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帖撒罗尼迦前书生命读经 · 第1篇

为著召会生活之圣别生活的引言

Introduction to a Holy Life for the Church Life
1读经：帖撒罗尼迦前书一章一至三节。保罗写给帖撒罗尼迦人的两封书信，可能是保罗最早期的著作。帖撒罗尼迦是罗马帝国的一城，在亚该亚省以北的马其顿省内。使徒保罗在第二次尽职的旅程中，接受马其顿人的呼召之后，与他的同工西拉先去腓立比，接著就到帖撒罗尼迦。（徒十六9～12，十七1～4。）使徒在那里停留作工，时间很短，也许不满一个月。（十七2。）
1Scripture Reading: 1 Thes. 1:1-3 The two Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians may be considered the earliest of Paul’s writings. Thessalonica was a city of the Roman Empire in the province of Macedonia, north of the province of Achaia. After the Macedonian call, which Paul received on his second journey of ministry, he and his co-worker Silvanus visited first Philippi and then Thessalonica (Acts 16:9-12; 17:1-4). The apostle stayed and worked there for only a short time, probably less than one month (Acts 17:2
写给初信者
WRITTEN TO NEW BELIEVERS
2给帖撒罗尼迦人的两封书信，都是保罗早期在他第二次尽职的旅程中所写的。在这次外出的旅程中，保罗在帖撒罗尼迦停留不到一个月。根据使徒行传的记载，保罗去腓立比之后不久，就到帖撒罗尼迦作工三个安息日，大约三周的时间。给腓立比人的书信是一卷极好的书信，那是过了许久之后，保罗在监狱中写的。
2The two Epistles to the Thessalonians were written in the early days, while Paul was still on his second journey of ministry. In the course of this journey, Paul stayed in Thessalonica for less than a month. According to Acts, Paul worked there for three Sabbaths, for about three weeks, not long after his visit to Philippi. The Epistle to the Philippians, a wonderful book, was written much later, during Paul’sim prison ment
3毫无疑问，保罗写信给帖撒罗尼迦人的时候，帖撒罗尼迦召会还非常幼嫩。我不信保罗写这两封书信的时候，那里的信徒在召会生活里会超过一年的时间。因此我们在帖撒罗尼迦前后书看见的一些点，是保罗在其他书信中没有题到的。因为帖撒罗尼迦召会是这么幼嫩，所以保罗给帖撒罗尼迦人的书信，多少是针对孩童阶段的圣徒写的。保罗对帖撒罗尼迦人所说的一些话，与他对其他较老练的召会所说的不同。我们研读帖撒罗尼迦前后书，认识幼嫩召会的光景和情形，是很有价值的。我们读这两卷书，就能认识年幼的基督徒生活和幼嫩的召会生活。我们若记住这一面的背景，会对我们读这两卷书信很有帮助。帖撒罗尼迦前后书不是写给老练的基督徒，乃是写给年幼的信徒，写给得救不到一年的人。他们从前多半是道地的外邦人。因此，保罗写信给他们的时候，必定把他们看作年幼的信徒。这两封书信非常宝贝，因为在有关年幼的基督徒生活和幼嫩的召会生活的事上，这两封书信提供给我们特别的帮助。
3No doubt, when Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, the church in Thessalonica was still very young. I doubt that the believers there had been in the church life for even a full year when these two Epistles were written. Thus, in 1 and 2 Thessalonians we see certain points that are not covered in Paul’so ther Epistles. Because the church in Thessalonica was so young, Paul’s Epistles to the Thessalonians are more or less to those in a childhood stage. Some of what Paul says to the Thessalonians is different from what he says to other churches that were more experienced. It is worthwhile for us to study 1 and 2 Thessalonians in order to know the situation and condition of a young church. By reading these two books we can know the young Christian life and the young church life. If we keep in mind this aspect of the background, we shall be helped in our reading of these Epistles. The books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians were not written to experienced Christians. They were written to young believers, to those who had been saved for less than a year. Most of them had been typical Gentiles. Therefore, in writing to them, Paul surely viewed them as young believers. These Epistles are very precious, for they render us particular help concerning the young Christian life and church life.
