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马太福音生命读经 · 第38篇

国度奥秘的揭示（四）

The Unveiling Of The Kingdom’s Mysteries (4)
1在本篇信息中，我们要继续来看诸天之国的外表。正如稗子的比喻所启示的，国度的构成分子是国度之子，他们里面有神圣的生命。然而，稗子，恶者之子，却进来了。因著这些假信徒在构成分子中间，国度在外表上就成了基督教国。从前纯粹是神的国，如今却成了有真假信徒的基督教国。许多人谈论基督教时，其实是在谈论基督教国。诸天的国没有基督教国那么大，因为国度比基督教国小，似乎在基督教国里面。国度是真实的，是由国度之子，神的众子，这些真正的构成分子组成的。可是撒但所撒的稗子已经在诸天之国的外表，就是基督教国里，所谓的基督徒中间造成了搀杂。
1In this message we shall continue to see the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens. As the parable of the tares reveals, the constituents of the kingdom are the sons of the kingdom, who have the divine life within them. However, the tares, the sons of the Devil, have come in. Because of these false ones among the constituents, the kingdom in its outward appearance has become Christendom. Formerly it was purely the kingdom of God, but now it has become Christendom with both real believers and false ones. When many people talk about Christianity, they are actually talking about Christendom. The kingdom of the heavens is not as large as Christendom, for the kingdom is smaller than Christendom and seems to be within it. The kingdom is real, composed of the genuine constituents who are the sons of the kingdom, the sons of God. But the tares sown by Satan have caused a mixture among the so-called Christians in the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, which is Christendom
2参、国度外表畸形的发展
2III. THE ABNORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE OF THE KINGDOM
3主将马太十三章长的比喻，次序安排得非常好。首先有撒种者的比喻。撒种的人撒种，产生诸天之国的构成分子。然后有仇敌所撒稗子的比喻。假信徒在构成分子中间，使诸天的国成了基督教国。在稗子的比喻之后，接著有芥菜种的比喻。（太十三31～32。）
3The Lord arranged the parables in Matthew 13 in a very good sequence. First we have the parable of the sower, who sows the seed to bring forth the constituents of the kingdom of the heavens. Then we have the parable of the tares sown by the enemy, the false ones among the constituent that cause the kingdom of the heavens to become Christendom. Following the parable of the tares, we have the parable of the mustard seed (13:31-32
一 、诸天的国好像一粒芥菜种
A. The Kingdom of the Heavens Being like a Grain of Mustard Seed
4三十一节说，『诸天的国好像一粒芥菜种。』头两个比喻的麦子，和这里第三个比喻的芥菜，都是作食物的。这指明国度的子民，就是国度和召会的构成分子，都该像庄稼一样出产食物，让神和人同得满足。麦子和芥菜都好作食物。事实上，吃涂上芥末的面包，是非常健康且营养的。然而，在第二和第三个比喻里，我们看见那恶者的思想，撒但的狡诈。那恶者进来，将稗子撒在麦子中间。任何农夫都能告诉你，稗子大大阻挠麦子的生长，因为稗子耗尽了土壤的养料，这养料原是要滋养生长的麦子。因为土壤已被稗子耗尽、磨损了，麦子就长不好。我们可以把这个应用在我们当前的环境里。许多假基督徒阻挠了真基督徒的成长。凡有许多假信徒的地方，真信徒就很难在生命里长大。这是仇敌的狡诈。我们将看见，仇敌在芥菜种上的狡诈，就是使牠长成大树，不再好作食物。
4Verse 31 says, “The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard seed.” The fruit, both of the wheat in the first two parables and the mustard here in the third parable, is for food. This indicates that the kingdom people, the constituents of the kingdom and the church, should be like a crop to produce food that satisfies God and man. Both wheat and mustard are good for food. In fact, it is very healthy and nourishing to eat wheat bread with mustard on it. However, in both the second and third parables we see the thought of the evil one, the subtlety of Satan. The evil one came into sow tares among the wheat. As any farmer can tell you, tares greatly frustrate the growth of the wheat because they exhaust the fertility of the soil which is meant to nourish the growing wheat. Because the soil has been exhausted, wasted, by the tares, the wheat cannot grow properly. We may apply this to our present situation. Many false Christians have frustrated the growth of the genuine Christians. Wherever there are many false believers, it is difficult for the real believers to grow in life. This is the subtlety of the enemy. As we shall see, the subtlety of the enemy with respect to the mustard seed is to cause it to grow into a huge tree that is no longer good for food.
