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创世记生命读经 · 第48篇

揭示神圣名称

The Unveiling Of The Divine Title
并更改人名以达成神的目的
And The Changing Of Human Names For The Fulfilling Of God’s Purpose
1我们若要明白创世记十七章，就必须知道甚么是神的目的。神在已过永远里的目的，乃是要藉著一个团体人在地上彰显祂自己。为要得著一个团体人作祂的彰显，神创造了宇宙，并且照著祂的形像造了人作宇宙的中心，要人彰显祂并代表祂，使祂在地上能得著管治的范围，作祂的国度。这是过去祂在亚当和以色列人身上的目的，也是今天祂对召会，并将来祂在千年国直到永世的定旨。历世历代，神的目的从未改变，那就是藉著人在地上彰显祂并代表祂。为著达成祂的目的，神需要一班人。神若能得著一班人，就能达成祂的目的；祂若得不著，就要失败。但我们的神是不能失败的！神造了亚当，亚当失败了。于是神又呼召亚伯拉罕，作新族类的元首。虽然神只呼召亚伯拉罕一个人，但这个人必须成为一个族类，使神能在地上得著彰显和代表。神为这目的呼召亚伯拉罕。一个人不可能达成神的目的，因为神所要的不是一个人，乃是一班人。一个亚伯拉罕必须繁殖为许多亚伯拉罕。但这不能照著人天然的领会，或凭著人天然的才干、天然的力量或天然的所是来完成。
1If we are to understand Genesis 17, we must know what God’s purpose is. God’s purpose, which He made in eternity past, is to express Himself through a body of people on earth. In order to have a collective people as His expression, God created the universe and within the universe, as its center, He created man in His image with the intention that man would express Him and represent Him so that He may have a dominion on earth as His kingdom. This was God’s purpose with Adam and with the children of Israel in the past, it is His purpose with the church today, and it shall be His purpose in the millennium and throughout eternity. Throughout all the ages, God’s purpose has remained the same: to have Himself expressed and represented by man on earth. For the fulfillment of His purpose, God needs a people. If God can gain a people, He will be able to accomplish His purpose, but if He cannot gain a people, He will be defeated. But our God cannot be defeated! God created Adam, and Adam became a failure. Then God called Abraham to be the head of a new race. Although God called only one person, Abraham, this person had to become a race so that God could be expressed and represented on earth. God called Abraham for this purpose. It is impossible for an individual to fulfill God’s purpose, for what God needs is not just an individual but a people. One Abraham must be multiplied into a great many Abrahams. But this cannot be accomplished according to man’s natural understanding or by his natural ability, strength, or being
（5） 揭示神圣名称并更改人名以达成神的目的
5) The Unveiling of the Divine Title and the Changing of Human Names for the Fulfilling of God’s Purpose
（a）神的心愿是将祂自己作到人里面
a) God’s Desire to Work Himself into Man
2圣经启示神叫人彰显祂的路是将祂自己作到人里面。神的路是非常特别的。虽然神要我们为祂作事，但祂不是要我们作甚么，祂乃是进到我们里面，经过我们来为祂自己作一切。祂的心愿乃是将祂自己作到我们里面，使祂与我们并我们与祂成为一。但没有人愿意为神这样作。每个人似乎都说，『主阿，你若要求我作甚么，我愿意为你作，但我不能忍受你进到我里面废掉我，把我拉下宝座。当我为你作甚么，我喜欢自己作。』然而，神会说，『在你为我作事之前，我必须将自己作到你里面。藉著进入你里面，我要将你钉死，然后我要使你凭著、同著并为著我而活。你愿意这样么？』亚伯拉罕没有等待神这样作，反之，就如创世记十六章所揭示的，他靠自己作，生了一个儿子。
2The Bible reveals that God’sway to express Himself is to work Himself into man. God’sway is extraordinary. Although God wants us to do things for Him, His desire is not that we do anything but that He come into us to do everything through us for Himself. His desire is to work Himself into us, making Him one with us and us one with Him. But no one is willing for God to do this. Everyone seems to say, “O Lord, if You ask me to do something, I’ll do it for You, but I cannot bear to have You come into me to annul me and dethrone me. When I do something for You, I like to do it by myself.” Nevertheless, God would say, “Before you do anything for Me, I must work Myself into you. By coming into you, I will have you crucified and then I will make you alive by, with, and for Me. Are you willing for this?” Abraham did not wait for God to do this, but, as Genesis 16 reveals, he acted on his own to bring forth a seed.
