Books
以弗所书生命读经 · 第78篇

为著召会生活接受基督作我们的人位

TAKING CHRIST AS OUR PERSON FOR THE CHURCH LIFE
1读经：以弗所书2:15-16;3:17a;4:13-15,22-24。
1Scripture Reading: Eph. 2:15-16; 3:17a; 4:13-15, 22-24
2以弗所书启示，召会不仅是身体，也是新人。召会是新人，必须有基督作生命并作人位。召会是新人的这一面，只在近几年才恢复。我们感谢主！藉著以弗所书，祂清楚给我们看见，召会乃是新人。已过两个世纪以来，许多基督徒看见了召会是基督的身体。特别是弟兄会说到召会的这一面。不仅如此，二次大战后美国有许多人开始谈到身体。今天，我们常听到『身体的职事』这样的辞句。然而，召会虽是基督的身体，但这还不是召会最高的启示。我们必须往前看见召会是新人。
2The book of Ephesians reveals that the church is not only the Body, but also the new man. As the new man, the church must have Christ both as the life and as the person. Only in recent years has the aspect of the church as the new man been recovered. We thank the Lord that He has shown us clearly through the book of Ephesians that the church is the new man. During the past two centuries, many Christians have seen that the church is the Body of Christ. In particular, the Brethren speak of this aspect of the church. Furthermore, since the end of World War II, many in this country have begun to talk about the Body. Today it is common to hear terms such as Body ministry. However, although the church is the Body of Christ, this is not the highest revelation of the church. We must go on to see the church as the new man
ABOLISHING THE ORDINANCES
废掉规条，为著创造新人
FOR THE CREATION OF THE NEW MAN
3以弗所二章十五节说，基督在祂的肉体里，废掉了那规条中诫命的律法，好把犹太人和外邦人创造成一个新人。藉著基督在十字架上的死，祂不仅对付了罪、旧人、肉体、世界和魔鬼，祂也对付了规条中诫命的律法。有许多很好的信息说到基督的十字架如何对付罪、旧人、肉体、世界和魔鬼。但是你有没有听过基督在十字架上废掉了那规条中诫命的律法？基督这样作，不是为了救恩、圣别或得胜。祂废掉规条，乃是为了创造新人。我们绝对承认，罪、旧人、肉体、世界和魔鬼，都需要十字架的对付；我们也赞美主，这一切消极的事物已被钉在十字架上。但我们必须往前看见，基督废掉了那规条中诫命的律法，好把我们创造成一个新人，这事极其重要。犹太人和外邦人被创造成一个新人，这个事实指明新人是一个团体、宇宙的实体。信徒虽有许多，但只是一个新人。所有的信徒都是这团体、宇宙新人的一部分。以弗所书中所给召会最高的启示乃是新人。
3Ephesians 2:15 says that Christ abolished in His flesh the law of commandments in ordinances in order to create the Jews and the Gentiles into one new man. Through His death on the cross, not only did Christ deal with sin, the old man, the flesh, the world, and the Devil; He also dealt with the law of the commandments in ordinances. Many good messages have been given on how the cross of Christ has dealt with sin, the old man, the flesh, the world, and the Devil. But have you ever heard that on the cross Christ abolished the law of commandments in ordinances? Christ did this not for salvation, sanctification, or even victory. He abolished the ordinances in order to create the new man. We freely admit that sin, the old man, the flesh, the world, and the Devil all needed the dealing of the cross, and we praise the Lord that all these negative things have been crucified. But we must go on to see the crucial importance of Christ’s abolishing the law of the commandments in ordinances in order to create us into one new man. The fact that the Jews and the Gentiles have been created into one new man indicates that the new man is an entity that is corporate and universal. There are many believers, but there is just one new man. All the believers are part of this one corporate and universal new man. The highest revelation of the church given in the book of Ephesians is that of the new man.