二 、属天的王把一粒芥菜种种在祂的田里
B. The Heavenly King Having Sown a Mustard Seed in His Field
5一面，主所撒的是一粒麦子；但另一面，是一粒芥菜种。麦子和芥菜种都表征基督在不同方面作我们的食物。祂是麦子，也是芥菜，作我们的滋养。
5On the one hand, what the Lord has sown is the grain of wheat. But on the other hand, it is a grain of mustard seed. Both the grain of wheat and the grain of mustard seed signify Christ as food to us in different aspects. He is both the wheat and the mustard for our nourishment
三 、芥菜种长起来，
C. The Mustard Seed Growing
6比别的菜都大，且成了树
6Greater Than the Herbs and Becoming a Tree
7三十二节说，芥菜种长起来以后，『却比别的菜都大，且成了树。』召会是国度的具体表现，该像菜蔬一样生产食物，却成了树，作飞鸟的宿处，其性质和功用都变了。（这违反神创造的律，植物必须各从其类－创一11～12。）这事发生在第四世纪初叶，康士坦丁大帝把世界搀入召会时。他把成千成万的假信徒带进召会，使其变成基督教国，而不再是召会了。因此，这第三个比喻相当于启示录二、三章里，七个召会的第三个－在别迦摩的召会。（启二12～17。）芥菜是一年生的菜蔬，树是多年生的植物。召会按其属天、属灵的性质，该像芥菜一样寄居地上。但召会的性质改变了，像树一样深深扎根、定居地上，其事业繁茂如同枝条，许多恶人、恶事栖宿其上。这形成了诸天之国外表的外在组织。
7Verse 3 2 says that after the mustard seed has grown, “It is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree.” The church, which is the embodiment of the kingdom, should be like an herb to produce food, but it became a tree, a lodging place for birds, having its nature and function changed. (This is against the law of God’s creation, that every plant must be after its kind—Gen. 1:11-12.) This happened when Constantine the Great mixed the church with the world in the first part of the fourth century. He brought thousands of false believers into Christianity, making it Christendom, no longer the church. Hence, this third parable corresponds to the third of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, the church in Pergamos (2:12-17). The mustard is an annual herb, whereas the tree is a perennial plant. The church, according to its heavenly and spiritual nature, should be like the mustard, sojourning on the earth. But with its nature changed, the church became deeply rooted and settled in the earth as a tree, flourishing with its enterprises as the branches to lodge many evil persons and things. This has formed the outward organization of the out ward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens.
