帖撒罗尼迦前书生命读经 · 第16篇

基督徒生活的盼望

The Hope of the Christian Life

1读经：帖撒罗尼迦前书4:13-18。在帖前四章十三至十八节，保罗说了

1Scripture Reading: 1 Thes. 4:13-18 In 4:13-18 Paul gives an elementary word concerning the

2一些论到主再来和信徒被提初步的话。这里是安慰的话，笼统的说到在主回来时信徒的被提。关于这事，细节启示在新约别卷书，如马太福音和启示录。

2Lord’s coming and the rapture of the believers. Here, as a word of comfort, the rapture of believers at the Lord’s coming is mentioned in a general way. Concerning this matter, details are revealed in other books of the New Testament, such as Matthew and Revelation

3保罗在帖前章十三至十八节所描述的，乃是所有信徒普遍的盼望。这是为著召会生活之圣别生活的盼望。这种生活不是罪恶的，也不是属世的。相反的，这种生活是纯洁而圣别的。不仅如此，这种为著召会生活的圣别生活是有盼望的。人类因著堕落而没有指望。不信的人惟一的期望就是死，死是他们的目的地。他们逐日的生活就是迈向死亡的生活，他们是在行往死亡的路上。因此，他们的前途就是死。保罗在以弗所二章十二节描述不信的人没有指望的光景：『那时，你们在基督以外，和以色列国民隔绝，在所应许的诸约上是局外人，在世上没有指望，没有神。』不信的人没有指望，因为他们没有神。因著他们在基督以外，他们的生活中没有神，所以他们没有指望，只有死在等著他们。每个人都知道这事，认为这是理所当然的。为这缘故，不信的人不喜欢想到他们的将来。事实上，他们的将来是不积极的；有死亡的黑暗笼罩他们的将来。

3What Paul describes in 4:13-18 is the general hope of all believers. This is the hope of a holy life for the church life. This kind of life is neither sinful nor worldly. On the contrary, it is pure and holy. Furthermore, this holy life for the church life has a hope. Because of man’s fall there is no hope for the fallen human race. The only expectation unbelievers have is death. Death is their destination. Day by day, they are living with a view toward their death, and they are on the way to death. Thus, death is their future. In Ephesians 2:12 Paul describes the hopeless situation of unbelievers: “You were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Unbelievers have no hope because they do not have God. Because they are apart from Christ and their living is without God, they do not have any hope. The only thing that awaits them is death. Everyone realizes this and takes it for granted. For this reason, unbelievers do not like to think about their future. Actually, they do not have a positive future. In their future looms the darkness of death

4我们是信基督的人，我们的生活满了盼望。我们的盼望是主回来。不仅如此，我们的盼望还包括复活与被提。复活不仅是生命的事，更是生命胜过死亡的事。生命胜过死亡，那就是复活。被提甚至比复活更超越。一个人也许复活了，却不一定被提。复活与被提

4As those who believe in Christ, we have a life full of hope. Our hope is the Lord’s coming back. Furthermore, our hope includes resurrection and rapture. Resurrection is not only a matter of life, but a matter of life overcoming death. When life overcomes death, that is resurrection. Rapture is something that goes even beyond resurrection. A person may be resurrected and yet not be raptured resurrection and rapture

5为著召会生活的圣别生活是有前途、有盼望的生活。这盼望不仅是主再来，乃是主带著复活与被提而来。主耶稣回来，要使复活与被提发生。我们刚才已经指出，复活与被提都是生命之外再加上的。今天生命是我们所拥有的。我们有生命，我们在生命里，我们也享受生命。但我们等候主来，祂来会将复活与被提带给我们。

5The holy life for the church life is a life with a future, a life with hope. This hope is not merely the Lord’s coming; it is the Lord’s coming with resurrection and rapture. The coming back of the Lord Jesus will cause the resurrection and the rapture to occur. As we have just pointed out, resurrection and rapture are both in addition to life. Today life is our possession. We have life, we are in life, and we are enjoying life. However, we are awaiting the Lord’s coming, and His coming will bring resurrection and rapture.

