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彼得前书生命读经 · 第4篇

那灵的圣别，蒙血所洒，以及活的盼望

The Sanctification of the Spirit, The Sprinkling of the Blood, and the Living Hope
1读经：彼得前书一章二至四节。
1Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 1:2-4
由经历证实的道理
DOCTRINE CONFIRMED BY EXPERIENCE
2彼前一章二节说，『就是照著父神的先见被拣选，藉著那灵得圣别，以致顺从耶稣基督，并蒙祂血所洒的人。』本节包含了在道理上和经历上都很深奥的事。这些深奥的事，其中一项是那灵的圣别，其次是顺从以及蒙耶稣基督的血所洒。照著本节原文，耶稣基督的血是顺从和洒的受词。因此，顺从是顺从血，洒也是洒血。我们不容易领会顺从如何能是顺从血。不但如此，我们对蒙血所洒也不容易有正确的领会。最近我花了许多时间再研读彼得的著作。在已过的年日我没有看见，彼得虽是个加利利的渔夫和传福音者，如使徒行传所指明的，但他在道理和经历上竟然是那么深。彼得的书信是由道理加上经历的证实所组成的。彼得的著作主要是讲经历，但这经历是基于道理的。
2First Peter 1:2 says, “According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” This verse contains matters that are deep both in doctrine and in experience. One of these deep matters is the sanctification of the Spirit; a second is the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. According to this verse, the blood of Jesus Christ is the object both of obedience and of sprinkling. Hence, the obedience is of the blood, and the sprinkling also is of the blood. It is not easy for us to understand how obedience can be of the blood. Furthermore, it is not easy to have a proper understanding of the sprinkling of the blood. Recently I have spent much time to study the writings of Peter again. In years past I did not realize that Peter, a Galilean fisherman and an evangelist, as indicated by the book of Acts, could be so deep in doctrine and experience. The Epistles of Peter are a composition of doctrines confirmed by experience. Peter’s writings are mainly on experience, yet the experience is based on doctrines
3就人这面来说，彼得没有受过高等教育。他远不如保罗那样有学问。然而，彼得在他的著作里所使用的辞汇，指明他在道理和经历上都很深。保罗在他的书信里清楚指明，那灵的圣别有两方面。第一方面是地位上的圣别，第二方面是性质上的圣别。但保罗没有告诉我们，在地位上和性质上那灵的圣别有两个时期，第一个时期是在我们得称义和重生之前，第二个时期是在得称义和重生之后。然而，彼得的确说到与那灵的圣别有关的两个时期。
3Humanly speaking, Peter did not have a high education. He was not nearly as learned as Paul was. Nevertheless, the vocabulary used by Peter in his writings indicates that he was deep both in doctrine and in experience. Paul in his Epistles indicates clearly that the sanctification of the Spirit is of two aspects. The first aspect is positional sanctification, and the second is dispositional sanctification. But Paul does not tell us that the sanctification of the Spirit positionally and dispositionally is of two periods of time, the first period before we were justified and regenerated, and the second period afterward. Peter, however, does refer to the two periods of time related to the sanctification of the Spirit.
4照著今天基督徒对那灵的圣别所持守的一般领会，首先父神拣选我们，之后基督救赎我们，然后那灵在地位和性质上圣别我们。多年来我对圣别的领会就是这样。我所释放关于圣别的信息也曾指出，在父拣选我们，子救赎我们之后，那灵来圣别我们。但在一章二节彼得说，圣别在父的拣选之后，在基督的救赎之前。照著本节，那灵的圣别使我们顺从，并蒙基督的血所洒。这必然指明那灵的圣别在基督的救赎以先。我就著本节祷告并研读时，就蒙光照，看见不但基督的救赎需要藉著那灵得以应用，父的拣选也需要藉著那灵才得以应用。若不是藉著圣灵的应用，神的拣选如何能在实际、经历上与我们有关？神的拣选乃是藉著那灵的应用临到了我们。这应用就是彼得所说那灵的圣别的意思。
4According to the general understanding of the sanctification of the Spirit held by Christians today, first God the Father selected us, then Christ redeemed us, and then the Spirit sanctifies us positionally and dispositionally. I have had this understanding of sanctification for many years. The messages I have given concerning sanctification also have pointed out that after the Father selected us and the Son redeemed us, the Spirit comes to sanctify us. But in 1:2 Peter says that sanctification comes after the Father’s selection and before Christ’s redemption. According to this verse, the sanctification of the Spirit is unto the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ. Surely, this indicates that the sanctification of the Spirit precedes the redemption of Christ. As I prayed over this verse and studied it, I was enlightened to see that not only Christ’s redemption needs to be applied by the Spirit, but the Father’ss election also needs to be applied by the Spirit. Without the application through the Holy Spirit, how could God’ss election have anything to do with us in a practical, experiential way? God’ss election has reached us through the Spirit’s application. This application is what Peter means by the sanctification of the Spirit.
