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使徒行传生命读经 · 第54篇

藉著保罗一班同工的职事，在外邦地的繁殖 ( 二十 )

The Propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the Ministry of Paul’s Company (20)
1读经：使徒行传20:13-38。
1Scripture Reading: Acts 20:13-38
用神自己的血
THE CHURCH
所买来的召会
PURCHASED WITH GOD’SOWN BLOOD
2在行传二十章二十八节，保罗嘱咐以弗所召会的长老『牧养神的召会，就是祂用自己的血所买来的。』买来的，原文意得来的。当我们买一样东西，我们就得著了牠。神买了召会，就得著了召会。我们要买任何东西，都需要为那东西付代价。神买召会付了甚么代价？按照保罗在二十章二十八节的话，神付了『自己的血』为代价，来得著召会。
2In 20:28 Paul charges the elders of the church in Ephesus “to shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood.” The Greek word translated “obtained” also means acquired or purchased. Whenever we purchase something, we acquire it, or obtain it. God acquired, obtained, the church by purchasing it In order to purchase anything, we need to pay the price for that thing. What was the price God paid to purchase the church? According to Paul’sword in 20:28, God obtained the church by paying the price of “His own blood
3二十八节『自己的血』一辞很不寻常，相当令人不解。神会有血么？神就是神，神不是人或受造之物。神这位创造主，怎么会有血？有些人可能尝试解释这事说，二十章二十八节的血是耶稣的血。但耶稣的血怎么会是神的血？主耶稣乃是神；但二十章二十八节不是说到耶稣，乃是说到神。我们思想这事，就看见很难从神学来解释。
3The phrase “His own blood” in verse 28 is very unusual. It is quite bothering. Can God have blood? God is God; He is not a man or a creature. How, then, can God, the Creator, have blood? Some may try to explain this by saying that the blood in 20:28 is the blood of Jesus. But how can Jesus’ blood be God’s blood? The Lord Jesus is God, but 20:28 does not speak of Jesus; this verse speaks of God. As we consider this, we realize that it is very difficult to explain theologically
4两个多世纪以前，卫斯理查理（CharlesWesley）写了一首诗歌，说到神为我们死。他在这首诗歌（诗
4More than two centuries ago, Charles Wesley wrote a hymn that speaks of God dying for us. In this hymn Wesley says
歌二三四首）里说：惊人之爱，何竟如此？我主我神为我受死！
Amazing love! how can it be That thou, my God, shouldst die for me
5卫斯理在这首诗歌里接著说，『不能死者，竟然受死！全是奥秘，谁能尽知？』在这里卫斯理宣称神为我们受死。多年前我将这首诗歌译成中文时，就被这一点难住了。我不确定是否该这样放胆直译，指明神为我们死。你有胆量说神为你死么？卫斯理看见关于这事的异象，就在他的诗歌里宣称神为我们受死。
5In this hymn Wesley goes on to say, “Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!” Here Wesley declares that God died for us. When I was translating this hymn into Chinese years ago, I was troubled by this. I was not sure whether to be so bold as to translate it literally to indicate that God died for us. Do you have the boldness to say that God died for you? Charles Wesley saw the vision concerning this and declared in his hymn that God died for us.
神人
THE GOD-MAN
6为我们受死的神不是成为肉体以前的神。在成为肉体以前，神的确没有血，不可能为我们受死。乃是在成为肉体，神与人性调和以后，神才为我们受死。藉著成为肉体，我们的神，创造主，那永远者，耶和华，就与人调和。结果，祂不再仅仅是神－祂成了神人。祂这神人确实有血，并能为我们受死。
6The God who died for us is not the God before incarnation. Prior to incarnation, God certainly did not have blood, and He could not have died for us. It was after the incarnation, in which God was mingled with humanity, that He died for us. Through incarnation, our God, the Creator, the eternal One, Jehovah, became mingled with man. As a result, He was no longer only God — He became a God - man. As the God - man, He surely had blood and was able to die for us.