生机的联结
THE ORGANIC UNION
4帖前一章一节说，『保罗、西拉和提摩太，写信给在父神和主耶稣基督里，帖撒罗尼迦人的召会：愿恩典与平安归与你们。』本书与后书都是写给在帖撒罗尼迦的地方召会，就是由该城所有在基督里的信徒所组成的。这样的地方召会是属于信徒的，也是在父神和主耶稣基督里的。这指明这样的地方召会是由父神所生，有祂的生命和性情，并在主耶稣基督一切的所是和所作里，与祂有生机的联结。因此，召会是属于人的，（如帖撒罗尼迦人，）但在生机上是在神里并在主里的。这种在神的生命和性情里生机的联结，乃是信徒为著召会生活，过圣别生活不可少的基础。这样的生活乃是这两封书信的主题。
4First Thessalonians 1:1 says, “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” This Epistle and the second were both addressed to the local church in Thessalonica, composed of all the believers in Christ in that city. Such a local church is of the believers and is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This indicates that such a local church is born of God the Father with His life and nature and is united with the Lord Jesus Christ organically in all He is and has done. Hence, it is of men (such as the Thessalonians), yet in God and in the Lord organically. Such an organic union in the divine life and nature is the vital base for the believers to live a holy life for the church life, which is the theme of the two Epistles
5保罗对帖撒罗尼迦人开头所说的话很平常。他不像在罗马一章一节那里说，他是『基督耶稣的奴仆…，蒙召的使徒，被分别出来归于神福音的』；也不像以弗所一章一节说，他是『凭神旨意，作基督耶稣使徒的』。罗马书与以弗所书的开头比帖撒罗尼迦前书复杂。因为这封书信是写给年幼信徒的，所以保罗在一章一节简单的说，『保罗、西拉和提摩太，写信给…帖撒罗尼迦人的召会。』保罗的著作有一个特征，就是强调信徒与三一神生机的联结。事实上，强调与基督生机的联结是保罗著作中一个显著的特点。保罗在书信里一再说到在基督里、在三一神里。一章一节虽然写得很简单，却题到生机的联结，这是保罗特有的写法。保罗在本节说到在父神和主耶稣基督里，帖撒罗尼迦人的召会。这里的介系词『在…里』非常重要，指出召会是在三一神里的。召会是由人所组成，但这些人─信徒─乃是在三一神里的。在帖撒罗尼迦的召会，一面是属于帖撒罗尼迦人的，另一面是在父神里的。
5In his opening word to the Thessalonians Paul speaks in a plain manner. He does not say, as in Romans 1:1, that he is “a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, separated to the gospel of God”; neither does he say, as in Ephesians 1:1, that he is an “apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God.” The opening of Romans and Ephesians is more complicated than that of 1 Thessalonians. Because this Epistle was written to young believers, in 1:1 Paul simply says, “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians.” It is a particular characteristic of Paul’s writing to emphasize the organic union of the believers with the Triune God. In fact, the emphasis on the organic union with Christ is an outstanding feature of Paul’s writings. In his Epistles Paul again and again speaks of being in Christ, in the Triune God. Although 1:1 is written in a simple way, it nevertheless includes Paul’s characteristic reference to the organic union. In this verse Paul speaks of the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The preposition “in” here is very important; it indicates that the church is in the Triune God. The church is composed of human beings, but they, the believers, are in the Triune God. On the one hand, the church in Thessalonica was of the Thessalonians; on the other hand, this church was in God the Father.
