4:12 弟兄們,我勸你們要像我一樣,因為我也像你們一樣。你們一點沒有虧負我。
4:13 你們知道我頭一次傳福音給你們,是因為身體有疾病。
4:14 你們為我身體的緣故受試煉,沒有輕看我,也沒有厭棄我,反倒接待我,如同上帝的使者,如同基督耶穌。
My friends, I beg you to be like me, just
as I once tried to be like you. Did you mistreat me when I first preached to
you? No you didn’t, even though you knew I had come there because I was sick. My
illness must have caused you some trouble, but you didn’t hate me or turn me
away because of it. You welcomed me as though I were one of God’s angels or
even Christ Jesus himself.
Hiûng-thi
chí-moi â, ngài khiù ngì-têu, oi chiông sîm pí sîm, chhiong ngài
ngin-thùng ngì-têu yit-yong. Yî-chhièn, ngì-têu m̀-sṳt cho-ko
tui-m̀-hí ngài ke sṳ. Ngì-têu hàn ki-tet mâ? Ngài thèu-yit-pái hi
chhòn fuk-yîm pûn ngì-têu, he yîn-vi ngài pot-phiang só chho-sṳ̀n ke
kî-fi. Sûi-yèn ngài ke phiang sṳ́ ngì-têu su chhin thai ke kháu-ngiam,
chúng-he ngì-têu mò khon-khiâng ngài, ya mò khî-chhie̍t ngài.
Tiên-to, ngì-têu chiap-thai ngài, chhiong chiap-thai Song-ti ke
thiên-sṳ́, chhiong chiap-thai Kî-tuk Yâ-sû yit-yong.
***********
在上帝的恩典之下,保羅的疾病(可能是眼疾),並不影響保羅將福音傳給加拉太人,並且他們反而用更大的愛心接納保羅,「如同上帝的使者,如同基督耶穌」。
這也告訴我們傳福音不一定要身體健壯,反倒是願意謙卑為主所用,反倒是傳福音者該有的要件。所以,不要因為我們不是完美,不夠成熟,或是沒有口才,沒有學歷,沒有見識,就拒絕主的呼召。上帝要用的人,上帝自己會負責使他發揮功能,完成上帝的工作。
也因此,我們要存感謝的心來回應上帝的呼召,祂竟願使用不完美、有缺陷的卑微人,來成就祂偉大的事功!