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以弗所书生命读经 · 第9篇

万有在基督里归一于一个元首之下（二）

TO HEAD UP ALL THINGS IN CHRIST (2)
1在本篇信息中，我们要进一步说到万有10在基督里归一于一个元首之下。以弗所一章九至十节说，『照著祂的喜悦，使我们知道祂意愿的奥秘；这喜悦是祂在自己里面豫先定下的，为著时期满足时的经纶，要将万有，无论是在诸天之上的，或是在地上的，都在基督里归一于一个元首之下。』十节开头译作『为著』的希腊字，也可译作『为要有』。因此，那一段话可以繙成：『照著祂的喜悦…；这喜悦是祂在自己里面豫先定下的，为要有时期满足时的经纶。』神在祂自己里面豫先所定下的经纶，乃是要在时期满足时，将万有都在基督里归一于一个元首之下。时期是指世代说的。时期满足时，就是神在所有世代的一切安排完成后，新天新地来到时。『经纶』这辞与三章二节中的『管家职分』一辞，在原文里是同字：『谅必你们曾听见那为著你们所赐给我，神恩典的管家职分。』神恩典的管家职分，意思就是神恩典的经纶、行政。
1In this message we shall give a further word on the heading up of all things in Christ. Ephesians 1:9 and say, “Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him.” The Greek word rendered “unto” at the beginning of verse 10 can also be rendered “in order to have.” Thus, that portion can be translated, “according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself in order to have a dispensation of the fullness of the times.” The dispensation which God purposed in Himself is to head up all things in Christ at the fullness of the times. The times refer to the ages. When the new heaven and the new earth come after all the dispensations of God in all the ages have been completed, that will be the fullness of the times. The word “dispensation” is also found in 3:2, “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you - ward.” The dispensation of the grace of God means the administration of the grace of God.
神永远的计画
GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN
2为要明白神恩典的经纶是甚么，我们必须看见在已过的永远里，神定了一个计画。照著这个计画，祂创造了天、地、宇宙和万物。然后祂创造了人类作宇宙的中心，作为盛装神的器皿，为著神的彰显。这话非常简单，却包括了整本圣经。人被造不是作工具，乃是作器皿盛装神，使神能从人里面得著彰显。这是神永远的计画，祂永远的定旨。
2In order to understand what the dispensation of the grace of God is, we need to see that in eternity past God purposed a plan. According to this plan, He created the universe with the heavens, the earth, and billions of items. He then created mankind as the center of the universe to be a vessel to contain God for God’sex press i on. This word is brief, but it covers the whole Bible. Man was created not to be an instrument, but a vessel to contain God so that God may be expressed from within man. This is God’s eternal plan, His eternal purpose
撒但把死带进神的创造里
SATAN BRINGING DEATH TO GOD’S CREATION
3神在祂的智慧里许可天使长背叛。没有神的许可，背叛无从发生；没有神的许可，甚至天使中间的背叛也不可能发生。神许可祂的一个天使背叛祂，这是照著神的智慧。正如一幅画的黑色背景，使主体更加显出，撒但的背叛也有同样的效用。创世记这卷书启示，撒但来把他自己注射到宇宙的中心─人─里面。当撒但把他自己注射到人里面时，撒但就成了人致命的死和黑暗。每当撒但临到我们或进到我们家中，就有死和黑暗；这死和黑暗的结果就是崩溃。一个满了生命的人能站得正直，但是当死的权势注射到他里面时，他就倒下而崩溃了。他不是归一于一个元首之下，乃是崩溃成一堆。正如我们在前一篇信息中所指出的，整个宇宙，包括人类，都因为撒但把他自己作为死的因素，注射到神的创造里，而崩溃成乱堆。撒但把死带进神的整个创造里。所有的受造之物都受到撒但死的因素所影响。这就是为甚么罗马八章二十至二十一节说，受造之物服在虚空之下，并在败坏的奴役之下。
3In His wisdom God allowed an archangel to rebel. Without God’s permission, no rebellion could ever take place. Not even the rebellion among the angels could happen without God’s permission. God allowed one of His angels to rebel against Him. This was according to God’s wisdom. Satan’s rebellion serves in the same way as the black background of a painting that makes the main object all the more outstanding. The book of Genesis reveals that Satan came to inject himself into man, who was the center of the universe. When Satan injected himself into man, Satan became death and darkness to man. Whenever Satan comes to us or into our home, there is death and darkness. The result of this death and darkness is a collapse. A person who is full of life can stand upright. But when the power of death has been injected into him, he falls down; he collapses. Instead of being headed up, he collapses into a heap. As we pointed out in the foregoing message, the entire universe, including mankind, is a heap of collapse caused by Satan injecting himself as the factor of death into God’s creation. Satan has brought death to the entire creation of God. All of creation has been infected by the death factor of Satan. This is the reason that Romans 8:20 and 21 say that the creation has been subjected to vanity and is under the slavery of corruption.
