总题:按照神对召会的经纶生活并事奉
GENERAL SUBJECT:LIVING AND SERVING ACCORDING TO GOD'S ECONOMY CONCERNING THE CHURCH

第六篇 基督的好执事
A Good Minister of Christ

读经:提前四6~8、15~16,结三1~4,林前一10,罗十五6,歌四11note

Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 4:6-8, 15-16; Ezek. 3:1-4; 1 Cor. 1:10; Rom. 15:6; S. S. 4:11

壹 提前四章六节说,“你将这些事提醒弟兄们,便是基督耶穌的好执事,在信仰的话,并你向来所紧紧跟随善美教训的话上,得了喂养”:

I. First Timothy 4:6 says, "If you lay these things before the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, being nourished with the words of the faith and of the good teaching which you have closely followed":

一 基督的好执事乃是以基督服事人,供应基督作人的救主、生命、生命的供应并一切正面事物的人。

A. A good minister of Christ is one who serves people with Christ, ministering Christ as Savior, life, life supply, and every positive thing to people.

二 我们若要供应基督给别人,我们自己必须先得喂养;基督的好执事不仅仅教导别人关于基督的事,乃是将基督供应到他们里面作食物—太四4,耶十五16,结三1~4,约六57、63。note

B. If we would minister Christ to others, we ourselves must be nourished; a good minister of Christ does not merely teach others about Christ but ministers Christ into others as food—Matt. 4:4; Jer. 15:16; Ezek. 3:1-4; John 6:57, 63.

三 我们需要借着职事得着主的喂养,并将这些滋养的事提醒圣徒们;我们需要将主从祂的话所给我们看见的丰富作为食材陈明给圣徒们;让我们自己先得喂养,然后将这滋养供应所有神的子民。

C. We need to lay before the saints the things with which we have been nourished by the Lord through the ministry; we need to present the saints with the riches, the groceries, the Lord has shown us from the Word; let us first be nourished ourselves and then minister this nourishment to all the people of God.

四 我们需要将基督的丰富当作属灵的食物供应人,使他们得着滋养并在生命里长大;神的话被比作滋养人的奶和干粮—来五12~14,林前二2,彼前二2:note

D. We need to minister the riches of Christ as spiritual food to others that they may be nourished and grow in life; the word of God is likened to milk and solid food, which are for nourishment—Heb. 5:12-14; 1 Cor. 2:2; 1 Pet. 2:2:

1 信仰的话就是关乎神新约经纶之完全福音的话。

1. The words of the faith are the words of the full gospel concerning God's New Testament economy.

2 善美教训的话,乃是那些包含并传输基督的丰富,以喂养、造就并加强祂信徒之甜美的话。

2. The words of the good teaching are the sweet words that contain and convey the riches of Christ to nourish, edify, and strengthen His believers.

五 作为基督一个身体的肢体,我们该渴望作基督的好执事,“同心合意”并“用同一的口”(罗十五6)“说一样的话”(林前一10):note

E. As members of the one Body of Christ, we should aspire to be good ministers of Christ who "speak the same thing" (1 Cor. 1:10) "with one accord" and "with one mouth" (Rom. 15:6):

1 “我们必须学习神当前启示的高峰,并学习讲说这些事。……我愿意鼓励大家,都接受这个高的托付:……带着神今时代的异象出去,为着神圣启示的高峰,与神一同行动,以完成祂永远的经纶”—三一神的启示与行动,一一六页。

1. "We have to learn the high peaks of God's present revelation and learn to speak these things…I would encourage all of us to pick up this high commission: to go out with…God's up-to-date vision to move with God for His high peaks of the divine revelation that will consummate His eternal economy"—The Triune God's Revelation and His Move, p. 98.

