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马可福音生命读经 · 第14篇

国度的比喻(二)

The Parables of the Kingdom (2)
1读经:马可福音四章一至三十四节。『国度』一辞是指某种管理,这是无可置疑的。我们若说我们在实行国度生活,这意思是说,我们乃是受神的管理。但是我们在本篇信息中,要从一个非常不同的观点来看神的国。
1Scripture Reading: Mark 4:1-34 The word “kingdom,” no doubt, denotes some kind of ruling. To say that we are practicing the kingdom life means that we are under God’s ruling. In this message, however, we shall consider the kingdom of God from a very different point of view
福音的种子
THE SEED OF THE GOSPEL
2我们先要藉著以下的问题,来看国度的事:福音是甚么?我们可以说,福音是一个奇妙的人位,奇妙的神人。福音告诉我们,有一天神亲自成为肉体。这奇妙的一位,成为肉体的神,乃是神人。祂年满三十岁时,出来传福音。正如我们在前一篇信息所指出的,福音顶替了整本旧约,因为福音应验了各种应许、豫言与豫表,同时也撤除了律法。神人耶稣基督来了,旧约就过去了。这一位本身就是福音。因此,福音就是这一位奇妙的神人。
2Let us begin our consideration of the kingdom by asking the following question: What is the gospel? We may say that the gospel is a wonderful Person, a wonderful God-man. The gospel tells us that one day the very God became incarnate. This wonderful One, God incarnate, was the God-man. When He reached the age of thirty, He came forth to preach the gospel. As we pointed out in a previous message, the gospel is the replacement of the entire Old Testament, for it is the fulfillment of the promises, prophecies, and types and it is also the removal of the law. With the coming of the God-man, Jesus Christ, the Old Testament was over. This One is Himself the gospel. The gospel, therefore, is this wonderful God-man
3照马可四章的记载来看,我们可以说,福音就是这位奇妙的神人来到,将自己当作生命的种子撒出去。这生命的种子是在主的话里所传输的。四章二至三节论到这一点说,『祂就用比喻教训他们许多事,在教训之间,对他们说,你们要听!看哪,那撒种的出去撒种。』教训这辞在原文里是未完成式,指明已过重复的动作。『撒种的』表征奴仆救主,祂是神的儿子,在祂的道(14)里将自己当作生命的种子,撒在人的心里,使祂能生长并活在他们里面,且从他们里面彰显出来。这里所撒的种子就是奴仆救主口里所出来的话。因此,祂的话就是种子,在这种子里面有神圣的生命。实际上,这神圣生命的种子,就是主自己。马可四章里所撒的种子,乃是福音的种子。正如康乃馨的种子实际上就是康乃馨,照样,福音的种子也就是福音的本身。耶稣基督这位神人,乃是福音的种子。当我们题到福音的种子,我们的意思是说,这种子就是福音;正如康乃馨的种子就是康乃馨一样。
3According to the record of chapter four of the Gospel of Mark, we may say that the gospel is the wonderful God-man coming to sow Himself as a seed of life. This seed of life is conveyed in the Lord’sword. Concerning this, 4:2 and 3 say, “And He taught them many things in parables, and said to them in His teaching: Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow.” In Greek the word “taught” is in the imperfect tense, indicating repeated action in the past. The word “sower” indicates that the Slave - Savior, who was the Son of God, came to sow Himself as the seed of life in His word (v. 14) into men’she arts so that He might grow in them, live in them, and be expressed from within them. The seed sown here is the word that proceeded out of the mouth of the Slave-Savior. Hence, His word is the seed, and in this seed is the divine life. Actually, this seed of the divine life is the Lord Himself. The seed sown in chapter four of Mark is the seed of the gospel. Just as a carnation seed is actually the carnation itself, so the seed of the gospel is the gospel itself. As the God-man, Jesus Christ is the seed of the gospel. When we speak of the seed of the gospel, we mean that this seed is the gospel, just as a carnation seed is a carnation.
