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哥林多后书生命读经 · 第11篇

新约的执事（四）

The Ministers of the New Covenant (4)
1读经：哥林多后书四章十六至十八节。在本篇信息中，我们要来看林后四章末了的三节圣经─十六至十八节。这三节经文仍然与一件事有关：靠著瓦器里宝贝的能力，活出钉死的生活，彰显复活的生命。
1Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 4:16-18 In this message we come to the last three verses of chapter four, verses 16 through 18. These verses are still related to the living of a crucified life for the manifestation of the resurrection life by the excellent power of the treasure in the earthen vessels
2三至四章给我们看见，首先使徒们由神自己所构成。那构成是关乎他们生活、行为的一切。他们生活行为的每一方面都基于这构成。不仅如此，这构成也给他们生命的供应，连同能力、力量、丰富、智慧、甚至职事。他们乃是以构成到他们里面的，来尽职事。使徒们所传讲的，并不是只凭著他们所听见的，或所受的教导。他们供应人的，不仅是在异象中所得著的启示。他们所传扬、教导、供应的，全都是已经构成到他们里面的。使徒们以特定的方式经过了构成，成了被构成的人。因此他们所供应的，乃是他们的构成。他们乃是供应他们所是的，以及他们所成为的。这意思是说，他们被重新构成的所是，成了他们的职事。
2In chapters three and four we see that first the apostles were constituted of God Himself. That constitution was everything in relation to their life and behavior. Every aspect of their living and behavior was based on this constitution. Furthermore, this constitution afforded them the life supply with the power, strength, riches, wisdom, and even the ministry. They ministered with what had been constituted into them. The apostles did not preach something which they had merely heard or had been taught. What they ministered was not something that had only been revealed in a vision. What they preached, taught, and ministered was altogether what had been constituted into them. The apostles were constituted in a certain way, having become constituted persons. Therefore, what they ministered was their constitution. They ministered what they were, what they had become. This means that their reconstituted being became their ministry
3保罗的著作与今天基督徒的著作大不相同。保罗所写的乃是他里面构成的记录，而今天基督徒的著作，主要却是论到神学、道理、教训、解经和说明。在保罗所写的十四卷书信中，就著他个人对基督的经历来说，林后三至四章是最丰富的。在这两章圣经中，有保罗属灵构成准确且宝贝的记载。如果我们想知道身为新约执事的保罗是怎样的人，就需要花许多时间在这两章；这两章给我们看见保罗的属灵构成。职事必须是构成的，所以倪弟兄告诉我们，我们能立刻领受恩赐，但是短时间之内绝不可能有职事。需要经年累月，才能被构成；这就关系到长大成熟。
3Paul’s writings are very different from today’s Christian writings. Paul’s writings are a record of his constitution, whereas today’s writings are mainly concerned with theology, doctrines, teachings, expositions, and interpretations. Among the fourteen Epistles written by Paul, chapters three and four of 2 Corinthians are the richest as far as his personal experience of Christ is concerned. In these chapters we have an accurate and precious record of Paul’s spiritual constitution. If we would know what kind of person Paul was as a minister of the new covenant, we need to spend much time in these two chapters, chapters which reveal Paul’s spiritual constitution. Because ministry requires constitution, Brother Nee told us that we could receive a gift immediately, but we could never have a ministry in a short time. It takes years to become constituted. This involves growth into maturity
4与这构成有关的一切都是生机的，都是出于生命的。这生命乃是藉著那灵而有的，那灵乃是经过过程之神的终极完成。保罗是以神为构成的人。说保罗是神人还不彀，因为他实际上是一个以神为构成的人。因此，保罗的职事就是他这个人。他所传扬、所教导的乃是他的所是。他把他的所是供应给人。保罗这样尽职事的时候，基督就分赐到别人里面，因为保罗与基督已经成为一。保罗与基督是一，并且已经以基督为构成。保罗的职事乃是已经构成到他全人里面之基督的职事。如果没有这种职事，召会就不能充分的得著建造，新妇就不能适当的得著妆饰。
4Everything related to this constitution is organic and of life. This life is by the Spirit, the ultimate consummation of the processed God. Paul was a person constituted of God. It is not sufficient to speak of him as a God -man, for he was actually a person constituted of God. Therefore, Paul’s ministry was his being. What he preached and taught was what he was. He ministered his very being to others. As Paul ministered in this way, Christ was imparted into others, for Paul and Christ had become one. Paul was one with Christ and had been constituted of Christ. His ministry was a ministry of the Christ who had been constituted into his being. Without this kind of ministry, there is no way to have the church adequately built up or to have the bride properly adorned.