（b）揭示神圣的名称
b) The Unveiling of the Divine Title
3在创世记十七章一节，神来揭示祂神圣的名称，揭示祂是怎样的一位神。揭示一个名，就是揭示一个人，因为名总是代表人。神那神圣的名称既指明祂神圣的人位，揭示神圣的名称实际上就是启示神圣的人位。在创世记一章一节神揭示为以罗欣，原意是大2能者、强壮者，主要与神的创造有关。在创世记二章神启示为耶和华，那伟大的我是。耶和华这名的意思是『我是那我是，』含示神是那自有永有者。耶和华这名称是指神与人的关系。此外，神向亚伯拉罕启示祂是至高的神，天地的主。（创十四22。）这主要与神照顾祂子民的生存有关。现在，到了创世记十七章，神进一步揭示祂自己，向亚伯拉罕启示祂是以利沙代，那有乳房之全丰全足的大能者。
3In 17:1 God came in to unveil His divine title, unveiling what He, the very God, is. To unveil a name is to unveil a person, for a name always represents a person. Since God’s divine title denotes His divine Person, the unveiling of the divine title is actually the revelation of the divine Person. In 1:1 God was unveiled as Elohim, which primarily means the Mighty One, the Strong One, and which is mainly related to God’s creation. In Genesis God was revealed as Jehovah, the great I Am. The name Jehovah means “I Am that I Am,” implying that God is the self-existent and ever-existing One. This title of Jehovah refers to God’s relationship with man. Furthermore, God revealed to Abraham that He was the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth (14:22). This is mainly related to God’s care for His people’s existence. But now in chapter seventeen, God comes in to unveil Himself further, revealing Himself to Abraham as El-Shaddai, the all-sufficient Mighty One with an udder.
4神的全丰全足是在于祂神圣的乳房。或许有些读者不高兴用『乳房』这辞，而喜欢用『胸怀。』然而，我们若用胸怀，多数人会联想到爱的方面。但创世记十七章一节的神圣名称乃指明神是丰富供应的源头，作祂子民的恩典，使他们达成祂的目的。祂虽然要我们达成祂的目的，却不需要从我们来的任何东西。祂要作我们的供应。我们的神有全丰全足供应的源头，那个源头就像乳房。这就是以利沙代这名所含示的。我们从牛的乳房所得的各种养分，进到我们里面，甚至成了我们的构成成分。我们所喝牛奶中丰富的元素和成分，成了我们的构成成分，成了我们的有机组织。神似乎对亚伯拉罕说，『你已经知道我是至高的神，这虽然美妙，但还不彀。我不仅在客观上是你至高的神，我还要在主观方面作你神圣的奶。我必须是你所喝进到你全人里面的那一位。』
4God’s all - sufficiency is in His divine udder. Perhaps some readers are unhappy with the use of the word udder and prefer that we use the word breast. However, if we were to use the word breast, most people would associate it with the matter of love. But the divine title in 17:1 denotes that God is the rich source of supply as grace to His people for them to fulfill His purpose. Although He wants us to fulfill His purpose, He does not need anything from us. He wants to be our supply. Our God has an all-sufficient source of supply, and this source is likened to an udder. This is the meaning implied in the title El-Shaddai. Everything that is supplied to us from the udder of a cow comes into us and even becomes our constituent. All of the elements and ingredients of the riches of the milk we drink become our constituent, our organic tissue. It seemed that God was saying to Abraham, “You have known Me as the Most High God. Although that is wonderful, it is no longer adequate. I am not only the Most High God to you objectively, but I want to be the divine milk to you subjectively. I must be the One that you drink into your being.”
