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歌罗西书生命读经 · 第47篇

凭经过过程的神，在基督里生根并被建造

ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN CHRIST WITH THE PROCESSED GOD
1读经：歌罗西书2:2,7,19;4:2，以弗所书4:13。我们已经指出，歌罗西书首先给我们这位延展无限并包罗万有之基督的客观启示，然后陈明这位包罗万有的基督所藉以分赐到我们里面的主观职事，就是管家的职分。最终这卷书告诉我们，对这位已经供应到我们里面之基督的实际经历。因此，歌罗西书里有客观的启示、主观的职事、和实际的经历。
1Scripture Reading: Col. 2:2, 7, 19; 4:2; Eph. 4:13 We have pointed out that the book of Colossians first gives us an objective revelation of the extensive and all-inclusive Christ. Then it presents the subjective ministry, the stewardship, by which the all-inclusive Christ is dispensed into us. Finally, it tells us of the practical experience of the Christ who has been ministered into us. Therefore, in Colossians we have the objective revelation, the subjective ministry, and the practical experience
在我们的灵里包罗万有的一位
THE ALL-INCLUSIVE ONE IN OUR SPIRIT
2我们这些经历基督的人，与祂有亲近、深刻、亲密、主观的关系。但我们需要问三个问题：基督是谁？基督是甚么？基督在那里？基督既是如此丰富，我们就很难充分的说出祂是谁，以及祂是甚么。首先，基督就是神。照歌罗西书来看，祂乃是一切受造之物的首生者。圣经指明基督是各样树木的实际：无花果树、橄榄树、葡萄树和香柏树。基督也是真正的牛、羊、狮子、老鹰、鸽子。不仅如此，基督也是我们真正的食物、水、奶、蜜、空气、阳光、雨、露和雪。最终，基督成了我们包罗万有的地，其中有山、谷、河、泉、源、石头、铁和铜。因著基督是这样包罗万有的一位，祂在地上的时候，就能用自然界里各样的东西作为祂自己的说明。论到基督在那里，我们要认识，祂虽然是无所不在的，特别是在第三层天上神的右边，但祂却住在我们里面。（一27。）然而，要认识基督实际上乃是在我们里面，并不容易。我们是复杂的人，有许多的内室，许多内里的部分。箴言二十章二十七节说到人的心腹，就是人肺腑的内室。这些内室包括心思、情感、意志、心、魂、里面的人、和隐藏的人。彼前三章四节说到隐藏的人，以弗所三章十六节说到里面的人。我们也许相信基督在我们里面，但是祂在我们里面的那一个内室？提后四章二十二节指明，主是在我们的灵里。
2We who experience Christ have a close, deep, intimate, and subjective relationship with Him. But we need to ask three questions: Who is Christ? What is Christ? Where is Christ? Because Christ is so much, it is difficult to say adequately who He is and what He is. To begin with, Christ is the very God. According to Colossians, He is the Firstborn of all creation. The Bible indicates that Christ is the reality of many different kinds of trees: the fig tree, the olive tree, the vine tree, and the cedar tree. Christ is also the real ox, lamb, lion, eagle, and dove. Furthermore, Christ is our real food, water, milk, honey, air, sunshine, rain, dew, and snow. Eventually, Christ becomes our all-inclusive land, a land in which we have mountains, hills, valleys, fountains, brooks, streams, stones, iron, and brass. Because Christ is such an all-inclusive One, when He was on earth He could use various objects in nature as illustrations of Himself. Concerning where Christ is, we need to realize that, although He is omnipresent and, in particular, is at the right hand of God in the third heaven, He dwells in us (1:27). However, it is not easy to realize that Christ is actually in us. We are complicated people, with many chambers, many inward parts. Proverbs 20:27 speaks of man’s in ward parts, his inner chambers. These chambers include the mind, emotion, will, heart, soul, inner man, and hidden man. First Peter 3:4 speaks of the hidden man, and Ephesians 3:16, of the inner man. We may believe that Christ is in us, but in what chamber of our being is He to be found? Second Timothy 4:22 indicates that the Lord is in our spirit.