8芥菜种成了树，这违反神在创造里为生物所命定的原则－植物必须各从其类。这是创世记一章所说的，那里告诉我们，每种生命都各从其类生长。桃树按桃树的种类生长，苹果树按苹果树的种类生长。这原则不仅适用于植物生命，也适用于动物生命，甚至适用于人的生命。每一种生命都必须各从其类发展。牛必须是牛，驴必须是驴，马必须是马。骡是一种不从其类之动物的例子。骡既非马，也非驴；乃是马和驴之间的杂种。如果一种植物的生命不从其类，那就是畸形的，并且违反了神在创造里所命定的原则。要符合这原则，芥菜就必须从其类，树也必须从其类。芥菜违反神的原则，成了树，这是畸形的。但芥菜竟长成了树，违反了这原则。这种生长是畸形的，违反了神的规律。假定人的生命没有规律的发展，有些中国人长成牛，有些日本人长成马，有些美国人长成象，这会是多么古怪！感谢神，在祂的创造里，祂已经把管治的原则放在每一种生命里。然而，当主撒芥菜种时，这种菜却长成了树。这种发展是多么畸形！
8For a mustard seed to become a tree is a violation of the principle ordained by God in His creation for living matter— that every plant must be according to its kind. This is what is referred to in Genesis 1, where we are told that every life grows according to its kind. A peach grows after the peach kind and an apple after the apple kind. This principle applies not only to plant life, but also to animal life and even to human life. Every type of life must develop according to its kind. A cow must be a cow, a donkey must be a donkey, and a horse must be a horse. A mule is an example of an animal not according to its kind. A mule is neither a horse nor a donkey; it is a hybrid between a horse and donkey. If a certain form of vegetable or plant life is not according to its kind, it will be abnormal and against the principle ordained by God in His creation. In keeping with this principle, a mustard must be according to a mustard, and a tree must be according to a tree. It is abnormal for a mustard to break God’spr i nciple and become a tree. But by growing into a tree, the mustard herb breaks this principle. This kind of growth is abnormal, a violation of God’s regulation. Suppose human life developed without any regulation, and some Chinese grew into oxen, some Japanese grew into horses, and some Americans grew into elephants. How grotesque this would be! Thank God that in His creation He has put a governing principle into every type of life! However, when the Lord sowed the seed of a mustard herb, this herb grew into a tree. How abnormal is such a development
9我年轻时读过几本书，都说这大树是正面的东西。但这树虽然很大，却一点不是正面的。假定人长成了象，这是正面的，还是反面的？我们都会被这种畸形的发展吓坏了。今天的基督教国很庞大，并且如魔鬼般的畸形。牠不仅是树，并且是大树。藉此我们看见，不仅国度构成分子的性质改变了，国度的身量也成为畸形的。如果菜蔬要适合作食物，就不该长得太大。菜蔬长得过大，就不再柔嫩可口，好作食物。在神的经纶里，神要祂的儿女像麦子或芥菜一样，越小越嫩越好。此外，我们该是一年生的，像麦子和芥菜一样，牠们存留不超过一年。召会人必须是一年生的，而非多年生的。我们不该长久、深深扎根在地上，因为主的心意是要我们在地上成为寄居的。只要我们是一年生的，像麦子和芥菜一样，我们就要产生最好的粮食，麦子作成饼，芥末拌饼。这供给人最好的食物，作他们的滋养和满足。然而，仇敌却使芥菜成为多年生的树，不出产任何粮食。
9When I was young, I read some books which said that this big tree was something positive. But this tree, although very large, is not positive at all. Suppose a man grew into an elephant. Would this be positive or negative? We all would be terrified of such an abnormal development. Today’s Christendom is huge and devilishly abnormal. It is not only a tree, but a great tree. By this we see that not only the nature of the constituent of the kingdom has been changed, but that the size of the kingdom has become abnormal. If an herb is to be good for food, it should not grow too large. When an herb grows abnormally large, it is no longer tender, delicious, or good for food. In His economy God intends that His children be like wheat or mustard, the smaller and the more tender, the better. Furthermore, we should be annuals like wheat and mustard, neither of which remains more than a year. The church people must be annuals, not perennials. We should not be rooted deeply into the earth for a long period of time, for the Lord’sin tent i on is that we be sojourners on earth. As long as we are annuals like wheat and herbs, we shall produce the best foodstuff, grain to make loaves of bread and mustard to match the bread. This will afford others excellent food for their nourishment and satisfaction. However, the enemy has made the mustard a perennial tree that does not produce any foodstuff.
