St. Paul expressed fatherly concern for the Corinthians and conveyed his fear that they are being led astray: “For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
Commenting on the phrase “pure virgin” Origen said, “Whence also it would appear wonderful how these, who although corrupted by diverse sins, came to the faith of Christ, all at once are called ‘a pure virgin’; a virgin which is so holy and so pure that she is worthy also to be joined in marriage to Christ.”
He continued: “However, since we cannot refer these things to the chastity of the flesh, it is sure that they refer to the chastity of the soul, whose ‘simplicity of the faith which is in Christ,’ according to the understanding of Paul himself, was called his virginity.”
St. Thomas Aquinas commented: “The Apostle is saying that the Church is like Eve; the devil sometimes attacks her openly by the actions of tyrants and powers, in which case he is ‘like a roaring lion (who) prowls around seeking some one to devour’ (1 Pt 5:8). At other times he molests her in a hidden way through heresies which promise the truth and pretend to be sound — in which case he is like the serpent who seduces in an astute way, promising things he cannot give.”
St. Paul warned the Corinthians against false apostles. He wrote, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Cor 11:13–15)
St. Thomas Aquinas explained the strategy of the devil: “To begin with, he does not suggest obvious evil things to us, but rather something which has the appearance of good, his purpose being to divert a person, however slightly, from his basic resolutions, because once someone has been led away even slightly from his course, it is easier for the devil to draw him towards sin.”
St. Cyril of Jerusalem taught: “Evil apes respectability, and tares do their best to look like wheat, but however close a similarity to wheat they have in appearance their taste completely undeceives the discerning … We therefore need the grace of God, a sober mind and watchful eyes, so as not to eat tares for wheat and come to harm for not knowing better; so as not to mistake the wolf for a sheep and be ravaged; and so as not to take the death-dealing devil for a good angel and be devoured.”
Theodoret of Cyr said, “It is the devil’s custom to imitate the things of God. He sets up false prophets to oppose the true ones and assumes the form of an angel in order to deceive men.”
In Second Corinthians 11:23–29, St. Paul mentioned his hardships and sufferings as an apostle. It is very edifying to see that the evidences St. Paul provided to show his authenticity as a servant of Christ were his hardships and sufferings.
St. Paul wrote, “And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (2 Cor 11:28–29)
St. John Chrysostom commented: “For those other things, although violent, yet both pass quickly by, and brought with them that pleasure which is unfading; but this was what afflicted and straightened him, and pierced his mind through and through; the suffering such things for each one of the weak, whosoever he might be.”
Pope Benedict XVI said, “Indeed, evangelizing action ‘must walk the road Christ himself walked, a way of poverty and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice even to death, a death from which he emerged victorious …’ Yes! The Church is called to serve the humanity of our time by trusting in Jesus alone, by allowing herself to be illumined by his word and imitating him in the generous gift of herself to his brethren. She is an instrument in his hands and therefore does what she can, conscious that the One who does everything is the Lord.”
Your voice matters! Join the conversation by submitting a Letter to the Editor here.
保祿誇耀他軟弱的事
聖保祿以父親般的關懷勸誡格林多教友，並表達他對他們受迷惑的憂慮：「因為我是以天主的妒愛，妒愛你們。原來我已把你們許配給一個丈夫，把你們當作貞潔的童女獻給了基督。但我很怕你們的心意受到敗壞，失去那對基督所有的赤誠和貞潔，就像那蛇以狡猾誘惑了厄娃一樣。」（格後11:2-3）
奧利振評論「貞潔的童女」這句話時說：「真是奇妙！那些曾因各種罪惡而敗壞的人，一旦皈依了基督的信仰，竟都被稱為『貞潔的童女』；這樣的童女是如此聖潔與純潔，以致配得與基督締結婚盟。」
他又補充道：「然而，既然這些話無法應用在肉身的貞潔上，那麼可以確定的是，這裡所指的是靈魂的貞潔。正如保祿所理解的，那是『基督的赤誠』，因此被稱為『他的貞潔』。」
聖多瑪斯．阿奎納如此詮釋：「宗徒認為教會有如厄娃；魔鬼有時以暴力、逼迫等方式公開攻擊教會，這時他就如同『如同咆哮的獅子巡遊，尋找可吞食的人。』（伯前5:8）有時他則暗中藉異端騙取信徒，這些異端貌似真理，卻是假道理，在這情況下，魔鬼就像蛇一樣，以狡猾的話語欺騙人，虛許不能實現的事。」
聖保祿警告格林多人要提防假使徒：「因為這種人是假宗徒，是欺詐的工人，是冒充基督宗徒的。這並不希奇，因為連撒殫也常冒充光明的天使；所以倘若他的僕役也冒充正義的僕役，並不算是大事；他們的結局必與他們的行為相對等。」（格後11:13-15）
聖多瑪斯．阿奎納進一步解釋魔鬼的策略：「他從不一開始就引誘我們去做明顯的惡事，而是讓我們先偏離正道一點點，假借一些看似善的理由，從而逐步引誘人遠離本來的志向，因為只要稍微偏離，魔鬼就更容易把人引入罪惡。」
耶路撒冷的聖濟利祿說道：「惡者常常模仿正直，莠子也盡力模仿麥子，但雖然外貌相似，真正明辨的人一試味道便知真偽…。我們確實需要天主的恩寵、清醒的心志與警覺的眼目，好使我們不會誤把莠子當作麥子而受害；不致錯認狼為羊而被吞噬；更不致將殺人的魔鬼當成善良的天使而遭殘害。」
戴陶鐸（Theodoret of Cyr）說：「魔鬼向來模仿天主的作為。他設立假先知來對抗真先知，並假扮成天使的模樣以欺騙人。」
在格林多後書11章23至29節中，聖保祿提及他身為宗徒所受的苦難與磨難。令人感動的是，保祿以自身的苦難作為他為基督服役真實性的證明。
聖保祿寫道：「除了其餘的事以外，還有我每日的繁務，對眾教會的掛慮。 誰軟弱，我不軟弱呢﹖誰跌倒，我不心焦呢﹖ 」（格後11:28-29）
金口聖若望註解說：「其他的事雖然激烈，卻也迅速過去，並帶來那不會消逝的喜樂；但這種日復一日的內心憂患，才是最深的煎熬，像利劍一般刺透他的心靈 – 只要有一個弱小的兄弟受苦，他便與之同苦。」
教宗本篤十六世說：「福傳的行動『必須走上基督自己所走的道路：那是貧窮與服從的道路，是服務與自我犧牲甚至至死的道路 – 而基督已戰勝了死亡…。』是的！教會被召喚以全然信賴耶穌來服事現代人，讓自己的生命被祂的聖言照亮，並在對弟兄慷慨的奉獻中模仿祂。教會是主手中的工具，而因此竭盡所能，卻深知真正成就一切的是上主。」
Your voice matters! Join the conversation by submitting a Letter to the Editor here.
