Books
以弗所书生命读经 · 第46篇

照著那在耶稣身上是实际者，学了基督

LEARNING CHRIST AS THE TRUTH IS IN JESUS
1在本篇信息中，我们要来看四章十七至二十一节，特别著重于二十和二十一节，那里说到照著那在耶稣身上是实际者，学了基督。
1In this message we shall consider 4:17-21, with special attention to verses 20 and 21, which speak of learning Christ as the truth is in Jesus
壹 与神呼召相配
I. THE THIRD ITEM
之行事为人的第三项
OF A WALK WORTHY OF GOD’SCALL ING
2保罗在四章一节劝我们，行事为人要与我们所蒙的呼召相配。与神呼召相配的行事为人，第一项是保守一，第二项是长到元首基督里面，第三项是照著那在耶稣身上是实际者，学了基督。
2In 4:1 Paul beseeches us to walk worthily of the calling with which we are called. The first item of a walk worthy of God’scall ing is to keep the oneness, and the second is to grow up into Christ the Head. The third item is to learn Christ as the truth is in Jesus
3四章十七节开始一个新的段落。与神呼召相配的行事为人，头两项都放在这章的第一段。这原因乃是：在基督里的长大与保守一密切相关，无法分开。一至十六节是说到基督身体的生活与功用。现在从十七至三十二节是说到日常的生活；十七至二十四节给我们日常行事为人的原则，二十五至三十二节给我们行事为人的细节。贰行事为人不再像外邦人十七节说，『所以我这样说，且在主里见证，你们行事为人，不要再像外邦人在他们心思的虚妄里行事为人。』这话指明，使徒所要说的不仅是他的劝勉，也是他的见证。他所劝勉的，就是他所活的。由于他自己过著这种他所要描述的生活，因此在他的教导里，他向我们作见证。
3Verse 17 of chapter four begins a new paragraph. The first two items of a worthy walk are put together in the first paragraph in this chapter. The reason for this is that growth in Christ is intimately related to the keeping of the oneness; they cannot be separated. In verses 1 through 16 the living and the function of the Body are dealt with. Now in verses 17 through 32 the daily life is touched. Verses 17 through 24 give us the principles of our daily walk, and verses 25 through 32 give us the details. II. NO LONGER WALKING AS THE NATIONS Verse 17 says, “This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the nations also walk, in the vanity of their mind.” This word indicates that what the apostle is about to say is not only his exhortation, but also his testimony. What he exhorts is what he lives. Because he himself lives the kind of life he intends to describe, in his teaching he gives us a testimony
一 在心思的虚妄里行事为人
A. Walking in the Vanity of Their Mind
4保罗的劝勉是：『不要再像外邦人在他们心思的虚妄里行事为人。』外邦人是堕落的人，在他们的推想上变为虚妄。（罗一21。）他们在心思的虚妄里，行事为人没有神，受他们虚妄思想的控制和摆布。凡他们照著堕落的心思所作的，都是虚妄，没有实际。堕落人类的生活，是一种在心思虚妄里的行事为人。今天所有世上的人，都是在这样的虚妄里行事为人。在神的眼中和使徒保罗的眼中，世人所想、所说、所作的，不过是虚妄。那些事没有一样是真实或扎实的─一切全都是虚空。我们这些信徒，不该再在心思的虚妄里行事为人。反之，我们必须在我们灵的实际里行事为人。
4Paul’s exhortation is to “no longer walk as the nations... walk in the vanity of their mind.” The nations, the Gentiles, are the fallen people, who have become vain in their reasonings (Rom. 1:21). They walk without God in the vanity of their mind and are controlled and directed by their vain thoughts. Whatever they do according to their fallen mind is vanity; it is all without reality. The life of fallen mankind is a walk in the vanity of the mind. All the worldly people today walk in such vanity. In the eyes of God and in the eyes of the Apostle Paul, whatever the people in the world think, say, and do is nothing but vanity. None of those things is real or solid — everything is empty. As believers, we should no longer walk in the vanity of the mind. Instead, we must walk in the reality of our spirit.
