Books
哥林多前书生命读经 · 第30篇

神的耕地与神的建筑

GOD’S FARM AND GOD’S BUILDING
1读经：哥林多前书三章一至十七节。保罗说到𫗪养、喝、吃、栽种、浇灌、并生长以后，在林前三章九节说，『你们是神的耕地，神的建筑。』保罗能说他栽种了，亚波罗浇灌了，惟有神叫人生长，因为信徒是神的耕地。耕地，即农场。在基督里得了重生，有神生命的信徒，乃是神所耕种的田地，神新造里的农场，生长基督。我们是已相信基督并接受祂的人，不再像未耕种或荒芜的地。我们不是神没有摸过的人。反之，神已将一些东西撒在我们里面，我们已被祂摸过、耕种过。现今我们是神生长基督的耕地。
1Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 3:1-17 After referring to feeding, drinking, eating, planting, watering, and growing, Paul says in 3:9, “You are God’s farm, God’s building.” Paul could say that he planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the growth because the believers are God’s farm. Literally the Greek word rendered farm means cultivated land. The believers who have been regenerated in Christ with God’s life are God’s cultivated land, a farm in God’s new creation to grow Christ. As those who have believed in Christ and received Him, we are no longer like land that is uncultivated or wild. We are not people whom God has not touched. Rather, God has sown something into us, and we have been touched and cultivated by Him. Now we are God’s farm growing Christ
2圣经里很著重的强调撒种、耕种、并生长的观念。主耶稣自己用撒种者的13:3表号。在马太十三章三节祂说，『看哪，那撒种的出去撒种。』我们由马太十三章三十七节知道，主是撒种者：『那撒好种的就是人子。』祂所撒的种子也是祂自己，那是话中的主。这种子就是神自己。主耶稣来作撒种者，将神撒到我们里面。我们是土壤、土地、农场、耕地，要生长神。在前一篇信息里我们曾指出，召会是餐馆。现在我们说，召会是耕地。当然，这里并不矛盾，因为召会有许多方面。作为生长农产品的地方，召会是耕地。但作为将农产品豫备好，并供应我们作我们食物的地方，召会乃是餐馆。
2The concept of sowing, cultivating, and growing is strongly emphasized in the Bible. The Lord Jesus Himself used the figure of a sower. In Matthew He says, “Behold, the sower went out to sow.” We know from Matthew 13:37 that the Lord is the Sower: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.” The seed sown by Him is also Himself. It is the Lord in the Word. This seed is God Himself. The Lord Jesus came as a Sower to sow God into us. We are the earth, the ground, the cultivated land, the farm, to grow God. In the foregoing message we pointed out that the church is a restaurant. Now we are saying that the church is a farm. There is, of course, no contradiction here, for the church has many aspects. As the place for growing produce, the church is a farm. But as a place where the produce is prepared and served as our food, the church is a restaurant.
长大与建造
GROWING AND BUILDING
3在九节保罗说，我们是神的耕地与神的建筑。在耕地与建筑之间，似乎没有逻辑的关联。耕地与建筑有甚么关系？从来没有人看过用耕地上所生长的水果和蔬菜来建造的建筑。然而，召会作神的耕地，为著祂的建筑产生材料。身为基督徒，我们乃是在生长基督。现今我们必须问自己，我们有没有被建造。我们许多人也许不敢说，我们已真正被建造，成为神的建筑。如果问圣徒这问题，大多数人可能回答，他们多少都有点建造。事实上，这是正确的答覆。就著属灵的建造，在生命里的建造而言，真实的建造乃是在生命里的长大。我们被建造的程度，就是我们长大的程度。
3In verse 9 Paul says that we are both God’s farm and God’s building. There seems to be no logical connection between the farm and the building. What does the farm have to do with the building? No one has ever seen a building constructed of fruit and vegetables grown on a farm. Nevertheless, the church as God’s farm produces the material for His building. As Christians, we are growing Christ. Now we must ask ourselves whether or not we have been built. Many of us may hesitate to say that we have been truly built up to become God’s building. If the saints were asked about this, most of them may reply that they have been built to a certain extent. Actually, this is the right answer. With a spiritual building, a building in life, the true building is the growth in life. The extent to which we have been built is the extent to which we have grown.