7当神人死在十字架上时，祂不仅是人受死，也是神受死。死在十字架上的，乃是从神成孕，并且生来就有神的那一位。因为祂是神人，所以神的元素在祂里面。神圣的元素与祂的人性调和。主耶稣这位神人在成孕时，出自1:18-圣灵的神圣素质（太一18～20，路一35）已经生在马利亚腹中。圣灵在童女里面这样的成孕，由神圣和属人的素质所成就，构成了神性与人性的调和，产生出这位神人，是完整的神，又是完全的人，独特的兼有神性与人性，并没有产生第三性。这就是耶稣最奇妙、最超绝的身位。主耶稣的成孕与出生乃是神成为肉体，（约一14，）由神圣的素质加上属人的素质所构成，因此产生了兼有神性与人性的神人。藉此，神亲自与人性联合，使祂得以在肉体显现，（提前三16，）并得以成为替我们受死流血的救主。（路二11。）
7When the God - man died on the cross, He died not only as man but also as God. The One who died on the cross was the One who had been conceived of God and born with God. Because He was a God-man, the very element of God was in Him. The divine element was mingled with His humanity. In the conception of the Lord Jesus, the God - man, the divine essence out of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 20; Luke 1:35) was generated in Mary’s womb. Such a conception of the Holy Spirit in the human virgin, accomplished with both the divine and human essences, constituted a mingling of the divine nature with the human nature and produced the God-man, One who is both the complete God and a perfect man, possessing the divine nature and the human nature distinctively, without a third nature being produced. This is the most wonderful and excellent Person of Jesus. The conception and birth of the Lord Jesus was God’sin carnation (John 1:14), constituted of the divine essence added to the human essence, hence, producing the God-man of two natures—divinity and humanity. Through this, God joined Himself to humanity that He might be manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16) and might be the Savior (Luke 2:11) who died and shed His blood for us.
神儿子耶稣的血
THE BLOOD OF JESUS, THE SON OF GOD
8救赎堕落人类的血，乃是神儿子耶稣的血。我们人类需要真正的人血来救赎我们。因为主耶稣是人，所以祂能满足这要求。祂是人，流了人血来救赎堕落的人类。主也是神的儿子，就是神自己。所以，祂的血有『永远』的元素，这元素保证祂的血永远有功效。所以，祂是人，有真正的人血；祂是神，有赋予祂血永远功效的元素。
8The blood that has redeemed fallen human beings is the blood of Jesus, the Son of God. As human beings, we need genuine human blood for our redemption. Because He was a man, the Lord Jesus could fulfill this requirement. As a man, He shed human blood to redeem fallen human beings. The Lord is also the Son of God, even God Himself. Therefore, with His blood there is the element of eternity, and this element ensures the eternal efficacy of His blood. Therefore, as a man He had genuine human blood, and as God He has the element that gives to His blood eternal efficacy.
9约壹一章七节说，『祂儿子耶稣的血也洗净我们一切的罪。』『耶稣』这名是指流出救赎的血所需之主的人性；『祂儿子』这名称是指使救赎的血永远有功效所需之主的神性。因此祂儿子耶稣的血指明，这血乃是真正的人所流正当的血，为要救赎神堕落的造物，有神圣的保证为其永远的功效，这功效在空间上是普及各处的，在时间上是永远长存的。主在十字架上所流的血是神儿子耶稣的血；不仅是耶稣的血，也是神儿子的血。为这缘故，这位神人，就是与神调和的一位，所完成的救赎乃是永远的。如果在十字架上所完成的救赎仅仅是由人完成的，那救赎就不会永远有功效。救赎可能对一个人有功效，却不会对千百万的信徒有功效。因著人是有限的，所以一个人不能为千百万的人受死。然而，人虽是有限的，神却不是有限的。同样，人虽是短暂的，神却是永远的。所以，在基督的救赎里有神永远且无限的元素。这是希伯来九章十二节称这救赎为永远的救赎的原因。
9First John 1:7 says that “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” The name “Jesus” denotes the Lord’s humanity, which was needed for the shedding of the redeeming blood, and the title “His Son” denotes the Lord’s divinity, which is needed for the eternal efficacy of the redeeming blood. Thus, “the blood of Jesus His Son” indicates that this blood is the proper blood of a genuine man for redeeming God’s fallen creatures with the divine surety for its eternal efficacy, an efficacy which is all - prevailing in space and everlasting in time. The blood the Lord shed on the cross was the blood of Jesus, the Son of God. It was not only the blood of Jesus; it was also the blood of the Son of God. For this reason, the redemption accomplished by the God - man, by the One mingled with God, is eternal. If the redemption accomplished on the cross was accomplished merely by a man, that redemption could not be eternally effective. Although it might be effective for the redemption of one person, it would not be effective for the redemption of millions of believers. Since a man is limited, a particular man cannot die for millions of others. However, although man is limited, God is not limited. Likewise, although man is temporal, God is eternal. Therefore, in Christ’s redemption there is the eternal and unlimited element of God. This is the reason that in Hebrews 9:12 this redemption is called an eternal redemption.