二 在悟性上昏暗
B. Darkened in Their Understanding
5根据十八节，外邦人在他们心思的虚妄里行事为人，是『在悟性上昏暗了』。当堕落人的心思充满虚妄，他们的悟性在神的事上就昏暗了。
5According to verse 18, the nations who walk in the vanity of the mind are “darkened in their understanding.” When the mind of fallen people is filled with vanity, their understanding is darkened regarding the things of God
三 与神的生命隔绝
C. Estranged from the Life of God
6外邦人也是『与神的生命隔绝』。（18。）这生命是神非受造、永远的生命，是人在受造时未有的。在受造后，带著受造生命的人被摆在生命树前，（创二8～9，）好接受那非受造、神的生命。但人堕落到心思的虚妄里，并在悟性上变为昏暗。人在这种堕落的光景中，无法摸著神的生命，直到人悔改（心思转向神），并相信主耶稣，以接受神这永远的生命。（徒十一18，约三16。）神造人的目的，是要人有分于生命树的果子，而得到神永远的生命。但在人堕落时，撒但邪恶的性情注入人里面。结果，人不得不与生命树隔开。根据创世记三章二十四节，耶和华『把他赶出去了；又在伊甸园的东边安设基路伯，和四面转动发火焰的剑，要把守生命树的道路』。这样，人就与神的生命隔绝了。基路伯、火焰和剑，表征神的荣耀、圣别和公义。这三样东西使有罪的人不能得著永远的生命。当主耶稣死在十字架上时，祂满足了神荣耀、圣别、公义的一切要求。所以，藉著主耶稣的救赎，为我们打开通路，使我们得以再次接触生命树。这就是为甚么希伯来十章十九节说，我们『因耶稣的血，得以坦然进入至圣所』。生命树是在至圣所里。我们这些信基督的人，已被带回到生命树。现在，至圣所里的神圣生命可以作我们每天的享受。然而，外邦人仍然是与神的生命隔绝。
6The nations are also “estranged from the life of God” (v. 18). This life is the uncreated, eternal life of God, which man did not receive at the time of creation. After being created, man with the created human life was placed before the tree of life (Gen. 2:8-9) to receive the uncreated divine life. But man fell into the vanity of his mind and became darkened in his understanding. In such a fallen condition, man is not able to touch the life of God until he has his mind turned to God, until he repents and believes in the Lord Jesus to receive God’s eternal life (Acts 11:18; John 3:16). God’sin tent i on in His creation of man was that man would partake of the fruit of the tree of life and thereby receive the eternal life of God. But in the fall, Satan’s evil nature was injected into man. As a result, man had to be barred from the tree of life. According to Genesis 3:24, the Lord “drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Thus, man was estranged from the life of God. The cherubim, the flame, and the sword signify God’s glory, holiness, and righteousness. These three things kept sinful man from receiving eternal life. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He fulfilled all the requirements of God’s glory, holiness, and righteousness. Therefore, through the redemption of the Lord Jesus, the way has been opened for us to contact the tree of life once more. This is the reason Hebrews 10:19 says that we have “boldness for entering the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus.” The tree of life is in the Holy of Holies. As believers in Christ, we have been brought back to the tree of life. Now the divine life in the Holy of Holies may be our daily enjoyment. The nations, however, are still estranged from the life of God
1 因著那在他们里面的无知
1. Because of the Ignorance Which Is in Them
7这种隔绝的一个原因，乃是『那在他们里面的无知』。（弗四18。）无知在这里的意思是，不仅缺乏知识，也拒绝知道。堕落的人因著心里的刚硬，不以认识神为美。（罗一28。）故此，他们的悟性昏暗，不认识神。
7One reason for this estrangement is “the ignorance which is in them” (v. 18). Ignorance here means not only lack of knowledge, but also not wanting to know. Fallen man does not approve of knowing the things of God (Rom. 1:28) because of the hardness of his heart. Due to this, his understanding is darkened that he cannot know God.
