以弗所书生命读经 · 第82篇

召会─基督的满溢

THE CHURCH—THE OVERFLOW OF CHRIST

1读经：以弗所书1:23;3:19b;4:13;约翰

1Scripture Reading: Eph. 1:23; 3:19b; 4:13; John 1:16

2福音1:16。

3我们已经看见，召会就是基督的彰显。以弗所一章告诉我们，召会是基督的身体，这身体乃是那在万有中充满万有者的丰满。召会是基督的身体，这身体乃是那在万有中充满万有之人位的丰满。

3We have seen that the church is the expression of Christ. In Ephesians 1 we are told that the church is the Body and that this Body is the fullness of the One who fills all in all. The church is the Body of Christ, and this Body is the fullness of the Person who fills all in all

广大之基督的丰满

THE FULLNESS OF THE VAST CHRIST

4在一章二十三节，那在万有中的万有乃是指宇宙。基督充满整个宇宙，这可由四章十节得著证明；那里说，『那降下的，也是那升上，远超诸天之上，为要充满万有的。』基督充满万有，就是充满宇宙；基督是如此广大普及，以致祂充满万有。这位广大的基督，需要一个身体作祂的丰满。

4The words “all in all” in 1:23 refer to the universe. Christ fills the entire universe. This is proved by 4:10 which says, “He Who descended is the same Who also ascended far above all the heavens that He might fill all things.” For Christ to fill all things is for Him to fill the universe. Christ is so universally vast that He fills all things. This vast Christ needs a Body to be His fullness

5基督的丰满就是基督的满溢。基督是有如此追测不尽的丰富，所以祂有一个满溢，一个丰满，一个富余。召会是祂的身体，就是基督的丰满，基督的富余。这是一件意义重大的事。主的恢复主要的不是恢复外面的事物。在神的经纶里，外面的事物比较没有甚么价值。神的经纶乃是基督同召会。当我们在里面经历基督的丰富，因而成为祂的丰满时，召会就出现了。

5The fullness of Christ is the overflow of Christ. Christ is so unsearchably rich that He has an overflow, a fullness, a surplus. As His Body, the church is Christ’s fullness, His surplus. This is a matter of great significance. The Lord’s recovery is not concerned mainly with the recovery of outward things. In God’secon o my outward things have relatively little value. God’secon o my is Christ with the church. The church comes into existence as we inwardly experience the riches of Christ and thus become His fullness

召会和社会组织的不同

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CHURCH

AND A SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

6召会和社会组织之间有很大的不同。召会看来也许像一个由各种不同的人所组成的社团。属世的人以这种角度来看召会，以为召会只是另一种社团组织。我们需要看见，召会和社会上的社团不同。社会的社团可能对他们的会员有很高的要求，他们也许硬性规定会员要有高品的服装、行为和品格。从外表来看，这种社团的会员，也许比一些在召会中的圣徒还好。然而，一个社团不管有多好，也仅仅是一个属人的组织。社团与召会相对，毫无出于基督的东西；召会却是基督的满溢和富余。

6There is a big difference between the church and a social organization. The church may seem to be a social group composed of different kinds of people. Worldly people view the church in such away, as just another social organization. We need to see the difference between the church and a social club. Social clubs may have high requirements for their members. They may insist on superior standards of dress, behavior, and character. Outwardly, the members of such clubs may be better than the saints in the churches. However, no matter how good a club may be, it is merely a human organization. In contrast to the church, it has nothing of Christ. But the church is the overflow, the surplus, of Christ.