4我们在马可四章有福音的种子,或者说有福音作种子。照四章三节来看,主教训的时候,就是在撒种。这撒种就是奴仆救主传扬神的福音,带进神的国。(一14~15。)这与四章二十六节一样,乃是撒出奴仆救主所说之道中生命的种子,指明祂福音的服事,是要将神的生命撒在祂所服事的人里面。这生命的长大是按照受服事之人的光景;光景不同,结果就不同,就如这比喻所描绘的。(四1~20。)主耶稣把种子撒到人心里。马可四章与马太十三章,把人的心比作土壤。我们的心是田地、土壤,主耶稣把祂自己当作生命的种子,就是福音的种子撒在其中。在撒种的比喻里,主耶稣是撒种的,也是撒出去的种子。主这位撒种者,把祂自己当作生命的种子,藉著祂的话撒出去。撒种的比喻中没有题到神的国。譬如,主在四章三节没有题到国度的事;祂乃是告诉我们,撒种的出去撒种。四章一至八节为甚么没有题到国度?原因是神的国虽然临近了,但还没有来到。然而,我们在四章二十六节看见,国度已经来到。因此主能说『神的国是这样…。』然后主在三十节接著问:『神的国我们可以比作甚么?』在种子的比喻(26~29)和芥菜种的比喻(30~34)中,都有神的国。但是在第一个比喻,就是撒种的比喻时,神的国还没有来到。正如我们所看见的,在这个比喻里,国度的种子正撒出去。当主撒下神国的种子时,祂把自己撒到门徒里面。然后,这国度的种子三年半之久在门徒里面经过发展的过程。结果五旬节那天来到时,神的国就在门徒中间。从主来传福音到五旬节那天,还不到四年。那是一段撒在『土里』的种子生长的时间。这粒种子继续生长、发展,直到五旬节那天;那时国度很明显的与彼得和一百二十个人同在。
4In Mark 4 we have the seed of the gospel, or the gospel as a seed. According to 4:3, as the Lord was teaching He was sowing. This sowing was the Slave- Savior’sp reaching of the gospel of God that brought in the kingdom of God (1:14-15). It was, as in 4:26, the sowing of this seed of life in the word spoken by the Slave - Savior. This indicates that His gospel service was to sow the divine life into the people whom He served. The growth of this life depends upon the condition of the ones served by Him, with its issue differing according to their various conditions, as portrayed in the parable of the sower (4:1-20). The Lord Jesus sowed the seed into the human heart. In Mark 4 and Matthew 13 the human heart is likened to soil. Our heart is the field, the soil, into which the Lord Jesus has sown Himself as the seed of life, which is the seed of the gospel. In the parable of the sower, the Lord Jesus is both the Sower and the seed sown. As the Sower, the Lord sows Himself as the seed of life through His word. In the parable of the sower itself there is no mention of the kingdom of God. For example, in 4:3 the Lord does not say anything about the kingdom; instead, He tells us that the sower went out to sow. Why is there no mention of the kingdom in 4:1-8? The reason is that, although the kingdom of God had drawn near, it had not yet come. But in 4:26 we see that the kingdom had come. This was the reason the Lord could say, “So is the kingdom of God.…” Then in 4:30 the Lord went on to ask, “How shall we liken the kingdom of God?” In the parable of the seed (vv. 26-29) and in the parable of the mustard seed (vv. 30-34) the kingdom of God was there. But in the first parable, the parable of the sower, the kingdom of God had not yet come. As we have seen, in this parable the seed of the kingdom is sown. When the Lord sowed the seed of the kingdom of God, He sowed Himself into His disciples. Then this seed of the kingdom passed through a process of development within the disciples for three and a half years. As a result, when the day of Pentecost came, the kingdom of God was present with the disciples. The time from the Lord’s coming forth to preach the gospel until the day of Pentecost was less than four years. That was a period of time for the seed sown into the “earth” to grow. The seed continued to grow and develop until the day of Pentecost, when the kingdom was clearly present with Peter and the one hundred twenty.
