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希伯来书生命读经 · 第12篇

众子,众弟兄,召会

The Many Sons, The Many Brothers, The Church
1希伯来书深入又极为简单的含示了新约所有的基本要素。读这书的人,在表面上很难发现该书也说到召会。也许你读过希伯来书许多次,但是对该书曾说到召会可能没有甚么印象。我们都熟悉使徒行传和其他书信里所说到的召会,但是对于希伯来书也说到召会,却没有甚么印象。三十八年前,我曾带领两班人详细查读希伯来书。那时,我以为我对希伯来书认识得很透彻了,却没有看见这卷书中所题的召会。2:12这卷书只有两次题到召会,一次在二章十二节,另一次在十二章二十三节。二章十二节说,『我要向我的弟兄宣告你的名,在召会中我要歌颂你。』我不知道有没有人曾经注意这里所说到的召会。这一节是以召会为素质写的。这一节圣经,无论是说到众弟兄,还是说到召会,说法都非常深。这里子向父说,祂要向祂的弟兄宣告父的名,并且要在召会中歌颂父。你知道这是甚么意思?在这一节里,我们要注意三个重点:众弟兄、召会、以及主今天在召会中所作的。这一节对于召会的所是以及主在召会中所作的,给我们很大的启示。我们很难在圣经其他各卷中,找到一处这样透彻、基本、基要、关键的说到召会的性质。不要轻看二章十二节。这是一处重要的经节,含有奥妙的启示。我盼望在这篇信息里,我们不仅得著启示,更是得见异象,看见召会是甚么,看见主今天在召会中所作的是甚么。
1In the book of Hebrews all of the basic factors of the New Testament are implied in a deeper and yet very simple way. Apparently it is difficult for anyone to realize that the church is mentioned in the book of Hebrews. Although you might have read Hebrews a number of times, perhaps you have never been impressed with the mention of the church in this book. We are all familiar with the mention of the churches in Acts and in the other Epistles, but we may not have the impression that the church is found in Hebrews. Thirty-eight years ago I conducted a detailed study of this book with two different groups of people. At that time, I thought that I knew this book thoroughly, but I did not see the church in this book. The church is only mentioned twice in this book, in and 12:23. In 2:12 it says, “I will declare Your name to My brothers; in the midst of the church I will sing hymns of praise unto You.” I do not think that in the past many of us paid attention to the church in this verse. This verse is composed essentially with the matter of the church. In this verse both the brothers and the church are mentioned in a very deep way. The Son says to the Father that He will declare the Father’s name to His brothers and sing hymns of praise to the Father in the church. Do you know the meaning of this? In this verse we must notice three elements: the brothers, the church, and what the Lord is doing today in the church. This verse is a very great revelation of what the church is and of what the Lord is doing in the church. In no other book can we find out something concerning the nature of the church that is revealed so thoroughly, basically, fundamentally, and crucially as it is found here. Do not consider 2:12 as a small verse. It is a great verse. It contains a marvelous revelation. In this message, I hope that we all shall not only have a revelation, but that we all shall see a vision of what the church is and of what the Lord is doing today in the church.
2甚么是召会?召会乃是神长子的众弟兄团体的组合。你还记得神的独生子与神的长子之不同么?神的独生子只有神性而没有人性。祂虽有神圣的性情,却没有属人的性情。但神的长子则兼有神性与人性。众弟兄不是独生子的弟兄,乃是神长子的弟兄。我们是与长子一样。祂是神而人者,我们是人而神者。长子兼有神人二性,祂的众弟兄也都与祂一样。无论是弟兄、是姊妹,我们都是祂的弟兄,因为基督并没有姊妹。请告诉我,你是属人的还是神圣的?长子是神圣的还是属人的?祂兼有神人二性,而我们兼有人神二性。祂是先有神性,后有人性;祂的众弟兄则是先有人性,而后有神性。最终,祂与我们,我们与祂就相同了。我们是一班奇特的子民,我们不仅有人性,也有神性。你知道你是谁的儿子么?你是神的儿子!神是我们神圣的父,我们是祂神圣的众子,因为我们都是由祂神圣的生命所生,有祂神圣的性情。我们是父的众子,又是父长子的众弟兄。这不是作梦,乃是实际。
2What is the church? The church is a corporate composition of the brothers of the Firstborn Son of God. Do you still remember the difference between the only begotten Son of God and the Firstborn Son of God? The only begotten Son of God had divinity without humanity. Although He had the divine nature, He did not have the human nature. But the Firstborn Son of God has both the divine nature and the human nature. The brothers are not the brothers of the only begotten, but the brothers of the Firstborn Son of God. We are the same as the Firstborn. He is divine and human, and we are human and divine. The Firstborn Son has humanity as well as divinity and all of His brothers are the same as He is. Whether we are brothers or sisters, we are all His brothers, for Christ does not have any sisters. Tell me, are you human or divine? Is the Firstborn Son divine or human? He is both divine and human, and we are both human and divine. He is first divine and then human, and His brothers are first human and then divine. Eventually, He and we, we and He, are the same. We are wonderful people. We are not only human—we are also divine. Do you realize whose son you are? You are God’ss on. God is our divine Father, and we all are His divine sons because we all have been born of His divine life with His divine nature. We are the many sons of the Father and the many brothers of the Firstborn Son of the Father. This is not a dream. This is reality.
