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帖撒罗尼迦后书生命读经 · 第5篇

蒙神拣选，藉著那灵的圣别而得救（一）

Chosen by God unto Salvation in Sanctification of the Spirit (1)
1读经：帖撒罗尼迦后书1:3-5,10-11;2:13-14,16。
1Scripture Reading: 2 Thes. 1:3-5, 10-11; 2:13-14, 16
为著召会生活的圣别生活
A HOLY LIFE FOR THE CHURCH LIFE
2帖撒罗尼迦前后书总共八章。这八章圣经都论到同一个主题：为著召会生活的圣别生活。每当我们读帖撒罗尼迦前后书时，不要让别的事分心。毫无疑问，这两卷书的八章经文里，还包括许多其他点。我们读的时候必须谨慎，不要被这些点岔开。我们读帖撒罗尼迦前后书时必须牢记，这两封书信的中心思想乃是为著召会生活的圣别生活。这种为著召会生活的圣别生活，是由信心、爱心和盼望构成的。活出这种生活的路，乃是全然圣别。保罗在帖前五章二十三节说，『且愿和平的神，亲自全然圣别你们，又愿你们的灵、与魂、与身子得蒙保守，在我们主耶稣基督来临的时候，得以完全，无可指摘。』我们若要全然圣别，我们的心就需要得坚固，在圣别上无可指摘；我们也需要用圣别和尊贵持守自己的器皿，就是我们的身体。不仅如此，我们全人的每一部分─我们的灵、与魂、与身子，都需要蒙保守，得以完全。这就是使我们全人圣别，而有一种为著正当召会生活的圣别生活。
2The books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians contain a total of eight chapters. All these chapters are on the same subject: a holy life for the church life. Whenever we read 1 and 2 Thessalonians, we should not be distracted by other matters. No doubt, in the eight chapters of these two books a number of other points are covered. We need to be careful in our reading not to be distracted by these points. As we read 1 and 2 Thessalonians, we need to keep in mind that the central thought of these Epistles is a holy life for the church life. This holy life for the church life is constructed of faith, love, and hope. The way to carry out such a life is to be sanctified wholly. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul says, “And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If we would be sanctified wholly, we need to have our heart established blameless in holiness, and we need to preserve our vessel, our body, in sanctification and honor. Furthermore, all the parts of our being—our spirit, our soul, and our body—need to be preserved complete. This is to sanctify our entire being to have a holy life for the proper church life
3保罗在帖撒罗尼迦后书重复许多他在前书所说的话。保罗一再重复同样的话，如同一位对孩子满了爱心的父亲。这是为人父母者的特点，特别是在他们年老的时候。他们会一遍又一遍对孩子说同一件事。因此，帖撒罗尼迦后书重复前书的话，并有进一步的发2展。在重复之时，又带著警告和改正。保罗在帖后二章警告信徒不要被欺骗。他也改正他们，好把他们带回正路。无论如何，这两卷书的主题是一样的─为著召会生活的圣别生活。不2仅如此，我们在帖撒罗尼迦前书与后书都看见基督徒生活的基本结构，就是包括信心、爱心和盼望的结构。
3In 2 Thessalonians Paul repeats much of what he has said in 1 Thessalonians. Like a father with a loving heart toward his children, Paul is repetitious. This is characteristic of parents, especially as they grow older. Again and again, they may say the same thing to their children. Therefore, 2 Thessalonians is a repetition and a further development of 1 Thessalonians. It is a repetition with warnings and corrections. In Thessalonians 2 Paul warns the believers not to be misled. He also corrects them in order to bring them back to the right track. Nevertheless, the main subject— the holy life for the church life — is the same in both books. Furthermore, in both 1 Thessalonians and Thessalonians we see the basic structure of the Christian life, a structure that includes faith, love, and hope.