10我们需要看见，主耶稣在十字架上所流的血乃是永远的血。这血不仅仅是人的血，更是调和著神圣元素之人的血。因此，这血－神儿子耶稣的血－乃是永远的。保罗在行传二十章二十八节放胆说，这血是神自己的血。
10We need to see that the blood shed by the Lord Jesus on the cross is eternal blood. It is the blood not merely of a man but of a man mingled with the divine element. Hence, this blood, the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, is eternal. In Acts 20:28 Paul had the boldness to speak of this blood as being God’sown blood
新约中所启示的神
THE GOD REVEALED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
11今天有些基督徒对神有一种观念，与犹太人的观念非常相似。犹太人对神的观念是说，神就是神，祂里面没有人的元素。但按照圣经，旧约中的神已经成为新约中所启示的神。在旧约中，神仅仅是神，没有一点人的元素。但在新约中，我们看见神人。藉著成为肉体，旧约中的神穿上了人的性情，成了神人。这样，祂就成了显现于肉体的神。（提前三16。）
11Some of today’s Christians have a concept of God that is very similar to the Jewish concept. The Jewish concept of God is that God is God and that there is no human element in Him. But according to the Bible, the very God in the Old Testament has become the God revealed in the New Testament. In the Old Testament God was merely God, without any human element. But in the New Testament we see the God-man. Through incarnation the God in the Old Testament put on human nature and became the God-man. As such, He became God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16).
12神藉著在童女腹中成孕，成为神人，然后由那童女所生。这样，人的元素就加到祂神圣的元素里。然而这不是说，这位神人救主有两个人位。不，主耶稣这位救主乃是一个人位带著两种性情－神圣的性情与人的性情。这很难领会，却是圣经中所启示的事实。现在我们能看见，我们的神是新约中所启示的神，而不仅仅是旧约中所启示的神。然而，犹太人只有在旧约中所看到的神。犹太人的神与我们的神有甚么分别？分别乃是：犹太人的神仅仅是神，没有人的元素；而按照新约，我们的神不再仅仅是神－祂乃是神人。我们的神有两种性情，就是神圣的性情和人的性情。这就是说，我们的神这位神人既是完整的神，又是完全的人。然而，祂没有两个人位；这位神人只有一个人位。
12God became the God-man by being conceived in the womb of a human virgin and then being born of that virgin. In this way the human element was added to His divine element. However, this does not mean that as the God-man the Savior has two persons. No, the Lord Jesus, the Savior, has one person with two natures — the divine nature and the human nature. Although this is very difficult to understand, it is nevertheless a fact revealed in the Bible. Now we can see that our God is the God revealed in the New Testament and not merely the God as He is revealed in the Old Testament. The Jews, however, have God only as He is seen in the Old Testament. What is the difference between the Jewish God and our God? The difference is that the Jewish God is merely God without a human element, whereas, according to the New Testament, our God is no longer merely God — He is a God - man. Our God has two natures, the divine nature and the human nature. This means that our God, the God-man, is both the complete God and a perfect man. However, He is not two persons; rather, the God-man is one person.