5在已过的永远里神拣选了我们。但这拣选如何能应用于我们？这拣选要得以应用，就需要那灵的应用。我们都能从我们的经历见证这点。我们曾经在地上飘流，可能就像那些从未想到神的人一样。但有一天，那灵的『风』把我们『吹』到一个地方，在那里我们听见人传福音。我们听人传福音时，信就注入我们里面。这样，神的拣选就应用于我们。接著得以应用的，是基督的救赎。就这意义说，那灵的圣别是在我们经历基督的救赎以先。在帖后二章十三节保罗说，『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。』就圣别而论，这一节是总括的。保罗在这里说，我们是藉著那灵的圣别而得著神的救恩。这就是说，父和子在救恩中所完成的部分都是藉著那灵的圣别。所以，没有那灵的圣别，就无法应用父和子为我们所作的。父和子为我们所作的，都是藉著那灵应用于我们。保罗称这应用是那灵的圣别。所以，三一神的救恩是藉著那灵的圣别完成的。顺从并蒙血所洒
5In eternity past God selected us. But how could this selection be applied to us? In order for it to be applied, there is the need of the Spirit’s application. We all can testify of this from our experience. We were wandering on earth, perhaps as those who never had a thought concerning God. But one day the “wind” of the Spirit “blew” us to a place where we heard the preaching of the gospel. While we were listening to the preaching of the gospel, faith was infused into us. In this way God’ss election was applied to us. The next thing to be applied was the redemption of Christ. In this sense the sanctification of the Spirit preceded our experience of Christ’s redemption. In 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Paul says, “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.” As far as sanctification is concerned, this verse is all-inclusive. Paul says here that God’ss alvation is in the sanctification of the Spirit. This means that the part played in salvation by the Father and the Son are in the sanctification of the Spirit. Therefore, without the sanctification of the Spirit, there would be no way to apply what the Father and the Son have done for us. What the Father and the Son have done for us is applied to us by the Spirit. Paul refers to this application as sanctification of the Spirit. The salvation of the Triune God, therefore, is carried out in the sanctification of the Spirit. THE OBEDIENCE AND SPRINKLING OF THE BLOOD
6现在我们来到顺从并蒙血所洒。顺从血并蒙血所洒是犹太人旧约时代的事。彼前一章二节用到这二辞，含示并指明在彼得的著作里，时代已从旧约转移到新约。在旧约里，神给摩西关于律法，并关于祭牲之血（豫表基督为著救赎我们所流之血）的诫命。因此，照著神旧约的经纶，所有的犹太人都相信律法，以及所洒祭牲的血。尤其在遮罪日，以色列人信靠这血。换句话说，他们顺从律法和血。律法和血是他们宗教的基本元素。犹太教主要是由律法和遮罪的血所组成的。随著基督的来临，新约的经纶开始了。主耶稣来顶替律法，祂的血应验祭牲之血的豫表，并且将其顶替。所以，新约经纶的组成要素是基督的人位和基督的血。为这缘故，主差遣使徒们宣扬律法的时代已经过去，并且我们需要相信基督。他们也要宣告，不再需要洒祭牲的血，因为有功效的血乃是耶稣基督的血。现今我们需要顺从对基督的信仰，也顺从耶稣的血。彼前一章二节指明时代的转移。旧时代有祭牲的血；新时代有耶稣基督的血。因此，我们必须顺从这血。在二节彼得似乎是说，『从前你们接受祭牲的血，并顺从这血。现今神吩咐你们接受基督的血。』这是彼得所说『顺从…血』这话的意思。
6Now we come to the obedience and sprinkling of the blood. The obedience of the blood and the sprinkling of the blood are Jewish, Old Testament, dispensational matters. The use of these terms in 1:2 implies and indicates that in Peter’s writings the dispensation has changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament. In the Old Testament God gave Moses commandments concerning the law and concerning the blood of animals, a type of the blood of Christ shed for our redemption. Thus, all the Jews, according to the Old Testament economy of God, believed in the law and in the sprinkling of the blood of the animals used for sacrifices. On the day of Atonement in particular, the Israelites put their trust in this blood. In other words, they obeyed the law and the blood. The law and the blood were basic elements of their religion. Judaism is composed mainly of the law and the blood of atonement. With the coming of Christ, the New Testament economy began. The Lord Jesus came to replace the law, and His blood fulfills the type of the animal blood and replaces it. The components of the New Testament economy, therefore, are the Person of Christ and the blood of Christ. For this reason, the Lord sent the apostles to proclaim that the dispensation of law is over and that we need to believe in Christ. They were also to declare that no longer was there the need for the sprinkling of the blood of animals, for the prevailing blood is the blood of Jesus Christ. Now we need to obey the faith in Christ and also obey Jesus’ blood. First Peter 1:2 indicates a change in dispensation. The old dispensation had the blood of animals; the new dispensation has the blood of Jesus Christ. Thus, we must obey this blood. In verse 2 Peter seems to be saying, “Formerly you accepted the blood of animals and obeyed it. Now God commands you to accept the blood of Christ.” This is what Peter means by the expression “the obedience of the blood.”
