聖經註釋書

本章中，使徒繼續維護自己使徒身分的尊榮。當有人貶抑他的職分時，他便高舉自己的職分。他所說自誇的話，不過是為自己的辯護，以及為維護其職事尊榮所必需的辯護——因為保全這尊榮是職事成功所必需的。首先，他提到神向他所施的恩惠、所賜的尊榮、神使他謙卑的方法，以及他如何運用這恩典的安排（林後 12:1-10）。然後他轉向哥林多人，責備他們當中的過失，並詳細說明自己對他們的為人和善意（林後 12:11-21）。

本章（哥林多後書 12 章）延續前兩章所討論的同一總題。使徒的總旨，是為自己辯護，抵擋在哥林多加給他的控告，特別是——據看來——那說他毫無使徒資格的主張的控告。在前幾章中，他已正面應付了這些控告，表明他大有理由向他們放膽；他在生平中已提出蒙召擔任這工作的證據，特別是藉着他的成功和他的受苦，表明他確有憑據證明自己實在從事於主耶穌的工作。

本章包含以下的主題。

1. 保羅訴諸另一個證據，證明他從事使徒的職分——他的控告者中誰也無法訴諸的證據——就是他曾蒙准觀看天上世界的榮耀（哥林多後書 11:1-10）。在前一章他曾提到自己的試煉。在這裏他說（哥林多後書 12:1），他們既強逼他誇口，他就要提到主所給他的啟示。於是他詳細述說多年以前他所見的異象（哥林多後書 12:2-4）——那時他被提到天上去，蒙准觀看那裏的奇事。然而他說，為免他那樣非凡的顯現使他過於自高，有一件痛苦而特殊的試煉臨到他——他曾懇切禱告求脫離這試煉，所得的回答卻是，神的恩典足夠扶持他（哥林多後書 12:5-9）。他說（哥林多後書 12:10），正是鑒於這一點，他為救贖主的緣故，就以軟弱和苦難為可喜樂的。

2. 隨後（哥林多後書 12:11-12）他總結所說的話，得出結論：他已給出了他是使徒的一切憑據或證明；在勞苦、忍耐、神蹟各方面，他都表明自己是奉救主差遣的——雖然按他素來的謙卑，他說自己算不了甚麼。

3. 接着他表明自己有意再來見他們，並且屆時也不願累着他們（哥林多後書 12:13-15）。他甘願為他們勞力，耗盡自己的力量以求增進他們的福祉，而不受他們的供給；因為他看自己如同他們的父親，而兒女為父母積財，並非慣例。

4. 與此相連，他回答另一項對他的控告。有人指責他詭詐：他雖不累着他們，卻深諳巧計，能不累着他們、也不像是從他們有所領受，就得到自己所要的（哥林多後書 12:16）。對此，他以事實作答；特別訴諸提多與他們同在時的行事，作為他決無此意的充分證明（哥林多後書 12:17-19）。

5. 在本章結尾，他表示擔心他到他們那裏去的時候，會發現許多叫他們慚愧、也給他機會行使嚴厲懲戒的事（哥林多後書 12:20-21）。他之所以明言這憂慮，顯然是要引他們省察自己，除去一切不正的事。

St. Paul mentions some wonderful revelations which he had received from the Lord, 2 Corinthians 12:1-5. He speaks of his suffering in connection with these extraordinary revelations, that his character might be duly estimated, 2 Corinthians 12:6. That he might not be too much exalted, a messenger of Satan is sent to buffet him; his prayer for deliverance, and the Divine answer, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. He exults in sufferings and reproaches, and vindicates his apostleship, 2 Corinthians 12:10-13. Promises to come and visit them, 2 Corinthians 12:14, 2 Corinthians 12:15. Answers some objections, 2 Corinthians 12:16-18. And expresses his apprehensions that when he visits them he shall find many evils and disorders among them, 2 Corinthians 12:19-21.