5圣经向我们指明，神起初所开头的，终必要成就。再者，神是复活的神，祂的定旨绝不半途而废，神自己绝不会失败。所有的拦阻和打岔反而证明祂的不变，证明祂是不改变的神。祂所定意的，必定成就；祂起初著手去作的，末了必要完成。在新约时代，神是从一班执事身上开始的；保罗是他们中间的一位。在末后的世代，神也要得著一班同样的执事。神在世界各地必须得著新约的执事。我的负担乃是在我们中间，有许多人会成为新约的执事。我盼望这几篇论到职事和新约执事的信息，能存留在你们里面。我特别盼望领头的人、同工、以及一切有心为著主恢复的人，都能切慕成为今天新约的执事。我们不仅需要有心爱主，（这是很平常的，）还需要有心成为新约的执事。如果我们有这样的心愿，就必须向主认真，2深入哥林多后书这两章圣经，而有祷告、交通，告诉主说，我们愿意向祂敞开，让祂在我们里面作工。我们必须告诉主，我们愿意被破碎、被磨碾、被构成；我们愿意过十字架的生活；我们愿意弃绝自己、否认自己，每天被经过过程之三一神的元素所构成；我们愿意成为今日的保罗，不是成为大人物或是出名的信徒，乃是成为一个微小的人，一个钉十字架的人，甚至是一个拿撒勒人。
5The Bible indicates that what God initiated at the beginning will be accomplished. Moreover, God is a God of resurrection. As the God of resurrection, His purpose cannot fail, and He Himself cannot be defeated. Rather, all frustrations and distractions prove His unchangeableness, prove that He is the unchanging God. What He has determined, He will accomplish. What He set out to do at the beginning, He will fulfill at the end. In the New Testament God began with a group of ministers. Paul was among them. At the end God will also have a group of the same kind of ministers. Here and there around the world, He must have ministers of the new covenant. My burden is that many among us will become ministers of the new covenant. I hope that these messages on the ministry and the ministers of the new covenant will remain with you. I hope especially that the leading ones, the co-workers, and all those who have a heart for the Lord’s recovery will aspire to be today’s new covenant ministers. We need to have a heart not only to love the Lord in a general way, but also to become ministers of the New Testament. If we have such a heart, we must be serious with the Lord and dwell on these two chapters of Corinthians, praying over them, having fellowship concerning them, and telling the Lord that we are willing to open ourselves for His working in us. We need to tell Him that we are willing to be broken, ground, and constituted; that we are willing to live a crucified life; that we are willing to renounce ourselves and deny ourselves and be constituted daily with the elements of the processed Triune God; that we are willing to be today’sP a ul, not a great person or a famous believer, but a small man, a crucified man, even a Nazarene.
6拿撒勒的耶稣不求伟大，不求出名。相反的，祂是一粒麦子落在地里死了。耶稣乃是这样成了第一位新约的执事。我们必须跟随祂，也照样成为新约的执事。我们必须为此仰望主，迫切的向祂祷告。
6Jesus of Nazareth did not seek to be great or famous. On the contrary, He was a grain of wheat that fell into the ground and died. In this way Jesus became the first minister of the new covenant. We need to follow Him also to become ministers of the new covenant. Concerning this, we must look to the Lord and pray desperately to Him.