10四、天空的飞鸟来栖宿在树枝上
10D. The Birds of Heaven Coming and Roosting in the Branches of the Tree
11三十二节也说，天空的飞鸟来栖宿在这树的枝上。这树不出产粮食，却是飞鸟的宿处。飞鸟在第一个比喻中既象征那恶者撒但，（太十三4，19，）天空的飞鸟就必是指撒但的邪灵，和邪灵所煽惑的恶人和恶事。他们栖宿在大树的枝条上，就是基督教国的事业里。飞鸟是指恶者、恶人、恶事和恶物－简单的说，就是指与恶者有关的一切邪恶。在今天的基督教国里，有许多恶人、恶事和恶物。基督教国成了不结果子的大树，并且成了许多邪恶事物的宿处。
11Verse 32 also says that the birds of heaven come and roost in the branches of this tree. Instead of producing foodstuff, this tree is a roost for birds. Because the birds in the first parable signify the evil one, Satan (vv. 4, 19), the birds of heaven in verse 32 must refer to Satan’s evil spirits with the evil persons and things motivated by them. They lodge in the branches of the great tree, that is, in the enterprises of Christendom. The birds refer to the evil one and to evil persons, evil matters, and evil things—in short to all evil pertaining to the evil one. In today’s Christendom, there are many evil persons, evil things, and evil matters. Christendom has become a big tree producing no fruit, but having become a lodging place for so many evil things
12当主说这比喻的时候，这比喻是豫言；但今天牠已成了历史。在梵谛冈我们看见这比喻的应验。梵谛冈甚至是独立的国家，是墨索里尼和教皇协议成立的。从那时起，梵谛冈和世界各国互换大使。这进一步指明，基督教已成了大树。今天世界上约有八亿天主教徒，也许是世界人口的四分之一，都在教皇的权柄之下。这么多人在教皇制度之下。尽管基督教已成了大树，但在路加十二章，主耶稣却称祂的召会为『小群。』我们不该在大树里，而该留在小群里。
12When this parable was spoken by the Lord, it was prophecy; but today it has become history. In the Vatican we see the fulfillment of this parable. The Vatican is even an independent country, formed by an agreement between Mussolini and the pope. From that time onward, the Vatican and various nations of the world have exchanged ambassadors. This is a further indication that the Christian religion has become a big tree. Today there are approximately eight hundred million Catholics in the world, perhaps one fourth of the world’s population, under the authority of the pope. Such a large number of people is under the papal system. Although Christianity has become a big tree, in Luke 12 the Lord Jesus called His church the “little flock.” We should not be in the big tree, but remain in the little flock
13你若访问梵谛冈，你会看见那是大树，是充满许多飞鸟的宿处。在美国的天主教和大的公会里，我们看见同样的事。在天主教和公会里，很难找到一粒麦子或芥菜种。没有食物，却有飞鸟的宿处。这是今天的光景，是诸天之国的外表。
13If you visit the Vatican, you will see that it is a huge tree, a lodging place filled with so many birds. The same thing is found in the Catholic churches in the United States and in the large denominations. In the Catholic Church and in the denominations it is difficult to find a grain of wheat or a mustard seed. Instead of food, there is lodging for the birds. This is today’s situation, the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens.
14肆、国度外表的内在腐败
14IV. THE INWARD CORRUPTION OF THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE OF THE KINGDOM
一 、面酵的比喻
A. The Parable of Leaven
15国度的外表有三项：改变的性质，稗子；改变的外表，表面，大树；以及内在的腐化和腐败，面酵。这把我们带到面酵的比喻。
15With the appearance of the kingdom, there are three items: the changed nature, the tares; the changed outward appearance, the façade, the big tree; and the inward rottenness and corruption, the leaven. This brings us to the parable of the leaven
16１.诸天的国好像面酵
161. The Kingdom of the Heavens Being like Leaven
17三十三节说，『祂对他们另讲一个比喻说，诸天的国好像面酵，有妇人拿去藏在三斗面里，直到全团都发了酵。』酵在圣经里象征邪恶的事（林前五6，8）和邪恶的教训。太十六6，11～12。）
17Verse 33 says, “Another parable He spoke to them: The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened.” Leaven in the Scriptures signifies evil things (1 Cor. 5:6, 8) and evil doctrines (Matt. 16:6, 11-12