INTRODUCTION TO 2 Corinthians 12

The apostle in this chapter proceeds upon the same subject, in vindicating himself against the false teachers, and giving proof of his apostleship; he takes notice of a very remarkable and unusual vision he was favoured with; makes mention of an uncommon temptation of Satan, how he was delivered from it, and the use it was of to him; excuses his boasting to the Corinthians; lays the blame of it upon them who obliged him to do it, though they had such undeniable proofs of his apostleship among them; signifies he intended to come and see them, and expresses his strong affection for them, and good will towards them; removes the calumnies of covetousness, guile, and craftiness; reproves them for their sins, and threatens them in case of impenitence. Though in some respects glorying was not so convenient, and quite disagreeable to the apostle himself, yet such were his circumstances, that it was become necessary for him to do it, and therefore goes on with it; and to his character, qualifications, labours, sufferings, and deliverances, adds the visions and revelations of the Lord he had been honoured with, 2 Corinthians 12:1 and singles out a very particular one, which he describes by the time when, about fourteen years ago; by the person who saw it, himself, whom he speaks of in the third person, that there might be as little appearance of boasting as possible; by the place where it was seen, the third heaven, into which he was caught; by the form or manner of the vision, or the circumstance and condition in which he was when he saw it, of which he could give no account; as whether in or out of the body, 2 Corinthians 12:2, which last circumstance is repeated to denote the certainty of it, and his ignorance as to this part of it; for the truth of which he appeals to God, 2 Corinthians 12:3, and affirms again, that such an one as he had described was caught up to paradise; by which he explains what he meant by the third heaven, and further declares, that being there he heard words unutterable, 2 Corinthians 12:4. Now though this vision was matter of glorying, yet since he was the person that was so highly honoured with it, he would not dwell any longer on it, but rather speak of his infirmities, as he afterwards does, 2 Corinthians 12:5, yet if he had shown a design of boasting, it would not have been acting a foolish part; however, he thought it best to forbear, lest it should lead any into too high an opinion of him, 2 Corinthians 12:6, and indeed, these high enjoyments were apt to fill himself with pride and vanity, wherefore God, in his infinite wisdom, thought fit to take some methods to humble him; which leads him to give an account of a sore temptation that befell him, which was grievous to him, and in which he was buffeted by Satan; the end of which was to keep down his pride, and hide it from him, 2 Corinthians 12:7. The use this was of to him, and how he behaved under it, and the request he made to the Lord to be freed from it, are declared in 2 Corinthians 12:8, to which he received an answer, which was full and satisfactory, gave him pleasure, and determined him to glory in his infirmities, 2 Corinthians 12:9, which he does in 2 Corinthians 12:10, and gives an enumeration of them, and his reason for glorying in them: and whereas he knew he should be chargeable with folly, in glorying in other things as he had done, he blames the Corinthians for it, who had obliged him to it; for had they engaged as they should have done in the vindication and commendation of him, there would have been no need of his own; and they were furnished with matter and arguments enough for such a purpose, since it must have been a plain case to them that he was not inferior to the chief of the apostles, 2 Corinthians 12:11, of which they had a full demonstration, partly by the signs, wonders, and mighty deeds which were done in the midst of them by him, 2 Corinthians 12:12, and partly by the gifts of grace bestowed on them through his ministry, on account of which they did not come short of any other churches; unless it was in this, that they had the Gospel preached without charge unto them, 2 Corinthians 12:13, the apostle goes on to acquaint them that he had a third time intended to come and see them, when he would be no more burdensome and chargeable to them than he had been before; have no regard to theirs but to them, acting the part of a father that lays up for his children, but takes nothing from them, 2 Corinthians 12:14, and expresses his strong affection for them, even though they should show but little to him, and his earnest desire to be serviceable to them, and the pleasure he should take therein, 2 Corinthians 12:15, and whereas it was suggested by the false teachers, that though he did not take money of them in person, he had used some underhand crafty methods by the means of others to drain them of it, 2 Corinthians 12:16, he replies and vindicates his innocence, by putting the question to them in general; whether he had made any gain by any persons he had sent to them, 2 Corinthians 12:17, and particularly inasmuch as he had sent Titus and another brother, whether he had made any gain of them, and whether the apostle and he were not of the same spirit; and whether they did not take the same steps, 2 Corinthians 12:18, and then observes, that all the pains that he took in the vindication of himself, was not so much on his own account as theirs, even for their edification, that that might not be hindered, for whom he had the most endeared affection: and for the truth of all this he appeals to God, 2 Corinthians 12:19, and closes this chapter with observing the many evils which were among them, which he feared he should find among them, when he came, unrepented of; and which would be matter of grief and humiliation to him, and oblige him to use that severity among them which would not be agreeable to them, 2 Corinthians 12:20.

