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以弗所书生命读经 · 第27篇

长成圣殿，并被建造成为神的居所

Growing Into a Holy Temple And Being Built Into a Dwelling Place of God
1在本篇信息中，我们来到第二章末了一段，二十至二十二节。在这里我们看见关于建造的两面启示：宇宙的一面和地方的一面。在宇宙一面，召会是惟一的；在地方一面，召会在所在的地方上也是一。在二十一节我们看到召会宇宙的一面：『在祂里面，全房联结一起，长成在主里的圣殿。』然后在二十二节，我们有地方的一面：『你们也在祂里面同被建造，成为神在灵里的居所。』所以，圣殿是指宇宙的一面，神的居所是指地方的一面。
1In this message we come to the last portion of chapter two, verses 20 through 22. Here we have the revelation of the building in two aspects, the universal aspect and the local aspect. Universally the church is uniquely one, and the church in a particular locality is locally one. In verse 21 we see the universal aspect of the church: “ All the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.” Then in verse 22 we have the local aspect: “You also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit.” Therefore, the holy temple refers to the universal aspect, and the dwelling place of God, to the local aspect
壹 建造在使徒
I. BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION
和申言者的根基上
OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS
2召会是基督的身体，已经蒙了重生，需要在生命中长大；召会是神的家，正在被建造。表面看，长大和建造是分开的事；事实上，家的建造就是身体的长大。身体若不长大，家也就无法建造。我们在考量召会是神的建造时，必须特别注意到根基。二十节说，『被建造在使徒和申言者的根基上，有基督耶稣自己作房角石。』许多基督徒很难领会这节里的根基是甚么。林前三章十一节说，『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。』基督是惟一的根基。然而，以弗所二章二十节却说到使徒和申言者的根基。但这并不表示使徒和申言者本身是根基。这与启示录二十一章不同，那里的根基是使徒这些人，但这里的根基却不是使徒和申言者本身。基督的奥秘已经向使徒启示出来，（弗三5～6，）他们所得的启示被视为召会建造在其上的根基。这与马太十六章十八节的磐石相符，那里的磐石不仅指基督，也指关乎基督的启示，基督要在其上建造祂的召会。所以，使徒和申言者的根基，就是他们为著建造召会所得关于基督和召会的启示；召会是建造在这启示上。这就是以弗所二章二十节里根基的意义。
2As the Body of Christ, the church has been regenerated, and as the house of God, the church is being built. Apparently, growth and building are separate things. Actually, the building of the house is the growth of the Body. If the Body does not grow, the house cannot be built. In considering the church as God’s building, we need to pay special attention to the foundation. Verse 20 says, “Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corners tone.” Many Christians have difficulty understanding what the foundation is in this verse. First Corinthians 3:11 says, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Christ is the only foundation. Nevertheless, Ephesians 2:20 speaks of the foundation of the apostles and prophets. This does not mean, however, that the apostles and prophets themselves are the foundation. In contrast to Revelation 21 where the foundations are the very persons of the apostles, the foundation here is not the apostles and prophets themselves. Since the mystery of Christ has been revealed to the apostles (Eph. 3:4-5), the revelation they received is considered the foundation upon which the church is built. This corresponds to the rock in Matthew 16:18, which is not only Christ Himself but also the reve lation concerning Christ, upon which Christ will build His church. Therefore, the foundation of the apostles and prophets is the revelation they received regarding Christ and the church for the building of the church. The church is built upon this revelation. This is the meaning of the foundation in Ephesians 2:20.
