弗三1~2 因这缘故，我这为你们外邦人作基督耶稣囚犯的保罗，为你们祈求—谅必你们曾听见那为着你们所赐给我，神恩典的管家职分。

　　我们不该以为，保罗这么属灵，必定与我们完全不同。甚至他也必须学习受主的限制。……他告诉罗马的信徒，他想从罗马经过，往西班牙去（罗十五24）。保罗从未去到西班牙，而是带着锁链到了罗马。这锁链就是主的度量、主的约束。……神是主宰一切的，任何发生在保罗身上的事，都在神的主宰之下。这意思是说，保罗所受的捆锁和监禁，都是神主宰的约束。保罗愿意服在神的度量之下。他不挣扎，也不反抗这约束。在这事上，他没有踢犁棒（哥林多后书生命读经，五三一页）。

　　Eph. 3:1-2 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you, the Gentiles—if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of the grace of God which was given to me for you.

　　We should not think that Paul was so spiritual that he was altogether different from us. Even he had to learn to take the Lord’s restriction…He told the believers at Rome that he expected to go to Spain by way of them (Rom. 15:24). Paul never went to Spain, and he arrived in Rome in bonds. Those bonds were the Lord’s measure, His limitation…God is sovereign, and whatever happened to Paul was under God’s sovereignty. This means that Paul’s bonds and imprisonment were God’s sovereign restriction. Paul was willing to be subject to God’s measuring. He neither transgressed this restriction nor rebelled against it. In this matter he did not kick against the goads. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 442-443)

　　保罗基于神这度量的原则，告诉哥林多人说，他所作、所说的，都没有过了自己的度量。他总是在他的度量之内行动、行事。……他不像热中犹太教的人，他从未越过他的属区。

　　在林后十章十三至十五节，保罗似乎是说，“哥林多人哪，因着传犹太教的人来到你们那里，哥林多召会受了很大的亏损。……他们一面传基督，另一面又教导摩西的律法。所以他们造成了难处，破坏了召会生活。……所以你们必须知道，这些热中犹太教的人根本不该去哥林多。神并没有把哥林多这个城量给他们；哥林多不是他们的属区。坦白说，哥林多是我的属区，是神量给我的地界。”……这里的话含示，保罗定罪这些热中犹太教的人到哥林多去。因此保罗的意思是说，“我们没有像热中犹太教的人那样过度伸展自己。在基督的福音上，我们是最先到你们这里来的。这表示神已经把哥林多量给我们，

　　我们是照着神的尺度来的。神把哥林多量给我们，而没有量给热中犹太教的人。事实上，神并没有量给热中犹太教者任何东西。”

　　使徒们总是照着神的尺度行动。……神若量给热中犹太教的人某个属区，使徒们就不会去那个属区，否则他们就是过度伸展自己。这就是保罗在这里所说的。……今天，许多传道人和教师过度伸展自己，干扰别人的属区。……在召会的事奉上，我们需要看见神只量给我们这么多，我们不该过度伸展自己。我们必须知道自己的限度，自己的属区，而不越过到别人的区域。像保罗一样，我们该照着我们的尺度行动、行事；也就是说，只照着神量给我们的度量行动、行事。

　　保罗从他所领受马其顿人的呼声中，知道哥林多是在他的尺度和度量之下。我们从行传十六章知道，保罗非常清楚神呼召他去欧洲。他是照着神的尺度，把基督的福音带到亚该亚。马其顿和亚该亚都在保罗的尺度之下。

　　在哥林多后书这一段话里，保罗表白他使徒的权柄。这权柄与属区有关。……他表白自己使徒的权柄时，并没有越过他度量的界限来行事。他是一个完全在神约束下之人的好榜样。

　　我鼓励青年圣徒特别要研读这一段话，从中学习如何在召会的事奉中行事，并如何在主的恢复里行动。青年人，你们必须知道自己的尺度、界限。这意思是说，你们必须知道神所量给你们的度量有多少，范围有多大。这样的约束和限制，对于我们的肉体是非常实际的对付。我们天然的人喜欢无拘无束。……所以〔神〕给我们一些限制和约束，好叫我们留在祂所分给我们的度量之内（哥林多后书生命读经，五三二至五三四页）。

　　参读：哥林多后书生命读经，第五十一篇。

　　Paul told the Corinthians that whatever he did and spoke was not beyond his measure. Paul always acted and behaved within his measure…In contrast to the Judaizers, he never reached beyond his jurisdiction.

　　In 2 Corinthians 10:13-15 Paul seems to be saying, “Corinthians, as a church, you have suffered a great deal because of the coming of the Judaistic preachers…On the one hand, they preach Christ; on the other hand, they still teach the Mosaic law. Therefore, they cause trouble and damage the church life…You must realize that these Judaizers should never have come to Corinth. God did not measure the city of Corinth to them; Corinth is not in their jurisdiction. To be honest about it, Corinth is my jurisdiction, my territory.”…There is the implication here that Paul condemned the Judaizers for coming to Corinth. Thus, Paul seems to be saying, “We do not overreach ourselves, as the Judaizers do. We were the first to come to you with the gospel of Christ. That was a sign that Corinth had been measured to us. We came according to God’s ruling. God has apportioned Corinth to us, not to the Judaizers. Actually, God has not apportioned anything to the Judaizers.”

　　The apostles always moved according to God’s ruling…If God had apportioned a certain territory to the Judaizers, the apostles would not have gone to that territory, for in so doing, they would have overreached themselves. This is what Paul is saying here. Today many preachers and teachers overreach themselves and interfere with the jurisdiction of others. In the church service we need to realize that God has measured out only so much to us, and we should not extend ourselves beyond our measure. We need to know our limitation, our jurisdiction, and not go beyond it into others’ territory. Like Paul, we should move and act according to our rule, that is, according to how much God has measured to us.

　　Paul knew from the Macedonian call he received that Corinth was under his rule, his measure. We know from Acts 16 that Paul became clear that God had called him to Europe. He came to Achaia with the gospel of Christ according to God’s ruling. Both Macedonia and Achaia were under Paul’s rule.

　　In this section of 2 Corinthians, Paul is vindicating his apostolic authority. This authority is related to jurisdiction…In his vindication of his apostolic authority, Paul conducted himself so as not to overstep the boundary of his measure. He is a good example of a person fully under God’s restriction.

　　I encourage the young people especially to study this portion of the Word and learn from it how to conduct themselves in the church service and how to move in the Lord’s recovery. Young people, you must know your rule, your limit. This means that you must know how much God has measured to you, how much He has apportioned to you. This restriction, this limitation, is a very practical dealing with our flesh. Our natural man wants to be without limitation…Therefore, [God] sets up boundaries and restrictions so that we may stay within the measure that He has apportioned to us. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 443-445)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 51