7彼得说到顺从血，而保罗说到顺1:5从信仰。在罗马一章五节他说，『我们藉著祂，领受了恩典和使徒的职分，为祂的名在万国中使人顺从信仰。』他在罗马书末了一章又说到顺从信仰：『这奥秘如今显明出来，且照永远之神的命令，藉著众申言者所写的，指示万国，使他们顺从信仰。』（罗十六26。）
7Whereas Peter speaks of the obedience of the blood, Paul refers to the obedience of faith. In Romans he says, “We received grace and apostleship unto obedience of faith among all the nations on behalf of His name.” He speaks of the obedience of faith again in the last chapter of Romans: “But now has been manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the command of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations unto obedience of faith” (Rom. 16:26).
8彼得领悟，乃是藉著圣灵的工作，相信祭牲之血的犹太人才能将他们的信仰转向基督的血。这样他们就接受基督的血，并顺从这血。这是彼得所说顺从血的意思。
8Peter realized that it was by the working of the Holy Spirit that the Jews who believed in animal blood could turn their belief to the blood of Christ. In this way they received the blood of Christ and obeyed it. This is what Peter means by the obedience of the blood.
9在彼前一章二节，彼得也说到蒙血所洒。旧约是藉著洒祭牲的血而立的。（出二四8。）关于这点，希伯来九章十八至二十节说，『所以第一约也不是不用血创立的。因为各条诫命既由摩西照著律法，向众百姓讲过了，他就拿牛犊和山羊的血，用水和朱红色绒并牛膝草，洒在那约书上，并众百姓身上，说，「这就是神与你们所立之约的血。」』不但如此，照著希伯来书所说，那洒在我们身上的基督之血已被带到诸天之上，洁净诸天上之物。九章十二节说，『并且不是藉著山羊和牛犊的血，乃是藉著祂自己的血，一次永远的进入至圣所，便得到了永远的救赎。』在二十三节我们看见，基督的血洁净天上之物：『所以，诸天上之物的样本，必须用这些祭物去洁净；但那天上之物的本身，必须用比这些更美的祭物去洁净。』我题这点，是要指出『蒙血所洒』是时代的辞，是彼得和保罗所说到旧约的实行。彼得在彼前一章二节的话指明，今天不再是洒祭牲之血的时代；那是旧约时代。今天是洒活的人位，神的儿子耶稣基督之血的时代。因此，彼得在一章二节说到洒血，指明已经从祭牲之血的时代转移到活的人位之血的时代。活的盼望和基业
9In 1:2 Peter also speaks of the sprinkling of the blood. The Old Testament was established through the sprinkling of animal blood (Exo. 24:8). Concerning this, Hebrews 9:18-20 says, “Wherefore neither was the first covenant dedicated without blood. For when every commandment according to the law had been spoken by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded to you.” Furthermore, according to the book of Hebrews, the blood of Christ with which we are sprinkled has been brought into the heavens to purify the things in the heavens. Hebrews 9:12 says, “Nor through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, entered once for all into the Holy of Holies, having found an eternal redemption.” In Hebrews 9:23 we see that the blood of Christ purified the heavenly things: “It was necessary therefore for the examples of the things in the heavens to be purified by these, but the heavenly things themselves by better sacrifices than these.” I mention this to point out that the expression “the sprinkling of the blood” is a dispensational term, an Old Testament practice referred to by Peter and also by Paul. Peter’sword in 1:2 indicates that today is no longer the dispensation of the sprinkling of animal blood. That was the Old Testament dispensation. Today is the dispensation of the sprinkling of the blood of a living Person, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Hence, Peter’sword regarding the sprinkling of the blood in 1:2 is an indication that the dispensation has been changed from that of animal blood to that of the blood of a living Person. THE LIVING HOPE AND THE INHERITANCE
10在一章三至四节彼得接著说，『我们主耶稣基督的神与父是当受颂赞的，祂曾照自己的大怜悯，藉耶稣基督从死人中复活，重生了我们，使我们有活的盼望，可以得著不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残，为你们存留在诸天之上的基业。』多年来，我一直想要领会『活的盼望』这辞。我无法领会这活的盼望如何能成为基业，正如照著文法，四节里的基业与三节里活的盼望是同位语这个事实所指明的。这指明活的盼望就是基业，基业就是活的盼望。
10In 1:3 and 4 Peter goes on to say, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead, unto an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, kept in the heavens for you.” For many years, I have been trying to understand the words “living hope.” I could not understand how this living hope could be the inheritance, as indicated by the fact that, according to grammar, the inheritance in verse 4 is in apposition to the living hope in verse 3. This indicates that the living hope is the inheritance and that the inheritance is the living hope.