与父神生命的关系
A LIFE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE FATHER
6保罗不是仅仅说召会在神里面，乃是说召会在父神里。除非神是我们的父，否则我们就不能在祂里面。我们不是在神里面被造的，但我们是在祂里面重生的。我们乃是在神之外被造的；这就是说，在神创造时，我们与祂没有甚么生机的联结或生命的关系，只有受造之物与创造者之间的关系。创造的结果乃是我们成了神所造之物，而神是我们的创造主。因此，神与我们之间有创造的关系，却没有生命的关系。我们受造时，神的生命并没有进到我们天然的人里面。我们这些神所造的人，并没有神的生命。我们只有受造的生命，就是我们天然人的生命。
6Paul does not merely say that the church is in God; he says that the church is in God the Father. Unless God is our Father, we cannot be in Him. We were not created in God; however, we were regenerated, born again, in Him. We were created outside of God. This means that in creation we did not have any organic union with God or any life relationship with Him. Instead, there was only the relationship between the creature and the Creator. As a result of creation, we are God’s creatures, and He is our Creator. Hence, there is a relationship of creation, but no relationship in life. God’s life was not created into our natural being. As God’s creatures, we did not have the life of God. We had only our created life, our natural human life
7我们重生、由神而生的时候，我们与神的生命关系就开始了。这个重生把我们带进与三一神生机的联结里。我们重生的时候，得著了神的生命。现今神不仅是我们的创造主、我们的神，祂也是生了我们的父。神不再仅仅是我们的创造主，祂也是生我们的那位，因为祂已经用祂的生命生了我们。因此，祂是我们的父神。帖撒罗尼迦信徒藉著重生成了神的儿子。按照罗马书，召会是由神的众子组成的。罪人不可能成为召会的组成分子。罪人可以成为属世组织的成员，却无法成为活神召会的组成分子。这样的召会只能由神的儿子所组成。父已经豫定我们作祂的儿子。以弗所一章五节说，神豫定我们得儿子的名分。到了时候，神呼召我们，在我们里面感动我们；于是我们悔改，相信神的儿子耶稣基督，而接受了祂。我们一接受基督，就蒙了重生，成为神的儿子。现今我们既是神的儿子，就成了召会─基督身体─的组成分子。我们这些神的儿子既是基督的肢体，所以帖前一章一节说，召会不仅在父神里，也在主耶稣基督里。
7When we were regenerated, born of God, our life relationship with God began. This rebirth brought us into the organic union with the Triune God. At the time of our regeneration, our rebirth, we obtained God’s life. Now God is not merely our Creator, our God; He is our Father, the One who has begotten us. God is no longer merely our Creator—He is also our Begetter, for He has begotten us with His life. Therefore, He is God our Father. Through regeneration the Thessalonian believers had become sons of God. According to the book of Romans, the church is a composition of sons of God. It is impossible for sinners to be components of the church. Sinners can be members of a secular organization, but they cannot be components of the church of the living God. Such a church is composed only of sons of God. We have been predestinated by the Father to be His sons. As Ephesians 1:5 says, we have been predestinated unto sonship. At a certain time, God called us and moved us inwardly. Then we repented, believed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and received Him. By receiving Christ, we were reborn and became sons of God. Now that we are sons of God, we are the components of the church, the Body of Christ. Because we, as sons of God, are the members of Christ, 1:1 says not only that the church is in God the Father, but also that the church is in the Lord Jesus Christ
呼求主耶稣
CALLING ON THE LORD JESUS
8在一章一节，保罗在神之前插进父这个称呼，又在耶稣基督之前插进主这个称呼，是非常有意义的。只说神或耶稣基督还不彀；我们需要说，神是我们的父，耶稣基督是我们的主。如果耶稣基督不是我们的主，我们与祂就没有实际的关系。但是当耶稣基督成为我们的主，这就表示我们在祂里面，与祂有生机的联结。
8It is very significant that in 1:1 Paul inserts the title Father after God and the title Lord before Jesus Christ. It is not sufficient to speak either of God or of Jesus Christ. Rather, we need to say that God is our Father and that Jesus Christ is our Lord. If Jesus Christ is not our Lord, then we have nothing to do with Him in a practical way. But when Jesus Christ becomes our Lord, this means that we are in Him, organically united to Him.
