罗马书生命读经 · 第43篇

在生命里得救脱离分裂

SAVED IN LIFE FROM DIVISIVENESS

1罗马五章十节说到基督的死与基督的生命。虽然我们已经藉著基督的死蒙救赎、得称义、并与神和好，但我们仍需要在祂的生命里得救，脱离许多消极的事。这些消极的事不是客观的，乃是主观的，并与我们里面的人有关。在前面的信息中我们说过，我们在基督的生命里得救脱离四件消极的事：罪的律，就是在我们肉体里罪的自然能力；世俗，包括属世和凡俗的一切；天然，包括我们天然的生命、天然的力量、天然的智慧、和天然的个性；以及个人主义，单独的态度与实行。在本篇信息中，我们要看第五项─分裂。

1Romans 5:10 speaks of both the death of Christ and the life of Christ. Although we have already been redeemed, justified, and reconciled to God through the death of Christ, we still need to be saved in His life from many negative things. These negative things are not objective; they are subjective and are related to our inner being. In the foregoing messages we have covered four of the negative things from which we are saved in the life of Christ: the law of sin, which is the spontaneous power of sin in our flesh; worldliness, which includes everything worldly and common; naturalness, which includes our natural life, natural strength, natural wisdom, and natural disposition; and individualism, the attitude and practice of being individualistic. In this message we shall consider the fifth item—divisiveness

分裂的元素

THE ELEMENT OF DIVISIVENESS

2在我们天然的组成里，有分裂的元素。我们得救以前，可能没有领悟这样的元素存在我们这人里面，就是在我们天然的生命里有分裂的倾向。分裂比天然或个人主义更糟。人若是单独的，就比较喜欢独处。他不要别人打扰他或干涉他，只想我行我素。但分裂的人是主动引起分裂。分裂的人积极形成派别，与单独的人不同。他们带著分裂圣徒的目的接触圣徒。他们甚至从一地旅行到另一地，存心引起分裂。罗马八章说，生命之灵的律释放我们脱离罪的律；六章告诉我们，基督的生命在性质上圣别我们。十二章告诉我们，我们需要藉著心思的更新而变化。十二章也说，我们是一个身体，并且互相作肢体。变化是得救脱离天然，建造在身体里是得救脱离个人主义。十二章有变化与建造，但我们来到十四及十五章，就看见基督的生命能拯救我们脱离分裂。在这两章里，使徒保罗对付我们分裂的性情。

2In our natural makeup there is an element of divisiveness. Before we were saved, we probably did not realize that such an element existed within our being, that in our natural life there is the tendency to be divisive. Divisiveness is worse than naturalness or individualism. If someone is individualistic, he prefers to be left alone. He does not want others to bother him or to interfere with him. He simply wants to be whatever he is. But to be divisive is to cause division in an active way. In contrast to those who are individualistic, the divisive ones are aggressive to form parties. They contact the saints with the aim of dividing them. They may even travel from place to place with the intention of causing division. Romans 8 says that the law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin, and Romans 6 tells us that the life of Christ is sanctifying us dispositionally. In Romans 12 we are told that we need to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Romans 12 also says that we are one Body and members of one another. To be transformed is to be saved from naturalness, and to be built up into the Body is to be saved from individualism. In chapter twelve we have transformation and building, but when we come to chapters fourteen and fifteen, we see that Christ’s life can save us from divisiveness. In these chapters the Apostle Paul deals with our divisive nature

接纳圣徒

RECEIVING THE SAINTS

3在罗马十四章保罗说到接纳圣徒的事。我们需要愿意接纳所有的基督徒。甚至在第一世纪，也有种种不同的基督徒。有些人只吃蔬菜，有些人百物都吃。有些人断定某些日子比别的日子强，有些人看日日都一样。你若活在使徒保罗的时代，你能接纳这种种类型的基督徒么？我们需要接纳所有相信基督的人。人若信耶稣是神的儿子成为肉体来作人，信祂为我们的罪死在十字架上，信祂肉身与灵都复活，并且信祂现今在神的右边，我们就必须接纳他。事实上，我们该有一种态度，就是我们已经接纳他了。然而，问题是：只吃蔬菜的基督徒可能不接纳百物都吃的人，百物都吃的人也可能不接纳只吃蔬菜的人。同样，看日日都一样的人可能不接纳守某些特别日子的人，守某些日子的人也可能不接纳看日日都一样的人。然而，只要人信主耶稣基督，我们就需要接纳他，无论他吃甚么，或者是否守某些日子。基督是影儿的实际