3召会是兼有神人二性的,这是召会的性质。召会是由神的众子组成的,也就是由神长子的众弟兄所组成的。这就是召会。多年前我对召会还没有看得这么清楚。四十多年前,我看见召会是一班真正在基督里的信徒,聚集在一起。这个解释不能说不对。大约一百五十多年前,有一班弟兄们得著启示,看见召会不是由石头和砖头盖成的建筑物。他们起来很强的向基督教国宣告说,召会不是物质的建筑物,召会不是大教堂、小教堂或礼拜堂。他们宣称,召会乃是一班蒙神所召的人聚集在一起。当真正在基督里的信徒聚集在一起,他们就是召会。我们从这个启示得了很大的帮助,在五十多年前也开始传讲,所有蒙神呼召的圣徒聚在一起才是召会。对于上一世纪这班弟兄们给我们的帮助,我们很感谢。慢慢的我们看见,召会不仅是一班真信徒聚集在一起,召会乃是一个身体,就是基督的身体。你把许多椅子摆在一起,椅子不能成为一个身体。你把羊聚在一起,羊也不能成为一个身体。大家都知道,身体乃是一个有生命的生机体,含有生命的构造、生命的细胞、生命的性质、生命的形状、生命的本能、和生命的功用。召会比仅仅一个聚集更深、更高、更奥妙。主给我们看见召会的真正意义。赞美主,祂给我们看见召会有两种性情:人性和神性。召会有两种生命。这两种生命不仅联结在一起,更调和在一起。召会是一个由两种生命同两种性情所联结并调和在一起的生机体。这真是奇妙!你知道召会有两种生命么?你知道召会有两种性情么?你知道神的长子有两种生命和两种性情,祂不仅是神子,也是人子么?这位长子有一切神圣的属性,也有一切人性的美德。我们所有的,并非只是一点点的谦卑和服从。这座丰富的宝库比这个深奥多了;乃是无限无量,满了神圣的属性和人性的美德。召会就是这样的生机体,也就是基督的身体。
3The church is both human and divine. This is the nature of the church. The church is a composition of the many sons of God. The church is a corporation of the many brothers of the Firstborn Son of God. This is the church. I never saw the church this clearly years ago. More than forty years ago I saw that the church was a group of real believers in Christ meeting together. This definition of the church is not wrong. Approximately one hundred fifty years ago it was revealed to some of the brothers that the church is not a building of brick and stone. They declared strongly to all of Christendom that the church is not a physical building. It is not a cathedral, chapel, or sanctuary. They declared that the church is a gathering of God’scall ed ones. When true believers in Christ come together, they are the church. We have received much help from this revelation and more than fifty years ago we also began to say that the church is a gathering of God’s called saints. We were thankful for the help that we received from those brothers in the last century. Later on, we began to see that the church is not only a gathering of real believers; it is a body, the Body of Christ. If you gather many chairs together, the chairs cannot become a body. If you gather sheep together, they likewise cannot be a body. As everybody knows, a body is an organism with life. It has life tissues, life cells, life nature, life shape, life ability, and life function. The church is deeper, higher, and more profound than just a gathering. The Lord has shown us the real significance of the church. Praise Him that He has granted us to see that the church has two natures—the human nature and the divine nature. The church has two lives. These lives are not only combined but are also mingled together. The church is an organism with two natures and with two lives combined and mingled together. This is marvelous! Do you realize that the church has two lives? Do you realize that the church has two natures? Do you realize that the Firstborn Son of God has two lives and two natures, that He is not only the Son of God, but also the Son of Man? The Firstborn has all of the divine attributes as well as all of the human virtues. What we have is not just a little humility or submission. This rich store is much more profound than this. It is unlimited and immeasurable, filled with the divine attributes and the human virtues. The church is such an organism. It is the Body of Christ.
