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雅各书生命读经 · 第11篇

引言和基督徒之完全的实行美德（十一）

Introduction and Practical Virtues of Christian Perfection (11)
1读经：雅各书五章一至十一节。
1Scripture Reading: James 5:1-11
警告富足的人
A WORD TO THE RICH
2在本篇信息中，我们要来看五章一至十一节。一至六节可视为插进的话。按本段内容看，这也许是写给犹太人中间一般富有的阶层，因为雅各认为受信者是犹太人的十二个支派。（一。）雅各在五章一节告诉富足的人：『嗐，你们富足的人，应当为那将要临到你们的悲惨哭泣号咷。』雅各在二至三节说，富足人的财物坏了，衣服也被虫子咬了。他们的金银都锈蚀了，那锈要作见证，定他们的罪，又要像火一样，吃他们的肉。四节接著说，『看哪，工人收割你们的田地，你们扣下他们的工钱，这工钱为他们喊冤；并且那收割之人的呼声，已经入了万军之主的耳中。』『万军之主』与罗马九章二十九节者同，等于希伯来文，万军之耶和华，（撒上一3，）这神圣的称呼。这样的称呼带著犹太的特性、色彩、腔调和味道。这进一步印证一个事实：雅各依旧非常在意犹太的事物。
2In this message we shall consider 5:1-11. Verses1 through 6 may be regarded as a parenthetical section, and this section may be addressed, according to its contents, to the rich class among the Jews in general, since James regarded his recipients as the twelve tribes of the Jews (1:1). In 5:1 James says to the1 rich, “Come now, you rich, weep, howling over your miseries which are coming upon you!” In verses 2 and 3 James says of the rich that their riches have rotted, their garments have become moth- eaten, their gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be a testimony against them and eat their flesh like fire. Then in verse 4 he goes on to say, “Behold, the wages of the workmen who mowed your fields, which has been withheld by you, cries out, and the cries of those who reaped, have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.” As in Romans 9:29, “Lord of hosts” is the equivalent of the divine title in Hebrew, Jehovah - Sabaoth, which means Jehovah of hosts, Jehovah ─ Sabaoth Jehovah of armies (1 Sam. 1:3). Such a title bears a Jewish character, color, tone, and flavor. This is a further confirmation of the fact that James still cared very much for Jewish things.
3雅各在雅各书五章五节接下去说，『你们活在地上奢华宴乐；当宰杀的日子，竟养肥了你们的心。』当宰杀的日子，竟养肥了你们的心，即甚至当宰杀的日子，（耶十二3，）就是审判的日子，神的审判要将他们像动物一样宰杀时，他们仍纵情满足自己贪婪的欲望。这含示他们麻木，不晓得他们要来的悲惨，他们悲惨的定命。（雅五1。）雅各在六节说，『你们定了义人的罪，把他杀害，他没有敌挡你们。』这里的义人是个有冠词的单数集合名词，用以指一班人，不是直接指某一个人，却描绘那义者主耶稣的死。（徒七52，三14。）
3In verse 5 James goes on to say, “You have lived luxuriously on the earth and lived in self-indulgence; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” Here “fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter” indicates that they satiated their gluttonous desire in indulgence, even in a day of slaughter (Jer. 12:3), that is, in a day of judgment, when they were to be slaughtered as animals by God’s judgment. This implies that they were in a stupor, unaware of their coming miseries, their miserable destiny (5:1). In verse 6 James says, “You condemned, you murdered the righteous; he does not resist you.” In this verse “the righteous” is in the collective singular with the article used for the class. It does not refer directly to any individual, but pictures the death of the Lord Jesus, who is the Righteous (Acts 7:52; 3:14).