5我们的心思也许会对这样的想法感到困扰。一九五八年我第一次讲到吃耶稣，讲完之后，一位受过高等教育的弟兄对我说，『李弟兄，那篇信息很好，但「吃耶稣」这个说法太野了。』我回答说，『弟兄，我不是第一个用这说法的人。约翰六章三十五和五十七节主耶稣说，「我就是生命的粮，」「吃我的人也要因我活著。」』把神丰富的胸怀比作母牛的乳房，是不是叫你觉得别扭？虽然我也喜欢把神比作一位具有爱的胸怀、美善、温柔的母亲，但就如圣经所含示，把神比作具有丰富乳房的母牛，却更有意义。我们都被摆在这属天的乳房之下了。圣经中有许多经节支持我们这样的说法。出埃及三章八节说，『我下来是要救他们脱离埃及人的手，领他们出了那地，到美好宽阔流奶与蜜之地。』美地乃是包罗万有之基督的豫表。在这样一位基督身上，有流出来的奶。以色列人在进入美地喝奶以前，他们曾喝从裂开磐石流出来的活水，那磐石也是基督。（出十七6，林前十4。）在启示录二十二章我们看见新耶路撒冷那里有一条河，流自神和羔羊的宝座。我们若把这些经节摆在一起，就能看见我们的神今天是那流出东西解除我们干渴，供应并满足我们的一位。无论我们称这些东西为奶或活水，牠总是从神的所是流出来供应我们的。因此林前十二章十三节说，我们都得以喝一位灵；这灵就是神自己。（约四24。）我们喝那灵的时候，就是喝神。我们的神是这样丰富，一个豫表或一个象征不能使我们完全了解祂，所以圣经用不同的豫表和象征，启示祂丰富的各方面。奶和活水都启示出神对我们是何等丰富。这些东西的原则是一样的：就是祂神圣所是的丰富流出来，作我们的恩典，供应我们，使我们达成祂的目的。我们都必须饮于那流自我们神的丰富供应，这样我们才能达成神圣的目的。我们没有一个人彀资格达成神的目的。虽然宗教告诉我们必须为神作一些事，但神要我们作的只是接受祂作我们的供应，让祂成为我们的构成成分，使我们能与祂成为一。圣经启示神的心意是要进到我们里面，我们必须吃祂喝祂，接受祂自己的成分成为我们的所是。当我们将祂神圣所是的一些元素接受到我们里面，有分于祂神圣的性情，这神圣的元素就会在我们里面工作，并藉著我们工作，以达成祂的目的。
5Our mind may be bothered at the thought of such a divine drinking. The first time that I gave a message on the eating of Jesus was in 1958. After that message, a very highly educated brother said to me, “Brother Lee, that message was very good, but the term ‘eating Jesus’ is too wild.” I replied, “Brother, I am not the first one to use this term. In John 6:35 and 57 the Lord Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life’ and ‘He who eats Me shall also live because of Me.’” Are you troubled by the likening of God’sr i ch breast to the udder of a cow? Although I would prefer to liken God to a nice, tender, gentle mother with a loving breast, it is more meaningful to liken God to a cow with a rich udder, as the Scripture implies. We all have been positioned under this divine udder. Many verses in the Bible give us the ground to speak of God in this way. Exodus 3:8 says, “I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.” The good land is a type of the all-inclusive Christ. With this Christ there is the flowing of milk. Before the children of Israel came into the good land to drink of the milk, they drank of the water that flowed from the riven rock which also was Christ (Exo. 17:6; 1 Cor. 10:4). In Revelation 22 we see that in the New Jerusalem there will be a river flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. If we put all of these verses together, we can see that our God today is One out of whom something is flowing to quench, supply, and satisfy us. Regardless of whether we call it milk or living water, it flows out of God’s being to supply us. Hence, 1 Corinthians 12:13 says that we have all been made to drink of one Spirit, who is God Himself (John 4:24). When we are drinking of the Spirit, we are drinking of God. Our God is so rich that one type or symbol cannot give us a complete understanding of Him, so the Bible uses different types and symbols to reveal the various aspects of His riches. The milk and the living water both reveal how rich God is to us. The principle in each case is the same: that the riches of His divine being are flowing out to be our supply as grace to us for us to fulfill His purpose. We all must drink of the rich supply that flows out from our God that we may be able to fulfill the divine purpose. None of us is qualified to fulfill God’s purpose. Although religion tells us that we must do certain things for God, what God wants us to do is to take Him in as our supply so that He may become our constituent and that we may become one with Him. The Bible reveals that God’sin tent i on is to get into us and that we must eat and drink of Him, taking something of Himself into our being. As we take into our being some element of His divine being, partaking of His divine nature, this divine element will work in and through us to fulfill His purpose.