4我常听到一些某地召会不好的消息,有人说,『某地召会光景不好,有了难处。』我不喜欢听这种话,因为我对召会的看法是根据我的信心,我相信每一个召会都是好的,没有一个是不好的。虽然你认为某一个召会不好,但过了一段时间那个召会变了。为甚么?因为召会是生机的,是会长大的。正如你的身体有时会疲倦,但过不多久,又会恢复过来。你的身体是一个生机体,所以生命会使牠改变。在主恢复里的众召会都是生机的。不要认定某地的召会不好。召会是奇妙的,是会生长的生机体。请勿忘记,召会乃是神长子的众弟兄所组成的一个活的团体。召会既不是物质的,也不是组织的;召会完全是出于生命,就是神圣的生命以及被拔高、复活的属人生命。没有甚么比生命更丰富。全宇宙最高的生命乃是神的生命,其次就是人的生命。今天召会里人的生命,不是天然的属人生命,乃是被拔高、复活的属人生命。我们有这样的生命!这一种属人的生命加上神圣的生命就是召会的生命。希伯来书就是这样深奥的把召会启示出来。召会乃是神众子的活组成,是神长子和祂众弟兄活的团体。
4Quite often bad news comes to me about a church in a certain place. Someone may say, “The church there is not good. It has problems.” I do not like to hear things like this, because my concept of the church is based upon my faith. I believe that every church is wonderful. There is not a church that is not good. Although you may think that a certain church is not good, after a period of time that church becomes very different. Why? Because the church is organic. It grows. Your body may be quite tired, but after a while it is invigorated. It changes by life because it is an organism. The churches in the Lord’s recovery are organic. Never believe that the church in a certain locality is not good. The church is wonderful because it is an organism that grows. Never forget that the church is a living corporation of all the brothers of the Firstborn Son of God. The church is neither physical nor organizational; it is altogether of life—the divine life and the uplifted, resurrected human life. Nothing is richer than life. The best life in the universe is the divine life, and the second best life is the human life. The human life that we have today for the church is not the natural human life but the uplifted, resurrected human life. We have such a life! This human life plus the divine life is the life of the church. It is in such a profound way that the church is revealed in this book. The church is a living composition of all the sons of God, a living corporation of all the brothers of the Firstborn Son of God
壹 众子
I. THE MANY SONS
一 豫定得儿子的名分
A. Predestinated unto Sonship
5组成召会的众子,都已经被豫定得儿子的名分。(弗一5。)我们成为神的儿子,不是偶然的事,乃是在创世之前豫定好了的。在已过的永远里,神就已定意我们成为祂的众子。首先,神豫先知道了我们。(罗八29。)然后,祂拣选了我们。不管你对自己怎么看法,在创世之前,神已经拣选你了。神豫先知道,也拣选了我们,然后就豫定我们。『豫定』这辞含有标出的意思。在已过的永远里,在创世之前,神就在我们身上作了记号,豫先把我们标出来。神豫定我们作甚么?乃是为著得儿子的名分。我们乃是豫定要得儿子的名分。
5The many sons of God of whom the church is composed have all been predestinated unto sonship (Eph. 1:5). We have not become sons of God because of an accident; we were predestinated to be the sons of God before the foundation of the world. In eternity past God decided that we would be His sons. Firstly, God fore knew us (Rom. 8:29). After this, He selected us. Regardless of how you feel about yourself, God selected you before the foundation of the world. After fore knowing and selecting us, God predestinated us. The word predestinate includes the thought of being marked out. In eternity past, before creation, God put a mark upon us. He marked us out beforehand. For what did God predestinate us? For sonship. We have been predestinated unto sonship.
