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哥林多后书生命读经 · 第43篇

新约的执事（十二）

The Ministers of the New Covenant (12)
1读经：哥林多后书六章十四节至七章一节。我们已经看过，与神完全和好就是完全经历神的拯救。我们也看过，完全和好、完全得救会使我们的心宽宏。现在我们继续来看林后六章十四节至七章一节。这一段乃是和好职事的率直劝勉。
1Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 6:14—7:1 We have seen that to be fully reconciled to God is to have the full experience of God’ss alvation. We have also seen that to be fully reconciled and saved is to have our hearts enlarged. Now let us go on to consider 6:14—7:1, a frank exhortation of the reconciling ministry
不要不配的同负一轭
NOT TO BE UNEQUALLY YOKED
六章十四节说，『你们跟不信的，不要不配的同负一轭，因为义和不法有甚么合伙？光对黑暗有甚么交通？』使徒说这话，是基于
Verse 14 says, “Do not become unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” This word about not being unequally yoked was spoken
2十一节，向信徒他的口是张开的，他的心是宽宏的。保罗先立好一个事实：完全和好，就是完全得救，结果使人的心宽宏；然后他就劝哥林多信徒，不要与不信的人不配的同负一轭。
2by the apostle based upon his mouth being opened and his heart being enlarged to the believers in verse 11. Having established the fact that full reconciliation is full salvation resulting in the enlargement of the heart, Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers not to become unequally yoked with unbelievers
3十四节『不配的』意思是相异的，指在种类上不同。这是指申命记二十二章十节所说，两种不同的动物不可同负一轭。信徒和不信者是不同的人。因著信徒神圣的性情和圣别的地位，他们不该跟不信者同负一轭。这不只该应用在信徒与不信者之间的婚姻和事业上，也该应用在他们各种亲密的关系上。这话指明哥林多的信徒，跟不信者不配的同负一轭，没有从属世的人分别出来归与神。这就是说，他们没有与神完全和好。因此，使徒劝他们不要跟不信者不配的同负一轭，乃要分别出来，使他们被带回，与神完全和好。按照旧约，牲畜有两类：洁净的和不洁净的。洁净的是倒嚼、分蹄的。羊、牛是洁净的动物，但驴、马、骡和猪是不洁净的。因此，申命记二十二章十节说，『不可并用牛驴耕地。』这里我们看见律法命令以色列人，不可让洁净的和不洁净的动物同负一轭，不可把洁净的和不洁净的放在同一个轭下。牛是洁净的，可以献给神，但不洁净的动物不能献给神。因此，洁净的和不洁净的是不相配的。
3The word unequally in verse 14 means diversely; it denotes a difference in kind. This refers to Deuteronomy 22:10, which forbids yoking two different animals together. Believers and unbelievers are diverse peoples. They should not be yoked together, because of the believers’ divine nature and holy standing. This should be applied to all manner of intimate relationships between believers and unbelievers, not only to their marriages and businesses. This word indicates that the Corinthian believers were unequally yoked with unbelievers. They were not separated unto God from worldly people. This indicates that they were not fully reconciled to God. Hence, the apostle exhorted them not to be diversely yoked with unbelievers, but to be separated that they might be fully reconciled, brought back, to God. According to the Old Testament, cattle were of two categories: the clean and the unclean. Those that were clean chewed the cud and had cloven hooves. Sheep and oxen were clean animals, but donkeys, horses, mules, and pigs were not clean. Thus, Deuteronomy 22:10 says, “Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.” Here we see that the law commanded the children of Israel not to yoke together a clean animal with an unclean one, not to put the clean and the unclean under the same yoke. A clean animal, such as an ox, could be offered to God, but an unclean animal could not be offered to Him. Therefore, the clean and the unclean were unequal.
