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以弗所书生命读经 · 第71篇

旧人与新人

THE OLD MAN AND THE NEW MAN
1读经：以弗所书四章4:22-24,30;5:18-。
1Scripture Reading: Eph. 4:22-24, 30; 5:18-21, 26-27; 6:17-18 21, 26-27; 6:17-18
2在我们来看脱去旧人并穿上新人─召会（弗四22～24）之前，我们需要看见，废掉规条为著创造新人，乃是福音的一部分。没有多少基督徒晓得，这件事必须当作福音的一部分传扬。二章十七节说到基督『传和平为福音』。这指明保罗在二章十二至二十二节所论到的，与福音有关。
2Before we consider the matter of putting off the old man and putting on the new man, the church (4:22-24), we need to see that the abolishing of the ordinances for the creation of the new man is part of the gospel. Not many Christians realize that this matter must be proclaimed as part of the gospel. Speaking of Christ, 2:17 says, “He preached the gospel of peace.” This indicates that what is covered by Paul in 2:12-22 is related to the gospel
完整的福音
THE WHOLE GOSPEL
3按照十二节，我们从前是在基督以外，和以色列国民隔绝，在所应许的诸约上是局外人，在世上没有指望，没有神。但在基督耶稣里，靠著祂的血，我们已经得亲近了。（13。）这里的上下文证明，我们已经得以彼此亲近了。从前外邦人远离犹太人，犹太人远离外邦人。但基督在十字架上拆毁了他们中间隔断的墙。因此，如今在基督的血里，犹太人和外邦人已经彼此亲近了。不错，主的血把我们带到神那里。但保罗在十三节不是说我们得以亲近神，他是说我们得以彼此亲近；这是福音的一部分。
3According to verse 12, we once were apart from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, without hope, and without God in the world. But in Christ Jesus we have become near in the blood of Christ (v. 13). The context proves that we have been brought near to one another. The Gentiles were far off from the Jews, and the Jews were far off from the Gentiles. But on the cross Christ broke down the middle wall of partition between them. Therefore, now in the blood of Christ the Jews and the Gentiles are made near to one another. It is true that the blood has brought us to God. But in verse 13 Paul is not saying that we are brought near to God; he is saying that we are brought near to one another. This is part of the gospel
4十四节说，基督是我们的和平。这里的和平，不是我们与神之间的和平，乃是我们和其他信徒之间的和平，特别是犹太信徒和外邦信徒之间的和平。基督是我们的和平，祂拆毁了中间隔断的墙，使犹太人和外邦人成为一。在祂的肉体里，祂废掉了仇恨，就是那规条中诫命的律法，好把两下14-在祂自己里面，创造成一个新人。（14～15。）这样，祂成就了外邦人和犹太人之间的和平。保罗在十六节继续说，『既用十字架除灭了仇恨，便藉这十字架，使两下在一个身体里与神和好了。』基督使犹太人和外邦人，在一个身体里与神和好；这指明和好乃是团体的事。
4Verse 14 says that Christ is our peace. The peace here is not that between us and God, but that between us and other believers. In particular, it is the peace between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers. Christ, our peace, has made the Jews and the Gentiles one, having broken down the middle wall of partition that separated them. In His flesh He abolished the enmity, the law of commandments in ordinances, in order to create the two in Himself into one new man (vv. 15). In this way He made peace between the Gentiles and the Jews. In verse 16 Paul goes on to say, “And might reconcile both in one Body to God through the cross, slaying the enmity by it.” Christ reconciled the Jews and the Gentiles to God in one Body. This indicates that reconciliation is a corporate matter.
5十七节继续说，『又来传和平为福音，给你们这远离的人，也传和平为福音，给那相近的人。』这一节的主词是基督。在我们听见福音的那一天，基督作那灵，来传祂在十字架上所成就的和平佳音给我们。
5Verse 1 7 continues, “And coming, He preached the gospel of peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near.” The subject of this verse is Christ. On the day we heard the gospel, Christ came as the Spirit to preach to us the good news of the peace which He had accomplished on the cross.
