帖撒罗尼迦前书生命读经 · 第4篇

一些基本的事

Some Basic Matters

1读经：帖撒罗尼迦前书一章一至十节。我们阅读或研究圣经中任何一段话语的时候，总是需要找出作者灵里有些甚么。我们一旦知道作者的灵，就能晓得他的目的、心意、目标和宗旨。我们若要知道保罗写帖前一章时灵里的负担，就需要思考这一章里一些基本的事；这些事能从保罗使用的辞句，以及这一章的结构所指明。这意思是说，这里保罗的灵与他使用的一些基本辞句有关。任何一章圣经都是由特殊的辞句构成的，这些辞句说到一些基本的元素。我们现在要来看帖前一章一些基本的事，就是使徒保罗选用的一些辞句所表达的。

1Scripture Reading: 1 Thes. 1:1-10 In reading or studying any part of the Bible, it is always necessary to find out what was in the spirit of the writer. Once we know the writer’s spirit, we can learn his purpose, intention, goal, and aim. In order to learn what was the burden in Paul’s spirit in 1 Thessalonians 1, we need to consider some basic matters in this chapter as indicated by the words Paul uses and by the way this chapter is constructed. This means that Paul’s spirit here is related to certain basic words he uses. Any chapter of the Bible is constructed of specific words that refer to basic elements. Let us now consider some basic matters in 1 Thessalonians 1 expressed in the words chosen by the Apostle Paul

2三一神帖前一章启示三一神。保罗首先题到父。他在一章一节说，召会是在父神里面；在三节他又题到『我们的神与父』。在十节保罗说到子：『并且等候祂的儿子从诸天降临。』不仅如此，保罗在五节题到圣灵；他说福音传到帖撒罗尼迦人那里是在于圣灵。他在六节又说，帖撒罗尼迦人带著圣灵的喜乐，领受了主的话。这章圣经里有三一神父、子、圣灵。

2THE TRIUNE GOD In chapter one of 1 Thessalonians the Triune God is revealed. First, we have the Father. In 1:1 Paul says that the church is in God the Father, and in verse 3 he again refers to “our God and Father.” In verse 10 Paul speaks concerning the Son: “And to wait for His Son from the heavens.” Furthermore, Paul mentions the Holy Spirit in verse 5, where he says that the gospel came to the Thessalonians in the Holy Spirit, and also in verse 6, where he says that the Thessalonians accepted the word with joy of the Holy Spirit. In this chapter we have the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

3在保罗的时代，『祂的儿子』这个辞会得罪所有典型的犹太人。这个辞之所以会触犯犹太人，是因为他们虽然相信真神，却不认识神有一个儿子。犹太人多多少少相信神有灵，但他们不明白灵与神自己的地位是同等的。他们只相信神有灵，而这灵是附属于神的。按照犹太人对于神的信仰来看，神是独一的，而这独一的神有灵。犹太人当然不相信神有儿子；他们也不相信神的儿子和神的灵是与神同等的。这完全与犹太人的观念相反。因此，保罗所说的父、神的儿子、圣灵，乃是说出一些非常基本的事。

3At the time of Paul, any typical Jew would have been offended by the expression “His Son.” This was offensive to Jews because they believed in the true God, but did not realize that He has a Son. To a certain extent, the Jews believed that God has a Spirit. However, they did not have the understanding that the Spirit is the same in rank as God Himself. Rather, they believed only that God has a Spirit and that this Spirit is subordinate to Him. According to Jewish belief concerning God, God is unique and yet this unique God has a Spirit. The Jews certainly did not believe that God has a Son; neither did they believe that both the Son of God and the Spirit of God are on the same rank as God. This is altogether contrary to the Jewish concept. Hence, for Paul to speak of the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit is to utter something very basic

