| Introduction |
引言 |
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| Well the title of this morning’s sermon is Counseling One Another. |
今天早上我们讲道的内容是 “相互辅导”。 |
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| And you may be thinking, Oh my Pastor Brian, are you saying what I think you’re saying? Are you saying that I should be counseling other people in the church. But I’m not qualified. I don’t have a degree or license to do that! |
也许你现在会在想：布莱恩牧师呀，你所说的真的跟我想的一样吗？你是说我应该辅导教会里的人吗？但我并没有这个资格呀！我没有这方面的学位和执照！ |
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| Or maybe you’re thinking something different. Maybe you’re thinking, I’m okay with counseling others but why would I ever need to receive counseling? I mean, I’m not in a crisis. I don’t struggle with a mental illness. I’m not battling an addiction. Isn’t counseling for those people? |
或者你有不同的想法。也许你在想：我对辅导这个话题并不排斥，但我为什么会需要被辅导呢？我没有什么心理危机，没有心理疾病，没有瘾要戒–––只有有这些问题的那些人才需要辅导，不是吗？ |
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| Or maybe you’re okay with this concept of counseling one another but you’re just having a hard time wrapping your mind around what it actually looks like. All you can think of is going to an office and laying on a couch and spending 50 minutes with a complete stranger. |
或也许你认可相互辅导的这个过程，但是你没办法想象它具体是什么样子的。你想到的可能就是在一个陌生人的办公室里在沙发上花50分钟。 |
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| Well, let me try to address some of those thoughts that you might be having… |
现在让我来讲一讲你们可能有的一些想法。 |
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| To begin with yes, I do believe we should be counseling others in the church. After all, think about what counseling is. Counseling involves a conversation where we help someone who is struggling. So every time someone shares a struggle with us and we listen to them and respond with some sort of guidance, we’re counseling. And it’s true, there will probably be some situations that we’re not fully equipped to speak into. I know there are some situations that I’m not fully equipped to speak into. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have anything to say. As Christians, we have a living relationship with the God of the universe. So we know what it’s like to cry out to Him and receive His help. We know what it’s like to resist temptations and persevere in trials. We know what it’s like to walk in the Spirit, and grow in faith, and live for God’s glory. So the reality is we do have help to give. We may not always feel qualified, but we do have counsel to offer. |
是的，我相信我们在教会里应该互相辅导。我们得想一想，什么是辅导。辅导就是我们在对话中帮助陷在挣扎中的人。因此每当有人跟我们分享他们的挣扎，我们倾听，并给予一些指导，这时我们就是在做咨询。真实的情况是，在某些情况下我们可能没有受过训练就得说些什么。我知道对有些情况我也没有装备完全。但这并不意味着我们什么也不能说。作为基督徒，我们与宇宙创造之神有一种活生生的关系。所以我们知道向祂呼求并得到祂帮助是什么样子。我们知道抵挡诱惑，在试炼中坚忍是什么样子。我们知道行在圣灵中，信心成长，为神的荣耀而活是什么样子。因着这个现实，我们就可以提供帮助。我们不可能感觉自己凡事都有资格说话，但我们还是可以提供辅导。 |
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| And not only do I believe we should counsel others, I believe there are times when all of us need counseling. Now it’s true, many in our culture believe counseling is only needed for certain groups of people. It’s for those people labeled as “broken” or “troubled”. It’s for people who have “messy lives”. But according to Scripture, that’s all of us, isn’t it? Christian, non-Christian. Male, female. Black, white. |
我不仅相信我们应该互相辅导，我也相信我们所有人总有需要被辅导的时候。我们当今社会中许多人相信只有特定的人群才需要辅导，只是那些被打上“破碎的”或“有问题”标签的人才需要辅导，只是那些“生活一团糟”的人才需要辅导。但照圣经的话来说，我们都是那样的人，不是吗？无论是不是基督徒，无论男女，无论肤色。 |
| We’re all broken. We’re all have troubled and messy lives. To put it simply: As sinners and sufferers, we all struggle in this fallen world. And that means we all need help at times. So it may not be today and it may not be tomorrow, but there will be times when we get stuck… or we lose hope… or we feel overwhelmed …or we face some other difficulty. And when we do, rather than that hiding those struggles we should admit them. We should admit them to others and be open to their counsel. |
我们都是破碎的。我们的生活都有烦恼和麻烦。简单地说，作为罪人和受苦的人，我们都在这个堕落的世界里挣扎。这就意味着我们常常需要帮助。也许不在今天也不在明天，但总有些时候我们陷在困境中，或者我们失去盼望，或者我们感觉被压垮，或者我们面对一些困难。当我们处在这些境况下的时候，我们应该承认，而不是隐藏那些挣扎。我们应该向别人承认，并接受别人的辅导。 |
