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哥林多前书：9:1-6: 1我不是自由的吗？我不是使徒吗？我不是见过我们的主耶稣吗？你们不是我在主里面所作之工吗？2假若在别人我不是使徒，在你们我总是使徒。因为你们在主里正是我作使徒的印证。3我对那盘问我的人就是这样分诉。4难道我们没有权柄靠福音吃喝吗？5难道我们没有权柄娶信主的姊妹为妻，带着一同往来，仿佛其余的使徒和主的弟兄，并矶法一样吗？6独有我与巴拿巴没有权柄不作工吗？
哥林多教会内部一定有些疯狂的指责和夸大的言辞在流传，其中的一项指责似乎是说保罗做福音传教事工，仅仅是为了钱。但事实的真相是，只有保罗和巴拿巴从不因为福音事工而收钱。保罗这样做正是为了不给人留下印象说他传道是为了钱。
为什么会出现这样的问题？我真希望所有的基督教会都是完美的。但我不得不说，在我担任教区联席主席的时候，我负责监督的150个教会，没有一个是完美的。它们都是很好的教会，但都有各自的缺点。在各个教会服事的牧师很好，但都有缺点。让我感到悲哀的是，往往是那些很好的人最终离开了教会，原因竟然是他们在牧师或弟兄姐妹的身上发现了缺点。无论如何，在基督的身体——教会里，我们应当互相宽容忍耐。
我们既是罪人也是圣徒，是耶稣把我们呼召在一起。我们既需要彼此的扶持，也需要去扶持彼此。我感到最欣慰的是看到会众成员和他们的牧师一起完成基本的圣经教义课程，并在上帝的话语里合一。上帝呼召我们原是要我们和睦，要我们彼此谦卑服事，彼此相爱。愿基督的爱永远住在我们的心里！
祷告：主耶稣，你呼召我们在你的教会里和睦相处。求你使我们每个人都能原谅彼此的过错，忍耐彼此的差异，盼望有一天我们能加入天上得胜的教会。阿们。
1 Corinthians 9: Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas[a]? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? (EHV)
There must have been some wild accusations and exaggerations flying around the congregation at Corinth. It appears that one of those accusations was that Paul was in this work of preaching the gospel just for the money. Only, Paul and Barnabas made it a practice NOT to receive any money for their work. Paul did this just so that he wouldn’t give the impression that he preaching for the money.
Why would they do that? I wish that Christian congregations were all perfect. I have to say that when working to supervise over a hundred fifty congregations when I was a district president, I didn’t find ANY perfect congregations. They were good congregations with faults. They were served by good pastors with faults. What I found sad was that often good people would leave their congregations because of the faults they saw in their pastor or fellow members. Somehow, some way, we have to put up with one another in this body of Christ we call the Church.
Jesus has called us together as sinner / saints who both need the support of each other and who need to support each other. What I found most healing was when congregation members and their pastor went through basic bible doctrine classes together and became united in the Word of God. God has called us to peace and to serve and love each other in humble love. May the love of Christ dwell in us always!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have called us to live together in your Church in peace. Make each of us forgiving of one another’s faults, patient with each other’s differencies, and hopeful of the day we will join the Church Triumphant in heaven. Amen.