6在创世记十七章时，神需要向亚伯拉罕启示祂这神圣的名称。在创世记十六章亚伯拉罕作了一些事，不是为了他自己的目的，乃是为了达成神的目的。然而，亚伯拉罕为达成神的目的所作的，是凭他天然的所是和天然的力量，因此神不喜悦，向他隐藏了十三年。在那段漫长的日子过去以后，神回来了，祂似乎说，『亚伯拉罕，你必须知道我是有乳房的全丰全足的神。你必须喝这乳房的供应，不要凭你天然的力量或天然的才干为我作甚么。用你天然的力量为我作事，乃是侮辱我。我不要从你那里得到甚么。我要你，我也需要你，但我不要你用天然的力量和天然的能力，生出应许的后裔。你必须凭我的供应生出后裔。停止使用你的力量，拒绝你天然的所是，放下你天然的才能。因为我是全丰全足的大能者，你不该凭自己或离开我去作任何事。离了我，你不可能达成我的目的，因为离了我，你就不能为我的经纶作甚么。亚伯拉罕，为了达成我的目的，你必须喝我乳房的供应，把我接受到里面。在这里我不是至高的神或天地的主，这个你早已知道了。我现在在你面前是以利沙代，是全丰全足的大能者，有乳房为你流出丰富的供应。亚伯拉罕，你必须在我面前行事为人。这就是说，你必须饮于我的乳房，凭我而活。』神圣的话语是深奥的，我们不能肤浅的领会。要得著这里的启示，我们必须深入其中。神向亚伯拉罕启示，祂是有乳房的大能者，满了全丰全足的供应，使祂的子民能以达成祂的目的。这个启示太好了！．
6At the time of Genesis 17, God needed to reveal this divine title of His to Abraham. In Genesis 16 Abraham did something not for his own purpose but for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. However, what Abraham did for the fulfilling of God’s purpose was accomplished by his natural being and natural strength. Since he did something for God by his natural strength, God was displeased and disappeared from him for thirteen years. After that long absence, God came in and seemed to say, “Abraham, you must know that I am the all-sufficient One with an udder. You must drink of the supply of this udder and not do anything for Me by your natural strength or natural ability. Doing something for Me by your natural strength is an insult to Me. I don’t want anything from you. I want you and I need you, but I do not want you to use your natural strength and natural ability to bring forth the promised seed. You must bring forth a seed by My supply. Stop using your strength, deny your natural being, and put aside your natural ability. Since I am the all-sufficient Mighty One, you should not do anything by yourself or apart from Me. Apart from Me, it is impossible for you to fulfill My purpose because apart from Me you can do nothing for My economy. Abraham, in order to fulfill My purpose, you must drink of the supply out of My udder and take Me in. I am not here now as the Most High God or as the Possessor of heaven and earth. You have learned that already. I am now here before you as El-Shaddai, the all-sufficient Mighty One with an udder out of which is flowing a rich supply for you. Abraham, you must walk before Me. This means that you must drink of My udder and live by Me.” The Divine Word is deep, and we cannot understand it superficially. We must dive into it before we can see what is revealed there. How good it is that God revealed Himself to Abraham as the Mighty One with an udder full of the all-sufficient supply for His people to fulfill His purpose
（c）更改人的名
c) The Changing of Human Names
7神将神圣的名称启示给亚伯拉罕以后，随即告诉亚伯拉罕，他的名字要更改，（创十七5，）这是非常有意义的。不仅神的名称必须向我们揭示，我们的名字也需要更改，意思就是我们需要改变。亚伯兰必须改为亚伯拉罕。我们在前篇信息指出过，亚伯兰的意思是崇高的父，而亚伯拉罕的意思是众民的父，也就是繁增的父，『多国的父。』你若有机会在崇高与繁增之间作选择，你要选择那一个？你是否愿意放弃被高举到天上，宁愿选择被压平而扩增？照我们天然的观念，我们都愿意高举，不愿意繁增。繁增太麻烦，因为儿女越多，问题越多。人人都喜欢被高举；然而，神不要高举我们，乃要繁增我们，使我们成为众民的父。你愿意繁增么？
7Immediately after the divine title was revealed to Abraham, God told him that his name was to be changed (17:5). This is very meaningful. Not only must God’st it le be unveiled to us, but our names need to be changed, meaning that we need to be changed. The name Abram has to be changed to Abraham. As we pointed out in the previous message, Abram means exalted father and Abraham means the father of a great multitude, that is, a multiplied father, “a father of many nations.” If you had a choice between being highly exalted and being multiplied, which would you choose? Instead of being highly exalted to the heavens, would you choose to be flattened out and multiplied? According to our natural concept, we would all desire to be exalted rather than multiplied. It is troublesome to be multiplied, for the more children we have, the more problems we have. Everyone likes to be exalted; however, God does not want to exalt us but to multiply us, making us a father of a great multitude. Are you willing to be multiplied?