信心增长，爱心增加
FAITH GROWING AND LOVE INCREASING
4保罗在帖后一章三至四节说，『弟兄们，我们应当常为你们感谢神，这本是合宜的；因你们的信心格外增长，你们众人每一位彼此相爱的心也一直增加，以致我们在神的众召会中，亲自以你们为夸口，因为你们在所忍受的一切逼迫与患难中，仍有忍耐和信心。』保罗在三节说到信徒的信心和爱心。他说他们的信心增长，他们的爱心增加。保罗在帖前三章二节说，他打发提摩太去，为著帖撒1罗尼迦人的信心，坚固并鼓励他们。我们从帖前三章十节可以知道，保罗急切要见他们的面，补足他们信心的缺欠。保罗在十二节，又劝勉信徒爱心要增加：『又愿主使你们彼此的爱并对众人的爱，都能增多洋溢，4:9正如我们对你们一样。』在四章九节，保罗继续告诉信徒，他们蒙了1神的教导，叫他们彼此相爱。所以，保罗在帖撒罗尼迦前书所关心的，乃是信徒的信心得以完全，爱心能增多洋溢。现今保罗在帖后一章三节，鼓励帖撒罗尼迦召会的初信者，对他们说，使徒们感谢神，因他们的信心格外增长，爱心也一直增加。这指明保罗在重复说到信心和爱心时，加上了鼓励的话。
4In 2 Thessalonians 1:3 and 4 Paul says, “We ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, even as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all to one another is increasing, so that we ourselves boast in you in the churches of God for your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions which you are bearing.” In verse 3 Paul speaks of the believers’ faith and love. He says that their faith is growing and that their love is increasing. In 1 Thessalonians 3:2 Paul says that he sent Timothy to establish and encourage the Thessalonians for the sake of their faith. From Thessalonians 3:10 we learn that Paul was eager to see them again in order to perfect what was lacking in their faith. In 1 Thessalonians 3:12 Paul also urged the believers to increase in love: “And the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love to one another and to all, even as we also to you.” In 1 Thessalonians Paul goes on to tell the believers that they have been taught of God to love one another. Therefore, in Thessalonians Paul was concerned that the believers’ faith would be perfected and that their love would increase and abound. Now in 2 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul encourages the new believers at Thessalonica by saying that the apostles thank God because their faith grows exceedingly and because their love is increasing. This indicates that, as Paul repeats the matter of faith and love, he adds a word of encouragement.
盼望的忍耐
ENDURANCE OF HOPE
5保罗在帖撒罗尼迦后书的那一段里说到盼望？保罗头一次题到信徒的盼望是在一章四节，他说他因他们在所受的一切逼迫与患难中的忍耐和信心而夸口。『忍耐』一辞含示盼望，忍耐是由对主回来的盼望所产生并支持的。这种因盼望而有的忍耐，总是伴随著信心。因此，保罗说到他们的忍耐和信心。保罗在二章十六节又说到盼望：『但愿我们的主耶稣基督自己，和神我们的父，就是那爱我们，在恩典中将永远的安慰和美好的盼望赐给我们的。』保罗是个杰出的著者，他不能忘记他写给帖撒罗尼迦人书信的基本结构，有信心、爱心、盼望这些元素。
5But where does Paul speak of hope in 2 Thessalonians? Paul’s first reference to the believers’ hope is in 1:4, where Paul says that he boasts of their endurance and faith in all their persecutions and afflictions. Hope is implied by the word “endurance.” Their endurance issued from the hope of the Lord’s coming back and was supported by it. Such endurance of hope is always accompanied by faith. For this reason, Paul speaks of their endurance and faith. In 2:16 Paul again speaks of hope: “Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope in grace.” Paul, an excellent writer, could not forget the basic structure of his Epistles to the Thessalonians with the elements of faith, love, and hope
HOLINESS AND SANCTIFICATION
圣别
6保罗在帖前三章、四章、五章都说到圣别。他在三章十三节说，『好使你们的心，当我们主耶稣同祂众圣徒来临的时候，在我们的神与父面前，得以坚固，在圣别上无可指摘。』然后又在四章三节说，『神的旨意就是要你们圣别。』四节说，『要你们各人晓得，怎样用圣别和尊贵，持守自己1的器皿。』又在五章二十三节保罗说，『且愿和平的神，亲自全然圣别你们，又愿你们的灵、与魂、与身子得蒙保守，在我们主耶稣基督来临的时候，得以完全，无可指摘。』这是帖撒罗尼迦前书说到的圣别，为要实现为著召会生活的圣别生活，其中有信心、爱心和盼望这三种元素。
6In 1 Thessalonians 3 Paul speaks of holiness; in chapter four of sanctification; and in chapter five, of being sanctified. In 1 Thessalonians 3:13 he says, “That He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” Then in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 he says, “This is the will of God, your sanctification,” and in verse 4, “That each one of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.” Then in Thessalonians 5:23 Paul says, “And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is the holiness and sanctification spoken of in 1 Thessalonians for the carrying out of a holy life for the church life with the three elements of faith, love, and hope.