3在主的恢复中，我们是在甚么上面建造召会？说我们是建造在基督上面，这太含糊笼统。我们必须在使徒和申言者所得的启示上建造召会。按著国籍设立的所谓的教会，不是建造在使徒和申言者的根基上。有些所谓的教会，甚至还排除特殊的民族或种族团体。当然这些『会』并不是建造在二章二十节所说的根基上。罗马天主教和所有的公会都宣称他们的根基是基督，但是这些团体没有一个宣称他们的根基是使徒和申言者的根基。譬如，长老会是建立在长老治会的观念上。然而使徒和申言者从没有得著启示说，长老治会应当是召会的根基。卫理公会是建立在卫斯理约翰的宗旨上，天主教是建立在宗教阶级的观念上。若把赐给使徒和申言者的启示应用到天主教，天主教就要垮台。灵恩派是建立在某些属灵的恩赐和经历的根基上。我们在主的恢复中，与这些所谓的教会迥然不同；我们必须能强有力的宣告，在恢复里的召会是建造在使徒和申言者的根基上。这意思是说，在主恢复中的召会，是照著使徒和申言者所得的启示而建造的。这个启示包容各种族各国籍的信徒；包括说方言的，也包括不说方言的。你若有这个关于召会正确根基的异象，你会看见只有主恢复中的召会是建造在正确的根基上；天主教、各公会或独立团体都不是。
3Upon what are we in the Lord’s recovery building the church? To say that we are building upon Christ is too vague and indefinite. We need to build the church upon the revelation received by the apostles and prophets. The so-called churches established according to nationalities are not built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Some so-called churches even exclude members of particular racial or ethnic groups. Surely those congregations are not built upon the foundation spoken of in 2:20. The Roman Catholic Church and all the denominations claim that their foundation is Christ. However, none of these groups declares that their foundation is the foundation of the apostles and prophets. For example, the Presbyterian denomination is built upon the concept of presbytery. The apostles and prophets, however, never received a revelation that the presbytery should be the foundation of the church. The Methodist Church is built upon the principles of John Wesley, and the Catholic Church is built upon the concept of hierarchy. If the revelation given to the apostles and prophets were applied to the Catholic Church, the Catholic Church would collapse. The charismatic churches are built upon the foundation of certain charismatic gifts and experiences. In contrast to all these so-called churches, we in the Lord’s recovery must be able to strongly affirm that the churches in the recovery are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. This means that the churches in the Lord’s recovery are built according to the revelation received by the apostles and prophets. This revelation embraces believers of all races and nationalities; it includes those who speak in tongues and those who do not. If you have the vision of the proper foundation of the church, you will realize that only the churches in the Lord’s recovery, not the Catholic Church, the denominations, nor the independent groups, are built upon the proper foundation
贰 基督自己作房角石
II. CHRIST HIMSELF BEING THE CORNERSTONE
4二十节启示，在神的建造里基督是房角石。这里说基督耶稣作房角石，而不说祂是根基，（赛二八16，）因为这里所著重的不是根基，乃是房角石，将犹太信徒和外邦信徒这两面墙联结一起。
4Verse 20 reveals that in God’s building Christ is the cornerstone. Here Christ is referred to, not as the foundation (Isa. 28:16), but as the cornerstone, because the main concern here is not the foundation but the cornerstone that joins together the two main walls: the wall of the Jewish believers and the wall of the Gentile believers
5犹太匠人轻弃基督，乃是轻弃祂作房角石，（徒四11，彼前二7，）就是那位要将外邦人联于犹太人，以建造神家者。
5When the Jewish builders rejected Christ, they rejected Him as the cornerstone (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7), which joins the Gentiles to them for the building of God’sho use
6主耶稣在马太二十一章，用比喻的说法指明，法利赛人要弃绝祂。四十二节：『耶稣对他们说，「匠人所弃的石头，已成了房角的头块石头；这是主所作的，在我们眼中看为希奇。」你们在经上从来没有念过么？』主耶稣藉著这话启示，祂复活以后，要成为将犹太人和外邦人联结一起的房角石。彼得在行传四章十一至十二节对那些宗教徒论到基督说，『祂是你们匠人所轻弃的石头，已成了房角的头块石头。除祂以外，别无拯救，因为在天下人间，没有赐下别的名，我们可以靠著得救。』彼得的话给我们看见，救恩含示了建造。神拯救我们的目的不是领我们上天堂，乃是将我们联于犹太人，使祂可以得著祂的建造。许多不信的犹太人藐视主耶稣，因为他们不要与外邦人联结。一个犹太人只要不信基督，他就可以与外邦人隔离。但是这个犹太人只要一信基督，他就被基督这房角石联于外邦信徒。不论我们是犹太人或是外邦人，我们都已经得救，为要在基督里得以联结一起，为著神的建造。
6In Matthew 21 the Lord Jesus indicated, in a figurative way, that the Pharisees would reject Him. Verse 42 says, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the cornerstone; this was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes?” By this word the Lord revealed that after His resurrection He would become the cornerstone to join the Jews and the Gentiles. Referring to Christ, Peter said to the religionists in Acts 4:11 and 12, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Peter’sword shows that salvation implies building. God’sin tent i on in saving us is not to bring us into the heavens; rather, it is to join us to the Jews so that He may have His building. Many unbelieving Jews despise the Lord Jesus because they do not want to be joined to the Gentiles. As long as a Jew does not believe in Christ, he may be separated from the Gentiles. But as soon as such a Jew believes in Him, he is joined by Christ, the cornerstone, to the Gentile believers. Whether we are Jews or Gentiles, we have been saved in order to be joined together in Christ for God’s building.