CHAPTER 12

2 Corinthians 12:1. καυχᾶσθαι δή] So also Tisch., following K M and most min. Arm. and the Greek Fathers. But B D** E F G I, and many min., also Syr. utr. Arr. Vulg. It. Ambrosiast. have the reading καυχᾶσθαι δεῖ, which Griesb. has recommended, and Scholz, Lachm. Rück. have adopted. D* א* 114, Copt. Slav. codd. Lat. Theophyl. have καυχᾶσθαι δέ, which Fritzsche, Diss. II. p. 122 f., prefers. The testimonies for καυχᾶσθαι δεῖ preponderate so decidedly that we are not entitled to derive δεῖ from 2 Corinthians 11:30. On the other hand, the apparent want of connection in καυχ. δεῖ οὐ συμφ. was sufficient, occasion, partly for changing δεῖ into δέ, or by means of itacism into δή (the latter Reiche defends and Ewald follows, also Hofm.), partly for prefixing an εἰ to the καυχ. from 2 Corinthians 11:30 (א** 39, Lect. 17, Vulg. Pel.).

οὐ συμφέρει μοι, ἐλεύσομαι γάρ] Lachm. and Rück. read οὐ συμφέρον μὲν, ἐλεύσομεν δέ (Lachm.: δὲ καί, after B), supported by B F G א, and in part by some min. vss. and Fathers. But μὲν … δέ betrays itself as a correction by way of gloss of the difficult γάρ, in which μοί was supplanted by μέν, and γάρ by δέ. The question whether συμφέρον is original instead of συμφέρει, is decided by the circumstance that, according to the codd., the reading συμφέρον is connected with the reading μὲν … δέ, and hence falls with it.—2 Corinthians 12:3. ἐκτός] B D* E* א, Method. in Epiph. have χωρίς. So Lachm. Tisch. and Rück. Rightly; ἐκτός is from 2 Corinthians 12:2. The subsequent οὐκ οἶδα is deleted by Lachm., but only on the authority of B, Method.—2 Corinthians 12:6. τί] is doubtless wanting in B D*** E** F G א* 37, 67** Arm. Boern. Tol. Harl.** codd. Lat. Or., and is deleted by Lachm. and Rück. But how easily it was left out, being regarded as utterly superfluous, and even as confusing!—2 Corinthians 12:7. Before the first ἵνα Lachm. has διό, following A B F G א 17, Boern. An insertion for the sake of connection, occasioned by the not recognising the inverted order of the words, so that καὶ τῇ ὑπερβ. τῶν ἀποκαλ. was attached in some way to what goes before (with some such meaning as this: in order that no one may get a higher opinion of me … even through the abundance of the revelations).

The second ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι is wanting in A D E F G א* 17, and several vss. and Fathers (bracketed by Lachm.); but the emphasis of the repetition being overlooked, the words have been passed over as having been used already.—2 Corinthians 12:9. δύναμίς μου] μου is wanting in A* B D* F G א*, and several vss. and Fathers. Deleted by Bengel, Lachm. Tisch. Considering, however, the no small weight of the testimonies for μου (A** D*** E K L א** and almost all min. vss. Or. Chrys. Theodoret), and seeing that the syllable μου might easily be passed over after the syllable μις, the Recepta is to be preserved, its sense also being necessary according to the whole contex.