7保罗在帖后二章十三节又说了一些有关圣别的话：『主所爱的弟兄们，我们应当常为你们感谢神，因为祂从起初拣选了你们，叫你们藉著那灵的圣别，并你们对真理的信，可以得救。』神已经拣选了我们，叫我们藉著圣别而得救，而这圣别是出于那灵的。保罗在这里论到圣别的话，含示他在1帖撒罗尼迦前书所说一切关乎圣别的话，也就是含示他所说我们的心得坚固，成为圣别，无可指摘；用圣别持守自己的身体；以及和平的神全然圣别我们这些话。
7In 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Paul gives a further word concerning sanctification: “But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” God has chosen us unto salvation in sanctification, and this sanctification is of the Spirit. Paul’sword about sanctification here implies all that he has said regarding holiness and sanctification in Thessalonians. This means that it implies what Paul has said about having our heart established blameless in holiness, about preserving our body in sanctification, and about being sanctified wholly by the God of peace.
救恩的桥
THE BRIDGE OF SALVATION
8帖后二章十三节的圣别和得救都不是简单的事。我年轻时，以为神的救恩非常简单。首先我急切想确知，自己是否已经得救。后来我确实知道我已经得救了。此后，我以救恩作为我与人谈话的主题。只要我遇见人，我就急著要知道他得救没有。我逐渐明白，得救没这么简单。现在你若问我得救没有，我会回答：『我已经得救了，现今仍然在得救的过程中，而且将来还要得救。至终，我要完全、完满、彻底的得救。』有的人以另一种方式问我得救的经历：『李弟兄，你说你已经得救了，现今正在得救，将来要彻底得救。请告诉我们，你已经得救了多少？也请告诉我们，你在每天生活中得救多少？我们知道你作基督徒已经五十多年，请告诉我们，你已经得救了多少？还有多少需要得救？』我用这些问题说明一个事实：得救不是件简单的事。
8In 2:13 neither sanctification nor salvation is a simple matter. When I was young, I regarded God’ss alvation as something that was very simple. First I was eager to know definitely whether I had been saved. Eventually I came to know for sure that I had been saved. After that, I made salvation a major subject in my conversation with others. Whenever I met a person, I was eager to find out whether or not he was saved. Gradually I came to realize that salvation is not such a simple matter. Now if you would ask me if I have been saved, I would reply, “I have been saved, I am still being saved, and I shall be saved. Eventually, I shall be wholly, fully, and thoroughly saved.” Another way to ask about my experience of salvation would be to say something like this: “Brother Lee, you said that you have been saved, that you are now being saved, and that you will be saved thoroughly. Please tell us how much you have been saved. Also, how much are you being saved day by day? We know that you have been a Christian for more than fifty years. Please tell us how much of you has been saved and how much still needs to be saved.” I use these questions as an illustration of the fact that salvation is not a simple matter.
