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约翰福音生命读经 · 第41篇

生命的祷告（四）

LIFE’S PRAYER (4)
1关于约翰十七章虽然已说了许多，然而还需要说一些。我们绝不可忘记这一章，因为在这一章，主祷告要神荣耀祂，好使神在祂里面，并藉著祂得荣耀。『父阿，时候到了，愿你荣耀你的儿子，使儿子也荣耀你，』（约十七1，）这句话乃是这祷告的主题。神的儿子如何得荣耀，使父神在祂里面，并藉著祂得荣耀?乃是藉著受死之后的复活。主在受死后复活了，意思是祂得了彰显和荣耀。主藉著复活得了释放并彰显；因此，祂得了荣耀。当主这样得著荣耀时，父就在子里面，并藉著子得了荣耀。我们已经看见，子如何在祂的复活里得了荣耀。那么，今天子如何得著荣耀，使父在子里面，并藉著子得著荣耀?乃是藉著召会。当召会蒙了重生、圣别、钉十字架，并且在荣耀里与基督联结，那时神的儿子就要得著彰显并显明。神的儿子要在召会的一里得著荣耀。神的儿子这样得了荣耀，父也就同时在子里面，并藉著子得了荣耀。因此，『愿你荣耀你的儿子，使儿子也荣耀你，』这个祷告包含且依赖召会得著重生、圣别、钉十字架、以及与神的儿子联结成为一。
1Although much has been said about John 17, still more is necessary. We must never forget this chapter, for in it the Lord prayed that God would glorify Him so that God might be glorified in and through Him. The words, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You” (17:1), are the subject of this prayer. How was the Son of God glorified so that God the Father might be glorified in and through the Son? It was by the resurrection which follows death. After His death, the Lord was resurrected, meaning that He was manifested and glorified. The Lord was released and manifested by resurrection; hence, He was glorified. When the Lord was thus glorified, the Father was glorified in and through the Son. We have seen how the Son was glorified in His resurrection. Now in what way will the Son be glorified today so that the Father might be glorified in and through the Son? It is by the church. When the church has been regenerated, sanctified, crucified, and united with Christ in glory, then the Son of God will be expressed and manifested. The Son of God will be glorified in the oneness of the church. The Son of God being thus glorified, the Father at that time will also be glorified in and through the Son. Therefore, the prayer, “Glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You,” includes and depends upon the matter of the church being regenerated, sanctified, crucified, and united in oneness with the Son of God
在神圣生命里的一
ONENESS IN THE DIVINE LIFE
2我们已经看见，主在约翰十七章的祷告揭示出一的三个阶段。在本篇信息中，我们要仔细的来看约翰十七章关于一的经节。十一节说，『圣父阿，求你在你的名，就是你所赐给我的名里，保守他们，使他们成为一，像我们一样。』这里我们看见，一是一件在父的名里蒙保守的事。我们已经指出，父的名的实际就是父神圣的生命。因此，真正合一的第一要素是父的名同著父神圣的生命。这就是十七章二节所题到的生命，那里主对父说，祂已经赐给子『权柄，管理一切属肉体的人，叫祂将永远的生命赐给一切你所赐给祂的人。』我们必须注意这两节，好看见真正合一的第一个要素。
2As we have seen, the Lord’spray er in John 17 unfolds three stages of oneness. In this message, let us pay careful attention to the verses in John 17 that are concerned with oneness. Verse 11 says, “Holy Father, keep them in Your name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.” We see here that oneness is a matter of being kept in the Father’s name. As we have already pointed out, the reality of the Father’s name is the Father’s divine life. Hence, the first factor of genuine oneness is the Father’s name with the Father’s divine life. This is the life mentioned in 17:2, where the Lord said to the Father that He had given the Son “authority over all flesh, that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.” We must take care of these two verses in order to see the first main factor of genuine oneness.