6这个观念,在今天的基督徒中间,很少人知道。通常基督徒的观念就是我们被豫定要得救;至于得儿子的名分,几乎没有想过。我们所以没有儿子名分这个观念,乃因受了传统基督教教训的影响。我们必须再次得恢复,回到神纯净的话语。神纯净的话告诉我们,我们被豫定乃是要得儿子的名分。你只要是神的儿子,就不必担心忧虑。我们成为神的儿子,不是偶然的。假如你是因著一次车祸而悔改信主;按著你的感觉,你信主似乎完全是偶然的,但从神看来,这都是因著你早已被标出来了。为甚么你会碰到那次意外?是因著你还有一点刚硬。因此神就在祂的主宰之中,许可那次的意外临到你,好使你得著儿子的名分。但是儿子的名分不是偶然得来的,乃是事先计画好的。读本篇信息的人,如果有那一位是因著车祸而信主得救的,必定是神用那次事件,来使你转向祂。我们这班蒙神拣选的人,有天使围著我们,安排各样的环境,为要带我们进入儿子的名分。我们有许多人都是被逼而信主的,好像被逼到一个地步,发觉走投无路了,就只有跪下,呼求说,『哦,主耶稣。』当我们这样作,所有的天使就都欢呼,因为我们得著了儿子的名分。天使的定命是作仆役为我们效力,而我们的定命是得儿子的名分。
6It is difficult to find this concept among many Christians today. The concept commonly found among Christians is that we have been predestinated unto salvation. There is hardly any consideration about sonship. We do not have the concept of sonship because we have been influenced by traditional Christian teachings. Once again, we must be recovered back to the pure Word. The pure Word tells us that we have been predestinated unto sonship. As long as you are a son of God, you have nothing to worry about. We did not become sons of God by accident. Suppose you repented and believed in the Lord Jesus as the result of an automobile accident. According to your feeling, that was all an accident, but according to God, it was because you had already been marked out. Why did you have that accident? Simply because you were a little stubborn. God, in His sovereignty, permitted that accident in order to bring you into sonship. But sonship is not an accident. It was planned ahead of time. If anyone reading this message has been saved as the result of an automobile accident, it must have been because God used that to cause you to turn to Him. We, God’s chosen ones, are surrounded by angels who know how to arrange our surroundings that we might be brought into sonship. Many of us were forced to believe. Once we found ourselves in a certain situation, and there was no escape. Eventually we had to kneel down and call, “O Lord Jesus.” When we did this, all the angels rejoiced because we obtained sonship. The destiny of angels is to be ministering servants. Our destiny is sonship
二 从神而生
B. Born of God
7我们这些蒙神拣选的人,都是从神而生,成为祂的众子。当我们藉著相信接受主耶稣的时候,我们就从神而生,1:12-并且得著权柄作神的儿女。(约一~13。)从那时起,神的灵就一直同我们的灵见证,我们是神的儿女。(罗八16。)即使我们有时软弱,甚至退后,在我们的深处,我们仍然知道自己是神的儿女,因为我们一旦从神而生,就永远是祂的儿女。我们重生所得的乃是永远的儿子名分。
7As the chosen ones of God, we have been born of God to be His many sons. At the time when we received the Lord Jesus by believing in Him we were born of God and received the right to be the children of God (John 13). From that time on, the Spirit of God always bears 12 witness with our spirit that we are the children of God (Rom. 8:16). Even at times when we are weak or are backsliding, we still have the deep conviction that we are the children of God because once we have been born of God we shall be His children forever. We have received the eternal sonship through our regeneration.
三 从灵而生
C. Born of the Spirit
8我们从神而生,乃是在我们的灵里从那灵而生。(约三6。)我们的肉身乃是从父母而生;但在我们的灵里,我们乃是从神的灵而生,成为神的儿女。神差祂儿子的灵进入我们里面,使我们成为祂的众子,与长子相似。(加四6。)成为神的众子,是在我们灵里,凭神儿子的灵所完成的。
8When we were born of God, we were born of the Spirit in our spirit (John 3:6). In our flesh we were born of our parents. But it is in our spirit that we have been born of the Spirit of God to be His children. God has sent the Spirit of His Son into us that we might be the many sons of God like His Firstborn (Gal. 4:6). To be the many sons of God is a matter in our spirit and with the Spirit of the Son of God.
