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约翰壹书生命读经 · 第37篇

神圣出生的美德

The Virtues of the Divine Birth
以胜过世界、死、罪、魔鬼和偶像（二）
to Overcome the World, Death, Sin, the Devil, and the Idols (2
1读经：约翰一书五章十四至十七节。我们在本篇信息中，要来看约壹五章
1Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:14-17 In this message we shall consider 5:14-17
2十四至十七节。
2THE DIVINE FELLOWSHIP
神圣的交通
3约壹五章十四节说，『我们若照祂的旨意求甚么，祂就听我们；这是我们向著祂所存坦然无惧的心。』原文这节的开头有个连接词，这是非常重要的。没有这个字，我们可能会认为五章十四至十七节这段话与前面一段话14是分开的，彼此没有关联。我们也可能会认为作者在十四节所说到的，来得很突然。然而照著属灵的事实，约翰在十四节所说的话实际上不是突发的，乃是从前面几节自然的流出。
3Verse 14 says, “And this is the boldness which we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” The word “and” at the beginning of this verse is important. Without this word, we may think that 5:14-17 is a section separate from the foregoing section and having nothing to do with it. We may also think that what the writer covers in verse comes in suddenly. Actually, however, according to spiritual facts, what John speaks of in verse 14 is not a surprise. Rather, it is a spontaneous outflow from the preceding verses.
4五章四至十三节给我们看见，我们已经接受了一章一至二节所说永远的生命，接著十四至十七节告诉我们，如何在一章三至七节所说永远生命的交通里祷告。一章前七节经文指明我们已经接受永远的生命，出于这永远的生命，我们就与使徒有交通，也与父和子有交通。五章四至十七节的原则也是一样。在五章四至十三节，我们接受了永远的生命；在五章十四至十七节，我们在这生命的交通里。当然，这里没有『交通』一辞，这些经节是说到祷告。当我们凭著神圣的生命祷告的时候，我们就在神圣生命的交通里。所以，这些经节事实上是指神圣的交通。
4First John 5:4-13 shows us that we have received eternal life, as mentioned in 1:1-2. Then verses 14 through 17 tell us how we pray in the fellowship of eternal life, as mentioned in 1:3-7. The first seven verses of chapter one indicate that we have received eternal life, and out of this eternal life we have fellowship with the apostles and also with the Father and the Son. The principle is the same in 5:4-17. In 5:4-13 we have received eternal life, and in 5:14-17 we are in the fellowship of this life. Of course, the word “fellowship” is not here. These verses speak of prayer. When we pray by the divine life, we are in the fellowship of the divine life. Therefore, these verses in fact refer to the divine fellowship
永远的生命胜过死
ETERNAL LIFE OVERCOMING DEATH
54原文五章十四节开头的连接词，把五章5:14-四至十三节的生命与五章十四至十七节的交通连接起来。在前一段话里说到我们接受了永远的生命，并且我们有写5:4-出来的话作这事的确据。现在约翰用他在五章四至十三节所写的话作基础，给我们看见这永远的生命能胜过死。我们已经接受永远的生命，这生命已经在我们里面得著证实、证明并保证。现在约翰要指出永远的生命胜过死。
5The word “and” at the beginning of verse 1 connects the life in 5:4-13 to the fellowship in 17. In the former section we have received eternal life, and we have the written word as the assurance of this. Now John uses what he has written in 13 as a basis to show us that this eternal life can overcome death. We have received eternal life, and this life has been testified, proved, and pledged within us. Now John intends to point out that eternal life overcomes death.
