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约翰壹书生命读经 · 第7篇

神圣交通的条件 ( 二）

Conditions of the Divine Fellowship (2)
1读经：约翰一书一章五至七节。在前篇信息里我们曾指出，信徒在生命里与神的关系是牢不可破的，但他们与神的交通却可能中断。前者是无条件的，已经一定永定了；但后者是有条件的，可能会变动。现今在本篇信息里，我们接著来看维持神圣交通必须履行的第一个条件：认罪。（约壹一5～二2。）
1Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:5-7 In the foregoing message we pointed out that the believers’ relationship in life with God is unbreakable, but their fellowship with Him can be broken. The former is unconditional and has been settled once for all; however, the latter is conditional and may fluctuate. Let us now go on in this message to consider the first condition that must be fulfilled if we are to maintain the divine fellowship: the confessing of sins (1:5—2:2
住在是光的神里面
ABIDING IN GOD AS LIGHT
2在约壹一章五节约翰说，『神就是光，在他里面毫无黑暗；这是我们从祂所听见，现在又报给你们的信息。』这一节说到神。为要维持与神的交通，我们需要住在神里面。我们已经看见，在这封书信里有七个奥秘：神圣的生命、神圣生命的交通、三一神的膏油涂抹、住在主里面、神圣的出生、神圣的种子、以及水、血与那灵。这里我们说到住的奥秘。在约翰福音里，主耶稣说，『你们要住在我里面，我也住在你们里面。』（约十五4。）因为祂是葡萄树，我们是枝子，所以我们需要住在祂里面。这个关于住的启示乃是一件大事，一件要紧的事。我们都需要住在神里面。
2In 1:5 John says, “And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” This verse speaks of God. In order to maintain fellowship with God, we need to abide in God. We have seen that in this Epistle there are seven mysteries: the divine life, the fellowship of the divine life, the anointing of the Triune God, abiding in the Lord, the divine birth, the divine seed, and the water, the blood, and the Spirit. Here we are concerned with the mystery of abiding. In the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you” (15:4). Because He is the vine and we are the branches, we need to abide in Him. This revelation concerning abiding is a great matter and a crucial one. We all need to abide in God
3住在神里面是甚么意思？许多年前，我以为『住』（abide）仅仅是留或停留。三百多年前繙译钦定英文译本时，abide这个英文字的确有居住的含意。然而，这个含意几乎已经失去了，今天这字主要的意思是留或停留。实际上，原文更准确的繙译是『居住』（dwell）。所以，住在神里面就是居住在祂里面。我们不只该留在神里面─我们该居住在祂里面。我们该在神里面生活、行事、行动并为人。这个思想符合七节的『行』字所传达的意思，那里告诉我们，要在光中行。『行，』原文的意思是行动、行事并为人。我们留在神里面时，该居住在祂里面并在祂里面生活为人。神是我们真正的居所，我们的家。因此，无论神往那里去，我们都该在祂里面，与祂同去。因为神是我们的居所，我们需要居住在祂里面。
3What does it mean to abide in God? Many years ago, I thought that to abide is merely to stay or remain. The Chinese version of the Bible uses the word “dwell.” More than three hundred years ago, when the King James Version was translated, in English the word “abide” did have the connotation of dwell. However, this connotation has largely been lost, and today the word abide primarily means to stay or remain. Actually, “dwell” is a more accurate rendering of the Greek. To abide in God, therefore, is to dwell in Him. Not only should we stay in God—we should dwell in Him. We should live, act, move, and have our being in God. This thought corresponds to that conveyed by the word “walk” in verse 7, where we are told to walk in the light. The Greek word translated “walk” means to move, act, and have our being. As we remain in God, we should dwell in Him and have our being in Him. God is our true dwelling place, our home. Hence, wherever God goes, we should go with Him and in Him. Because God is our dwelling place, we need to dwell in Him.