τελειοῦται] A B D* F G א* have τελεῖται. So Lachm. Tisch. and Rück. Rightly; the former is an interpretation.—2 Corinthians 12:11. After ἄφρων Elz. has καυχώμενος, against decisive evidence. An exegetical addition.—2 Corinthians 12:12. ἐν σημείοις] ἐν is wanting in A B D* א17, 39, 71, al. Vulg. ms. Clar. Germ. Tol. and Fathers; while F G, Boern. Syr. Chrys. Ambrosiast. have καί. ἐν is mechanically repeated from what precedes, and with Lachm. Tisch. and Rück. is to be deleted.—2 Corinthians 12:13. ἡττήθητε] B D* א* 17 have ἡσσώθητε (so Lachm.), which is nothing but a copyist’s error, and in D and א is rightly corrected; F G have ἐλαττώθητε, which is a gloss.—2 Corinthians 12:14. After τρίτον Griesb. Scholz, Lachm. Rück. Tisch. read τοῦτο, following doubtless a preponderance of authorities, among which, however, D E 93, Copt. Syr.? put it before τρίτον. An addition from 2 Corinthians 13:1.

ὑμῶν] is wanting after καταναρκ. in A B א 17, 71, al. Aeth. Damasc., while D* F G have ὑμᾶς. Both have been supplied, and are rightly deleted by Lachm. Tisch.—2 Corinthians 12:15. εἰ καί] καί is wanting in A B F G א* Copt. Sahid. Deleted by Lachm. An addition from misunderstanding; see the exegetical remarks.—2 Corinthians 12:19. πάλιν] Lachm. Tisch. and Rück. read πάλαι on preponderating evidence. Rightly; the πάλαι not understood was erroneously glossed.

In what follows κατέναντι is to be adopted instead of κατενώπιον, with Lachm. and Rück., on preponderating evidence. Comp. 2 Corinthians 2:17.—2 Corinthians 12:20. Instead of ἔρεις, Lachm. and Rück. read ἔρις, but against preponderating evidence. The latter might easily originate through itacism. Instead of ζῆλοι, Lachm. Tisch. and Rück. read ζῆλος, following A B D* F G, Goth. Syr. Arm. Dam. Rightly; the plural crept in from the surrounding forms.—2 Corinthians 12:21. ἐλθόντα με] Lachm. Rück. and Tisch. read ἐλθόντος μου, following A B F G א* 39, 93. Rightly; the Recepta is a grammatical emendation, which brought with it the omission of the subsequent με.

ταπεινώσῃ] Lachm. and Tisch. read ταπεινώσει, following B D E F G L, min. Oec. The subjunctive is a mechanical alteration in accordance with the preceding and usual form.

CONTENTS.

Breaking off from what precedes, Paul passes over to the revelations which he has had, narrates one of them, and says: Of this he would boast, not of himself, except only of his weaknesses; for he will perpetrate no folly by self-glorying, but abstains from it, in order not to awaken too high an opinion of himself (2 Corinthians 12:1-6). And in order that he might not plume himself over those revelations, there was given to him a painful affliction, on account of which after a thrice-repeated invocation he had been referred by Christ to His grace; hence he preferred to glory in his weaknesses, in order that he might experience the power of Christ, for which reason he had pleasure in his weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

He had become a fool, compelled thereto by them; for he ought to have been commended by them, since in no respect did he stand behind the fancied apostles, but, on the contrary, had wrought amongst them the proofs of his apostolic dignity (2 Corinthians 12:11-12). This leads him, amidst bitter irony, again to his gratuitous working, which he will continue also on his third arrival (2 Corinthians 12:13-15). But not only had he not by himself and immediately taken advantage of them, but not even through others mediately (2 Corinthians 12:16-18). Now begins the conclusion of the whole section: Not before them, but before God, does he vindicate himself, yet for their edification. For he fears that he may find them not in the frame of mind which he wishes, and that he may be found by them in a fashion not wished for (2 Corinthians 12:19-21).