4这里的生长指生长食物。生长也是扩增。例如，某位弟兄出生时也许只有七磅重，但现在他有一百七十磅重。这是生长这辞的第二个意义。在召会里被建造，就是在凭基督而扩增的意义上长大，有一定的身材。基督的扩增就是我们的身材。被建造到属灵的建筑里，首先不是指与别人联结，而是我们天然的生命减少，并且基督在我们里面扩增。我们天然的生命越减少，基督越在我们里面扩增，我们就越容易与别人配搭。事实上，我们就能与任何人配搭。然而，有些圣徒曾告诉我，他们无法迁离所在地，因为他们已与当地召会里一些圣徒建造在一起。照著他们的观念，因为他们已与这些人建造在一起，他们就不可能离开那地方。这不是真正的建造。反之，这是友谊或某种社交关系。你若真正建造在召会里，你就被消减，基督就在你里面扩增。然后，无论你在那里，你都能与圣徒是一，并与他们配搭。一旦你被建造在神属灵的建筑里，你就永远无法被取出来。我们是召会，就是神的耕地与神的建筑。耕地是为著建筑。凡在耕地上，由耕地所出产的，都是为著建筑。
4Growing here refers to growing foodstuffs. To grow is also to increase. For example, a certain brother may have weighed only seven pounds at birth, but now he weighs one hundred seventy pounds. This is growth in the second meaning of the word. To be built up in the church is to grow in the sense of increasing with Christ to have a certain stature. The increase of Christ is our stature. To be built into the spiritual building does not first mean to be connected with others. It means to have our natural life reduced and to have Christ increased within us. The more our natural life is reduced and the more Christ increases within us, the easier it will be for us to coordinate with others. In fact, we shall be able to coordinate with anyone. However, some saints have told me that they cannot move from their locality because they have been built with certain saints in the church there. According to their concept, because they have been built together with these ones, it is not possible for them to leave that locality. This is not real building. On the contrary, it is friendship or some kind of social relationship. If you have truly been built into the church, you have been reduced, and Christ has been increased in you. Then, wherever you may be, you can be one with the saints and coordinate with them. Once you have been built into God’s spiritual building, you can never be taken out of it. As the church, we are God’s farm and God’s building. The farm is for the building. Whatever is produced on the farm and by the farm is for the building
惟一的根基
THE UNIQUE FOUNDATION
5建筑需要根基。所以，在林前三章十至十一节保罗说到神建筑的根基：『我照神所给我的恩典，好像一个智慧的工头，立好了根基，有别人在上面建造，只是各人要谨慎怎样在上面建造。因为除了那已经立好的根基，就是耶稣基督以外，没有人能立别的根基。』基督这惟一的根基，已经立好了。这根基已经建立好，不但为著使徒时代，也为著永世。然而，在已过十九个世纪中，许多基督教工人想要立别的根基。每个公会和团体都有自己特别的根基。在今天的基督徒中间，有数以千计的根基。
5A building requires a foundation. Therefore, in 3:10 and 11 Paul speaks of the foundation of God’s building: “According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid a foundation, but another builds upon it. But let each one take heed how he builds upon it. For other foundation no one is able to lay besides that which is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Christ, the unique foundation, has already been laid. This foundation has been established not only for the time of the apostles, but for eternity. However, during the past nineteen centuries, many Christian workers have tried to lay other foundations. Every denomination and group has it sown particular foundation. Among Christians today there are thousands of foundations.