4我们不仅需要知道神是谁，也需要知道神的所是。一章五节告诉我们，神就是光，在祂里面毫无黑暗。我们住在祂里面的这位神乃是光。维持我们与神的交通，第一个条件的第一方面乃是住在是光的神里面。当我们的住所满了光时，我们也就在光中，不在黑暗里。同样的，当我们住在神里面，我们就住在光中，因为神就是光。我们若不住在神里面，我们与神的交通就会立刻中断。甚么时候我们不住在神里面，我们就不在神圣的交通里。然而，我们与神生命的关系并没有中断。比方说，一个小孩的行为不论好坏，他与父亲仍然有生命的关系。不论小孩留在家里，或想离家出走，他与父亲生命的关系还是没有中断。不过，小孩可能没有留在与父亲的交通里，有时候，他可能不想和父亲同在一个房间，或者不想跟父亲面对面说话。这是因为交通已经中断，虽然生命的关系仍在。我们与神生命的关系不能中断，但我们若不住在祂这神圣的光里面，我们与祂的交通就会中断。我们曾经指出，灵是神人位的性质，爱是神素质的性质，光是神彰显的性质。所以，光是神的彰显，就是照耀的神。因此，我们住在这位是照耀者的神里面时，我们就在光中。
4We need to know not only who God is but also what God is. First John 1:5 tells us that God is light and that in Him is no darkness at all. The very God in whom we dwell is light. The first aspect of the first condition of maintaining our fellowship with God is to dwell in God as light. When the house in which we dwell is full of light, we also are in light, not in darkness. In a similar way, when we dwell in God, we dwell in light, for God is light. If we do not dwell in God, our fellowship with Him will immediately be broken. Whenever we do not dwell in God, we are out of the divine fellowship. However, our life relationship with God is not broken. For example, whether a child’s behavior is good or bad, he still has a relationship in life with his father. Whether a child stays at home or tries to run away, the relationship in life with his father remains unbroken. However, the child may not remain in fellowship with his father. There may be times when he does not want to be in the same room with his father or talk with him face to face. This is because the fellowship has been broken, although the life relationship remains. Our life relationship with God cannot be broken. But our fellowship with Him will be broken if we do not abide in Him as the divine light. We have pointed out that Spirit is the nature of God’s Person, love is the nature of God’s essence, and light is the nature of God’sex press i on. Light, therefore, is God’sex press i on; it is God shining. Hence, when we dwell in God, who is the shining One, we are in light
5约翰在一章五节说，在神里面毫无黑暗。光是神在祂彰显里的性质，照样黑暗是撒但在他邪恶作为里的性质。（约壹三8。）感谢神，祂已经拯救我们脱离撒但的黑暗，进入神圣的光里。（徒二六18，彼前二9。）神圣的光就是那在子里的神圣生命，在我们里面运行。这光照在我们里面的黑暗里，黑暗未曾胜过这光。（约一4～。）我们跟从这光，就绝不在黑暗里行。（约八12。）照上下文看，这黑暗乃是罪的黑暗。（约壹一7～10。）
5In 1:5 John says that in God there is no darkness at all. As light is the nature of God in His expression, so darkness is the nature of Satan in his evil works (3:8). Thank God that He has delivered us out of the satanic darkness into the divine light (Acts 26:18; 1 Pet. 2:9). The divine light is the divine life in the Son operating in us. This light shines in the darkness within us, and the darkness cannot overcome it (John 1:4-5). When we follow this light, we shall by no means walk in5 darkness (John 8:12), which according to the context (1 John 1:7-10) is the darkness of sin.
在与撒但之黑暗相对的神圣之光中行
WALKING IN THE DIVINE LIGHT VERSUS THE SATANIC DARKNESS
6约翰在一章七节上半说，『但我们若在光中行，如同神在光中，就彼此有交通。』这里的『光，』意思是生活、行事并为人。我们在光中行，但神是在光中，因为祂就是光。『光是神住在其中的元素（参提前六16）…这样在光中行，如同神在光中，不是仅仅效法神…乃是我们日常的行事为人与神永远的所是，有同一的基本元素：不是效法，乃是生命气氛的一致与等同。』（Alford，阿福德。）
6In 1:7a John says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.” To “walk” here means to live, behave, and have our being. We walk in the light, but God is in the light because He is light. “The light is the element in which God dwells (cf. 1 Tim. 6:16)....this walking in the light, as He is in the light, is no mere imitation of God,...but is an identity in the essential element of our daily walk with the essential element of God’s eternal being: not imitation, but coincidence and identity of the very atmosphere of life” (Alford).