林後 12:1-21.

他本可因啟示而誇口，但他寧可誇自己的軟弱，因軟弱能彰顯基督的能力：他使徒身分的憑據：他的無私：他並非為自己向他們辯護，而是為他們的益處而作一切，免得他來的時候發現他們不如他所願，因而必須嚴厲。

1. 他接著說明「誇自己的軟弱」

(林後 11:30)。

他曾舉一個可能使他受譏笑的例子

(林後 11:33)；

如今他另舉一個，但這個與一次榮耀的啟示相連，且是其後續：然而他不著重對自己的榮耀，而是著重在其後隨之而來的軟弱，因這軟弱彰顯了基督的能力。最古的抄本讀作：「我必須誇口（或作誇耀），雖然無益；因為我將要說到。」「因為」一字證明「誇口是無益的」：我要以啟示為例，因在啟示中若在任何情況下誇口或可被視為無害。「異象」指所看見的事；「啟示」指所聽見的（比較

撒上 9:15）

或以任何方式揭示的事。在「異象」中，其含義並不總是賜下的；在「啟示」中，則總有從前隱藏之真理的揭開

(但 2:19, 31)。

聖經各部分同樣都是默示的；但並非都是啟示。啟示有程度之別；默示則無。

主的——即來自主；指基督，

林後 12:2。

自誇固然無益——即不好、不相宜。這或指他感到並承認，他這樣誇口確不相宜；雖是環境所迫，他這樣行總有不當之處——幾乎（或可說全部）解經家都這樣領會；或者，這話可作反語解。「像我這樣的人，當然不該誇口。你們這樣說，表面也這樣顯出。一個所作不過如此、未受甚麼苦、像我這樣安逸閒散的人，實在不該誇口。既然我誇口、談論自己有這樣明顯的不當，我就轉到另一件事上，看看異象和啟示是否也可以照樣論說。所以我要講到一個曾得非凡啟示的人，問問他對所蒙的恩寵可有誇口的權利。」依我看來，這大概是本段的解釋。

自誇——即誇口；參見哥林多後書 10:8、10:13；哥林多後書 11:10。他們加給他的指摘之一，就是他好作無謂的誇口。他在前一章列舉了自己所作所受的一切之後說，這指摘無疑很對——這樣的人實在沒有甚麼可誇的。

我要——邊註作「因為我要」。我們的譯者把正文中相當於「因為」的字（γὰρ gar）略去了，顯然以為它不過是個虛詞。多德里奇（Doddridge）譯作「然而」。但依我看來，這字含有重要的意思，應當譯作「那麼」。「既然我誇口不合宜，那麼我就要提到異象等等。那麼我就要從這題目轉開，講到別的事上。」這字（γὰρ gar）在約翰福音 7:41 正是這樣用法：「基督豈是從加利利出來嗎〔μὴ γὰρ mē gar〕？」使徒行傳 8:31：「沒有人指教我，怎能明白呢〔τὼ tō γὰρ gar〕？」另見使徒行傳 19:35；羅馬書 3:3；腓立比書 1:18。

講到異象——「異象」一詞在聖經中常用以指神向人傳達啟示的通常方式。那是使某個景象如風景般掠過人心目之前，叫人彷彿看見將來某時要發生之事的表像。這詞通常用於預言，舊約中屢見；見我對以賽亞書 1:1 的註釋，並使徒行傳 9:10 的註釋。保羅在此所指的異象，是他蒙准對天上世界所有的看見（哥林多後書 12:4）。他蒙准看見了天上的榮耀——那也許是別的凡人所未曾看見的。

和主的啟示——即主所賜的啟示；或指主向他顯明自己的種種顯現。譯作「啟示」的詞，本義是「揭開」（ἀποκάλυψις apokalupsis，出自 ἀποκαλύπτω apokaluptō，揭開），指無知與黑暗的幕被揭去，使物件得以清楚看見；因此用於所啟示的真理，因為隱晦既除，真理便顯明了。