4保罗在林后六章十四节并不是在意律法的教训，乃是在意这个要求所代表的属灵意义。今天我们这些信徒乃是洁净的人，我们是可以献给神的牛和羊羔。然而，不信的人是不洁净的，所以我们不该跟他们同负一轭。跟不信的人同负一轭就是受打岔而离开神。脱开这样不配的轭，就是归向神，与神和好而进到神里面。譬如，一位弟兄不该与不信的人结婚。因为他与不信的人结婚，就是跟对方不配的同负一轭。那种不配的轭，会使他离开神。照样，与不信的人在事业上合伙，也是不配的同负一轭。假使一位信徒与不信者在事业上是伙伴，有相同的利益和目标，他们其实是不配的同负一轭。这样的配对、负轭必须终止。凡是这样跟不信者在事业上合伙的信徒，必定会受他的事业打岔而离开神，他的事业会使他逐步远离神。在这种情形中的弟兄，需要脱开事业上那个不配的轭，与神和好，被带回到神里面。不仅如此，与不信者的友谊也会使我们跟他们不配的同负一轭。青年人尤其喜欢交朋友。青年弟兄姊妹们，你们若与不信的人有亲密的友谊，这会使你们跟他们不配的同负一轭。这样的负轭会使你们受打岔而离开神。不信主的朋友不会帮助你们更亲近神，反而会使你们远离祂。只要你们维持这样不配的友谊，你们会越来越受打岔而离开神，逐渐远离祂。因此，保罗嘱咐我们，不要跟不信的人不配的同负一轭，使我们能蒙保守在神里面，并完全被带回到祂里面。
4In 6:14 Paul does not care for the teaching of the law; he cares for the spiritual significance of this requirement. Today we, the believers, are the clean ones. We are the oxen and the lambs to be offered to God. Unbelievers, however, are unclean, and we should not be yoked together with them. To be yoked together with unbelievers is to be distracted from God. To rid ourselves of such an unequal yoke is to come back to God and to be reconciled into Him. For example, a brother should not marry an unbeliever. For him to marry an unbeliever is to be unequally yoked. That kind of unequal yoke would distract him from God. Likewise, to form a partnership in business with an unbeliever is also to be unequally yoked. Suppose a believer and an unbeliever are partners together in a business and have the same interest and goal. They are actually an unequally yoked pair. This kind of pairing, yoking, needs to be terminated. Anyone who engages in a business partnership in this way will be distracted by his business from God. His business will take him farther and farther away from God. Any brother in that situation needs to cast off that unequal yoke in business and be reconciled, brought back, into God. Furthermore, friendships with unbelievers can cause us to be unequally yoked. The young people especially like to make friends. Young brothers and sisters, if you have close friendships with unbelievers, that will cause you to become an unequally yoked pair. That kind of yoking will distract you from God. Your unbelieving friend will not help you to come closer to God; rather, an unbelieving friend will take you away from Him. As long as you maintain such an unequal friendship, you will be distracted from God more and more and taken gradually farther away from Him. Therefore, Paul charges us not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers for the purpose that we may be kept in God and may be brought back fully into Him
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
信徒与不信者的不同
Believers and unbelievers
5在六章十四至十六节，使徒举了五个例子，描述信徒和不信者之间的不同：义和不法没有合伙，没有共享；光对黑暗没有交通，没有往来；基督对彼列没有和谐，没有相和；信的同不信的没有同分，没有相干；神的殿同偶像没有一致，没有相合。这些例证也揭示一个事实：信徒是义、光、基督和神的殿，不信者是不法、黑暗、彼列（魔鬼撒但）和偶像。保罗在十四节说，『义和不法有甚么合伙？光对黑暗有甚么交通？』义和不法不该有任何接触。二者之间不该有任何关系、任何合伙。照样，光和黑暗也互不相干，二者不可能有任何交通。我们这些信徒乃是在光中。我们若与不信者有交通、或亲密的友谊，这样的友谊就是光对黑暗的交通。信徒与不信者结婚，对信徒来说，就是光与黑暗的交通。保罗在十五节接著说，『基督对彼列有甚么和谐？信的同不信的有甚么同分？』彼列是撒但魔鬼的别名。基督对魔鬼没有和谐。我们这些信徒是属基督的，不信的人是属撒但的。我们若与不信者有友谊，这意思就是说，我们在使基督与撒但和谐。信徒与不信者是没有甚么同分的。
5In 6:14-16 the apostle uses five illustrations to depict the difference between believers and unbelievers: no partnership, no share, between righteousness and lawlessness; no fellowship, no communion, between light and darkness; no harmony, no concord, between Christ and Belial; no part, no portion, held by a believer with an unbeliever; and no agreement, no consent, between the temple of God and idols. These illustrations also unveil the fact that the believers are righteousness, light, Christ, and the temple of God, and the unbelievers are lawlessness, darkness, Belial (Satan the Devil), and idols. In verse 1 4 Paul says, “What partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” There should not be any sort of contact between righteousness and lawlessness. There should be no relationship, no partnership, between them. Likewise, light and darkness have nothing to do with each other. They cannot have any fellowship. As believers, we are in the light. If we have fellowship, or intimate friendship, with unbelievers, that kind of friendship is fellowship between light and darkness. For a believer to marry an unbeliever is for that believer to have fellowship of light with darkness. In verse 15 Paul continues, “And what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” Belial is another name for Satan, the Devil. There can be no harmony between Christ and the Devil. We believers are of Christ, and the unbelievers are of Satan. If we have friendship with unbelievers, that means we are making harmony between Christ and Satan. A believer does not have any part with an unbeliever.