3现在我们必须继续问，灵是甚么，以及灵与心和魂有甚么不同。中文译本使用『心灵』这个奇怪的辞。然而，我们里面没有『心灵』这样的东西。真遗憾，繙译中文圣经的人竟用这样的辞来说到人的灵！虽然繙译的人都是学者，他们在这一点上却错了。另外有人说，灵与魂是一样的。一面说，人的灵不是心；另一面说，人的灵也不是魂。心思、情感、意志、魂、心，都包括在人里面的各部分里；但其中没有一样是灵。人的灵位于人内里部分的中心。基督在我们灵里，意思是说，祂在我们全人的中心，在我们全人的深处。基督住在信徒里面，乃是住在信徒的灵里，这灵不同于身体和魂。圣经启示人有三部分，由灵、魂、体所构成。灵既与魂不同，我们说到基督在我们里面的那一部分时，就必须非常的明确。我们要说，根据圣经，基督乃是在我们的灵里。林前六章十七节说，我们与主乃是一灵。主是赐生命的灵，（十五45，）祂与我们的灵是一。因此，这二灵成了一灵。主不仅住在我们灵里，甚至使祂自己与我们的灵成为一。这样，二灵─赐生命的灵与我们的灵─就成为一灵。我们与主的关系是何等的亲近、亲密！祂与我们，我们与祂，乃是一灵。有甚么关系能比这个更亲近、更亲密？这样的关系的确是最亲近、最亲密的。我们若要充分的经历基督，就必须认识我们与祂有这样亲密的关系。
3Now we must go on to ask what the spirit is and how it differs from the heart and the soul. The Chinese version uses the strange term “heart-spirit.” However, there is no such thing within us as the “heart - spirit.” How regrettable that the translators of the Chinese version used such a term in speaking of the human spirit! Although the translators were scholars, they were mistaken in this point. Others claim that the spirit and the soul are the same. On the one hand, the human spirit is not the heart; on the other hand, it is not the soul. The mind, emotion, will, soul, and heart are included among man’sin ward parts, but not one of them is the spirit. The human spirit is in the center of man’sin ward parts. For Christ to be in our spirit means that He is in the center of our being, in its very depths. The spirit, where Christ dwells in the believer, is different from the body and from the soul. The Bible reveals that man is tripartite, composed of spirit, soul, and body. Since the spirit is different from the soul, we must be very definite in speaking of where Christ is within us. We need to say, according to the Bible, that Christ is in our spirit. In the words of 1 Corinthians 6:17, we are one spirit with the Lord. The Lord is the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45), who is one with our spirit. There fore, these two spirits are one. The Lord not only indwells our spirit, but He has even made Himself one with our spirit. In this way, the two spirits— the life-giving Spirit and our spirit—become one spirit. How close and intimate is our relationship with the Lord! He and we, we and He, are one spirit. What relationship could be closer and more intimate than this? Surely such a relationship is the ultimate in closeness and intimacy. If we would experience Christ adequately, we need to realize that we have such an intimate relationship with Him.
活在与主是一灵里面
LIVING IN ONE SPIRIT WITH THE LORD
4然而，认识是一回事，实行是另一回事。我们也许知道我们与主是一灵，但在日常生活中，我们却没有实行活在与祂是一灵里面，反而把主限制在我们的灵里，并且照著我们的思想、感觉、拣选而活。我们也许坚持要自由拣选自己所喜欢的，凭自己的想法去思想，并且任凭自己的情感奔驰。我们不愿被灵里的主所搅扰。因这缘故，我们在实际的日常生活中，就把祂限制在我们的灵里。我们甚至到一个地步，否认我们的灵，生活如同没有灵，只有体和魂一般。譬如，我们想要生气或是想要闲聊，就照著我们的喜好这样作；我们没有操练活在与主是一灵里面。我们祷读的时候，也许赞美主说，我们与祂是一灵。但在许多实际的事上，我们完全忽略了我们灵里的主。
4However, to realize this is one thing, and to practice it is another thing. We may know that we are one spirit with the Lord, but in our daily living we may not practice living in one spirit with Him. Instead, we may confine the Lord to our spirit and live according to our thought, feeling, and choice. We may insist on the freedom to choose whatever we like, to think our own thoughts, and to allow our affection to run its own course. We may not want to be bothered by the Lord in our spirit. For this reason, in our actual daily living, we may limit Him to our spirit. We may even go so far as to deny our spirit, living as if we had no spirit, but had only a body and a soul. For example, if we want to be angry or talkative, we may do so according to our preference. We simply do not practice living in one spirit with the Lord. When we pray-read, we may praise the Lord that we are one spirit with Him. But in so many practical matters we may utterly neglect the Lord in our spirit.