四 受了儿子名分的灵
D. Having Received the Spirit of Sonship
9我们既在灵里从神的灵而生,就得著儿子名分的灵。(罗八15。)这灵很难断定究竟是指神的灵,还是指人的灵。这灵包含两者,因为我们所得著的乃是调和的灵,就是既有神性也有人性的灵。罗马八章十五节说到我们这些神的众子呼叫『阿爸,父』。但另一处类似的经节,就是加拉太四章六节,却说是那灵呼叫『阿爸,父』。这意思是说,当我们呼叫阿爸父的时候,那灵也在呼叫。那灵呼叫,也就是我们呼叫,我们与那灵乃是一。
9Since we have been born of the Spirit in our spirit, we have the spirit of sonship (Rom. 8:15). It is difficult to determine whether this spirit refers to the divine Spirit or to the human spirit. It includes both, for the spirit that we have received is a mingled spirit, a spirit that is both divine and human. Romans 8:15 says that we, the sons of God, cry, “ Abba, Father,” but a sister verse, Galatians 4:6, says that the Spirit cries, “ Abba, Father.” This means that when we cry, Abba, Father, the Spirit also cries and that when the Spirit cries, it is we who cry. We and the Spirit are one
五 等候得著完满的儿子名分─身体得赎
E. Waiting for the Full Sonship— the Redemption of Our Body
10虽然如此,我们尚未得著完满的儿子名分,就是我们的身体得赎。(罗八23。)我们现在等候那完满的儿子名分,就是我们的肉身得赎,或说肉身改变形状。换句话说,我们虽然已经在灵里从神而生,但我们的身体尚未从神而生。我们的身体改变形状的日子快要来到,那时我们就要得著完满的儿子名分。我们等候的就是这件事。
10As yet, we do not have the full sonship, which is the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:23). We are waiting for full sonship, the redemption or the transfiguration of our physical body. In other words, although we have been born of God in our spirit, we have not yet been born of Him in our body. The day is coming when our body will be transfigured. Then we shall have the full sonship. We are waiting for this
贰 众弟兄
II. THE MANY BROTHERS
一 在复活里产生的
A. Brought Forth in Resurrection
11我们是神的众子,也就是神长子基督的众弟兄。基督藉著复活,生为神的长子,(徒十三33,)我们也在祂的复活里产生为祂的众弟兄。(彼前一3。)在复活以后,基督才称呼祂的门徒为弟兄。(约二十17。)因此,我们的新生不是肉体的出生,乃是在复活里的出生。
11As the many sons of God, we are the many brothers of Christ who is the Firstborn Son of God. He was born to be the Firstborn Son of God through His resurrection (Acts 13:33), and we have been produced to be His many brothers in His resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3). It was after His resurrection that He called His disciples His brothers (John 20:17). Our new birth was not a physical birth but a birth in resurrection
二 有神的长子作长兄
B. Having the Firstborn Son of God as the Elder Brother
12我们是神的众子,神的长子是我们的长兄。(来二11,罗八29。)基督作为我们的长兄,乃是我们的模型和榜样。祂既是我们的长兄,就在凡事上领先,我们必须跟随祂的脚踪。
12We, the many sons of God, have the Firstborn Son as our elder Brother (Heb. 2:11; Rom. 8:29). As our elder Brother, He is our model and our example. Because He is our elder Brother, He takes the lead in everything, and we have to follow in His footsteps
三 与神的长子同生命,同性情
C. Having the Same Life and Nature as the Firstborn Son of God
13我们这些神的众子,与神的长子同生命、同性情。(来二11。)我们既与祂有分于同一生命和性情,我们就是祂的众弟兄。我们既有神的生命和性情,我们就是神的众子。我们有分于长子所有的同一生命和性情,所以我们就是祂的弟兄。对神而言,我们是祂的众子;对神的长子而言,我们是祂的众弟兄。
13As the many sons of God, we have the same life and nature as the Firstborn Son of God (2:11). Since we share the same life and nature as He, we are His many brothers. Because we have the life and nature of God, we are God’s many sons. Because we share the same life and nature as the Firstborn does, we are His brothers. To God, we are His many sons; to the Firstborn Son of God, we are His many brothers
参 召会
III. THE CHURCH
一 由在复活里的众弟兄所组成
A. Composed of the Many Brothers in Resurrection
14我们已经看过,召会是由在复活里神长子的众弟兄所组成的。(二。)因此,召会也就是基督的团体同伙。等我们读到三章十五节的时候,会再详细讲到同伙这件事。现在,我们只要记住召会是基督的团体同伙就彀了。
14As we have seen, the church is composed of the many brothers of the Firstborn Son of God in resurrection (2:1 2). Because of this, the church is a corporate 12 partnership with Christ. When we come to 3:14, we shall have much to say about this partnership. For the present, it is sufficient that we keep in mind that the church is a corporate partnership.