三 外面的人在毁坏，里面的人却在更新
C. The Decaying of Their Outward Man and the Renewing of Their Inward Man
1 不丧胆
1. Not Losing Heart
7保罗在四章十六节说，『所以我们不丧胆，反而我们外面的人虽然在毁坏，我们里面的人却日日在更新。』保罗在这节说了四章一节同样的话：『我们不丧胆。』所发生的许多事，原会使保罗和他的同工失望或灰心丧胆。几乎没有一件事叫他们得著鼓励。然而，因为他们是在复活里，他们就不丧胆。事实上，需要有死亡、灰心、失望，复活才得以彰显出来。没有死亡，复活的生命怎能得著彰显？死叫复活得以彰显出来。因此，使徒们经历死的时候，并不丧胆。虽然许多叫人失望的事发生了，但他们并不丧胆。保罗在十六节说，我们外面的人在毁坏。外面的人是我们的身体和我们的魂，以我们的身体为其器官，以我们的魂为其生命和人位。里面的人是我们重生的灵同著我们更新的魂，以我们重生的灵为其生命和人位，以我们更新的魂为其器官。魂的生命必须被否认，（太十六24～25，）但魂的功用─心思、意志、情感，必须藉著被征服，（林后十4～5，）得著更新并提高，而为灵所用；灵乃是里面之人的人位。
7In 4:16 Paul says, “Wherefore we do not lose heart, but if indeed our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day.” In this verse Paul says, as he does in 4:1, “We do not lose heart.” Many things had happened that could have caused Paul and his co-workers to be disappointed or to lose heart. Hardly anything was encouraging. Nevertheless, because they were in resurrection, they did not lose heart. Actually, resurrection requires death, discouragement, and disappointment in order to be manifested. Without death, how could there be the manifestation of resurrection life? Death allows resurrection to be manifested. Therefore, as they passed through death, the apostles did not lose heart. Although many disappointing things happened, they were not discouraged. In verse 16 Paul says that our outward man is decaying. The outward man is our body and our soul, with the body as its organ and the soul as its life and person. The inward man is our regenerated spirit with our renewed soul. The regenerated spirit is its life and person, and the renewed soul is its organ. The life of the soul must be denied (Matt. 16:24-25), but the functions of the soul, the mind, will, and emotion, must be renewed and uplifted by being subdued (2 Cor. 10:4-5) to be used by the spirit, the person of the inward man
8毁坏原意或作，销毁，消耗，磨损。藉著不断的杀死─死的工作，我们外面的人，就是我们物质的身体，以及使其有生命的魂，（林前十五44，）就渐渐销毁磨损。林后四章十六节说『销毁』也许比『毁坏』更好。毁坏含示一个东西没有外来的作用而自行解体。保罗在这里的意思，不是说使徒们在毁坏。从上下文来看，他们被治死不是他们发起的。如果是他们发起的，我们就可以说他们在毁坏。但既然是逼迫他们的人和环境、情势所发起的，所以最好是说他们渐渐被销毁。他们渐渐被消耗掉。这辞的原意包括毁坏、销毁、消耗。
8The Greek word rendered decaying also means being consumed, being wasted away, being worn out. By the continued killing, the working of death, our outward man, that is, our material body with its animating soul (1 Cor. 15:44), is being consumed and worn out. In verse 1 6 I prefer the word consumed to the word decayed. Decay implies that something is disintegrating by itself without anything acting upon it. Here Paul does not mean that the apostles were decaying. According to the context, their being put to death was not initiated by them. If they had taken the initiative, then we may say that they were decaying. But since the initiative was taken by the persecutors and by the circumstances and environment, it is better to say that they were being consumed. They were being wasted away. The meaning of the Greek word includes decaying, being consumed, and being wasted away.