7我们在神的光中行事、生活时，我们就共同享受三一神，也共同有分于祂神圣的定旨。神圣生命的交通带给我们神圣的光，并且神圣的光保守我们在交通里，就是保守我们对神有共同的享受，并且共同有分于神的定旨。约翰在六节说到在黑暗里行，意即习惯的在黑暗里行，就是在撒但邪恶作为的性质里生活、行事、为人。照二章十一节看，在黑暗里行就等于实行罪。（约壹三4，8。）
7When we walk and live in the light of God, we have jointly the co-enjoyment of the Triune God and the co- participation in His divine purpose. The fellowship of the divine life brings us the divine light, and the divine light keeps us in the fellowship, that is, in the joint enjoyment of God and joint participation in His purpose. In verse 6 John speaks of walking in darkness. To walk habitually in the darkness is to live, behave, and have one’s being in the nature of Satan’s evil works. According to 2:11, to walk in the darkness equals to practice sin (3:4, 8
8在神圣的光中行不是仅仅住在这光中，乃是在神圣的光中生活、行动、行事、作事并为人；这光实际上就是神自己。当我们在神里面居住、生活并为人时，我们就在神圣的光中行；这光就是神的彰显。当神圣的光照耀时，我们就看见各种不同的真理，这些真理乃是实际。但当我们没有神圣的光，反在黑暗里时，我们就感觉一切尽都徒然、虚空。我请你们看看自己的经历。当你在神圣的光中时，你能看见真理，实际。比方说，当你在光中时，神对你乃是实际，神圣的生命也是实际。不仅如此，神的圣别、爱和恩典，对你全是实际。当我们在光中行，我们看见一个又一个的实际。然而，当我们在黑暗中，没有一样事物对我们是实际的。相反的，一切都是虚空。当我们在黑暗中，我们没有甚么实际，因为我们甚么也没有看见。我们没有实际的感觉，反而有虚空的感觉。当我们住在神里面时，我们就在交通里。当我们在这交通里，我们就在光中。这样，当我们在光中行，基督、那灵、召会、基督的身体、基督身体的肢体，对我们都是实际的。我们可以见证并说，『赞美主，我看见基督、那灵、召会、基督的身体、和召会的立场！何等奇妙！这一切对我都是实际的。』
8To walk in the divine light is not merely to dwell in this light; it is to live, move, act, do things, and have our being in the divine light, the light which is actually God Himself. When we dwell, live, and have our being in God, we walk in the divine light, which is the expression of God. When the divine light shines, we see all the different truths, and these truths are realities. But when we do not have the divine light but are rather in darkness, we have the sense that everything is vanity and emptiness. I would ask you to consider your experience. When you are in the divine light, you can see the truth, the reality. For example, when you are in the light, God is a reality to you, and the divine life is also a reality. Furthermore, God’s holiness, love, and grace are all realities to you. When we walk in the light, we see one reality after another. However, when we are in darkness, nothing is real to us. On the contrary, everything is empty, vain. When we are in darkness, we do not have any reality because we do not see anything. Instead of the sense of reality, we have the sense of emptiness and vanity. When we dwell in God, we are in the fellowship. When we are in this fellowship, we are in light. Then as we walk in the light, Christ, the Spirit, the church, the Body, and the members of the Body are all real to us. We may testify and say, “Praise the Lord that I see Christ, the Spirit, the church, the Body, and the ground of the church! How wonderful! All this is real to me.”