8不信的人不认识神或属灵的事；不仅如此，他们也不愿意认识。何等的怜悯，我们不仅有正确的认识，也渴望认识！我们里面渴望认识神，认识生命，并认识属灵的事，这是莫大的祝福。我们得救以前，没有这种渴望。我们像外邦人一样，缺少认识，也不愿意认识。但如今我们饥渴要认识神。我们越能认识祂和神圣的生命越好。任何不寻求认识主的基督徒，不会快乐或满足。寻求主，并寻求认识生命和属神的事，是最大快乐的来源。这就是我们在召会聚会中这样快乐的原因。这也是当我将主的话供应给主的子民时，里面有喜乐的原因。一些属主的东西已经种在我们里面，使我们渴慕认识祂。
8The unbelievers have no knowledge of God or of spiritual things. Furthermore, they are not willing to gain this knowledge. What a mercy that we not only have the proper knowledge, but also have the desire to know! It is a great blessing to have within us the desire to know God, to know life, and to know spiritual things. Before we were saved, we did not have this desire. We, like the nations, lacked both the knowledge and the willingness to know. But now we hunger and thirst to know God. The more we can know of Him and of the divine life, the better it is. Any Christian who does not seek to know the Lord cannot be happy or satisfied. To seek the Lord and to seek to know life and the things of God is a source of great happiness. This is the reason we are so happy in the church meetings. It is also the reason that I have an inward joy when I minister the Word to the Lord’sp eople. Something of the Lord has been sown into us to give us the desire to know Him
2 因著他们心里的刚硬
2. Because of the Hardness of Their Heart
9外邦人与神生命隔绝的另一个原因，乃是他们心里的刚硬。堕落之人心里的刚硬，乃是他悟性昏暗、心思虚妄的根源。我们得救以前，也是心里刚硬。我们像是穿不透似的，神的话语进不到我们里面。这是今天不信者的光景。
9Another reason the nations are estranged from the life of God is the hardness of their heart. The hardness of fallen man’she art is the source of the darkness in his understanding and the vanity of his mind. Before we were saved, we also were hard of heart. We seemed to be impenetrable, and God’swords could not enter into us. This is the situation of unbelievers today
四 感觉丧尽
D. Having Ceased from Feeling
10不仅如此，保罗对堕落之人的光景作彻底诊断时，也指出外邦人已经『感觉丧尽』。（19。）这里的『感觉』，主要的是指良心的感觉。因此，感觉丧尽，意即不顾自己的良心。在人堕落后，神命定人该受良心的管治。然而，堕落的人反倒任凭自己放荡无餍的情欲，不顾良心的感觉。因著不信的人不肯顾到良心的感觉，最终良心的功用就停止了。所以，他们里面的感觉丧尽了。五任凭自己放荡此外，他们『任凭自己放荡，以致贪行种种的污秽』。（19。）他们任凭自己，放纵无餍的情欲。我们看看今天世上的光景，就看见不信的人任凭自己放荡，以致贪行种种的污秽。
10Furthermore, in his thorough diagnosis of the condition of fallen man, Paul points out that the nations have “ceased from feeling” (v. 19). The word feeling here refers mainly to the consciousness of the conscience. Hence, “having ceased from feeling” means not to care for the conscience. After man’s fall, God ordained that man should be under the rule of his conscience. But rather than regard his conscience, fallen man gave himself over to unsatisfied lust. Because the unbelievers refused to care for the feeling of their conscience, eventually the conscience stopped functioning. Therefore, the feeling within them ceased. E. Having Given Themselves Over to Lewdness Moreover, they give “themselves over to lewdness to work all uncleanness in greedy unsatisfied lust” (v. 19). They are given over to lusts that cannot be satisfied. If we look at the situation in the world today, we shall see that unbelievers have given themselves over to lewdness to work uncleanness in their unsatisfied lust
参 学了基督
III. LEARNING CHRIST
11十七至十九节是保罗在二十节所说『但你们并不是这样学了基督』的一个黑暗背景。新约很重的指明，我们应当活基督。保罗在腓立比一章二十一节宣告4:20说，『在我，活著就是基督。』但以弗所四章二十节这里告诉我们，我们学了基督。请注意，保罗说我们学了基督，在原文是用过去式。他在下一节也是用过去式，说，『如果你们真是听过祂，并在祂里面，照著那在耶稣身上是实际者，受过教导。』照著那在耶稣身上是实际者来学基督，这件事很难领会，我们需要非常仔细的来看。基督对我们不仅是生命，也是榜样。（约十三15，彼前二21。）我们照著祂的榜样跟祂学，（太十一29，）不是凭我们天然的生命，乃是凭祂在复活里作我们的生命。根据新约，主耶稣并没有直接进到我们里面作生命。祂乃是在地上活了三十年之后，又尽职了三年半。祂在地上三十三年半的一生当中，设立了模型，模子，榜样；这是一件意义重大的事。写四福音书的一个原因，就是要给我们看见，神所要之生命的模型是甚么，能满足神并完成祂定旨之生命的模子是甚么。因这缘故，新约从四方面给我们一部独特的传记─主耶稣的传记。主耶稣设立了启示在福音书里的模型之后，就被钉在十字架上，然后进入复活。祂乃是在复活里，进到我们里面作我们的生命。根据新约，得救乃是被神放在基督里。林前一章三十节说，『但你们得在基督耶稣里，是出于神。』当神把我们放在基督里，祂是把我们放在一个模子里。这就如同一位姊妹把面揉8:29到模子里；照样，神的心意是要把我们作到基督的模子里。因此，罗马八章二十九节指明，我们要模成基督的形像，使基督在许多弟兄中作长子。长子是模型，而长子的众弟兄就是那些要模成这模型的人。学基督就是被模成基督的模型，也就是模成基督的形像。