8崇高的父仅仅能供展览，却绝不能达成神的目的。要达成神的目的，就必须有许多人。所以我们需要繁增，不需要高举。今天多数基督徒想成为属灵的伟人，宗教也鼓励他们这样作。当我年轻的时候，别人教导我，鼓励我作属灵的伟人，但没有人告诉我需要繁增。虽然我们天然的倾向是要被高举，神却要更改我们的名字，从高举的父改为繁增的父。我们的观念何等需要改变！神要的众民是甚么？是召会，一个团体人。神需要召会，就是众民。你若一直是一个人，神就没有办法藉著你达成祂的目的。为了达成神的目的，我们需要忘记我们原来的名字，从崇高改为繁增。繁增不是为著别的，乃是为著达成神的目的。这不仅是为了增加或扩大我们的工作，乃是为了叫神在地上得著彰显和代表。更改名字就是更改人。这不是说，我原来是青蛙，现在你把我改称为鱼。虽然你可以称我为鱼，我仍是一只青蛙。名称虽改，人却未变。正确的改名乃是改人。我们的人改了，我们的名也就跟著改了。在今日的召会生活里，我们不需要崇高的父；我们需要许多繁增的父。这就是为甚么主带领我们在许多家庭中有共同的生活。一个家庭要和许多年轻人住在一起并不容易，因为我们都喜欢独居和独处。丈夫若肯诚实，就会承认有时甚至觉得与妻子同住也是多余的，他们宁可独处。但我们若都独居，又怎能照顾年轻人呢？改名对共同的生活有帮助。为甚么在正当召会生活中的增长这么慢？因为我们缺少为父的，并且照顾新人的家庭也不彀。我们需要『繁增的父』的家庭来照顾众人。
8It is impossible for an exalted father, who is only good for exhibition, to fulfill God’s purpose. For the fulfillment of God’s purpose, there must be a multitude. So we need to be multiplied, not exalted. Today most Christians want to be spiritual giants, and religion encourages them in this way. When I was young, I was taught and encouraged to be a spiritual giant, but I was never told that I needed to be multiplied. While our natural tendency is to be exalted, God wants to change our name from the father of exaltation to the father of multiplication. How our concept needs to be changed! What is the multitude that God wants? It is the church, a corporate people. God needs the church, the multitude. If you remain by yourself, God has no way of fulfilling His purpose through you. For the sake of the fulfillment of His purpose, we need to forget our old name and be changed from being exalted to being multiplied. To be multiplied is for the fulfilling of God’s purpose, not for anything else. It is not merely for the increase or for the expansion of our work; it is for God to be expressed and represented on the earth. To change the name is to change the person. It is not that originally I am a frog and that now you change my name to fish. Although you may call me a fish, I am still a frog. The title has been changed, but the person has not. The proper changing of the name is the changing of the person. When our person has been changed, the change of title follows. In the church life today we do not need any exalted fathers; we need many multiplied fathers. This is why the Lord has led us to have the communal life in so many homes. It is not easy for a family to live together with several young people because we all like to have our privacy and stay by ourselves. If the husbands are honest, sometimes even living with their wives is too much for them, and they would prefer to be left alone. But if we all stayed in private, how could we take care of the young ones? The changing of names helps the communal life. Why does the increase take place so slowly in the proper church life? Simply because we lack the fatherhood and because there are not enough homes to take care of the new ones. We need the multiplied fathers’ homes to take care of the multitude