神的奥秘
THE MYSTERY OF GOD
5歌罗西二章七节上半说，『在祂里面已经生根，并正被建造。』『祂』这个代名词的前述词，乃是前一节里的『基督』。照二章二节来看，这位基督就是神的奥秘。这把我们带到另一个问题上：神的奥秘是甚么？基督既是神的奥秘，在基督里生根，就是在神的奥秘里生根。所有的基督徒都熟悉基督这个名称，但很少人明白神的奥秘这辞。神是一个奥秘。不仅如此，神有一段历史，有一个故事。神的历史，神的故事是甚么？神是无限、永远的，无始、无终的。祂照著祂的喜悦，创造了天地，和宇宙中的万物。因此，神完成了创造的工作。基督乃是神的故事，神的历史。这意思是说，基督不仅是神的自己，也是神的历史。神的历史是指祂所经历的过程，使祂可以进到人里面，并使人得以被带到祂里面。创世记一章一节告诉我们，起初神创造诸天和地。但马太二十八章十九节说到把信徒浸入父、子、灵的名里。我们知道，父、子、灵就是创世记一章一节所说的神。然而，不同的是，在创世记一章一节的时候，神还没有经过成为肉体、人性生活、钉十字架、复活和升天。马太二十八章十九节的话，乃是主经过成为肉体、人性生活、钉十字架，进入复活以后所说的。祂复活以后，吩咐门徒使万民作祂的门徒，不是把他们浸入创造者的名里，（我们可以称创造者为没有经过过程的神，）乃是把他们浸入父、子、灵的名里。这就是把信徒浸入经过过程的神里面。这位经过过程的神对祂的选民是便利的，祂的选民能浸入祂里面。虽然我们不可能把信徒浸到创世记一章一节所启示的神里面，但我们能把他们浸入父、子、灵的名里；这就是说，我们能把他们浸入经过过程的三一神里面。
5The first part of 2:7 says, “Having been rooted and being built up in Him.” The antecedent of the pronoun Him is Christ in the preceding verse. According to 2:2, this Christ is the mystery of God. This brings us to another question: what is the mystery of God? Since Christ is the mystery of God, to be rooted in Christ is to be rooted in the mystery of God. All Christians are familiar with the name Christ, but not many understand the term the mystery of God. God is a mystery. Furthermore, God has a history, a story. What is the history of God, the story of God? God is infinite and eternal, without beginning or ending. According to His good pleasure, He created the heavens and the earth and all the billions of items in the universe. Therefore, God accomplished the work of creation. Christ is the story of God, the history of God. This means that Christ is not only God Himself, but is also God’s history. God’s history refers to the process through which He has passed so that He may come into man and that man may be brought into Him. Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. But Matthew 28:19 speaks of baptizing believers into the name of the Father, the Son, and Spirit. We know that the Father, Son, and Spirit are the God spoken of in Genesis 1:1. However, the difference is that at the time of Genesis 1:1, God had not yet been processed through incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. The word in Matthew 28:19 was spoken by the Lord after He had entered into resurrection, having passed through incarnation, human living, and crucifixion. After His resurrection, He charged His disciples to disciple the nations and to baptize them not into the name of the Creator, whom we may call the unprocessed God, but to baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son, and Spirit. This is to baptize the believers into the processed God. The processed God is God available to His chosen people, and His people can be baptized into Him. Although it is not possible to baptize believers into God as He is revealed in Genesis 1:1, we can baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit; that is, we can baptize them into the processed Triune God
6今天经过过程的三一神就是那灵。在约翰七章三十九节的时候还没有那灵，因为耶稣尚未得著荣耀。祂还没有经过死，还没有进入复活。现今基督既然经过了死，进入了复活，那灵就在这里。这灵就是基督，而基督乃是神的故事，神的奥秘。基督是神的故事；祂乃是经过过程的神，就是神经过了过程，成了包罗万有的灵，如今住在我们的灵里，并与我们的灵是一。
6Today the processed Triune God is the Spirit. At the time of John 7:39, the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. He had not yet passed through death and entered into resurrection. Now that Christ has passed through death and has entered into resurrection, the Spirit is here. This Spirit is Christ, and Christ is the story of God, the mystery of God. As the story of God, Christ is the processed God, God processed to become the all-inclusive Spirit, who now dwells in our spirit and is one with our spirit.
