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以弗所书生命读经 · 第49篇

学基督的摘要

A SUMMARY OF LEARNING CHRIST
1在前几篇信息里，我们说到学基督的条件，以及学基督的生活。学基督的条件就是脱去旧人并穿上新人；学基督的生活，乃在于应用实际的原则，并照著恩典而活。在本篇信息中，我们要陈明学基督的摘要。这摘要包括实际（四21，24）和恩典（29）作基本的元素，以及神的生命、（18、）神的灵、（30、）和魔鬼（27）作基本的因素。
1In previous messages we have covered the condition of learning Christ and the living of learning Christ. The condition is a matter of having put off the old man and of having put on the new man. The living of learning Christ is a matter of applying the principle of truth and of living according to grace. In this message we shall present a summary of learning Christ. This summary includes truth (4:21, 24, 25) and grace (v. 29) as the basic elements and the life of God (v. 18), the Spirit of God (v. 30), and the Devil (v. 27) as the basic factors
壹 基本的元素
I. BASIC ELEMENTS
2我们在前一篇信息指出，在新约里恩典和实际是一对，爱和光是另一对。这两对主要的是启示在约翰的著作中。他的福音书说到恩典和实际，他的第一封书信说到爱和光。约翰福音说到神如何在子里来到我们这里，使我们能接受祂作恩典，并认识祂作实际。然后约翰一书启示，我们接受在子里的神之后，就能来到父神这里，享受祂作爱和光。因此在约翰福音里，神来到我们这里作恩典和实际，但在约翰一书里，我们去到神那里，在交通中进入祂的爱和光。这指明神和我们，我们和神之间有来往交通。按照启示录，这神圣来往交通的结果，乃是今世的金灯台和永世的新耶路撒冷。约翰一章十七节说，律法是藉著摩西赐的，恩典和实际都是藉著耶稣基督来的。这意思是说，基督来临之前，恩典和实际还没有临到神的子民。不错，旧约时代有恩典和实际的影儿，但直到耶稣基督显出之前，还没有恩典和实际。基督来了，恩典和实际也来了。约翰福音启示神如何藉著成为肉体临到人。那与神同在，并且就是神的话，成了肉体，支搭帐幕在我们中间。（一，14。）十四节说，这位成为肉体者满了恩典和实际。这里不是说祂满了能力和权柄、尊贵和主权、或者爱和光。许多基督徒引用约翰一章十四节，却不知道恩典和实际的意思。恩典和实际与神自己有密切的关系。恩典是甜美的，实际是真实的。恩典实际上就是主耶稣那甜美的人位，祂是神丰满的具体化身，是神荣耀的光辉。（西二9，来一3。）这意思是说，祂是神的彰显。
2In the foregoing message we pointed out that in the New Testament grace and truth are a pair and that love and light are another pair. These pairs are revealed mainly in the writings of John. His Gospel speaks of grace and truth, and his First Epistle speaks of love and light. The Gospel of John tells how God came to us in the Son so that we may receive Him as grace and realize Him as truth. Then 1 John reveals that after we have received God in the Son, we may come to God the Father to enjoy Him as love and light. Thus in the Gospel of John God comes to us as grace and truth, but in the First Epistle of John we go to God to enter into His love and light in fellowship. This indicates that there is traffic between God and us and between us and God. According to the book of Revelation, the issue, the result, of this divine traffic is the golden lampstands in this age and the New Jerusalem in eternity. John 1:17 says that the law was given through Moses and that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. This means that before the coming of Christ grace and truth had not come to God’sp eople. Yes, there were shadows of grace and truth in the Old Testament age, but there was not the reality of grace and truth until Jesus Christ appeared. When Christ came, grace and truth came also. The Gospel of John reveals how God came to man through incarnation. The Word which was with God and which was God became flesh and tabernacled among us (John 1:1, 14). Verse 14 says that this incarnated One 1 was full of grace and truth. It does not say that He was full of power and authority, majesty and sovereignty, or love and light. Many Christians quote John 1:14 without knowing the meaning of grace and truth. Grace and truth are intimately related to God Himself. Grace is something sweet, and truth is something real. Grace is actually the sweet Person of the Lord Jesus, who is the embodiment of the fullness of God and the effulgence of the divine glory (Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3). This means that He is the expression of God.