4要注射一种本质到人体里，不需要将其注入人体的每一部分。只要注射到某一点上，那本质就会散布到全身。照样，撒但将他自己注入宇宙中心的人里，撒但的毒素就从人散布到各处。因此，不仅人服在死之下，每一种活物也都服在死之下。每当任何活物死了，牠就崩溃了。死的元素已经散布到神创造的每一部分里，使受造之物崩溃成为乱堆。宇宙的崩溃给神一个大好的机会，来彰显祂的智慧。若是没有这种死和崩溃的光景，神的智慧就无法彰显得完全。神万般的智慧，要藉著召会得著彰显。撒但死的因素注入人里面所造成的崩溃，其作用就像黑色的背景，将神的智慧衬托得更加荣耀。撒但的作法总是抢在神以先行动；这是圣经中的一个原则。每当神要作事，撒但就抢先一步。譬如，圣经启示神的目的是要建造一座城，新耶路撒冷；但第一座城却是撒但所建的伪造品。照样，神的目的是要将他自己分赐到人里面，并将祂自己作到人里面。但在神作这事之前，祂的仇敌撒但进来，藉著将他自己注入人里面，作了假冒的工作。神将人造好之后，把人安置在生命树跟前。这指明神盼望人将祂接受进来。神从不著急，祂总是愿意等候。反之，撒但总是急躁的。我们需要从这事上学到功课，我们仓促所行的任何事可能不是出于神，乃是出于撒但。在神将祂自己分赐到人里面之前，撒但便将他自己注射到神创造中心的人里面，因而造成整个受造之物的崩溃。如今到处都是死，没有生命─在办公室、工厂、商场、学校，都是这样；甚至在所谓的『教会』中也是如此。因著死遍布各地，无所不在，所以每件事都在崩溃的光景中。这是神将祂自己作到人里面的背景。
4In order to inject a substance into a person’s body, there is no need to inject it into every part. Instead, the injection is made at a certain spot, and then the substance spreads throughout the body. Likewise, Satan injected himself into man, the center of the universe, and from man Satan’s poison has spread everywhere. Therefore, not only is man subject to death, but also every living thing is subject to it. Whenever any living thing dies, it collapses. The element of death has spread into every part of God’s creation, causing the creation to collapse into a heap. The collapse of the universe gives God an excellent opportunity to manifest His wisdom. Without such a situation of death and collapse, God’s wisdom could not be fully manifested. Through the church God’s manifold wisdom will be expressed. The collapse caused by Satan’s injection of the factor of death into man serves as the black background to make God’s wisdom all the more glorious. Satan’s way is always to act a head of God. This is a principle in the Bible. Whenever God wants to do something, Satan acts first. For example, the Bible reveals that God’sin tent i on is to build a city, the New Jerusalem. But the first city was a counterfeit one built by Satan. Like wise, God’s in tent i on is to impart Himself into man and to work Himself into man. But before God did this, His enemy, Satan, came in to do a counterfeit work by injecting himself into man. After God created man, He placed him in front of the tree of life. This indicates that God desired man to take Him in. God is never in a hurry; He is always willing to wait. Satan, on the contrary, is always in a rush. We need to learn from this that anything that we do hurriedly is probably not of God, but of Satan. Before God dispensed Himself into man, Satan injected himself into man, the center of God’s creation, and there by caused the entire creation to collapse. Now instead of life, there is death everywhere: in the offices, factories, businesses, schools, and even in the so - called churches. Because death is everywhere and in everything, everything is in a state of collapse. This is the background of God’s working Himself into man.
