哥林多後書12:11-22

12:11 我成了愚妄人，是被你們強逼的。我本該被你們稱許才是。我雖算不了甚麼，卻沒有一件事在那些最大的使徒以下。
12:12 我在你們中間，用百般的忍耐，藉著神蹟、奇事、異能顯出使徒的憑據來。
12:13 除了我不累著你們這一件事，你們還有甚麼事不及別的教會呢？這不公之處，求你們饒恕我吧。
12:14 如今，我打算第三次到你們那裡去，也必不累著你們；因我所求的是你們，不是你們的財物。兒女不該為父母積財，父母該為兒女積財。
12:15 我也甘心樂意為你們的靈魂費財費力。難道我越發愛你們，就越發少得你們的愛嗎？
12:16 罷了，我自己並沒有累著你們，你們卻有人說，我是詭詐，用心計牢籠你們。
12:17 我所差到你們那裡去的人，我藉著他們一個人佔過你們的便宜嗎？
12:18 我勸了提多到你們那裡去，又差那位兄弟與他同去。提多佔過你們的便宜嗎？我們行事，不同是一個心靈（或譯：聖靈）嗎？不同是一個腳蹤嗎？
12:19 你們到如今，還想我們是向你們分訴；我們本是在基督裡當上帝面前說話。親愛的弟兄啊，一切的事都是為造就你們。
12:20 我怕我再來的時候，見你們不合我所想望的，你們見我也不合你們所想望的；又怕有紛爭、嫉妒、惱怒、結黨、毀謗、讒言、狂傲、混亂的事。
12:21 且怕我來的時候，我的上帝叫我在你們面前慚愧，又因許多人從前犯罪，行污穢、姦淫、邪蕩的事不肯悔改，我就憂愁。

¹¹ I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. ¹² I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. ¹³ How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
¹⁴ Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵ So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? ¹⁶ Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?
¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. ²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

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    保羅多麼愛哥林多教會，但是們仍然受到許多的惡徒影響，懷疑保羅的使徒職分，懷疑保羅的為人，使得保羅不得不說下這段狠話，讓人讀起來特別難過！

    保羅這樣的血讓牧會過的人，不管是擔任牧者或長執，很有感觸！處理眾人之事，真的是吃力不討好，做好沒有人獎勵，反而遭來怨懟、批評與不諒解。但是，為了上帝的緣故必須忍耐，因為我們是要得上帝的獎賞，不是人得稱讚！

    當然牧會最難的就是執行教會懲戒，做輔導性質的事工，是最看不見果效。因為人免不了還受到罪性的影響，人與人之間會有「紛爭、嫉妒、惱怒、結黨、毀謗、讒言、狂傲、混亂的事」，個人會有「犯罪，行污穢、姦淫、邪蕩的事不肯悔改」。

    做使徒和做傳道人及長執一樣，要去面對這些問題，誰都不想做壞人，但是為了主耶穌的身體之聖潔，就必須做壞人，勇敢的面對！勇敢的禱告和發聲！