在神圣话语里的一
ONENESS IN THE HOLY WORD
3约翰十七章二十一节是奇妙、深奥的一节。『使他们都成为一；正如你父在我里面，我在你里面，使他们也在我们里面，叫世人可以信你差了我来。』这节的一就是在三一神里的一。当我们都在三一神里面时，我们就有了一。我们如何能在三一神里面?惟有藉著基督的死与复活。这就是主在十四章告诉我们，祂必须在死里去，并在复活里来的原因。乃是藉著死与复活，祂的门徒才被带进三一神里面。在三一神里面，就有真实、真正的一。同著二十一节，我们也要看十七、十八节：『求你用真理圣别他们，你的话就是真理。你怎样差我到世上，我也照样差他们到世上。』十七节有圣别人的话。虽然我们是在三一神里，但我们却可能从三一神滑到世界里。因此，我们需要圣别人的话，好从世界分别出来，归向三一神。所以，真正合一的第二要素，是在三一神里藉著神圣的话得以圣别。
3John 17:21 is a wonderful, deep, and profound verse. “That they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that You have sent Me.” The oneness in this verse is the oneness in the Triune God. When we all are in the Triune God, we have oneness. How can we be in the Triune God? Only through Christ’s death and resurrection. This is the reason why the Lord told us in chapter fourteen that He had to go in death and come in resurrection. It was through death and resurrection that His disciples were brought into the Triune God. In the Triune God is the real, genuine oneness. We must take verses 17 and 18 along with verse 21. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You have sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” In verse 17 we have the sanctifying word. Although we are in the Triune God, we may slip out of the Triune God into the world. Thus, we need the sanctifying word to separate us from the world back to the Triune God. Therefore, the second factor of genuine oneness is in the Triune God through sanctification by the holy word.
在神圣荣耀里的一
ONENESS IN THE DIVINE GLORY
4合一的第三要素在二十二节可以看出：『你所赐给我的荣耀，我已赐给他们，使他们成为一，正如我们是一一样。』真正合一的第三要素是荣耀－在神圣的荣耀里，为著三一神的彰显。既然父所赐给子的荣耀，子已经赐给我们，真正的一就在这神圣的荣耀里。甚么是荣耀?荣耀就是父所赐给子的儿子名分，同父神圣的生命和性情，在父的丰满里彰显祂。请注意，荣耀有四面：儿子的名分、父的生命、父神圣的性情、以及父在祂丰满里的彰显。这四件事合起来等于荣耀。这就是我们在子里所得著的荣耀，这荣耀是我们神圣的权利和特权。父已将这荣耀赐给子，子有特权这样彰显父。这就是子所已经赐给我们的荣耀。今天我们都有儿子的名分，同父的生命和性情，在子里并在父一切的丰满里彰显祂。我们对这几点需要非常熟悉，因为乃是在这神圣的荣耀里，我们才真正是一。
4The third factor of oneness is found in verse 22. “And the glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, even as We are one.” The third factor of genuine oneness is glory—in the divine glory for the expression of the Triune God. Since the glory which the Father has given to the Son has been given to us by the Son, genuine oneness is in the divine glory. What is glory? Glory is the sonship given to the Son by the Father with the Father’s divine life and nature to express the Father in His fullness. Notice that there are four aspects of glory: sonship, the Father’s life, the Father’s divine nature, and the expression of the Father in His fullness. These four things together equal the glory. This is the glory, which is a divine right and privilege, that we have in the Son. The Father has given this glory to the Son, and the Son is privileged to express the Father in this way. This is the very glory which has been given to us by the Son. Today we all have the sonship with the Father’s life and nature to express the Father in all His fullness in the Son. We need to become very familiar with these points, for it is in this divine glory that we are truly one
5二十三节继续说，『我在他们里面，你在我里面，使他们被成全成为一，叫世人知道是你差了我来，并且知道你爱他们如同爱我一样。』这里我们看见，被成全成为一仍然与在父里并在子里有关。我们若注意这些经节，就能看见真实的一。
5Verse 23 continues, “I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one, that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” Here we see that being perfected into oneness still pertains to being in the Father and in the Son. If we take care of all these verses, then we shall be able to see real oneness.