9作长老的一个条件就是乐意待客。（提前三2。）你若不乐意待客，那就是说不愿照顾别人，只顾个人圣洁，你就不彀资格作长老。我们若要作乐意待客的人，我们的名字就必须从崇高的父改为繁增的父。只有繁增的父是乐意待客的。我们越照顾别人，对召会生活就越有益处，这才是真实的改名，真实的改人。不但亚伯拉罕的名字要改，撒拉的名字也要改。撒莱的意思是我的公主，这名必须改为撒拉，意思是公主。『我的公主』必须改为『公主，』改为『多国之母。』你特殊的性格必须改为普通的性格，这样你才能作多国的母，照顾许多人。每位弟兄都喜欢作崇高的父，每位姊妹都想作『我的公主。』当我们的名字是撒莱时，我们说，『我的丈夫，我的家，我的日子，我的孩子，我的地位，我在聚会中的功用，我的一切。』虽然姊妹会说『我的公主，』神却要她们简单的成为『公主，』去掉所有『我的，』成为普通的，不要特殊的。我们不该被高举，却要繁增；不该特殊，而该普通。特殊总是伴同崇高；他们是很好的一对。在召会生活中，我们不该是崇高或特殊的人。我们都必须是繁增且普通的人，是『多国的父』或『多国的母。』（创十七5，16。）
9One of the qualifications of an elder is hospitality (1 Tim. 3:2). If you are not hospitable, meaning that you are unwilling to take care of others but only care to be individually holy, you are not qualified to be an elder. If we are going to be hospitable, our name must be changed from the father of exaltation to the father of multiplication. Only a multiplied father is hospitable. The more we take care of others, the better it is for the church life. This is the real changing of names and the real changing of our person. Not only Abraham’s name was to be changed but also Sarah’s. The name Sarai, which means my princess, has to be changed to Sarah, which means princess. “My princess” has to be changed to “princess,” to “a mother of nations.” Your particular character has to be changed into a general one so that you can be a mother of nations and take care of many people. While every brother likes to be an exalted father, every sister wants to be a “my princess.” When our name is Sarai we say, “My husband, my home, my day, my children, my position, my function in the meetings, my everything.” Although the sisters may say “my princess,” God wants them simply to become “princess” without any “my,” to be general, not particular. We should not be exalted but multiplied, not particular but general. Particularity always goes with exaltation; they make a good couple. In the church life, none of us should be for exaltation or in particularity. We all have to be multiplied and general, to be a “father of nations” or a mother of nations” (17:5, 16
10召会生活相当倚靠名字的更改。弟兄们若坚持要高举，姊妹们若坚持要特殊，我们怎能有召会生活？我们只能有宗教，主日早晨来作作礼拜，一周来聚一次会，彼此打个招呼，然后各走各路，下周再见。要有召会生活，就必须有一群建造且紧紧联结一起的人，一班真正知道并实行并同生活的人。当弟兄不再要高举，只要繁增；姊妹不再要特殊，而要普通；我们就能在一起过正当的召会生活，为达成神的目的而繁增。那时我们要天天生活在一起，每时每刻都是聚会，一直过召会的生活。这不仅仅是道理。名字的改变不只是名词的改变，乃是我们的所是，我们这个人的改变。因此，我们可以把本篇信息的题目改为『揭示神的神圣所是并改变人以达成神的目的。』虽然神的神圣所是已经揭示出来，但我们若依旧不变，祂所是的揭示对我们仍然无益。祂的揭示端赖我们的改变。我们不仅需要改名，也需要改人。这样我们才能享受这位揭示出来的神，饮于祂丰富的乳房。
10The church life depends a great deal upon the changing of names. If the brothers still insist on being exalted and if the sisters still prefer to be particular, how could we have the church life? We could only have a religion with a Sunday morning service and come together once a week, greet one another, and then go our separate ways until the next Sunday. In order to have the church life, there must be a great multitude of people that has been built up and compacted together, a people who truly know and practice the communal life. When the brothers no longer want to be exalted but multiplied and the sisters no longer want to be particular but general, then we shall be able to live together and have the proper church life and the multitude for the fulfilling of God’s purpose. Then we shall live together day by day and be a churching people all the time. Nearly every time will be a meeting time. We shall be meeting together constantly because no one will want to be exalted but multiplied and because no one will want to be particular but general. This is not merely a doctrine. The changing of names is not only a change of term but a change of our being, of our person. Thus, we may change the title of this message to “the unveiling of the divine Being and the changing of the human person for the fulfilling of God’s purpose.” Although God’s divine being has been unveiled, if we remain the same, His being unveiled will not profit us. His unveiling depends upon our changing. We need to be changed not only in name but also in person. Then we can enjoy the unveiled God and drink at His rich udder.