2 由主今时代之职事所兴起的圣徒,对这职事有一种口味,而这口味乃是主恢复里控制的因素;那些由这职事所兴起来的人,会拒绝与这职事不合的口味;这意思是,你若说与主恢复口味不合的事,你的讲说会被拒絶,你也会受亏损—参诗三四8,彼前二3。note

2. The saints who have been raised up by the Lord's up-to-date ministry have a taste for this ministry, and this taste is the controlling factor in the Lord's recovery; those who have been raised up by this ministry will reject a taste that is contrary to it; this means that if you speak something contrary to the taste of the Lord's recovery, your speaking will be rejected, and you will suffer loss—cf. Psa. 34:8; 1 Pet. 2:3.

贰 基督的好执事牺牲自己,并把自己摆在一边,以保持真理的绝对;真理不能信托给一个跟随感觉而行的人;人必须站在真理一边反对自己:

II. A good minister of Christ sacrifices himself and puts himself aside in order to keep the absoluteness of the truth; the truth cannot be entrusted to a person who walks according to his feelings; a man must stand on the side of the truth to oppose himself:

一 个人的光景如何,与神的真理不发生一点的关系;我们个人怎样,不能影响神的真理,因为真理像不能移动的柱子—提前三15。note

A. The condition of an individual has nothing to do with God's truth; what you are personally cannot affect what God's truth is, because the truth is like an immovable pillar—1 Tim. 3:15.

二 有些人错的时候,就把真理拉低一点,对的时候就把真理拉高一点;这就好像他们是升降机,真理跟着他们升降;唯有对付自己的人,才能维持真理。

B. Some people lower down the truth a little when they are wrong, and they lift up the truth a little when they are right; this means that they are like elevators, and the truth goes up and down with them; only those who have dealt with themselves are able to maintain the truth.

三 假如我们能够以真理为独一的标准,敢说我们错了,新的光才会来;我们不委屈光,光就能够把我们提高;能跟得上真理的人有福了。

C. If we can take the truth as the unique standard, and we have the courage to admit that we are wrong, new light will come to us; if we do not sacrifice the light, the light will uplift us; blessed are those who can go along with the truth.

四 一面来说,人若没有经历,就不能传真理;但另一面说,人必须知道真理与他自己没有关系;人若到一个地步,无法再抗拒神的话,他若不牺牲神的话,并且被这话定罪,他就能得到光;这是得启示的秘诀。

D. On the one hand, a man cannot preach the truth unless he has the experience; on the other hand, a person has to know that the truth has nothing to do with him; if a man is brought to a point that he can no longer withstand God's word, if he does not sacrifice the word, and if he finds the word condemning him, he will receive the light; this is the secret to receiving revelation.

叁 基督的好执事是神诸般恩典的好管家,讲神的谕言,使神得荣耀,得彰显(彼前四10~11,弗一6);他不寻求自己的荣耀,以彰显他自己(帖前二6,约五41、44),乃是不断操练他的灵拒絶己,不是传自己,乃是高举基督为主,并且看自己是服事信徒的奴仆(林后四5,利十四9与注1,林前十31,赛四三7)。note

III. A good minister of Christ, as a good steward of the varied grace of God, speaks oracles of God for the glorification of God, the expression of God (1 Pet. 4:10-11; Eph. 1:6); he does not seek his own glory to express himself (1 Thes. 2:6; John 5:41, 44) but continually exercises his spirit to reject the self, not preaching himself but exalting Christ as Lord and considering himself as a slave to serve the believers (2 Cor. 4:5; Lev. 14:9 and footnote 1; 1 Cor. 10:31; Isa. 43:7).

肆 基督的好执事供应生命,并且按生命树的原则,而不按是非树的原则服事圣徒(创二9,约十10下,林前十五45下,林后三6,四10~12,约壹五12、16上);在他的职事里,他照着保罗面对哥林多召会中之难处的榜样,持守以下的原则和行事准则—“我们该专注于祂〔基督〕,不该专注于祂以外的任何人事物。我们该对准祂,以祂为神所指定我们唯一的中心,使信徒中间一切的难处得以解决。”(林前一9注3)note

IV. A good minister of Christ ministers life and serves the saints according to the principle of the tree of life, not the principle of the tree of right and wrong (Gen. 2:9; John 10:10b; 1 Cor. 15:45b; 2 Cor. 3:6; 4:10-12; 1 John 5:12, 16a); inhis ministry he keeps the following principle and rule of conduct according to Paul's pattern in facing the problems in the church in Corinth—"We should concentrate on Him [Christ], not on any persons, things, or matters other than Him. We should focus on Him as our unique center appointed by God, that all the problems among the believers may be solved" (footnote 2 on 1 Cor. 1:9).