6保罗在十六节继续说，『神的殿同偶像有甚么一致？因为我们是活神的殿，就如神曾说，「我要在他们中间居住，在他们中间行走；我要作他们的神，他们要作我的子民。」』这里我们看见，神的殿同偶像没有甚么一致。不信者有偶像，但我们是神的殿。这样，信徒和不信者怎能有亲密的关系？
6In verse 16 Paul goes on to say, “And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Here we see that there can be no agreement between the temple of God and idols. Unbelievers have idols, but we are the temple of God. How then can there be any close relationship between believers and unbelievers
活神的殿
the temple of the living God
7保罗在十六节说，我们是活神的殿。神是活神，在我们中间居住并行走，主观的作我们的神，使我们有分于祂，并作祂的子民，活活的经历祂。保罗在提前三章十五节说，我们是活神的召会。活在召会里的活神，对召会必是主观的，不是客观的。在异教庙里的偶像是无生命的。但神是活的，不仅在祂活的殿，召会中活著，并且在其中活动、行动并工作。因为祂是活的，召会也就在祂里面、凭祂并同祂活著。活的神与活的召会，同活著、同行动、同工作。活的召会是活神的家和家人，因此成了神在肉体的显现。
7In verse 16 Paul says that we are the temple of the living God. As the living God, God dwells in us and walks in us to be our God in a subjective way that we may partake of Him and be His people, experiencing Him in a living way. In 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul says that we are the church of the living God. The living God who lives in the church must be subjective to the church and not merely objective. An idol in a heathen temple is lifeless. The God who not only lives but also acts, moves, and works in His living temple, the church, is living. Because He is living, the church is also living in Him, by Him, and with Him. A living God and a living church live, move, and work together. The living church is the house and the household of the living God. Hence, it becomes the manifestation of God in the flesh.
8神曾说，『我要在他们中间居住，在他们中间行走；我要作他们的神，他们要作我的子民。』（林后六16。）这是我们今天的光景，神一直活在我们里面，住在我们里面，在我们中间行走。祂是
8God has said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2 Cor. 6:16). This is our situation today. God is living in us, dwelling in us, and walking among us. He is our God, and we are His people
9我们的神，我们是祂的子民。
9
分别与和好
SEPARATED AND RECONCILED
10保罗在十七节劝哥林多人说，『所以，「主说，你们务要从他们中间出来，得以分别，不要沾不洁之物，我就收纳你们。」』分别就是实际的被带回，与神和好。（五20。）『不洁之物』是指六章十四至十六节所列，属于不法、黑暗、彼列以及偶像的事物。不沾这些不洁之物，就使我们得以分别归神，并与神和好。因此，从他们中间出来，与他们分别，就是被带回归神。当我们这样分别出来，神就收纳我们。『我就收纳你们』这句话，指出神喜悦收纳被带回、与祂完全和好的信徒。
10In verse 17 Paul exhorts the Corinthians, saying, “Wherefore come out from their midst and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you.” To be separated is to be reconciled, to be brought back, to God (5:20) in a practical way. The words “what is unclean” denote that which belongs to lawlessness, darkness, Belial, and idols, as listed in verses 14 through 16. By not touching such unclean things we are separated to God and reconciled to Him. Therefore, to come out from their midst and be separated is to be brought back to God. When we are separated in this way, God welcomes us. The words, “I will welcome you,” point to God’s glad receiving of the believers who are fully reconciled, brought back, to Him
儿子和女儿
SONS AND DAUGHTERS
11十八节继续说，『我要作你们的父，你们要作我的儿子和女儿。这是全能的主说的。』作父和作儿女，都是生命的事。这比十六节神作我们的神，以及我们作神的子民更深。神是创造者，父是产生者。祂已经重生了我们，使我们成为祂的儿子和女儿。十八节是新约中惟一说到神有女儿的经节。新约大多告诉我们，信徒是神的儿子。这节题到儿子和女儿，是很切身的。对许多父母来说，儿子是宝贝的。我知道在西方和在东方一样，一对夫妇若是只有女儿，他们会非常希望至少再有一个儿子。虽然儿子是宝贝的，女儿却是亲爱的。一个父亲如果有三个儿子，没有女儿，他当然会喜欢再有一个女儿，而这个女儿必定是他非常亲爱的。许多有儿子，又有女儿的父母会告诉你，女儿是亲爱的，儿子是宝贝的。