3In Romans 14 Paul covers the matter of receiving the saints. We need to be willing to receive all Christians. Even in the first century there were different kinds of Christians. Some ate only vegetables, and others ate all things. Some observed certain days above others, and others regarded every day the same. If you had lived at the time of the Apostle Paul, would you have been able to receive all these types of Christians? We need to receive all those who have the faith in Christ. If a person believes that Jesus is the Son of God incarnated to be a man, that He died on the cross for our sins, that He was resurrected physically and spiritually, and that He is now on the right hand of God, then we must receive him. In fact, we should have the attitude that we have already received him. However, the problem is that Christians who eat only vegetables may not receive those who eat everything and that those who eat everything may not receive those who eat only vegetables. Likewise, those who regard every day the same may not receive those who observe certain special days, and those who observe certain days may not receive those who regard every day the same. Nevertheless, as long as someone believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to receive him, no matter what he eats or whether he observes certain days. CHRIST AS THE REALITY OF THE SHADOWS

4所有的基督徒都相信主耶稣，并相信圣经。然而，我们对圣经里许多的事有不同的领会或解释。在十四章保罗对付这些不同之中的两种─吃与守日。吃是将东西接受到我们里面，使其成为我们的一部分；守日是遵守外面的仪式或规条。今天基督徒中间的不同，主要与他们所接受的事物，以及他们所遵守外面的仪式和规条有关。照著歌罗西二章十六至十七节，圣经里关于外面仪式的规条，乃是基督的豫表和影儿。在二章十六节保罗说，『所以不拘在饮食上、或在节期、月朔、或安息日方面，都不可让人论断你们。』这里我们看见先前题起的两类，就是吃与外面的仪式。下一节保罗指出，这一切原是『要来之事的影儿，那实体却属于基督』。我若站在光中，我身体形状的影儿就会投射在我后面。我的身体是我影儿的实际。同样，饮食与守某些日子的事都是影儿，这些影儿的实体，实际，却是基督。

4All Christians believe in the Lord Jesus and in the Bible. However, we have different understandings or interpretations of many things in the Bible. In chapter fourteen Paul deals with two of these differences, eating and the observing of days. To eat something is to take it into us so that it becomes part of us, and to observe a day is to follow an outward ritual or regulation. The differences among today’s Christians are related mainly to the things they take in and to the outward rituals and regulations they observe. According to Colossians 2:16 and 17, the regulations in the Bible regarding outward observances are types and shadows of Christ. In Colossians 2:16 Paul says, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.” Here we see the two categories mentioned previously, eating and the outward observances. In the next verse Paul points out that all these “are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” If I stand in the light, a shadow in the shape of my body will be cast behind me. My body is the reality of my shadow. In like manner, the matters of eating and drinking and of keeping certain days are shadows, but the body, the reality of these shadows, is Christ.

基督的豫表和影儿

types and shadows of Christ

5在旧约里，神吩咐祂的子民只吃被视为洁净之物。他们不可吃任何不洁净之物。然而，大多数神的子民不领悟这些饮食条例乃是与基督有关。利未记十一章里所有洁净之物，表征基督的各方面。基督有追测不尽的丰富，并有无数的方面。这样丰富的基督需要千万个项目来豫表祂。利未记十一章里所记载，所有适合神子民吃的项目，都是基督不同方面的豫表。不但如此，神禁止祂子民吃的东西，也是基督以外之事物的豫表。任何属基督的东西都适合我们吃，但任何不是基督的东西都不适合我们吃。这将我们带回创世记二章，那里我们看见，生命树好作食物，善恶知识树却不然。然而，神所关切的不是我们物质的吃；神所关切的乃是基督，神只在意基督。

5In the Old Testament God commanded His people to eat only that which was regarded as clean. They were not to eat anything that was unclean. However, most of God’sp eople did not realize that these dietary regulations were related to Christ. All the clean things in Leviticus 11 signify various aspects of Christ. Christ is unsearchably rich and has innumerable aspects. Such a rich Christ requires thousands of items to typify Him. All the items suitable for God’sp eople to eat, as recorded in Leviticus 11, are types of different aspects of Christ. Furthermore, the things God forbade His people to eat are types of things other than Christ. Anything of Christ is good for us to eat, but anything that is not Christ is not good for our eating. This brings us back to Genesis 2, where we see that the tree of life is good for food but that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is not. God’s concern, however, is not our physical eating; it is Christ. God only cares for Christ