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| And again, you may be wondering how all of this looks practically. And you’re right, sometimes counseling does happen in offices with comfy couches with someone whose had additional training. In fact, that’s what I would refer to as formal counseling. And I believe God calls some of us to that. For instance, we have several lay counselors here at the north campus who do formal counseling. They’ve been trained to meet with people over the course of weeks and months and sometimes even years to help them sort through intense struggles. But that’s not the only kind of counseling that exists. There’s also informal counseling – where we walk with others and minister in the context of our everyday relationships. And that’s something we all have opportunities to do. Whether we’re tucking our kids in at night or talking to a friend on the phone, we can all pursue informal counseling with one another. |
你也许想像不出辅导实际上是什么样子。你是对的，有时候辅导是在专门的办公室里，有着舒适的沙发和训练有素的人员。我称这种为正式的辅导。我也相信神呼召我们中的一些人去做这个。比如，在北堂我们有些平信徒辅导员，在做这种正式的辅导。他们受过训练，对有些人，需要几周、几个月甚至几年的疗程来帮助他们走过极度的挣扎。但这并不是唯一的一种辅导形式。还有非正式的辅导，就是我们在日常的关系中，与别人同行，服侍他们。这是我们每个人都有机会做的。无论我们是晚上在给孩子盖好被子，还是在和朋友通电话，我们都可以进行非正式的互相辅导。 |
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| And so, with all that in mind, here’s the main point I want us to consider this morning. We as the church are called to counsel one another during times of sin and suffering. Again, that’s our main point this morning: We as the church are called to counsel one another during times of sin and suffering. |
了解这个以后，这就是我今天早上想讲的要点：我们作为教会被召互相辅导，无论是在罪中还是在苦难中。再说一遍，我们作为教会被召互相辅导，无论是在罪中还是在苦难中。 |
| And there are lot of places where we see this emphasized in Scripture. But for the sake of time, what we’re going to do is work through our main point by focusing on 3 short passages from the Apostle Paul. |
我们看到圣经多处强调这一点。但因为时间的关系，我们只围绕这个要点讨论使徒保罗的三段经文。 |
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| Outline: |
纲要： |
| We as the church are called to counsel one another. (Ephesians 4:15-16) |
1.我们作为教会被召互相辅导（以弗所书4:15-16） |
| We as the church are called to counsel one another during times of sin. (Galatians 6:1-2) |
2.我们作为教会被召在别人陷在罪中时互相辅导（加拉太书6:1-2） |
| We as the church are called to counsel one another during times of suffering. (2 Corinthians 2:3-4) |
3.我们作为教会被召在苦难中互相辅导（哥林多后书2:3-4） |
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| We as the church are called to counsel one another (Ephesians 4:15-16) |
1.我们作为教会被召互相辅导（以弗所书4:15-16） |
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| First this morning, let’s talk about how we as the church are called to counsel one another. |
我们先来谈谈作为教会我们被召互相辅导。 |
| So if you would turn with me to Ephesians 4:15-16. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul writes, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” |
请跟我一起翻到以弗所书4章15-16节。在圣灵的默示下，保罗写道：“却要在爱中过诚实的生活，在各方面长进，达到基督的身量。他是教会的头， 全身靠着他，藉着每一个关节的支持，照着每部分的功用，配合联系起来，使身体渐渐长大，在爱中建立自己。” |
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| Now at this point in chapter 4 Paul is instructing the church about spiritual growth and maturity. And to help us understand what that looks like, Paul uses the analogy of a child becoming a man. So in the same way a child grows and develops into full manhood, we as the church are grow and develop until we reach maturity. And according Paul, the mature Person that we are growing into is Jesus. So we are to be conformed to His image. We are to take on His character and His conduct. As verse 15 says, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. |
在以弗所书第4章这里，保罗在教导教会关于属灵的成长与成熟。为帮助我们理解，保罗用了孩子长成大人的类比。正如孩子成长发育成大人完全的身量，我们作为教会也在成长发育直到我们臻于成熟。按照保罗的说法，我们要长成的耶稣的身量。所以我们要效法祂的形像，要学习祂的性情和行为。正如15节所说，我们要在各方面长进，达到基督的身量，祂是我们的头。 |