7社团的会员也许照著某些要求，受到外在的约束。履行这些要求的人，在人眼中或许有非常好的外表。在某些方面，他们看来好像比召会中的人还好。然而，在神眼中，人类最好的标准和行为，只不过是粪土。在召会中，我们不需要外面的改良或改正。相反的，我们需要基督以祂自己来吞没我们所有的短处。如果召会的肢体在某方面有缺陷，这指明他们需要更多的基督。我们必须拒绝试诱，不能把召会变成一个有标准、有规条的社团。与基督的身体毫不相干。基督的身体单单是由作到圣徒里面的基督所构成的。

7The members of a club may be regulated outwardly according to certain requirements. Those who fulfill these requirements may have a very good appearance in the eyes of man. In certain respects, they may seem better than those in the churches. However, in the eyes of God the best of human standards and behavior is nothing but dung. In the church we do not need outward improvement or correction. On the contrary, we need Christ to swallow up all our shortcomings with Himself. If the members of the church are short in certain respects, this indicates that they need more of Christ. We must resist the temptation to change the church into a social club with standards and regulations. This has nothing to do with the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is constituted solely of Christ wrought into the saints

神经纶的中心

THE FOCAL POINT OF GOD’SECON O MY

8我很清楚，在以弗所这卷论到召会的书里，保罗说到妻子服从丈夫，丈夫爱妻子，儿女顺从父母，奴仆顺从主人等类的事。然而，这些事不是神永远经纶的中心。神的经纶不是要得著好的家庭生活，乃是要为基督得著一个身体。我们若正确且实际的在基督的身体里，无疑的，我们必定会有正确的家庭生活。然而，我们也许有很好的家庭生活，却与基督的身体毫不相干。我知道有些不信的人，他们的家庭生活比许多基督徒还好。那些不信者的家庭生活虽然很好，却与基督或神的经纶无分无关。我们要看见，神经纶的中心不是性格或为人的标准，乃是基督同召会，这是顶要紧的。

8I am fully aware that in Ephesians, a book concerned with the church, Paul speaks about such things as wives submitting to their husbands, husbands loving their wives, children obeying their parents, and slaves obeying their masters. These things, however, are not the focal point of God’s eternal economy. God’secon o my is not to have a good family life; it is to have a Body for Christ. If we are in the Body of Christ in a proper and practical way, we shall no doubt have a proper family life. However, we may have an outstanding family life and yet have nothing to do with the Body of Christ. I have known unbelievers whose family life was better than that of many Christians. Although the family life of these unbelievers was good, it had nothing to do with Christ or with God’secon o my. It is crucial for us to see that the focal point of God’secon o my is not a standard of character or behavior; it is Christ with the church

9神的仇敌撒但，诡诈的使用诸如圣经知识、属灵恩赐、和传福音这样的事，使信徒无法看见神的经纶。当主耶稣在地上，以及使徒保罗的时代，撒但利用旧约蒙蔽犹太人。主耶稣向他们显现为成为肉体的神，他们却无法认识祂。他们手上拿著圣经，反而把主耶稣判处死刑。按照他们的观念，他们以为这样作乃是事奉神。今天基督徒不该自以为比那些犹太宗教徒更好。今天基督徒极可能受诱骗，正如当日的犹太人一样。仇敌仍然用圣经知识，使人无法看见基督。不仅如此，他几乎用每一样事物作基督的顶替品，使人看不见神关于基督与召会之经纶的启示。

9In his subtlety, Satan, the enemy of God, has used such things as Bible knowledge, spiritual gifts, and evangelism to keep believers from seeing God’secon o my. During the time of the Lord Jesus on the earth and of the Apostle Paul, Satan utilized the Old Testament to veil the Jewish people. When the Lord Jesus appeared to them as the very incarnation of God, they were not able to recognize Him. On the contrary, with the Scriptures in their hands, they sentenced the Lord Jesus to death. According to their concept, they were serving God in so doing. Christians today should not regard themselves as superior to those Jewish religionists. It is entirely possible for Christians today to be deceived just as the Jews were. The enemy still uses the knowledge of the Bible to keep people from seeing Christ. Furthermore, he will use almost anything as a substitute for Christ and to keep people from seeing the revelation of God’secon o my concerning Christ and the church.