4雅各书五章一至六节到底是写给谁，很难确定。许多圣经教师对于这点，意见不一。这几节的确不单单是写给信徒。我信五章一至六节是写给一般的犹太人。这种领会可从一个事实得著印证，就是照一章一节来看，这卷书信是写给『散居的十二个支派』。雅各的观念可能认为应该仍旧把犹太信徒看作是在犹太人之中。因此，他写信给犹太信徒，也写给所有的犹太人。这会帮助我们了解，雅各为甚么说他是写信给十二个支派。如果雅各书的确是写给犹太信徒和一般的犹太人，这会帮助我们了解雅各在四章论争战、斗殴和杀害的话。（1～2。）犹太人中间可能有斗殴，甚至杀害的事。这意思可能是说，雅各在四章一至二节是论到犹太人之间因私欲而起的斗殴。整体来说，雅各的著作有点糢糊不清。因著他在犹太教观念的密云笼罩之下，他就看不清楚。不仅如此，雅各多多少少是同情犹太教的。一方面，他的书信摸著新约的观念；另一方面，雅各在这卷书信仍旧持守旧约的观念。因此，他的著作是一个混杂。正如我们指出的，五章四节的万军之主这个称呼，说出这卷书的犹太特征。
4It is difficult to say to whom 5:1-6 is addressed. There is some disagreement among Bible teachers concerning this point. It is rather certain that these verses were not addressed merely to believers. I believe that 5:1-6 is addressed to the Jewish people in a general way. This understanding is confirmed by the fact that according to 1:1, this Epistle is addressed to “the twelve tribes in the dispersion.” James’ concept probably was that the Jewish believers were to be regarded as still among the Jewish people. Therefore, he addressed his Epistle to the Jewish believers but also to all the Jews. This may help us to understand why James addressed this Epistle to the twelve tribes. If the Epistle of James is addressed both to Jewish believers and to Jewish people in general, this may help us understand what James says in chapter four about wars, fightings, and murder (vv. 1-2). Among the Jews there probably were fightings and even murders. This may mean that in 4:1-2 James speaks concerning fightings among the Jews that originated with their lusts. As a whole, James’ writing is somewhat ambiguous. Because he was under the thick cloud of Judaic concepts, his view was not clear. Furthermore, at least to some extent James was sympathetic with Judaism. On the one hand, his Epistle touches New Testament concepts; on the other hand, in this Epistle James still keeps certain Old Testament concepts. Hence, his writing is a mixture. As we have pointed out, the title Lord of hosts in 5:4 points to the Jewish character of this book.
AWAITING THE LORD’S COMING
恒忍等候主来
WITH LONGSUFFERING
5在五章一至六节这段插进的话之后，接著就有论到恒忍等候主来的话，（五7～11，）这也是基督徒之完全的实行美德。
5After the parenthetical section in 5:1-6, we have a word concerning awaiting the Lord’s coming with longsuffering (5:7-11). This also is a practical virtue of Christian perfection
6等候主来并不是旧约的事；反之这完全是一件新约的事。这指明雅各在五章一至六节向犹太人说了话之后，如今在七至十一节，他是向基督徒，就是向信徒说话。他首先向犹太人中间的富足人说话，然后又向基督徒说到要等候主再来。我很难相信雅各会这样写。然而，这的确是我们在五章一至十一节所看见的。
6Awaiting the Lord’s coming back is not an Old Testament matter. Rather, this is fully a New Testament matter. This indicates that after speaking to Jews in 5:1-6, James now speaks to Christians, to believers, in 5:7-11. First he talks to the rich among the Jews, and then he speaks to Christians about waiting for the Lord’s coming back. I find it difficult to believe that James could write in this way. Nevertheless, this is what we find in 5:1-11
7雅各在五章七节说，『所以，弟兄们，你们要恒忍，直到主的来临。看哪，农夫等候地里宝贵的出产，为此恒忍，直到得了秋雨春雨。』恒忍，原文乃名词，与希伯来六章十二节，罗马二章四节，提后四章二节，彼前三章二十节者同。其动词用于雅各书五章七、八节，表明对人的忍耐，就如众申言者对逼迫他们之人的忍耐。（10。）
7In 5:7 James says, “Therefore, be longsuffering, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the earth, being longsuffering over it until it receives the early and late rain.” The Greek words for longsuffering in these verses are makrothumia (noun, as in Heb. 6:12; Rom. 2:4; 2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Pet. 3:20) and makrothumeo, as in James 5:7-8. Longsuffering expresses patience toward persons, as toward those who persecuted the prophets (v. 10).
