哥林多後書10:7-18

10:7 你們是看眼前的嗎？倘若有人自信是屬基督的，他要再想想，他如何屬基督，我們也是如何屬基督的。
10:8 主賜給我們權柄，是要造就你們，並不是要敗壞你們；我就是為這權柄稍微誇口，也不至於慚愧。
10:9 我說這話，免得你們以為我寫信是要威嚇你們；
10:10 因為有人說：「他的信又沉重又厲害，及至見面，卻是氣貌不揚，言語粗俗的。」
10:11 這等人當想，我們不在那裡的時候，信上的言語如何，見面的時候，行事也必如何。
10:12 因為我們不敢將自己和那自薦的人同列相比。他們用自己度量自己，用自己比較自己，乃是不通達的。
10:13 我們不願意分外誇口，只要照上帝所量給我們的界限搆到你們那裡。
10:14 我們並非過了自己的界限，好像搆不到你們那裡；因為我們早到你們那裡，傳了基督的福音。
10:15 我們不仗著別人所勞碌的，分外誇口；但指望你們信心增長的時候，所量給我們的界限，就可以因著你們更加開展，
10:16 得以將福音傳到你們以外的地方；並不是在別人界限之內，藉著他現成的事誇口。
10:17 但誇口的，當指著主誇口。
10:18 因為蒙悅納的，不是自己稱許的，乃是主所稱許的。

⁷ You are judging by appearances.^[a] If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. ⁸ So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. ⁹ I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰ For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” ¹¹ Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
¹² We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. ¹³ We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. ¹⁴ We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, ¹⁶ so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. ¹⁷ But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

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    保羅說到自己被論斷的情形，或許是修辭學上故意的描述法，但是也提醒我們，不要在意別人對我們的論斷，因為人的論斷是相對性，是比較性，沒有絕對性的，僅供參考！

    然而我們要對準真正的基準，就是上帝！也惟有上帝才是標準的所在，更何況我們是蒙主揀選成為屬呼主的人，做任何事是要討主的喜悅，不是討人的喜悅！更重要，一切的榮耀應該歸給主，不是歸給我們！也因為如此保羅說：「但誇口的，當指著主誇口。因為蒙悅納的，不是自己稱許的，乃是主所稱許的。」

    所以，我們是奉上帝不要期待人得稱許，也不是要討人的喜悅，是要以上帝給我們的樣式，好好來宣揚福音，服務弟兄姊妹，而不要在乎人的言論與批評，尤其是關乎我們的性格和外表的事情。這些說實在，很難每個人都滿意、都喜歡！