保羅的成功祕訣
哥林多前書九章1至7節
1我不是自由的麼？我不是使徒麼？我不是見過我們的主耶穌麼？你們不是我在主裡面所做之工麼？
2假若在別人，我不是使徒，在你們，我總是使徒，因為你們在主裡正是我作使徒的印證。
3我對那盤問我的人就是這樣分訴：
4難道我們沒有權柄靠福音吃喝麼？
5難道我們沒有權柄娶信主的姊妹為妻，帶著一同往來，彷彿其餘的使徒和主的弟兄並磯法一樣麼？
6獨有我與巴拿巴沒有權柄不做工麼？
7有誰當兵自備糧餉呢？有誰栽葡萄園不吃園裡的果子呢？有誰牧養牛羊不吃牛羊的奶呢？
信息分享
保羅的使徒權柄，究竟是以甚麼作為基礎呢？他的事奉那麼成功，究竟有甚麼祕訣？我們當然很想明白他的成功之道，以此作為我們的借鑒。原來他已在第一節清楚告訴我們了。
保羅說：「我不是見過我們的主耶穌麼？」只有親眼見過和親身認識基督的人，才有資格成為使徒。保羅至少在三個地方見過基督，分別是在大馬色的路上、在哥林多和耶路撒冷。而且還不僅如此，保羅每天都是靠著基督的復活大能而活，每天都與復活的主耶穌同行。
除非我們每天與耶穌基督相交，否則我們不可能作主的工。我們在信主的時候，都曾經遇見過基督，然而，我們必須像保羅在腓立比書三章10節所言的那樣，渴慕對復活的基督認識更多。
保羅同時指出，哥林多的信徒能夠印證他的事奉(2節)。也許，我們此刻未必能指出自己帶領了多少人信主，但將來到了天堂，可能會有人對我們說：「我是因為看見你的見證，或你對我說過的一番話，而開始追求信仰的」，你是否感到很驚訝呢！我們可能很期盼這刻的來臨，但此刻最重要的，是我們要時刻與基督保持相交。我們必須以禱告的心來守護這種親密的相交關係。
禱告：
主啊，願我每天與你把臂同行。
PAUL'S SECRET OF SUCCESS
1 Corinthians 9:1-7
1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this:
4 Do we have no right to eat and drink?
5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?
7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
Message
What was Paul's authority as an apostle? What was the secret of his successful ministry? Surely we want to know this for ourselves. It is clearly written down for us in the first verse.
Paul says, 'I have seen Jesus our Lord'. An apostle was one who had seen and known Christ. There were at least three occasions on which Paul had seen Christ. On the road to Damascus, in Corinth and in Jerusalem. But that wasn't all. Paul lived on the resurrection side of the cross and knew personally and daily the power and companionship of the risen Christ in his own life.
No-one can ever be what he should be without daily contact with Jesus Christ. We meet him first in salvation, but we need to have Paul's great continuing ambition found in Philippians 3:10 'That I may know him more and more'.
Paul also said the fact that there were Christians in Corinth was living proof of his ministry (v.2). It may be that we ourselves cannot point to many whom we have led to Christ. But we may be- surprised when we get to heaven. It could well be that some will say, 'It was your life or what you' said that made me start on the road'. That would be wonderful, wouldn't it? But it all begins in our lives, with our daily hourly contact with Christ. Let us always guard that prayerfully and carefully.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord may I live today in touch with you.