6你也许认为五章十四至十七节是论到我们的祷告，以及神答应我们的祷告。实际上，约翰在这几节的用意是要给我们看见，在我们里面的永远生命能胜过我们自己身上，并召会别的肢体身上的死。永远的生命吞灭我们里面的死，也吞灭别的肢体里面的死。我们在召会生活里并不是单独的生活。因为召会是基督的身体，所以我们乃是和身体上同作肢体的一同生活。既然我们在身体里，我们就是肢体，和其他同作肢体的在一起。永远的生命不仅顾到我们自己的需要，也顾到我们周围同作肢体者的需要。永远的生命胜过我们里面的死，也胜过我们弟兄里面的死，特别胜过那些软弱或有难处之人里面的死。软弱与死有关，难处也是由死而来。只要召会生活里有难处，就指明在召会中那些人中间有死。所以，我们需要永远的生命来胜过、吞灭这死。如果你比较刚强，另一位同作肢体的比较软弱，那么你就可以从里面将生命供应给软弱的，好吞灭他里面的死。
6Perhaps you regarded 5:14-17 as verses concerning our prayer and God’s answer to our prayer. Actually, John’s in tent i on in these verses is to show us that the eternal life within us can overcome death both in ourselves and in other members of the church. Eternal life swallows up death within us and death within other members. In the church life we do not live alone. Because the church is the Body, we live with the fellow members of the Body. Since we are in the Body, we are members with the other fellow members. Eternal life not only takes care of our own need; it also takes care of the need of the fellow members around us. It overcomes death within us, and it overcomes death within our brothers. Especially, it overcomes death in those who are weak or who have problems. Weakness is related to death, and problems come from death. As long as there are problems in the church life, this is an indicator that there is death among those in the church. Therefore, we need eternal life to overcome, to swallow up, this death. If you are stronger and a fellow member is weaker, then you may become the one to supply the life from within you to the weaker one in order to swallow up the death within him.
7现在我们能明白为何原文五章十四节以连接词来开始。我们将十三、十四节下再读一次：『我将这些话写给你们信入神儿子之名的人，要叫你们晓得自己有永远的生命。…这是我们向14著祂所存坦然无惧的心。』表面看来，十四节下半不合式或不合逻辑，但我们若摸著作者灵里的负担，就会看见他的用意是要给我们看见，我们不仅有永远的生命，并且在我们里面这永远的生命是胜过死，并将死吞灭。
7Now we can understand why verse 14 begins with “and.” Let us read verses 13 and 14a again: “I write these things to you that you may know that you have eternal life, to you who believe in the name of the Son of God. And this is the boldness which we have toward Him.” Apparently, the first part of verse is not fitting or logical. But if we touch the burden in the writer’s spirit, we shall see that his intention is to show us not only that we have eternal life, but also that this eternal life within us overcomes death and swallows it up.
照神的旨意求
ASKING ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL
8约翰在五章十四节说，『我们若照祂的旨意求甚么，祂就听我们；这是我们向著祂所存坦然无惧的心。』这里『坦然无惧的心，』指我们在与神的交通中，为著祷告所存坦然无惧的心。我们因著相信神的儿子，藉著神圣的出生，便得著了永远的生命；基于这个事实，我们就能藉此接触神，在永远生命的交通里，因著良心无亏，（徒二四16，）坦然无惧，照著祂的旨意祷告，确信祂必听我们。
8In verse 14 John says, “This is the boldness which we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Here “boldness” refers to the boldness we have for our prayer in fellowship with God. Based upon the fact that we have received eternal life through the divine birth by believing in the Son of God, we can pray, in the fellowship of eternal life, by contacting God, in the boldness of a conscience void of offense (Acts 24:16), according to His will, with the assurance that He will hear us.