9逼迫者和环境一直作工在使徒们身上。这项工作不是使徒们加诸自己身上的。磨碾绝不是谷粒发起的；磨碾的工作乃是磨碾的人所作的。不是使徒们去磨碾人，乃是他们被人磨碾。他们外面的人渐渐在销毁、破坏、治死。圣经教师对于『外面的人』一辞有不同的解释和说明。有些所谓内里生命派的人认为，外面的人是属魂的人、天然的人；他们认为活在灵里的人，属灵的人，是里面的人。保罗在林前二章和三章，的确说到属灵的人、属魂的人和属肉体的人。属肉体的人就是活在肉体情欲里的人，属魂的人则是活在魂里的人。属魂的人会制造分裂。他们在召会生活中有自己的偏好和拣选。属灵的人（如保罗和众使徒）则是在灵里生活行动的人。根据一些内里生命派教师的说法，我们可能是在外面的人里生活之属魂的人，也可能是在里面的人里生活之属灵的人。
9The persecutors and the environment were working on the apostles. This was not a work carried out by the apostles on themselves. Grinding is never initiated by the grains. Rather, the grinding work is carried on by the person doing the grinding. The apostles were not the grinders; they were the ones under the grinding. Their outward man was being consumed, destroyed, put to death. Teachers of the Bible have different interpretations and explanations of the term the outward man. Certain of the so-called inner life people regard the outward man as the soulish man, the natural man, and they consider the spiritual man, one who lives in the spirit, as the inner man. In 1 Corinthians 2 and 3 Paul does speak of the spiritual man, the soulish man, and the fleshly man. A fleshly person is one who lives in the lust of his flesh, whereas a soulish person lives in the soul. Those who are soulish are divisive. In the church life they have their own preferences and choices. The spiritual person, like Paul and the apostles, lives and walks in the spirit. According to some inner life teachers, we may either be soulish ones who live in the outward man, or spiritual ones who live in the inward man
10根据林后四章的上下文看，外面的人主要是指十节的身体和十一节必死的肉身。这两个辞可交互的使用，因为我们堕落的身体已经成了必死的肉身。十六节所说外面的人，必定是指这堕落的身体，必死的肉身。然而，说外面的人仅仅是指身体，是不彀的。这样的领会并不完全，因为身体本身还不能算是一个人，不能算是一个人位。身体只不过是一个器官。在林前十五章四十四节保罗说到属魂的身体，那是由魂使其有生命的天然身体，是魂在其中掌权的身体。因此，外面的人是以身体为其器官，以魂为其生命和人位。因此，外面的人包括身体和魂。身体不是人位；人位乃是魂，身体是器官。照样，身体不是生命，外面之人的生命乃是魂。魂是外面之人的人位和生命。不错，身体是外面之人的主要部分。然而，身体不过是个器官，是由魂所指引，使其有生命并使用的。
10According to the context of 2 Corinthians 4, the outward man refers mainly to the body in verse 10 and to the mortal flesh in verse 11. These terms are used inter - changeably, for our fallen body has become the mortal flesh. The outward man in verse 16 certainly refers to this fallen body, to this mortal flesh. However, it is not adequate to say that the outward man simply denotes the body. This understanding is not complete, for the body itself cannot be a man, a person. The body is merely an organ. In 1 Corinthians 15:44 Paul speaks of a soulish body, a natural body animated by the soul, a body in which the soul predominates. Therefore, the outward man has the body as its organ and the soul as its life and person. Hence, the outward man comprises both the body and the soul. The body is not the person. The person is the soul, and the body is an organ. Likewise, the body is not the life; the life of the outward man is the soul. The soul is both the person and the life of the outward man. Yes, the body is a major part of the outward man. Nevertheless, it is merely an organ directed, animated, and used by the soul.