18有妇人（背道的天主教）
182. A Woman (the Apostate Catholic Church) 2.
把面酵拿去藏在三斗面里
Having Taken the Leaven and Hidden It in Three Measures of Meal
19三十三节说，有妇人把面酵拿去藏在三斗面里。召会既是实行的诸天之国，有基督，那无酵的细面为内容，就必是无酵的饼。（林前五7～8。）然而，由这里妇人所象征，那在第六世纪完全且正式形成的罗马天主教，采取了许多异教的作法、异端的道理和邪恶的事物，将其搀到关于基督的教训里，使基督教的全部内容都发了酵。这第四个比喻相当于启示录二、三章里，七个召会中的第四个，在推雅推喇的召会。（启二18～29。）这成为诸天之国外表的腐败内容。
19Verse 33 says that a woman took leaven and hid it in three measures of meal. The church, as the practical kingdom of the heavens, with Christ— the unleavened fine flour—as its content, must be the unleavened bread (1 Cor. 5:7-8). However, the Catholic Church, which was fully and officially formed in the sixth century and which is signified by the woman here, took many pagan practices, heretical doctrines, and evil matters and mixed them with the teachings concerning Christ to leaven the whole content of Christianity. This fourth parable corresponds to the fourth of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, the church in Thyatira (2:18-29). This became the inward content of the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens
20面是为作素祭，（利二1，）象征基督是神和人的食物。三斗乃是作一全餐所需之量。（创十八。）因此，把酵藏在三斗面里，象征天主教暗中使一切关于基督的教训都发了酵。这是罗马天主教真实的光景，完全违反了圣经，圣经是严禁在素祭中搀酵的。（利二4～5，11。）
20Meal, for making the meal offering (Lev. 2:1), signifies Christ as food to both God and man. Three measures is the quantity needed to make a full meal (Gen. 18:6). Hence, to hide the leaven in three measures of meal6 signifies that the Catholic Church has fully leavened in a hidden way all the teachings concerning Christ. This is the actual situation in the Roman Catholic Church. This is absolutely against the Scripture, which strongly forbids putting any leaven into the meal offering (Lev. 2:4-5, 11).
21酵的比喻启示出搀杂的事。三斗面是指麦子所作成的细面。细面总是用来作素祭，就是神祭司的食物。作祭司事奉神的人以素祭中的细面为食物。素祭不仅为著满足神的祭司，也为著满足神自己。因此素祭是给祭司和神的食物。素祭是基督在神人性里的完全豫表，其中有表征基督的细面。当主向亚伯拉罕显现时，亚伯拉罕告诉他的妻子撒拉，要用三细亚细面豫备一全餐。所以在圣经中，三斗面是指一全餐。妇人使三斗面发了酵，这事实指明与基督有关的每样东西，都给这邪恶的妇人发了酵。
21The parable of the leaven reveals the matter of mixture. The three measures of meal refer to fine flour made of wheat grain. This fine flour was always used in the meal offering, the food for God’s priests. Those who served God as priests fed on the fine flour of the meal offering. The meal offering was not only for the satisfaction of God’s priests, but also for the satisfaction of God Himself. Thus, the meal offering was food both for the priests and for God. The meal offering is a full type of Christ in His humanity, with the fine flour signifying Christ. When the Lord appeared to Abraham, Abraham told Sarah, his wife, to prepare a full meal with three measures of fine flour. Hence, in the Bible, three measures denotes a full meal. The fact that three measures of meal have been leavened by the woman indicates that everything related to Christ has been leavened by this evil woman
22马太十三章的妇人就是启示录二章的耶洗别。按照历史，推雅推喇表征背道的罗马天主教。背道的罗马天主教就是马太十三章的妇人，和启示录二章的耶洗别。最后这邪恶的妇人要成为大淫妇，就是启示录十七章所说的大巴比伦。因此，马太十三章，启示录二章、十七章的女人，乃是背道的罗马天主教。教皇制度建立以后，许多已经被带进来的异教作法，为该制度所认同。这记载在希斯录亚历山大（Alexander）所著『两个巴比伦』（The）一书中。
22The woman of Matthew 13 is the Jezebel of Reve lation 2. According to history, Thyatira signifies the apostate Roman Church. The apostate Roman Church is the woman of Matthew 13 and the Jezebel of Revelation 2. Eventually this evil woman will become the great prostitute, called Babylon the Great, seen in Revelation 1 7. Thus, the woman in Matthew 1 3, Revelation 2, and Revelation 17 is the apostate Catholic Church. After the papal system had been established, the many pagan practices which had been brought in were confirmed by that system. This is documented in Alexander Hislop’s book, The Hislop Two Babylons. Two Babylons