9这节圣经说到照神的旨意求，不照我们的渴望、偏好或方式求。我们怎能知道所求的是照祂的旨意？照神旨意求的人是蒙了重生、有神圣的生命、在神圣生命的交通里的人。我们在约壹三章看见，这样一个人有无亏的良心。就是说，他的心不责备他，因为当他在神圣生命的交通里，他有无亏的良心。只要我们住在神圣生命的交通里，我们的良心必然没有亏欠。然后我们就能照著神的旨意祷告、祈求。藉此我们看见，在神圣生命的交通里祷告的人，真正与主是一。我们乃是这样认识神的旨意：藉著与祂是一，藉著住在祂里面，藉著留在神圣生命的交通里。照神旨意的祷告，指明祷告的人住在神圣生命的交通里，也住在主自己里面。这样一位信徒就与主是一。这使他能向著神存坦然无惧的心。当我们在神圣生命的交通里，我们的良心没有亏欠，我们就与神有平安，我们也存坦然无惧的心祷告，不是照我们的感觉，乃是照祂的旨意。因为我们照祂的旨意祷告，所以祂就听我们。
9This verse speaks of asking according to God’s will, not according to our desire, preference, or way. But how can we know that the thing we are asking is according to His will? A person who asks according to God’s will is one who has been regenerated, who has the divine life, and who is in the fellowship of the divine life. As we saw in chapter three, such a person will have a conscience void of offense. This means that his heart does not blame him, for while he is in the fellowship of the divine life, he has a conscience without offense. As long as we abide in the fellowship of the divine life, our conscience will surely be without offense. Then we shall be able to pray, to ask, according to God’s will. By this we see that a person who prays in the fellowship of the divine life is truly one with the Lord. It is in this way that we know God’s will: by being one with Him, by abiding in Him, and by remaining in the fellowship of the divine life. The prayer that is according to the will of God indicates that the praying one is abiding in the fellowship of the divine life and is also abiding in the Lord Himself. Such a believer is one with the Lord. This makes it possible to have boldness toward God. When we are in the fellowship of the divine life and our conscience is without offense, we have peace with God, and we also have boldness to pray, not according to our feeling, but according to His will. Because we pray according to His will, He hears us.
知道我们得著所求的
KNOWING THAT WE HAVE THE REQUESTS
10约翰在五章十五节接著说，『我们若知道祂听我们一切所求的，就知道我们所求于祂的无不得著。』这个知道乃是基于我们得著神圣的生命以后，我们住在主里面，以及在祂名里向神祷告中与祂是一的事实。（约十五7，16，十六23～24。）基于我们已藉著神圣的出生得著神圣的生命这事实，我们可以住在主里面，能在祷告中与祂是一。因为我们在祷告中与主是一，所以我们是在祂的名里祷告。藉此我们知道祂听我们一切所求的。我们不是在自己里面，照著自己的心思求，乃是在主里面，照著神的旨意求。所以，我们知道我们所求于祂的无不得著。
10In 5:15 John goes on to say, “And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” This knowing is based upon the fact that after having received the divine life, we abide in the Lord and are one with Him in our prayer to God in His name (John 15:7, 16; 16:23-24). Based upon the fact that we have received the divine life through the divine birth, we may abide in the Lord and be one with Him in our prayer. Because we are one with the Lord in prayer, we pray in His name. By this we know that He hears us in whatever we ask. Our asking is not in ourselves according to our mind, but in the Lord according to God’s will. Therefore, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him
祈求与赐给生命
ASKING AND GIVING LIFE
11约翰在五章十六节来到这一段话的要点：『人若看见他的弟兄犯了不至于死的罪，就当为他祈求，将生命赐给他，就是给那些犯了不至于死之罪的。有至于死的罪，我不说当为那罪祈求。』这节的『至于死，』直译是『向著死。』约翰在这里是说，人若看见他的弟兄，就是在主里和他亲近的人，犯了不至于死的罪，就当为那人祈求。这里的『祈求，』必是指我们住在与神交通里而有的祷告。
11In verse 16 John comes to his point in this section: “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask and he will give life to him, to those sinning not unto death. There is sin unto death; I do not say that he should make request concerning that.” Literally, the Greek word rendered “unto” in this verse means toward. Here John is saying that if anyone sees his brother, someone close to him in the Lord, sinning a sin not unto death, he should ask concerning that one. The word “ask” here must refer to a prayer made when we are abiding in fellowship with God.