6复活当然是为著已经死了的人。今天我们过的是为著召会的圣别生活。如果主回来的日子耽延，我们至终都要『睡觉』，也就是肉身要死去。所有已死的信徒都在等候复活。我们若活到主耶稣回来，就不需要复活，但我们还需要被提。不仅如此，已死的圣徒需要复活，也需要被提。所有的信徒，不论死了的或活著的，都需要被提。因此，被提其实是我们在地上一生的结束。这意思是说，我们一生的结束不是死，也不是复活，乃是被提。圣经里没有被提这个辞，却有被提的思想。基督教教师使用被提一辞的意思是被取去，就像以诺和以利亚被神取去那样。（创五24，王下二1，

6Resurrection, of course, is for those who have died. Today we are living a holy life for the church. If the Lord delays His coming back, we all shall eventually “sleep,” that is, die physically. All the believers who have died are waiting for resurrection. If we live until the coming back of the Lord Jesus, we shall not need resurrection. However, we shall still need rapture. Furthermore, those who have died will need to be resurrected and raptured as well. All believers, the dead as well as the living, need rapture. Rapture, therefore, is actually the end of our life on earth. This means that the conclusion of our life is neither death nor resurrection—it is rapture. In the Scriptures there is not such a word as rapture, but the thought of rapture is there. As used by Christian teachers, the word rapture means to be taken away, as what happened to Enoch and Elijah

711。）马太24:40-41，路加17:34-36;

7Gen. 5:24; 2 Kings 2:1, 11). Matthew 24:40-41; Luke

821:36，帖前4:17，启示录3:10;7:9;，都说到被提，就是把信徒取到诸天之上。新约中被提是个重要的题目。保罗在帖前四章十三至十八节只是说了一些概略而初步的话。他告诉我们，活著的信徒和已经死了又复活的信徒，都要被提到空中，与主相会。保罗在这几节经文里，没有进一步解释细节。他在这里所说的话，好比小学老师教学生

817:34-36; 21:36; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 3:10; 7:9; 11:12; 12:5; 14:1, 16; 15:2 all refer to rapture, to the 11:12; 12:5; 14:1, 16; 15:2 taking up of the believers to the heavens. In the New Testament the rapture is an important subject. In 4:13-18 Paul speaks of it only in a general, elementary way. He tells us that the living, together with those believers who have died and have been resurrected, will be caught up to a meeting of the Lord in the air. In these verses Paul does not go further to explain the details. What he says here can be compared to an elementary school teacher giving his students some

9一些数学的基本原则。事实上被提并不简单。为这缘故，圣经教师为这事有许多的辩论。

9basic principles of mathematics. Actually, the rapture is not a simple matter. For this reason, there has been much debate among Bible teachers concerning it

10保罗的意思是要初信的人，对基督徒生活的盼望有基本的概念。他要他们牢记一个事实：基督徒生活，就是为著召会生活的圣别生活，是有盼望的。因此，这种生活与堕落人类没有指望的生活完全不同。基

10Paul’sin tent i on is to give the new believers a basic concept of the hope of our Christian life. He wants to impress them with the fact that the Christian life, which is a holy life for the church life, has a hope. Therefore, this life is absolutely different from the hopeless life of fallen mankind. The hope of the

11督徒生活的盼望乃是主回来，而这盼望包括复活与被提。

11Christian life is the Lord’s coming back, and this hope includes resurrection and rapture.

12保罗在十三节说，『关于睡了的人，弟兄们，我们不愿意你们无知无识，恐怕你们忧伤，像其余没有盼望的人一样。』睡了的人，是指死了的人。（16，约十一～14，林前十一30。）主和使徒都看信徒的死是睡了。保罗写这封书信的时候，可能有一些帖撒罗尼迦的信徒死了，否则保罗没有理由要写这件事。保罗在帖前四章十四节继续说，『因为我们若信耶稣死而复活了，神也必照样将那些已经藉著耶稣睡了的人与祂一同带来。』相信这里所描述的盼望，包括相信主的复活。不相信基督复活的人，不会相信这个盼望。但我们若相信这个盼望，就指明我们已经相信基督的复活。有些人题到十四节会说，『圣徒死的时候就上天堂，当主耶稣回来时，要将他们从天上一起带来。』这样解释这节经文，就把上半节的话忽略了，那里告诉我们，耶稣死而复活了。这里当然是指耶稣的复活；如果死了的圣徒已经在天上，主来的时候要把他们从天上一起带来，那么死了的圣徒就不需要复活了。