6关于守日，在神眼中，日日都一样。但为要描绘基督，神就用某些日子作影儿。例如，安息日是基督作我们的安息和满足的影儿。因为基督是神所成就之一切的完成、完全，所以基督就是我们的满足和安息。因此，基督是我们的安息日。同样，基督是我们的月朔，我们的新开始。在旧约里所吩咐神的子民谨守的一切日子，都是基督的影儿。然而，神所在意的实际上不是那些日子；祂所在意的乃是基督。所以，我们该持守属基督的每样事物，却该撇弃那些不属基督的事物。照著自然律，我们的肉身应当每周休息一天。藉著这样的休息，其他六天我们就能更有效率的工作。然而，这休息的日子是一周的第七天或第一天，都无关紧要。我们若将这点应用于基督，就会看见，对祂日日都一样。这是保罗在他书信中的领会。

6Regarding the keeping of days, in the eyes of God every day is the same. But in order to portray Christ, God uses certain days as shadows. For example, the Sabbath day is a shadow of Christ as our rest and satisfaction. Because Christ is the completion, the perfection, of everything God has done, Christ is our satisfaction and rest. Thus, Christ is our Sabbath. Likewise, Christ is our new moon, our new beginning. All the days that God’sp eople in the Old Testament were commanded to observe were shadows of Christ. God, however, does not actually care for those days; He cares for Christ. Therefore, we should hold on to everything that is of Christ, but we should cast aside those things that are not of Christ. According to natural law, our physical body should have one day of rest each week. By resting in this way we can work more effectively the other six days. However, it does not matter whether this day of rest is the seventh day or the first day of the week. If we apply this to Christ, we shall see that to Him every day is the same. This was Paul’s realization in his Epistles

顾到较软弱的信徒

TAKING CARE OF WEAKER BELIEVERS

7然而，保罗知道我们需要顾到较软弱的信徒。在罗马十四章一至二节他说，『信心软弱的，你们要接纳，但不是为判断所争论的事。有人信百物都可吃，但那软弱的，只吃蔬菜。』刚强的人必须顾到较软弱的人。虽然你也许认为日日都一样，且信百物都可吃，但有些信心软弱的人也许守某些日子，并且只吃蔬菜。一面，我们需要领悟，许多物质的东西和特别的日子，都是基督的豫表和影儿。我们若看见这点，就不会关切吃或守日。然而，另一面，许多真基督徒在这些事上的信心不强。我们仍必须向他们众人敞开。不然，我们就是分门别类的。

7Nevertheless, Paul knew that we need to take care of the weaker believers. In Romans 14:1 and 2 he said, “Now him who is weak in faith receive, not with a view to passing judgment on reasonings. One believes that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables.” Those who are strong must take care of the weaker ones. Although you may regard every day the same and believe that all things are good to eat, others who are weak in faith may observe certain days and eat only vegetables. On the one hand, we need to realize that so many physical things and special days are types and shadows of Christ. If we see this, we shall not be concerned about eating or the keeping of days. However, on the other hand, many genuine Christians are not strong in their faith concerning these matters. We must remain open to all of them. Otherwise, we shall be divisive.

今天基督徒中间的分裂

THE DIVISIVENESS among today’s Christians

8今天基督徒不但是分门别类的，也是分裂的。我们不该审判别人里面的分裂，却该审判我们自己分裂的天性。我们看过，所有的基督徒都有同样使人得救的信，相信主耶稣的身位和工作。我们藉以得救的信，在所有的信徒里面都是一样的。但正如我们所指出的，基督徒对圣经里许多事的领会很难一致。甚至我们自己也可能改变对于某些事的见解。四十年前，我以一种方式解释某一节，但今天我解释的方式又完全不同了。我们怎能期望所有在基督里的信徒对圣经的解释都一致？6这是不可能的。例如，有些人说，保罗在罗马六章所说的浸是灵浸，不是水浸。但有些人同样坚信他们的理念，相信这是指水浸。因此，因著不同的意见，为这事就有厉害的争辩。关于赞美主，呼求耶稣的名和祷读主话，基督徒也有不同的意见。我们不该期望所有基督徒对圣经里一切事的领会都一致。可能要等到我们在新耶路撒冷里，我们才会在每方面都相同。我们众人里面都有强烈的天然倾向，坚持所有的信徒要和我们相同。这样的坚持不仅暴露我们缺少智慧，更暴露分裂的元素深深扎根在我们天然的人里面。因著这元素，我们倾向于使自己与别人分裂，并形成我们自己的一种团体。