9当我们呼求主耶稣的名，我们不该只说『耶稣』，我们该说『主耶稣』。呼求主的时候，如果只说『耶稣』，就有点无知。但主是富有怜悯的，祂同情我们。当我们呼求『耶稣』，而不是呼求『主耶稣』时，祂仍然会回应，因为祂知道我们实际上是呼求祂为主。但我们需要对呼求主有正确的认识。我们不要说，『耶稣，我爱你，』最好说，『主耶稣，我爱你。』这样呼求主太甜美了！有些基督徒喜欢说，『赞美神！』但是新约所强调的是赞美父神。我们必须看见，今天对我们来说，神是我们的父，1耶稣是我们的主。根据林前十二章三节，当我们说『主，耶稣』，我们就在灵里。这指明正确的呼求主耶稣，是那灵所尊重的。我们中间许多人能见证，当我们呼喊『主耶稣』时，我们感觉到那灵在我们里面的涂抹。当我们说『阿爸，父』时，也是这样。我们如果只呼求神（以罗欣），膏油的涂抹并不多。但是当我们呼喊『阿爸，父』，我们就经历膏油的涂抹。这不是用辞的问题，乃是我们经历中的实际。
9When we call on the name of the Lord Jesus, we should not just say “Jesus”; we should say, “Lord Jesus.” To call on Him only by saying “Jesus” is to call somewhat ignorantly. The Lord, however, is merciful, and He sympathizes with us. He still responds when we call “Jesus” instead of “Lord Jesus,” for He realizes that actually we are calling on Him as Lord. Nevertheless, we need the proper knowledge of calling on the Lord. Instead of saying, “Jesus, I love You,” it is better to say, “Lord Jesus, I love You.” How sweet it is to call on the Lord in this way! Some Christians like to say, “Praise God!” But in the New Testament the emphasis is on praising God the Father. We need to realize that for us today God is our Father and Jesus is our Lord. According to Corinthians 12:3, when we say, “Lord Jesus,” we are in the Spirit. This indicates that the Spirit honors the proper calling on the Lord Jesus. Many of us can testify that when we call, “Lord Jesus,” we sense the anointing of the Spirit within. The same is true of saying, “Abba, Father.” If we merely call on God, Elohim, we do not have much anointing. But when we cry, “Abba, Father,” we experience the anointing. This is not a matter of terminology; it is a reality in our experience.
在父神和主耶稣基督里的召会
THE CHURCH IN GOD THE FATHER and the Lord Jesus Christ
10我们要有深刻的印象，召会是在父神和主耶稣基督里的。说『主耶稣基督』含意很多。第一，这含示耶稣基督是我们的主。第二，这含示祂是我们的救主，因为耶稣这名的意思是耶和华救主。第三，这含示神的受膏者基督，正带我们进入神的丰富里，并且为神在我们身上成就一切。因此，说『主耶稣基督』，乃是说出包罗万有的一句话。保罗说召会是在父神和主耶稣基督里的，这指明我们已经从神而生，并进入了与基督生机的联结。召会是甚么？召会乃是一班由神而生，并进入了与基督生机联结的人。
10We need to be impressed with the fact that the church is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. To say “the Lord Jesus Christ” implies a great deal. First, it implies that Jesus Christ is our Lord. Second, it implies that He is our Savior, for the name Jesus means Jehovah the Savior. Third, it implies that Christ, God’s anointed One, is bringing us into the riches of God and is accomplishing everything with us for God. Therefore, to say “the Lord Jesus Christ” is to utter something all-inclusive. When Paul says that the church is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, he indicates that we have been born of God and have been brought into the organic union with Christ. What is the church? The church is a group of human beings who have been born of God and who have been brought into the organic union with Christ.