二 神的长子向祂的弟兄宣告父的名
B. The Firstborn Son of God Declaring the Father’s Name to His Brothers
15在召会中,神的长子向祂的弟兄宣告父的名。因为父是生命和性情的源头,所以宣告父的名,就是向众弟兄指明生命和性情的源头。古时的犹太人虽然认识神,却不认识父。他们只认识神是创造主,却不认识祂也是那生育的父。他们知道神创造的大能,却不认识父生育的能力。他们知道神的大能,却不认识父的生命。在耶稣复活以前,甚至祂的门徒也不认识父的生命和祂生育的能力。在复活那天以前,他们所认识的和犹太人所认识的一样。但在复活那天,主来到他们中间,向他们宣告父的名,使他们知道父乃是生命的源头。关于这一点,圣经说得非常简略,但这简略的题示如同小小的窗口,使我们藉此能看见许多事。按照约翰二十章所记,耶稣是在复活当天晚上来到祂的门徒中间。但是约翰并没有说到主耶稣向门徒宣告父的名。这事乃是以豫言的方式记在诗篇二十二篇二十二节。根据那里的豫言,基督复活之后,向门徒显现,主要的是叫他们认识父。父的生命和父的性情已经成为他们的,父的所是已经转到他们里面。这就是向门徒宣告父的名的意思。主作这事的时候,如果我们也在那里,我们就会明白,那个宣告不仅是题到父的名而已,乃是把父的一切所是─祂的生命、性情、所是─都分赐到门徒里面。彼得从这事上,就看见他有分于神的性情,他在彼得后书也题到这事。(一4。)我们这些神的众子,都有分于神圣的性情。神之于我们不再仅仅是创造的神,更是生身的父。祂生了我们,将祂的生命、性情,甚至祂的所是,分赐到我们里面。这就是宣告父的名的意义。
15In the church, the Firstborn Son of God declares the Father’s name to His brothers. Because the Father is the source of life and nature, to declare the name of the Father is to show the many brothers the source of life and nature. Although the Jewish people in ancient times knew God, they did not know the Father. They knew God as the Creator but not as the Father who begets. They knew God’s creating power, but they did not know the Father’s begetting ability. They knew God’s power, but they did not realize the Father’s life. Before the resurrection, not even the disciples of Jesus knew the Father’s life and begetting ability. Before the day of resurrection, they only knew as much as the Jewish people did. However, on the day of resurrection the Lord came to them to declare the Father to make them know the Father as the source of life. The Bible only mentions this very briefly, but this brief mention is like a little show window through which we can see a great deal. According to John 20, Jesus visited His disciples in the evening on the day of His resurrection. But John does not say that He declared the Father to the disciples. This is mentioned prophetically in Psalm 22:22. According to that prophecy, after His resurrection Christ came mainly to His disciples to make the Father known to them. The Father’s life and nature have become theirs. The Father’s being has been transferred into their being. This is what it means to declare the Father’s name to the disciples. If we had been there when the Lord did this, we would have realized that that declaration was not just a matter of mentioning the name. No, it was an impartation of all that the Father is—the Father’s life, nature, and being—into the disciples. It was from this that Peter came to realize that he was a partaker of the divine nature. He mentions this in his second Epistle (1:4). We, the sons of God, have all become partakers of the divine nature. To us, God is no longer merely the creating God but also the begetting Father. He has begotten us. He has imparted His life, His nature, and even His being into our being. This is what it means to declare the Father’s name.