6立别的根基我们需要照著哥林多前书头三章的上下文，领会保罗所说基督是惟一根基的话。在这几章里保罗似乎在说，『你们哥林多人宣告你们是属亚波罗、矶法或保罗的，就是在立别的根基。每当你们说你们是属某人或某事的，你们就是在立根基。』偏爱和拣选实际上就是根基。譬如，某人也许偏爱水浸，这是根基。别人也许喜欢用无酵饼来擘饼，这也是根基。较喜欢受浸的人，也许不接纳不实行受浸的人；结果就是分裂。分裂总是因著在基督自己以外立别的根基所引起的。我们甚至可能因著偏爱某些地方召会而立别的根基。有人也许说，他不喜欢他所在地的召会，要迁往别处；甚至这样也是立根基。照著我们的观念，我们有自由拣选符合我们偏好的地方召会。我们也许偏爱某个召会，因为那个召会适合我们
6LAYING OTHER FOUNDATIONS We need to understand Paul’sword about Christ as the foundation according to the context of the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians. In these chapters Paul seems to be saying, “When you Corinthians declare that you are of Apollos, Cephas, or Paul, you are laying another foundation. Whenever you say that you are of someone or something, you are laying a foundation.” Preferences and choices are actually foundations. For instance, someone may prefer immersion. This is a foundation. Someone else may like to have the Lord’stable with unleavened bread. This also is a foundation. Those who prefer immersion may not accept those who do not practice immersion. The result is division. A division is always caused by laying a foundation other than Christ Himself. We may even lay another foundation by having preferences of local churches. Someone may say that he does not like the church in his locality and wants to move elsewhere. Even this is to lay a foundation. According to our concept, we have the freedom to choose a local church which matches our preference. We may prefer a particular church because that church suits our taste. To have
7的口味。对于召会有偏爱和拣选，就是立别的根基。这是对保罗在三章十至十一节的话正确的解释。
7preferences and choices with respect to churches is to lay another foundation. This is an accurate explanation of Paul’sword in 3:10 and 11
8四节和十一节之间有直接的关联。我们追溯保罗的思想，从十一节回头至四节，显然就会看见这关联。照著十一节，基督是惟一的根基。本节开始于『因为』一辞，指明这一节是前一节的解释。我们回头追溯这关联，至终来到栽种者和浇灌者都是一样（8）这件事。在七节保罗说，『可见栽种的算不得甚么，浇灌的也算不得甚么，只在那叫他生长的神。』就著在生命里的长大而言，基督的众执事，都算不得甚么，神才是一切。在五至六节我们看见，栽种的保罗和浇灌的亚波罗，不过是执事，藉著他们，哥林多人信了。所以，哥林多人不该偏爱一人或另一人。如保罗在四节所说，『有的说，我是属保罗的，另有的说，我是属亚波罗的；你们岂不是属肉体的人么？』四节和十一节的关联乃是这样：说自己是属某人的，就是立别的根基。属于基督以外的某人，就是在基督以外立根基。那些说『我是属保罗』的人，是立保罗为根基；那些宣告『我是属亚波罗』的人，就立亚波罗为根基。原则上，一切偏爱某个道理、作法、或人物的人，都是一样。支持受浸的人，乃是立受浸为根基；这就将他们与其他信徒分开，并使他们与那些信徒分裂。
8There is a direct connection between verses 4 and 11. This connection becomes apparent when we trace Paul’s thought backward from verse 11 to verse 4. According to verse 11, Christ is the unique foundation. The fact that this verse begins with the word “for” indicates that it is an explanation of the foregoing verse. As we trace this connection backwards, we eventually come to the matter of the planters and the waterers being one (v. 8). In verse 7 Paul says, “So that neither is the one who plants anything nor the one who waters, but the One Who makes to grow, God.” As far as the growth in life is concerned, the ministers of Christ are nothing, and God is everything. In verses 5 and 6 we see that Paul, the one who planted, and Apollos, the one who watered, are simply ministers through whom the Corinthians believed. Therefore, the Corinthians should not prefer one or the other. As Paul says in verse 4, “For whenever one says, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are you not men?” The connection between verses 4 and 11 is this: Saying that we are of a certain person is to lay another foundation. To belong to someone other than Christ is to lay a foundation besides Christ. Those who said, “I am of Paul,” were laying Paul as a foundation, and those who declared, “I belong to Apollos,” were laying him as a foundation. In principle, the same is true of all those who prefer a certain doctrine, practice, or person. Those who are for immersion lay immersion as a foundation. This separates them from other believers and divides them from those believers.