人是战场
MAN BEING A BATTLEFIELD
5神来将祂自己作到人里面，不是作到祂原初所造的人里面，乃是作到撒但将自己注入其中的人里面。因著撒但和神都在人里面，人就成了神与撒但之间的战场。神与撒但原初在宇宙中交战，如今却在人里面争战。你知道你是一个战场，神与撒但之间的争战正在你里面激烈的进行么？我们这些基督徒，里面有一场激烈的争战。死的因素与生命的因素交战，而生命的因素胜过、征服、并吞灭死的因素。抗生素的使用说明了这事。一种抗生素进入我们体内，就与病菌交战。耶稣基督是最好的抗生素。从我们接受祂的那天起，一场争战便在我们里面激烈的进行。基督这属天的抗生素，一天过一天杀死病菌。因著死的毒素已注射到我们里面，我们便崩溃混乱。但是当基督进来时，生命的因素也随著进来，我们就开始渐渐的站起来─不是藉著教导，乃是藉著将生命的因素接受到我们里面。我们越接受生命，就越站立起来。然而，甚至在我们接受基督之后，仇敌仍会将更多死的因素注射到我们里面，使我们再次崩溃。这时候，我们就需要进一步注射属天的抗生素。
5God has come to work Himself into man, not into man as originally created by Him, but into the man whom Satan has injected with himself. Because both Satan and God are in man, man has become a battlefield between God and Satan. Originally, God and Satan were fighting in the universe, but now they are fighting within man. Do you realize that you are a battlefield and that a war is raging within between God and Satan? As Christians, we have a war raging within us. The factor of death is fighting against the factor of life, and the factor of life is conquering, subduing, and swallowing up the factor of death. The use of antibiotics illustrates this. When an antibiotic gets into our bodies, it fights against the germs. Jesus Christ is the best antibiotic. From the day we received Him, a war has been raging within us. Day after day Christ, the heavenly antibiotic, kills the germs. Because the poison of death had been injected into us, we collapsed into a heap. But when Christ came in, the factor of life came in with Him, and gradually we began to rise up, not by being taught, but by taking the factor of life into our being. The more life we receive, the more we rise up. However, even after we have received Christ, the enemy may inject still more of the factor of death into us and cause us to collapse once again. At such a time, we need a further injection of the heavenly antibiotic
站立并联络
RISING UP AND BECOMING ATTACHED
6崩溃是来自死的因素，站立是来自生命的因素。当死的因素造成崩溃，我们全人的各部分就彼此离散。以西结三十七章中的枯骨说明了这点。那些骸骨又死又枯干时，乃是离散的；但是当气息进到牠们里面，牠们就活了，站起来，并且联络在一起。（4～10。）这个站立与联络，实际上就是归一于一个元首之下。先前，骸骨是叠成一堆的，每一块都与身体分离；但是当生命之气进到这些死的骸骨中，牠们首先站起来，然后彼此联络。此后牠们成了一个身体，甚至成为一支军队。这就是归一于一个元首之下的意思。
6The collapse comes from the factor of death, and the rising up comes from the factor of life. When the factor of death causes a collapse, all the parts of our being become detached from one another. This is illustrated by the dry bones in Ezekiel 37. When those bones were dead and dry, they were detached. But when the breath entered into them, they became living, they rose up, and they were attached (Ezek. 37:4-10). This rising up and attaching is actually the heading up. Formerly, the bones were piled in a heap, each of them detached from the body. But when the breath of life entered into these dead bones, they firstly rose up and then became attached to one another. After this they became a body, and even an army. This is what it means to be headed up.