12『当…祈求』的主词，无疑的是指那看见弟兄犯了不至于死之罪的人。但『将生命赐给他，』这里的主词是指谁？有些英文译本在这里用了大写的代名词，因而把这句的主词说成是主。实际上，二句的主词都是指同一个人，就是那看见弟兄犯罪并为弟兄祈求的人。『将生命赐给他』这句话的主词还是上文的『人，』这人也是『祈求』的主词。这指明祈求的人将生命赐给他所代求的人。这不是说，祈求的人本身有生命，能凭自己将生命赐给别人。这乃是说，这样一个住在主里面，与主是一，并在与主是一的灵里（林前六）祈求的祈求者，成了神赐生命之灵能将生命赐给他所代求之人的凭藉。这是一件在神圣生命的交通里，分赐生命的事。我们要成为能将生命分赐给别人的人，就必须住在神圣的生命里，并在神圣的生命里行事、生活、为人。雅各五章十四至十六节的祷告是为著医治，这里的祷告是为著分赐生命。这里要紧的点乃是，我若要照著约壹五章十六节所描述的为弟兄祷告，就需要与主是一。我们必须住在主里面，与祂在一灵里来祈求。因为我们这样与主是一，我们就能成为神赐生命之灵能将生命分赐给我们所代求之人的凭藉、管道。这生命的分赐乃是在神圣生命的交通里进行的。
12No doubt, “he shall ask” refers to the one who sees his brother sinning as in not unto death. But to whom does “he will give life” refer? There is a problem with the second “he” in this verse. Some translations capitalize the second “he” and thereby make it refer to the Lord. Actually, in both cases “he” refers to the same person, that is, to the one who sees his brother sinning and who asks concerning him. The subject of “will give life” is still he, the subject of the first predicate “shall ask.” This indicates that the asker will give life to the one asked for. This does not mean that the asker has life of himself and can give life by himself to others. It means such an asker, who is abiding in the Lord, who is one with the Lord, and who is asking in one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17), becomes the means through 17 which God’s life - giving Spirit can give life to the one he asks for. This is a matter of life-imparting in the fellowship of the divine life. To be one who can give life to others, we must abide in the divine life and walk, live, and have our being in the divine life. In James 5:14-16 the prayer is for healing; here the prayer is for life-imparting. The vital point here is that if we would pray for a brother according to what is described in verse 16, we need to be one with the Lord. We must abide in the Lord and ask in one spirit with Him. Because we are so one with the Lord, we can become the means, the channel, through which God’s life - giving Spirit can impart life to the one for whom we ask. This imparting of life takes place in the fellowship of the divine life.
13五章十六节的『生命，』无疑的是指藉著祈求之人的祷告，分赐到所代求之人里面的属灵生命。然而，照上下文看，这属灵的生命，也会拯救所代求之人的肉身，脱离他因犯罪而死的危险。（见雅五15。）
13Undoubtedly, “life” in verse 16 refers to spiritual life imparted into the one asked for through the prayer of the asker. However, according to the context, this spiritual life will also rescue the physical body of the one asked for from the danger of suffering death because of his sinning (see James 5:15
至于死的罪
SIN UNTO DEATH
14关于至于死的罪，圣经教师有不同的解释。有些人说这是指敌基督者否认耶稣是基督的罪，（约壹二，）这罪使他们永远留在死里。但是照本节的上下文看，至于死的罪与犯罪的弟兄有关，而与敌基督者或别的不信者无关。既然五章十四至十七节这段，与一章三节至二章十一节所说永远生命交通里的祷告有关，所论到的事必定与神圣生命的交通有关。在神圣生命的交通里，神照著祂每个儿女的属灵光景，施行祂行政的对付。在神行政的对付里，有些神的儿女由于某种的罪，被命定肉身要在今世死亡；有些由于别的罪，也被命定肉身要死亡。这种光景就像亚拿尼亚和他妻子撒非喇，因著欺骗圣灵，便受到肉身死亡的对付；（徒五1～11；）又像哥林多的信徒，因著不分辨那身体，就受到同样的审判。（林前十一29～30。）这由神在旷野中对付以色列人所豫表；（林前十5～11；）他们中间除了迦勒和约书亚以外，全都由于某种罪受神审判，以致肉身死亡。神行政的对付是严厉的。米利暗、亚伦、甚至摩西，也都由于某种的失败，12:1-未能免去这种对付。（民十二1～，二十1，12，22～29，申一37，三26～27，三二48～52。）神对祂儿女行政对付的刑罚，与永远的沉沦完全无关。这刑罚乃是根据神行政之时代的对付，与我们和神的交通以及彼此的交通有关。是不是至于死的罪，乃在于神照著各人在神家中的地位和光景而有的审判。无论如何，对于神的儿女，犯罪是件严肃的事，也许会遭受神的审判，肉身在今世死亡！关于这样的罪，使徒没有说我们当为此祈求。约翰在约壹五章十七节接著说，『一切的不义都是罪，也有不至于死的罪。』凡不正直、不公义的错误行为都是罪。我们已经指出，在神行政的对付里，对一些圣徒来说，某种罪可能是至于死的。但同样的罪对于别的圣徒可能不至于死。约翰在五章十六节说，『有至于死的罪，』又在十七节说，『也有不至于死的罪。』不仅如此，约翰在十六节似乎含示祷告的人会知道弟兄是否犯至于死的罪，因为我们只要为不至于死的罪祈求。这引出一个非常重要的问题：我们怎能知道某种罪是否至于死。这是很深的事，我们要在下篇信息里详细的来看。