11Verses 1 7 through 1 9 are a dark background for what Paul says in verse 20: “But you did not so learn Christ.” The New Testament strongly indicates that we should live Christ. In Philippians 1:21 Paul declares, “To me to live is Christ.” But here in Ephesians we are told that we have learned Christ. Notice that Paul uses the past tense in speaking of our learning Christ. He also uses the past tense in the next verse, which says, “Since indeed you have heard Him and been taught in Him as the truth is in Jesus.” This matter of learning Christ as the truth is in Jesus is difficult to comprehend, and we need to consider it very carefully. Christ is not only life to us, but also an example (John 13:15; 1 Pet. 2:21). We learn from Him (Matt. 11:29) according to His example, not by our natural life, but by Him as our life. According to the New Testament, the Lord Jesus did not come into us as life directly. Rather, after living on earth for thirty years, He ministered for another three and a half years. During the thirty-three and a half years of His life on earth, He set up a pattern, a mold, a model. This is a matter of great significance. One reason the four Gospels were written was to show the pattern of the life that God desires, the mold of the life that can satisfy God and fulfill His purpose. For this reason, the New Testament gives us a unique biography, the biography of the Lord Jesus, written from four directions. After the Lord Jesus set up the pattern revealed in the Gospels, He was crucified on the cross and then He entered into resurrection. It is in resurrection that He comes into us to be our life. According to the New Testament, to be saved is to be put by God into Christ. First Corinthians 1:30 says, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus.” When God put us into Christ, He put us into the mold. Just as a sister shapes dough into the form of a mold, so God intends to form us into the mold of Christ. Hence, Romans indicates that we are to be conformed to the image of Christ, the Firstborn among many brothers. To be conformed is to be molded. The Firstborn is the pattern, and the many brothers of the Firstborn are those who are to be conformed to this pattern. To learn Christ is simply to be molded into the pattern of Christ, that is, to be conformed to the image of Christ.
12藉著浸，神把我们放在作为模型的基督里。受浸就是被放在作为模子的基督里。罗马六章三节和加拉太三章二十七节都说到浸入基督。浸入基督就是埋葬在基督里。这个受浸的坟墓就是模型、模子。在神眼中，我们受浸时，就被放在这模子里。藉著被放在模子里，我们脱去了旧人并穿上了新人。藉著被埋葬在基督里，我们从亚当和旧造里被带出来。藉著浸，我们已被放在基督里，祂是我们的生命和模型。这说明为甚么保罗在说到学了基督时，是用过去式。我们学了基督，是在我们受浸，埋葬在祂里面的时候。这意思是说，学基督就是被放在作为模子的基督里，就是模成主在地上年日中所设立的模型。
12By means of baptism God has put us into Christ, who is the pattern. To be baptized is to be placed into Christ as the mold. Both Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27 speak of being baptized into Christ. To be baptized into Christ is to be buried into Him. The tomb of this baptism is the pattern, the mold. In God’se yes, we were put into this mold when we were baptized. Through being placed into the mold we have put off the old man and have put on the new man. By being buried into Christ, we have been brought out of Adam and the old creation. By baptism we have been put into Christ, who is both our life and our pattern. This explains why Paul uses the past tense in speaking about learning Christ. We learned Christ when we were buried into Him in baptism. This means that to learn Christ is to be put into Christ as the mold. It is to be molded into the pattern set up by Him during His years on earth.