5要讲国度的外表还容易;但要从生命内里的角度来谈论神的国,就不容易了。我们对这事实要有深刻的印象,就是神的国与人的国极其不同。人的国是组织的事;神的国不是组织的事,完全是生命的事。神的国是甚么?神的国实际上乃是神人耶稣基督,作为种子撒到相信祂的人里面。这种子撒到他们里面以后,就在他们里面生长,最后发展成为国度。耶稣基督是神国的种子,这种子已经撒到相信祂的人里面了。如今这种子正在信徒里面生长、发展。至终,这生长与发展会产生一个结果,就是国度。这个结果,也就是国度,会使所有主的信徒都达到目标。这个目标也就是国度。马可四章有一个特别的目的,就是要这样把国度启示给我们。
5It is easy to speak concerning the outward aspect of the kingdom. But it is difficult to talk about the kingdom of God in the inner way of life. We need to be impressed with the fact that the kingdom of God is very different from the kingdom of man. The kingdom of man is a matter of organization. The kingdom of God is not a matter of organization; rather, the kingdom of God is absolutely a matter of life. What is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is actually the God-man, Jesus Christ, sown as a seed into His believers. After this seed has been sown into them, it will grow in them and eventually develop into a kingdom. Jesus Christ is the seed of the kingdom of God, and this seed has been sown into those who believe in Him. Now this seed is growing and developing within the believers. Eventually, this growth and development will have an issue, and the issue will be the kingdom. Then this issue, the kingdom, will bring all the Lord’s believers to reach the goal. This goal also is the kingdom. Chapter four of the Gospel of Mark serves the particular purpose of revealing the kingdom to us in this way.
福音的内在元素
THE INTRINSIC ELEMENT OF THE GOSPEL
6在本篇信息中,我所在意的,不是要逐节研读四章一至三十四节,也不是要研读不同的比喻;我的负担是要我们能看见神的国是甚么。我们能看见福音就是神国度的福音,乃是很重要的。这福音实际上就是神人耶稣基督作生命的种子撒到我们里面,这种子就是国度的种子。如今这种子正在我们里面生长、发展。至终就会有一个国度,从这种子的生长与发展中产生出来。
6In this message I am not concerned with a verse-by- verse study of 4:1-34, nor even with a study of the different parables. My burden is that we may see what the kingdom of God is. It is crucial for us to see that the gospel is the gospel of the kingdom of God. This gospel is actually the God-man, Jesus Christ, sown into us as a life seed, a seed which is the seed of the kingdom. This seed is now growing and developing in us. Eventually, a kingdom will issue from the growth and development of this seed
7我们若说我们在主的恢复里是在实行国度生活,就必须看见,这国度不是组织。不,这国度乃是出于内里的生命,这生命也就是主耶稣基督自己。祂像一粒种子,已经撒到我们里面,现今祂在我们里面生长、发展。赞美主,这种子在我们每一个人里面生长、发展!这种子生长、发展的结果就是国度。不仅如此,这国度会把我们带到目的地,使神的目标得以达到。你知道这个目标是甚么?这个目标就是神的国得以完全发展。
7If we say that in the Lord’s recovery we are practicing the kingdom life, we need to realize that this kingdom is not something of organization. No, this kingdom is something of the inner life, a life which is actually the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He has been sown into our being as a seed, and now He is growing and developing within us. Praise the Lord that this seed is in each one of us and is now growing and developing in us! The growth and development of this seed will issue in the kingdom. Furthermore, this kingdom will bring us to the destination so that God’s goal may be reached. Do you know what this goal is? This goal is the full development of the kingdom of God
8我们已经指出,马可福音记载主的活动。我们在头三章看见福音服事的内容,(一14~45,)完成福音服事的路,(二1~三6,)以及福音服事的辅助动作。(三7~35。)现在,我们在第四章看见福音是甚么。按照本章,福音乃是生命的种子,撒到相信主耶稣的人里面,好叫这种子能生长、发展,而产生国度。表面看来,福音是传扬、教训、赶鬼、医病、洁净痳疯的事。实际上,福音的内在元素乃是神圣的种子,神人,成为肉体的神,撒到我们里面。今天,许多基督徒都忽略了福音这内在的元素。
8We have pointed out that the Gospel of Mark records the Lord’s activities. In the first three chapters we see the contents of the gospel service (1:14-45), the ways of carrying out the gospel service (2:1—3:6), and the auxiliary acts for the gospel service (3:7-35). Now in chapter four we see what the gospel is. According to this chapter, the gospel is the seed of life sown into those who believe in the Lord Jesus so that this seed might grow, develop, and issue in the kingdom. Apparently, the gospel is a matter of preaching, teaching, casting out demons, healing the sick, and cleansing the lepers. Actually, the intrinsic element of the gospel is the divine seed, the God-man, the incarnated God, sown into our being. This intrinsic element of the gospel has been neglected by many of today’s Christians.