8Christians today are not only divisive but also divided. Instead of judging divisiveness in others, we should judge our own divisive nature. We have seen that all Christians have the same saving faith, believing in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus. The faith by which we are saved is the same in all believers. But, as we have pointed out, it is difficult for Christians to agree in their understanding of many things in the Bible. Even we ourselves may change in our view concerning certain matters. Forty years ago, I interpreted a particular verse in one way, but today I interpret it in an altogether different way. How then can we expect all believers in Christ to agree in their interpretation of the Bible? This is impossible. For example, some say that the baptism spoken of by Paul in Romans is spiritual baptism, not baptism in water. But others, just as strong in their conviction, believe that it refers to water baptism. Thus, over this matter there have been strong arguments because of differing opinions. Christians also have different opinions about praising the Lord, calling on the name of Jesus, and pray - reading the Word. We should not expect all Christians to agree in their understanding of all things in the Bible. Perhaps not until we are in the New Jerusalem shall we be the same in every respect. There is the strong natural tendency in all of us to insist that all believers be the same as we are. Such insisting does far more than expose our lack of wisdom; it exposes the very element of divisiveness rooted deep within our natural being. Because of this element, we have the tendency to divide ourselves from others and to form our own kind of group.

9一九五七年，在台北召会的领头弟兄们，有负担访问那城市独立的基督徒团体的领头人。这些团体有些宣称无宗无派，说他们在主耶稣的名里聚会。所以，我们邀请他们与我们有交通。在我们交通的过程中，这些团体的领头人完全确信基督徒应当是一，并且没有理由分裂。然而，这些领头人说，他们仍要维持原状。虽然我们愿意让他们接管领头的事，并管理召会所有的财产，但他们仍要维持他们分开的团体。他们感谢我们的邀请，但他们不愿意实际成为一。我们愿意成为一，但他们宁愿留在分裂的地位上。

9In 1957 the leading brothers in the church in Taipei were burdened to visit the leaders of the independent Christian groups in that city. Some of these groups, claiming to be nondenominational, said that they were meeting in the name of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, we invited them to have fellowship with us. In the course of our fellowship, the leaders of these groups became fully convinced that Christians should be one and that there was no reason to be divided. However, these leaders said that they still wanted to remain by themselves. Although we were willing for them to take over the leadership and to manage all the church properties, they still wanted to hold on to their separate groups. They appreciated our invitation, but they were not willing to be one in a practical way. We were willing to be one, but they preferred to remain in a divisive position.

接受主的路

TAKING THE LORD’SWAY

10我们得以在召会生活里，这是主何等的怜悯！许多人说今天不可能有一，想要在真正的一里过召会生活只是理想。没有主的怜悯，我们无法与别人是一。若不是主在中国一直怜悯我们，我们弟兄们无法被带到一里，并且蒙保守在一里。但因主的怜悯，祂开启了我们的眼睛，给我们看见了祂的路。我们要往前，就必须走祂的路。照著神的经纶，我们作人，就必须相信主耶稣，作基督徒。我们若不是基督徒，生命就是虚空的。我们作基督徒，就必须在召会生活里接受主的路。我们若不接受祂的路，就无法往前。我们也许外面争辩，里面却知道我们偏离了目标。我们不会有里面的安息，不会觉得我们找著了家。

10What a mercy it is to be in the church life! Many say that it is impossible to have the oneness today and that it is idealistic to try to have the church life in genuine oneness. Apart from the Lord’s mercy, we cannot be one with others. If the Lord had not been merciful to us in China, we brothers could not have been brought into oneness and kept in oneness. But in His mercy the Lord has opened our eyes and has shown us His way. In order to go on, we must take His way. According to God’secon o my, as human beings we must believe in the Lord Jesus and be Christians. If we are not Christians, life is vain. As Christians, we must take the Lord’sway in the church life. If we do not take His way, we shall have no way to go on. We may argue outwardly, but inwardly we shall know that we are off the mark. We shall have no inward rest, no sense that we have found our home

我们的立场

OUR STANDING

11我们里面都有分裂的元素。然而，我们绝不该原谅分裂，也绝不该利用机会制造分裂。我们的定命是要与所有的真基督徒是一。这一也是我们在主恢复里的立场。许多人被我们的立场绊跌，因为他们比较喜欢不同的立场。有些基督徒甚至定罪我们，并控告我们说只有我们是召会，而别人不是。对于这样的控告，有时候我会回答说，『假定某位女子嫁给姓钟的人。她是钟先生的妻子，就是钟太太。但她不称自己为钟太太，却称自己为史太太。别人自称钟太太，她就被绊跌，并且说，「为甚么你自称钟太太？你怎能说你是钟太太，而我不是？」她若是钟太太，为甚么她称自己为史太太？事实上，我们没有说只有我们是召会。然而，你若是召会，为甚么你用浸信会、长老会、卫理公会、或圣公会这样的名称？你若是这里的召会，为甚么以别的名称来称呼自己？你既用这些名称来称呼自己，你怎能是这地方的召会？我们若不是这城市的召会，那我们是甚么？』