13虽然我们一直相信并且教导，这位神人耶稣基督只有一个人位，兼有神圣的性情和人的性情，并且祂既是完整的神，又是完全的人；但一些反对者诬告我们教导基督既不完全是神，也不完全是人。他们控告我们说神性和人性这两种性情在基督里相调，产生第三性。这控告完全不实，没有根据，我们否认这样的控告。那些这样诬告我们的人，乃是曲解我们在『基督主要的四个步骤』这本小册子里的话。我们在那本小册子里清楚且著重的说，我们的救主是真神也是真人。经过成为肉体，神性与人性都没有失去。相反的，虽然神性与人性相调成为神人，但神性与人性都存留，绝没有产生第三性。虽然这真理解释、陈明得很清楚，却被人邪恶的曲解，企图控告我们教导关于基督身位的异端。按照圣经，我们确信流血救赎我们的救主，乃是神人在十字架上受死。
13Although we have always believed and taught that the God-man, Jesus Christ, is one person with the divine nature and the human nature and that He is both the complete God and a perfect man, certain opposers have falsely accused us of teaching that Christ was neither fully God nor fully man. They accuse us of saying that the two natures, the divine nature and the human nature, are mingled in Christ to produce a third nature. This accusation is utterly false and baseless, and we repudiate it. Those who have made this false accusation against us do so by twisting our word in the booklet The Four Major Steps of Christ. In that booklet we say clearly and emphatically that our Savior is both the real God and the true man. Through incarnation neither the divine nature nor the human nature is lost. On the contrary, although the divine and human natures are mingled to form the God-man, both the divine nature and the human nature remain, and a third nature is by no means produced. Although this truth was clearly defined and presented, it was twisted in an evil way in an attempt to accuse us of heresy concerning the Person of Christ. According to the Scriptures, we definitely believe that our Savior, who shed His blood for our redemption, died on the cross as the God-man
在经纶一面被神弃绝
forsaken by God economically
14因著我们指出主耶稣乃是神人在十字架上受死，有些人可能不明白马可十五章三十四节：『午后三时，耶稣大声喊著：以罗伊，以罗伊，拉马撒巴各大尼？繙出来就是：我的神，我的神，你为甚么弃绝我？』这乃是主在祂担当我们的罪、（彼前二24、）替我们成为罪、（林后五21、）并取了罪人的地位（彼前三18）时所喊叫的。这就是说，神为我们的罪审判祂作我们的代替。在神眼中，基督成了大罪人。因为在神眼中基督是我们的代替，且成为罪，所以神审判祂，甚至弃绝祂。按照马太一章和路加一章，主耶稣乃是从圣灵成孕。以后，为著祂的职事，祂为降在祂身上的圣灵所膏。路三22。）我们需要看见，当施膏的灵在经纶一面降在主耶稣身上以前，祂在素质一面已经有生祂的灵作祂里面神圣的素质，这是祂所是的两种素质之一。我们需要看见，生祂的灵这神圣的素质，在素质一面从未离开祂。甚至当祂在十字架上大声喊叫『我的神，我的神，你为甚么弃绝我』时，祂仍然有生祂的灵作神圣的素质。那么是谁离开了祂？乃是施膏的灵（祂藉这灵将自己献给神－来九14）在经纶一面离开了祂。神悦纳基督这包罗万有的供物之后，施膏的灵就离开了祂。但虽然施膏的灵在经纶一面离开了祂，祂仍在素质一面有生祂的灵。当主耶稣这位神人受神审判，在十字架上受死时，祂在素质一面有神在祂里面作祂神圣的所是；但祂在经纶一面却为公义、审判的神所弃绝。祂在素质一面由圣灵成孕并出生，所以圣灵是祂所是的一种素质。主耶稣在地上成长生活时，在素质一面有圣灵在祂里面。在祂受浸之先，祂已经有圣灵作祂所是之素质的一部分。然而，在祂受浸的时候，圣灵在经纶一面降在祂身上。这就是说，主耶稣在素质一面有圣灵作祂所是的一种素质，在经纶一面又有圣灵降在祂身上。当然这不是说有两个圣灵，乃是说一个圣灵有两方面－素质和经纶。素质一面是为著主耶稣的所是，存在；经纶一面是为著祂的工作，职事。
14Since we have pointed out that the Lord Jesus died on the cross as the God - man, some may wonder about Mark 15:34: “At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why did You forsake Me?” This was the Lord’s cry during the time He was bearing our sins (1 Pet. 2:24), being made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21), and taking the place of sinners (1 Pet. 3:18). This means that God judged Him as our Substitute for our sins. In the sight of God, Christ became a great sinner. Because Christ was our Substitute and was made sin in the sight of God, God judged Him and even forsook Him. According to Matthew 1 and Luke 1, the Lord Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit. Later, for His ministry, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit, who descended upon Him (Luke 3:22). We need to realize (that before the anointing Spirit descended upon the Lord Jesus economically, He already had, essentially, the begetting Spirit as the divine essence within Him as one of the two essences of His being. Now we need to see that the begetting Spirit as the divine essence never left Him essentially. Even when He was on the cross crying out, “My God, My God, why did You forsake Me?” He still had the begetting Spirit as the divine essence. Then who left Him? It was the anointing Spirit through whom He presented Himself to God (Heb. 9:14) who left Him economically. After God accepted Christ as the all-inclusive offering, the anointing Spirit left Him. But although the anointing Spirit left Him economically, He still had the begetting Spirit essentially. When the Lord Jesus, the God - man, died on the cross under God’s judgment, He had God within Him essentially as His divine being. Nevertheless, He was forsaken by the righteous and judging God economically. He was conceived and born of the Holy Spirit essentially and therefore the Holy Spirit was one of the essences of His being. As the Lord Jesus grew up and lived on earth, He had the Holy Spirit within Him essentially. Later, when He was baptized, He already had the Holy Spirit as an essential part of His being. However, at the time of His baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him economically. This means that the Lord Jesus had the Holy Spirit as one of the essences of His being essentially and also that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him economically. This does not mean, of course, that there are two Holy Spirits. It means that the one Holy Spirit has two aspects—the essential and the economical. The essential aspect was for the being, the existence, of the Lord Jesus, and the economical aspect was for His work, His ministry.