9从使徒时代以来，许多基督教领头人和教师立了特别的根基。这些根基一直是分裂的因素。今天基督徒被种种不同的根基所分裂。虽然我们在主的恢复里，外面没有立别的根基，但我们仍可能有自己的偏爱。例如，有人也许对自己说，『我偏爱本地召会的某位长老。每当我需要和长老谈论事情，我较喜欢到他那里去。我不喜欢对其他的长老说话。这位长老是我的拣选，我的偏爱。』这实际上就是说，『我是属这位长老的。』正如我们所指出的，这就是在基督以外立根基。在基督自己以外立根基，破坏身体生活，并毁坏神的建筑。换句话说，这不是建造召会；这是拆毁召会。
9Since the time of the apostles, many Christian leaders and teachers have laid special foundations. These foundations have been factors of division. Christians today are divided by the different kinds of foundations. Although we in the Lord’s recovery do not lay other foundations in an outward way, we may still have our preferences. For example, someone may say to himself, “I prefer a certain elder in my local church. Whenever I need to talk to an elder about a matter, I prefer to go to him. I do not like to speak to the other elders. This elder is my choice, my preference.” This is actually to say, “I am of this elder.” As we have pointed out, this is to lay a foundation other than Christ. To lay a foundation besides Christ Himself ruins the Body life and damages God’s building. In other words, this is not the building up of the church; it is the tearing down of the church
没有偏爱
NO PREFERENCES
10哥林多人说他们是属保罗的、属亚波罗的、或属矶法的，就是破坏神的建造，毁坏神的那殿。这对我们该是很重的警告，不要偏爱人或作法，或拣选地方。每当圣徒从一处地方召会迁往另一处，这该纯粹是照著主的引导，不该有别的动机。若有人迁居，只因为他所在地的召会不合他的口味，或因为他不满意某位长老，或因为他不喜欢某些弟兄姊妹，那人就是在立别的根基。这是分裂。这的确不是建造。正如我们所看过的，真实的建造就是我们天然的生命减少，并使基督在我们里面扩增。倘若这是我们的情况，我们就不会有任何偏好。主若引导我们到相当艰难的地方，我们会为著那些艰难赞美祂，知道这些难处会使我们自己更减少，并且会使我们这人里面有更多的地位为著基督。然后我们会有真正的长大，我们也会喜欢召会生活。
10When the Corinthians said that they were of Paul, of Apollos, or of Cephas, they were destroying the building; they were damaging the temple of God. This should be a strong warning to us not to have preferences of persons or practices or choices of place. Whenever a saint moves from one local church to another, this should be purely according to the Lord’s leading. There should be no other motive. If someone moves because the church in his locality is not according to his taste, or because a certain elder is not pleasing to him, or because he does not feel happy with certain brothers and sisters, that person is laying another foundation. This is division. It definitely is not the building. As we have seen, the true building is to become reduced in our natural life and to have Christ increased within us. If this is our situation, we shall not have any preferences. If the Lord leads us to a place which is rather difficult, we shall praise Him for those hardships, knowing that they will cause us to be reduced even more and will create more room in our being for Christ. Then we shall have real growth, and we shall be happy with the church life.