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| And I think there are lot of ways that growth toward Christlikeness can happen. We can grow by reading God’s Word and praying. We can grow through suffering and service and sharing our faith. And of course, we can grow on days like today – where we gather to worship the Lord and hear His Word preached. But we can also grow in in the context of relationships and conversations. And that’s what Paul focuses on here in verse 15. He says, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” And speaking the truth in love is in many ways a concise definition of biblical counseling. When we give biblical counsel, we’re doing those three things in an interpersonal, relational context. We’re speaking with someone. So we’re having a conversation with them– one that involves listening and asking questions and showing concern. And we’re speaking the truth to them. We’re looking for timely opportunities to connect Scripture to their lives and apply the gospel to their hearts. And we’re speaking that truth in love. We’re coming alongside of them in the context of a relationship where we genuinely care for them. |
我认为长成基督的样式是有很多方式的。我们可以读神的话语并祷告。我们可以通过经受苦难、服侍和分享我们的信仰来成长。当然，我们也可以像今天这样聚会敬拜，听讲道这种方式成长。但我们也可以在肢体之间的关系和对话中成长。这是保罗在15节中所关注的。他说：“却要在爱中过诚实的生活，在各方面长进，达到基督的身量，祂是教会的头。”当我们在做圣经辅导的时候，我们就是在关系中做那三件事。我们跟人说话，所以是在对话中，我们倾听，提问，表示关心。我们也向他们说诚实话。我们寻找适时的机会把他们的生活与圣经联系起来，把福音应用到他们心中。我们用爱心说真理。我们在爱的关系中真心地关心他们，与他们并肩同行。 |
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| A couple weeks ago I had a really challenging week. It was one of those weeks were every conversation was hard and every decision was difficult. And by the end of that week I was just…drained… and weary… and done. And I was actually about to head home for the day and ended up passing by a staff member in the hallway. And you know, we did the typical thing…“Hey, good to see you…How are you doing?…” And I just decided to be honest with him. So I said, “You know, I’m tired. It’s been a really long week. And I’ve just been dealing with some really complex situations.” And he asked a few questions. And we talked for a couple minutes. And then I figured it was time to wrap up the conversation so I said, “Hey I gotta get going, but pray for me.” And I actually started to walk away when he said “hold on Brian, I want to tell you something…” He said, “I will pray for you, but I want to share with you how I’m going to pray.” And in next few moments you know what he did? He counseled me. He spoke the truth in love. He helped me to get a biblical perspective on my situation. Now it doesn’t always happen right in the middle of the hallway but that’s what informal counseling can look like. Again, counseling is relational… it’s conversational… it’s speaking the truth in love. |
几个星期前，我经历了非常具有挑战性的一周。每一次谈话都很艰难，每一个决定都很困难。到那个星期结束的时候，我只是......精疲力尽......疲惫......完了。我那天正要回家，这时走道里走过一名工作人员。而且你知道，我们如往常一样寒暄......“嘿，很高兴见到你......你好吗？......”我决定对他说实话。所以我说，“你知道，我累了。这是一个非常漫长的一周。我刚刚处理了一些非常复杂的情况。“他问了几个问题。我们谈了几分钟。然后我觉得是时候结束谈话了，所以我说，“嘿，我得走了，但为我祈祷。”我真的开始走开了，这时他说，“挺住，布莱恩，我想告诉你一些事情时，......“他说，”我会为你祈祷，但我想与你分享我将如何祈祷。“在接下来的几分钟，你知道他做了什么？他辅导我。他用爱心说真理。他帮我从圣经的角度看待我的情况。这并不总是发生在走廊里，但这就是非正式辅导的样子。再一次，咨询是关系性的...它是对话性的...它用爱心说真理。 |
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| And here’s the thing. That is something that all of us get to be involved with. So speaking the truth in love is not just for just pastors or leaders or professional counselors - it’s for everyone. That’s why Paul says, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” The “we” Paul addresses in verse 15 is the same “we” he’s been addressing throughout chapter 4. It’s all of us. It’s the church. As Paul goes on to share in verse 16, every part of the body contributes to its overall growth. So we’re all called to help each other grow up. We’re called to speak the truth in love. We’re are all called to counsel one another. |
这就是要点。这是我们所有人都可以参与其中的事情。所以用爱心说真理的不仅仅是牧师，领导或专业辅导人员 - 而是每个人。这就是为什么保罗说：“却要在爱中过诚实的生活，在各方面长进，达到基督的身量，他是教会的头。”第15节中保罗所说的“我们”是他写信的对象，一直贯穿整个第4章。这是指我们所有人，就是教会。正如保罗在第16节中所说的那样，身体的每个部分都促使其整体成长。所以我们都被召帮助彼此成长。我们被要求在爱中说真理。我们都被要求互相辅导。 |
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| We as the church are called to counsel one another during times of sin (Galatians 6:1-2) |
2.我们作为教会被召在别人陷在罪中的时候互相辅导（加拉太书6:1-2） |