15我们需要对这事实有深刻的印象：当主耶稣在十字架上为我们的罪受死时，在素质一面神就在祂里面。所以，为我们的罪受死的那一位乃是神人。但在某个时刻，当公义的神审判这位神人时，在经纶一面神离开了祂。神弃绝基督乃是经纶的事，与执行神的审判有关。因为主耶稣从圣灵成孕，从神生且生来就有神，所以祂有圣灵作祂神圣所是的内在素质。因此，神不可能在素质一面离开祂，弃绝祂。但是，当那曾降在祂身上，作经纶能力以完成祂职事的灵离开祂时，祂就在经纶一面为神所弃绝。但神的素质仍留在祂里面。所以，祂乃是神人在十字架上受死，并且祂在那里为救赎我们所流的血，不仅是那人耶稣的血，也是神人的血。所以，神藉以将召会买来的这血，乃是神自己的血。
15We need to be impressed with the fact that when the Lord Jesus was on the cross dying for our sins, God was in Him essentially. Therefore, the One who died for our sins was the God-man. But at a certain point the righteous God, while judging this God-man, left Him economically. God’s forsaking of Christ was an economical matter related to the carrying out of God’s judgment. Because the Lord Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of God and with God, He had the Holy Spirit as the intrinsic essence of His divine being. Therefore, it was not possible for God to leave, to forsake, Him essentially. Nevertheless, He was forsaken by God economically when the Spirit, who had descended upon Him as the economical power for the carrying out of His ministry, left Him. But the essence of God remained in His being. Therefore, He died on the cross as the God- man, and the blood He shed there for our redemption was the blood not only of the man Jesus, but also the blood of the God-man. Therefore, this blood, through which God obtained the church, is God’sown blood
召会的宝贵
THE PRECIOUSNESS OF THE CHURCH
16我们再读行传二十章二十八节：『圣灵立你们作全群的监督，你们就当为自己谨慎，也为全群谨慎，牧养神的召会，就是祂用自己的血所买来的。』在这里保罗嘱咐以弗所召会的长老，说到圣灵与神自己的血，为要指明祂对召会之宝贵的感觉。按照保罗的领会，召会是全然宝贵的。召会是在圣灵的看顾之下，且是神用自己的血所买来的。因此，召会在神眼中乃是珍宝。保罗就像神那样宝贝召会。
16Let us read Acts 20:28 again: “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood.” Here, in His charge to the elders of the church in Ephesus, Paul speaks both of the Holy Spirit and of God’sown blood in order to indicate his feeling concerning the preciousness of the church. According to Paul’s understanding, the church is altogether precious. The church is under the care of the Holy Spirit, and the church has been bought by God with His own blood. Hence, the church is a treasure in the sight of God. Paul treasured the church even as God does
17保罗在二十八节嘱咐长老，要像神和他那样宝贝召会。神用自己的血买了召会，这事实指明召会在祂眼中的宝贵。神既然为召会付了这样的代价，召会对祂当然是宝贵的。不仅如此，召会乃是在圣灵的看顾之下。按保罗在二十八节的话，长老应当把召会看得非常宝贵，视为神眼中的珍宝。长老牧养召会，对召会应当和神有同样的感觉。
17In 20:28 Paul charged the elders to treasure the church as God does and he did. The fact that God purchased the church with His own blood indicates the preciousness of the church in His sight. Having paid such a price for the church, the church surely is dear to Him. Moreover, the church is under the care of the Holy Spirit. According to Paul’sword in verse 28, the elders should consider the church very precious, regarding it as a treasure in the sight of God. The elders, in shepherding the church, should have the same feeling about the church that God has.