参 长成圣殿
III. GROWING INTO A HOLY TEMPLE
一 在基督里
A. In Christ
7二十一节说，『在祂里面，全房联结一起，长成在主里的圣殿。』这里我们看到，在基督这房角石里面，全房，包括犹太和外邦信徒，联结一起，长成在主里的圣殿。
7Verse 21 says, “In Whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.” Here we see that in Christ, who is the cornerstone, all the building, including both Jewish and Gentile believers, is fitted together and is growing into a holy temple
二 长大
B. Growing
8这房是活的，（彼前二5，）所以是在长大，长成圣殿。召会这神的家真实的建造，乃是藉著信徒生命的长大。今天召会在长大，但不是在我们天然的生命里长大，乃是在神圣的生命、属灵的生命里长大。二十一节也说，全房联结一起。『联结』这辞的意思是，使之适合于全房的情形和处境。
8Since the building is a living one (1 Pet. 2:5), it is growing. It grows into a holy temple. The actual building of the church as the house of God is by the growth in life of the believers. Today the church is growing. However, it is not growing in our natural life, but in the divine life, the spiritual life. Verse 21 also says that all the building is fitted together. The word “fitted” means being made suitable for the condition and situation of the building
三 成为圣殿
C. Into a Holy Temple
9二十一节指出，全房长成圣殿。『殿』这字在原文的意思是圣所，指全殿的内部。全房乃是在主里长成圣殿。这意思是说，神的家，即神的圣所，全部的建筑都是在主基督里。
9As verse 21 points out, all the building is growing into a holy temple. The Greek word rendered “temple” means the sanctuary, the inner part of the whole temple. It is in the Lord that the building is growing into a holy temple. This means that the entire building of God’sho use as His sanctuary is in Christ the Lord.
10在这点上我要问你们一个问题：神在宇宙中的圣殿完成了没有？由于殿还在长大，这事实指明，至少从我们的观点来看，神的殿还没有完成。二十一节不是说全房已经长成圣殿，乃是说全房正在长成圣殿。『全房』一辞是指宇宙召会说的。你若思想已过十九个世纪的召会历史，你会发现很难看到这建造的长大。但是不要失望，神的定旨永远不会受阻挠。宇宙的建造始终在长大。在马太十六章，主耶稣豫言祂要建造祂的召会。马太十六章十八节的建造，就是以弗所二章二十一节的建造。虽然这建造长得缓慢，不容易看出来，但无论如何这长大仍在进行著。
10At this point I would like to ask you a question: Has the temple of God in the universe been completed? The fact that the temple is still growing indicates that, from our point of view at least, the temple of God is not complete. Verse 21 does not say that all the building has grown into a holy temple; it says that all the building is growing into a holy temple. The phrase “all the building” refers to the universal church. If you consider the past nineteen centuries of church history, you may find it difficult to see the growth of the building. But do not be disappointed. The purpose of God cannot be thwarted. The universal building is still growing. In Matthew 16 the Lord Jesus prophesied that He would build His church. The building in Matthew 16:18 is the very building in Ephesians 2:21. Although the growth of the building is slow and hardly noticeable, it is nonetheless taking place.
肆 建造成为神的居所
IV. BUILT INTO A DWELLING PLACE OF GOD
11二十二节说，『你们也在祂里面同被建造，成为神在灵里的居所。』这里的『你们』，是指地方上的圣徒。『也』指明，二十一节的建造是宇宙的，本节的建造是地方的。保罗在本节是说，地方上的圣徒，就是在以弗所的圣徒，在基督里同被建造，成为神的居所。所以在这几节里，保罗的话包括召会宇宙的一面和地方的一面。全房渐渐长大，这是指宇宙的一面。信徒在一个地方同被建造，这是地方的一面。
11Verse 22 says, “In Whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit.” The word “you” here, which refers to the local saints, indicates that the building in verse 21 is universal and the building in verse 22 is local. In this verse Paul was saying that the local saints, the saints in Ephesus, were being built together in Christ into a dwelling place of God. Therefore, in these verses Paul covered both the universal aspect and the local aspect of the church. All the building is growing—this refers to the universal aspect. The believers in a particular locality are being built together—this is the local aspect
12为甚么保罗说到宇宙一面时，用『圣殿』这辞；说到地方一面时，用『神的居所』这辞？圣殿和神的居所若有不同，其间到底有甚么区别？在宇宙的殿之外，没有另一个殿称为地方的殿。殿和居所是指同一件东西的两面。不要认为殿是居所。殿是神子民接触神、敬拜神、听神话语的地方；居所是安息的地方。神是安息在祂的居所里。然而殿和居所并不是两个截然不同的地方。相反的，二者乃是同一建筑的两面、两种功用或用法。召会是神子民接触神、敬拜祂、领受祂话语的地方，也是神的安息之所。众地方召会是宇宙召会的一部分，而不是附加在宇宙召会上或与其分开的。众地方召会加起来就等于宇宙召会；这意思是说，没有众地方召会就没有宇宙召会。因此，地方召会的建造，就是宇宙召会的建造。众地方召会只有一个建造。不是在安那翰的召会有一个建造，在芝加哥的召会另有一个，在纽约的召会又另有一个。然而，我们天然对建造的观念是每个地方各有不同的建造。在这宇宙中，只有一个建造，带著宇宙的一面和地方的一面。不论地上有多少召会，仍然只有一个带著这两面的建造。