4重生不仅是得救，也是重新被造。基督在十字架上废掉了规条，使重造得以进行。犹太人和外邦人因著规条被隔离；但他们两下在基督里，已被神圣的素质创造成一个新的实体，就是一个团体的新人。
4To be regenerated is not only to be saved; it is also to be created anew. On the cross Christ abolished the ordinances so that a re-creation could take place. The Jews and the Gentiles were separated by ordinances. But the two peoples have been created in Christ with the divine essence into one new entity, the corporate new man
5规条乃是生活和敬拜的各种形式或作法。譬如，犹太人有他们特殊敬拜神的作法。基于这种敬拜的作法，就有支配他们日常生活的规条。别的民族也有他们自己生活和敬拜的作法。今天基督教的各宗各派也是这样。浸信会、长老会、卫理公会、路德会、以及圣公会都有不同敬拜的作法。规条这件事是何等的广泛，又是何等的普及！
5Ordinances are the various forms or ways of living and worship. For example, the Jews have their particular way of worshipping God. Based upon this way of worship, they have ordinances that govern their daily living. Other peoples also have their own ways of living and worship. This is true among the denominations in today’s Christianity. The Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, and Episcopalians all have different ways of worship. How widespread is this matter of ordinances, and how all-pervading
6神的目的不是要有某一种的敬拜。祂渴望得著一个新人。但神的仇敌撒但非常诡诈，用规条来破坏新人，并使信徒无法实际的认识新人。撒但的目标不是使基督徒上不了天堂或不追求属灵；乃是使他们看不见，也经历不到召会是一个新人。
6God’sin tent i on is not to have a certain kind of worship. His desire is to have the one new man. However, in his subtlety, Satan, the enemy of God, uses ordinances to damage the new man and to keep believers from realizing the new man in a practical way. Satan’s goal is not to keep Christians from heaven or from pursuing spirituality; it is to keep them from seeing and experiencing the church as the one new man
7我们感谢主，使我们非常清楚召会的立场。但只知道召会的立场还不彀。虽然召会立场是需要的，但神所渴望的不只是要有召会的立场。神渴望得著召会作新人。规条是实现神这愿望最大的拦阻。我们若要召会有新人的一面，就需要把我们的生活方式摆在一边。基督在十字架上，已经废掉了一切规条。但祂这样作的目的，不仅是为了除去规条；祂废掉规条，乃是为要创造一个新人。神凭祂的智慧，从各支派、各方言、各民族、各邦国中拣选了我们。（启五9。）今天在各地方召会中，有许多信徒来自许多种族、许多国家。我们有否接受基督作生命并人位，最大的试验无疑是与规条有关。譬如，从远东移民到美国的中国人很难体会召会是新人，因为他们不容易放下中国人的生活方式。有些中国籍的弟兄姊妹在远东时，在召会生活中比现在更有用，因为他们现在仍然守著中国人的规条。为了公平起见，我们需要指出，我们大家都有守著自己规条的难处。在新人里，犹太人、希利尼人、化外人、西古提人、受割礼的、未受割礼的都没有地位。这意思是说，在作为新人的召会中，不能有中国人、美国人、英国人、德国人或是任何其他国籍的人，只有基督有地位。我们都要看见在一千九百多年前，我们所有的规条都被基督在十字架上废掉了，这是很紧要的。
7We thank the Lord that He has made us very clear regarding the ground of the church. But it is not adequate simply to know the church ground. Although the ground of the church is necessary, God’s desire is not merely to have the church ground. He desires to have the church as the new man. Ordinances are the main obstacles to the fulfillment of this desire of God. If we would have the church in the aspect of the new man, we need to lay aside our ways of living. On the cross, Christ abolished all the ordinances. However, He did so not merely for the purpose of eliminating ordinances; He abolished the ordinances in order to create the one new man. In His wisdom God has chosen us out of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9). In the local churches today there are believers from many races and nationalities. Surely the greatest test of whether or not we take Christ as our life and as our person is related to ordinances. For example, it is difficult for the Chinese who have moved to this country from the Far East to realize the church as the new man because it is not easy to set aside their Chinese way of living. When certain Chinese brothers and sisters were in the Far East, they were more useful in the church life than they are now because now they hold on to their Chinese ordinances. To be fair, we need to point out that all of us have the problem of holding on to our ordinances. In the new man there is no room for Jew, Greek, barbarian, Scythian, circumcision or uncircumcision. This means that in the church as the new man there can be no Chinese, American, British, German, or any other nationality. There is room only for Christ. It is crucial for us all to see that more than nineteen hundred years ago all our ordinances were abolished by Christ on the cross.