9若有人问你得救了没有，你得救了多少，你应当说，『我知道我已经得救了，但我无法告诉你我得救到甚么程度。但我的确知道，我需要更多更多的得救。我已经有分于神的救恩到某个程度，但我需要进一步有分于救恩，达到更深的程度。保罗在二章十三节说，神拣选了我们，叫我们可以得救。这救恩所涵括的时间很长。照我们所能领会的，这段时间开始于重生，结束于得荣。我们虽然堕落、犯罪并死了，神却来重生我们。我们藉著重生，开始有分于神的救恩。然而论到这救恩，我们还有一条很长的路要走。我们可以把神救恩所涵括的时间比喻为一座很长的桥。这座救恩的桥在时间里开始，一直达到永远。你若问我今天在这座桥上甚么地方，我只能回答说，我不知道。但我的确知道，这座桥的全程我还没有走完，我知道我在救恩桥上的某个地方，但是只有神知道我所在的确实地点。我们虽然不知道自己在神救恩桥上甚么地方，但我们知道，并且满有把握，我们绝不会失去我们的救恩或我们的重生。我们一旦重生，就永远重生了；重生乃是一次而永远的事。重生可以比作我们人类的出生。一个人只要一出生成为人，就无论如何总是个人；同样的原则，重生是一次而永远的事，是直到永永远远的。
9If someone asks you if you have been saved and how much you have been saved, you should say, “I know that I have been saved. However, I cannot tell you how much I have been saved. But I do know that I need to be saved much more. I have participated in God’ss alvation to some degree, but I need to participate in it to a far greater degree.” In 2:13 Paul says that God chose us unto salvation. This salvation has a long span. According to what we are able to understand, this span begins with regeneration and ends with glorification. Although we were fallen, sinful, and deadened, God came to regenerate us. Through regeneration, we began to participate in God’ss alvation. However, regarding this salvation we have a long way to go. We may liken the span of God’ss alvation to along bridge. This bridge of salvation begins in time and reaches to eternity. If you were to ask me where I am today on this bridge, I would have to answer that I do not know. I know definitely that I have not crossed all the way over this bridge. I know that I am somewhere on the bridge of salvation, but only God knows exactly where this is. Although we do not know where we are on the bridge of God’ss alvation, we can know with assurance that we shall never lose our salvation or our regeneration. Once we have been regenerated, we are regenerated for eternity. Regeneration is a once-for-all matter. Regeneration can be compared to our birth as human beings. Once a person has been born as a human being, he will never cease to be a human being, a person. In the same principle, regeneration is a matter once for all, even for eternity
我们得救的程度
THE DEGREE OF OUR SALVATION
10与我们圣别的程度我们得救的程度在于我们圣别的程度。我们越圣别，也就越得救。你今天在救恩桥上也许比昨天落后，可能是因为你向丈夫或妻子发了脾气，这叫你在这座桥上倒退了一些。你退后了，就在你的圣别上有所失丧。因此，你现在
10AND THE EXTENT OF OUR SANCTIFICATION The degree of our salvation depends on the extent of our sanctification. The more we are sanctified, the more we are saved. Perhaps yesterday you were further along on the bridge of salvation than you are today. The reason may be that you lost your temper with your husband or wife, and this caused you to move backwards somewhat on the bridge. You backslid and lost a little of your sanctification. Therefore
11不如昨天那样的圣别。假设一位老朋友来看你，邀请你同他去参加一个属世的娱乐。你若接受他的邀请，就会丧失更多的圣别，而在救恩的桥上倒退得更远。但你若拒绝他的邀请，反而向他传福音，鼓励他作基督徒，你可能会恢复你所失去的圣别，甚至在这桥上更往前。结果，你就更圣别，也更得救。这里的点乃是：我们得救有多少，在于我们圣别有多少。我们需要对这事有深刻的印象：神的救恩并不简单，且与圣别很有关联。
11you are not as sanctified now as you were yesterday. Suppose an old friend visits you and asks you to participate with him in a certain kind of worldly entertainment. If you accept his invitation, you will lose even more sanctification and move back farther on the bridge of salvation. However, if you refuse his invitation and instead preach the gospel to him and encourage him to become a Christian, you may recover the sanctification you have lost and even progress further on the bridge. As a result, you are more sanctified and more saved. The point here is that how much we have been saved is determined by how much we have been sanctified. We need to be impressed that God’ss alvation is not simple and that it is related to sanctification.