10变化成为基督的满溢我们已经指出，召会是基督的满溢。我们若要实际的成为基督的满溢，就需要被变化。林后三章十八节说，我们既然以没有帕子遮蔽的脸，观看并返照主的荣光，就渐渐变化成为与祂同样的形像，从荣耀到荣耀。不错，圣徒仍然有缺点与失败，然而他们却是在经历变化的过程中。我们越被变化，就越成为基督的满溢。在外面调整人，要他们遵守某些规条，这还容易。但神圣的生命要在我们里面长大，就需要花工夫。譬如，你能在极短的时间内制作一朵人造花，但要产生一朵真花，是有生命、有香味的花，也许需要几个月的时间。我们若在外面约束人，那只会耽延生命长大的过程。因此，我们需要忍耐，让主在圣徒里面长大。至终，在生命里长大会产生所盼望的改变。这就是召会和社团的不同。召会是基督的身体，是由神圣生命所构成的活的生机体。神圣的生命在我们重生时进到我们里面，现今正在我们里面作工，浸透我们全人的每一部分，并吞没我们一切消极的元素。藉著这样的过程，召会就实际的成为基督的身体。

10TRANSFORMED TO BECOME CHRIST’SO VER FLOW We have pointed out that the church is the overflow of Christ. In order to be in reality the overflow of Christ, we need to be transformed. Second Corinthians 3:18 says that as we behold and reflect the glory of the Lord with an unveiled face, we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. Yes, the saints still have their shortcomings and failures, but they are nonetheless undergoing the process of transformation. The more we are transformed, the more we become the overflow of Christ. It is easy to adjust people outwardly by asking them to conform to certain regulations. But it takes time for the divine life to grow within us. For example, in a very short period of time you can make an artificial flower. But to produce a real flower, a flower that has life and fragrance, may take several months. If we regulate others outwardly, we shall only delay the process of the growth in life. Therefore, we should be patient and allow the Lord to grow in the saints. Eventually, the growth in life will produce the desired change. This is the difference between the church and a social club. As the Body of Christ, the church is a living organism constituted of the divine life. The divine life came into us at the time of regeneration, and now it is working within us to saturate every part of our being and to swallow up all our negative element. By this process the church becomes the Body in a practical way

为著召会生活经历基督

EXPERIENCING CHRIST FOR THE CHURCH LIFE

11主在恢复里所作的，主要的不是恢复教训、恩赐或作法。相反的，主的恢复乃是为著召会生活经历基督作生命。若有人觉得主恢复的目标，乃是恢复一些教训或恩赐，我愿意说，时间会证明这盼望是错的。十多年前有人宣称，主渴望恢复有广大范围的五旬节恩赐。那些这样宣称的人是活在梦里，他们再也不在主的恢复里了。那时我告诉他们说，他们是在作梦；他们若不从他们的梦里醒过来，就会受亏损。他们会受他们梦的欺骗。那些没有放弃那个梦想的人，实际上都受了属灵的亏损。今天他们许多人离开了主的同在和恩典。

11In the recovery the Lord is not working mainly to recover teachings, gifts, or practices. On the contrary, the recovery is a matter of experiencing Christ as life for the church life. If some feel that the goal of the Lord’s recovery is the recovery of certain teachings and gifts, I would say that time will prove that this is a false expectation. More than ten years ago certain ones claimed that the Lord desires to recover the vast field of Pentecostal gifts. Those who made this claim were living in a dream, and they are no longer in the Lord’s recovery. At the time I told them that they were dreaming and that if they would not wake up from their dream, they would suffer loss. They would be deceived by their dream. Those who did not give up that dream have in fact suffered loss spiritually. Today many of them are apart from the Lord’s presence and grace.

12内住的基督能保守我们安全的在主的路上。我们都要认识内住的基督，并让祂安家在我们心里，这是顶要紧的。我们不该盼望作大事，反而该满意于让基督活在我们里面，并让祂使用我们，将祂的元素分赐到别人里面。我们若真是这样，就不是我们为主作工，乃是基督从我们里面作工。我们若是这样经历基督，召会就要实际的并在实行上成为基督的身体。召会作为基督的身体，乃是出自基督自己，因为召会是祂的满溢，祂的富余。几年前我曾花了十个小时和一位弟兄谈话。他不相信主的工作能藉著内住的基督成就，反而完全相信五旬节恩赐的恢复。我告诉这位弟兄，主不要有一个伟大的运动；相反的，祂的行动规模相当小，而且通常都是隐藏的。主不作任何与祂的身体不成比例的事。