6在十八至二十二节，我们看见，现今我们已经进到父面前；我们是圣徒同国之民，也是神家里的亲人；并且我们被建造在使徒和申言者的根基上，全房长成在主里的圣殿；我们也被建造，成为神在灵里的居所。这些经节都指明，废掉规条以产生召会，乃是福音的一部分。我们许多人能见证，没有召会生活，我们的人生就没有意义。虽然我们已经得救，重生成为神的儿女，但若没有召会，我们的日常生活就没有意义。你能满意于只是吃饭、睡觉、工作，花一点时间祷告、读经，然后偶尔对别人讲说基督么？从我的经历我能见证，若没有召会生活，我就不想活了。这指明即使我们得救了，但我们若没有实际的过召会生活，就仍有所缺。完整的福音，完全且终极的福音，必须包括召会生活。然而，大多数基督徒没有完整的福音，因为他们没有看见福音包括废掉规条，以创造新人。今天我们在主的恢复里，必须不是传部分的福音，乃是传一个完全、完整的福音。许多基督徒只传福音的头一方面，就是基督宝血的救赎。有的也传第二方面，就是藉著基督的生命得救。（罗五10。）福音的另一方面，乃是享受基督的丰富。保罗在以弗所三章八节说，恩典已经赐给他，叫他『将基督那追测不尽的丰富，当作福音传给外邦人』。福音的最终一方面，乃是我们在以弗所二章所看见的─废掉规条为著创造一个新人，就是召会。救赎、生命、以及对基督丰富的享受，都是为著召会。因此，福音的终极目标乃是召会，就是新人。我们赞美主给我们看见，根据以弗所书，福音包括新人的创造。
6In verses 18 through 22 we see that we now have access unto the Father, that we are fellow-citizens of the saints and members of the household of God, that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, that the whole building is growing together into a holy temple in the Lord, and that we also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit. All these verses indicate that the abolishing of the ordinances for the producing of the church is part of the gospel. Many of us can testify that without the church life our human life has no meaning. Although we have been saved and regenerated to become children of God, our daily life is meaningless without the church. Can you be satisfied simply with eating, sleeping, working, spending some time to pray and read the Bible, and then sometimes telling others about Christ? From my experience I can testify that if I do not have the church life, I have no desire to live. This indicates that even though we may be saved, we are lacking something vital if we do not have the church life in a practical way. The whole gospel, the perfect and ultimate gospel, must include the church life. Most Christians, however, do not have a complete gospel because they do not see that the gospel includes the abolishing of the ordinances for the creation of the new man. Today we in the Lord’s recovery must preach not a partial gospel, but one that is complete, a whole gospel. Many Christians preach only the first aspect of the gospel, redemption by the blood of Christ. Some also preach the second aspect, the matter of being saved by Christ’s life (Rom. 5:10). Another aspect of the gospel is the enjoyment of the riches of Christ. In Ephesians 3:8 Paul said that grace had been given to him “to preach to the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel.” The final aspect of the gospel is what we have seen in Ephesians 2— the abolishing of the ordinances for the creation of the one new man, the church. Redemption, life, and the enjoyment of the riches of Christ are all for the church. Thus, the ultimate goal of the gospel is the church, the new man. We praise the Lord for showing us that, according to the book of Ephesians, the gospel includes the creation of the new man
脱去旧人
putting off the old man
7我们已经看见破坏召会生活的两样消极东西，就是规条和道理。现在我们来看第三样消极的东西，就是旧人。有些基督徒把以弗所四章二十二节的旧人繙作旧性情。旧人包括旧性情虽然是对的，但旧人包含得更多。四章二十二节指明，旧人是包罗一切的：『在从前的生活样式上，脱去了旧人，这旧人是照著那迷惑的情欲败坏的。』保罗在这里说到，在从前的生活样式上，脱去了旧人。从前的生活样式包括每一件与我们有关的事：我们的所是、我们的所有、我们的家庭生活、以及我们的社会生活。保罗在这里的意思是，我们必须脱去我们一切所是的、一切所作的和一切所有的。我们要脱去我们生活的方式。旧人以及旧人所包括的一切，对召会生活乃是一种损害。那里有旧人，那里就无法有召会。这意思是说，我们的所是、所有并所作，使召会生活不可能实行。