11活的盼望乃是生命的盼望，特别是永远生命的盼望。生命是盼望的源头。比方说，一个小孩有人的生命；因著他有生命，他的父母就满了他会长大的盼望。他出生时几磅重，但他的母亲期望他长大成熟，成为大人。母亲的盼望是生命的盼望。一样东西若不是活的，我们就无法对牠有这样的盼望。例如，我们不会对椅子有盼望。没有人会看著椅子说，『这椅子又小又丑，但我满了盼望，有一天这椅子会变得又大又漂亮。』那种盼望全然是虚空的。但父母盼望孩子会长大，不是虚空的。从这个例证，我们能看见盼望是在于生命。活的盼望就是生命的盼望。我们也可用康乃馨的种子来说明彼得所说活的盼望，生命的盼望的意思。如果你在庭院里撒播康乃馨的种子，你会存著盼望撒种。你会期望种子至终会发芽。一段时期以后，你会期望一棵长成、开花的康乃馨出现。这是生命的盼望的例证。
11A living hope is a hope of life. In particular it is a hope of eternal life. Life is the source of hope. For example, a little child has human life. Because he has life, his parents are full of hope that he will grow. At birth he weighed several pounds, but his mother is expecting him to grow to maturity as a man. Her hope is the hope of life. We could not have such a hope in relation to something that is not living. For example, we would not have hope in relation to a chair. No one would look at a chair and say, “This chair is small and ugly, but I am full of hope that one day this chair will become larger and beautiful.” That kind of hope is altogether vain. But it is not vain for parents to hope that their child will grow. By this illustration we can see that hope depends on life. The living hope is a hope of life. We may also use a carnation seed to illustrate what Peter means by a living hope, a hope of life. If you were to sow a carnation seed in your yard, you would sow it with hope. You would have the expectation that the seed would eventually sprout. After a period of time, you would expect to have a full-grown carnation plant with blossoms on it. This is an illustration of the hope of life
12死人没有盼望。然而，生命若能分赐到死人里面，他就能盼望他肉身的每个肢体都被点活。原则上，这也适用于我们的重生。在我们重生之前，我们是死的，没有盼望。但撒在我们里面的永远生命满了盼望，满了生命的盼望。生命的盼望就是对永远生命的享受。这享受不是单单为著将来，乃是给我们今天经历的。但我年轻时受教导说，彼前一章四节里活的盼望只是为著将来。人教导我说，将来有一天，我会有一栋天上的华厦。他们向我解释说，信徒有这样美妙的盼望。这盼望似乎很好，却很遥远；今天我们无法有分于牠。从我开始认识永远生命的时候起，我也开始享受活的盼望。享受这活的盼望就是享受永远的生命。这永远的生命使我们能改变。不但如此，对永远生命的享受就是生命盼望的实现。当然，对永远生命的完满享受是在将来。但今天我们就可以豫尝，将来我们会全享。但豫尝和全享都是这生命盼望的实现。所以，这盼望事实上就是对永远生命的享受。
12A dead person has no hope. However, if life could be imparted into a dead person, he would have the hope that every member of his physical body would be enlivened. In principle, the same applies to our regeneration. Before we were regenerated, we were dead and without hope. But the eternal life that has been sown into us is full of hope, full of the hope of life. The hope of life is the enjoyment of eternal life. This enjoyment is not only for the future; it is for us to experience today. But when I was young, I was taught that the living hope in 1:4 was only for the future. I was taught that, sometime in the future, I would have a mansion in heaven. It was explained to me that believers have such a wonderful hope. This hope seems to be good, but it is for something far removed from us. We cannot participate in it today. From the time I began to know eternal life, I also began to enjoy the living hope. To enjoy this living hope is to enjoy eternal life. This eternal life enables us’ to change. Furthermore, the enjoyment of eternal life is the fulfillment of the hope of life. Of course, the full enjoyment of eternal life will be in the future. But today we may have a foretaste. Then in the future we shall enjoy the full taste. But both the foretaste and the full taste are the fulfillment of the hope of this life. Therefore, this hope is actually the enjoyment of eternal life