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| All right, so we know that we as the church are called to counsel one another. Second, this morning, let’s talk about how we as the church are called to counsel one another during times of sin. So if you would, please go ahead and turn to Galatians 6:1-2. Beginning in verse 1 Paul writes, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” |
好，所以我们现在知道了我们作为教会被召互相辅导。其次，今天早上，让我们谈谈我们如何作为教会被召互相辅导从过犯中走出来。请翻到加拉太书6章1-2节。从第1节开始，保罗写道：“弟兄们，如果有人陷在一些过犯里，你们属灵的人，要用温柔的心使他回转过来，自己却要小心，免得也被引诱。 2 你们各人的重担要互相担当，这样就成全了基督的律法。” |
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| In this passage Paul gives instruction on how to minister to those who are “caught in a transgression”. And being “caught in a transgression” has the idea of being overtaken or entrapped in sin. And the reality is that could happen to any of us. Because our hearts are so prone to temptation and deception, we can all go down a sinful path and get stuck unexpectedly. That’s probably why Paul says, “If anyone is caught in any transgression…”. He knows that anyone of us could get caught by any number of sins. So this passage isn’t just addressing new Christians or immature Christians. It’s addressing all of us. We’re all prone to wander. We all need help at times. |
在这段经文中保罗教导如何帮助那些“陷在一些过犯里”的人。“陷在过犯里”指的是被罪胜过或被罪引诱。这种现实可以发生在我们任何人身上。因为我们的心很容易陷于诱惑和欺骗。我们都会顺着罪的道路走下去，然后出其不意地被陷在里面。这可能就是保罗为什么说“如果有人陷在一些过犯里”他知道我们任何一个都会陷在罪里。所以这段经文不是单单说给新基督徒或不成熟的基督徒听，而是说给我们所有人听。我们都可能迷失，都有需要帮助的时候。 |
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| And notice who Paul calls on to provide that help. The very first word in verse 1 is “brothers” – a term referring to male believers that often applies to all believers – male and female. That’s who Paul is saying can help. That’s who Paul is calling on. He’s saying anyone within that spiritual family – anyone who is a spiritual brother or sister can help that person who is caught in sin. And sometimes we wonder about this, don’t we? We think, but I’m not a pastor. I’m not a leader. Or as mentioned before - I don’t have a degree – I’m not licensed for this. But think about what you do have. You have the Holy Spirit. You have God’s indwelling presence leading and guiding you. In fact, that’s what Paul just finished emphasizing in chapter 5. He talked about how we as believers walk by the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit and live by the Spirit. In other words, it’s the Holy Spirit who enables and empowers us to ministry. That’s why here in chapter 6:1, Paul says you who are spiritual are to help this person. So when we see a brother or sister caught in sin, we don’t have to wait on someone else. As people of the Spirit, we can go. As people of the Spirit, we can help. |
请注意保罗在呼吁谁来提供帮助。第1节的第一个词是“弟兄们”——指称男性信徒，而常常用于所有信徒——包括男性和女性。这就是保罗所说的谁能帮助，也是保罗呼吁的对象。他在呼吁属灵家庭中的所有人——任何一位属灵的弟兄或姐妹都可以帮助一个陷在罪中的人。我们时常对此觉得困惑，不是吗？我们想，我不是牧师，我不是领导。或者正如前面说过的，我没有神学学位，我没有资质。但你要想想你拥有什么。你有圣灵。你有神的内驻临在，祂在带领引导你。事实上，这正是保罗刚刚在加拉太书第5章中强调的。他说我们作为信徒与圣灵同行，结圣灵的果子，靠圣灵而活。换句话说，是圣灵赐予我们能力去服侍。然后就是这里6章1节中保罗说你们属灵的人，要去帮助这样的人。所以当我们看到弟兄或姐妹陷在罪中，我们不用去等别人。作为属灵的人，我们能去。作为属灵的人，我们能帮。 |
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| And notice what this help looks like. Paul says you who are spiritual should restore the person who is caught in sin. And the word “restore” has the idea of putting something back in order that was out of place. For example, that term was used in medicine to describe the setting of broken bone or a dislocated joint. So to restore a brother or sister means to put matters in order. It means to help them return to fellowship with God and others. And that’s really a beautiful picture of counseling, isn’t it? You see, counseling is not just going to someone caught in sin and telling them to stop it. It’s not just a quick transaction where you speak the truth and walk away. No, it’s relational and conversational. It’s walking with someone as we speak the truth in love. It’s carefully ministering the Word in such a way that they can be restored to God and others. And so, it’s no surprise that Paul talks about restoring that person in a spirit of gentleness. When we go to restore someone, we do so with a heart of compassion. After all, we know what it’s like to be caught in sin. And not only do we go in a spirit of gentleness but we go with the intention to bear their burdens as we see in verse 2. That means were willing to get involved in the difficulties caused by their sin. That means were willing to be affected by some of the mess their sin has created. |