三 神的长子在召会中歌颂父
C. The Firstborn Son of God Singing Hymns of Praise unto the Father in the Midst of the Church
16子宣告父的名之后,就在召会中歌颂父。我不相信这个豫言是说神的长子只有一次在召会中歌颂父。我相信这里的意思乃是,多少个世纪以来,神的长子一直在召会中歌颂父。祂怎样歌颂?祂乃是在祂的众弟兄中歌颂。我有充分的确信,祂现今就在我们里面。祂既在我们里面,祂就在我们的歌唱里歌颂父。祂的歌唱是在我们的歌唱里。当我们歌唱的时候,祂也歌唱,因为祂在我们里面一同歌唱。当我们从我们的灵里歌颂父的时候,祂也在我们的灵里与我们一同歌唱。这真是奇妙!今天召会在地上乃是一个有神的长子在其中的团体身体。在召会的聚会里,神的长子歌颂父。我们每一次来到聚会里,都该开口赞美父;我们若立即这样行,就是与那内住之神的长子合作。你想更多得到神的长子么?你只要赞美父。我们赞美父越多,就越多得著神的长子。我们歌颂父越多,长子就越多在我们的歌唱里歌唱。要基督与我们同工最好的路,就是歌颂父。按照我们的经历,许多人都能印证这事。在召会的一些聚会里,我们有很多对父的歌唱,那时我们非常享受基督,甚至感觉到祂就在我们的歌唱里歌唱。基督已经向我们显明父就是生命的源头。现今祂就在召会所有的聚会里等候机会,要与我们合作歌颂父。我们给祂机会有这样的合作,最好的路就是敞开我们的灵,向父歌颂。我们越歌唱,就越享受祂的歌唱。当我们向父赞美的时候,我们就享受基督。我们与基督一同在召会聚会里赞美父。我们越在召会的聚会里赞美父,主也越在我们的赞美里赞美父,我们也越享受祂,并得著祂。
16After declaring the Father’s name, the Son sings hymns of praise to Him in the midst of the church. I do not believe that this prophecy means that the Firstborn Son of God sang hymns of praise to the Father in the church only once. Rather, I believe that it means throughout all the centuries the Firstborn Son has been continually singing hymns of praise unto the Father in the church. How does He do this? He does it in all of His brothers. I have the full assurance that right now He is inside of us. Since He is in us, He sings praises unto the Father in our singing. His singing is in our singing. When we sing, He sings because He is within our singing. When we sing hymns to the Father from our spirit, He sings with us in our spirit. This is wonderful. The church on earth today is one corporate Body with the Firstborn Son of God. In the meetings of the church, the Firstborn Son of God sings praise to the Father. Whenever we come to the meetings, we must open our mouths to praise the Father. If we do this immediately, we cooperate with the indwelling Firstborn Son of God. Do you want to gain more of the Firstborn Son? If you do, you need to praise the Father. The more we praise the Father, the more we gain the Firstborn Son. The more we sing, the more He sings in our singing. The best way to have Christ work together with us is by singing praises to the Father. According to our experiences, many of us can testify that this is so. In some of the church meetings we did much singing to the Father. That was the time when we enjoyed Christ so much. We even had the sensation that He was singing in our singing. Christ has made the Father known to us as the source of life. Now in all the church meetings He is waiting for the opportunity to cooperate with us in singing praises to the Father. The best way for us to give Him this cooperation is to open our spirit and sing praise to the Father. The more we sing, the more we shall enjoy His singing. When we praise the Father, we enjoy Christ. We are one with Christ in praising the Father in the church meetings. The more we praise the Father in the church meetings, the more He praises the Father in our praising, and the more we enjoy Him and gain Him.
17召会是由神的众子,也就是在复活里基督的众弟兄所组成的。召会是神长子基督的团体同伙,有分于父的生命、性情和所是。在召会中,父得著了长子在众子里的赞美。这就是召会。这就是众子、众弟兄和召会。
17The church is composed of the many sons of God who are the many brothers of Christ in resurrection. It is a corporate partnership with Christ, the Firstborn Son of God, to participate in the Father’s life, nature, and being. In the church, the Father is praised by His Firstborn Son within His many sons. This is the church. Now we have seen something regarding the many sons, the many brothers, and the church