4保罗在一章不只说到神的儿子，也说到耶稣基督。神的儿子是耶稣，而这位耶稣乃是基督。耶稣这名基本上是指神儿子的人性说的，说出神的儿子是一个人。神的儿子藉著成为肉体成为一个人，名叫耶稣。这名等于希伯来文的约书亚，意思是耶和华我们的救主，或耶和华我们的救恩。因此，耶稣这名含意非常丰富。

4In chapter one Paul not only speaks of the Son of God, but also speaks of Jesus Christ. The Son of God is Jesus, and this Jesus is Christ. The name Jesus refers basically to the manhood of the Son of God, to the Son of God as a man. Through incarnation the Son of God became a man named Jesus. This name is an equivalent to the Hebrew word for Joshua, a name which means either Jehovah our Savior or Jehovah our salvation. The name of Jesus, therefore, is rich in its implications.

5神的儿子耶稣与每个人一样，都有一段历史。我们知道祂生在犹太地，在那个地区生活了三十三年半，末了死在十字架上。现在我们说到耶稣的时候，需要回溯祂的历史，祂的传记。主耶稣也是基督。大体上说，基督这名称是指主的历史中与复活有关的那一面说的，而耶稣这名是指主的历史中与成为肉体、人性生活有关的那一部分说的。基督这位复活者已经成了万有的主，万有的头。神已经使祂成为召会的元首。拣选、拯救

5Like everyone else, Jesus, the Son of God, has a history. We know that He was born in Jewish territory, lived in that region for thirty-three and a half years, and eventually died on the cross. Now when we speak of Jesus, we need to recall His history, His biography. The Lord Jesus is also the Christ. For the most part, the title Christ denotes that aspect of the Lord’s history related to resurrection, whereas the name Jesus denotes that part of His history related to incarnation and human living. Christ, the resurrected One, has been made Lord of all and Head of all. God has made Him Head of the church. SELECTION, DELIVERANCE

和传输

AND TRANSMISSION

6我们若仔细读帖前一章，会看见这样短短的一章圣经中也指明，父所作成的，子正在作的，以及那灵已经作成并继续要作的。保罗在四节说到拣选：『蒙神所爱的弟兄们，我们知道你们是蒙拣选的。』谁拣选了我们？拣选必定不是子所成就的，父才是拣选我们的那一位。按照十节所说，子拯救了我们。这节经文说，子拯救我们脱离要来的忿怒。我愿意你们注意一个事实：这节经文所用『拯救』一辞是现在式，而所说的忿怒却是要来的事。拯救是现在正在发生的，而忿怒是要来的。这里的重点是子完成了拯救的工作。拣选是出于父，拯救是出于子，而那灵的工作是甚么？根据这章所说，那灵是为著繁增、为著分赐。保罗在五节向帖撒罗尼迦人指出，福音传到他们那里，不仅在于言语，也在于能力和圣灵。他在六节题醒他们，他们带著圣灵的喜乐，领受了主的话。这些经节指明，那灵是为著传输。

6If we read 1 Thessalonians 1 carefully, we shall see that even in such a short chapter there are indications of what the Father has done, of what the Son is doing, and of what the Spirit has done and continues to do. In verse 4 Paul speaks concerning selection: “Knowing, brothers beloved by God, your selection.” Who selected us? Surely selection was not accomplished by the Son. The Father is the One who selected us. According to verse 10, the Son delivers us. This verse says that the Son “delivers us from the wrath which is coming.” I would call your attention to the fact that in this verse the word “delivers” is in the present tense, whereas wrath is spoken of as something which is coming. The deliverance is taking place right now, but the wrath is coming. The point here is that the Son accomplishes the work of deliverance. Selection is of the Father, and deliverance is of the Son, but what is the work of the Spirit? According to this chapter, the Spirit is for propagating, for imparting. In verse 5 Paul points out to the Thessalonians that the gospel came to them not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. In verse 6 he reminds them that they accepted the word with joy of the Holy Spirit. These verses indicate that the Spirit is for transmission