8五章七节的来临，希腊文，parousia，巴路西亚，意即同在。基督的来临乃是与祂的信徒同在。这巴路西亚要开始于祂来到空中，结束于祂来到地上。在祂的巴路西亚期间，会有大体信徒被提到空中、（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。）雅各在雅各书五章八节接下去说，『你们也当恒忍，坚固你们的心，因为主的来临近了。』当我们在恒忍等候主的来临时，祂这位真农夫（太十三3）也在忍耐等候我们生命成熟，成为祂田里初熟的果子和庄稼。（启十四4，14～15。）我们在生命上成熟，能缩短我们恒忍和主忍耐的时间。雅各书五章九节说，『弟兄们，你们不要彼此埋怨，免得受审判；看哪，那审判者站在门前了。』这节指明主回来不仅要作新郎，迎娶新妇；（太二五1，6，启十九7～8；）也要作审判者，审判万民，首先在祂的审判台前审判信徒。（林前四4～5，林后五10。）我们需要追求生命的成熟，以迎见主，并在一切事上豫备好接受祂的审判。雅各在雅各书五章十节继续说，『弟兄们，你们要把那曾在主名里说话的众申言者，当作受苦和恒忍的榜样。』这是七至八节进一步的发展，说到忠信信徒的受苦与恒忍。雅各以众申言者为榜样。众申言者在主的名里说话，指明众申言者与主是一。因此，他们的受苦和恒忍是同著主，也是为著主。忠信信徒的受苦和恒忍也当如此。
8The Greek word for “coming” in 5:7 is parousia, presence. Christ’s coming will be His presence with His believers. This parousia will begin with His coming to the air 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). In verse 8 James continues , “ You also be longsuffering; establish your hearts, because the coming of the Lord has drawn near.” While we are awaiting the Lord’s coming with longsuffering, He, as the real Farmer (Matt. 13:3), is also awaiting with patience our maturity in life as the firstfruit and harvest of His field (Rev. 14:4, 14-15). Our maturity in life can cut short the period of our longsuffering and His patience. Verse 9 says, “Do not complain, brothers, against one another, that you be not judged; behold, the Judge stands before the doors!” This verse indicates that the Lord will come back not only as the Bridegroom to meet the bride (Matt. 25:1, 6; Rev. 19:7-8), but also as the Judge to judge all peoples. First, the Lord will judge His believers at His judgment seat (1 Cor. 4:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:10). We need to pursue maturity in life to meet the Lord and be prepared to be judged by Him. In verse 10 James continues, “Take as an example, brothers, of suffering evil and of longsuffering, the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.” This is a further development of verses 7 and 8 concerning the suffering and longsuffering of the faithful believers. James uses the prophets as an example. The prophets spoke in the name of the Lord. Speaking in the name of the Lord indicates that the prophets were one with the Lord. Hence, their suffering and longsuffering were with the Lord and for the Lord. The suffering and longsuffering of the faithful believers should be the same
9雅各在十一节说，『看哪，我们称那忍耐的人是有福的。你们听见过约伯的忍耐，也看见过主给他的结局，明显主是满有慈心，且有怜恤。』本节的忍耐，原文乃动词。其名词用于罗马五章三节，林后一章六节，表明对事情的忍耐，就如约伯对使他受苦之事的忍耐。
9In verse 11 James says, “Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and full of pity.” In this verse “endured” and “endurance” are translations of the Greek words hupomeno, verb, and hupomone, noun, as in Romans 5:3 and 2 Corinthians 1:6. This endurance expresses patience toward things, such as the things which afflicted Job.