12In verse 13 Paul says, “But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, that you may not sorrow even as also the rest who have no hope.” The words “those who are sleeping” refer to the dead (v. 16; John 11:11-14; 1 Cor. 11:30). The death of believers is considered by both the Lord and the 11 apostle as sleep. Perhaps by the time Paul wrote this Epistle some of the believers in Thessalonica had died. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for Paul to write about this matter. In verse 14 Paul continues, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so also those who are asleep will God, through Jesus, bring together with Him.” To believe in the hope described here includes believing in the Lord’s resurrection. Anyone who does not believe in Christ’s resurrection will not believe in this hope. But if we believe in this hope, this indicates that we have already believed in Christ’s resurrection. Some may refer to verse 14 and say, “When the saints die, they go to heaven, and when the Lord Jesus comes back, He will bring them from heaven with Him.” To interpret the verse in this way is to neglect the first half of the verse, where we are told that Jesus died and rose. This, of course, refers to His resurrection. If the dead saints are already in heaven, and if the Lord will bring them with Him from heaven when He comes, then the dead saints do not need resurrection.

13十五至十六节会帮助你们了解我的意思：『我们现在凭著主的话，告诉你们这件事，就是我们这些活著还存留到主来临的人，绝不能在那已经睡了的人之先；因为主必亲自从天降临，有发令的呼叫，有天使长的声音，又有神的号声，那在基督里死了的人必先复活。』请注意

13Verses 15 and 16 will help you to understand what I mean: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are living, who remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall by no means precede those who have slept; because the Lord Himself, with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with a trumpet of God, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” Please pay careful

14十六节的复活一辞。死了的人若已经在天上，他们还需要复活么？他们若真是在天上，就不需要复活，也不需要被提到主那里去。他们只需要与主耶稣一同从天而降。十六节说，在基督里死了的人必要复活，这事实指明，他们必定不在天上，而在另一个地方。

14attention to the word “rise” in verse 16. If the dead are already in heaven, what need is there for them to rise? If they are truly in heaven, they do not need to rise. Furthermore, they do not need to be raptured or to be caught up to the Lord. Their only need would be to descend from heaven with the Lord Jesus. The fact that verse 16 says that the dead in Christ shall rise indicates that they must be in some place other than heaven

15十五节的『来临』，希腊文是，巴路西亚，意同在。十六节的『发令的呼叫』，或作发令的呼喊，此乃集合的信号。神的号声指末次的号筒，（林前十五52，）为著聚集神所救赎的人。（参民十2。）

15In verse 15 the Greek word translated “coming” is parousia, presence. In verse 16 the Greek words parousia rendered “cry of command” may also be translated shout of command, as a signal for assembling. The trumpet of God is the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52), a trumpet for assembling God’s redeemed people (see Num. 10:2).

16保罗帖前四章在十七节接著说，『然后我们这些活著还存留的人，必同时与他们一起被提到云里，在空中与主相会；这样，我们就要和主常常同在。』照这节经文来看，死了与活著的信徒都要被提到主那里。死了的人必先复活，然后我们要与他们一起被提，在空中与主相会。启示录十二章的男孩子，就是得胜者，要在这世代末了三年半的大灾难之前，被提到三层天神的宝座那里。（5～6，

16In verse 17 Paul goes on to say, “Then we who are living, who remain, shall be caught up at the same time together with them in clouds into a meeting of the Lord in the air; and so we shall be always together with the Lord.” According to this verse, both the dead and the living believers will be caught up to the Lord. First the dead will be raised, and then together we shall be caught up to a meeting of the Lord in the air. The manchild in Revelation 12, the overcomers, will be caught up, raptured, to the throne of God in the third heaven before the last three and a half years of the

1714。）这里大体的信徒，包括死而复活并活到那时的信徒，要在大灾期末了，主来临（巴路西亚）时，被提到空中。

17great tribulation (Rev. 12:5-6, 14). Here, the majority of believers will be raptured to the air at the time of the Lord’s coming