3约翰福音说到许多关于生命的事。约翰十章十节说，主来了，是要叫我们得生命，并且得的更丰盛。耶稣甜美可爱的人位乃是神自己的照耀，也就是神的彰显。祂这样的一位，对我们乃是生命。生命是素质，恩典是来自品尝生命而有的享受。我们品尝生命的甜美时，就经历恩典作我们的享受。因此，生命是本质，恩典是享受。这在保罗的著作里得到印证。保罗受那加在他肉体上的一根刺之苦。（林后十二7。）这根刺也许是肉身的疾病或缺陷。保罗曾三次求过主，叫这根刺离开他。（8。）主回答他说，『我的恩典彀你用的，因为我的能力，是在人的软弱上显得完全。』（9。）主许可这根刺存留，好使保罗有机会享受祂的恩典。神的能力，神彀用的恩典，在保罗的软弱上显得完全。恩典乃是享受三一神之于我们所是的一切。当祂之于我们是生命时，那就是恩典。当祂之于我们是能力时，那也是恩典。恩典乃是基督之于我们的一切所是，主观的作了我们的享受。每天，甚至每时，我们都需要恩典。我们需要享受基督作我们的生命、我们的能力、以及我们的一切。恩典乃是三一神成为我们的享受。祂已经来到我们这里，使我们能得著祂、经历祂、并享受祂。当我们经历祂作我们的享受时，祂就成为我们的恩典。
3The Gospel of John speaks a great deal about life. John 10:10 says that the Lord came that we may have life and may have it abundantly. The sweet and lovely Person of Jesus is the shining forth of God Himself, His very expression. As such a One, He is life to us. Life is the essence, whereas grace is the enjoyment that comes by tasting life. When we taste the sweetness of life, we experience grace as our enjoyment. Thus, life is the substance, and grace is the enjoyment. This is confirmed in the writings of Paul. Paul suffered from “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7). This thorn may have been a physical ailment or defect. Paul prayed to the Lord three times that this thorn might depart from him (2 Cor. 12:8). The Lord answered him by saying, “My grace is sufficient for thee: my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9, Gk.). The Lord allowed the thorn to remain so that Paul could have an opportunity to enjoy His grace. In Paul’s weakness God’s power, His sufficient grace, was made perfect. Grace is the enjoyment of the Triune God in all that He is to us. When He is life to us, that is grace. When He is power to us, that also is grace. Grace is whatever Christ is to us subjectively as our enjoyment. We need grace daily, even hourly. We need the enjoyment of Christ as our life, our power, and everything to us. Grace is the Triune God becoming our enjoyment. He has come to us so that we may gain Him, experience Him, and enjoy Him. When we experience Him as our enjoyment, He becomes grace to us
4我们现在来看实际（真理）。因著我们的心思可能被天然的观念所占有，所以我们也许觉得很难按照新约明白这辞的意义。许多人认为真理只不过是道理。每当他们看到圣经上『真理』这个辞，就自动将其解释成『道理』。然而，新约中的实际（真理）并不是指道理。你若要证明，请你试试看将各处题到实际的经节，以道理来取代。约翰一章十四节就变成：话成了肉体，丰丰满满的有恩典，有道理。约翰一章十七节变成：恩典和道理都是藉著耶稣基督来的；约翰十四章六节变成：主就是道路、道理和生命。这是何等可笑！说我们照著那在耶稣身上是道理者，学了基督，更是荒谬！尽管如此，在许多信徒的观念里，真理的意思只不过是道理。更有人认为真理就是真诚。按照这个领会，凭实际说话也就是凭真诚说话。
4We come now to the matter of truth. Because our mind may be preoccupied with natural concepts of truth, we may find it difficult to understand the meaning of truth according to the New Testament. Many regard truth merely as doctrine. Whenever they see the word truth in the Bible, they automatically interpret it as doctrine. However, in the New Testament, truth does not denote doctrine. If you want proof of this, try substituting doctrine for truth in various verses where truth is mentioned. John 1:14 would then say that the Word became flesh, full of grace and doctrine; John 1:1 7, that grace and doctrine came through Jesus Christ; and John 14:6, that the Lord is the way, the doctrine, and the life. How ridiculous! It is absurd to say that we have learned Christ as the doctrine is in Jesus. Nevertheless, in the concept of many believers, truth means nothing more than doctrine. Others regard truth as sincerity. According to this understanding, to speak in truth is to speak in sincerity.