信心的工作
WORK OF FAITH
11保罗在帖前一章二至三节接著说，『我们为你们众人常常感谢神，在祷告中常题到你们；在我们的神与父面前，不住的记念你们信心的工作，爱心的劳苦，并对我们主耶稣基督之盼望的忍耐。』在这里我们看见，保罗为召会祷告的时候，为著三件事感谢神：信心的工作、爱心的劳苦、以及盼望的忍耐。这里的信心指明工作的性质和力量。我们的工作就是我们的信心。这意思是说，我们基督徒工作的性质和力量乃是信心。我们工作所用的力量和我们工作的性质，都应当是信心。我们基督徒工作的性质应当是本于信心，而不是本于人的知识、才能或能力。
11In verses 2 and 3 Paul goes on to say, “We give thanks to God always concerning you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering unceasingly your work of faith, and labor of love, and endurance of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.” Here we see that when Paul prays for the church he gives thanks to God for three matters: for the work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope. Faith here indicates the nature and strength of the work. Our work is our faith. This means that the nature and strength of our Christian work is faith. The strength with which we work and the nature of our work should both be faith. Our Christian work should be of the nature of faith, not of the nature of human knowledge, ability, or power
爱心的劳苦
LABOR OF LOVE
12我们必须明白工作与劳苦之间的不同。工作可能不是很深入、不是很困难的。但是劳苦比工作深入、艰难。当我们作一项不容易完成的工作时，那就是劳苦。这种劳苦应当本于爱心。爱心是我们基督徒劳苦的动机和特征。这意思是说，所彰显出来的乃是爱。我们基督徒的工作至终成了更深入、更艰难的劳苦。要这样劳苦，光有信心是不彀的；我们还需要爱心，一种永不止息的爱。
12We need to understand the difference between work and labor. Work may be something which is not very deep and which may not be very difficult. Labor, however, is both deeper and harder than work. When we are doing a work that is difficult to accomplish, that is a labor. This labor should be of love. Love is the motivation and the characteristic of our Christian labor. This means that love is the expression. Our Christian work eventually becomes a labor, something that is deeper and more difficult. For this labor, faith alone is not adequate; we also need love, a love that is lasting
13养育孩子是爱心的劳苦很好的说明。作母亲的都知道，照顾孩子不仅是工作，更是劳苦。初为人母者在孩子出生以后，对婴孩会有温柔的爱心。短时间内她会愉快的作照顾孩子的工作。但最终那项工作成了劳苦，给她压力，使她筋疲力竭。但主在这位年轻母亲里面创造了母爱，来爱她的孩子，这实在太好了！如果没有这种爱心，她就不能年复一年的背负照顾孩子的担子。这种爱心促使她照顾自己的孩子。这爱也是她劳苦的特征和彰显。这说明我们在基督徒的生活中，首先有信心的工作，然后这工作成了爱心的劳苦。
13Raising children is a good illustration of a labor of love. Mothers know that caring for a child is a labor, not merely a work. After giving birth, a new mother will have a tender love for her infant. For a while she will work happily to care for the child. Eventually, however, that work will become a labor that presses and exhausts her. How good it is that the Lord has created within this young mother a mother’s love for her child! Without such a love, she would not be able to bear the burden of caring for her child over the years. This love motivates her to care for her child. It is also the characteristic, the expression, of her labor. This illustrates that in the Christian life first we have a work of faith and then this work becomes a labor of love
盼望的忍耐
endurance of hope
14我们看过信心的工作和爱心的劳苦，接著要来看盼望的忍耐。盼望是忍耐的源头。所有作母亲的都知道，照顾孩子需要忍耐。作母亲的需要忍耐，以忍受随著养育孩子而来的困扰。我们在召会生活中和家庭生活中都需要忍耐。我们必须受训练、受教育，先是学习工作，然后是劳苦，末了是忍耐。使徒乃是忍耐的人。2只要他有忍耐，他就彀资格作使徒。我们能在哥林多后书看见使徒保罗的忍耐，这种忍耐是我们工作的顶石。长老们，忍耐是长老职分的顶石。照样，在牧养人的工作上，忍耐是极重要的。我们若要成功的牧养圣徒，就必须操练忍耐。忍耐联于受苦，不联于享受。牧养总是包含某种程度的受苦。在帖前一章三节，保罗说到对我们主耶稣基督之盼望的忍耐。这忍耐来自对主回来的盼望，或者说来自对回来之主的盼望。盼望是忍耐的源头。
14From the work of faith and the labor of love we go on to the endurance of hope. Hope is the source of endurance. All mothers know that caring for children requires endurance. It takes endurance for a mother to bear all the troubles that come with raising children. In the church life as well as in the family life we all need endurance. We must be trained, educated, first to work, then to labor, and eventually to endure. An apostle is one who endures. As long as he has endurance, he is qualified to be an apostle. In Corinthians we can see the endurance of the Apostle Paul. Such endurance is the topstone of our work. Elders, endurance is the topstone of the eldership. Likewise, in the work of shepherding others, endurance is crucial. If we would be successful in shepherding the saints, we must exercise endurance. Endurance involves suffering, not enjoyment. Shepherding always involves an amount of suffering. In 1:3 Paul speaks of the endurance of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ. This endurance comes from the hope in the Lord’s coming, or from the hope in the coming Lord. Hope is the source of endurance.