9福音里面有一粒内在的种子,而这种子乃是福音的内在元素,也就是这位神人。每当我们传福音,我们都需要把基督服事给接受我们话的听众,因为福音里面有内在的元素。每当人接受福音,他就接受成为肉体的神作福音的内在元素,也就是那粒种子。这意思是说,人一旦接受了福音,他就接受了福音的种子。成为肉体的神,就藉著福音撒到他里面。
9Within the gospel there is an inner seed, and this seed, the intrinsic element of the gospel, is the God-man. Whenever we preach the gospel, we need to minister Christ to those who listen to us and receive our word, for within the gospel there is an intrinsic element. Whenever a person receives the gospel, he receives God incarnate as the intrinsic element, the seed, of the gospel. This means that as long as a person receives the gospel, he receives the seed of the gospel. Through the gospel the incarnated God is sown into his being
三一神住在我们里面
THE TRIUNE GOD DWELLING IN US
10基督徒对于基督住在信徒里面这件事,在神学上一直有所争论。争论的点在于基督是否真的在我们里面。有人说,基督太大,我们太小,因此不能容纳祂。有这种观念的人说,基督只能在天上,不能在我们里面。所以,照这种看法,只有圣灵作基督的代表,在我们里面。有人也许承认子基督在我们里面,但他们否认父在我们里面。他们或者会接著说,子与父是两个分开的身位。他们声称,神格有三个分开的身位,就是父、子、灵。那些说子在我们里面而父不在我们里面的人说,子活在我们里面,父却在天上的宝座。关于父住在我们里面这件事,我们需要看保罗在以弗所四章六节的话:『一位众人的神与父,就是那超越众人,贯彻众人,也在众人之内的。』这节是说,父超越我们之上,贯彻我们中间,也在我们里面。我们怎能说,父不在我们里面?
10There has been a theological argument among Christians concerning the dwelling of Christ within the believers. This argument concerns the question of whether or not Christ is actually in us. Some say that Christ is too great and that we are too small to contain Him. According to those who hold this concept, Christ can be in the heavens, but He cannot be in us. Therefore, according to this view, only the Holy Spirit as the representative of Christ is in us. Some may admit that Christ the Son is in us, but they may deny that the Father is in us. They may go on to say that the Son and the Father are two separate Persons. In the Godhead, they claim, there are three separate Persons, and these separate Persons are the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Those who claim that the Son is in us but not the Father say that whereas the Son lives in us, the Father is on the throne in the heavens. Regarding the matter of the Father dwelling in us, we need to consider Paul’sword in Ephesians 4:6: “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” According to this verse, the Father is over us, through us, and in us. How can we say, then, that the Father is not in us?