9然而，假若有一位姊妹被长老得罪了。虽然那位长老无意得罪她，但他说的一些话得罪了她，因为她很敏感。也许那位长老说，所有的姊妹，不管背景怎样，都是脆弱的。这话得罪了那位姊妹，她就对自己说，『我非常爱主，我也爱召会，也为著召会。为甚么这位长老说姊妹都是脆弱的？』因为她被得罪了，『开关』就关了，她立刻在黑暗里。结果，她就不再享受召会生活，反而开始对召会不满意。召会对她就不再实际了，她也不再关心召会的立场。她也许会说，『到底甚么是召会？甚么是召会的立场？我不在意召会的立场。』她若留在黑暗里，至终就会觉得基督、那灵、以及神圣的生命，在她的经历中对她都不再是实际的。她也许会说，『基督是甚么？祂远在诸天之上。永远的生命是甚么？这生命对我没有多少意义。』这个例子说明一个事实：甚么时候我们在黑暗里，所有神圣的事物对我们就成为徒然、虚空的。假若一段时间以后，曾被得罪并在黑暗里的这位姊妹悔改了。主满有怜悯，没有甚么明显的原因，她转向主，并说，『主阿，赦免我。』立刻，『开关』就开了，光又开始照耀。然后，这位姊妹就经历到主宝血的洁净，神圣的事物再次成为实际的。
9However, suppose a sister is offended by an elder. Although the elder had no intention of offending her, nonetheless something he said offended her because she is sensitive. Perhaps the elder said that all the sisters, no matter what their background may be, are fragile. This word offended the sister, and she said to herself, “I love the Lord very much, and I also love the church and am for the church. Why does this elder say that the sisters are fragile?” Because she is offended, the “switch” is turned off, and immediately she is in darkness. As a result, instead of enjoying the church life, she begins to be unhappy with the church. The church is no longer real to her, and she no longer cares about the church ground. She may say, “What is the church anyway? And what is the church ground? I don’t care about the ground of the church.” If she stays in darkness, she will eventually find that Christ, the Spirit, and the divine life are no longer real to her in her experience. She may say, “What is Christ? He is far away in the heavens. What is eternal life? This life doesn’t mean much to me.” This is an illustration of the fact that whenever we are in darkness, all the divine things become vain and empty to us. Suppose after a period of time the sister who has been offended and is in darkness repents. The Lord is merciful and for no apparent reason, she turns to the Lord and says, “O Lord, forgive me.” Immediately, the “switch” is turned on, and the light begins to shine again. Then this sister will experience the cleansing of the Lord’s precious blood, and the divine things will become real once more
10这岂不是你的经历么？我能见证，我曾多次经历这个。我知道患了在黑暗里的『病，』以及被恢复到神圣生命里的交通，是怎么回事。我从经历中知道，当我们在光中，神圣的事物对我们是实际的；但当我们在黑暗里，这些事物对我们就不实际了。我们若要在神圣的交通里，就需要住在是光的神里面，也需要在神圣的光中行。神圣的光与撒但的黑暗相对。这里真正的点不是对或错的问题，乃是光或黑暗的问题。你不需要考虑长老说的话是对还是错，却要看你在光中，还是在黑暗里。你若在黑暗里，就指明你不在神圣的交通里。
10Has this not been your experience? I can testify that I have experienced this a number of times. I know what it is to suffer from the “disease” of being in darkness and of being recovered to the fellowship in the divine life. From experience I know that when we are in the light, the divine things are real to us, but when we are in darkness, these things are not real to us. If we would be in the divine fellowship, we need to abide in God as light, and we need to walk in the divine light. The divine light is versus the satanic darkness. The real issue here is not a question of right or wrong; it is a question of light or darkness. You do not need to consider whether what an elder says is right or wrong, but consider whether you are in light or in darkness. If you are in darkness, this indicates that you are out of the divine fellowship.