基督徒生活的结构
THE STRUCTURE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
15一章三节的信、爱、望，描述真基督徒生活的结构，是由这三个元素所构成。信，接受神圣的事物，（约一，）并质实属灵、未见的事。（来十一1。）望，是收获并有分于信所质实的事物。（罗八24～25。）爱，是享受信心所接受、质实，以及盼望所有分于的事物，为著滋养我们，建造别人，并彰显神。这样的生活不是源于信徒天然之人的才能，乃是源于他们所相信之神所是的注入。这种生活乃是藉著他们（对那施爱的主，就是爱他们，为他们舍了自己的，并对主的肢体，就是祂在爱里藉著死所救赎的，）牺牲的爱而有的。这种生活因著盼望的维持能力，得以持续不变：这盼望就是期盼他们所爱的主；祂曾应许要来接他们到祂自己那里。这样的生活，乃是本书信的内容。
15The faith, the love, and the hope in 1:3 depict the structure of the genuine Christian life, constructed with these elements. Faith receives the divine things (John 1:1 2) and realizes the spiritual and unseen 12 things (Heb. 11:1). Hope reaps and partakes of the things realized by faith (Rom. 8:24-25). Love enjoys the things received and realized by faith and partaken of by hope for nourishing ourselves, building up others, and expressing God. Such a life originates not from the ability of the believer’s natural being, but from the infusion of what God is, in whom they believe. It is carried out by their sacrificial love toward their loving Lord, who loved them and gave Himself for them, and toward His members, whom He has redeemed through His death in love. This life lasts and stands unchanging by the sustaining power of the hope that looks for their beloved Lord, who promised that He would come to take them to Himself. Such a life is the content of this Epistle.
16我盼望我们从帖撒罗尼迦前后书，都能看见一些对年幼信徒有帮助的事。我们需要帮助初信者在信心、爱心、盼望上长大，特别是在信心的工作、爱心的劳苦、并盼望的忍耐上长大。
16I hope that from 1 and 2 Thessalonians we shall all see something that is helpful to young believers. We need to help the new ones to grow in faith, in love, and in hope, in particular, in the work of faith, in the labor of love, and in the endurance of hope.