23全团（基督教）都发了酵
233. The Whole Lump (Christianity) Having Been Leavened 3.
24照著十三章三十三节：『全团都发了酵。』全团指明基督教，已经发了酵，并且腐败了。『两个巴比伦』一书是为著暴露罗马天主教的酵而写的，作者自称为牧师，指明他自己没有完全把酵除净。你若读基督教的历史，就会看见其中每样东西都发了酵。例如，在梵谛冈有一幅表明神圣三一的画像。在画像上，代表父的老人和代表子的青年当中，有一年轻女子，称为子神的母亲。在这三者上面，还有表明圣灵的鸽子。照著这幅图画，马利亚被列在神格之中，三一成了四一。这是何等的酵！
24According to 1 3:3 3, “the whole was leavened.” The whole lump, indicating Christianity, has been leavened and corrupted. The author of The Two Babylons, a book written to expose the leaven of Roman Catholicism, himself used the term reverend, indicating that he himself was not completely purged of the leaven. If you read the history of Christianity, you will see that everything in it has been leavened. For example, in the Vatican there is a painting supposedly of the Trinity. Between the picture of an old man, who represents the Father, and a young man, who represents the Son, there is a young lady, called the mother of God. Above these three there is a dove, denoting the Holy Spirit. According to this picture, Mary is ranked in the deity, and the Trinity has become a quaternity. What leaven is this!
25罗马天主教使一切与基督有关的事都发了酵。他们的确有基督，有面，但他们已经把酵放在面里。他们也有金杯，但杯中盛满了可憎之物。（启十七4。）罗马天主教无疑有一些金杯所表征神圣的东西，但这些东西却搀杂了可憎之物和各种鬼魔的东西。这就是今天的基督教国。基督教国里的一切都是搀杂品，没有例外。看看新灵恩运动，牠已经被带进天主教里，甚至和敬拜马利亚搀杂在一起。许多天主教灵恩派的人以为自己很属灵，但他们还是敬拜马利亚。在罗马天主教堂中也有所谓的灵恩弥撒。
25The Roman Catholic Church has leavened everything related to Christ. They do have Christ, the meal, but they have put leaven into the meal. They also have the golden cup, but it is filled with abominations (Rev. 17:4). There is no doubt that the Catholic Church has some amount of the divine things, signified by the golden cup, but they are mixed with abominations and all manner of devilish matters. This is today’s Christendom. Without exception, everything in Christendom is a mixture. Consider the charismatic movement which has been brought into Catholicism and even mixed with the worship of Mary. Many Catholic charismatics think they are spiritual, yet they still worship Mary. The Roman Catholic Church also has what is called charismatic masses
26凡是不属于那灵或基督的，都是酵。酵是加在食物里，使食物容易吃的东西。面包没有酵，就会很硬，很难吃，也很难消化。罗马天主教以此作为使用酵的藉口。他们说他们必须使人容易接受基督。罗马天主教说，基督是奥秘、属灵并抽象的，人需要祂的像好来领略祂。我们天然的人喜欢用一些方法，使属灵的事物较容易理解。这就是圣经所说的酵，我们必须谨防牠。我们必须将一切的酵除净。
26Whatever is not of the Spirit or of Christ is leaven. Leaven is something added to make things easy to eat. Without leaven, bread would be hard, and it would be difficult to eat and digest. The Catholic Church uses this as an excuse for the use of leaven. They say they must make it easy for people to receive Christ. The Catholic Church says that Christ is mysterious, spiritual, and abstract and that people need pictures of Him in order to apprehend Him. Our natural being likes to use certain methods to make spiritual things easier to assimilate. This is what the Bible calls leaven, and we must be careful of it. We must be purged of all leaven
27不仅罗马天主教接受了酵，更正教各公会团体也接受了。摇滚乐和戏剧也是一种酵，用来使属灵的事物较容易为人所接受。当我在中国时，我知道在某一组织里，有些年轻人把篮球和传福音搀杂在一起。用篮球传福音也是酵。我怀疑有多少人是藉此得救的。基督教青年会的整个原则都是酵，因为他们的目标是把属天的标准降到属地的水平，用世俗的作法把福音传给世俗的社会。基督教里的许多东西都是酵，包括圣诞节、复活节、偶像、肖像、雕像、摇滚乐、戏剧、以及整个基督教青年会的制度。我们必须谨慎，不要把基督以外的任何事物，当作神的目的，因为在祂以外的任何事物都是酵。哦！那狡猾者正在附近潜伏，等候掳物！我们很容易就会成为他的掳物，因为我们人性里有个愿望，要使人容易经历属灵的事物。但无论你用甚么帮助人摸著属灵的事物，都是一种酵。要传扬福音，并且带人归向基督，纯洁且圣别的作法，乃是祷告并供应神的话。不要用别的作法。如果在祷告并供应神的话之后，人还不接受福音，那是主的事。人接受不接受我们的话，是父的旨意。我们不要耍任何花招，帮助我们传福音。每种花招都是酵。我们不是为著工作或运动，我们乃是为著耶稣的见证。