6二十四节主说，『父阿，我在那里，愿你所赐给我的人，也同我在那里，叫他们看见你所赐给我的荣耀，因为创立世界以前，你已经爱我了。』主是在神圣的荣耀里，祂且祷告愿父所赐给祂的人，也同祂在荣耀里。我们需要密切注意这节里一些动词的时态。这里并不是说，他们『将要和我同在，』或『他们将要看见我的荣耀。』根据天然、宗教的观念，荣耀是在将来，是在『甜美的将来。』根据这观念，在『甜美的将来，』荣耀要照耀出来，我们都要进入那种照耀中，并且在荣耀里。但主耶稣不是用未来式，乃是用现在式，说，『我在那里，愿你所赐给我的人，也同我在那里，叫他们看见你所赐给我的荣耀。』主说，『也同我』和『看见我的荣耀。』同主在荣耀里，并看见祂的荣耀，不是为著『甜美的将来。』我们今天就可以经历这些。主似乎在告诉父，说，『父阿，你已经将你的荣耀，儿子的名分同神圣的生命和性情赐给我，好彰显你和你的丰满。这就是你所已经赐给我的荣耀，而我现今就在这荣耀里。然而，你所赐给我的这些人还不在这荣耀里，我祷告愿他们也在这荣耀里。』这祷告是甚么时候得著答应的?首先，是在复活的那天，其次是在召会建立的日子。当召会建立起来，所有的门徒都被带进同样的荣耀里，进入了儿子的名分同神圣的生命和神圣的性情，在子里并在祂一切的丰满里彰显父神。阿利路亚，我们都同子在荣耀里！子有儿子的名分同神圣的生命和神圣的性情，以彰显父，我们也有这个。因此，如今子在那里，我们也在那里－在荣耀里。藉此，我们看见真实的一是在三一神里，藉著子受死和复活的过程。一的第一阶段是生命的一，第二阶段是圣别的一，第三阶段是在三一神得荣里的一。最后的阶段，三一神的得荣，就是三一神的彰显，也就是儿子名分的荣耀。当我们来在一起，看见我们已经重生、圣别、钉十字架，这时我们就是一，以彰显神，表明神，并且得成全进入三一神的得荣里。
6In verse 24 the Lord said, “Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me may also be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, for You have loved Me before the foundation of the world.” The Lord was in the divine glory and prayed that all whom the Father had given Him would also be with Him in glory. We need to pay close attention to the tenses of some of the verbs in this verse. Here it does not say that they “shall be with Me” or that “they shall behold My glory.” According to the natural, religious concept, glory is in the future, in “the sweet by-and-by.” According to this concept, in “the sweet by-and-by” the glory will shine and we all shall come into that shining and be in glory. But the Lord Jesus did not use the future tense, but the present tense, saying, “I desire that those whom You have given Me may also be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory.” The Lord said, “may also be,” and, “may behold My glory.” Being with the Lord in glory and beholding His glory are not for “the sweet by-and-by”; we may experience them today. The Lord seemed to be telling the Father, “Father, You have given Me Your glory, the sonship with the divine life and nature to express You and Your fullness. This is the glory which You have given Me, and I am now in this glory. But those whom You have given Me are not yet in this glory. I pray that they also may be in this glory.” When was this prayer answered? Firstly, it was answered on the day of resurrection and secondly, on the day the church was raised up. When the church was raised up, all the disciples were brought into that same glory, into the sonship with the divine life and the divine nature to express God the Father in the Son in all His fullness. Hallelujah, we all are in glory with the Son! The Son has the sonship with the divine life and the divine nature to express the Father, and we also have this. Thus, we are now where the Son is—in glory. By this we see that real oneness is in the Triune God through the process of the death and resurrection of the Son. The first stage of oneness is the oneness of life, the second stage is the oneness of sanctification, and the third stage is the oneness in the glorification of the Triune God. The last stage, the glorification of the Triune God, is simply the manifestation of the Triune God, that is, the glory of sonship. When we come together realizing that we have been regenerated, sanctified, and crucified, then we are one to express God, to manifest God, and to be perfected into the glorification of the Triune God.