11里面的人是我们重生的灵，以魂为其器官。灵是生命和人位，更新的魂是器官。魂的生命，就是属魂的生命，必须被否认。但魂的功用─心思、意志、情感，必须被更新。我们在召会生活中，不断经历心思的更新和心思的提高。当我们的心思被主征服，我们的心思就得著更新。这样，心思就能为我们的灵使用；我们的灵乃是里面之人的人位。外面的人渐渐被销毁、磨损、并被治死；但是里面的人却日日在更新。销毁含示减少，更新含示扩增。因此，我们外面的人渐渐减少，里面的人渐渐扩增。外面看来，我的身体渐渐衰老，但我里面的人却越发年轻、更新。外面看来我们都越过越衰老，但我们里面却越过越更新。里面的人因复活生命新鲜的供应得著滋养，而得以更新。我们外面的人，我们必死的身体，因著死的杀死工作逐渐销毁；我们里面的人，就是我们重生的灵，连同我们里面的各部分，（耶三一33，来八10，罗七22，25，）却因复活生命的供应，得以日日新陈代谢的更新。更新与构成相似，二者都需要特别的元素。我们若要得著更新，就必须有一些元素加到我们里面。这更新我们的元素，就是隐藏在我们里面的宝贝。（林后四7。）然而，我们若要得著更新，光有宝贝在我们里面是不彀的。我们还需要被杀死、毁坏、销毁、磨碾。为这缘故，我们里面有宝贝，外面有环境。藉著我们的环境，神就主宰的把我们摆在磨石之下受磨碾。
11The inward man is our regenerated spirit with the soul as its organ. The spirit is the life and person, and the renewed soul is the organ. The life of the soul, the soulish life, must be denied. But the functions of the soul—the mind, the will, and the emotion—must be renewed. In the church life we are experiencing the renewing of the mind and the uplifting of the mind. As our mind is subdued by the Lord, it is renewed. Then it can be used by our spirit, which is the person of the inward man. The outward man is being consumed. It is being worn out and put to death. But the inward man is being renewed day by day. Being consumed implies decreasing, and being renewed implies increasing. Thus, our outward man is decreasing, and our inward man is increasing. Outwardly my body is getting older, but my inward man is getting younger and newer. Outwardly we are all getting older, but inwardly we are becoming newer. The inward man is renewed by being nourished with the fresh supply of resurrection life. As our mortal body, our outward man, is being consumed by the killing work of death, our inward man, that is, our regenerated spirit with the inward parts of our being (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10; Rom. 7:22, 25), is being metabolically renewed day by day with the supply of resurrection life. Being renewed is similar to being constituted. In both cases there is the need for a particular element. In order for us to be renewed, some element must be added to us. This renewing element is the treasure hidden within us (v. 7). However, for us to be renewed, it is not adequate simply to have the treasure within. There is also the need for the killing, the destroying, the consuming, the grinding. For this reason, inwardly we have the treasure, and outwardly we have the environment. Through our environment, God sovereignly places us under the grinding stones.
12我们逃避不了神的手。你成熟了么？你破碎了么？你可能还用自己的聪明来逃避破碎和磨碾。没有人对付得了你。然而，最想要逃避破碎的人，末了受的苦也最多。我们的定命就是被销毁。弟兄们，主也许会用你的妻子来磨你。甚至最好的妻子，也这样为主使用。
12It is impossible for us to escape God’s hand. Are you mature? Have you been broken? You may still use your cleverness to escape the breaking and the grinding. No one is able to deal with you. However, those who try the hardest to escape the breaking eventually suffer the most. It is our destiny to be consumed. Brothers, the Lord will probably use your wives to grind you. Even the best wife is used by Him in this way
13主凭著祂主宰的权柄，利用我们的环境来销毁我们。不要以为是因为你不对，所以需要被销毁。实际上，乃是因为你对，所以需要被销毁。你越对，就越需要被销毁。保罗非常的对，所以他很需要被销毁。这不是说，你应当故意犯错。你如果错了，你可能受惩罚。