27Not only the Catholic Church has taken in leaven, but the Protestant denominations and groups have also. Rock music and drama are types of leaven used to make spiritual things easier for people to accept. When I was in China, I knew of some young men in a certain organization who mixed basketball with the preaching of the gospel. Using basketball for gospel preaching is also leaven. I doubt that very many were saved through this. The whole principle of theY.M.C.A. is leaven, for the goal of theY. M. C. A. is to bring the heavenly standard down to the earthly level, to bring the gospel to secular society in a worldly way. So many things in Christianity are leaven. These include Christmas, Easter, idols, pictures, images, rock music, drama, and the entire Y.M.C.A. system. We must be careful not to take anything other than Christ for God’s purpose, because anything other than He is leaven. Oh, the subtle one is crouching nearby waiting for his prey! We can easily become his prey because in our human nature is the desire to make it easy for people to experience spiritual things. But whatever you use to help people to touch spiritual things is a type of leaven. The pure and sanctified way to preach the gospel and to bring people to Christ is prayer and the ministry of the Word. Do not take any other way. If after praying and ministering the Word, people will still not receive the gospel, that is up to the Lord. Whether or not people receive our word is a matter of the Father’s will. We do not want to use any gimmicks to help in our preaching. Every gimmick is leaven. We are not for a work or for a movement—we are for the testimony of Jesus.
28诸天之国的外表有三样东西：稗子，国度构成分子改变的性质；大树，假冒的表面；以及酵，内在的腐败和腐化。我们可以把这幅图画应用到今天的基督教。在整个基督教里，我们可以看见稗子、畸形的生长、以及酵所引起的腐败。在今天的基督教里，几乎每一部分都有腐败。虽然有一些真理，却和酵搀杂在一起，没有纯净，却有搀杂。那些反对且批评我们的人，宣称要护卫真理；他们必须对付这一切东西。赞美主，我们已经从外表被呼召出来，脱离了酵！然而我们必须儆醒，不让别种酵进来。要谨慎，不要接受基督以外的事物。在建造召会并扩展主的见证上，惟一的路是祷告并传讲纯正的话。在神眼中，任何花招－在基督、神的话、祷告和那灵以外的任何事物－都是酵。我们必须祷告到我们的传讲是在那灵的权能里，我们也必须祷告到我们的见证充满了基督的丰富。这是作神和人食物的纯净的面。这是今天主所要的。
28With the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens there are three matters: the tares, the changed nature of the constituents of the kingdom; the big tree, the false façade; and the leaven, the inward corruption and rottenness. We can apply this picture to today’s Christianity. Throughout Christianity we can see tares, abnormal growth, and the corruption caused by leaven. In nearly every part of today’s Christianity there is corruption. Although there is a certain amount of truth, it is mixed with leaven. Instead of purity, there is mixture. Those who oppose and criticize us, claiming to defend the truth, must deal with all these things. Praise the Lord that we have been called out of the façade and kept from the leaven! Nevertheless, we must be on the alert not to allow another kind of leaven to come in. Be careful not to take anything other than Christ. In building up the church and spreading the Lord’s testimony, the only way is to pray and to minister the pure Word. In the eyes of God, any gimmick— anything other than Christ, the Word, prayer, and the Spirit—is leaven. We must pray until our preaching is in the power of the Spirit, and we must pray until our testimony is filled with the riches of Christ. This is the pure meal as food for God and man. This is what the Lord wants today.