需要实际的经历
THE NEED FOR PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
8我们若真诚的渴望接受基督作生命并人位，就必须放弃我们的规条。譬如，我们不该有头发款式的规条，反而该为这事接触主并祷告：『主耶稣，我是你的一个肢体，你要甚么样的头发？我不在意甚么敬拜作法或生活方式，我也不在意风俗或习惯。主，我只在意你是我的生命和我的人位。』这位活的主耶稣自然会让你知道该怎样剪头发，然后你只要照祂告诉你的去作。这不是一个规条，这乃是实际接受基督作你的人位。
8If we sincerely desire to take Christ as our life and as our person, we must let go of our ordinances. For example, we should not have an ordinance about hair styles. Rather, we should contact the Lord concerning this and pray, “Lord Jesus, I am one of Your members. What kind of haircut do You want to have? I don’t care for any way of worship or living, and I am not concerned about customs or habits. Lord, I only care that You be my life and my person.” Spontaneously the living Lord Jesus will let you know how you should cut your hair. Then you simply act according to what He shows you. This is not an ordinance; it is a practical experience of taking Christ as your person
9我们今天的需要不是道理的知识，乃是实际且天天经历接受基督作我们的人位。一九七○年我们头一次开始说到召会是新人，那时我们指出，要有召会是新人的这一面，我们需要接受基督作我们的人位。从那时起，我们说了许多关于新人和接受基督作人位的事，甚至照这负担也写出一些好的诗歌。但根据我的观察，我们中间没有多少人有真正接受基督作人位的实际。别人如果把我们当好人看，我们不该满意。我们必须是接受基督作人位的人。愿我们都到主面前，把我们日常生活的所有细节，和祂办一个彻底的交涉。
9Our need today is not doctrinal knowledge, but the practical and daily experience of taking Christ as our person. In 1970 we first began to speak of the church as the new man. At that time we pointed out that in order to have the church in the aspect of the new man, we need to take Christ as our person. Since that time, there has been much talk about the new man and about taking Christ as our person. Even some good hymns have been written along this line. But according to my observation, there is little reality among us of actually taking Christ as our person. We should not be satisfied if others regard us as good people. We must be those who take Christ as our person. May we all go to the Lord and have a thorough transaction with Him concerning all the details of our daily living
接受基督
RECEIVING CHRIST
10我们在许多方面还是相当在宗教里。连我们传福音、带人得救的作法，可能都是宗教的作法。我们可能告诉人说，他们有罪，基督为他们的罪死在十字架上。我们也许接下去说，他们如果信祂，就要得著赦免、称义、拯救，将来不至灭亡。一面来说，这样传福音是好的、基要的，甚至是合乎圣经的。但这也许是宗教的作法。传福音最重要的点是要帮助人向主耶稣敞开，并接受祂进来。即使一个人连赦免、称义、或是救恩的观念都没有，但他若接受基督进来，他就会有这一切的实际。我们有了基督，就得著赦免、救赎、称义、救恩和圣别。
10In many respects we are still quite religious. Even the way we preach the gospel and help others to be saved may be carried out in a religious way. We may tell people that they are sinful and that Christ died on the cross for their sins. We may go on to say that if they believe in Him, they will be forgiven, justified, saved, and made ready for heaven. In a sense such gospel preaching is good, fundamental, and even scriptural. However, it may be religious. The important factor in the preaching of the gospel is to help people open to the Lord Jesus and take Him into them. Even if a person has no concept of forgive ness, justification, or heaven, he will have the reality of all these if he takes Christ into him. When we have Christ, we have forgiveness, redemption, justification, salvation, and sanctification.