17何等奇妙，帖撒罗尼迦的信徒因著使徒短短不到一个月的服事，就能过这样的生活！这鼓励我们凭充足信心的确据，将完全的福音传给道地的不信者，并将关于基督徒生命更深的真理，供应初信者。你传讲完全福音的时候，不要有一种观念，认为别人不会了解你所说的话。我们必须先替别人相信，然后他们自己就会相信。如果我们不相信自己所传讲的，别人也绝不会相信。因此，我们必须相信，那些听见我们所传讲的人会了解、接受并领受完全的福音。照样，我们必须进一步把基督徒生命更深的真理，供应初信者。但愿我们都学习传讲比我们认为别人所能了解更深的话。这两封给幼稚的帖撒罗尼迦召会的书信，将为著正确召会生活的真基督徒生活，简要的启示出来。在主回来的光中，这是一种三面的生活：信心是开端、根基；爱心是过程、构成；盼望是总结、完成。信心是向著神，（帖前一8，）爱心是向著圣徒，（三，四9～10，）盼望是在于主来。（二。）前书是为著鼓励和安慰，后书是为著改正和平衡。信徒该在主回来的盼望中，凭著信心和爱心生活行动并工作；但我们不该有错误的观念，以为主要立刻回来，我们就不必作长远之计。
17It is marvelous that the Thessalonian believers could live such a life through the apostle’s short ministry of less than one month. This encourages us to preach, in full assurance of faith, the complete gospel to typical unbelievers and minister the deeper truths concerning the Christian life to new converts. Do not hold the concept that, as you preach the full gospel, others will not be able to understand what you are saying. First we must believe for others. Then they themselves will believe. If we do not believe what we are preaching, others will never believe it. Thus, we must believe that those who hear us will be able to understand, receive, and accept the full gospel. Likewise, we must go on to minister the deeper truths of the Christian life to new believers. May we all learn to preach something deeper than what we think others are able to understand. In the two Epistles to the young church in Thessalonica, the genuine Christian life for the proper church life is revealed in a simple and brief way. It is a life of three dimensions in the light of the Lord’s coming back: faith as the beginning, the foundation; love as the process, the structure; and hope as the consummation, the topstone. Faith is toward God (1:8); love is toward the saints (3:12; 4:9-10); and hope is in the Lord’s coming (2:19). 12 The first Epistle is for encouragement and comfort; 19 the second is for correction and balance. The believers should live, walk, and work by faith and love in the hope of the Lord’s coming back. But we should not have the wrong concept that the Lord will come immediately, so that we need not do anything for the long run.
之基督徒生活的终结
for the Church Life
18使徒保罗的这两封书信可视为：为著召会生活之基督徒生活的终结。这部分的著作，开始于罗马书，结束于这两封书信。这两封书信虽然是为著幼稚的基督徒生活和召会生活，但我们也可看这两封书信是为著召会生活之基督徒生活的终结。
18These two Epistles may be considered the consummation of the Christian life for the church life. They conclude the section of the Apostle Paul’s writings that begins with the book of Romans. Although these two Epistles are for the young Christian life and church life, they may also be regarded as the consummation of the Christian life for the church life
19根据新约著作的顺序来看，是先有罗马书，然后有哥林多前后书、加拉太书、以弗所书、腓立比书、歌罗西书、以及帖撒罗尼迦前后书。这九封书信可以看作一组。这一组九封书信的终结与结论，就是帖撒罗尼迦前后书。
19According to the sequence of the New Testament writings, we have Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. These nine Epistles may be considered a group. The consummation and conclusion of this group of nine Epistles are 1 and 2 Thessalonians
20我们在本篇信息中交通了两个基本的点：第一，召会是由一班在父神和主耶稣基督里的人组成的；他们有神的生命，且与基督有生机的联结。第二，召会生活是由信心的工作、爱心的劳苦、以及因盼望要来的主而有的忍耐所构成的基督徒生活。但愿我们都对这两点有深刻的印象。我们需要看见，召会是由一班在父神里并有生命的人所组成的；他们也是生机的在主耶稣基督里的。我们也需要看见，为著召会生活的基督徒生活，是由信心的工作、爱心的劳苦、因盼望而有的忍耐所构成的。我们在以后的几篇信息里，要更多来看信心的工作、爱心的劳苦、以及因盼望而有的忍耐。
20In this message we have covered two basic points: first, that the church is composed of human beings in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ, those who have the life of God and who are in the organic union with Christ; second, that the church life is the Christian life constructed of the work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope in the coming Lord. May we all be deeply impressed with these two points. We need to see that the church is the composition of human beings who are in God the Father with life and who are organically in the Lord Jesus Christ. We also need to see that the Christian life for the church life is constructed of the work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope. In forthcoming messages we shall see more concerning this work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope.