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罗马书生命读经 · 第63篇

不是替换的生命，乃是接枝的生命

Not An Exchanged Life, But A Grafted Life
1神的经纶是要将神圣的生命分赐到我们这人里面。这分赐的结果，乃是叫我们这些神的选民，不仅有人的生命，也有神圣的生命。不论那一种生命，都是一个奥秘，甚至最低等的植物生命也不例外。没有一个科学家能充分的解释，一粒小小的种子如何长成一朵美丽的花。在种子里面有生命的元素，这生命的元素就长出某种形状和颜色的花。这是何等奇妙！
1God’secon o my is a matter of the dispensing of the divine life into our being. As a result of this dispensation, we, the chosen people of God, have both the human life and the divine life. Every kind of life, even the lowest plant life, is a mystery. No scientist can fully explain how a little seed grows into a beautiful flower. Within the seed there is an element of life that brings forth a flower with a certain shape and color. How wonderful
最奇妙的受造生命
THE MOST WONDERFUL CREATED LIFE
2在形形色色受造的生命当中，最奇妙的是人的生命。天使的生命并不比人的生命更奇妙，这与许多人的看法正好相反。认为天使的生命比人的生命好，乃是错误的想法。神并没有命定用天使的生命来盛装神圣的生命，祂却创造人的生命来作盛装神圣生命的器皿。虽然你会认为自己不如天使，神却认为你比天使还要好。然而，有些人，特别是姊妹们，下意识里还渴望作天使。但是圣经并没有说神爱天使，却启示神爱人。天使不过是神的仆役。在神眼中，一切受造之物中最奇妙的生命，就是人的生命。创世记一章二十六节说，『神说，我们要照著我们的形像，按著我们的样式造人。』天使不是照著神的形像和样式造的，人却是照著神的形像和样式造的。你知不知道，你是照著神的形像，按著神的样式造的？我们不是猿猴的后代，我们乃是照著神的形像被造之人的后代。就是因为我们有神的形像和样式，所以我们看起来像神。这是圣言中清楚的启示。因著人是照著神造的，所以人的生命乃是一切受造生命中最高超的。因此，我们可以为著我们是人而感到骄傲。赞美主，我们是人，不是天使！
2Among the various forms of created life, the most wonderful is the human life. Contrary to the opinion of many, the angelic life is not more wonderful than the human life. It is wrong to think that angelic life is better than human life. God did not ordain the angelic life to contain the divine life. Rather, He created the human life to be the vessel for the divine life. Although you may consider yourself inferior to the angels, God considers you better than angels. Nevertheless, subconsciously some, especially sisters, may desire to be angels. The Bible, however, does not speak of God’s love for angels, but it reveals His love for man. Angels are simply God’s servants. In His eyes, the most wonderful life among all His creatures is the human life. Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Hence, the angels were not created in the image and likeness of God, but man was. Do you realize that you were made in the image of God and according to God’s likeness? We are not descendants of apes, but are descendants of the man created in the image of God. Simply by having the image of God and by bearing the likeness of God, we look like God. This is the clear revelation in the holy Word. Because man was created according to God, the human life is the best of all created lives. Therefore, we can be proud of the fact that we are human beings. Praise the Lord that we are men and not angels
形像、样式和实际
IMAGE, LIKENESS, AND REALITY
3有一天，藉著基督的成为肉体，神亲自成为一个人。这样，神就使自己与人成为一。耶稣这位成为肉体的神，是神又是人。基督的成为肉体，不仅将神带到人的水平上，也将人提升到神的水平上。藉著创造，人有了神的形像和样式，但人里面没有神的实际。成为肉体将神的实际带到人里面。主耶稣不仅有神的形像和样式，祂更具体表现了神的实际，因为神就在祂里面。原则上，每一个蒙了重生的人也是这样。我们这些重生的人，不仅有神的形像和神的样式，我们里面更有神的实际。
3One day, through the incarnation of Christ, God Himself became a man. In this way God identified Himself with man. Jesus, God incarnate, was both God and man. The incarnation of Christ not only brought God down to man’s level, but it also uplifted man to God’s level. By creation man had both the image of God and the likeness of God, but he did not have in him the reality of God. The incarnation brought the reality of God into man. The Lord Jesus had not only God’sim age and likeness; He also embodied the reality of God, for God was in Him. In principle, the same is true of everyone who has been regenerated. As regenerated persons, we not only bear the image of God and have the likeness of God, but we also have within us the reality of God.