11神的定旨不仅要赦免我们的罪，称义我们，然后带我们到天上。祂的目的乃是要把基督作到我们里面。神在创立世界以前，在基督里拣选了我们，并且把我们标出来。然后，在时间里，祂呼召我们。当神呼召我们时，祂所渴望的不是要我们注意赦罪或称义，乃是要我们专注于把祂亲爱的儿子接受到我们里面。只要基督活在我们里面，我们在赦罪、称义、救恩、或圣别的事上就没有难处。我们惟有藉著基督在我们里面，才能成为基督身体的一部分。乃是基督自己把我们构成祂的一部分。为此，赦罪、称义、和圣别是不彀的。愿主使我们看见，我们不仅蒙了赦罪、称义、拯救和圣别，我们也是在基督里并以基督重新被造。我经历过基督教的各宗各派，包括基要派、灵恩派、和内里生命派的基督教，所以我熟悉许多不同的宗教作法。今天我能见证，我不是为著甚么作法，我乃是单单又真又活的接受基督作我的人位。我渴望帮助人接受并经历这位活的基督。祂不是形式、宗教、规条、诫命或作法，祂乃是活的灵。我们所需要的，就是向祂敞开，并且把祂接受进来。
11God’s purpose is not simply to forgive our sins, to justify us, and then to carry us away to heaven. His intention is to work Christ into us. Before the foundation of the world, He chose us in Christ and put a mark on us. Then, in time, He called us. When God called us, His desire was that we focus our attention not on forgiveness or justification, but on receiving His dear Son into us. As long as Christ is living in us, we shall have no problem with forgiveness, justification, salvation, or heaven. Only by having Christ in us can we become part of the Body of Christ. It is Christ alone who constitutes us a part of Himself. For this, forgiveness, justification, and sanctification are not sufficient. May the Lord grant that we may see that we have not only been forgiven, justified, saved, and sanctified, but also re-created in Christ and with Christ. Because I have had experience with various kinds of Christianity, including fundamental, Pentecostal, and inner life Christianity, I am familiar with many different religious practices. I can testify that today I am not for any practice, but only for taking Christ as my person in a genuine and living way. My desire is to help others receive and experience the living Christ. He is not a form, religion, regulation, ordinance, or practice—He is the living Spirit. Our need is simply to open to Him and to take Him into us
让基督安家在我们心里
ALLOWING CHRIST TO MAKE
HIS HOME IN OUR HEARTS
12没有以弗所三章，以弗所二章对我们就是道理。基督废掉了规条，为要把犹太人和外邦人创造成一个新人，这是一个事实。但为了能实化在我们日常的经历中，我们必须让基督安家在我们心里。（三17。）有一个方法能告诉你是否还有规条，就是核对看看基督是不是安家在你心里。你让基督安家在你心里么？我们若诚实的话，大多数人都得承认，我们没有给祂太多机会这么作。原因就在于我们没有先顾到基督，而只顾我们自己的作法。
12Without Ephesians 3, Ephesians 2 would only be doctrine to us. It is a fact that Christ has abolished the ordinances in order to create the Jews and the Gentiles into one new man. But for this to be practical in our daily experience, we must allow Christ to make His home in our hearts (3:17). One way to tell whether or not you still have ordinances is to check whether or not Christ is making His home in your heart. Are you allowing Him to make His home in your heart? If we are honest, most of us would have to say that we do not give Him much opportunity to do this. The reason for this is that we do not care firstly for Christ, but for our own way.
13我们来看行传十章里彼得的经历。他在房顶上祷告时，『看见天开了，有一器皿降下，好像一块大布，系著四角，缒在地上。』（11。）在这块布里有『地上各样四足的走兽和爬物，并天空的飞鸟』。（12。）然后有声音向彼得说，『起来，宰了吃！』（13。）但彼得的反应是：『主阿，绝对不可，因为一切凡俗并不洁之物，我从来没有吃过。』（14。）在这事上，彼得没有接受基督作人位；彼得是他自己的人位。我们不该以为自己比彼得更属灵。大多时候我们也没有接受基督作人位。主对我们说话的时候，我们常反应说，『主阿，绝对不可。』我们可能说，『主，我不相信你会要求我作这样的事。』我们的经历能见证，每次我们不愿意照著主而行，我们就失去祂的同在和祂膏油的涂抹。但是，当我们同意主，我们就享受祂的同在，并新鲜的经历里面的涂抹。我们甚至可能在主里面喜乐颠狂。
13Consider the experience of Peter in Acts 10. As he was praying on the housetop, he “saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth” (v. 11). In this sheet were “all manner of four- footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air” (v. 12). Then a voice said to Peter, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” (v. 13). However, Peter’s response was, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean” (v. 14). On this occasion, Peter did not take Christ as His person. Instead, Peter was his own person. We should not think that we are more spiritual than Peter. Most of the time we also fail to take Christ as our person. When the Lord speaks something to us, we often respond, “Not so, Lord.” We may say, “Lord, I don’t believe that You would ask me to do such a thing.” Our experience testifies that whenever we refuse to go along with the Lord, we lose His presence and His anointing. However, when we agree with the Lord, we enjoy His presence and experience the inner anointing in a fresh way. We may even be beside ourselves with joy in the Lord