也请注意这帮助看起来是什么样子。保罗说你们属灵的人应该帮助陷在罪中的人回转。“回转”这个词的意思是一个东西偏离了，现在把它放回原来的位置。例如，这个词用在医学里描述骨折或脱臼的复原。让一位弟兄或姐妹复原意思是恢复秩序，也就是让他们恢复与神及其他信徒的团契关系。而这正是辅导的美好图景，不是吗？你看，辅导不是仅仅去找某些陷在罪中的人叫他们停止。也不是仅仅去说一下真理就走开的一锤子买卖。不，它完全是关系和对话。它是与他们同行，用爱心说真理。它是用心地用神的话语来服侍，让他们能回转到神和其他信徒中间来。因此，保罗谈到以温柔的心让这个人回转也就不足为奇了。当我们要让某人回转时，我们会以同情的心去做。毕竟，我们知道陷在罪中的感觉。我们不仅要本着温柔的精神去，而且如我们在第2节所看到的那样，我们有意承担他们的重担。这意味着愿意卷入他们的罪所造成的困难。这意味着他们愿意受到他们的罪所造成的一些混乱的影响。 |
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| And so let me ask you, are you willing to go and help someone when they’re caught in a transgression? Are you willing to counsel one another during times of sin? You know, just a moment ago I mentioned that the word “restore” was used in medicine to talk about setting a broken bone. Well imagine later this week you’re out on a trail hiking and you come across someone with a broken bone. What would you do in that moment? Would you just keep going and ignore you saw it? Would you call a friend and start gossiping about what you saw? (“John, you will not believe what I just saw. There was this guy on the trail today and his bone was just hanging off his arm. It was so nasty!”). Would you walk up to that person and start condemning them for having a broken bone? (“Man, that looks horrible. You must have done something really stupid!” )No, you wouldn’t do any of those things. You would go and help them. Even if you weren’t able to reset the bone you would do everything you could. Brother and sisters, we’re all going to be in this situation spiritually at various times during our walk with Christ. So let’s be the church. Let’s go and help. Let’s counsel one another during times of sin. |
所以，让我问你，你是否愿意在别人陷入过犯中时去帮助他们？你是否愿意在罪中互相辅导？你知道，就在刚才我提到“回转”这个词在医学中被用来指骨折复原。好想象一下，本周晚些时候你会出去徒步旅行，然后遇到一个骨头摔断的人。那一刻你会做什么？你会继续前进而当作没看到吗？你会打电话给朋友，开始闲聊你所看到的吗？ （“约翰，你不会相信我刚刚看到的。今天这家伙在路上，他的骨头断了挂在他的胳膊上。真是太讨厌了！”）。你会走向那个人并开始谴责他们骨折吗？ （“伙计，这看起来很可怕。你一定做了一些非常愚蠢的事情！”）不，你不会做任何这些事情。你会去帮助他们。即使你不会接骨，你也可以尽一切努力。弟兄姐妹们，在我们与基督同行的过程中，我们都会在不同的时刻在属灵上处于这种境地。让我们成为教会吧。我们去帮助吧。在罪中我们互相辅导。 |
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| We as the church are called to counsel one another during times of suffering. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) |
3.我们作为教会被召在苦难中互相辅导（哥林多后书2:3-4） |
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| Well so far we’ve talked about how we as the church are called to counsel one another and we’re called to do that during times of sin. As we finish this morning, let’s talk about how we as the church are called to counsel one another during times of suffering. And to help us see this let’s together at what Paul has to say in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. Paul writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” |
好，现在我们已经谈了我们如何作为教会被召互相辅导，我们也被如有辅导陷在罪中的弟兄或姐妹。接下来我们谈谈我们作为教会被召在苦难中互相辅导。为了看到这个，让我们一起来看保罗在哥林多后书1章3-4节中怎么说。保罗写道：“我们主耶稣基督的父 神是应当称颂的。他是满有怜悯的父，赐各样安慰的 神。 我们在一切患难中，神都安慰我们，使我们能用他所赐的安慰，去安慰那些在各样患难中的人。” |
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| Well at this point in his ministry, Paul had gone through quite a bit of suffering. According to chapter 11, he had been stoned, beaten, and shipwrecked. He experienced danger, sleepless nights, and exposure. And among other things, he wrestled with anxiety as he faced the pressure of serving so many churches. And sadly, instead of sympathizing with Paul in his sufferings, the Corinthians questioned him. In fact, the more they saw Paul’s suffering and weakness, the more they questioned his leadership and role as an apostle. And so one of Paul’s goals in here 2 Corinthians is to help them understand suffering from God’s perspective. He wants them to see that suffering is not only part of God’s plan for him but it’s a part of God’s plan for them. And so in verses 3-4, Paul begins by focusing on God’s comfort and how that relates to their suffering. |