5我们若要认识新约中『实际』的意义，就需要把这些解释摆在一边。实际（真理）乃是启示出来的神。这与说实际（真理）就是道理或真诚有何等的不同！原则上，恩典和实际既是藉著耶稣基督来的，就必定是出于神自己的东西。耶稣乃是神来到我们这里。当神来到我们这里时，祂不是作为道理或真诚而来。当祂来时，一切与祂所是有关的，也都来了。神临到我们，作我们的享受；这就是恩典。神也来把祂自己启示给我们；这就是实际。换句话说，当神给我们享受时，祂是恩典；但是当神启示给我们时，祂是实际。所以，实际乃是启示给我们的神。恩典和实际这样的定义，几乎可应用于四福音中所记载的每一件事例，特别是在约翰福音里。让我们来看约翰福音里两个这样的例子，一个在约翰四章，一个在约翰八章。这两章都题到实际。（四23～24─译为真实，八32─译为真理。）当主耶稣离开犹太，往加利利去时，祂『必须经过撒玛利亚』，（四4，）为要去见一个到井边打水、不道德的撒玛利亚妇人。主行路疲累，就坐在井旁等候这个撒玛利亚妇人出现。当主耶稣向她要水喝时，她很惊讶一个犹太人竟向一个撒玛利亚妇人要水喝。主回答说，『你若知道神的恩赐，和对你说请给我水喝的是谁，你必早求祂，祂也必早给了你活水。』（10。）在她进一步问主之后，主回答说，『凡喝这水的，还要再渴；人若喝我所赐的水，就永远不渴；我所赐的水，要在他里面成为泉源，直涌入永远的生命。』（13～。）主向她所显明的是何等的恩典！撒玛利亚妇人尝过神的恩典之后，对主到底是谁就有了一点认识。因此神不只给她享受了，也向她启示了。当主耶稣接触这撒玛利亚妇人时，祂就是恩典和实际的化身。在约翰八章，主接触另一个有罪的女人，一个行淫时被捉拿的妇人。藉著主和她的接触，神成了她的享受，并且也启示给她。主帮助这妇人接受祂作恩典，并且认识祂是启示出来的神。
5If we would know the meaning of truth in the New Testament, we need to lay aside these definitions. Truth is God revealed. How much different this is from saying that truth is doctrine or sincerity! In principle, because grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ, they must be something of God Himself. Jesus is God coming to us. When God comes to us, He does not come as doctrine or sincerity. When He comes, everything related to His being also comes. God comes to us for our enjoyment. This is grace. God also comes to reveal Himself to us. This is truth. In other words, when God is enjoyed by us, He is grace. But when God is revealed to us, He is truth. Truth, therefore, is God revealed to us. These definitions of grace and truth can be applied to almost every case recorded in the four Gospels, especially to those cases found in the Gospel of John. Let us consider two such cases, one in John 4 and the other in John 8. In both chapters truth is mentioned (4:23-24; 8:32). As the Lord Jesus was going from Judea into Galilee, “He had to pass through Samaria” (John 4:4) in order to meet a certain immoral Samaritan woman, who came to the well to draw water. Wearied from His journey, the Lord sat down by the well and waited for this Samaritan woman to appear. When the Lord Jesus asked her for a drink, she was surprised that a Jew would ask a drink from a Samaritan woman. The Lord replied, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is that says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (v 10). After she questioned Him further, the Lord answered, “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life” (vv. 13-14). What grace He showed toward 14 her! After the Samaritan woman tasted the grace of God, she came to realize something of who the Lord Jesus was. Thus God was not only enjoyed by her, but also revealed to her. When the Lord Jesus contacted the Samaritan woman, He was the embodiment of grace and truth. In John 8 the Lord contacted another sinful woman, a woman caught in adultery. Through His contact with her, God became her enjoyment and was also revealed to her. The Lord helped her to receive Him as grace and to know Him as God revealed.