我们需要在生命上长大
Our Need to Grow in Life
10雅各在雅各书五章七节用农夫恒忍等候地里宝贵的出产来说明。我们看见，主耶稣实际上就是真农夫，独一的农夫。当我们等候祂的来临时，祂这位农夫，也在等候我们成熟。我们可能会祷告说，『主，求你快回来。』然而祂却会说，『我的孩子们，快快成熟罢。当你们在等候我回来时，我也在等候你们成熟。你们知道为甚么两千年都快过去了，而我还没有回来？原因是我的子民还没有成熟。惟有你们成熟了，才能催促我回来。你们操练恒忍，我也操练恒忍。』
10In 5:7 James uses the illustration of a farmer awaiting with longsuffering the precious fruit of the earth. We have seen that the Lord Jesus is actually the real Farmer, the unique Farmer. As we are awaiting His coming, He, as the real Farmer, is awaiting our maturity. We may pray, “Lord, come back quickly.” However, He may say, “My children, mature quicker. While you are awaiting My coming back, I am awaiting your maturity. Do you know why it has been nearly two thousand years and I have not yet come back? The reason is that My people are not yet matured. Only your maturity can hasten My coming back. You exercise your longsuffering, and I exercise My longsuffering
11我们应该晓得，我们若认真等候主的再来，就需要在生命上长大；这种领会对我们有极大的帮助。今天大多数的基督徒以完全客观的眼光来看主的来临，以为这与我们属灵的光景或属灵的成长毫无关系。他们以为有一天主会突然来临，而祂的来临与他们的成熟毫不相关。这许多基督徒对于主再来的观念，可能正是使祂迟迟不来的原因。五章七节所说农夫的例证，含示农夫一直等候田里的农作物长大成熟。按照启示录十四章，主也一直等候庄稼成熟。当田里的庄稼成熟了，祂就会回来。这庄稼乃是主将自己当作种子撒进人里所产生的结果。主的撒种在主第一次来临的时候已经完成了，这是马太十三章所描述的。我们应当晓得，乃是庄稼的成熟才会催促祂的再来。
11It is a great help for us to realize that if we are serious about awaiting the Lord’s coming back, we need to grow in life. Most Christians today view the Lord’s coming in an altogether objective way, in a way that has nothing to do with our spiritual condition or spiritual growth. Their expectation is that one day the Lord will suddenly come, and that His coming will have nothing to do with their maturity. It may be that the concepts many Christians hold regarding the Lord’s coming back are actually causing Him to delay His coming. The illustration of the farmer in 5:7 implies that the farmer is waiting for the crop growing in the field to ripen. According to Revelation 14, the Lord is also waiting for the harvest to be ripe. When the harvest in the field is ripe, He will come back. This harvest will be the issue, the outcome, of the Lord’ss owing of Himself as a seed. This was accomplished during the Lord’s first coming, and it is described in Matthew 13. We need to realize that it is the ripening of the harvest that will hasten the Lord’s coming back
恒忍和忍耐
Longsuffering and Endurance
12雅各在雅各书五章七至十一节论到恒忍和忍耐，他以众申言者当作恒忍的榜样，以约伯为忍耐的榜样。我们如何区别恒忍和忍耐？我经过一番研读之后，就下结论说，恒忍是对人的容忍。当我们受逼迫时，就需要恒忍。因此，恒忍（longsuffering）是指我们对人容忍的表现。众申言者受逼迫，但他们对逼迫者有恒忍。相反的，忍耐（endurance）是指我们对使我们受苦之事容忍的表现。因此，当约伯遭受苦难时，他表现出忍耐。约伯的受苦不是从逼迫来的，而是从灾难来的。
12In these verses James speaks both of longsuffering and endurance. He uses the prophets as an example of longsuffering and Job as an example of endurance. How shall we differentiate longsuffering and endurance? After much study I have concluded that longsuffering is a matter of patience toward persons. When we are persecuted, we need longsuffering. Therefore, longsuffering is an expression of our patience toward people. The prophets were persecuted, but they were longsuffering toward their persecutors. Endurance, on the contrary, is an expression of our patience toward the things that afflict us. Therefore, when Job suffered affliction, he displayed endurance. Job’s suffering was not that of persecution but that of calamities.