吸取基督的丰富
ABSORBING THE RICHES OF CHRIST
7我们在其中生根的基督，就是这包罗万有的灵。这意思是说，在我们灵里有经过过程的三一神作我们的源头。这源头就是我们里面所涌出的泉源。那住在我们里面包罗万有的灵，包含了神性、人性、成为肉体、人性生活、死、复活的成分。我们已经在祂里面，就是在这位奇妙的源头里面生根；祂乃是经过过程的三一神，成了包罗万有赐生命的灵。一棵树生根在土壤里，就把土壤一切丰富的元素都吸收到里面。这些元素吸收到树里面，就成了树的滋养。然后树就凭著这些元素而增长、长大。树若没有从土壤里吸收丰富，就不可能长大。一棵树在土里扎根越深，从土壤里吸收丰富的滋养就越多。我们在基督里长大，原则也是一样。我们已经在基督这土壤里深深的扎根；这土壤就是住在我们灵里，那包罗万有、赐生命、经过过程的三一神。如今我们从基督这土壤把丰富吸收到我们里面。结果，我们就凭著从基督的丰富所吸收的，被建造起来。我们所吸收进来的，成了我们被建造的材料。
7The Christ in whom we have been rooted is this all- inclusive Spirit. This means that in our spirit we have the processed Triune God as our source. This source is a fountain springing up within us. The all-inclusive Spirit who indwells us contains the elements of divinity, humanity, incarnation, human living, death, and resurrection. We have been rooted in Him, in this marvelous source, who is the processed Triune God as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit. A tree rooted in the soil absorbs into itself all the rich elements from the soil. As these elements are absorbed into the tree, they become nourishment to the tree. The tree then increases, grows, with these elements. Apart from absorbing the riches from the soil, it would not be possible for the tree to grow. The more deeply a tree is rooted into the earth, the more it absorbs the rich nourishment from the soil. The principle is the same with our growth in Christ. We have been deeply rooted into Christ as the soil, the all-inclusive, life-giving, processed Triune God who dwells in our spirit. Now we are absorbing the riches from Christ as the soil into our being. As a result, we are being built up with what we have absorbed of the riches of Christ. What we absorb into us becomes the material with which we are built up
在属灵身量上的加增
INCREASING IN SPIRITUAL STATURE
8保罗在歌罗西二章七节所用的『正被建造』这句话，不是直接指基督身体的建造。这辞乃是指我们在属灵身量上的加增，这可比喻为人的肉身长大时，在身量上的增加。小孩子在肉身上长大惟一的路，乃是藉著吸收营养的食物。照样，我们在属灵上长大，乃是藉著吸收基督丰富的滋养。这就是二章七节所题，在基督里被建造的意义。首先保罗告诉我们，我们在基督里已经生根。然后他继续说，我们在基督里正被建造。树没有先生根，就不能长大。树的长大也就是树的建造。
8Paul’su se of the words “being built up” in 2:7 do not refer in a direct way to the building up of the Body of Christ. Rather, this expression denotes an increase in our spiritual stature, which can be compared to a person’sin crease in stature as he grows physically. The only way a child can grow physically is by assimilating nourishing food. In the same way, we grow spiritually by assimilating the rich nourishment of Christ. This is what it means to be built up in Christ, as mentioned in 2:7. First Paul tells us that we have been rooted in Christ. Then he goes on to say that we are being built up in Christ. No tree can grow up without first being rooted. The growing up of the tree is also the building up of the tree.