7藉著应用这三个阶段，我们就能发现我们是在那一个阶段。你是在那一阶段？第一，第二，还是第三?你不过在生命里是一，还是有在圣别里更高的一，或是有在三一神的得荣里最高的一?我们众人不是都在相同的阶段里。有些人在第一阶段，另有些人在第二阶段，还有少数人因著主的怜悯，在第三阶段。只要你已经得救、重生，你就有父的生命和父的名。所以，你是父的儿女，和其他所有也是父儿女的基督徒是一。故此，你在生命里是一。不过，你也需要藉著话圣别，从属世的事物中分别出来，活在神里面。这样，你就要在第二阶段里，和众圣徒成为一。最后，你需要看见十字架的钉死，好活在三一神的得荣里。这意思是你必须否认自己，活在三一神的彰显里，并且得成全，成为三一神得荣的一。我们已经看过，这就是一的终极步骤。惟有在一的第三阶段，主的祷告才得著完成。只有在这阶段里，神的儿子才得著荣耀，好使父在子里面，并藉著子得著荣耀。惟有在这阶段，我们才会在一里荣耀主并彰显主。在这个阶段里，我们要完全得成全成为一，以彰显并荣耀主。然后，我们就要实化儿子的名分，因为神一切的所是和所有，都具体化身在我们里面。这意思是我们要有神的生命，神的性情，甚至神的自己，为著成为神的表明和彰显这目的。最终，我们将有神赐给主作神儿子的完满荣耀。
7By applying these three stages, we can discover which stage we are in. In which stage are you—the first, second, or third? Are you simply one in life, or do you have the higher oneness in sanctification, or the highest oneness in the glorification of the Triune God? Not all of us are in the same stage. Some are in the first, others are in the second, and a few, by the Lord’s mercy, are in the third. As long as you have been saved and born again, you have the Father’s life and the Father’s name. Thus, you are the Father’s child and are one with all other Christians who also are the Father’s children. Hence, you are one in life. But you also need to be sanctified by the word in order to be separated from the worldly things and live in God. Then you will be one with the saints in the second stage. Finally, you need to realize the crucifixion of the cross in order to live in the glorification of the Triune God. This means that you must deny yourself, live in the manifestation of the Triune God, and be perfected into the oneness of the glorification of the Triune God. As we have seen, this is the ultimate step of oneness. It is only in the third stage of oneness that the Lord’spray er will be fulfilled. Only in this stage will the Son of God be glorified that the Father may be glorified in and through the Son. It is only in this stage that we shall glorify the Lord and manifest the Lord in oneness. In this stage we shall be absolutely perfected into oneness to manifest and glorify the Lord. Then we shall realize the sonship because all that God is and has will be embodied in us. This means that we shall have the life of God, the nature of God, and even God Himself for the purpose of becoming the very manifestation and expression of God. Finally, we shall have the full glory which God has given to the Lord as the Son of God
一就是建造
ONENESS BEING THE BUILDING
8真实的一也就是建造。不要认为这是我的观念，或认为这没有圣经的启示作支持。藉著旧约中帐幕的豫表，我们能看见一就是建造。约翰十四章所启示相互的住处，是由帐幕所豫表、描绘、并描述的。你若不清楚约翰十四章相互的居所，你需要回到出埃及二十六章来看帐幕的组成和建造。
8True oneness is also the building. Do not think that this is my concept or that it is not supported by there velation in the Bible. Through the type of the tabernacle in the Old Testament we can see that oneness is the building. The mutual abode revealed in John 14 was typified, pictured, and portrayed by the tabernacle. If you are not clear about the mutual abode in John 14, you need to go back to Exodus 26 to see the composition and the building up of the tabernacle.