盛装神的器皿
A VESSEL TO CONTAIN GOD
4圣经启示，人被造乃是一个盛装神的器皿。保罗在罗马九章二十一节说到贵重的器皿，在二十三节又说到蒙怜悯、早豫备得荣耀的器皿。神自己是真实的尊贵和荣耀。因此，我们是早豫备得荣耀的贵重器皿，这事实的意思就是，我们是被设计来盛装神作我们的尊贵和荣耀。
4The Bible reveals that man was created as a vessel to contain God. In 9:21 Paul speaks of vessels to honor and in 9:23, of vessels of mercy prepared unto glory. God Himself is the real honor and glory. Therefore, the fact that we are vessels to honor prepared unto glory means that we have been designed to contain God as our honor and glory
5我们可以用手套为例，来说明人是神的器皿，容器。手套的目的是为盛装手，所以手套是按著手的样式造的。手有一个大拇指和四个手指头，手套也有一个大拇指和四个手指头。手套虽然不是手，却是按著手的样式造的，目的是要盛装手。同样的原则，人是盛装神的器皿。为这缘故，人是按著神的样式造的。你若将手伸进一只为著手而设计的手套里，你的手在手套里会觉得舒适。同样，神在人里面也感觉舒适。可是，神在动物里，甚至在天使里，都不会觉得舒适。惟有在人里面，神才会感觉安适、安息。天是神暂时的居所，神真实的家乃是人。我们都是『手套』，是为著盛装神这神圣的手而设计的。我们乃是照著适合作神居所的形状而造的。神有心思、意志和情感，我们也有。我们是人，就不该像水母，没有刚强的意志。一个正常的人，不仅要有心思和意志，也要满了情感。我们应该很容易笑，也很容易哭。我们不该像雕像，不论景况如何，都没有表情。圣经启示，神是富有情感的：祂恨，祂爱，祂也会生气。照著约翰十一章三十五节，主耶稣这位成为肉体的神，竟然哭了。因此，为了作盛装神的器皿，人受造是富有情感的。情感是十分重要的，因为神自己是富有情感的；祂不是石头神。
5We may use a glove as an illustration of man as a vessel, a container, of God. Because the purpose of a glove is to contain the hand, the glove is made in the likeness of the hand. The hand has a thumb and four fingers, and the glove also has a thumb and four fingers. Although the glove is not the hand, it is made in the likeness of the hand in order to contain the hand. In the same principle, man is a vessel to contain God. For this reason, he was made according to the likeness of God. If you put your hand into a glove designed for it, your hand will feel comfortable in the glove. In like manner, God feels comfortable in man. However, He would not feel comfortable in an animal or even in an angel. Only in man does God feel at home, at rest. Heaven may be God’s temporary dwelling place, but His real home is man. We are all “gloves” designed to contain God as the divine hand. We were made in a form that is suitable to be the place of God’s dwelling. God has a mind, a will, and emotions, and we do too. As humans, we should not be jellyfish, beings without a strong will. A proper human being must not only have a mind and a will, but also be full of emotion. We should find it easy to laugh or to weep. We should not be like statues incapable of expressing feeling no matter what the situation may be. The Bible reveals that God is rich in emotion. He hates, He loves, and He becomes angry. According to John 11:35, the Lord Jesus, God incarnate, wept. Therefore, to be a vessel to contain God, man was created with emotions. Emotion is extremely important, for God Himself is rich in emotion; He is not a God of stone.