13雅各的著作用了恒忍与忍耐这两个希腊字。当我们等候主再来时，需要恒忍和忍耐，因为我们面对从两个源头来的苦难，就是逼迫我们的人，和叫我们受苦的环境。例如，某位弟兄也许会发生意外，撞坏了新车。在这种情形下，他不需要恒忍，而需要忍耐。汽车并没有逼迫他，但他却遭受某种环境带给他的苦难，为此他需要忍耐。然而，那位弟兄若受上司苛待，他就得对上司恒忍。如果他失业了，因环境的苦难而受苦，那么他又需要忍耐。我们对人要有恒忍，对环境的苦难要有忍耐。为著主的再来，我们需要有恒忍、忍耐、以及生命的长大。当我们对逼迫我们的人有恒忍，对苦难有忍耐时，我们还需要生命的长大。这样，我们才能说，『哦，主耶稣，求你快来。主阿，你岂没有看见我在生命上长大么？今天我长得比昨天还快。主阿，因著我一直长大，求你加速你的再来。』你有没有这样祷告过？我不信有太多基督徒曾为著主的再来这样祷告过。我们要晓得，主的来临与我们在生命上长大有关系。我们如果履行生命长大的条件，主就会履行祂快再来的应许。因此，我们需要在生命上长大；当我们长大的时候，也需要操练恒忍和忍耐。这是等候主回来的正路。
13In his writing James uses the Greek words for longsuffering and endurance. While we are awaiting the Lord’s coming back, we need both longsuffering and endurance because we face suffering from two sources. These sources are persons who persecute us and the environment that afflicts us. For example, a brother may have an accident, and his new car may be damaged. For that, he does not need longsuffering; he needs endurance. The car has not done anything to persecute him, but he does suffer from a particular environmental affliction. For that affliction he needs endurance. However, if this brother is mistreated by his boss, he will need longsuffering toward his boss. But if he loses his job, suffering as a result of that environmental affliction, he will once again need endurance. We need to exercise longsuffering toward people and endurance toward environmental afflictions. For the Lord’s coming back, we need longsuffering, endurance, and the growth in life. As we are exercising longsuffering toward those who persecute us and endurance toward afflictions, we need to grow in life. Then we shall be able to say, “O Lord Jesus, come back sooner. Lord, can’tY ou see that I am growing in life? Today I am growing faster than yesterday. Because I am growing, Lord, I ask You to speed up Your coming back.” Have you ever prayed like this? I doubt that many Christians have prayed in this way concerning the Lord’s coming back. We need to realize that the Lord’s coming is related to our growth in life. If we fulfill the condition of growing in life, the Lord will fulfill the condition of coming back sooner. Therefore, we need to grow in life, and as we are growing, to exercise longsuffering and endurance. This is the proper way to await the Lord’s coming back
主的巴路西亚
The Lord’s Parousia
14我们在本篇信息前一段曾指出，五章七、八节的来临，希腊文为，巴路西亚，意同在。主的巴路西亚会维持一段时间，至少维持三年半，就是大灾难的时期。巴路西亚可能比大灾难早一点开始，并且比大灾难早一点结束。但我们要晓得这件事发生的时候，是难乎其难的；因为主耶稣曾说，只有父知道祂来临的时间。这意思是说，主的巴路西亚在甚么时候开始，是隐藏在父心中的秘密。然而，我们研读圣经的豫言之后，可以说，巴路西亚将比大灾难的开始来得早一点。大多数的基督徒不明白主的来临是巴路西亚，就是祂一段时间的同在。许多信徒反而认为主的来临多少像是突如其来的事。实际上，主的巴路西亚会持续一段时间。照著雅各的话来看，我们需要恒忍、忍耐，等候主的来临，祂的巴路西亚。不仅如此，当我们等候的时候，我们需要在生命上长大，达到成熟。
14Earlier in this message we pointed out that the Greek word for “coming” in 5:7 and 8 is parousia, which means presence. The Lord’s parousia will last for parousia a period of time, at least three and a half years, the length of the great tribulation. The parousia is likely to begin a little earlier than the tribulation, and it may conclude a little before the end of the great tribulation. It is very difficult for us to know when this will be, because the Lord Jesus has said that only the Father knows the time of His coming. This means that the time of the beginning of the Lord’s parousia is a secret kept confidential in the Father’she art. But according to the study of prophecy in the Scriptures, we can say that the parousia will begin a little earlier than the start of the great tribulation. Most Christians do not understand the Lord’s coming as being a matter of the parousia, His presence over a period of time. Instead, many believers think that the coming of the Lord will be somewhat like an accident. Actually, the Lord’s parousia will last for a period of time. According to James’ word, we need to await the coming of the Lord, His parousia, with longsuffering and endurance. Furthermore, as we are waiting we need to grow in life unto maturity.