7保罗写帖前一章的时候，他深处很注意三一神这件事。他的负担在于父的拣选，子的拯救，以及那灵的传输。看见这个对我们来说是非常重要的。三一神具体实化在话里三一神藉著主的话传达给我们、传输给我们。保罗在六节说到领受主的话，在八节说到宣扬主的话。毫无疑问，在保罗的观念里，今天三一神乃是完全具体化于主的话里。话可以比作盛装电的电池。电池怎样是电的具体化，在属灵的范围里，神的话─神圣的电池─也照样是三一神的具体化。父、子、灵都具体化于主的话里。因此，我们传扬主话的时候，就将神传输给人。三一神乃是藉著话传输给人。

7As Paul was writing 1 Thessalonians 1, deep within he was exercised concerning the Triune God. He was burdened concerning the Father’ss election, the Son’s deliverance, and the Spirit’s transmission. It is very important for us to see this. THE TRIUNE GOD EMBODIED IN THE WORD The Triune God is conveyed to us, transmitted to us, through the Word. In verse 6 Paul speaks of accepting the word, and in verse 8, of sounding out the word of the Lord. No doubt in Paul’s concept the Triune God today is fully embodied in the Word. The Word may be compared to a battery that contains electricity. As a battery is the embodiment of electricity, so in the spiritual realm the Word of God, a divine battery, is the embodiment of the Triune God. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are all embodied in the Word. Thus, when we preach the Word, God is conveyed to others. Through the Word the Triune God is transmitted to others.

8保罗大约有三周的时间与帖撒罗尼迦人在一起。在那三周里，我信保罗告诉帖撒罗尼迦人，神怎样在已过的永远里拣选了他们。他必定也告诉他们，有一天子神如何成了肉体，祂如何生在马槽里，起名叫耶稣。保罗必定也告诉帖撒罗尼迦信徒，耶稣如何在地上生活、被钉十字架，又复活成为主，元首，基督；如今祂怎样在诸天之上，如何成了赐生命的灵。因此，保罗传讲父、子、圣灵。这是他的福音，也就是帖撒罗尼迦人所领受的话。从神而生，被摆在基督里面帖撒罗尼迦人领受了保罗传讲的话，就领受了三一神。他们所接受的话，就是对他们传讲的福音。藉著领受这话，因而领受了三一神，就从神而生，并且被摆在基督里面。在消极一面，这是离弃偶像转向神。在积极一面，这是从神而生，也是信入神的儿子。这样，就产生了生机的联结，帖撒罗尼迦人从此就在父神和主耶稣基督里了。在帖撒罗尼迦的初信者，都在三一神里面。他们既在父与子里面，就不再是异教徒或犹太人，而是圣徒。他们成了在父神和主耶稣基督里的圣徒。一章一节『在父神和主耶稣基督里』这句话，不仅指明召会的性质，也指明帖撒罗尼迦人的性质。这意思是说，不仅召会是在父神和主耶稣基督里面，那些成了信徒的帖撒罗尼迦人（他们不再是希利尼人或犹太人），也在父与主耶稣基督里面。

8Paul had spent about three weeks with the Thessalonians. I believe that during those weeks Paul told the Thessalonians how God had selected them in eternity past. He must also have told them how one day God the Son became incarnate, how He was born in a manger and given the name Jesus. Surely Paul also told the Thessalonian believers how Jesus lived on earth, was crucified, and was resurrected to be the Lord, the Head, and the Christ, how He is now in the heavens, and how He has become the life - giving Spirit. Paul, therefore, preached the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This was his gospel, the word accepted by the Thessalonians. BORN OF GOD AND PUT INTO CHRIST When the Thessalonians accepted the word preached by Paul, they accepted the Triune God. The word they received was the gospel preached to them. By accepting this word and thereby accepting the Triune God, they were born of God and put into Christ. On the negative side, this was a turning to God from idols. On the positive side, it was being born of God and also believing into the Son of God. In this way an organic union took place, and the Thessalonians came to be in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. The new believers at Thessalonica were all in the Triune God. Because they were in the Father and the Son, they were no longer heathen or Jews. They were saints. They had become saints in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1:1 the phrase “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” not only qualifies the church, but also qualifies the Thessalonians. This means not only that the church was in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, but also that the Thessalonians, being no longer Greeks or Jews, but believers, were also in the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