7We have considered two negative things that damage the church life: ordinances and doctrine. Now we come to a third negative thing—the old man. Some Christians interpret the old man in 4:22 as the old nature. It is true that the old man includes the old nature, but it also includes a great deal more. Ephesians 4:22 indicates that the old man is all - inclusive: “That you have put off, as regards your former manner of life, the old man, which is being corrupted according to the lusts of the deceit.” Here Paul speaks of putting off, as regards our former manner of life, the old man. The former manner of life includes everything related to us: what we are, what we have, our family life, and our social life. Paul’s meaning here is that we must put off whatever we are, whatever we do, and whatever we have. We are to put off our very way of living. The old man with all it includes is a damage to the church life. Wherever the old man is, there can be no church. This means that what we are, what we have, and what we do make the church life an impossibility.
8规条、道理和旧人，乃是破坏召会生活三个主要的消极事物。我们若是有规条，召会生活就完了。我们若是满了道理，就不可能有正当的召会生活。此外，我们若仍然继续按著旧人活著，召会生活就会受到严重的破坏，甚至被了结。然而，我们若是没有规条或道理，并且脱去旧人和从前的生活样式，就会有一个美妙的召会生活，一个新天新地里新耶路撒冷之缩影的召会生活。在这样的召会生活中，不可能有分裂。
8Ordinances, doctrine, and the old man are the three main negative things that damage the church life. If we have ordinances, the church life is gone. If we are occupied with doctrine, it will not be possible to have the proper church life. In addition, if we continue to live according to the old man, the church life will be seriously damaged, even terminated. However, if we have no ordinances or doctrines and if we put off the old man with his former manner of life, we shall have a marvelous church life, a church life that will be a miniature of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth. In such a church life it is impossible to have division
9我盼望再说一次，在主的恢复里，我们不是为著规条或道理。然而，我们深深的尊重神的话。因著主的怜悯，我们绝不违背祂的话。但我们不是把圣经仅仅当作道理。用活的方式持守主的话是一回事，把主话中的启示变成道理是另一回事。我们需要接受主的话作滋养，好在生命里长大。我们不该把主的话当作一本道理和规条的书来接受。虽然我喜欢跪下祷告，但我不把这事弄成一个形式或规条，盼望别人来跟从。当我跪下祷告时，我是在灵里这么作。
9I wish to say once again that in the Lord’s recovery we are not for ordinances or for doctrine. However, we have deep respect for the Word of God. By the Lord’s mercy, we would never break His Word. But we do not take the Bible as mere doctrine. To keep the Word in a living way is one thing, but to turn the revelations in the Word into doctrine is another. We need to take the Word as nourishment for growth in life. We should not take it as a book of doctrine and ordinances. Although I prefer to kneel down when I pray, I do not make this a formality or an ordinance that others are expected to follow. Rather, when I kneel to pray, I do so in spirit
为著召会生活有弹性
FLEXIBILITY FOR THE CHURCH LIFE
10为著召会生活，我们必须没有规条，没有被道理霸占，也没有任何老旧。我们若要得释放脱去老旧，就必须把我们的所是、所作、以及生活样式摆在一边。凡这样得释放，脱离老旧的人，都是非常有弹性的。当保罗在往大马色的途中时，他完全是在旧人里。他强烈的反对司提反，并且赞同他被杀。保罗在旧人里很强，极力为著圣殿、祭司和犹太宗教。他强烈抵挡那些反对这些事物的人。然而，当他来到主这里，并且受主对付之后，他就成为有弹性，似乎是没有意见的人。在林前九章他说，他向甚么人，就成为甚么人。（22。）他能有弹性，因为他已经把他的旧人摆在一边了。
10For the church life, we must have no ordinances, we must not be occupied with doctrine, and we must not have any oldness. If we would be free from oldness, we must lay aside what we are, what we do, and the way we live. Those who are released from oldness in this way are very flexible. When Paul was on the way to Damascus, he was altogether in the old man. He had strongly opposed Stephen and consented to his death. Being strong in the old man, Paul was for the temple, the priests, and for the religion of Judaism. He strongly reacted against those who opposed these things. However, after he came to the Lord and had been dealt with by Him, he became flexible, seemingly without opinion. In 1 Corinthians 9 he said that he could be all things to all men (v. 22). He could be flexible because he had put aside his old man.