13基督设立了模型后，就被钉死，然后进入复活，在复活里成了赐生命的灵。（林前十五45。）祂乃是作为那灵进到我们里面，作我们的生命。我们已经指出，当我们相信主耶稣并受浸归入祂时，神就把我们放在祂里面，以祂作我们的模型和模子。所以保罗能对以弗所人说，他们『学了基督』。照著新约的亮光，并按著我们的经历，学基督就是被神放在基督里。在神那一面，祂已把我们放在基督里；在我们这一面，我们乃是藉著被放在祂里面，而学了基督。一个人得救之后，他里面深处就渴望，照著主耶稣所设立的模型过生活。然而，许多人不是忽视这渴望，就是错误的培养这渴望，以为凭著自己的努力可以成功的效法祂。我们以为靠著运用天然的生命可以效法基督，这是错误的。基督的信徒应当效法祂，但他们不该照著天然的生命效法祂。那在耶稣身上是实际者，是指耶稣一生的真实光景，如四福音书所记载的。外邦堕落之人不敬虔的行事为人乃是虚妄；但在耶稣敬虔的生活里乃是真实，实际。耶稣在生活中总是在神里面，同著神并为著神行事。神是在祂的生活中，并且祂与神是一。这就是在耶稣身上是实际者。我们信徒，既以基督作我们的生命得了重生，并在祂里面受过教导，就照著那在耶稣身上是实际者学了基督。
13After Christ established the pattern, He was crucified and then He entered into resurrection, becoming in resurrection the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). It is as the Spirit that He comes into us to be our life. We have pointed out that at the time we believed in Christ and were baptized in Him, God put us into Him as the pattern, the mold. Therefore, Paul could tell the Ephesians that they “did...learn Christ.” According to the light of the New Testament and according to our experience, to learn Christ is to be placed into Christ by God. On God’ss i de, He has put us into Christ. On our side, we have learned Christ by being put into Him. After a person is saved, deep within him he desires to live a life in the pattern established by the Lord Jesus. However, many either ignore this desire or cultivate it in a mistaken way, thinking that by self-effort they can succeed in imitating Him. It is a mistake to think that we can imitate Christ by the exercise of our natural life. The believers in Christ should imitate Him, but they should not do so according to their natural life. The truth in Jesus is the real situation of the life of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels. In the godless walk of the nations, the fallen people, there is vanity. But in the godly life of Jesus there is truth, reality. Jesus lived a life always doing things in God, with God, and for God. God was in His life, and He was one with God. This is the truth in Jesus. We, the believers, regenerated with Christ as our life and taught in Him, learn from Him as the truth is in Jesus
14我们已经指出，凭著我们天然的生命努力效法基督是错误的。我们也看见，当我们相信主耶稣而得救时，神就把我们放在作为模子的基督里。这模子就是记载在四福音书里耶稣的生活，这是完全照著实际而有的生活。实际（真理）是光的照耀，光的彰显。因为神就是光，（约壹一5，）所以实际（真理）就是神的彰显。福音书里所记载耶稣的生活，每一面都是神的彰显。祂所说所行的，都彰显神。神的这个彰显，就是光的照耀；因此，这彰显就是实际（真理）。耶稣这照著实际而有的生活乃是模型，神已经把我们放在其中。在这模型里，我们照著那在耶稣身上是实际者，学了基督。这意思是，我们照著福音书所给我们看见的实际，亦即照著主耶稣那完全照著神实际的生活，学了基督。这生活是光的照耀。光的照耀是实际（真理），而实际（真理）是神的彰显。所以，在耶稣的生活里有实际。主耶稣所设立的模型，其素质乃是实际。这意思是，耶稣之生活的素质乃是实际。我们照著那在耶稣身上是实际者，学了基督。
14We have pointed out that it is a mistake to endeavor to imitate Christ by the efforts of our natural life. We have also seen that when we believed in the Lord Jesus and were saved, God put us into Christ as the mold. This mold is the life of Jesus recorded in the four Gospels, a life absolutely according to truth. Truth is the shining of light, the expression of light. Since God is light (1 John 1:5), truth is the expression of God. Every aspect of the life of Jesus recorded in the Gospels is an expression of God. In everything He said and did, He expressed God. This expression of God is the shining of light; hence, it is the truth. This life of Jesus according to truth is the pattern in which God has placed us. In this pattern we have learned Christ as the truth is in Jesus. This means that we have learned Christ according to the truth shown in the Gospels, that is, according to the life of the Lord Jesus, which was wholly according to God’st ruth. This life is the shining of light. The shining of the light is truth, and truth is the expression of God. Therefore, in the life of Jesus there is truth. The essence of the pattern set up by the Lord Jesus is truth. This means that the essence of the life of Jesus is truth. We have learned Christ as the truth is in Jesus
15在二十一节，那在耶稣身上的实际，与十七节心思的虚妄相对。外邦人在他们心思的虚妄里行事为人，但我们信的人所过的生活，却是照著那在耶稣身上是实际者。当主耶稣在地上生活时，祂从未在虚妄里行事为人，反倒一直在实际里行事为人，也就是在神圣之光的照耀下行事为人。这意思是，主耶稣的生活行事都彰显神。我们乃是照著那在耶稣身上是实际者，学了基督。
15The truth, the reality, in Jesus in verse 21 is in contrast to the vanity of the mind in verse 17. The nations walk in the vanity of their mind, but we believers live a life as the truth is in Jesus. When the Lord Jesus was living on earth, He never walked in vanity. Rather, He always walked in truth, that is, in the shining of the divine light. This means that the Lord Jesus lived and walked in the expression of God. We have learned Christ according to this very truth that is in Jesus