6按照福音书，所有在积极一面接触过主耶稣的人，都接受了恩典并看见了实际。他们所接受的恩典就是神自己，他们所看见的实际也是神。所以，约翰告诉我们，从祂的丰满里我们都领受了，而且恩上加恩。（一16。）我们从祂领受了神之所是的丰富。这是神给人接受、经历并享受了；这就是恩典。然后，神被我们看见并认识了；这就是实际。我年轻时，对约翰把恩典摆在实际之前这事觉得困扰。我认为神的启示该在对神的享受之前。有一天我看见，主耶稣临到我们先是作恩典，然后作实际。当我回顾我的经历时，我看见我享受基督作恩典，早在我认识祂是实际之前。我们许多人在认识基督是实际之前，就享受祂作恩典。这意思是说，我们享受祂，却不认识祂的所是。这指明享受在认识以先，恩典在实际之前。我们已经指出，在约翰福音里，是神来到我们这里；但在约翰一书里，是我们去到神那里。当我们去到神那里，我们乃是在耶稣宝血的洁净下，藉著子进入内室接触父。在这内室里，我们经历的不是恩典和实际，乃是爱和光。因这缘故，在约翰一书里，爱顶替恩典，光顶替实际。当神来到我们这里，我们就接受祂作恩典和实际；但是当我们去到神那里，我们就遇见祂是爱和光。这比经历恩典和实际更深、更为内在。
6According to the Gospels, all who contacted the Lord Jesus in a positive way received grace and saw truth. The grace they received was God Himself, and the truth they beheld was also God. Therefore, John tells us that of His fullness we have all received grace upon grace (1:16). We have received from Him the riches of what God is. This is God received, experienced, and enjoyed. This is grace. Following this, God is seen and realized by us. This is truth. When I was young, I was bothered by the fact that John puts grace before truth. I thought that the revelation of God should precede the enjoyment of God. One day I saw that the Lord Jesus firstly comes to us as grace and then as truth. As I looked back on my experience, I realized that I enjoyed Christ as grace long before I knew Him as truth. Many of us enjoyed Christ as grace before we knew Him as truth. This means that we enjoyed Him without realizing what He is. This indicates that enjoyment comes before realization, that grace comes before truth. We have pointed out that in the Gospel of John God comes to us, but that in the First Epistle of John we go to God. As we go to God, we enter into the inner chamber to contact the Father through the Son under the cleansing of the blood of Jesus. Here in this inner chamber we experience not grace and truth, but love and light. For this reason, in 1 John we have love instead of grace and light instead of truth. When God comes to us, we receive Him as grace and truth. But when we go to God, we meet Him as love and light. This is deeper and more inward than the experience of grace and truth
7当我们在内室里与父交通，并享受祂作爱和光时，我们就有恩典和实际，来为著我们在世上实际的日常生活。在我们与父的交通中，我们有爱和光；但在家中或在我们上班的地方，我们有恩典和实际。藉著恩典和实际，我们就有保罗在以弗所四章劝勉我们的那种日常生活。虽然我们在工作中或在家中也许有压力，我们仍然能照著实际，凭著恩典的供应而活。如果别人对我们不友善，我们有恩典忍受。这样，别人就会看见神与我们同在。这样，我们的日常生活就是恩典和实际的生活。
7When we have fellowship with the Father in the inner chamber and enjoy Him as love and light, we then have grace and truth for our practical daily living in the world. In our fellowship with the Father we have love and light, but at home or in our place of employment we have grace and truth. Through grace and truth we have the kind of daily living Paul exhorts us to have in Ephesians 4. Although we may be under pressure at work or at home, we can still live according to truth and by the supply of grace. If others are not pleasant toward us, we have the grace to bear it. Then others will see that God is with us. In this way our daily living will be of grace and truth.
8召会生活乃是神来到我们这里作恩典和实际，以及我们去到神那里遇见祂作爱和光的结果。藉著这种来往交通，就产生启示录的七个金灯台。最终，这个属天来往交通的结果，将是新耶路撒冷作神永远的见证。灯台和新耶路撒冷二者，都是从神和我们、我们和神之间的来往交通所产生的。在这个来往交通里，神来到我们这里作我们的恩典和实际，我们去到神那里经历祂作我们的爱和光。
8The church life is the issue of God coming to us as grace and truth and of our going to God to meet Him as love and light. Out of this traffic come the seven lampstands in the book of Revelation. Ultimately, the issue of this heavenly traffic will be the New Jerusalem as God’s eternal testimony. Both the lampstands and the New Jerusalem come out from the traffic between God and us and between us and God. In this traffic God comes to us to be our grace and truth, and we go to God to experience Him as our love and light.