29我相信主说这一切比喻表明国度的奥秘，原因是要帮助使徒和早期的门徒领悟这就是诸天的国。我们必须看见，国度实际和国度外表之间的区别。实际对神是宝贵的，但外表对神是可憎的。所以我们必须宝贵实际，弃绝外表。我们不喜欢稗子、大树、或腐败。我们注重纯净的面粉和小芥菜，这两者都好作食物。这就是召会的见证，是神和人的食物。那些饥饿、寻求者若不来到主的恢复里，他们就找不到纯净的食物，作他们属灵的饱足。我们很多人都能见证，我们饥饿了多年，然而我们一旦进入召会，就得著饱足。我们的灵告诉我们，在召会这里有食物。这里没有花招或酵，却有细面同芥菜。这是主的恢复，也是筵席。这是主的见证，没有稗子、大树或酵。
29I believe the reason the Lord gave all these parables showing the mysteries of the kingdom was to help the apostles and the early disciples to realize that this is the kingdom of the heavens. We must see the difference between the reality of the kingdom and the appearance of the kingdom. The reality is precious to God, but the appearance is abominable to Him. Therefore, we must treasure the reality and reject the appearance. We do not like the tares, the big tree, or the rottenness. We care for the pure wheat flour and the little mustard herb which are good for food. This is the church’s testimony, which is food to God and man. Not until the hungry and seeking ones come into the Lord’s recovery can they find the pure food for their spiritual satisfaction. Many of us can testify that we were hungry for years, but that once we came into the church, we were satisfied. Our spirit told us that here in the church there is food. Here there are no gimmicks or leaven, but fine flour with the mustard herb. This is the Lord’s recovery, and this is the dining table. This is the Lord’s testimony without the tares, the big tree, or the leaven.
30二、属天的王只用比喻对群众说话
30B. The Heavenly King Having Spoken
Nothing to the Crowds but in Parables
31三十四节说，『耶稣用比喻对群众讲说这一切的事，若不用比喻，就不对他们说甚么。』因著人的弃绝，属天的王就不用明言对他们说话，只用比喻，为了使国度对他们是隐密的。国度不揭示出来，对他们就成了奥秘。
31Verse 34 says, “All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds, and apart from a parable He spoke nothing to them.” Because of the people’s rejection, the heavenly King spoke to them not in clear words, but in parables, in order to keep the kingdom secret from them. The unveiling of the kingdom became a mystery to them
32属天的王所作的，乃是应验豫言说，『我要开口用比喻。』（诗七八2，直译。）祂这样作，就把创世以来所隐藏的事说出来。国度的子民乃是神在创世以前所拣选的，（弗一4，）但国度的奥秘是创世以来所隐藏的。这些隐藏的事就是关于国度的事。这些事由属天的王说出来，然而是用奥秘的方式说出来的，为要使这些事对人仍是隐密的。
32What the heavenly King did was a fulfillment of the prophecy which said, “I will open my mouth in a parable” (Psa. 78:2). By doing so, He uttered things hidden from the foundation of the world. The kingdom people were chosen by God before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), but the mysteries of the kingdom were hidden from the foundation of the world. The hidden things are the things concerning the kingdom. They are uttered by the heavenly King, but uttered in a mysterious way in order to make them still a secret from the people