11就著改名就是改人的意义来说，这在雅各和彼得的身上也可以看到。为著达成神的目的，雅各的名改为以色列；（创三二27～28；）一个抓脚跟的人，抓夺者（雅各），变为神的王子（以色列）。雅各若仍是一个抓夺者，他就绝不能在达成神圣的目的上为神所用。雅各必须变为神的王子。为著建造召会，彼得的名『西门，』被改为『矶法，』意思是石头。（约一42。）彼得天然的人是泥巴，他必须为著神的建造，变化成为石头，甚至是宝石，以达成神圣的目的。
11The changing of names in the sense of changing the person is also seen in the case of Jacob and Peter. For the fulfilling of God’s purpose, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel (Gen. 32:27-28); a heel-holder, a supplanter (Jacob), was changed into a prince of God (Israel). If Jacob had remained a supplanter, he could never have been used by God in the fulfillment of the divine purpose. Jacob had to be changed into a prince of God. For the building of the church, Peter’s name, Simon, was changed to Cephas, which means a stone (John 1:42). Peter’s natural being was muddy, and he had to be transformed into a stone, even a precious stone, for God’s building (1 Pet. 2:5) to fulfill the divine purpose
（d）为达成神圣目的足彀的恩典
d) The Sufficient Grace for Fulfilling God’s Purpose
12靠著神的怜悯，我们不信靠自己，也不信靠别人。我们不信靠人，因为我们知道没有人彀资格达成神的目的。我们所能产生的只是以实玛利。正当的召会生活与任何属人或属天然的事物无关。正当的召会生活，乃是藉著神自己丰富的供应，来成全神永远的目的。我们所能作的，在达成神永远的目的上毫无意义。为著达成神的目的所需要的，乃是神圣乳房的供应。所以我们必须放下自己，轻看自己天然的力量和才能，行走在神的面前，饮于祂乳房的丰富。我们若这样作，祂神圣所是的一些成分就会自然的作到我们里面，使我们生出后裔来达成神的目的。这就是正当的召会生活。我们已经看过，后裔与地都是基督。现在我们要来看，后裔与地不仅是基督，也是我们。喝了神丰富的供应之后，我们都要成为后裔与地。至终，后裔成为地。为了达成神的目的，神需要一班人得著地。在那地，神要为祂的名建立国度并祂的居所。这是神的目的。我们既是后裔，是一班达成神目的的人，我们这后裔也要成为地。神在我们中间并在我们里面有祂的管治权，在这管治中神就得著一个能在其中建造祂居所的国度。
12By the Lord’s mercy, we have no confidence in ourselves or in anyone else. We do not have confidence in people because we have learned that no one is qualified to fulfill God’s purpose. Whatever we can produce is just an Ishmael. The proper church life is not concerned with anything human or natural. The proper church life is that which carries out God’s eternal purpose through being supplied with the riches of God Himself. Whatever we are able to do means nothing in the fulfilling of God’s eternal purpose. All that is needed for the fulfillment of God’s purpose is the supply of the divine udder. So we must drop ourselves, depreciate our natural strength and ability, and walk before God, drinking of the riches of His udder. If we do this, spontaneously some element of His divine being will be wrought into us to produce the seed for the fulfillment of His purpose. This is the proper church life. We have seen that both the seed and the land are Christ. Now we need to see that the seed and the land are not only Christ but also we. After drinking of God’sr i ch supply, we all shall become the seed and the land. Eventually, the seed becomes the land. For the fulfilling of His purpose, God needs a people to possess the land. In that land, God will have a kingdom to be built up with His habitation for His name. This is God’s purpose. Since we are the seed, the people to fulfill God’s purpose, we, the seed, shall also become the land. Among and within us God has His dominion, and in this dominion God has a kingdom in which He may build up His habitation.