在保罗写这封信的时候，他已经在宣教事工中，经历了不少磨难。根据11章，他被扔石头、被鞭打、船难。他经历了危险、无眠之夜和赤身露体。不仅如此，因他面对着服侍众多教会的压力，他要和焦虑争战。可悲的是，哥林多教会的人不是同情苦难中的保罗，而是质疑他。事实上，他们越是看到保罗的苦难和软弱，他们就越是质疑他的领导力和使徒身份。写哥林多后书的目的之一就是帮助他们从神的视角理解苦难。他们希望他们这些苦难不仅是神对他的计划的一部分，也是对他们的计划的一部分。所以在3-4节，保罗开始聚焦于神的安慰以及这与他们的苦难如何相关。 |
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| And the word “comfort” there is not what we typically think of. When we think about comfort we envision ourselves laying on a beach or sipping hot chocolate or getting cozy by a fireplace. So we associate comfort with having an easy life or feeling relief or being pain free. But here in 2 Corinthians, “comfort” has a different meaning. It means to encourage or strengthen. So when we’re comforted it causes us to take heart and persevere. It gives us the resolve to face hard times and to suffer well. And one of the reasons Paul praises God in verse 3 is because he has personally experienced that kind of comfort. |
“安慰”这个词不是我们通常所想的意思。当我们想到安慰时，我们会想像到我们自己躺在沙滩上，或呷着热巧克力，或在壁炉边取暖。所以我们把安慰和舒适的生活，惬意的感觉，或远离苦痛联系起来。但在哥林多后书，“安慰”有别的意思。它指的是鼓励或助力。所以当我们被安慰时我们就坚强起来，坚持下去。它给我们决心面对艰难和痛苦。保罗在第3节中赞美神的理由之一是因为他亲身体验了那种安慰。 |
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| For instance, consider what happened with Paul’s thorn in the flesh. According to chapter 12, Paul asked God three times to remove that thorn. So clearly Paul was looking for relief. But God didn’t give him relief, did he? No, God gave him something better. He gave Paul comfort – He strengthened Paul and encouraged him. He did that by reminding Paul that His grace was sufficient and His power would be made perfect in Paul’s weakness. And that comfort actually changed the way Paul faced his suffering. After he was comforted, Paul started boasting about his weakness. He became content with his hardships and persecutions and calamities. |
例如，想一想保罗身上的那根刺。根据第12章，保罗三次求神去掉那根刺。显然保罗巴不得脱离这痛苦。但神没有应允，不是吗？神给了他更好的。祂给了保罗安慰，祂赐保罗力量并鼓励他。祂提醒保罗说祂的恩典够用，祂的力量要在保罗的软弱上显得完全。而这安慰也确实改变了保罗面对苦难的方式。在他得安慰之后，保罗开始夸耀自己的软弱。他满足于自己遭受的艰苦、逼迫和灾难。 |
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| And brothers and sisters, that kind of comfort is not just for Paul – it’s for us as well. It’s something that God promises every one of His children. That’s why Paul says in verse four that God comforts us in all our affliction. So maybe you’re struggling with a broken relationship right now. Or maybe you’re under a lot of financial burden. Or maybe you’re wrestling with the decisions that your adult children are making. Well those afflictions are real. They’re painful. And they’re hard. And it’s okay to ask God to remove them. But know this, if God chooses not to remove your affliction, He will comfort you in it. He’s committed to giving you the strength and encouragement you need to persevere and suffer well. In fact, He promises it. He promises to comfort you in all of your affliction. |
弟兄姐妹们，这种安慰不仅仅是给保罗的，也是给我们的。这是神应许给祂的每一个儿女的。这就是为什么保罗在第4节中说神在我们的患难中安慰我们。所以也许你们现在正在破裂的关系中苦苦挣扎，或者也许你们在经济重压之下，或者也许你们和成年孩子所做决定之间有什么冲突。这些患难都是真实的。它们真的很痛，很难熬。祈求神去掉它们是情有可原的。祂会在其中安慰你们。祂承诺要给你所需要的力量和勇气去好好地坚持和受苦。是的，祂应许了。祂应许要在你所有的患难中安慰你。 |
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| But there’s something else you need to know about God’s comfort. When we receive God’s comfort, it’s meant to be passed on. In other words, it’s meant to extend beyond ourselves to others in the body of Christ. As Paul says in verse 4, God “comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction…” And here again, we have another compelling picture of counseling one another. Notice how it works. God meets us in our affliction by giving us comfort. So He encourages us and strengthens us and gives us fresh resolve. And as a result, we’re now equipped and ready and in a position to comfort others. So what do we do? We take that very comfort that we received and share it with others. We go from being comforted to being comforters! |
但关于神的安慰你需要知道更进一步。当我们接受神的安慰，就意味着要把它传递下去。换句话说，我们要在基督的身体中推己及人。正如保罗在第4节中说，“我们在一切患难中，神都安慰我们，使我们能用他所赐的安慰，去安慰那些在各样患难中的人……”再一次，我们看到互相辅导的另一幅引人入胜的图景。请注意它是怎么工作的。神在我们的患难中与我们相会，给我们安慰。因此祂鼓励我们，赐我们力量，给我们决心毅力。结果我们受装备，得预备，可以去安慰别人。所以我们要怎么做？我们接受我们所得到的安慰，与他人分享。我们从受安慰者变成了安慰者。 |