12Why does Paul use the term “holy temple” in referring to the universal aspect and the term “dwelling place of God” when speaking of the local aspect? What is the difference, if any, between the holy temple and the dwelling place of God? Apart from the universal temple, there is not another temple called the local temple. The temple and the dwelling place refer to two aspects of the same thing. Do not consider the temple a dwelling place. The temple is the place in which God’sp eople contact God, worship Him, and hear His oracle. The dwelling place is a place of rest. God rests in His dwelling place. However, the temple and the dwelling place are not two distinct places. Rather, they are two aspects, two functions or usages, of the same building. The church is the place where God’s people contact God, worship Him, and receive His word, and it is also the place of God’s rest. All the local churches are part of the universal church, not something in addition to it or apart from it. All the local churches added together equal the universal church. This means that apart from the local churches there is no universal church. Hence, the building of the local church is the building of the universal church. All the local churches have just one building. The church in Anaheim does not have one building; the church in Chicago, another; and the church in New York, still another. However, our natural concept of the building is that there is a different building in each locality. In this universe there is just one building with a universal aspect and a local aspect. No matter how many churches there may be on earth, there is still just one building with these two aspects.
13二十二节说，我们同被建造，成为神在灵里的居所。这里的灵，是指信徒有神的圣灵内住之人的灵。神的灵是居住者，不是居所；居所是信徒的灵。神的灵住在我们的灵里，所以，神的居所是在我们的灵里。二十一节说圣殿是在主里，二十二节说神的居所是在灵里。这指明为著神的居所，主与我们的灵是一，我们的灵与主也是一。在我们的灵里，实际上就是在主里；在主里也就是在灵里。与主联合的，便是与主成为一灵。（林前六17。）我们不可能将我们的灵和主分开。所以，我们的灵就是召会，神的居所，建造的所在。建造不是在我们的心思、情感里，也不在我们的魂或心里；建造完全是在我们灵里的事。我们若要明白使徒和申言者的根基，以及圣殿和神居所之不同等类的事，就需要在读圣经时有清明的心思。圣经是最合逻辑的书。我们的神不愚昧，祂从不说无意义的话；祂非常有逻辑，在祂话中的每一件东西都是合乎逻辑的。因此，我们读圣经时，不该用不受羁束的头脑。相反的，我们读圣经时，必须运用我们清明的心思来问合式的问题；然后光就会照亮。这是明白神话语的基本原则。愿我们众人，特别是青年弟兄姊妹，都能学习这样读圣经。
13Verse 22 says that we are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit. The spirit here refers to the believers’ human spirit indwelt by God’sHo ly Spirit. God’s Spirit is the Dweller, not the dwelling place. The dwelling place is in the believers’ spirit. God’s Spirit dwells in our spirit. Therefore, the dwelling place of God is in our spirit. Verse 21 says that the holy temple is in the Lord, and verse 22, that the dwelling place of God is in spirit. This indicates that the Lord is one with our spirit and that our spirit is one with the Lord. To be in our spirit actually is to be in the Lord. Also, to be in the Lord is to be in the spirit. He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). We simply cannot separate our spirit from the Lord. Therefore, our spirit is the place where the building of the church is. The building is not in our mind, emotion, soul, or heart. It is absolutely a matter in our spirit. If we wish to understand such matters as the foundation of the apostles and prophets and the difference between the holy temple and the dwelling place of God, we need to have a sober mind as we study the Bible. The Bible is the most logical of books. Our God is not foolish, and He never speaks nonsense. He is very logical, and everything in His Word is logical. Hence, we should not have an undisciplined mentality as we study the Bible. On the contrary, in reading the Bible we must exercise our sober mind to ask the proper questions. Then the light will shine. This is a basic principle in understanding the Word of God. May we all, especially the young brothers and sisters, learn to study the Bible in this way