11在我早年尽职时，对那些来向我求教的人，我有许多话可说。譬如，若是有弟兄来问我婚姻的事，我会给他许多关于婚姻生活的要点。但现在当圣徒来和我商量时，我没有太多话可说；我主要的是鼓励他们祷告接触主。我盼望像保罗一样，成为一个丢弃旧人，待人有弹性的人。我们若真是脱去旧人，别人就难以形容我们。然而，我们若是很容易被人形容，我们就可能还没有脱去旧人。我们不该骄傲，也不必谦卑。实际上，我们应该一无所是。这样，我们在召会生活中才会有用。
11During the early years of my ministry, I had much to say to those who came to me for advice. For example, if a brother consulted me about marriage, I had many points to share with him concerning married life. But now when the saints come to me for counsel, I do not have much to say. Mainly, I encourage them to contact the Lord in prayer. My desire is to be like Paul, to be one who has given up the old man and who has become flexible in dealing with people. If we have truly put off the old man, others will have a difficult time describing us. However, if we can be described easily, we probably have not put off the old man. We should not be proud, and we should not be humble. Actually, we should be nothing. Then we shall be useful in the church life
穿上新人
putting on the new man
12为著召会生活，我们必须不仅脱去旧人，并且也穿上新人。新人就是实际的召会生活；而召会生活乃是作赐生命之灵的基督，与我们的灵团体的相调。穿上召会生活作新人，乃是穿上神的灵与人的灵调和所产生的这个实体。在这奇妙的实体─新人─里，没有规条，也没有一点属于旧人的东西。惟有那作包罗万有、赐生命之灵的基督，与我们的灵相调和。
12For the church life, we must not only put off the old man, but also put on the new man. The new man is the practical church life, which is Christ as the life-giving Spirit mingled with our spirit in a corporate way. To put on the church life as the new man is to put on this entity produced by the mingling of the divine Spirit with the human spirit. In this marvelous entity, the new man, there are no ordinances and there is nothing of the old man. There is only Christ as the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit mingled with our spirit
不要叫圣灵忧愁
NOT GRIEVING THE SPIRIT
13保罗在四章三十节吩咐我们，不要叫神的圣灵忧愁。我们不关心召会生活，乃是我们叫圣灵忧愁的主要原因。譬如，如果你不参加召会的聚会，你会叫圣灵忧愁。许多人因著不愿在聚会中尽功用而叫圣灵忧愁。常常他们的灵里有感觉要说话，或呼求主名，但他们拒绝这么作；这时他们就叫神的圣灵忧愁。不仅如此，在我们日常生活的许多方面，我们也可能叫圣灵忧愁。我们的日常生活该是新人的一部分，该是召会生活的一部分。我们不是要假装谦卑或守规矩的样子，乃是要实际的穿上召会生活。我们若是天天以团体的方式，经历基督作包罗万有、赐生命的灵，将祂自己与我们的灵调和，这将是何等的美妙！
13In 4:30 Paul charges us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Not caring for the church life is one of the main ways we grieve the Spirit. For example, if you do not attend the meetings of the church, you may grieve the Spirit. Many grieve the Spirit by refusing to function in the meetings. Often they have the sense in their spirit to speak or to call on the name of the Lord, but they refuse to do so. At such times they grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Furthermore, we may grieve the Spirit in many ways in our daily life. Our daily living should be part of the new man, part of the church life. We are not to pretend that we are humble or well-behaved, but to put on the church life in a practical way. How marvelous it would be if day by day we all experienced Christ as the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit mingling Himself with our spirit in a corporate way!