14让我们忘掉宗教、规条、诫命、一切敬拜神的不同作法、和我们自己的生活方式，好使我们能单单让基督安家在我们心里。基督已经进到我们里面，要成为我们的生命和人位；我们若不实际的接受祂作我们的人位，祂就始终不会满足。我们若没有接受祂作我们的人位，无论我们多么爱基督与召会，无论我们多么为著主的恢复，我们深处仍会感觉若有所缺。这个缺欠的感觉，乃是来自我们缺乏让基督作我们的人位。我们的心不该是己的住处，而该是基督的住处。我再说一次，活在你里面的人位是谁？是你还是基督？在这事上，我不在意道理；我只注意实际。基督废掉了规条，不是叫我们再有其他的规条；祂的目的乃是要安家在我们心里。
14Let us forget religion, regulations, ordinances, all the different practices of worshipping God, and our own ways of living in order that we may simply allow Christ to make His home in our hearts. Christ has come into us to be our life and our person, and He will not be satisfied until we take Him as our person in a practical way. If we do not take Him as our person, we shall have the sense deep within that, no matter how much we love Christ and the church and no matter how much we are for the Lord’s recovery, we are lacking something. This sense of lack comes from the shortage of Christ as our person. Our heart should not be the dwelling place of the self, but the dwelling place of Christ. Again I ask, who is the person living within you, you or Christ? In this matter I do not care for doctrine; I care only for reality. Christ has not abolished the ordinances so that we may have other kinds of ordinances. His intention is to make His home in our hearts
15许多已婚的姊妹们不愿意读以弗所五章，因为那里说到妻子要服从自己的丈夫。她们读这一章时，就被暴露并且知道自己是不服从的。有些人把不服从归咎于丈夫或环境。她们甚至怪罪主，对主说，若是主给她们的不是这样的丈夫，她们必定会服从。姊妹们，不要努力去服从你们的丈夫；要让基督安家在你们心里。你若接受祂作你的人位，并让祂安家在你心里，你必定会服从你的丈夫。我们必须忘掉一切宗教的东西，单单接受基督作我们的人位。我们若这么作，就会有四章里的长大，并且会穿上新人。这是正当的召会生活。神不要我们以宗教的方式，努力服从丈夫或爱妻子。祂关心的是我们接受基督作人位，并放下一切规条。神所要的，乃是一班让基督安家在他们心里的人。这是我们今天在召会生活中所需要的。
15Many married sisters are reluctant to read Ephesians 5 because it speaks about wives submitting to their own husbands. When they read this chapter, they are exposed and realize that they are not submissive. Some may blame their husband or environment for their lack of submission. They may even blame the Lord and tell Him that if He had given them a different husband, they would surely be submissive to him. Sisters, do not try to submit to your husband but let Christ make His home in your heart. If you take Him as your person and allow Him to make His home in your heart, you will surely submit to your husband. We need to forget about everything religious and simply take Christ as our person. If we do this, we shall have the growth spoken of in chapter four, and we shall put on the new man. This is the proper church life. God does not want us to try in a religious way to submit to our husbands or to love our wives. His concern is that we take Christ as our person and set aside all ordinances. God wants a people in whose heart Christ is making His home. This is our need in the church life today.
16在主恢复中惟一的因素主的恢复不是恢复教训。在主的恢复中惟一的因素乃是基督。当然，我们尊重、尊敬、并应用圣经。我们和其他基督徒一样遵守圣经的话，甚至有过之而无不及。虽然如此，我们必须清楚，主的恢复不仅是在于遵照圣经的教训。主的恢复完全是在于基督活在我们心里并安家在我们心里，好使我们能在凡事上长到元首基督里面。我们越多长到基督里，就越多穿上新人，越多穿上正当且实际的召会生活。今天我们惟一的需要，乃是为著召会生活接受基督作我们的人位。
16THE UNIQUE FACTOR IN THE LORD’S RECOVERY The Lord’s recovery is not a recovery of teaching. In the recovery the unique factor is Christ. To be sure, we honor, respect, and apply the Bible. We keep the Word as much as other Christians do, if not more. Nevertheless, we must be clear that the Lord’s recovery is not simply a matter of following the teaching of the Bible. It is altogether a matter of Christ living and making His home in our hearts, so that in all things we may grow up into Him as the Head. The more we grow up into Christ, the more we put on the new man, the proper and practical church life. Our unique need today is to take Christ as our person for the church life