6人一切的美德都是照著神的属性造的。例如，人的恩慈是神恩慈的形像。温柔也是如此；人的温柔乃是照著神温柔的样式造的。
6All of man’s virtues are created according to God’s attributes. For example, human kindness is an image of God’s kindness. The same is true of gentleness. Man’s gentleness is according to the likeness of the gentleness of God
能以像神
THE CAPACITY TO BE GODLY
7我们是『手套』，有神圣之手的样式。这意思是说，我们不是大拇指，只有大拇指的形状；我们不是手指头，只有手指头的样式。例如，我们的温柔是盛装神温柔的容器。我们的温柔只是一个形状，神的温柔才是实质、实际。我们是按著神的样式造的，所以我们能以像神。动物绝不能像神，因为动物没有神的样式，不能盛装神。但是在我们的爱、恩慈和温柔里，我们能表明我们是像神的。神造人的时候，将人造成盛装祂的器皿，目的是要进到这器皿里面，以祂自己来充满这器皿。神进入祂所造的器皿时，祂发现这些器皿正好与祂相配。神有情感，祂的容器也有情感。因此，在这容器里，神有一个地方能彀安置、分赐祂的情感。这样，人的情感与神圣的情感就成为一；神圣的情感是内容，人的情感是容器和彰显。圣经里虽然有这启示，但看见的人却不多。我们赞美主，在祂的恢复里，这启示再清楚不过了。人是盛装神的器皿，神在这样奇妙的器皿里感到安适，这个事实不再向我们遮蔽。我们若看见这个，就能明白本篇信息的主题：不是替换的生命，乃是接枝的生命。
7We are “gloves” in the likeness of the divine hand. This means that we do not have the thumb, but the form of the thumb; not the fingers, but the likeness of the fingers. For example, our gentleness is a container for God’s gentleness. Our gentleness is only the form, whereas God’s gentleness is the substance, the reality. Because we were created according to the likeness of God, we have the capacity to be godly, that is, to be like God. Animals can never be godly, for they are not in the likeness of God and cannot contain Him. But in our love, kindness, and gentleness we can show forth godliness, God-likeness. In His creation of man, God made man as a vessel to contain Him with the intention of coming into this vessel and filling it with Himself. When God enters into the vessels created by Him, He finds that the vessels are a proper match for Him. He has emotion, and His container has emotion also. Therefore, in the container God has a place to put, to dispense, His own emotion. In this way human emotion and divine emotion become one. The divine emotion is the content, and the human emotion is the container and the expression. Although this revelation is in the Bible, not many have seen it. We praise the Lord that in His recovery this revelation has been made more than clear. No more are we veiled to the fact that man is a vessel to contain God and that God feels at home in such a wonderful vessel. If we see this, then we shall be able to understand the subject of this message: not an exchanged life, but a grafted life
是分赐，不是替换
DISPENSATION, NOT EXCHANGE
8我们已经看见，神圣的生命进到人的生命里面时，神圣的生命就成为内容，人的生命成为容器和彰显。但这里并没有生命的替换或交换。这意思是说，我们不是用神圣的生命来替换属人的生命。没有替换，却有分赐。空手套被手充满了。再用另一个比喻，我们可以说，人就像轮胎一样，需要打足气。空气分赐到轮胎里面，充满了轮胎，但是并没有把轮胎替换掉。照样，神圣的气，属天的『纽玛』分赐到我们里面，但并没有把我们人的生命替换掉。我们将会看见，这气乃是分赐到我们里面，与我们调和。
8We have seen that when the divine life enters into the human life, the divine life becomes the content and the human life becomes the container and the expression. But there is no exchange, or trade, of lives. This means that we do not exchange the human life for the divine life. Instead of exchange, there is a dispensation. The empty glove is filled with the hand. Using another figure of speech, we may say that man is like a tire that needs to be filled with air. The air is dispensed into the tire and fills it, but the air is not exchanged for the tire. In like manner, the divine air, the heavenly pneuma, is dispensed into us, but it is not exchanged for our human life. Rather, as we shall see, it is dispensed into us and mingled with us.