9阿福德（DeanAlford）对于一章一节这一段话，有三点说明。第一，他说『在父神和主耶稣基督里』指明交流和有分。阿福德没有用生机的联结这个说法，但他说到交流，意思就是交通和一种的联合。他也说到信徒有分于神和基督。因著这样有分于神和基督，他们与神彼此就有了联结。第二，阿福德说，『在父神里』指明信徒不再是信奉异教的，因为他们信奉异教的时候并不在父神的里面。第三，他说，『在主耶稣基督里』指明信徒不再是属犹太的，因为犹太人不愿意接受主耶稣。因此，在父与主耶稣基督里的帖撒罗尼迦信徒不再是信奉异教的，也不再是属犹太的。服事与等候

9Dean Alford makes three points concerning this part of 1:1. First he says that the phrase “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” indicates communion and participation. Alford did not use the expression organic union, but he speaks of communion, which means fellowship and a kind of co-union. He also speaks of the believers participating in God and Christ. Because of this participation, they have a common union with God. Second, Alford says that the words “in God the Father” mark out the believers as being no longer heathen, for as heathen they were not in God the Father. Third, he says that “in the Lord Jesus Christ” indicates that the believers are no longer Jewish, for the Jews were not willing to accept the Lord Jesus. Hence, the believers at Thessalonica, being in the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, were no longer heathen or Jewish. SERVING AND WAITING

10一章里有三一神，以及在神具体化的话里传扬三一神。这话就是信徒所领受的福音。帖撒罗尼迦人领受了话，就从神而生，并且与基督联结。因此，他们就成了在父神和主耶稣基督里的召会。然后他们作甚么？他们服事活神。九节所用服事一辞是包罗一切的，包括我们日常生活里所作的一切事。神是活的，因为祂是真实的，不是虚假的。因此，保罗在一章九节说到服事又活又真的神。帖撒罗尼迦召会是由一班服事一位真实活神的信徒所组成的。这也正是我们今天所作的。我们服事活神的这个事实，证明我们是在父神里面。

10In chapter one we have the Triune God and the preaching of the Triune God in the word, His embodiment. This word is the gospel that is accepted by the believers. When the Thessalonians accepted the word, they were born of God and united to Christ. Therefore, they became the church in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Then what did they do? They served the living God. The word serve used in verse 9 is all-inclusive. It includes everything we do in our daily living. God is living because He is true, not false. Thus, in 1:9 Paul speaks of serving a living and true God. The church of the Thessalonians was made up of believers serving a living God who is true. This is also what we are doing today. The fact that we are serving a living God proves that we are in God the Father

11不仅如此，保罗在十节指出，我们在等候神的儿子从诸天降临。我们服事活神，并且等候祂的儿子，就是神从死人中所复活的那位。神的儿子耶稣拯救我们脱离要来的忿怒。忿怒虽然将来才来到，但主现今一直在拯救我们，祂要拯救我们到底，直到有一天不再有忿怒。

11Furthermore, in verse 10 Paul points out that we are waiting for the Son of God from the heavens. We are serving the living God, and we are waiting for His Son, the One whom He raised from among the dead. Jesus, the Son of God, delivers us from the wrath which is to come. Although the wrath will come in the future, He is now delivering us, and He will deliver us to the uttermost, until there is no longer any wrath

12服事活神指明我们是在父神里，而等候神的儿子指明我们是在我们的主耶稣基督里。因此，我们的服事与等候，标明我们是一班在父神和主耶稣基督里的人。我们若不在父里，就不会服事活神；我们若不在我们的主耶稣基督里，我们就不会等候祂。

12To serve a living God indicates that we are in God the Father, and to wait for the Son indicates that we are in our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, our serving and our waiting mark us out as those who are in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. If we were not in the Father, we would not be serving a living God, and if we were not in Jesus Christ our Lord, we would not be waiting for Him.