9如果我们缺少属灵的身量，谈论基督身体的建造是无益的。保罗在以弗所四章十三节说，『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。』基督的身体有一个身材，这身材有一个完满的度量。我们都需要长大，直到我们达到基督身体之身材完满的度量。我们被建造，头一个意义不是说，我们被建造成召会─基督的身体；乃是说，我们在主里被建造，并经历身量的加增。因此，在歌罗西二章七节里，被建造的真实意义乃是长大。首先我们生根到基督这包罗万有的灵里，然后我们在祂里面长大。我们藉著长大把自己建造起来。我们被建造，在于把基督这土壤的丰富吸收到我们里面。我们把这些丰富吸收进来，就会长大并且被建造。我们完全长成以后，就要被建造起来。因此，建造的意思就是长大。我们要长大，就需要滋养。我们的长大有多少，乃在于我们藉著在基督里生根，而吸收到我们里面来的滋养有多少。因著我们在祂里面生根，我们就把包罗万有之灵的丰富吸收进来。然后我们就凭我们从这些丰富所得的滋养而长大。
9If we are lacking in spiritual stature, it is of no avail to speak of the building up of the Body. In Ephesians 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.” The Body of Christ has a stature, and this stature has a full measure. We all need to grow until we arrive at the full measure of the stature of the Body of Christ. For us to be built up does not first mean that we are built up as the church, the Body. It means that we are built up in the Lord and experience an increase of stature. Hence, in Colossians 2:7 to be built up actually means to grow up. First we are rooted into Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit, and then we grow up in Him. We build ourselves up by growing up. Our being built up depends on our assimilating into our being the riches of Christ as the soil. Having assimilated these riches into us, we shall grow and be built up. When we are fully grown, we shall be built up. Therefore, to be built up simply means to grow up. In order to grow, we need nourishment. Our growth depends on how much nourishment we assimilate into us by being rooted in Christ. Because we are rooted in Him, we absorb into us the riches of the all-inclusive Spirit. Then we grow with the nourishment we derive from these riches
藉著从元首
GROWING BY ABSORBING THE RICHES
吸取丰富而长大
FROM THE HEAD
10按照二章十九节所说，我们藉著持定元首，就以神的增长而长大。本于元首，基督的身体便以神的增长而长大。这里的神乃是经过过程的三一神，与马太二十八章十九节者相同。本于经过过程的三一神作我们的源头，身体便藉著从元首吸取丰富而长大。身体不是因著圣经知识而长大，乃是以神的增长而长大。神自己是无限的、完全的、完整的。因此，神自己不能长大。但神在我们里面却能长大，并且需要长大。我们因著神在我们里面增长而长大。因为我们里面的三一神太少，我们就需要神加多，好叫我们在属灵上长大。我们乃是凭我们从元首所吸取的而长大。极重要且极紧要的点乃是，我们是藉著吸取基督的丰富而长大。我们要吸取祂的丰富，就必须生根到祂这包罗万有的灵里面。要记住，这灵乃是住在我们的灵里。土壤不是我们的心思、情感或意志，乃是住在我们灵里，那包罗万有、经过过程的三一神。为著我们长大所需要之丰富的源头，乃是在我们灵里经过过程的三一神。我们如何到水龙头那里去取水；照样，我们也必须转到我们的灵里，好得著三一神的丰富。
10According to 2:19, by holding the Head we grow with the growth of God. Out from the Head, the Body grows with the growth of God. God here is the processed Triune God, as in Matthew 28:19. Out from the processed Triune God as our source, the Body grows by absorbing the riches from the Head. The Body does not grow with biblical knowledge, but grows with the growth of God. In Himself, God is infinite, perfect, and complete. Therefore, in Himself God cannot grow. But in us God can grow and He needs to grow. We grow by the growth of God in us. Because we have so little of the Triune God within us, we need the addition of God for our spiritual