9有些基督教的教师认为，基督徒的生命是替换的生命。根据这种观念，我们的生命是卑下的，而基督的生命是优越的。因此，主要我们弃绝自己的生命，换成祂的生命。我们将我们的生命让给祂，祂以祂自己的生命来取代之。然而，我们基督徒的生命并非替换的生命；我们的生命完全是神圣的生命分赐、注入到我们属人的生命
9Some Christian teachers regard the Christian life as an exchanged life. According to this concept, our life is poor and Christ’s life is superior. Therefore, the Lord asks us to give up our life in exchange for His. We yield our life to Him, and He replaces it with His own life. However, our Christian life is not an exchanged life. It is altogether a matter of the divine life dispensed, infused, into our human life. This is a basic concept in the Scriptures
10里面。这是圣经中的一个基本观念。
10
贵重和荣耀的器皿
VESSELS OF HONOR AND GLORY
11在罗马书里，保罗举了三个例子，来说明神圣的生命分赐到我们里面。每个例子都给我们看见，基督徒的生命不是替换的生命。头一个例子是器皿，器皿里面放进某样内容物，器皿并没有被替换掉，而是内容物分赐到器皿里。器皿可能是泥土，毫无尊贵或荣耀可言，然而内容物却是全然尊贵、荣耀的。这样的内容物分赐到瓦器里面，这器皿就成为贵重的器皿、荣耀的器皿。这不是替换，乃是分赐。
11In the book of Romans Paul uses three illustrations to show the dispensation of the divine life into us. In each illustration we see that the Christian life is not an exchanged life. The first illustration is that of vessels. When a certain content is placed in a vessel, an exchange does not take place. On the contrary, there is a dispensation of the content into the vessel. The vessel may be earthy, not at all honorable or glorious, whereas the content is altogether honorable and glorious. When such a content is dispensed into the earthy vessel, the vessel becomes a vessel of honor, a vessel of glory. This is not exchange; it is dispensation
生命的联结
A UNION OF LIFE
12保罗所举的第二个例子是婚姻生活。婚姻不是生命的替换，乃是生命的联结。在婚姻中，丈夫成为妻子的人位。为这缘故，妻子就从了夫姓。
12Paul’s second illustration is that of married life. Marriage is not an exchange of life, but a union of life. In marriage, the husband becomes the very person of the wife. For this reason, the wife takes her husband’s name asher own
13在普世的婚礼中，新娘的头都是蒙起来的。这指明在婚姻的联结里，只能有一个头。因此，婚姻乃是两个人在一个头之下的联结。这样的联结不是交易，也不是替换，乃是联合。妻子完全与她的丈夫联合。在这样的联结、联合里，妻子与丈夫是一，丈夫也与妻子是一。这不是生命的替换，乃是生命的联结。
13In weddings throughout the world the bride’s he a discovered. This indicates that in the marriage union there can be just one head. Hence, marriage is a union of two persons under one head. In such a union there is no trade or exchange, but identification. The wife is to identify herself fully with her husband. In this union, this identification, the wife is one with the husband, and the husband is one with the wife. This is a union of life, not an exchange of life.
14保罗在七章四节说到我们与基督成为婚配：『我的弟兄们，这样说来，你们藉著基督的身体，向著律法也已经是死的了，叫你们归与别人，就是归与那从死人中复活的。』基督是我们的丈夫，我们是祂的新妇。新郎与新妇之间不是生命的替换，乃是有奇妙的联结。我们在人位、名字、生命和生存上，都与祂是一。丈夫和妻子若要有正确的婚姻，他们就必须学习这样成为一。照样，我们基督徒的生命乃是与基督联合，与基督是一的生命。
14In 7:4 Paul speaks of our being married to Christ: “So that, my brothers, you also have been made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you might marry another, even Him Who has been raised from among the dead.” Christ is our Husband, and we are His Bride. Between the Bridegroom and the Bride there is no exchange of life. Instead, there is a wonderful union. We are one with Him in person, in name, in life, and in existence. If a man and wife are to have a proper marriage, they must learn to be one in such a way. Likewise, our Christian life is a life of identification with Christ and oneness with Him