11假定你所在地的召会使你为难。不但如此，假定长老似乎对任何人都不高兴。你怎么办？你会迁往一处你印象中以为召会生活较好的地方么？你要到一处长老都很喜乐、召会不给你任何艰难的地方去么？你若离开主的引导作此选择，就是照著你的偏爱行动。我盼望众圣徒，年轻的、年长的，都领悟这样的偏爱在主的恢复里不该有地位。甚至批评你所在地的召会也是立别的根基。批评是引起分裂的，并带进毁坏。那是拆毁建造。有些圣徒听见这话也许说，『这不公平。你不知道我所在地的召会何等可怜。你若访问这里的召会，就会赞同我。』不，我不愿批评你们的地方召会。反之，我若在那个地方，我会亲切的拥抱那里的召会。假定你生活在一个很大的家庭里，有五个兄弟和六个姊妹。有的兄弟姊妹很有智慧，有的却很愚拙。有的很亲切，有的却很粗鲁。你会拒绝愚拙的、粗鲁的，只顾有智慧的、和气的么？不，你必须爱并接纳所有的兄弟姊妹。他们都是你父母的孩子。同样的原则，召会生活里所有的弟兄姊妹都是父神的儿女。我们不该挑剔他们，或批评他们，因他们已由神所生。我们没有权利爱某些人过于别人。不但如此，我们在他们中间不该有任何偏爱或拣选。我们的家庭怎样是独一无二的，召会照样也是独一无二的。所以，我们不该寻求自己的偏爱。
11Suppose the church in your locality is a hardship to you. Furthermore, suppose the elders do not seem happy with anyone. What would you do? Would you move to a locality where, according to your impression, the church life is better? Will you want to go to a place where the elders are happy and the church does not present any hardships to you? If you make this choice apart from the Lord’s leading, you will be acting according to your preference. I hope that all the saints, young and old alike, will realize that such preferences should have no place in the Lord’s recovery. Even to criticize the church in your locality is to lay another foundation. To criticize is to be divisive and to bring in destruction. It is to tear down the building. When some saints hear this word, they may say, “This is not fair. You don’t know how poor the church is in my locality. If you were to visit the church here, you would agree with me.” No, I would not criticize your local church. On the contrary, if I were to be in that locality, I would lovingly embrace the church there. Suppose you live in a very large family consisting of five brothers and six sisters. Some of your brothers and sisters are wise, but others are foolish. Some are kind, but others are coarse. Will you reject the foolish ones and the coarse ones and care only for the wise ones and the nice ones? No, you must love and receive all your brothers and sisters. They all are the offspring of your parents. In the same principle, all the brothers and sisters in the church life are children of God the Father. We should not find fault with them or criticize them, for they have been born of God. We have no right to love certain ones more than others. Furthermore, we should not have any preferences or choices among them. Just as our family is uniquely one, so the church is uniquely one. Therefore, we should not seek our own preferences
12我在本篇信息中所说的，是照著保罗在哥林多前书头三章里的话。三章是基于一、二章。在这几章里保罗似乎在说，『你们在哥林多的信徒有自己的偏爱。有些人偏爱我，有些人偏爱亚波罗，还有些人偏爱矶法。你们也有关于文化的偏爱，因你们有些人偏爱犹太教，而有些人偏爱希腊文化和哲学。你们对于人、事、物都有偏爱。你们需要看见，有偏爱就是立根基。但除了那已经立好的根基，就是耶稣基督以外，没有人能立别的根基。我在你们中间，立了惟一的根基，这根基就是基督自己。我从前到你们那里去，曾定了主意，不知道别的，只知道耶稣基督，并这位钉十字架的。惟有这位基督是根基。根基不能是犹太教、希腊哲学、矶法、亚波罗、保罗、或其他的人。保罗和亚波罗算不得甚么；我们甚么都不是。栽种的和浇灌的都算不得甚么，只在那叫他生长的神。』这是保罗所说基督是惟一根基这话的意义。
12What I have been speaking in this message is according to Paul’sword in the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians. Chapter three is based upon chapters one and two. In these chapters Paul seems to be saying, “You believers at Corinth have your preferences. Some prefer me, others prefer Apollos, and still others prefer Cephas. You also have preferences regarding culture, for certain of you prefer Judaism, whereas others have a preference for Greek culture and philosophy. You have preferences in persons, matters, and things. You need to see that to have a preference is to lay a foundation. But