里面充满的满溢
THE OVERFLOW OF THE INNER FILLING
14在五章十八节保罗说，『不要醉酒，醉酒使人放荡，乃要在灵里被充满。』我们需要在我们重生的灵里被三一神充满，成为神一切的丰满。这会使我们满溢，以致说话、唱诗、赞美并服从。这不是我们努力的结果，乃是里面充满的自然满溢。我们若在灵里被神一切的所是充满，我们必定会经历这样的满溢。
14In 5:18 Paul says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled in spirit.” In our regenerated spirit we need to be filled with the Triune God unto all the fullness of God. This will cause us to overflow with speaking, singing, praising, and submitting. This will not be the result of our efforts; it will come as the spontaneous overflow of the inner filling. If we are filled in spirit with all that God is, we shall certainly experience such an overflow
话中之水的洗涤
THE WASHING OF WATER IN THE WORD
15保罗在五章二十六节说到，藉著话中之水洗涤而有的洁净。今天主耶稣正藉著话中之水洁净、炼净、并纯净祂的召会。话中的水乃是活的话，带著有那灵加力的神圣生命。话中的水，实际上就是赐生命的灵自己。在我们的经历中，神的话必须不是字句，乃是灵和生命。在约翰六章六十三节，主耶稣说，『我对你们所说的话，就是灵，就是生命。』是灵且是生命的话，就是洁净我们的水。这个洁净不是洗除不洁，乃是洗除一切的斑点和皱纹。皱纹来自老旧，斑点来自创伤。召会需要洗除老旧与创伤。对这种洗涤，有效的不是基督的血，乃是话中的水。血对付罪和不洁，而话中的水对付皱纹和斑点，对付老旧和伤痕。
15In 5:26 Paul goes on to speak of the cleansing that is by the washing of the water in the Word. Today the Lord Jesus is cleansing, purging, and purifying His church by the water in the Word. The water in the Word is the living Word with the divine life energized by the Spirit. The water in the Word is actually the life-giving Spirit Himself. In our experience the Word of God must not be letters, but spirit and life. In John 6:63 the Lord Jesus said, “The words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life.” The Word as spirit and life is the water that cleanses us. This cleansing does not wash away uncleanness; rather, it washes away all the spots and wrinkles. Wrinkles come from oldness, and spots come from wounds. The church needs to be washed both from oldness and from wounds. For this washing what is effective is not the blood of Christ, but the water in the Word. The blood deals with sin and uncleanness, whereas the water in the Word deals with wrinkles and spots, with oldness and hurts
16以弗所六章十七至十八节陈明得著话中之水洗涤的路。保罗在这两节告诉我们，要『藉著各样的祷告和祈求，接受救恩的头盔，并那灵的剑，那灵就是神的话；时时在灵里祷告』。这指明我们需要祷读主话。我们需要藉著在灵里祷告，将活的话接受到我们全人的深处。这就是运用我们的灵，将话祷进我们里面。我们若这样行，话就不仅是食物滋养我们，也是水洗涤我们，洁除我们一切的老旧和创痕。
16The way to have the washing of the water in the Word is presented in 6:17 and 18. In these verses Paul tells us to receive “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit.” This indicates that we need to pray-read the Word. We need to take the living Word into the depths of our being by praying in spirit. This is to exercise our spirit to pray the Word into us. If we do this, the Word will not only be food to nourish us, but also water to wash us and to cleanse us from all oldness and wounds