接枝
GRAFTING
15因著器皿和婚姻生活这两个例子都没有将神的分赐生机的一面描绘出来，所以保罗又举了第三个例子─一棵树接枝到另一棵树上。在十一章十七至二十四节，保罗举了野橄榄树的枝子接枝到栽种的橄榄树上的例子。因著接枝，野橄榄树的枝子就与栽种的橄榄树生机的长在一起。两棵树各有其生命，但如今这两个生命生机的长在一起，结出一种果子。外科医生会作一种称为皮肤移植的手术。手术的过程乃是把病人身上健康的皮肤取下一些，移植到受伤或烧伤之处，来形成新的皮肤。植皮手术完成之后，移植的皮肤就会与接合处的组织一同生机的联合生长。这种生长能彀成功，因为皮肤和组织都有生命。生命里面的生机元素使牠们能彀联合生长。保罗在罗马书里用了器皿、婚姻生活和接枝三个例子。器皿的例子说出我们是神的容器，有神作我们的内容。婚姻的例子说出一个男子和一个女子，他们的心思、情感、意志、性情、性格和个性都不尽相同，却联合形成一个单位。接枝的例子说明两种生命联合在一起，然后生机的长在一起。
15Because neither the illustration of the vessel nor that of married life picture anything organic related to God’s dispensation, Paul goes on to use a third illustration—the grafting of one tree to another. In 11:17-24 Paul uses the illustration of branches from a wild olive tree being grafted into a cultivated olive tree. As a result of grafting, the branches from the wild olive tree and the cultivated olive tree grow together organically. Each tree has its own life, but now these lives grow organically together and have one issue. A surgeon may do what is called a skin graft. In this procedure healthy skin is transplanted from one part of a patient’s body to a wound or burn elsewhere in his body to form new skin. After the graft is completed, the transplanted skin will grow organically with the tissue to which it has been grafted. This growth is possible because both the skin and the tissue have life. The organic element in the life enables them to grow together. In Romans Paul uses the illustrations of vessels, married life, and grafting. The illustration of the vessels shows that we are God’s containers with God as our content. The illustration of marriage shows that a man and a woman with different minds, emotions, wills, personalities, characters, and dispositions are joined to form one unit. The illustration of grafting shows that two lives are joined and then grow together organically
16宣信（A.B.Simpson）写的一首诗歌（诗歌三六五首）其中有一节说到接枝：
16A stanza in a hymn written by A. B. Simpson (Hymns,#482) speaks of grafting:
17天然景物都有隐征：麦种死了子粒生；贱木接在珍树上面，小则变大，苦变甜。
17This the secret nature hideth, Harvest grows from buried grain; A poor tree with better grafted, Richer, sweeter life doth gain
18毫无疑问，宣信写这首诗歌的时候，心里是想著罗马十一章。我相信他不会教导说，基督徒的生命是替换的生命。从这首诗歌来看，他领悟基督徒的生命是接枝的生命，是双方联合而生机生长的生命。
18No doubt, when Mr. Simpson wrote this hymn, he had Romans 11 in mind. I do not believe that A. B. Simpson would teach that the Christian life is an exchanged life. According to this hymn, he realized that it was a grafted life, a life in which two parties are joined to grow organically
相似的生命才能接枝
THE GRAFTING OF SIMILAR LIVES
19一种生命若要接枝到另一种生命上，这两种生命就必须非常相似。例如，香蕉树的枝子不能接枝到桃树上。但劣级桃树上的枝子就可以接枝到健康、多产的桃树上，因为这两棵树的生命非常相近。我们也可将这原则应用在神圣的生命分赐到人里面的事上。神圣的生命不能接到狗的生命上，因为这两种生命毫无相似之处。但因著我们人的生命是照著神的形像、按著神的样式造的，所以人的生命能与神圣的生命联合。虽然我们人的生命不是神圣的生命，却与神圣的生命相似。因此，这两种生命能彀很容易的接在一起，然后一同生机的生长。宣信写的这首诗歌，其中有一句说：贱木接在珍树上面，小则变大，苦变甜。贱木的生命并没有消失，而是与又大又甜之珍树的生命联合生长，成为一个单位。我们又再次看见，这不是替换的生命，乃是接枝的生命。