13The Lord sovereignly uses our environment to consume us. Do not think that it is because you are wrong that you need to be consumed. Actually, it is because you are right that you need to be consumed. The more right you are, the more you need to be consumed. Paul was very right. This was the reason he needed a great deal of consuming. This does not mean, however, that you should purposely try to do something wrong. If you are wrong, you may be punished
14你也许不知道该怎么办，因为你对了，会被销毁；你不对，又会受惩罚。答案是你甚么也不该作。主迟早要把你放在磨石底下。因著我们爱主，所以我们愿意受磨碾。但这不是说，我们应当主动的把自己摆在上下两块磨石之间。那是自杀，不是磨碾。要让主用祂主宰的权柄把你摆在磨碾之下。我们不需要作甚么，磨碾会自自然然的发生。我们外面的人销毁，基督才能活出来并供应给别人。这是主的路。惟有这样，新妇才能为祂豫备好。
14You may wonder what you should do, since you will be consumed if you are right and punished if you are wrong. The answer is that you should not do anything. Sooner or later, the Lord will put you under the grinding stone. Because we love the Lord, we are willing to be ground. But this does not mean that we should place ourselves between the grinding stones. That is suicide, not grinding. Let the Lord sovereignly put you under the grinding. There is no need to do anything concerning this; it will happen spontaneously. Only by the consuming of the outward man can Christ be lived out and ministered to others. This is the Lord’sway. Only in this way can the bride be prepared for Him
2 这短暂轻微的苦楚，要为他们成就永远重大的荣耀
2. The Momentary Lightness of Affliction Working Out for The man Eternal Weight of Glory
15保罗在十七节说，『我们这短暂轻微的苦楚，要极尽超越的为我们成就永远重大的荣耀。』这里的苦楚是指治死，十字架的工作。（10。）极尽超越，直译，超越的达到超越。永远重大的荣耀与短暂轻微的苦楚相对。这里的荣耀指那是复活生命之神的彰显，与苦楚相对。短暂轻微的苦楚要为我们成就永远重大的荣耀。这重大的荣耀要成为装饰好之新妇的荣美。
15In verse 17 Paul says, “For our momentary lightness of affliction works out for us, more and more surpassingly, an eternal weight of glory.” The affliction here refers to the putting to death, the working of the cross. Literally, more and more surpassingly means excessively unto excess. The eternal weight of glory is in contrast to the momentary lightness of affliction. Glory here is the expression of God as resurrection life and is in contrast to affliction. The momentary lightness of affliction works out for us an eternal weight of glory. This weight of glory will become the beauty of the adorned bride
3 不是顾念所见的、暂时的，乃是顾念所不见的、永远的
3. Not Considering the Things Which Are Seen and Temporary, but the Things Which Are Not Seen and Eternal
16十八节说，『我们原不是顾念所见的，乃是顾念所不见的，因为所见的是暂时的，所不见的才是永远的。』所见的是暂时苦楚的事，所不见的是永远荣耀的事。保罗不在意苦难、环境、贫穷、反对、逼迫或磨碾。这些事是所见的，是暂时的。他只顾念永远的事。他知道当他处在受磨碾的光景中，苦楚要为他成就重大、荣美、永远的事。这样，当基督回来的时候，我们就要为祂装饰成光明、荣美的新妇。
16Verse 18 says, “While we do not consider the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The things seen are of the temporary affliction, but the things not seen are of the eternal glory. Paul did not care for the affliction, the environment, the poverty, the opposition, the persecution, or the grinding. Those things, things which are seen, are temporary. He cared only for eternal things. He knew that while he was in the condition of being ground, the affliction was working out something weighty, beautiful, and eternal. In this way we shall be adorned as the bright and beautiful bride for Christ at His coming back.
17这几章圣经给我们看见执事与职事，也看见这职事的结果。这里描绘了新约的执事，他们有荣美而奇妙的职事，这职事建造召会，并且使新妇得著荣美。
17In these chapters we see the ministers with the ministry, and we also see the result of the ministry. Here we have a portrait of the ministers of the new covenant with a beautiful and wonderful ministry that builds up the church and beautifies the bride