11我们从新约圣经和我们的经历知道,父、子、灵都在我们里面。我们已经看见,以弗所四章六节指明父在我们里面。歌罗西一章二十七节和林后十三章五节强有力的证明,子基督在我们里面。约翰十四章十七节与罗马八章九节启示,那灵住在我们里面。再者,主耶稣在约翰十四章二十三节说,『人若爱我,就必遵守我的话,我父也必爱他,并且我们要到他那里去,同他安排住处。』我们在这里看见,子来的时候,父与祂同来。并不是父留在天上,子来与我们同在。不,父与子同来,与爱主耶稣的人同住。三一神在我们里面。住在我们里面的三一神就是福音的种子。我们已经看见,这种子就是那神人。因此,福音的种子乃是在人性里的三一神。我们在马可二章所记载赦免瘫子之罪的事例中,看见在人性里的三一神,看见奴仆救主的神性与人性。奴仆救主知道寻求者的信、病人的罪、以及经学家心里的议论,这指明祂是无所不知的。这样的无所不知,显出祂神圣的属性,揭示祂的神性。然而,奴仆救主在二章十节接著说到祂是人子。奴仆救主就是神成为肉体,祂不以自己与神同等为强夺之珍,而紧持不放。祂虽然外面成为人的样式,取了人的样子,甚至成为奴仆的形状,但祂里面仍是神。(腓二6~7。)祂是奴仆救主,也是神救主。因此,祂不仅有能力拯救罪人,也有权柄赦免他2:1-们的罪。在马可二章一至十二节所记载的事例中,祂是神赦免人的罪,却声言自己是人子。这指明祂是真神,又是真人。在祂身上,我们同时看见神人二性。照第四章来看,这位奇妙的神人就是国度的种子。这正是本章所教导我们的。马可四章给我们看见,施浸者约翰所宣告的福音,和主耶稣自己所传讲的福音,乃是三一神在人性里作生命的种子,撒到我们心里。我们若要知道神的国是甚么,就必须看见这个极其重要的事。
11Both from the New Testament and our experience we know that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are in us. We have seen that Ephesians 4:6 indicates that the Father is in us. Colossians 1:27 and 2 Corinthians 13:5 prove strongly that Christ the Son is in us. John 14:17 and Romans 8:9 reveal that the Spirit dwells in us. Moreover, in John 14:23 the Lord Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him.” Here we see that when the Son comes, the Father comes with Him. It is not the case that the Father remains in heaven and the Son comes to be in us. No, the Father and the Son together come to make an abode with the one who loves the Lord Jesus. The Triune God is in us. The Triune God who dwells in us is the very seed of the gospel. We have seen that this seed is the God-man. Hence, the seed of the gospel is the Triune God in humanity. In the case of the forgiving of the sins of the paralytic recorded in Mark 2, we see the Triune God in humanity. Here we see both the deity and the humanity of the Slave - Savior. The Slave - Savior knew the seekers’ faith, the sick one’ss ins, and the scribes’ inward reasonings. This indicates that He was omniscient. Such omniscience, manifesting His divine attribute, unveiled His deity. However, the Slave - Savior went on in 2:10 to speak of Himself as the Son of Man. The Slave-Savior was the very God incarnated. As God incarnate, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. He was outwardly in the likeness and fashion of man, even in the form of a slave, but inwardly He was God (Phil. 2:6-7). He was both the Slave-Savior and the God-Savior. Hence, He had not only the ability to save sinners, but also the authority to forgive their sins. In the incident recorded in 12, He forgave a man’ss ins as God, but asserted that He was the Son of Man. This indicates that He was the true God and a real man. In Him we see both deity and humanity. According to chapter four, this wonderful One, the God-man, is the seed of the kingdom. This is exactly what this chapter teaches us. Chapter four of the Gospel of Mark enables us to see that the gospel announced by John the Baptist and preached by the Lord Jesus Himself is a matter of the Triune God in humanity as a seed of life sown into our hearts. If we would know what the kingdom of God is, we need to see this very important matter.