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| And again, this work of counseling one another during times of suffering isn’t just relegated to pastors or those who somehow “specialize” in giving comfort. It involves all of us. After all, as believers we all know what it is to suffer and to be comforted. In fact, just think about some of the ways God has worked in your life. Some of you here have faced significant trauma in your past. And there was a time where it shook your identity to the core. But now you are resting in the reality that Jesus Christ defines you – that what He says about you is what’s true. Well that’s a comfort that you can pass on. Others of you have battled with severe anxiety. So when trouble comes you instinct is toward fight or flight or freeze. But by God’s grace, you’ve found some ways to cry out to God and ask for His help. And you’re beginning to experience Him as your refuge. That’s a comfort that you can pass on. And yet others of you are a facing a serious illness like chronic pain or MS or cancer. And it’s hard because you used to be able to do that you can’t do anymore. And yet, you find that your faith is being strengthened and your hope is being deepened and your joy is being nourished. You’ve come to know firsthand what it means when Paul says “though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (cf. 4:16b). That’s a comfort you can pass on. |
我再说一次，这患难中互相辅导的工作不是被抛给牧师或别的“专业人士”来提供安慰。我们每个人都有份。毕竟，作为信徒我们都受过苦难也得过安慰。事实上，请你想想神在你生命中如何作工。你们当中有些人过去遭受了极大的创伤。有时它会撼动你身份认同的核心。但现在你安息在耶稣基督赐给你的现实中，就是祂所说关于你的话都是真实的。这就是你能传递下去的安慰。你们另有些人与严重的焦虑争战。所以当麻烦来临时你的本能是要么战斗要么逃跑要么僵住不知所措。但凭着神的恩典，你找到一些方式向神呼求，祈求祂的帮助。然后你开始体会到祂是你的庇护所。这就是你能传递下去的安慰。你们中还有些人则面临着慢性疼痛或多发性硬化或癌症等严重疾病。这很难，因为你曾经能够做的你不能再做了。然而，你发现你的信心正在得到加强，你的希望正在加深，你的喜乐也得到了滋养。当保罗说“我们外面的人虽然渐渐朽坏，但里面的人却日日更新”（参见哥林多后书4：16b）时，你已经直接了解它意味着什么。这也是你可以传递的一种安慰。 |
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| Again, brothers and sisters, God is working in every single one of our lives. And He promises to comfort us. But He doesn’t want His work to end there. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. He comforts us because we as the church are called to counsel one another during times of suffering. |
弟兄姐妹们，神在我们每一个人的生命中作工。祂应许要安慰我们。但祂不希望祂的工作就停止不前。神安慰我们，为要我们能够安慰别人。祂安慰我们因为我们作为被召在苦难中互相辅导。 |
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| Application and Conclusion |
应用与结语 |
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| How do we respond to this reality that we as the church are called to counsel one another during times of sin and suffering? Well as elders and staff, this is something we’ve been talking a lot about. And as we talked, we realized this isn’t something we just want to tackle through one sermon. We want to embrace and pursue this calling over the long-haul. We want to see counseling one another become part of our culture. And so God put it on our hearts to make Counseling One Another an emphasis here at this north campus this coming ministry year. So similar to last year’s Befriending Initiative, this year we’re launching a Counseling One Another Initiative. And our prayer is that you would get involved. In fact, we want to encourage every single one of you to do two things. |
我们如何应对这一现实，即在罪中和苦难中，我们作为教会被召互相辅导？作为长老和教会员工，这是我们一直在谈论的事情。正如我们所说，我们意识到这不是我们只想通过一篇讲道来解决的问题。我们想要长期拥抱和追求这种呼召。我们希望看到互相辅导成为我们文化的一部分。因此，在接下来的一年里，上帝在这个北堂强调了这一点。与去年的交友总动员活动类似，今年我们推出了一项互相辅导总动员。我们的祈祷是你会参与其中。事实上，我们希望鼓励你们中的每一个人做两件事。 |
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| First, we encourage you to develop meaningful relationships with each other. |
首先，我们鼓励你们彼此之间发展有意义的关系 |
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| I’m talking about the kind of relationships where you feel comfortable admitting your struggles and sharing what’s on your heart. I’m talking about the kind of relationships where there’s mutual care for one another and loving counsel is exchanged. And we recognize those relationships can be hard to find – especially in a church our size - but there are ways to find them. You can find meaningful relationships through a Sunday School class or Titus 2 mentoring. You can find meaningful relationships by going on a short-term missions trip or joining a service team. You can also find meaningful relationships by participating in a small group. In fact, on Sunday August 25th after second service we have something called Small Group Connect where you can meet with small group leaders and find a group that fits you. |