19In order for one kind of life to be grafted to another, the two lives must be very similar. For example, it is not possible to graft a branch from a banana tree to a peach tree. However, it is possible to graft some branches from a poorer peach tree to a healthy, productive peach tree, for the lives of these two trees are very close to each other. We may apply this principle to the dispensation of the divine life into man. The divine life cannot be grafted with the life of a dog because there is no resemblance whatever between these lives. But because our human life was made in the image of God and according to the likeness of God, it can be joined to the divine life. Although our human life is not the divine life, it resembles the divine life. Therefore, these lives can easily be grafted together and then grow together organically. In the line of the hymn by A. B. Simpson, the poor tree is grafted to a better tree to gain a richer, sweeter life. The life of the poor tree does not disappear. Rather, it grows together as one unit along with the life of the rich, sweet tree. Once again we see that this is not an exchanged life, but a grafted life
因接枝而拔高
UPLIFTED THROUGH GRAFTING
20不仅如此，照著神所命定的自然律，不是贫贱的生命影响丰富的生命，乃是丰富的生命影响贫贱的生命。事实上，丰富的生命会吞灭贫贱生命的一切缺点，因而变化贫贱的生命。同样的原则，我们接枝到基督里面的时候，基督就吞灭我们的缺点，但并没有消除我们自己的生命。相反的，祂吞灭我们的缺点时，就将我们的人性拔高。祂将我们的心思、意志、情感、和一切的美德全拔高了。
20Furthermore, according to the natural law ordained by God, it is not the poor life that affects the richer life, but the richer life that affects the poor life. In fact, the rich life will swallow up all the defects of the poor life and thus transform the poor life. In the same principle, when we are grafted into Christ, Christ swallows up our defects, but He does not eliminate our own life. On the contrary, as He swallows our defects, He uplifts our humanity. He uplifts our mind, will, emotion, and all our virtues.
分赐、调和与居住
DISPENSING, MINGLING, AND ABIDING
21在约翰十四章二十节主耶稣说，『到那日，你们就知道我在我父里面，你们在我里面，我也在你们里面。』这里所说的那日，就是基督复活的日子。主在这一节乃是说，到祂复活的那日，祂的门徒就知道主在父里面，他们在主里面，主也在他们里面。这不是一个生命替换另一个生命；这乃是生命的调和。主在我们里面，我们也在主里面。这就是三一神的生命分赐、注入到我们里面所产生的调和。
21In John 14:20 the Lord Jesus said, “In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” The day spoken of here is the day of Christ’s resurrection. In this verse the Lord was saying that on the day of His resurrection His disciples would know that He is in the Father, that they are in Him, and that He is in them. This is not an exchange of one life for another—it is a mingling of lives. The Lord is in us and we are in Him. This is the mingling that comes from the dispensing, the infusing, of the life of the Triune God into us
22约翰十四章二十节所说的调和，就像素祭中油与细面的调和。（利二。）细面在油里面，油也在细面里面。这就是调和。调和产生彼此内住。所以，在约翰十五章四节主耶稣说，『你们要住在我里面，我也住在你们里面。』我们住在主里面，主住在我们里面，这种彼此的内住就是我们所说调和的生命。不仅如
22The mingling spoken of in John 14:20 is like the mingling of the oil with the fine flour in the meal offering (Lev. 2). The fine flour is in the oil, and the oil is in the fine flour. This is mingling. Mingling leads to mutual abiding. Therefore, in John 15:4, the Lord Jesus said, “Abide in Me and I in you.” This mutual abiding of us in the Lord and the Lord in us is what we mean by a mingled life. Moreover, this mingled life is a grafted life
23此，这个调和的生命也是接枝的生命。
23
一个生命，一种生活
ONE LIFE WITH ONE LIVING