7我们不该仅仅把这个当作教训，乃要在我们经历的光中来思想。我们很多人能作见证，我们曾是离散的，并在宇宙性的崩溃所造成的乱堆里。但是有一天，生命的因素进到我们里面，我们就站立并联络起来。进入召会生活之后，我们深深觉得我们是越过越站得正直，越过越得以联络。这就是在基督里归一于一个元首之下。然而，许多时候，死亡的权势甚至在召会里作工，把死亡的因素注射到召会的肢体里。当死亡的因素进入某些肢体里，他们就中了毒，并把死的毒素散布给别人。这些亲爱的肢体再次落在崩溃混乱里，因而不再归一于一个元首之下。但是，赞美主，最终生命的因素又临到他们！当他们吸入生命之气，生命的因素就进到他们里面，他们又站起来，又再次得以联络，并经历归一于一个元首之下。管家的职分和家庭管理撒但的注入是没有行政的，因为他的注入是非法的。非法或背叛的事没有行政；然而，一个合法组成的政府是有行政的。虽然撒但的注入没有行政，神将祂自己作到我们里面却有一个行政或经纶，但这不是按著我们天然的观念。一章十节中译作『经纶』的希腊字oikonomia，奥依克诺米亚，很难繙译。牠也可以繙作『管家职分』或『家庭管理』。这字演变为英文就是。我不太喜欢用『行政』这个辞，虽然一章十节中可以用行政这个辞，但我更喜欢用『经纶』、『管家职分』和『家庭管理』，因为经纶、管家职分、家庭管理，最终都要成为永远的行政。
7We should not take this merely as a doctrine, but consider it in the light of our experience. Many of us can testify that we used to be detached and in the heap caused by the universal collapse. But one day the factor of life came into us, and we rose up and became attached. After coming into the church life, we had the deep sense that we were more and more upright and that we were becoming more attached. This is the heading up in Christ. A number of times, however, the power of death has worked even in the church to inject the factor of death into the members of the church. When the factor of death gets into certain members, they are poisoned and spread the poison of death to others. Once again these dear ones collapse into a heap and are thus far removed from being headed up. But, praise the Lord, the factor of life eventually reaches them again! When the breath of life is breathed into them and the factor of life enters into them, they rise up once more, become reattached, and experience being headed up. A STEWARDSHIP AND A HOUSEHOLD ARRANGEMENT With Satan’s injection there is no administration because his injection is illegal. Nothing that is illegal or rebellious has an administration. However, a legally constituted government has an administration. Although Satan’s injection has no administration, God’s working of Himself into us does have an administration. But this administration is not according to our natural concept. The Greek word which can be rendered “administration” in 1:10, oikonomia,is difficult to translate. It can also be rendered “stewardship” or “household arrangement.” The anglicized form of this word is economy. I like economy dispensation, stewardship, and household arrangement better than administration, although administration can be used in 1:10 because eventually the dispensation, the stewardship, the household arrangement will become an eternal administration.
8在华盛顿特区的政府是一个行政，而不是一个经纶、管家职分、或家庭管理。家庭管理是甜美的，管家职分是亲密的。按照古代的习俗，王家里该有一个管家，他的职分就叫作管家职分。因此，管家职分就是管家的职务。管家不仅仅是一个奴隶，更是与那个家有密切关系的人，是照料家庭管理的人。这一种管家职分，这一种家庭管理，就是最好的行政。但今天对于行政的观念，没有这种亲密或甜美的思想。然而，神的行政像家庭管理一样，是甜美的，也像管家职分一样，是亲密的。
8The government in Washington, D. C., is an administration, but it is not a dispensation, a stewardship, or a household arrangement. A household arrangement is sweet, and a stewardship is intimate. According to ancient custom, there was a steward in the royal family, and his ministry was called a stewardship. Hence, the stewardship is simply the service of a steward. A steward was not a mere slave, but a person intimately related to the family, one who took care of the household arrangement. Such a stewardship, such a household arrangement, was the best administ ration. But today’s concept of administration does not have this thought of intimacy or sweetness. Nevertheless, God’s ad ministration as a household arrangement is sweet and as a stewardship is intimate.
