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•5但我想，我一点也不在那些超级使徒以下。6虽然我不擅长说话，我的知识却不如此。这点我们已经在每一方面各样事上向你们表明了。
•7我贬低自己，为了使你们高升，因为我白白地传 神的福音给你们，难道这算是我犯了错吗？8我剥夺了别的教会，向他们取了报酬来效劳你们。9我在你们那里有缺乏的时候，并没有连累你们一个人，因为我所缺乏的，那些从马其顿来的弟兄都补足了。我向来凡事谨慎，将来也必谨慎，总不要连累你们。10既有基督的真诚在我里面，在亚该亚一带地方就没有人能阻止我这样自夸。11为什么呢？是因我不爱你们吗？ 神知道，我爱你们！
从圣经的其他地方你可能了解到，保罗本是做帐篷为生的。我能想象他需要的全部设备不过就是几根针和其它一些零碎的东西。我无法想象，他如何能靠做帐篷来获取微薄的收入，维持生活基本所需。他很感谢马其顿教会的信徒（比如腓立比教会）时常资助他。但无论他在哪里传福音，他都要确保，他并不期待人们会为此付钱给他。他这样做，并不是因为他没有权利要求得到报酬，而是因为他不愿意让人们以为他传福音只是为了钱。上帝的恩典是免费赐给人的。所以保罗希望自己所传的福音也是免费的。
但是在哥林多教会，保罗的这种不拿报酬的做法，起了相反的作用，有人歪曲他的做法。有些人指责他传的信息不值得听，没有价值，一是因为他没有很好的公开演讲的技能，二是因为他没有靠演讲赚钱。他们从各种角度指控保罗的错误。
以下是我今天从这些经文中得到的启示。我从来不想批评任何宣讲上帝话语的人。我们生活在一个网络布道的世界，特别是现在疫情过后的时代，你很容易在网络上找到吸引你的伟大的演讲者。然后，当你在听其他人讲道时，你会用那些伟大演说家的技能来衡量他们。我们可能就忽略了那些谦卑的仆人，他们日以继日的、忠实地教导上帝的话语。当我们听到别人传讲福音的时候，无论传讲的技能如何，我们都应该心怀感恩。最终，重要的不是演讲的技能，而是演讲的内容。
祷告：主耶稣，我为自己祷告，希望自己永远满足于那些将你的话语带给我的普通的传道人。请阻止我在他们中间相互比较，并对所有你呼召的传讲福音的人心存感恩。阿们。
2 Corinthians 11: 5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” 6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 7 Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! (NIV)
As you may well know, Paul was a tent-maker by trade. I imagine that all he needed for equipment was a few needles and other odds and ends. I can’t imagine that he could make even a bare minimum to provide his daily needs. He appreciated what the Macedonians (Philippians) would send him from time to time to help him. But wherever he preached, he wanted to make sure that people were not expected to pay him. He did it, not because he didn’t have the right to such support, but because he didn’t want people to think he was only doing this for the money. Grace is free. So Paul wanted the preaching of the gospel to be free as well.
In the case of the Corinthians, this kind of backfired on him in a way. Some accused him of not being worth listening to, not only because he didn’t use the finer forms of public speaking, but because he didn’t make a living by his speaking. But then, if people want to find fault, they will.
Here’s what I get out of these verses for myself today. I don’t ever want to be critical of anyone who is proclaiming God’s Word. We live in a world of internet preaching, especially right now, and you can easily find great speakers who hold your attention. And then, we measure all the rest by their great skills. We can overlook those humble servants to teach the Word of God faithfully, week after week. When we hear the Gospel proclaimed, we should give thanks for it, no matter how skillfully it was proclaimed. In the end, it’s not the speaking skills that matter, but the content.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I pray that I will always be content with ordinary preachers who bring me your word. Keep me from comparing one against the other, but to be thankful for all whom you have called to proclaim the gospel. Amen.