no foundation can be laid other than the foundation which has already been laid—Jesus Christ. When I was among you, I laid the unique foundation, and this foundation is Christ Himself. I came to you with the determination not to know anything except Christ and this One crucified. Only this Christ is the foundation. The foundation cannot be Judaism, Greek philosophy, Cephas, Apollos, Paul, or any other person. Paul and Apollos are nothing; we are nobodies. Both the one who plants and the one who waters are nothing. The only One who is something is God, who gives the growth.” This is the meaning of Paul’sword concerning Christ as the unique foundation
真正的建造
GENUINE BUILDING
13我盼望在主恢复里的众圣徒都会看见，我们是神的耕地生长基督，也是神的建筑，祂的居所。我们需要真正的建造。要有这建造，我们必须藉著使自己减少，并使基督在我们里面扩增而长大。这真正长大与建造的结果，就是我们对任何人、事、物都没有偏爱。这也就是说，我们不拣选任何地方。我们只乐于作主身体的肢体，在基督里长大。倘若这是我们的光景，那么无论我们在那里，我们都会与众圣徒配搭，无论他们亲切或粗鲁。真实的建造乃是使我们自己减少，并使基督扩增，直到我们众人都达到了基督丰满之身材的度量。
13I hope that all the saints in the Lord’s recovery will see that we are God’s farm to grow Christ and also God’s building, His dwelling place. We need the genuine building. To have this building we must grow by having ourselves reduced and by having Christ increased within us. The result of this genuine growth and building is that we do not have preferences for any person, matter, or thing. It also means that we do not have any choice of place. We are happy simply to be members in the Lord’s Body, growing in Christ. If this is our condition, then wherever we may be, we shall coordinate with all the saints, no matter whether they are kind or coarse. The real building is to have ourselves reduced and to have Christ increased until we arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ
14在三章十节保罗警告我们，要谨慎怎样在那已经立好的根基上建造。我们不该用木、草、禾秸建造，乃该用金、银、宝石建造。这些材料与变化有关。耕地所生长的是属植物生命，但建筑所需要的不是植物，乃是矿物。惟有矿物能为著神的建筑使用。要有矿物，就必须有变化。植物生命必须变化成为矿物。因此，三章有耕地、建筑和变化的观念。十七节也有神的殿的观念。我们思想这一切事，就会领悟哥林多前书是宝贵的书，是满了珍宝的书。同时，这卷书对付许多与召会生活有关的复杂情形。为著我们所看见关于𫗪养、喝、吃、栽种、浇灌并生长的事，我们赞美主！为著我们所看见关于耕地、建筑、根基、变化和神的殿，我们也满了感谢。哥林多前书这卷又有珍宝、又有复杂情形的书，正符合我们当前的光景和情况。这卷书是今天基督徒所急切需要的。所有的信徒都需要看见这封书信里所启示的。
14In 3:10 Paul warns us to take heed how we build on the foundation already laid. We should not build with wood, grass, or stubble, but with gold, silver, and precious stones. These materials involve transformation. What the farm grows is of the plant life, but what is needed for the building is not plants, but minerals. Only minerals can be used for God’s building. In order to have the minerals, there must be transformation. The plant life must be transformed into minerals. Thus, in chapter three we have the concepts of the farm, the building, and transformation. In verse 17 we also have the concept of the temple of God. As we consider all these things, we shall realize that 1 Corinthians is a precious book, a book filled with treasures. At the same time, this book deals with many complications related to the church life. Praise the Lord for what we have seen of the feeding, the drinking, the eating, the planting, the watering, and the growing! We are also thankful for what we have seen regarding the farm, the building, the foundation, transformation, and the temple of God. First Corinthians, a book of both treasures and complications, corresponds to our present condition and situation. This book is urgently needed by Christians today. All believers need to see what is revealed in this Epistle.