12The indwelling Christ can keep us safely in the way of the Lord. It is crucial that we all know the indwelling Christ and allow Him to make His home in our hearts. We should not desire to do a great work. Instead, we should be satisfied to allow Christ to live in us and for Him to use us to impart His element into others. If this is our situation, it is not we who work for the Lord, but Christ who does the work from within us. If we experience Christ in this way, then in reality and in practicality the church will be the Body of Christ. The church as the Body comes out of Christ Himself, for it is His overflow, His surplus. Some years ago I spent ten hours talking to a certain brother. He did not believe that the Lord’s work could be accomplished by the indwelling Christ. Rather, his full confidence was in the recovery of Pentecostal gifts. I told this brother that the Lord does not intend to have a great movement. On the contrary, His move will be on a relatively small scale, perhaps, as it often is, in a hidden way. The Lord will not do anything that is out of proportion to His Body

在身体里没有外来的元素

NO FOREIGN ELEMENT IN THE BODY

13不仅如此，任何属于基督身体的东西，都必须是出自基督的生命。譬如，没有一样人工的东西，能真正成为我们肉身的一部分。甚至最好的假牙也不是我们身体的一部分，因为没有我们身体的生命。惟有我们身体的生命所产生的，才能成为我们身体的一部分。你若失掉一只手臂，可以用义肢代替，但那义肢不是你身体真正的一部分。同样的原则，基督的身体必须是出自基督的生命。在基督的身体里不能有外来的元素。但是今天的基督教里有许多外来的元素或人工的东西，这些东西没有一样与基督作生命有关。然而，正如我们所指出的，召会是基督的身体，乃是基督的丰满。

13Furthermore, anything that is of the Body of Christ must be of the life of Christ. For example, nothing artificial can truly be part of our physical bodies. Not even the best dentures are part of our bodies because they do not have the life of our bodies. Only what is produced by the life of our bodies can be part of our bodies. If you lose an arm, it may be replaced by an artificial limb, but that limb will not be a genuine part of your body. In the same principle, the Body of Christ must be of the life of Christ. There can be no foreign element in the Body. However, in today’s Christianity there are many foreign elements or artificial things. None of these has anything to do with Christ as life. However, as we have pointed out, the church as the Body of Christ is the very fullness of Christ

基督丰满之身材的度量

THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE

OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST

14保罗在四章十三节说，『直到我们众人都达到了信仰上并对神儿子之完全认识上的一，达到了长成的人，达到了基督丰满之身材的度量。』按照这节，我们需要达到三件事：达到信仰上并对神儿子之完全认识上的一，达到长成的人，并达到基督丰满之身材的度量。基督的丰满，就是基督的身体，有一个身材，因为保罗说到基督丰满的身材。基督丰满的身材，等于基督身体的身材。一章启示基督的身体是基督的丰满，四章启示基督的丰满有一个身材。因此，基督丰满的身材，就是基督身体的身材。

14In 4:13 Paul says, “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” According to this verse, we need to arrive at three things: at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, and at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The fullness of Christ, which is the Body, has a stature, for Paul speaks of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The stature of the fullness of Christ is equal to the stature of the Body of Christ. Chapter one reveals that the Body of Christ is the fullness of Christ, and chapter four, that the fullness of Christ has a stature. Therefore, the stature of the fullness of Christ is the stature of the Body of Christ.

