林后五9　　所以我们也怀着雄心大志，无论是在家，或是离家，都要讨主的喜悦。

　　14~16　　原来基督的爱困迫我们，因我们断定：一人既替众人死，众人就都死了；并且祂替众人死，是叫那些活着的人，不再向自己活，乃向那替他们死而复活者活。

　　保罗在林后五章十五节为什么说向主活，而不说凭主活、为主活或与主同活？要回答这个问题，我们读加拉太二章十九节会有帮助。那里说，“我借着律法，已经向律法死了，叫我可以向神活着。”“向神活着”这句话很难解释，但其中的含意却很丰富。…向律法活着，就是说我们在律法之下，受律法指引、管理，有履行律法的责任。向神活着，或说向主活着，就是说我们在主的指引、管制之下，愿意满足祂的要求，满足祂的渴望，完成祂所定意要作的。

　　世人向自己活，但基督的爱困迫我们，叫我们不向自己活，乃向祂活。向自己活，就是受自己的控制、指引与管理，关心自己的目的和目标。这不仅是为自己活，也是向自己活。但已经成熟、预备好可以被提的使徒们，只有一个雄心大志，就是要向主活，以讨主喜悦。他们完全服在主的指引、管制并管理之下；他们所作的每一件事，都是要实现主的定旨和愿望。他们既是这样的人，就不向律法、自己、或主以外的任何事物活着。（哥林多后书生命读经，一三四至一三五页。）

　　2 Cor. 5:9 Therefore also we are determined, whether at home or abroad, to gain the honor of being well pleasing to Him.

　　14-15 For the love of Christ constrains us because we have judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all that those who live may no longer live to themselves but to Him who died for them and has been raised.

　　Why in 2 Corinthians 5:15 does Paul speak of living to the Lord and not living by Him, for Him, or with Him? To answer this question, it will be helpful to read Galatians 2:19: “For I through law have died to law that I might live to God.” Although the phrase live to God is difficult to define, it is rich in its implications….To live to the law means that we are under the law, directed by the law, governed by the law, and have the responsibility to fulfill the law. To live to God, or to the Lord, means that we are under the Lord’s direction and control and that we want to fulfill His requirements, satisfy His desires, and complete what He intends.

　　Worldly people live to themselves. But the love of Christ constrains us to live to Him and not to ourselves. To live to ourselves means that we are under our own control, direction, and governing and that we care for our own aims and goals. This is to live not only for ourselves; it is to live to ourselves. But the apostles, who were ripe and ready for rapture, had the single ambition of pleasing the Lord by living to Him. They were absolutely under the Lord. They were under His direction, control, and governing. Everything they did was to fulfill the Lord’s purpose and desire. As such persons, they did not live to the law, to themselves, or to anything other than the Lord. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 117)

　　保罗并不向自己或向他的主人基督以外的任何事活着。他一直操练作讨主喜悦的事。他与那些犹太拉比大不相同，他们是向律法活着，所作所行都是向着律法。保罗是个成熟、预备好被提的人，他唯一的目标是要讨他主人的喜悦，就是他所等候要来的那位。保罗不是作什么工以讨主的喜悦，他乃是在日常生活的每一方面都向主活，以讨主的喜悦。照样，我们今天也不该讨自己的喜悦，乃该向主活，以讨主的喜悦。我们所作的一切，都必须是向祂作的。这是林后五章这一段最紧要的事。

　　保罗在林后五章十四节解释说，“原来基督的爱困迫我们，因我们断定：一人既替众人死，众人就都死了。”基督对我们的爱，借着祂在十字架上为我们受死，已经显明出来。（加二20。）这爱困迫我们。困迫，原文意，从各面压逼，逼到一边，强加限制，在某种界限内限于一个目标，限于一条线和一个目的（如同在有墙的窄路上）。…使徒乃是这样地为基督的爱所困迫，而向祂活着。…“断定”就是下了结论（也许是在悔改相信时）。保罗下结论说，一人既替众人死，众人就都死了。基督那爱的死，乃是使徒受困迫，为基督活出爱之生活的原动力。基督既替我们死，为我们众人受了死的刑罚，我们众人在神眼中就都死了。因此，我们无需按着定命而死，而面对审判。（来九27。）

　　基督替众人死，是叫我们不再向自己活，乃向祂活。基督的死不仅救我们脱离死，使我们免于死，更借着祂的复活，使我们不再向自己活，乃向祂活。（哥林多后书生命读经，一三五、一三八页。）

　　参读：一个在灵里之人的自传，第六章；神圣启示的中心路线，第一篇。

　　Paul did not live to himself or to anything other than his Master, Christ. He was always exercised to do what would please the Lord. He was very different from the rabbis who lived to the law and did everything with a view to the law. As one who was mature, ripe, and ready for the rapture, Paul’s only aim was to please his Master, the very One whose coming he was awaiting. Paul sought to please the Lord not by doing a work, but by living to Him in every aspect of his daily life. Likewise, we today should not seek to please ourselves, but seek to please the Lord by living to Him. All that we do must be to Him. This is the vital matter in this portion of 2 Corinthians 5.

　　In verse 14 Paul explains, “For the love of Christ constrains us because we have judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died.” The love of Christ toward us was made manifest on the cross through His death for us (Gal. 2:20). This love constrains us. Literally, it presses on us from all sides, holding us to one end, forcibly limits, confines us to one object within certain bounds, shuts us up to one line and purpose, as in a narrow, walled road…. In such a way the apostles were constrained by the love of Christ to live to Him. The phrase beause we have judged this means having concluded this, probably at the time of conversion. Paul concluded that because One died for all, therefore all died. Christ’s loving death was the motivating factor of the apostles’ being constrained to live a loving life for Him. Since Christ died as our substitute, suffering the sentence of death on behalf of us all, in the eyes of God we all died. Hence, we do not need to die in the way it is reserved for men to die and face judgment (Heb. 9:27).

　　Christ died on behalf of all so that we may no longer live to ourselves but to Him. Christ’s death not only saves us from death so that we do not need to die, but it also causes us, through His resurrection, to live no longer to ourselves, but to Him. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 118, 120)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1967, vol. 2, “An Autobiography of a Person in the Spirit,” ch. 6; CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 1, “The Central Line of the Divine Revelation,” ch. 1