我所说的这种关系是你能够放心地承认你的挣扎，分享你的真心感受。我所说的这种关系是彼此关心，彼此交换爱的辅导。我们认识到那种关系可能很难找，特别是在我们这种规模的教会，但还是有办法可以找到。你们可以通过主日学或“提多书2”导师来建立这种关系。你们可以通过参加短期宣教之旅或加入一个事工团队来与组员建立这种关系。你们也可以通过参加一个家庭小组来发展这种关系。事实上，在8月25日周日在第二场敬拜结束后我们有一个小组联结活动，你在那里可以与小组长们谈谈，找一个适合你的小组。 |
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| And this fall, we’re going to be doing something really exciting in our small groups. As part of our Counseling One Another initiative, we’re going to be studying a book by Ed Welch called Side by Side. |
在这个秋季，我们要在我们的小组中做一些振奋人心的事。作为互相辅导总动员活动的一部分，我们要学习爱德华·韦尔奇写的一本书《肩并肩》。 |
| It’s a short, practical, helpful book and it’s all about developing meaningful relationships. In fact, we believe it’s so helpful that we’re going to provide everyone in small groups with a free book and a free study guide. So if you’re not part of a small group, now is a great time to get plugged in. It’s a great way to develop meaningful relationships. |
这本书简短、实际，很有帮助，说的都是如何发展有意义的关系。实际上，我们相信这本书是如此有帮助，我们决定给小组里的每个人提供一本书和一本学习指南。所以，如果你还不是小组的一员，现在就是一个极好的机会加入。这是极好的机会来发展有意义的关系。 |
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| And then second, we encourage you to get equipped to counsel one another. |
其次，我们鼓励你们接受装备来互相辅导 |
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| You know, several years ago, God called me to be a father. And once that happened, I started reading books and I met with older men and I did everything I could to get equipped for that role. A few years later, God called me to be a pastor. And once that happened, I went to seminary and I took classes and I did everything I could to get equipped for that role. Well in the same way, because we’ve been called to counsel one another, we want to pursue ways to get equipped for that role. |
你们知道，几年前，神呼召我作一个父亲。一旦那发生之后，我开始阅读相关书籍，和老一辈交谈，尽我一切所能装备自己作一个好爸爸。几年后，神呼召我作一个牧师。一旦那发生，我去上神学院，学习课程，尽我一切所能装备自己做一个牧师。同样的，因为我们被召互相辅导，我们要受装备作好这个工作。 |
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| And so to help you with that we’re going to be offering 5 Counseling One Another seminars throughout the upcoming ministry year. We’re going to have seminars that focus on topics such as Getting to the Heart and Helping Others Change and Ministering to the Sexually Broken. And these seminars were designed with every member in mind. So whether you’re just getting started in relational ministry or you’re looking for some more tools, we believe these seminars will be helpful to you. We’ve also tried to make these seminars as accessible as possible. So you don’t have to go offsite. You don’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars. You can just come right here on a Saturday from 8am-4pm. And we’ll get into the Word and we’ll interact in small groups and we’ll enjoy a Chick-Fil-A and we’ll learn how to counsel one another. Now all the details for these seminars can be found on the bulletin insert that you received when you came in today. So I would encourage you to check that out and go to the website where you can register or get more information. |
为了帮助你们受装备，我们将在接下来这个年度提供5次互相辅导研讨班。我们的研讨班重点关注的话题比如，如何得人心、如何帮助他人做出改变、如何服侍性虐受害者等等。这些研讨班是面对所有会员而设计。所以无论你是刚刚开始关系事工或是在寻找更多工具，我们相信这些研讨班都对你有帮助。我们尽力创造方便的机会让大家都能上这些研讨班。你不必到别的地方去找，也不必花几百美元的学费。你只要周六上午8点到下午4点来北堂来。我们来深入神的话语，有小组互动，还可以享用美味的福来鸡，我们来学习如何互相辅导。所有这些关于研讨班的内容你都可以在你今天拿到的程序表中看到。所以我要鼓励你们仔细看看，上网登记或查看更多信息。 |
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| Well brothers and sisters, I’m really grateful for our time together this morning. And I’m really excited to see how God works through our Counseling One Another Initiative. So let’s pray and ask the Lord for His help in the days ahead. |
好的，弟兄姐妹们，我很感谢早上和大家在一起的时间。我真的很兴奋地期待神透过我们的互相辅导总动员作工。所以，让我们来祷告，求主的帮助。 |
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| Closing Prayer |
结束祷告 |
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