11光是神的彰显，黑暗是撒但的彰显。我们若说，『我不在意召会，并且基督远在诸天之上─祂不在我里面，』我们就是说谎话，这些谎话是撒但黑暗的彰显。为要恢复中断了的交通，我们必须定罪黑暗。我们也许认为自己是对的。但我们若在黑暗里，就需要承认，并说，『主，为甚么我在黑暗里？我必定有甚么地方不对。主，即使我没有看见我那一方面不对，我知道我不对，因为我在黑暗里。主，我求你赦免我并洁净我。』我们若这样作，光就会临到我们。我是从亲身的经历说这话。有许多次，我看见自己在黑暗里，虽然我不知道我那一方面不对。因此，我到主那里，告诉祂我在黑暗里。结果，光又开始照耀。黑暗好比街角上叫人停止的标志。黑暗是个标志，表明我们在某方面不对。即使我们不知道甚么地方不对，因著我们里面有黑暗的标志，我们就需要向主承认我们的光景，并说，『主，请赦免我。虽然我不知道我那里不对，我仍然求你赦免我。主，我感觉在我里面的黑暗。我完全被黑暗包围，我无法忍受。主，因为我是在黑暗里，所以我求你赦免我，并用你的宝血洁净我。』你若这样向主承认，光就会临到。然后这光会给你看见，你在甚么事上不对。你若向主承认那件事，就会得著更多的光。这是保守我们在神里面的路。这也是恢复中断之交通的路。我们若采取这条路，就会在神圣的光中维持正确的交通。
11Light is the expression of God, and darkness is the expression of Satan. If we say, “I don’t care for the church, and Christ is far away in the heavens—He is not in me,” we are speaking lies, and these lies are the expression of satanic darkness. In order to have the broken fellowship recovered, we must condemn darkness. We may think that we are right. But if we are in darkness, we need to confess and say, “Lord, why am I in darkness? There must be something wrong with me. Lord, even though I don’t realize in what way I am wrong, I know that I am wrong because I am in darkness. Lord, I ask You to forgive me and cleanse me.” If we do this, light will come to us. I speak of this from my own experience. A number of times I realized that I was in darkness, although I did not know in what way I was wrong. Therefore, I went to the Lord and told Him that I was in darkness. As a result, the light began to shine again. Darkness may be compared to a stop sign on a street corner. Darkness is a sign that we are wrong in some way. Even if we do not know what is wrong, because we have the sign of darkness within us, we need to confess our situation to the Lord and say, “Lord, please forgive me. Although I do not know where I am wrong, I still ask You to forgive me. Lord, I sense darkness within me. I am completely surrounded with darkness, and I cannot bear it. Lord, because I am in darkness, I ask You to forgive me and cleanse me with Your precious blood.” If you confess to the Lord in this way, light will come. Then the light will show you in what matter you are wrong. If you confess that matter to the Lord, you will receive more light. This is the way to keep ourselves in God. This is also the way to recover and restore the broken fellowship. If we take this way, we shall maintain a proper fellowship in the divine light
实行与撒但之谎话
PRACTICING THE DIVINE TRUTH
相对的神圣真理
VERSUS THE SATANIC LIE
12我们来读一章六节全节：『我们若说我们与神有交通，却在黑暗里行，就是说谎话，不行真理了。』说谎话是出于撒但；他是说谎者的父。（约八。）他的本性是虚谎，并且带来死亡和黑暗。有黑暗就有虚谎，虚谎与真理相对。撒但的黑暗与神圣的光相对，撒但的谎话与神圣的真理相对。神圣的真理是神圣之光的彰显，照样，撒但的谎话乃是撒但黑暗的彰显。我们若说，我们与那是光的神有交通，却在黑暗里行，就是在撒但黑暗的彰显里说谎话，不在神圣之光的彰显里实行真理。这一节是豫防废弃道德律论者（Antinomians）的异端教训，他们教导人脱离道德律的约束，说一个人可以活在罪中，而同时与神有交通。
12Let us read all of 1:6: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in the darkness, we lie and are not practicing the truth.” To lie is of Satan. He is the father of liars (John 8:44). His nature is a lie, and it brings in death and darkness. With darkness is falsehood, the 44 opposite of the truth. The satanic darkness is versus the divine light, and the satanic lie is versus the divine truth. As the divine truth is the expression of the divine light, so the satanic lie is the expression of the satanic darkness. If we say that we have fellowship with God, who is light, and walk in the darkness, we lie, we are in the expression of the satanic darkness, and we do not practice the truth in the expression of the divine light. This verse inoculates against the heretical teaching of the Antinomians, who teach freedom from the obligation of the moral law and say that a person may live in sin and at the same time have fellowship with God.