11Verse 18 continues, “And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.” Literally the Greek word rendered by the indefinite article before Father means into, unto, for. To be a Father and to be sons and daughters are matters of life. This is deeper than for God to be our God and for us to be His people, as mentioned in verse 16. God is the Creator, and the Father is the generator. He has regenerated us and made us sons and daughters to Him. Verse 1 8 is the only instance in which the New Testament indicates that God has daughters. For the most part it tells us that the believers are sons of God. The reason this verse speaks of both sons and daughters is deeply personal. To many parents, sons are precious. I have learned that in the Orient and in the Western world as well, parents who have only daughters long to have at least one son. Although sons are precious, daughters are dear. Suppose a father has three sons and no daughters. Surely he would like to have a daughter, and she would be very dear to him. Many parents who have both sons and daughters will tell you that the daughters are dear and the sons are precious.
12我信保罗在十八节希望我们看见，我们不仅是神所宝贝的儿子，也是神所亲爱的女儿。你愿意作神的儿子，还是神的女儿？我是神的儿子，但我也很高兴作神的女儿。我喜欢为祂所宝贝，也为祂所亲爱。因为保罗知道我们能为父所宝贝并为父所亲爱，所以他在这里指明，我们是祂的儿子，也是祂的女儿。照圣经来看，神并没有著重强调我们是男的或是女的。就著非常真实而积极的意义来看，我们在神眼中都是女的。保罗在十一章二节宣告说，『我以神的妒忌，妒忌你们，因为我曾把你们许配一个丈夫，要将一个贞洁的童女献给基督。』这岂非指明，所有信徒对神都是女的么？我们在祂眼中若不是女的，我们怎能是贞洁童女的一部分，来献给基督？基督要成为我们的丈夫，我们要成为祂的妻子。就这意义说，我们都是女的。我甚至可以用一个非常不寻常的说法：对神来说，我们都是女性的儿子。在负责任以及进行属灵的争战上，我们都是儿子。我们该是刚强的儿子，负起责任并从事争战。但同时我们也该是父所亲爱所宝贝的女儿。因此，一面我们是宝贝的儿子，另一面我们也是亲爱的女儿。
12I believe that in verse 18 Paul wants us to see that we are not only precious to God as sons, but we are also dear to Him as daughters. Do you want to be a son of God or a daughter of God? I am a son of God, but I am also happy to be a daughter of God. I like to be precious and dear to Him. Realizing that we can be precious and dear to the Father, Paul indicates that we are both sons and daughters to Him. According to the Bible, God does not place a great deal of emphasis on whether we are male or female. In a very real and positive sense, we all are females in the sight of God. In 11:2 Paul declares, “For I am jealous over you with a jealousy of God; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present a pure virgin to Christ.” Does this not indicate that all believers are females to God? If we were not females in His sight, how could we be part of a pure virgin presented to Christ? Christ is to be our Husband, and we are to become His wife. In this sense, we all are females. We may even use a very unusual term and say that, to God, we are female sons. In bearing responsibility and carrying out spiritual warfare, we are sons. We should be strong sons for responsibility and for warfare. But at the same time we should be daughters very dear and precious to the Father. Therefore, on the one hand, we are precious sons; on the other hand, we are dear daughters
成全圣别
PERFECTING HOLINESS
13保罗在七章一节说，『所以亲爱的，我们既有这些应许，就当洁净自己，除去肉身和灵一切的玷污，敬畏神，以成全圣别。』保罗在这节的开头用『所以』一辞，指明一节是六章末段，十四至十八节的结语。这些应许是指六章十六至十八节所说的应许。肉身的玷污，指物质的事物；灵的玷污，指灵界的事物，如拜偶像等。洁净自己，除去肉身和灵一切的污秽，意思是离开这一切打岔的事，而与神完全和好。
