音频：
视频：
哥林多后书1：12-14：12我们所夸的是自己的良心，见证我们凭着神的圣洁和诚实；在世为人，不靠人的聪明，乃靠神的恩惠，向你们更是这样。13我们现在写给你们的话，并不外乎你们所念的、所认识的，我也盼望你们到底还是要认识，14正如你们已经有几分认识我们，以我们夸口，好像我们在我们主耶稣的日子以你们夸口一样。
保罗在这里使用了一个词，这个词在这封信里显得很特别。和合本修订本翻译为“坦率”，和合本翻译为“圣洁”。我更喜欢“坦率”这个翻译。换句话说，这个词的反义词是“表里不一。口是心非。”
你有没有遇到过这样的人，他对你说话的方式，让你真的听不懂他在说什么?有的人故意措辞模糊，让你以为他说的就是那个意思，而实际上他还有其他的意思。很多年前，当时还没有亚马逊等网络购物的平台，推销员会挨家挨户的上门推销东西。一个好的推销员可以让你相信他的产品可以改变世界，或者至少改变你的生活。但是不论他们说什么，对于他说的话你不可全信。（比如买房子，送家具）。
保罗夸口说，自己并不是这样的人。他的话简单易懂。他不需要也不愿意去修饰或夸大神的作为，因为神在基督里的恩典的故事本身就非常奇妙。他不寻求个人利益，也没有不可告人的动机。他只是传扬耶稣基督，努力为神赢得那些还不认识耶稣的人的心。
这就是传福音的本质。我们不是在推销我们自己或我们的教会。我们只是在传讲福音，关于上帝藉着耶稣带给我们的恩典的故事，这是一个美好的、奇妙的、改变人的生命的故事。
祷告：主耶稣，关于你救恩的故事是如此奇妙和美好，值得传讲给世上的每个人。请帮助我成为你的仆人。请开我的口，好传扬你的故事，颂赞你的圣名。阿们。
2 Corinthians 1: 12 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. 13 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— 14 just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you. (EHV)
Paul uses a word here that is somewhat unique in his letters to the Corinthians. This version translates the word “simplicity.” Some other versions use a variant reading which means “holiness.” “Simplicity” doesn’t really catch the flavor of the word. I like “single-mindedness of heart.” In other words, it is the opposite of duplicity.
Have you ever run into someone who spoke to you in a way in which you really couldn’t tell what he meant? Someone who intentionally left his words vague enough so that you would think he was saying one thing, when in fact he just led you to believe that? Years ago, when people still sold things door-to-door because Amazon didn’t exist, a good salesman could lead you to believe his product could change the world, or at least your life. You had to take whatever he said with a grain of salt.
Paul boasted that he was not like that. His words were plain and easy to understand. He had no need or desire to embellish or exaggerate on what God had done, because the story of God’s grace in Christ is beyond wonderful just the way it is. He sought no personal favors. He had no ulterior motives. He just came to preach Christ and win the hearts of those who did not know him.
That’s what evangelism is all about. We don’t have to sell ourselves, or our church. We just tell the beautiful, life-changing, amazing story of God’s grace to us in Christ.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, your story of salvation is so wonderful and beautiful that it deserves to be told to every person in this world. Help me to be your servant. Open my mouth to tell your story and declare your praises. Amen.