24约翰六章五十七节说，『活的父怎样差我来，我又因父活著，照样，那吃我的人，也要因我活著。』这里主说，祂因父活著。这话指明两位凭一个生命活著，只有一种生活。子与父是两位，但祂们不是活两个生命，也没有两种生活。祂们只有一个生命，过一种生活。子凭父活著，父也藉子活著。在这一节主还说，那吃祂的人，也要因祂活著。这指明子与父怎样是两个人位，却只有一个生命，一种生活；照样，我们与子也该只有一个生命，过一种生活。这再次给我们看见，不是替换的生命，乃是接枝的生命。在加拉太二章二十节，保罗说到他自己基督徒的经历。保罗在这一节说，他已经与基督同钉十字架，现在乃是基督在他里面活著。这又给我们看见，两个人位─基督和保罗─只有一个生命，过一种生活。
24John 6:57 says, “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me shall also live because of Me.” Here the Lord says that He lives because of the Father. This word indicates that two Persons live by one life and have just one living. The Son and the Father are two, but They do not live two lives, nor do They have two livings. They have one life with one living. The Son lives by the Father, and the Father lives through the Son. In this verse the Lord also says that he who eats Him will also live because of Him. This indicates that just as the Son and the Father are two Persons with one life and one living, so we and the Son should have one life with one living. Once again we see that this is a grafted life, not an exchanged life. In Galatians 2:20 Paul speaks of his own Christian experience. In this verse Paul says that he has been crucified with Christ and that Christ now lives in him. Again we see two persons, Christ and Paul, with one life and one living
25吞灭我们的缺点和短处
25SWALLOWING UP OUR DEFECTS AND SHORTAGES
26我们已经指出，优越的生命能吞灭低劣生命的缺点和短处。这就是说，神圣的生命能吞灭我们属人生命的缺点和短处。这是可能的，因为在基督的生命里有祂钉十字架的杀死能力。请记住：基督的生命已经经过了成为肉体、人性生活、钉十字架和复活的过程，如今祂的生命包含了这一切的成分。我们可以用抗生素来说明。抗生素怎样杀死病菌，照样，基督生命中杀死的元素，也了结我们里面消极的东西。我们可能宁愿放弃我们属人的生命，而以基督的生命来取代。我们可能觉得，我们的生命满了『细菌』，所以喜欢用神圣的生命来取代。这可能是我们的方法，但却不是神经纶的路。神的路乃是让基督的生命吞灭我们里面一切的缺点、短处和『细菌』。我们越告诉主耶稣，我们爱祂，愿意与祂成为一，我们就越经历这属灵抗生素杀死的能力。在基督的生命里有一切我们所需要的元素。在祂的生命里有杀死的元素，也有滋养的元素。你可能对你的性情感到失望，但是基督的生命会杀死你性情里消极的元素；然后，基督不是把你的性情废去，乃是拔高且使用你的性情。
26We have pointed out that the better life swallows up the defects and shortages of the inferior life. This means that the divine life will swallow up the defects and shortages of our human life. This is possible because in Christ’s life there is the killing power of His crucifixion. Remember, Christ’s life has been processed through incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. Now His life includes all these ingredients. We may use antibiotics as an illustration of this. Just as antibiotics kill disease germs, so the killing element in the life of Christ terminates the negative things in us. We may prefer simply to yield up our human life and have it be replaced with Christ’s life. We may feel that our life is full of “germs” and would therefore like it replaced by the divine life. This may be our way, but it is not God’s way in His economy. His way is for Christ’s life to swallow up all the defects, shortages, and “germs” within us. The more we tell the Lord Jesus that we love Him and that we want to be one with Him, the more we shall experience the killing power in the spiritual antibiotics. All the elements we need are available in Christ’s life. In His life there is the killing element as well as the nourishing element. You may be discouraged about your disposition. But Christ’s life will kill the negative element in your disposition and then, instead of casting your disposition away, He will uplift it and use it.