13我们若要维持神圣的交通，就必须不仅在神圣的光中行，也要实行神圣的真理；神圣的真理与撒但的谎话相对。一章六节的『行，』直译是实行。这动词是指因著住在一些事里而习惯且持续的行那些事；因此在六节有实行的意思。这辞也用在二章十七节、二十九节，三章四节（二次）、七节、八节、九节、十节、二十二节，五章二节，罗马一章三十二节等处。实行真理乃是习惯的活真理，不是偶尔为之。实行真理乃是经常、不断、不停的作。这好比呼吸，那是经常、不断、习惯的。我们说话时就在呼吸，不需要下决心呼吸，或设法激励自己呼吸，因为呼吸是自然的、习惯的。因此，呼吸是一种实行。同样的，当我们住在是光的神里面，又在神圣的光中行的时候，我们就自然习惯的实行真理。假若有一位信徒在黑暗里。因著他在黑暗里，凡他所作、所实行的都是不对的。他可能想往某个方向走，但那是不对的。他若想往另一个方向走，那也是不对的。但这位信徒若在光中，他自然的就会实行真理。他的生活、为人、与人交谈，都会得体合宜。这就是实行真理。
13If we would maintain the divine fellowship, we must not only walk in the divine light, but also practice the divine truth, which is versus the satanic lie. The Greek word rendered “practicing” in 1:6 is poieo. This verb denotes doing things habitually and continually by abiding in these things. Hence, it is used in verse 6 in the sense of practice. This word is also used in 2:17, 29; 3:4 (twice), 7, 8, 9, 10, 22; 5:2; Romans 1:32, and various other places. To practice the truth is to live the truth habitually, not merely to do it occasionally. To practice the truth is to do it constantly, continuously, unceasingly. This can be compared to breathing, which is constant, continuous, habitual. While we are speaking, we are breathing. There is no need for us to make up our minds to breathe or to try to energize ourselves to breathe, for breathing is natural and habitual. Hence, breathing is a practice. In a similar way, when we abide in God as light and when we walk in the divine light, we spontaneously practice the truth habitually. Suppose a certain believer is in darkness. Because he is in darkness, whatever he does, whatever he practices, is wrong. He may try to go in a certain direction, but that will be wrong. If he tries to go in another direction, that also will be wrong. But if this believer is in the light, he will automatically practice the truth. He will live, behave, and talk to others in a proper way. This is to practice the truth.
14我们若在光中，就会看见召会是实际。我们也会看见基督的身体，以及基督身体的肢体是实际。我们会看见，我们是基督身体的一个肢体。但我们若在黑暗里，就可能以为自己是基督身体的大肢体，像肩膀一样，而实际上我们可能只是小肢体，像小指头一样。这又是一个例子，说明在黑暗里就是在虚空里这事实。但我们照著在光中所看见的实际去行，就是实行真理。我们在黑暗里的时候，常常作一些没有意义的事。比方说，一位年轻人若在黑暗里，他可能会批评一位在主里的年长弟兄。这种批评完全没有意义，因为这是在黑暗里的。这位年轻人不知道他说的是甚么，他的批评就是徒然、虚空的。他不是在实行真理，因为他没有看见真理。
14If we are in the light, we shall see the church as a reality. We shall also see the Body and the members of the Body as realities. We shall see that we are a particular member of the Body. But if we are in darkness, we may think that we are a great member of the Body, such as the shoulder, when actually we may be a small member, such as the little finger. This is another illustration of the fact that to be in darkness is to be in emptiness, vanity. But to walk according to what we see of the reality in the light is to practice the truth. Often when we are in darkness we practice things that are nonsensical. For example, if a young person is in darkness, he may criticize an older brother in the Lord. This criticism is altogether nonsensical, for it is in darkness. This young person does not know what he is saying, and his criticism is vain and empty. He is not practicing the truth, because he does not see the truth.
15乃是当我们在光中，我们才看见真理。我们若在光中，凡我们所作的就是实际的。我们所实行的，不仅是对的、正确的，我们所作的乃是实际的。这就是说，凡我们所作的都是实际。我们会习惯的、自动的实行真理－实际。我们若这样作，就会保守自己在神圣的交通里。
15It is when we are in the light that we see the truth. If we are in the light, whatever we do will be real. Not only shall we practice what is right and proper; we shall do what is real. This means that whatever we do is a reality. Habitually and automatically, we shall practice the truth, the reality. If we do this, we shall keep ourselves in the divine fellowship