14Concerning “sin unto death,” Bible teachers have different interpretations. Some say that it refers to the sin of the antichrists in denying that Jesus is the Christ (2:22), a sin which keeps them in death 22 forever. But, according to the context of this verse, sin unto death is related to a sinning brother, not to an antichrist or any other unbeliever. Since this section, 5:14-17, is related to prayer in the fellowship of eternal life covered in 1:3—2:11, whatever it deals with must be related to the matter of the fellowship of the divine life. In the fellowship of the divine life there is the governmental dealing of God according to the spiritual condition of each of His children. In God’s governmental dealing, some of His children may be destined to physical death in this age due to a certain sin, and others may also be destined to physical death due to other sins. The situation is like that of Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who were dealt with by physical death because of their lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11). The situation also is like that of the Corinthian believers, who were dealt with by a similar judgment because of their not discerning the body (1 Cor. 11:29-30). This was typified by God’s dealing with the children of Israel in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:5-11). All of them, except Caleb and Joshua, were judged by God with physical death due to certain sins. God’s governmental dealing is severe. Miriam, Aaron, and even Moses were not spared from this kind of dealing due to certain failures of theirs (Num. 15; 20:1, 12, 22-29; Deut. 1:37; 3:26-27; 32:48-52). 15 The punishment of God’s governmental dealing with His children is not at all related to eternal perdition. Rather, it is a dispensational dealing according to the divine government, which is related to our fellowship with God and with one another. Whether a sin is unto death or not depends on God’s judgment according to each one’s position and condition in the house of God. In any case, for the children of God to sin is a serious matter. Sin may be judged by God with physical death in this age! Concerning such a sin unto death, the apostle does not say that we should make request. In verse 17 John goes on to say, “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not unto death.” Every wrongdoing, everything that is not just or righteous, is sin. We have pointed out that in God’s governmental dealing, for some saints a particular sin may be unto death. But for other saints the same sin may not be unto death. In verse 16 John says, “There is sin unto death,” and in verse 17 he says, “There is sin not unto death.” Furthermore, John seems to imply in verse 16 that the praying one may know whether or not a brother is sinning a sin unto death, for we are to ask only concerning a sin that is not unto death. This raises the very important question of how we can know whether or not a certain sin is unto death. This is a deep matter, and we shall consider it in some detail in the next message.