保罗的成功秘诀
哥林多前书九章1至7节
1我不是自由的么？我不是使徒么？我不是见过我们的主耶稣么？你们不是我在主里面所做之工么？
2假若在别人，我不是使徒，在你们，我总是使徒，因为你们在主里正是我作使徒的印证。
3我对那盘问我的人就是这样分诉：
4难道我们没有权柄靠福音吃喝么？
5难道我们没有权柄娶信主的姊妹为妻，带着一同往来，仿佛其余的使徒和主的弟兄并矶法一样么？
6独有我与巴拿巴没有权柄不做工么？
7有谁当兵自备粮饷呢？有谁栽葡萄园不吃园里的果子呢？有谁牧养牛羊不吃牛羊的奶呢？
信息分享
保罗的使徒权柄，究竟是以甚么作为基础呢？他的事奉那么成功，究竟有甚么秘诀？我们当然很想明白他的成功之道，以此作为我们的借鉴。原来他已在第一节清楚告诉我们了。
保罗说：「我不是见过我们的主耶稣么？」只有亲眼见过和亲身认识基督的人，才有资格成为使徒。保罗至少在三个地方见过基督，分别是在大马色的路上、在哥林多和耶路撒冷。而且还不仅如此，保罗每天都是靠着基督的复活大能而活，每天都与复活的主耶稣同行。
除非我们每天与耶稣基督相交，否则我们不可能作主的工。我们在信主的时候，都曾经遇见过基督，然而，我们必须像保罗在腓立比书三章10节所言的那样，渴慕对复活的基督认识更多。
保罗同时指出，哥林多的信徒能够印证他的事奉(2节)。也许，我们此刻未必能指出自己带领了多少人信主，但将来到了天堂，可能会有人对我们说：「我是因为看见你的见证，或你对我说过的一番话，而开始追求信仰的」，你是否感到很惊讶呢！我们可能很期盼这刻的来临，但此刻最重要的，是我们要时刻与基督保持相交。我们必须以祷告的心来守护这种亲密的相交关系。
祷告：
主啊，愿我每天与你把臂同行。
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.