成为肉体的原则
THE PRINCIPLE OF INCARNATION
27许多灵恩派或新灵恩运动的人，在说所谓的『豫言』时，喜欢模倣旧约申言者常说的话：『耶和华如此说。』虽然旧约的申言者用这种说法，但新约的作者却不这么说。保罗写了许多书信，但他在书信的末了并没有说，『耶和华如此说。』他却说，『愿恩典与你们同在，』『愿我们主耶稣基督的恩与你们的灵同在，』或是直接说，『愿主与你的灵同在。』这种差异的原因是非常有意义的。在旧约时代，基督还没有成为肉体。成为肉体乃是神进到人里面，与人成为一。在耶稣出生的时候，神自己成为肉体进到人里面。藉著基督的死与复活，我们这些信入基督的人，就能有分于成为肉体的原则。这就是说，藉著重生，基督就生到我们这人里面，与我们成为一。就如保罗在林前六章十七节所说，『但与主联合的，便是与主成为一灵。』这意思是说，只要我们重生，我们就与主成为一灵。现在我们都有这个立场，宣告我们与基督成为一灵。我们在信主的那日不仅得救了，也在灵里与基督成为婚配；我们与祂之间就产生了联结。我们一直不断的接触祂，神圣生命优越的元素就吞灭我们属人生命低劣的元素。这样，我们所说和所作的，自然也就是基督所说和所作的。因此，我们不需要说，『耶和华如此说。』因著我们已经接枝到基督里面，在一里与基督同活，我们的说话自然而然就是祂的说话。
27In their so-called prophesying, many of those in the Pentecostal denominations or in the charismatic movement are fond of imitating the Old Testament prophets who frequently said, “Thus saith the Lord.” Although this expression is used by the Old Testament prophets, it is not used by the New Testament writers. Paul wrote many Epistles, but he did not say at the end, “Thus saith the Lord.” Rather, he said, “Grace be with you,” “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,” or simply, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit.” The reason for this difference is very significant. In Old Testament times the incarnation of Christ had not yet taken place. The incarnation is a matter of God coming into man and being one with man. In the birth of Jesus, God accomplished the incarnation of Himself in man. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we who believe in Christ may share in the principle of incarnation. This means that through regeneration, Christ is born into our being and becomes one with us. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:17, “He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” This means that as long as we have been born again, we are one spirit with the Lord. Now we all have the ground to declare that we are one spirit with Christ. On the day we believed we were not only saved, but we were also married to Christ in spirit, and a union between us and Him took place. As we continue to contact Him, the superior elements of the divine life swallow up the inferior elements of our human life. Then what we say and do is spontaneously also the saying and doing of Christ. Therefore, there is no need for us to use the expression, “Thus saith the Lord.” Because we have been grafted into Christ and are living in oneness with Him, our speaking is spontaneously His speaking.
28林前七章说明了这一点。二十五节说，『关于童身的人，我没有主的命令，但我既蒙主怜悯成为忠信的，就题出我的意见。』关于这件事，保罗没有主的命令，但是他以爱主并实际活出主之人的身分来说话。接著他题出他的意见。他这么说完之后，就说，『但我想我也有神的灵了。』（40。）今天我们读林前七章的时候，都把整章当作神的谕言，神圣言的一部分来领受。因此，保罗的说话成了神的谕言，这是因著保罗与主是一。按照成为肉体的原则，基督已经成为肉体进到保罗里面；保罗不是活替换的生命，乃是活接枝的生命。这使他能与主成为一而说话。神的启示与我们的经历
28First Corinthians 7 illustrates this. Verse 25 says, “Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my opinion, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful” (Gk.). Paul had no commandment of the Lord regarding this matter, but he spoke as one who loved the Lord and lived out the Lord in a practical way. Then he proceeded to give his opinion. After doing so, he said, “I think also that I have the Spirit of God” (v. 40). As we read 1 Corinthians 7 today, we receive the whole chapter as the oracle of God, as part of God’sho ly Word. Thus, Paul’s speaking became God’s oracle because Paul was one with the Lord. According to the principle of incarnation, Christ had been incarnated into Paul, and Paul lived not an exchanged life, but a grafted life. This enabled him to speak in oneness with the Lord. GOD’SR EVELATION AND OUR EXPERIENCE
29但愿我们都对这事实有深刻的印象：基督徒的生命不是一件替换的事，乃是一件接枝的事。低等的生命，就是我们属人的生命，接枝到高等的生命，就是神圣的生命里面。高等生命吞灭了低等生命的缺点和软弱。在这样的情形下，高等的生命自然而然就使低等的生命丰富、拔高并变化。何等的美妙！这不是我们的道理或意见，乃是神话语中神圣的启示。不仅如此，我们基督徒的经历也印证这启示。因此，根据神的启示，并根据我们的经历，我们看见今天我们基督徒有一个奇妙的接枝生命。
29May we all be impressed with the fact that the Christian life is not a matter of exchange, but a matter of grafting. A lower life, our human life, is grafted into a higher life, the divine life. The higher life swallows the defects and infirmities of the lower life. As this takes place, the higher life spontaneously enriches, uplifts, and transforms the lower life. How marvelous! This is not our doctrine or opinion; it is the divine revelation in the Word of God. Furthermore, this revelation can be supported by our Christian experience. Therefore, according to God’sr evelation and according to our experience, we see that as Christians today we have a wonderful grafted life