9每位仔细读圣经的人都知道，帐幕不只是神的居所，也是事奉神之人的居所。事奉神的人住在帐幕里。在诗篇里，作诗的人多次祷告说，他要住在殿里，住在神的家里。例如，诗篇二十七篇四节说，『有一件事，我曾求耶和华，我仍要寻求；就是一生一世住在耶和华的殿中，瞻仰祂的荣美；在祂的殿里求问。』藉此我们能看见，圣殿或帐幕不单是神的居所，也是爱神之人的居所。故此，这是豫表相互的居所，相互的住处。帐幕是由四十八块竖板组成的。这非常有意义。既然这是豫表，我们就需要将牠的每一面都寓意化。那四十八块竖板是由六这基数组成的。六这数字，如同约翰二章里六口石缸的数字，象征在第六天被造的人。所以，六这数字是人性的数字，人的数字。四十八除以六是八，八在圣经里指明复活，就是新的开始。一周的第一天接著前一周的七天，是第八天，象征新的开始。割礼是甚么时候施行的?第八天。（利十二3。）主耶稣是甚么时候复活的？七日的第一日，就是第八日。（约二十1。）所以，八这数字象征在复活里新的开始，四十八这数字象征在复活里的人性。这不是天然的人性，乃是复活的人性。在召会中需要有人性，但这该是复活的人性，不是天然的人性。四十八块表征人性的木板是用金子包裹的。（出二六29。）金子表征神性，包括神圣的性情和神圣的荣耀。因此，在帐幕里包裹四十八块竖板的金子，表征神圣的素质带著神圣的荣耀。在包裹的金子上有金环，金环里面是金闩，联结四十八块竖板。在这里有一，一就是建造。因此，我们能说建造就是一。
9Every careful reader of the Bible knows that the tabernacle was not only God’s dwelling place but also the dwelling place of those who served God. Those who served God dwelt in the tabernacle. Many times in the Psalms the psalmist prayed that he would abide in the temple, in the house of God. For example, Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.” By this we can see that the temple or the tabernacle was not only God’s dwelling place but also the dwelling place of those who loved God. Thus, it was a type of the mutual dwelling place, the mutual abode. The tabernacle was composed of forty-eight boards. This is very meaningful. Since this is a type, we need to allegorize every aspect of it. Those forty - eight boards were composed with the basic number six. The number six, as the number of the six stone water pots in John 2, signifies man who was created on the sixth day. Hence, the number six is the number of humanity, the number of man. Forty-eight divided by six is eight, which, in the Bible, denotes resurrection, a new beginning. The first day of the week, following the seven days of the previous week, is the eighth day and signifies a new beginning. When was circumcision conducted? On the eighth day (Lev. 12:3). When was the Lord Jesus resurrected? On the first day of the week, that is, on the eighth day (John 20:1). Hence, the number eight signifies a new beginning in resurrection, and the number forty-eight signifies humanity in resurrection. This is not the natural humanity but the resurrected humanity. In the church there is the need of humanity, but this should be the resurrected humanity, not the natural humanity. The forty-eight wooden boards signifying humanity were overlaid with gold (Exo. 26:29). Gold signifies divinity including the divine nature and the divine glory. Thus, the gold overlaying the forty-eight boards in the tabernacle signifies the divine essence with the divine glory. Upon the overlaying gold were the golden rings, and within the golden rings were the golden uniting bars that united the forty-eight boards. Here we have oneness, the oneness that is the building. Therefore, we can say that the building is the oneness.