17在召会生活中，我们彼此之间需要经常接触。然而，我们彼此接触越多，彼此伤害也就越多。倘若一位弟兄与我同住几天，无疑的他会被我伤害，我也会被他伤害。除去这些互相伤害所造成的斑点，惟一的路乃是经历话中之水的洗涤。你若没有藉著话中的水洁净你的伤口，你也许会被得罪而灰心，甚至想要放弃召会生活。然而，如果你运用你的灵祷读主的话，藉此把话接受到你全人的深处，你就会经历话中之水的洗涤；你就会得洁净，脱去一切的斑点。不仅如此，话中之水的洗涤会使你长大；藉著这长大，你就会与别人同被建造。整卷以弗所书一贯启示，召会乃是神灵与人灵的调和。今天神圣的灵就是在圣言中的三一神。三一神乃是包罗万有、赐生命的灵，这灵就在话里面。因此，我们不仅该运用我们的心思读圣经，也该运用我们的灵祷读这话。藉著祷读，我们不仅接触话，也接触那灵。这样，那灵就要滋养我们、滋润我们、并洗涤我们，使我们被炼净，脱去一切的斑点和皱纹。至终，藉著这种洗涤，我们要实实际际的完全被圣化。这就是主今天在召会中所作的。
17In the church life it is necessary to have frequent contact with one another. However, the more we contact one another, the more we hurt one another. If a brother would stay with me for several days, no doubt he would be hurt by me, and I would be hurt by him. The only way to remove the spots caused by this mutual wounding is to experience the washing of the water in the Word. If you are not cleansed of your wounds by the water in the Word, you may be offended and discouraged and even consider giving up the church life. However, if you exercise your spirit to pray-read the Word and thereby take the Word into the depths of your being, you will experience the washing of the water in the Word and you will be cleansed of all spots. Furthermore, the washing of water in the Word will cause you to grow, and by this growth you will be built up with others. The entire book of Ephesians reveals in a consistent way that the church is the mingling of the divine Spirit with the human spirit. Today the divine Spirit is the Triune God in the holy Word. The Triune God is the all- inclusive, life-giving Spirit, and this Spirit is within the Word. Therefore, we should not only exercise our mind to study the Word, but also exercise our spirit to pray the Word. By pray-reading, we touch not only the Word, but also the Spirit. Then the Spirit will nourish us, water us, and wash us so that we may be purged of all wrinkles and spots. Eventually, through this washing, we shall be fully sanctified in a practical way. This is what the Lord is doing in the church today
活的基督与活的话
THE LIVING CHRIST WITH THE LIVING WORD
18在主的恢复里，规条、道理、或旧人都没有地位。我们若仍旧持守这些消极的东西，我们的召会生活就会了了。我们在这里只是为著活的基督与活的话。我们就近这话的路，不是仅仅运用我们的心思研读，以获得知识，更是运用我们的灵祷告这话，把这话接受进来作赐生命的灵，好得著滋养并洗涤。这样，我们就会团体的长大，并且同被建造。藉著这过程，主耶稣在马太十六章十八节所说『我要把我的召会建造…』的豫言就要实现。然后我们就会有完全福音的实际和享受；这完全的福音就是基督与召会的福音。
18In the Lord’s recovery, there is no place for ordinances, doctrines, or the old man. If we still hold on to these negative things, we shall be finished with the church life. We are here only for the living Christ with the living Word. Our way to approach the Word is not just to exercise our mind to study it and to gain knowledge of it, but also to exercise our spirit to pray the Word and to take it in as the life - giving Spirit for nourishment and washing. In this way we shall grow in a corporate way and be built up together. It is by this process that the Lord Jesus will fulfill the prophecy He uttered in Matthew 16:18: “I will build My church.” Then we shall have the reality and the enjoyment of the full gospel, the gospel of Christ and the church.