15保罗在四章十三节不仅说到基督丰满的身材，也说到那身材的度量。召会是基督的身体，有一个身材。因为这身材在长大，所以四章十三节说到身材的度量，这度量就是长成的人。在许多信徒身上，基督丰满的身材没有长多少。因这缘故，他们只有一点点度量。但是基督在他们里面长大时，他们会逐渐增长，而达到基督丰满之身材的度量。我们需要向前追求，直到我们都达到基督丰满之身材的度量。我们现今正在朝著长成的人，朝著基督丰满身材之度量的途中。日子将到，我们都要达到长成的人。直到那时之前，我们仍在过程中。因著我们是在过程中，所以保罗说到，那时我们就『不再作小孩子，为波浪漂来漂去，并为一切教训之风所摇荡』。（四14。）

15In 4:13 Paul speaks not only of the stature of the fullness of Christ, but of the measure of that stature. As the Body of Christ, the church has stature. Because this stature grows, 4:13 speaks of its measure. This measure is the full-grown man. In many believers the stature of the fullness of Christ has not grown very much. For this reason, with them there is very little measure. But as Christ grows within them, they will gradually increase unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We need to press on until we all arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Presently we are on the way toward a full-grown man, toward the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The day is coming when we shall all arrive at a full-grown man. Until then, we are still in the process. Because we are in the process, Paul speaks of the time when we shall “be no longer babes tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching” (4:14

16召会是基督的身体，是那每天在我们里面长大的丰满。我们都必须看见，召会是出自基督的生机体，这是顶要紧的。凡不是出于基督的，都不能成为召会的一部分。不管我们多么有纪律，多么规矩，多么改良自己，若不是出于基督的结果，这些一点也不属于召会。自我约束、自我规律和自我改良，也许会产生良好的社会，但不能产生召会。就基督的身体来说，我们自己里面所有的，没有一样是重要的。对基督的身体来说，天然的良善没有用处。不管我们或好或坏，我们仍然需要基督。坏人当然需要基督，但好人也照样需要基督。无论我们有甚么样的性情，我们天然的人需要被内住的基督吞没，甚至被销毁。然后，我们才实际的成为基督的身体，就是祂的丰满。

16As the Body of Christ, the church is the fullness that is daily growing within us. It is vital for us all to see that the church is an organism that comes out of Christ. Anything that is not of Christ cannot be part of the church. No matter how disciplined, regulated, or improved we may be, none of this is of the church if it does not issue out of Christ. Self-regulation, self- discipline, and self-improvement may produce an excellent society, but it cannot produce the church. As far as the Body of Christ is concerned, nothing that we have in ourselves has any significance. In relation to the Body, natural goodness is of no advantage. Whether we are good or evil, we still need Christ. Those who are evil surely need Christ. But those who are very good need Christ just as much. No matter what kind of disposition we may have, our natural being needs to be swallowed up and even consumed by the indwelling Christ. Then in reality we shall be the Body of Christ, His fullness

领受祂的丰满

RECEIVING OF HIS FULLNESS

17约翰一章十六节说，『从祂的丰满里我们都领受了，而且恩上加恩。』重要的不是我们仅仅学了基督，或是效法基督，乃是我们领受祂的丰满。基督是如此丰富，以致祂有一个满溢，称作丰满。从这丰满里我们都领受了，而且恩上加恩。我们若是天天领受祂的丰满，至终我们要成为祂的丰满，因为我们要照著我们所领受的被构成。这意思是说，我们越领受祂的丰满，我们就越被祂的丰富所构成，并成为祂的丰满。我们若看见这事，我们会说，『主，救我脱离一切不是你丰满的事物。主，我乐意花任何代价来享受你，并有分于你的丰满。』愿主怜悯我们，使我们每天经历祂并享受祂，因而成为召会，就是祂的丰满，祂的满溢。

17John 1:16 says, “For of His fullness we all received, and grace upon grace.” What is important is not that we merely learn about Christ or that we imitate Christ, but that we receive of His fullness. Christ is so rich that He has an overflow called the fullness. Of this fullness we may all receive grace upon grace. If we daily receive of His fullness, we shall eventually become His fullness, for we shall be constituted according to what we have received. This means that the more we receive of His fullness, the more we shall be constituted of His fullness and become His fullness. If we see this, we shall say, “Lord, save me from anything that is not Your fullness. Lord, I am willing to pay any price to enjoy You and to partake of Your fullness.” May the Lord be merciful to us that we may daily experience Him and enjoy Him and thereby become the church that is His very fullness, His overflow