10在圣经里，一并不是仅仅把东西放在一起。仅仅把东西放在一起，并不是一，那不过是堆积。一是建造在一起。要建造在一起，许多部分不是仅仅放在一起，乃是合式的结构在一起，形成一个单位。以房屋为例，每一部分都联络一起，形成一个单位。藉著帐幕这豫表的例子，我们可以看见四十八块竖板成了一个建造。
10In the Bible, oneness is not just a matter of putting things together. Merely putting things together is not oneness; that is just a piling up. Oneness is the building together. In order to be built together, many pieces are not only put together but are fitly framed together to form one unit. Take the example of a house: every part of it is fit together to form one unit. Through the example of the type of the tabernacle we can see that the forty-eight boards became one building
11帐幕里的这个一，这个建造，完全倚靠金子。如果把四十八块竖板的金子挪走，一就失去了，四十八块竖板也就分散了。木板本身并没有联结的要素或联结的元素。那联结的元素乃是金子。金子包裹木板，在包裹的金子上有金环，在金环里有金闩。所以，乃是在金子里，所有的木板才成为一；乃是在神圣的生命、神圣的性情和神圣的荣耀里，而不是在人性里，所有的『竖板』才成为一。虽然我们是在复活里的竖板，但这复活的人性并不是联结的要素；联结的要素乃是神性，金子。神圣的生命、性情和荣耀，才是联结的要素。同样的，我们的一不是在我们自己里面，乃是在那作我们生命、性情、荣耀和彰显的三一神里面。至终，我们就像帐幕里的四十八块竖板，不是彰显我们自己，乃是彰显金子所表征之三一神的荣耀。现在我们能看见，四十八块竖板在神圣的荣耀里乃是一，彰显金子的荣耀。这是真实的一。非常清楚，这一不是仅仅集合一起，乃是建造。集合一起并不足以有真正的一，这一必须是建造。当我们来到圣经的末了，就有神历代建造工作的集大成－新耶路撒冷，神建造企业的终极完成。新耶路撒冷的一是一堆宝石么?不，那是一个建造。新耶路撒冷显出来的样子好像碧玉。（启二一10～11，18上。）在启示录四章，我们看见神，就是那坐在宝座上的一位，显出来的样子也是碧玉；这表示碧玉就是神的彰显，神的显出。因此，整个新耶路撒冷也有与神同样的显出，彰显神。这表明所有的宝石，在彰显神的形像上乃是一。这是真实的一。有些基督徒说，每个地方召会都该是独特的，和所有其他的地方召会都不同。我被这个观念欺骗了许多年。但有一天主给我看见，虽然启示录中的七个召会各有不同，但她们的不同是在消极一面，不是在积极一面。就消极面说，这七个召会中有一些和别的召会不同；但就积极面说，七个召会都是一样的。请看新耶路撒冷的四面。根据那些说每个地方召会该各有不同之人的意见，新耶路撒冷的四面也该是不同的。一面该是碧玉，其他三面也许是红宝石、绿宝石或金刚石，每一面都不同。根据抱持这种意见的人，城墙的每一面都该有一些独特、与众不同的彰显。然而，那并不是一。新耶路撒冷的四面有同样的彰显－碧玉的彰显，神荣耀的显出。
11This oneness, this building, in the tabernacle was altogether dependent upon the gold. If the gold was removed from the forty - eight boards, the oneness would have been lost, and the forty - eight boards would have fallen apart. In themselves, the wooden boards did not possess the uniting factor or the uniting element. That uniting element was the gold. The gold overlaid the boards, on the overlaying gold were the golden rings, and within the golden rings were the golden uniting bars. Hence, it was in the gold that all the boards could be one. It is in the divine life, the divine nature, and the divine glory, not in the humanity, that all the “boards” are one. Although we are the boards in resurrection, this resurrected humanity is not the uniting factor; the uniting factor is the divinity, the gold. The divine life, nature, and glory are the uniting factor. Likewise, our oneness is not in ourselves but in the Triune God who is our life, nature, glory, and expression. Eventually, we, like the forty-eight boards in the tabernacle, do not express ourselves but the glory of the Triune God as typified by the gold. Now we can see that the forty-eight boards are one in the divine glory, expressing the glory of the gold. This is real oneness. It is so clear that this oneness is not just a togetherness but the building. Togetherness is not adequate to have genuine oneness. This oneness must be the building. When we come to the end of the Bible, we have the harvest of God’s building work through the ages — the New Jerusalem, the ultimate consummation of God’s building enterprise. Is the oneness of the New Jerusalem a pile of precious stones? No, it is a building up. The appearance of the New Jerusalem is that of jasper (Rev. 21:10-11, 18a). In Revelation 4 we see that the appearance of God, the One sitting on the throne, is also that of jasper, meaning that jasper is God’s express i on, God’s appearance. Therefore, the whole New Jerusalem will have the same appearance as God; it will express God. This means that all the precious stones are one in the expression of God’sim age. This is real oneness. Some Christians say that every local church should be distinct, being different from all the other local churches. I was deceived by this concept for a number of years. But one day the Lord showed me that while the seven churches in Revelation were distinct, they were distinct in a negative way, not in a positive way. In their negativeness, some of those seven churches were different from the others, but in their positiveness, they were all the same. Look at the four sides of the New Jerusalem. According to the opinion of those who say that each local church should be distinctly different, the four sides of the New Jerusalem should also be different. One side should be jasper, and the others ruby, emerald, or diamond, each having its own distinction. According to those who hold this opinion, each side of the wall should express something unique, something different from the others. But that is not oneness. All four sides of the New Jerusalem have the same expression — the expression of jasper, the glorious appearance of God.
