals of God’s servants (6:11-13). One of false accusations against Paul was the charge that he had no real affection for the Corinthian church. Hence throughout the letter, Paul repeatedly affirmed his love for the church (2 Cor. 2:4; 11:11; 12:15) and pleaded with them not to close their hearts to him by believing these lies.

3. Mandate of God’s servants (6:14-18). Not only that, the false teachers were also eager to blend the Corinthians with pagan worshippers in order to make themselves popular, thus Paul gave this mandate to separate because believers and unbelievers belong in different spiritual realm and all false religions are virulently hostile to God. Hence believers must obey God’s command and be separated from unbelievers in order to enjoy the blessings of an intimate relationship with God.

Praying the Scripture

1. The noblest view of ministry is to see it as working together in partnership with God (2 Cor. 6:1a). Disappointment over the difficulties in ministry often begin with a failure to understand the high privilege to which God’s servants are called. Let’s pray that we will have a high view of ministry and endure faithfully regardless of the difficulties.

2. Believers and unbelievers inhabit two opposing world. Christians are in Christ’s kingdom, which is characterised by righteousness, light and eternal life. Unbelievers are in Satan’s kingdom, which is characterised by lawlessness, darkness and spiritual death. Therefore a believer has no common spiritual ground with an unbeliever. Let’s pray that we will not be bound to unbelievers in any spiritual effort though we continue to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).

经文：哥林多后书6

主题：神的仆人     

身为基督的大使，信徒将与神和好的信息带到一个敌对的世界，而这信息可以被他们接纳或拒绝。保罗在这段经文便很好地阐述了荣耀与羞辱之间的冲突。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 5

Theme                            : Ministry of Reconciliation 

Though Paul faced death constantly in his earthly life, he was undaunted and showed us the hope for his confidence in facing death.

1. Paul’s longing to be with God (5:1-10). Paul was not afraid to die because in death, he will receive a glorified body in the perfect eternal life, which is a plan purposed by God for all believers. This stirred in him the longing to be with God, thus he made it his highest ambition to be pleasing to God whether on earth or in heaven. This motivation to please God was also driven by the knowledge that he will one day appear before the judgment seat of Christ where his true heart will be revealed, thus made him even more careful about how he lived in this world.

2. Paul’s integrity in ministry (5:11-15). As noted previously, Paul’s credibility as the apostle of Christ was under attack from false teachers who had infiltrated the church in Corinth. Therefore, Paul had to defend his integrity (“persuade others”) against these false accusations out of reverence for God and for the sake of the church. Above all, Paul was overwhelmed with gratitude for Christ’s love towards him and defended his ministry strongly so as not to lose the opportunity to serve Him.

3. Paul’s ministry of reconciliation (5:16-21). God’s perfect righteousness demands all sinners to be punished, yet through His plan of reconciliation, all hostility and alienation separating the Holy One and sinners vanished through Christ’s substitutory death. It is to all reconciled people that God gives the ministry of reconciliation (cf. Mt 28:19-20) and called them to be His messengers in proclaiming the gospel.

Praying the Scripture

1. The reality of death faces every human being who ever lived, yet Christians do not need to fear death because death simply stripped away our physical body so that we can be ushered into the presence of God. Let’s pray that we too will be confident in facing death.

2. Ambition is often associated negatively. The Bible condemns sinful ambition too (Jer. 45:5), but there is a type of ambition that is legitimate – the ambition to please the Lord. Let’s pray that we will follow Paul’s example to make pleasing God our highest ambition.

3. Sinners cannot be reconciled to the Holy God on their own terms because they have absolutely no ability to conform to His standard of righteousness. But God, according to His great love, initiated the way of reconciliation through Jesus Christ, whose perfect sacrifice is the only one that can satisfy the demands of God’s holy justice. Let us thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His work for us on the cross and seek to live for Him alone.

经文：哥林多后书5

主题：与神和平的事工     

保罗虽然在地上的生命时刻都面对着死，他却不畏惧，从而向我们显示面临死亡之信心的盼望。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 4

Theme                            : Strength in Weaknesses     

As believers look at the glory of God in the face of Christ, they are constantly being transformed into the likeness of Christ. It is by looking at the face of Jesus as revealed in Scripture that provides new covenant believers the strength, joy and hope to face all of life’s trials.

1. The light of the gospel (4:1-6). Despite his suffering and the savage attacks on him by the false apostles, Paul had not lose heart, but continued to receive strength for his ministry by looking at the face of Jesus. Unlike the false apostles who veiled the truth by adding elements of mystery to impress their followers, Paul presented only the pure and straightforward gospel (1 Cor. 2:2). However, despite the simplicity of the gospel message, it is veiled to unbelievers who have no light to see the gospel of the glory of Christ.

2. The treasure in clay jars (4:7-18). Not only had the false apostles attacked Paul’s character and ministry, they even resorted to ridicule Paul’s personal appearance as unimpressive and battered. Rather than denying their allegations, the apostle acknowledged his weakness and used the analogy of precious treasure kept in a clay pot to express how the priceless truth of the gospel was also held in a humble human container. That was how God’s power flowed unhindered through him so that he can withstand exceeding pressure and onslaught from his enemies during his ministry. His secret for enduring through painful and difficult trials was by cultivating spiritual strength in his inner person (v.16), not letting the present blind him to the future (v.17), and setting his heart on eternal, not temporal realities (v.18).

Praying the Scripture

1. God delights in using humble, common people, those who are overlooked by the society to place the incalculable treasure of the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26-29), so that the power to save is not in the human messenger, but in the divine message. As we humbly and faithfully serve God, His power flows through us so that more and more people will worship and glorify God (Rev. 5:13). Let’s pray that we will not rely on clever tactics or make the gospel less offensive when evangelising, but to trust in God’s sovereignty for the salvation of unbelievers.

2. All Christians can learn from Paul’s example on how to endure the loneliness, disappointment, pain and persecution they face. It was the vision of God’s glory revealed in the face of Jesus Christ that provides the foundation for living a triumphant life. As we know Christ better, the better we will know God and the better equipped we are to handle life’s trials and difficulties. Let’s pray that we do not lose heart in suffering, but to look even more intently at Jesus Christ who is revealed through Scripture.

经文：哥林多后书4

主题：软弱中的力量         

当信徒在基督的脸上得知神荣耀的光时，他们也不断转变成基督的样式。新约信徒是藉着仰望经文所揭示的基督得到力量、喜乐和盼望，来面对生命中的试炼。