Paul's mission (翻譯練習)

E P Sanders. Paul: A Very Short Introduction. (OUP, 2001)

Chapter 1 - Paul's mission

Early in the sixth decade of the Common Era, Paul, an itinerant missionary of the Christian movement, was in Corinth, mapping out his own contribution to what he saw as the last stage of God's plan for humanity. He looked simultaneously east and west. He wanted to press on to Spain, to preach the gospel where it had not yet been preached, but first he had a crucial mission to fulfil to the East: he was to take an offering from his Gentile churches, as well as representative Gentile converts, to Jerusalem (Rom. 15: 23–9; for the travelling companions, see 2 Cor. 8: 16–24). While preparing for his journey, and waiting for his ship, he wrote ahead to a way-station en route to Spain: the church at Rome. He intended to prepare them for his arrival by sharing with them his message, and he also asked for their support – both their prayers that his trip to Jerusalem would be successful and aid, probably monetary, for the trip to Spain (Rom. 1: 11–15; 15: 24; 15: 30f.).

第一章 保羅的任務

早在公元一世紀六零年代初，基督教運動的遊方傳教士保羅，正計劃怎樣貢獻自己，為他視為上帝對人類計劃的最後階段奔走努力。保羅當時身處希臘的哥林多城，他的眼光兼顧東西：向西，他一心要遠赴福音未達的西班牙傳教，可是向東，保羅卻有更要緊的任務在身。他要充當外族皈依者的代表，把外族教會的獻儀送到耶路撒冷（羅 15: 23--9；關於同行者的資料，見林後 8: 16--24）。保羅一面收拾行裝，等候上船，一面修書一道，寄給日後西班牙之行的中途站－－羅馬教會。保羅寫這封信，一來是跟羅馬教會先通聲氣，表明自己打算日後造訪，二來是請他們支持自己的工作：為他耶路撒冷之行成功而祈禱，為他西班牙之旅而慷慨援手（所謂援手很可能指金錢支助）（羅 1: 11–15; 15: 24; 15: 30f.）。