一 实际
A. Truth
9现在我们可以把以上所说的应用到以弗所书。我们已经看见，学基督的基本元素是实际和恩典。与约翰福音相反，以弗所四章乃是先题到实际，然后题到恩典。实际不是供应，乃是光的照耀。因此，实际是原则、模型、标准。我们这些在元首之下基督身体的肢体，照著那在耶稣身上是实际者学了基督。保罗在这里题到恩典之前，先陈明原则、模型、标准；也就是说，他陈明了实际。我们都已受浸，但不是浸到恩典里，乃是浸到模子里，浸到模型里，就是浸到耶稣身上那是实际者的生活里。我们已经藉著受浸，被神摆进主耶稣在地上生活所设立的这个模型、标准、原则里。这就是以弗所四章里的实际。
9We may apply this now to the book of Ephesians. We have seen that the basic elements in the learning of Christ are truth and grace. In contrast to the Gospel of John, in Ephesians 4 truth precedes grace. Truth is not the supply; it is the shining of light. Hence, truth is the principle, the pattern, the standard. As members of the Body of Christ under the Head, we are learning Christ as the truth is in Jesus. Before he mentions grace here, Paul presents the principle, the pattern, the standard; that is, he presents the truth. We all have been baptized not into grace, but into the mold, into the pattern, which is the life of truth in Jesus. We have been placed by God through baptism into the pattern, the standard, the principle, set up by the living of the Lord Jesus on earth. This is the truth in Ephesians 4
二 恩典
B. Grace
10我们要活出这样的标准，就必须有恩典。保罗在二十九节，将恩典联于我们的说话。这指明我们不仅是在我们认为重要的事上需要恩典，更是在日常生活的细节上需要恩典。我们也许在大事上有恩典，在小事上却没有恩典。譬如，一位弟兄也许有恩典去供应话语，但是对他的妻子说话时却缺少恩典。不仅如此，在祷告聚会中，我们也许都有恩典，但在我们日常生活的言谈里，却缺少恩典。在我们的日常生活中，没有甚么比我们的言谈更需要恩典。我们若在我们生活的这一方面有恩典，在其余各方面就都有恩典了。
10In order to live out such a standard, we must have grace. In verse 29 Paul relates grace to our speaking. This indicates that we need grace for the details of our daily life, not just for what we regard as important matters. We may have grace in big matters, but not in small matters. For example, a brother may have grace to minister the Word, but he may lack grace in speaking to his wife. Furthermore, in the prayer meeting we may all have grace, but in our daily conversation we may be devoid of grace. In no area of our daily life do we require grace more than in our conversation. If we have grace in this aspect of our living, we shall have grace in every other aspect
11在凡事上我们都需要恩典，好照著那在耶稣身上是实际者过生活，并且被模成基督的形像。恩典是我们丰富的供应和享受。我们若有这供应和享受，我们就能照著实际之原则的标准过生活。因这缘故，保罗在四章的劝勉里，是以实际和恩典作基本的元素。
11In all things we need grace to live a life according to the truth that is in Jesus and to be molded into the image of Christ. Grace is our rich supply and enjoyment. If we have this supply and enjoyment, we shall be able to live according to the standard of the principle of truth. For this reason Paul takes truth and grace as the basic elements in his exhortation in chapter four
贰 基本的因素
II. BASIC FACTORS
一 正面的
A. On the Positive Side
12随著这些基本的元素，还有一些基本的因素。正面的因素乃是神的生命（弗四18）和神的灵。（30。）
12Along with these basic elements, there are also some basic factors. On the positive side, these factors are the life of God (v. 18) and the Spirit of God (v. 30
1 神的生命
1. The Life of God
13我们与外邦人不同，我们在神的生命上不是外人。我们不仅不与神的生命隔绝，反而联于生命的源头。神的生命在我们里面成了泉源。阿利路亚！我们里面有生命的供应。
13In contrast to the Gentiles, we are not strangers to the life of God. Instead of being alienated from the life of God, we are attached to the source of life. The life of God has become a fountain within our very being. Hallelujah for the life supply within us
2 神的灵
2. The Spirit of God
14我们也有神的灵。神的灵乃是神的身位。神自己在灵的身位里住在我们里面。所以，我们要谨慎，不要让祂忧愁，反该顺从祂、尊荣祂、尊重祂，并且一直与祂是一。
14We also have the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is the Person of God. God Himself in the Person of the Spirit dwells within us. We must be careful, therefore, not to grieve Him. Rather, we should obey Him, honor Him, respect Him, and be one with Him at all times
二 反面的
B. On the Negative Side
15反面的基本因素是魔鬼。保罗在二十七节劝勉我们，不可给魔鬼留地步。虽然我们有神的生命和神的灵在我们里面，但仇敌仍然潜伏在我们周围，他总是寻找机会占我们便宜，或是破坏我们。因著这个潜伏的仇敌，我们需要儆醒。
15The basic factor on the negative side is the Devil. In verse 27 Paul exhorts us not to give place to the Devil. Although we have the life of God and the Spirit of God within us, the enemy is still lurking about us; he is always seeking an opportunity to gain an advantage over us or to damage us. We need to be on the alert for this crouching enemy