13In 7:1 Paul says, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Paul’su se of “therefore” at the beginning of this verse indicates that it is a conclusion to the last part of chapter six, in particular to verses 14 through 18. The promises are those mentioned in 6:16-18. The defilement of flesh refers to material things; defilement of spirit, to things in the spiritual world such as idols. To cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit means to turn away from all distractions in order to be fully reconciled into God
14保罗在七章一节说到敬畏神，以成全圣别。圣别乃是从神以外的一切事物中，分别出来归与神。成全圣别，就是使这样的分别完满且完全，使我们的全人─灵、魂、体─完满且完全的分别出来，圣别归神。（帖前五23。）这就是与神完全和好。
14In 7:1 Paul speaks of perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Holiness is separation unto God from all things other than Him. Perfecting holiness is to make this separation full and perfect, to have our entire being— spirit, soul, and body—fully and perfectly separated, sanctified, unto God (1 Thes. 5:23). This is to be fully reconciled to God
15圣别的意思不仅是成圣，分别归神，也是与一切凡俗的不同、有别。只有神与一切不同，与一切有别。因此，祂是圣别的，圣别是祂的性情。按照以弗所一章四节，神拣选了我们，使我们也成为圣别。祂使我们成为圣别的方法，乃是将祂自己这圣别者分赐到我们里面，使我们全人被祂圣别的性情充满并浸透。对我们这些神所拣选的人，成为圣别就是有分于神的性情，（彼后一4，）并使我们全人被神自己所充满。这与仅仅无罪的完全，或无罪的纯洁不同。真实的圣别乃是使我们在性情上和特性上圣别，像神自己一样。保罗在林后七章一节题到敬畏神。这个敬畏就使我们不敢沾不属神、与神无关的事物。（六17。）
15Holy means not only sanctified, separated, unto God; it also means different, distinct, from everything that is common. Only God is different, distinct, from all other things. Hence, He is holy; holiness is His nature. According to Ephesians 1:4, He chose us so that we should be holy. The way He makes us holy is to impart Himself, the holy One, into us so that our whole being may be permeated and saturated with His holy nature. For us, God’s chosen ones, to be holy is to partake of His divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4) and to have our entire being permeated with God Himself. This is different from mere sinless perfection or sinless purity. True holiness makes our being holy, like God Himself, in His nature and character. In 7:1 Paul mentions the fear of God. This fear is related to not daring to touch things not belonging to God or related to Him (6:17
16我们已经指出，信徒是义，是光，是基督，是殿。当我们跟不信者不配的同负一轭时，意思就是我们将神的义带入不法，将神的光带入黑暗，将基督带到魔鬼，将神的殿与偶像相联。偶像玷污我们的灵。因此，在灵界以及物质界都有玷污。从玷污、不洁的事物中分别出来，实际上就是与神和好。保罗在六章的确是在尽和好的职事。他劝哥林多人要从不洁之物分别出来。从不洁之物分别出来，就是与神和好，成圣归祂；这也是完全的得救。因此，完全得救包括从不洁之物分别出来，圣别归神，并与神和好而进到祂里面。这就是这一章开头说到拯救，结尾说到分别的原因。得拯救就是分别，分别就是圣别，而圣别就是和好。
16We have pointed out that the believers are righteousness, light, Christ, and the temple. When we are unequally yoked with unbelievers, this means we bring the righteousness of God into lawlessness, the light of God into darkness, and Christ to the Devil, and that we associate the temple of God with idols. Idols defile our spirit. Hence, both in the spiritual world and the physical world there is defilement. To be separated from defilement, from unclean things, is actually to be reconciled to God. In chapter six Paul truly is carrying out the ministry of reconciliation. He urges the Corinthians to be separated from unclean things. To be separated from what is unclean is to be reconciled to God and sanctified unto Him; it is also to be fully saved. Thus, being fully saved includes separation from what is unclean, sanctification unto God, and reconciliation into God. This is the reason that toward the beginning of this chapter Paul speaks about salvation and at the end of the chapter, about separation. Salvation is separation, separation is sanctification, and sanctification is reconciliation