11We all have the element of divisiveness within us. Nevertheless, we should never excuse divisiveness, and we should never take occasion to be divisive. Our destiny is to be one with all genuine Christians. This oneness is also our standing in the Lord’s recovery. Many are offended by our standing because they prefer a different standing. Some Christians even condemn us and accuse us of saying that we alone are the church and that others are not. In response to such an accusation, I have sometimes said, “Suppose a certain woman is married to a man named Jones. As the wife of Mr. Jones, she is Mrs. Jones. But instead of calling herself Mrs. Jones, she calls herself Mrs. Smith. When someone else claims to be Mrs. Jones, she is offended and says, Why do you claim to be Mrs. Jones? How can you say that you are Mrs. Jones and that I am not?’ If she is Mrs. Jones, why does she call herself Mrs. Smith? Actually, we do not say that we alone are the church. However, if you are the church, why do you take such names as Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, or Episcopalian? If you are the church here, then why do you call yourself something else? Since you call yourselves by these names, how can you be the church in this locality? If we are not the church in this city, then what are we

12今天我们在信徒中间看见何等分裂的灵！各种宗派和团体都是分裂、分门别类的。然而，他们要别人与他们是一。例如，某些团体只接纳由他们施浸的人。何等的分裂！有些团体禁止人呼求主耶稣的名，或大声赞美主。这也是分裂。我们若要求信徒丢弃或采纳某些实行，我们才接纳他们，我们就是分裂。我们不该关切任何实行，而该关切到我们这里来的人是否为真基督徒。我们接纳信徒的根据，不少于也不多于基督自己。无论信徒有怎样的背景，只要他是基督徒，我们就必须接纳他为主里的弟兄。

12What a divisive spirit is found among believers today! The various denominations and groups are both divided and divisive. Nevertheless, they want others to be one with them. Certain groups, for example, accept only those who have been baptized by them. What divisiveness! Other groups forbid people to call on the name of the Lord Jesus or to praise the Lord with a loud voice. This also is divisive. If we require the believers to either drop or adopt certain practices in order to be accepted by us, we are divisive. We should not care about any practices, but about whether or not the ones who come to us are real Christians. The basis upon which we receive the saints is nothing less and nothing more than Christ Himself. No matter what kind of background a believer may have, as long as he is a Christian, we must receive him as a brother in the Lord

需要在生命里长大

THE NEED FOR GROWTH IN LIFE

13我们要得救脱离分裂，就需要在生命里长大。仅仅领会关于一的教训并不彀。我们越在基督的生命里长大，就越在祂的生命里得救。当我是年轻的基督徒时，常常问其他的基督徒，关于受浸或被提，他们所相信的是甚么。但我在生命里有些长大以后，就不再这样问其他的信徒了。现在我接触圣徒，不问他们道理的问题，反而宝贵他们里面基督的度量。我不关切外面的事。我们若要蒙拯救脱离分裂，就需要长大。我们基督的度量越多，分裂就越少。因为我们仍在老旧的性情里，带著分裂的元素，我们就不敢说，我们已完全得救脱离分裂。关于我们里面这分裂的元素，我们需要儆醒。我们也需要祷告，求主赐我们在生命里真正的长大，使我们得救脱离分裂。

13In order to be saved from divisiveness, we need the growth in life. It is not sufficient merely to understand the teaching concerning oneness. The more we grow in Christ’s life, the more we shall be saved in His life. When I was a young Christian, I often asked other Christians what they believed concerning baptism or the rapture. But after I had a certain amount of the growth in life, I stopped questioning other believers in this way. Now when I contact the saints, I do not ask them doctrinal questions. Instead, I appreciate the measure of Christ that is within them. I simply do not care about outward things. If we want to be saved from divisiveness, we need to grow. The greater our measure of Christ, the less divisive we shall be. Because we are still in the old nature with its divisive element, we dare not say that we have been fully delivered from divisiveness. We need to be watchful concerning this divisive element within us. We also need to pray that the Lord will grant us the genuine growth in life so that we may be saved from divisiveness