国度的基因
THE KINGDOM GENE
12为要把这件事讲得清楚,我要借用『基因』这个生物学名词。那撒到我们里面,在人性里的三一神,乃是国度的基因。我们知道,若没有人的基因,就不可能有人的生命。我们的出生、生命、存留,都来自基因。现在我们必须看见,在人性里的三一神已经撒到我们里面,成了国度的基因。赞美主,这基因在我们里面!至终,这基因会产生国度。
12In order to make this matter clear, I would like to borrow a term from biology. This term is the word gene.” The Triune God in humanity sown into our being is the gene of the kingdom. We know that without human genes it is impossible to have human life. Our birth, our being, and our existence all came from a gene. Now we must see that the Triune God in humanity has been sown into us to be the gene of the kingdom. Praise the Lord that this gene is within us! Eventually, the kingdom will issue from this gene
13首先,国度是福音的结果,然后是福音的目标;在结果与目标之间有召会。你知道召会是甚么?召会乃是国度的基因所产生之结果的延续。这种对国度的领会,的确与今天许多基督徒肤浅的领会不同。我们已经看见,有一天三一神成了人,名叫耶稣基督,就是神人。主耶稣在马可二章赦免瘫子时,祂的神性与人性都彰显了出来。如今,藉著福音的传扬,这一位已经撒到我们里面。今天我们要接触祂,不必再像马可二章中那些热心的人,去拆开屋顶。主已经撒到我们心里!这位撒到我们里面的乃是国度的基因,就是在人性里的三一神。这奇妙的一位就是我们的神、主、救主、救赎主、主人与生命。因著这位神人作国度的基因,已经撒到我们里面,我们就自然而然彼此相爱,并且享受美好的交通。我们可以说,在主恢复里的召会是不同种族、国籍与文化的真正融炉。事实上,我们不仅融在一起,更是相调、调和在一起。你知道我们为甚么彼此相爱?我们彼此相爱,是因为我们里面有基因,这基因所包含的元素,使我们彼此相爱。
13First, the kingdom is the issue of the gospel, and then it is the goal of the gospel. Between the issue and the goal we have the church. Do you know what the church is? The church is the continuation of the issue of the gene of the kingdom. This understanding of the kingdom is certainly different from the superficial understanding of many Christians today. We have seen that one day the Triune God became a man named Jesus Christ, the God-man. In forgiving the paralytic in Mark 2, both the deity and the humanity of the Lord Jesus were manifested. Now this One, through the preaching of the gospel, has been sown into us. In order for us to contact Him today, there is no need for anyone to break through the roof as the zealous ones did in Mark 2. The Lord has been sown into our heart! The One who has been sown into us is the gene of the kingdom, the Triune God in humanity. This wonderful One is our God, Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Master, and life. Because the God-man as the gene of the kingdom has been sown into us, we spontaneously love one another and enjoy marvelous fellowship. We may say that the church in the Lord’s recovery is the real melting pot of the different races, nationalities, and cultures. Actually, we are not only melted together — we are blended and mingled together. Do you know why we love one another? We love one another because of the gene that is within us. This gene contains the element with which we love one another.
14一天过一天,国度的种子在我们里面成长、发展。我有负担要使我们对以下这事实有深刻的印象,就是这个种子、这个基因已经撒到我们里面,并且这个种子、这个基因就是成为肉体的三一神,也就是在人性里的神自己。那赦免瘫子的一位,
14Day by day the seed of the kingdom is growing and developing within us. I am burdened that we all be impressed with the fact that this seed, this gene, has been sown into us and that this is the Triune God incarnate, the very God in humanity. The One who forgave the paralytic is now in us as the seed of the kingdom.
15如今就在我们里面,作国度的种子。
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16哦!愿我们都有负担告诉人这个好信息!也许我们许多事都忘记了,但我们应该牢记,这基因正在我们里面。在人性里的三一神作为生命的种子,已经撒到我们里面,要生长、发展、并产生国度。这样,国度就是福音的结果,也是福音的目标。在结果与目标之间有召会生活,作我们里面奇妙基因之结果的延续。
16Oh, may we all be burdened to tell others this good news! We may forget many things, but we should all remember the gene that is within us. The Triune God in humanity has been sown into us as a seed of life to grow, develop, and issue in the kingdom. The kingdom, then, is the issue of the gospel and will be the goal of the gospel. Between the issue and goal we have the church life as the continuation of the issue of the marvelous gene that is within us.