13我们凭享受神的丰富，并凭得著神作到我们里面，就成为后裔与地。神和我们，我们和神，在生出后裔和得著地的事上是一。这是在地上而属天的事。这是伯特利，天的门，有天梯将地联于天并将天带到地。这里有神和人，人和神，联结一起，互为居所。这是怎样达成的？乃是凭著神圣所是的揭示和人的改变。我们一旦改变，就有资格享受揭示出来的神作我们的恩典。神已经揭示出来，但这揭示出来的神需要改变过的人。不管我们是谁或是甚么，我们都需要从天然的性格改变为属灵的性格，从我们的源头改变到神圣的乳房，得著所需的神圣供应，好达成神的目的。我们需要忘记自己，停止天然供应的源头，行走在神的面前，终日饮于祂。然后，揭示出来神圣所是的丰富就会作到我们这人里面，作全丰全足的供应，使我们能达成神的目的。使徒保罗比众使徒格外劳苦；然而这不是他，乃是那与他同在之神的恩。因著神的恩，他成了他这个人。（林前十五10。）他凭著享受主彀用的恩典，（林后十二，）在他的职事中达成了神的目的。保罗实在是饮于神圣的乳房，接受了全足恩典的供应。他没有运用天然的力量生出以实玛利，而是享受全足恩典的丰富供应，带进许多的以撒。他凭著『不再是我，乃是基督』（加二）活著并工作。真实的改名乃是从我改为基督，祂是以利沙代，是全丰全足恩典的供应者。不是我，惟有基督，才能达成神的目的。
13We become the seed and the land by enjoying the riches of God and by having God wrought into us. God and we, we and God, are one in producing the seed and possessing the land. This is something heavenly on earth. It is Bethel, the gate of heaven, with the heavenly ladder joining earth to heaven and bringing heaven down to earth. Here we have God and man, man and God, joined together to be a mutual habitation. How is this fulfilled? By the unveiling of the divine Being and the changing of the human person. Once we have been changed, then we are qualified to enjoy the unveiled God as our grace. God has been unveiled, but this unveiled God needs the changed person. Regardless of who or what we are, we all need to be changed from having natural character to having spiritual character, changed from our source to the divine udder for the supply we need to fulfill the divine purpose. We need to forget ourselves, cease from our natural source of supply, walk before God, and drink of His udder all day long. Then the riches of the unveiled divine Being will be wrought into our human being as the all-sufficient grace for us to fulfill the divine purpose. The Apostle Paul labored more abundantly than all the apostles; yet it was not he but the grace of God that was with him. By the grace of God he was what he was (1 Cor. 15:10). He fulfilled God’s purpose in his ministry by enjoying the Lord’s sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9). 9 Paul surely was drinking of the divine udder to receive the sufficient supply of grace. He did not exercise his natural strength to produce Ishmaels but enjoyed the rich supply of the sufficient grace to bring forth many Isaacs. He lived and worked in the way of “no longer I who live, but Christ” (Gal. 2:20). The real changing of a 20 name is the change from I to Christ—El-Shaddai, the all- sufficient grace Supplier. Only Christ, not I, can fulfill God’s purpose.