13现今我们需要问，这活的盼望如何也能成为我们的基业。孩子出生时，得著人的生命。将来这孩子会享受许多事物。将来他所要享受的一切事物，都算是一种基业。每个人都接受了许多与人生命有关的事物为基业。出生使人有权利得著这基业。我年轻时，人告诉我，一章四节所描述的基业是给我们将来享受的。我受教导说，我们必须等到主耶稣回来，才经历这基业。至终我晓得一章五节的救恩，就是完全的救恩，是豫备好在末后的时期显现的。但圣经没有告诉我们，我们必须等到将来才享受我们的基业。彼得没有说基业存留在诸天之上，直到主耶稣显现。他只说，基业为我们存留在诸天之上。诸天可比作银行，在这银行里，我们有存款─基业。今天我们就能从这属天的存款提取；我们不需要等到将来。我们随时都能写『支票』，从我们属天的活期存款户头提款。永远的生命是我们的享受，也是我们的基业。神所是的一切丰富都包含在祂的生命里。这些丰富成了我们在属天银行里的基业。我们对永远生命的日常经历，也就是对那为我们存留在诸天之上基业的经历和享受。这就是说，活的盼望和基业乃是一。
13Now we need to ask how this living hope can also be our inheritance. When a child is born, he receives human life. In the future this child will enjoy many things. All the things which he will enjoy in the future are counted as an inheritance. Every human being receives as an inheritance many things related to human life. Birth gives the right to this inheritance. When I was young, I was told that the inheritance described in 1:4 will be ours to enjoy in the future. I was taught that we must wait until the Lord Jesus comes back to experience this inheritance. Eventually I learned that the salvation in 1:5, the full salvation, is ready to be revealed at the last time. But we are not told that we must wait for the future to enjoy our inheritance. Peter does not say that the inheritance is kept in the heavens until the unveiling of the Lord Jesus. Rather, he says only that the inheritance is kept for us in the heavens. The heavens can be compared to a bank, and in this bank we have a deposit—the inheritance. We can make withdrawals from this heavenly deposit today; we need not wait for the future. At any time we can write a “check” to make a withdrawal from our heavenly checking account. Eternal life is our enjoyment and also our inheritance. All the riches of God’s being are involved in His life. These riches have become our inheritance in the heavenly bank. Our daily experience of eternal life is also an experience and enjoyment of the inheritance kept for us in the heavens. This means that the living hope and the inheritance are one
对三一神的描述
A DESCRIPTION OF THE TRIUNE GOD
14在一章四节彼得对我们的基业有三重的描述。他说这基业是不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残的。我信这三重的描述是指神圣的三一说的。『不能朽坏』指这基业的性质；这是金所表征神的性情。『不能玷污』描述基业的光景；这光景与圣别的灵有关。『不能衰残』指这基业的彰显；这基业有不能衰残的荣耀。在五章彼得说到不能衰残的荣耀冠冕。『不能衰残』一辞所指明的永远彰显，就是子作父荣耀的彰显。所以，这里有父不能朽坏的性情，那灵圣别的能力，将基业维持在不能玷污的光景中，保守这基业圣别、清洁、纯净，也有子作不能衰残之荣耀的彰显。所以，对我们基业的描述也就是对三一神的描述。
14In 1:4 Peter gives a threefold description of our inheritance. He says that this inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading. I believe that this threefold description points to the Trinity. The word “incorruptible” refers to the nature of this inheritance. This is God’s nature, signified by gold. “Undefiled” describes the condition of the inheritance. This condition is related to the sanctifying Spirit. “Unfading” refers to the expression of this inheritance. This inheritance has unfading glory. In chapter five Peter speaks of an unfading crown of glory. The everlasting expression indicated by the word “unfading” is the Son as the expression of the Father’s glory. Therefore, here we have the Father’s in corruptible nature, the Spirit’s sanctifying power to maintain the inheritance in an undefiled condition, to keep it holy, clean, and pure, and also the Son as the expression of the unfading glory. Therefore, the description of our inheritance is also a description of the Triune God.