乐园里已死的圣徒

THE DEAD SAINTS IN PARADISE

18我们中间有些人也许仍然有这种观念，就是死了的圣徒已经上了天堂，现今在天上与主耶稣同在。如果保罗在帖前四章的话只说到十四节，这种观念还可能成立。但保罗在十六节说，当主耶稣来的时候，死了的圣徒要复活。他们从那里复活？从天上么？他们若已经在天上，还需要复活么？他们若已经与主同在三层天上，那他们还要复活到甚么地方去？许多基督徒被裹著糖衣的宗教教训所欺骗。有一种教训是说，『哦，你不必为死去的母亲哀哭，因为她信了主耶稣，如今在天上与主耶稣同在。她在天堂里，比你的家好多了。你为甚么要哭？有一天你也要到天上与她在一起。』这种教导满了酵，是骗人的。我读圣经读了五十多年，从来没有发现一节圣经教导这样的事。这是迷信，来源出于异教或佛教，而被天主教所采纳。根据圣经来看，死了的信徒是在乐园里，（路二三43，）就是阴间里快乐的部分。（十六22～

18Some among us may still hold the concept that saints who have died have gone to heaven and are now there with the Lord Jesus. If Paul had not gone beyond what he says in verse 14, there might be ground for this concept. But in verse 16 Paul says that when the Lord Jesus comes, the dead saints will rise up. Where will they rise up from? From heaven? If they are already in heaven, what need will they have to rise up? And to what place would they rise if they are already in the third heaven with the Lord? Many Christians have been cheated by sugar-coated religious teachings. One of these teachings says, “Oh, you don’t need to weep about your mother who has died. Because she believed in the Lord Jesus, she is now in heaven with Him. She is in a heavenly mansion, a home that is much better than yours. Why, then, should you weep? One day you will join her in heaven.” This kind of teaching is full of leaven and is very deceitful. I have studied the Bible for more than fifty years, and I have not found even one verse that teaches such a thing. This is a superstition that has its source in paganism, or in Buddhism, and was adopted by Catholicism. According to the Bible, the dead believers are in Paradise (Luke 23:43), the comfortable section of Hades (Luke 16:22, 25-26). In Hades, there are two

1923，25～26。）阴间有两部分：快乐的部分和痛苦的部分。痛苦的部分与火湖不同。阴间不快乐的部分好比看守所之于监狱；看守所是暂时拘留罪犯的地方。但罪犯受审并判决以后，就给带出看守所，下到监狱里。罪人如今在阴间痛苦的部分，等候神白色大宝座前最终的审判。审判过后，罪人要被丢进火湖里，就是永远的监狱里。

19sections: a section of comfort and a section of torment. The section of suffering is different from the lake of fire. The unpleasant part of Hades may be compared to a jail in contrast to a prison. A jail is a place where criminals are held temporarily. But after a criminal has been tried and judged, he is taken from jail and put into prison. The sinners now in the section of torment in Hades are awaiting the final judgment, which will take place at the white throne of God. After that, the sinners will be cast into the lake of fire, the eternal prison.

20死了的圣徒是在乐园里，当主耶稣来时，他们要复活。他们不是复活到天上，而是复活与活著的圣徒一起被提。所以帖前四章十六节说，那在基督里死了的人必先复活。然后根据十七节，那些活著还存留的人，必同时与他们一起被提，与主相会。这意思是说，所有的信徒，包括已死的或活著的，都要被提到空中。这种教训不是包裹的糖衣，也不含

20The dead saints are in Paradise, and when the Lord Jesus comes, they will rise up. They will not rise up to heaven; rather, they will rise up and then be caught up together with the living saints. This is the reason verse 16 says that the dead in Christ will rise first. Then, according to verse 17, those who are living will be caught up at the same time with them to a meeting of the Lord. This means that all believers, the dead as well as the living, will be raptured to the air. This teaching is not sugar-coated, and it does not contain