神作为恩典的分赐
THE DISPENSING OF GOD AS GRACE
9再者，管家的职分含有分赐的意思。譬如，母亲每天在早餐时把食物分给孩子们。当孩子们坐在餐桌旁，母亲便将营养的食物分给他们吃。在这样的分配中，总是施行一种适当的管制。倘若一个孩子不守规矩，母亲会说，『如果你不守规矩，就不给你吃早餐。』因此，食物的分配就是最好的管制。我在自己的孙子身上观察到这件事，他们顺从祖母过于顺从我，因为祖母是将好吃的东西分给他们的人。因为祖母执行分配，她就能非常容易并令人愉快的管制他们。她管制他们是藉著甜美的分赐，这种分赐也是一种行政或亲密的服事。万有在基督里归一于一个元首之下，不是藉著政府的行政而有的，乃是来自甜美的管家职分，亲密的家庭管理，以及令人愉快的分赐。这乃是藉著将三一神丰盛生命的供应，分赐到我们里面而发生的。对使徒保罗而言，这个『神恩典的经纶』乃是『神恩典的管家职分』。（弗三2。）我们已经看见，撒但的注射没有行政或管理，因他狡猾的将自己注入我们里面。但神藉著甜美、亲密的管家职分，将祂自己作到祂所拣选的人里面。保罗的职事就是这一种管家职分。这职分乃是恩典之经纶的模型，将神当作恩典分赐到祂所拣选的人里面。藉著这恩典的经纶，就是藉著将神自己分赐进来作我们的享受，生命的因素就供应到蒙拣选的人里面。当生命的因素进到他们里面时，他们就能站起来，并在身体里面联于基督。这就是将万有在基督里归一于一个元首之下的经纶。
9The stewardship, moreover, involves a dispensation. Dispensation here refers not to an age, but to a dispensing. For example, a mother dispenses food to her children every morning at breakfast. As the children sit down at the table, the mother dispenses nourishing food for them to eat. In such a dispensation a proper control is always exercised. If a child misbehaves, the mother may say, “If you don’t be have, there will be no breakfast for you.” Thus, the dispensation of food is the best control. I have observed this with my own grandchildren, who obey their grandmother better than they obey me, because she is the one who dispenses treats to them. Because she does the dispensing, she can very easily and pleasantly control them. She controls them by means of a sweet dispensation, a dispensation that is also a kind of administration and intimate service. The heading up of all things in Christ does not take place by a governmental administration. On the contrary, it comes about by a sweet stewardship, by an intimate household arrangement, by a pleasant dispensation. It takes place through the dispensing of the abundant life supply of the Triune God into us. The Apostle Paul calls this a “dispensation of the grace of God” (3:2), a stewardship of the grace of God. We have seen that Satan’s injection has no administration or stewardship because he subtly injects himself into us. But God is working Himself into His chosen ones by a sweet, intimate stewardship. Paul’s ministry was such a stewardship. It was a model of the dispensation of grace, of the dispensing of God as grace into His chosen ones. By this dispensation of grace, the dispensing of God Himself as our enjoyment, the factor of life is ministered into the chosen ones. As the life factor gets into them, they are raised up and attached to Christ in the Body. This is the dispensation that heads up all things in Christ
10人堕落以后，神的经纶就进来了，开始时规模很小。在亚伯身上我们看不见多少这个分赐，就是神作为生命的供应分赐给祂所拣选的人。然而，在以诺身上，我们可以看见一点这个分赐的含示，但不十分清楚。当我们来到挪亚，我们能看见在很小的规模上，神作为生命供应的分赐。然后在亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的生平中，我们看见神相当程度的分赐。再往前，在摩西身上和会幕中，就有一种行政、家庭管理、和亲密的管家职分。这在摩西、亚伦、众祭司和利未人的服事上，可以清楚的看见。到了新约，我们看见主耶稣生命的分赐。祂有何等甜美、亲密的管家职分！在祂的整个职事中，祂将神当作生命的供应，分赐给祂所拣选的人。使徒们，特别是使徒保罗，接续这亲密的管家职分；保罗得了神恩典的管家职分，在他的职事里，不断以基督作生命分赐到信徒里面。保罗的职事是一种甜美而亲密的管家职分，一种令人愉快的家庭管理。保罗甚至教导提摩太，在神的家中当怎样行。（提前三15。）在神的家中，应当有家庭管理，有亲密的管家职分，并把基督分赐给神家中所有的肢体。这不是藉著辖制，甚至不是藉著行政的管理，乃是藉著一种甜美的分赐，藉著亲密的管家职分，藉著非常亲切的家庭管理。
10After the fall of man, God’s dispensation came in, beginning on a very small scale. With Abel we cannot see much of the dispensation of God as the life supply to His chosen people. With Enoch, however, there is a slight implication of such a dispensation, but it is not very clear. When we come to Noah, we can see the dispensation of God as the life supply on a very small scale. Then in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we see a certain amount of God’s dispensation. Furthermore, with Moses and the tabernacle there was an administration, a household arrangement, an intimate stewardship. This is clearly seen with Moses, Aaron, and the priests with the Levitical service. Coming to the New Testament, we have the dispensation of life with the Lord Jesus. What a sweet, intimate stewardship there was with Him! Throughout His ministry, He was dispensing God as the life supply to His chosen ones. This intimate stewardship is continued with the Apostles, especially with the Apostle Paul, who had the stewardship of the grace of God. In his ministry Paul was constantly dispensing Christ as life into the believers. Paul’s ministry was a sweet and intimate stewardship, a pleasant household arrangement. Paul even taught Timothy how to be have in the house of God (1 Tim. 3:15). The way to behave in God’sho use is to have the household arrangement, an intimate stewardship, and to dispense Christ to all the members of God’sho use hold. It is not by controlling or even by a governmental administration; it is by a sweet dispensation, an intimate stewardship, a very dear household arrangement.
11藉著这样的职事，生命的因素就分赐到召会的人里面。藉著这种甜美、亲密的管家职分，生命的供应就分赐到基督身体的肢体里。生命的因素越供应到我们里面，我们就越站立起来并得以联络。每当你接受生命的供应，你就自然而然的站起来；不需要任何人告诉你要和别人交通，因为你自动的渴慕，要得以联络起来。神使我们归一于一个元首之下的方式，乃是将祂自己作生命的因素，作到我们里面来，使我们站起来，并且彼此联络。这不是藉著行政的管理，乃是藉著甜美的分赐、亲密的管家职分、和令人舒畅的家庭管理。藉著这个经纶，生命的因素就供应到召会的众肢体里，使他们得以站立起来，并在身体里联络在一起。这就是将万有在基督里归一于一个元首之下。
11By such a ministry the factor of life is imparted into the church people. By such a sweet, intimate stewardship the life supply is dispensed into the members of the Body of Christ. The more the factor of life is ministered to us, the more we rise up and become attached. Every time you receive the life supply you spontaneously rise up. There is no need for anyone to tell you to have fellowship with others, for you automatically long to be attached. God’sway to head us up is to work Himself as the factor of life into us that we may rise up and be attached to one another. It is not by a governmental administration, but by a sweet dispensation, an intimate stewardship, a comfortable household arrangement. Through this dispensation, the life factor is ministered to all the members of the church that they may rise up and be attached in the Body. This is the heading up in Christ