12假设一位青年弟兄厌烦参加召会聚会。有一天，他决定要去海滩玩，不参加聚会。下一次他来聚会的时候，可能会觉得自己在死的光景里，这是因为他失去了一些圣别。他没有保守他的灵、魂和身子。
12Suppose a young brother becomes weary of attending the church meetings. Therefore, one day instead of attending the meeting, he decides to go to the beach. The next time he comes to a meeting, he may feel that he is in death. The reason is that he has lost some of his sanctification. He did not preserve his spirit, soul, and body
圣别与称义
SANCTIFICATION AND JUSTIFICATION
13路德马丁为了因信称义的真理，而有极大的争战。因为他被卷入这场争战里，所以我们不该责怪他没有看见神完满救恩的其他方面。路德教导人：称义乃是本于信。据此，我们若信主，就可以得称义。但另一面说，称义也是一件程度上的事。圣经一方面说到称义是在圣别之前，（罗六19，）另一方面又说圣别在先，称义在后。（林前六11。）就这一面意义说，神的称义必须根据圣别的标准。我们若不圣别，就不能得称义。
13Martin Luther fought a great battle for the truth of justification by faith. Because he was involved in this battle, we should not blame him for failing to see other aspects of God’s full salvation. Luther taught that justification is by faith. According to this, if we believe in the Lord, we shall be justified. However, there is a sense in which justification is also a matter of degree. On the one hand, the Bible speaks of justification before sanctification (Rom. 6:19). But on the other hand, there is a sense in which sanctification comes first and justification follows (1 Cor. 6:11). In this sense, God’s justification must go according to the standard of sanctification. If we are not sanctified, then we cannot be justified
神救恩的过程
THE PROCESS OF GOD’SS ALVATION
14神拯救我们包含一个过程，有开始，也有完成。我们再用人的生命为例来说明。生命在人出生的时候就开始了。但人出生以后，有一段漫长的成长过程。我在人生中已经生长多年，但我尚未达到完成。神救恩的原则也是一样。然而，许多基督徒把得救看得太简单。不仅如此，系统神学所给我们看见的救恩，好像很简单而明确。但神的救恩并不简单；就著某种意义说，也不是那么明确。相反的，救恩有开始，有过程，也有完成。就连我们人的生命也不简单。那么，我们为甚么要认为神完满的救恩是那么简单？
14God’ss alvation of us involves a process. It has a beginning, and it will have a consummation. Once again, we may use human life as an illustration. Life begins at birth. But after birth there is a long process of growth. I have been growing in human life for many years, and still I have not yet reached the consummation. The principle is the same with God’ss alvation. However, many Christians regard salvation in too simple a way. Moreover, in systematic theology salvation may be presented as if it were simple and clear cut. But God’ss alvation is not simple, and in a certain sense it is not clear cut. On the contrary, it has a beginning, a process, and a consummation. Not even our human life is simple. Why, then, should we expect God’s full salvation to be so simple
15我们对神的救恩必须有正确的观念。我们若有正确的领会，就会看见，我们得救的程度乃在于我们圣别的程度。照著保罗在帖后二章十三节所说的，得救乃是藉著那灵的圣别。在我们对神救恩实际的经历中，我们乃是在桥上时进时退。你也许在某个试探上屈服，而在救恩的桥上倒退。但即使在那个时候，圣别人的灵也在你里面运行。结果，那倒退的一步会使你比已往都超前。譬如，一位弟兄也许对妻子发脾气，和她争吵。毫无疑问的，这个失败会使他在救恩的桥上倒退。但他悔改转向主时，又会向前进，而比已往走得更远。在我们的经历中，我们没有一个人是在救恩的桥上稳定向前的。相反的，我们的向前都是时进时退的。虽然圣经中没有清楚的说出这样的道理，但我们从经历中知道，我们乃是这样在神救恩的桥上往前的。
15We need to have the proper concept concerning God’ss alvation. If we have the right understanding of this, we shall realize that the extent to which we are saved is determined by the degree we have been sanctified. According to Paul’sword in 2:13, salvation is in sanctification of the Spirit. In our actual experience of God’ss alvation, we move back and forth on the bridge. Perhaps you yield to a certain temptation, and move backward on the bridge of salvation. But even then the sanctifying Spirit is working in you. As a result, that step backward may cause you to move even farther ahead than you were before. For example, a brother may lose his temper with his wife and exchange words with her. No doubt, this failure causes him to move backward on the bridge of salvation. However, when he repents and returns to the Lord, he will once again move ahead, further than he was before. In our experience none of us moves steadily ahead on the bridge of salvation. On the contrary, we all move ahead in the way of going backward and forward. Even though this may not be clearly revealed as a doctrine in the Bible, we know from our experience that this is the way we advance on the bridge of God’ss alvation