12在新约中，众召会之间的区别并不在积极力面，乃在消极方面。有些人也许说，『保罗在外邦世界所建立的召会，岂不是和犹太的众召会，尤其是在耶路撒冷的召会不同么?』这是真的，不过只是在消极的意义上，不是在积极的意义上。在积极的意义上，所有的召会都信入耶稣基督，并且有基督作她们的生命，以彰显神。在积极一面，她们中间没有分别。然而，在消极一面，却有差别，因为外邦众召会对于守律法亳无所知，而犹太的圣徒，尤其是在耶路撒冷召会的一些圣徒，仍然实行犹太宗教的仪式；甚至到保罗末次上耶路撒冷时，仍是如此。那是众召会中间真正的区别。你愿意持守这种区别么?耶路撒冷的圣徒甚至说服保罗，按犹太宗教的方式付规费，以行洁净之礼，但神并不同意这事。不错，在众召会中间有区别，但只是在消极的意义上。我们要持守消极的区别，还是要往前持守积极的一？所有的召会必须是相同的。我们同有一本圣经，我们相信一位神，我们同有一位耶稣基督作我们的救主，并且我们都享受祂作我们的生命，以彰显神。没有理由不一样。我们若仍要维持区别，那就是说，我们是消极的。所有在帐幕里的四十八块竖板，都彰显同样金子的荣耀，并且新耶路撒冷整个城墙都有碧玉的显出。我们何等喜乐，今天所有的召会在积极一面都是相同的。我们必须弃绝传统的观念，以为召会该是不同的。所有的召会必须是相同的。
12In the New Testament, the distinction between the churches is not on the positive side but on the negative side. Some may say, “Were not the churches established by Paul in the Gentile world of one kind and the churches in Judea, especially the church in Jerusalem, of another kind?” This is true, but only in a negative sense, not in a positive sense. In the positive sense, all the churches believed in Jesus Christ and had Christ as their life to express God. On the positive side, there was no difference between them. However, on the negative side there was a difference because the Gentile churches knew nothing about keeping the law, while the saints in Judea, especially some in the church in Jerusalem, still practiced the rituals of the Jewish religion, even up to the time of Paul’s last visit to Jerusalem. That was a real distinction among the churches. Do you want to keep this kind of distinction? The saints in Jerusalem even convinced Paul to pay the charge for purification in the Jewish religious way, but God did not agree with that. Yes, there were distinctions between the churches, but only in a negative sense. Shall we keep the negative distinctions, or shall we go on to keep the positive oneness? All the churches must be the same. We have one Bible, we believe in one God, we have the same one Jesus Christ as our Savior, and we all enjoy Him as our life to express God. There is no reason to be different. If we still maintain the differences, it means that we are negative. All the forty - eight boards in the tabernacle expressed the glory of the same gold, and the entire wall of the New Jerusalem will have the appearance of jasper. How happy we are that all the churches today are the same positively. We must forsake the traditional concept that the churches should be different. All the churches must be the same.