growth. We grow with what we absorb from the Head. The vital and crucial point is that we grow by absorbing the riches of Christ. In order to absorb His riches, we must be rooted into Him as the all- inclusive Spirit. Remember that this Spirit dwells in our spirit. The soil is not our mind, emotion, or will; it is the all-inclusive, processed Triune God dwelling in our spirit. The source of the riches we need for our growth is the processed Triune God in our spirit. Just as we go to a faucet to get water, so we must turn to our spirit to get the riches of the Triune God
操练灵
EXERCISING THE SPIRIT
11我们要更深的扎根到经过过程的三一神里面，就需要操练我们的灵，而不是操练我们的心思、情感或意志。然而，我们的环境并不利于操练灵。相反的，我们环境中的每件事都使我们离开灵。譬如，一位弟兄的妻子也许大半个主日对他都很和善，但是就在擘饼聚会之前，对他说了些不客气的话。他对她这样的不客气起了反应，就立刻从灵里被拖出来了。在这样的情形里，这位弟兄必须操练他的灵，并呼求主耶稣的名。他这样操练灵，就能更深的扎根到基督这土壤里，并且自然而然就能更多吸取包罗万有之灵的丰富。这就产生更多的长大。
11In order to become more deeply rooted into the processed Triune God, we need to exercise our spirit, not our mind, emotion, or will. However, our environment does not favor the exercise of the spirit. On the contrary, everything in our environment works to keep us away from the spirit. For example, throughout most of the Lord’s Day, a brother’s wife may be very pleasant to him. But just before the Lord’stable meeting, she may speak an unkind word to him. In his reaction to her unkindness, he is immediately drawn away from the spirit. In the midst of such a situation, the brother needs to exercise his spirit and call on the name of the Lord Jesus. By this exercise of the spirit, he will become more deeply rooted into Christ as the soil and automatically absorb more of the riches of the all-inclusive Spirit. This will produce more growth
12我们需要不断的操练我们的灵。这就是保罗在歌罗西书末了，吩咐我们要坚定持续祷告（四2）的原因。然而，我们若不操练灵，反倒操练我们的心思、情感和意志，撒但就会使我们不能在灵里享受包罗万有的灵。那狡猾、邪恶的撒但，利用环境使我们从灵里出来。因此，我们要更深的扎根到包罗万有的灵里，就必须不断的藉著呼求主名来操练我们的灵。然后我们就要吸取基督的丰富，在基督里长大，并且自然而然的在基督里被建造。结果，我们就在祂里面行事为人。我们若明白这事，就会知道我们吸取祂的丰富，并凭著所吸取的被建造，而在基督里行事为人，到底是甚么意思。这就是我们众人所需要，对基督实际的经历。
12We need to continually exercise our spirit. This is the reason that toward the end of the book of Colossians, Paul charges us to persevere in prayer (4:2). However, if, instead of exercising our spirit, we exercise our mind, emotion, and will, Satan will keep us from enjoying the all-inclusive Spirit in our spirit. Satan, the subtle, evil one, uses the environment to keep us out of the spirit. Thus, we need to exercise our spirit continually by calling on the name of the Lord in order to become more deeply rooted into the all-inclusive Spirit. Then we shall absorb the riches of Christ, grow in Christ, and spontaneously be built up in Christ. As a result, we shall walk in Him. If we understand this, we shall know what it means to walk in Christ by absorbing His riches and by being built up with what we have absorbed. This is the practical experience of Christ we all need