21一点酵。相反的，这种教训乃是根据神纯正的话。

21any leaven. On the contrary, it is according to the pure Word of God

22照神的话来看，当主耶稣从天降临的时候，死了的圣徒要复活。他们的灵与魂要从乐园里复活，他们的身体要从坟墓里出来，他们的灵与魂连同他们的身体就使他们完全了。然后，他们要与活著的信徒会合；这样，我们就都要一起被提，到主那里。

22According to the Word of God, when the Lord Jesus descends from heaven, the dead saints will rise up. Their spirit and soul will rise out of Paradise, their body will rise up from the tomb, and their spirit and soul with the body will make them perfect. They will then join the believers who are living, and together we shall all be caught up to the Lord

活著的人被提

THE RAPTURE OF THE LIVING

23保罗在十五节说，『我们这些活著还存留到主来临的人。』他在十七节也说，『我们这些活著还存留的人。』保罗为甚么在十五节加上『还存留到主来临』这句话，又在十七节加上『还存留的人』这句话？你若深入思想这事，就会看见这指明（至少是含示），有一些活著的人不存留了。有些活著的人不在了，这些活著却不存留的人就是得胜者。得胜者被提，与那些活著还存留到主来临之信徒的被提不同。得胜者被提是在末了三年半大灾难以前。换句话说，得胜者是在大灾难以前被提。（启三10。）但那些活著还存留的人，要在大灾难末期被提，就是末次号筒吹响的时候。（林前十五52。）这是帖前四章所说的被提。就时间而论，这两种被提是不同的：一种被提是在大灾难之前，另一种被提是在大灾难末期。不仅如此，

23In verse 15 Paul says, “We who are living, who remain unto the coming of the Lord.” In verse 17 he also says, “We who are living, who remain.” Why does Paul add the clause “who remain unto the coming of the Lord” in verse 15 and the clause “who remain” in verse 17? If you consider this matter thoughtfully, you will realize that this indicates, or at least implies, that there are some living ones who do not remain. Some living ones are gone. These living ones who do not remain are overcomers. There is a difference between the rapture of the overcomers and the rapture of those believers who are alive and remain until the Lord’s coming. The rapture of the overcomers will take place before the last three and a half years, a period known as the great tribulation. In other words, the overcomers will be raptured before the tribulation (Rev. 3:10). But those who are alive and remain will be raptured at the end of the tribulation, that is, at the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52). This is the rapture mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4. Regarding time, these two raptures are different: one takes place before the great tribulation, and the other, at the end of the

24二者的地点也不同。照启示录

24tribulation. Furthermore, there is a difference regarding

25十二章来看，得胜者要被提到三层天神的宝座那里；但帖前四章给我们看见，那些活著还存留的人要被提到空中、到云里。

25location. According to Revelation 12, the overcomers are raptured to the throne of God in the third heaven. But according to 1 Thessalonians 4, the rapture of those who are alive and remain will be to the clouds in the air

26巴路西亚我们已经指出，十五节的『来临』，希腊文是parousia，巴路西亚，与马太二十四章三节者同字。基督的再来乃是与祂的信徒同在。这同在（巴路西亚）要开始于得胜者被提到宝座那里，延续到主来到空中，（启十1，）结束于主来到地上。在主的巴路西亚期间，会有大体的信徒被提到空中、（帖前四15～17、）基督的审判台、（林后五10、）以及羔羊的婚娶。（启十九7～9。）

26THE PAROUSIA We have pointed out that the Greek word for “coming” in verse 15 is parousia, the same word as used in Matthew 24:3. Christ’s coming will be His presence with His believers. This parousia will begin from the time the overcomers are raptured to the throne, continue with His coming to the air (Rev. 10:1), and end with His coming to the earth. Within His parousia, there will be the rapture of the majority of the believers to the air (1 Thes. 4:15-17), the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), and the marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9

27巴路西亚是指主的同在，不是直接指主的来临。当然，祂的同在包括祂的来临。我如果离开家人，以后又与他们同在，我的同在就包括了我的来临。我的同在事实上就等于我的来临。为这缘故，巴路西亚一辞可以繙作来临。照原文繙作『同在』相当奇怪，但这样繙译虽然有点奇怪，但说『与主同在』是没有错的。根据新约，主的巴路西亚，也就是主的同在，会持续一段时间。巴路西亚一开始，接著也许就是大灾难。主的来临（巴路西亚）开始时，也许很接近大灾难的开始。现今主是在