13我们思想一节、九节和十节，就看见这章的末了与开头是一致的。保罗在开始的时候说，召会是在父神和主耶稣基督里的。他在本章的末了说到服事活神，并等候神的儿子。这是为著召会生活的圣别生活，由信、爱、望所构成的生活。信心是工作，爱心是劳苦，盼望是忍耐。

13As we consider verses 1, 9, and 10, we see that the end of this chapter corresponds to the beginning. In the beginning Paul says that the church is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. At the end of this chapter he speaks of serving the living God and waiting for the Son. This is the holy life for the church life, a life constructed of faith, love, and hope. Faith is working, love is laboring, and hope is enduring

主的话

the word of the Lord

14和向神的信心我要请你们注意八节：『因为主的话从你们那里已经宣扬出来，不单在马其顿和亚该亚，就是在各处，你们向神的信心也都传开了，所以不用我们说甚么。』请注意保罗在这里说，主的话从帖撒罗尼迦人那里已经宣扬出来，并且他们向神的信心在各处也都传开了。这指明主的话和向神的信心是同义辞。帖撒罗尼迦人听见了主的话。当他们领受主话的时候，话就主观且客观的成了他们的信。我们曾经指出，客观的信是指我们所相信的内容，主观的信是指相信的行为。八节所说向神的信心，包括主观与客观这两面。在你的经历里，主的话仅仅是话，或者也是信心？如果话对你来说是信心，这意思是说，话带给你一幅景象，而你已经看见了这幅景象。这样看见景象的结果，就叫你相信。于是话就成了你的信心。如今主的话已经宣扬出来；这话不仅是客观的话，也成了你主观的信心。因此，这话宣扬出来的时候，你的信心也就传开了。

14AND FAITH TOWARD GOD I would call your attention to verse 8: “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to speak anything.” Notice here Paul says that from the Thessalonians the word of the Lord has sounded out and that in every place their faith toward God has gone out. This indicates that the word of the Lord and faith toward God are synonymous. The Thessalonians heard the word. When they accepted the word, it became their faith in both an objective and subjective way. As we have pointed out, objective faith denotes that in which we believe, and subjective faith denotes the action of believing. In verse 8 faith toward God includes both the subjective and objective aspects. In your experience, is the word of the Lord simply the word, or is it also faith? If the word is faith to you, this means it has brought you a view, and you have seen this view. This seeing of the view results in your believing. In this way the word becomes your faith. Now when the word of the Lord is sounded out, it is not merely an objective word; it is also your subjective faith. Therefore, when such a word is sounded out, your faith goes out

15为著召会生活的圣别生活有一个结构，信心就是这个结构的根基。在这根基上有建造，这就是爱心的劳苦。这建筑的顶石是盼望的忍耐。这样，我们就有了为著召会生活之圣别生活的完整结构：信心的工作、爱心的劳苦、盼望的忍耐。

15Faith is the foundation of the structure of a holy life for the church life. Upon this foundation a building is taking place. This is the labor of love. Then the topstone, the capstone, of this building will be the enduring hope. In this way we have the complete structure of a holy life for the church life: the work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope

161我们如果看见帖前一章这些基本的事三一神、作为三一神具体化的话、在父与主耶稣基督里的标记，以及信心的工作、爱心的劳苦、盼望的忍耐，我们就会明白保罗写这一段话时，他灵里的负担。

16If we see the basic matters in chapter one of Thessalonians — the Triune God, the word as the ─ embodiment of the Triune God, the mark of being in the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope— then we shall know the burden in Paul’s spirit when he composed this portion of the Word.