27Parousia denotes the Lord’s presence; it does not directly denote His coming. Of course, His presence involves His coming. If I am away from my family and then am present with them again, my presence includes my coming. Actually, my presence equals my coming. For this reason, the word parousia may be translated coming. It would be rather awkward to literally render it as presence. But even though this translation may be awkward, it would be correct to say unto the presence of the Lord.” According to the New Testament, the Lord’s parousia, His presence, will last a period of time. It may begin immediately before the start of the great tribulation. The Lord’s coming (the parousia) will begin probably near the start of the tribulation. At present, the Lord is

28三层天上。当大灾难在地上开始时，主会离开天上的宝座，从宝座下来，藏在云里，来到空中。启示录十章

28in the third heaven. When the great tribulation begins on earth, the Lord will leave the throne in heaven and descend from the throne, concealed in a cloud, to the

29一节说到一位『大力的天使，从天降下，披著云彩』。这位大力的天使就是基督，祂从三层天上隐密的降临到空中。主可能会隐藏在云里，停留在空中一段时间，也许是三年多。所以我们说，主的巴路西亚会持续一段时间。主在空中时要作许多事：祂要提去复活的信徒以及活著的信徒，祂要在祂的审判台前审判所有得救的人。那时候祂要决定那些人要在千年国里与祂

29sky. Revelation 10:1 speaks of a “strong Angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud.” This strong Angel is Christ, who descends secretly from the third heaven to the air. Probably the Lord will stay in the air concealed by the cloud for a period of time, possibly more than three years. This is the reason we say that the Lord’s parousia will last a certain length of time. When the Lord is in the air, He will do a number of things. He will rapture both the resurrected and the living believers. He will judge all the saved ones at His judgment seat. At that time the decision will be made

30一同作王，而那些人没有分。这个审判当然是发生在帖前四章所说的被提以后。这概要的说明，是根据神纯正

30by Him concerning who will join Him in the millennial kingdom and who will not. This judgment will, of course, take place after the rapture mentioned in 1 Thessalonians

31的话，叫我们对主的再来有大体的概念。这概要的说明，不是根据奇特或传统的教训。

314. This sketch should give us a general idea of the Lord’s coming according to the pure Word. This sketch is not according to strange or traditional teachings

32我们基督徒应当过一种为著召会生活的圣别生活。这生活有一个盼望，就是盼望我们今天所事奉的主要回来。祂回来时，已经死了的圣徒要从乐园、坟墓里起来，与那些活著还存留的圣徒一同被提。初步的话

32As Christians, we should live a holy life for the church life. This life has a hope, the hope that the Lord whom we are serving today will come back. At His coming back, the saints who have died will rise up from Paradise and the tomb to be caught up with those who are alive and remain an elementary word

33这些论到我们盼望的话，是写给一班死了亲友的信徒的，好安慰并鼓励他们。这是一些初步的话，说到主的回来，以及我们被提到祂那里。我们若要知道细节，就需要研读马太二十四和二十五章，整卷启示录，林前十五章，以及圣经中的其他部分，包括帖撒罗尼迦后书。我们一旦研读了这些有关的经节，就会看见，主的来临和我们的被提，并不像今天许多人所说的那么简单。其间的细节包括得胜的圣徒被提、基督审判台前的审判、国度的赏赐、以及国度的管教，这些事都与主的来临和我们的被提有关。

33This word concerning our hope was written to the believers as a comfort and encouragement in the death of their relatives. It is an elementary word concerning the Lord’s coming back and our being caught up to Him. If we would know the details, we need to study Matthew 24 and 25, the whole book of Revelation, 1 Corinthians 15, and other portions of the Word, including 2 Thessalonians. Once we study all these portions of the Scriptures, we shall see that the matters of the Lord’s coming and our rapture are not as simple as what is presented by many today. The details include the rapture of the overcoming saints, the judgment at the judgment seat of Christ, the reward in the kingdom, and the discipline by the kingdom. All these things are involved in the Lord’s coming and our rapture