伍 基督的好执事帮助圣徒思念“同一件事”:在腓立比书中,“同一件事”是指对基督主观的认识、经历和享受;“同一件事”乃是追求基督以赢得祂,取得祂,并据有祂—一20~21,二2、5,三7~14,四13。note

V. A good minister of Christ helps the saints to think the "one thing": the one thing in Philippians refers to the subjective knowledge, experience, and enjoyment of Christ; the one thing is the pursuing of Christ to gain Him, lay hold of Him, and possess Him—1:20-21; 2:2, 5; 3:7-14; 4:13.

陆 基督的好执事如同雅歌四章十一节所描述之爱主的寻求者—“我新妇,你的嘴唇滴下新蜜;你的舌下有蜜有奶”—参出三8:note

VI. A good minister of Christ is like the Lord's loving seeker described in Song of Songs 4:11—"Your lips drip fresh honey, my bride; ⁄ Honey and milk are under your tongue"—cf. Exo. 3:8:

一 蜜是甘甜的,复兴软弱和衰颓的人(诗一一九103);奶喂养未成熟的人(彼前二2)。note

A. Honey is sweet, and it restores the weak and stricken ones (Psa. 119:103); milk feeds the immature ones (1 Pet. 2:2).

二 爱主的寻求者舌下有蜜的甘甜和滋养的奶,指明她里面收藏了主的丰富作她属灵的粮食;她里面所蕴藏的是这样的丰富,好像食物在舌下可以随时分给需要的人—诗一一九11,西三16。note

B. The sweetness of honey and the nourishing milk under the tongue of the Lord's loving seeker indicate that she has stored up the riches of the Lord as her spiritual food; she has stored so many riches within her that food seems to be under her tongue, and she can dispense this food to the needy ones at any time—Psa. 119:11; Col. 3:16.

三 住在寻求者里面的宝贝,就是主甘甜、滋养的话,并非在短时间内就可以产生的,乃是经过长时间的采集,经过里面的活动,并且谨慎的收藏,才有的;这是一个常在神面前受神经纶健康教训之健康话语教导的人所独有的—提前一10,六3。note

C. Her indwelling treasure of the Lord's sweet and nourishing words is not produced overnight; it comes from a long period of gathering, inward activity, and careful storage; this is the unique possession of one who is taught by God with the healthy words of the healthy teaching of God's economy—1 Tim. 1:10; 6:3.

柒 申言者所得着的启示,就是他们所得着的负担;没有负担,就没有话语的职事,没有申言来建造召会—赛一1,二1,十三1,十五1,亚十二1,玛一1,徒六4,林前十四4下:note

VII. The revelations that the prophets received were the burdens that they received; without burden, there is no ministry of the word, no prophesying, for the building up of the church—Isa. 1:1; 2:1; 13:1; 15:1; Zech. 12:1; Mal. 1:1; Acts 6:4; 1 Cor. 14:4b:

一 我们的负担是要将神的启示释放给人,而神的启示是借着神所赐给我们启示的话而释放的—二11~16。note

A. Our burden is to release God's revelation to man, and God's revelation is released through the words of revelation that God gives to us—2:11-16.

二 我们服事神的话语,不是去注意讲话的题目,乃要注意有没有神的说话;要有神的说话,服事话语的人必须有负担—玛二7,歌八13~14,弗五26~27。note

B. When we minister the word of God, our concern must be whether we have God's speaking, not the topic of our speaking; in order to have God's speaking, the one who ministers the word must have a burden—Mal. 2:7; S. S. 8:13-14; Eph. 5:26-27.

三 那些尽话语职事的人,必须背负人在神面前的光景,感觉人的光景如何,晓得神要说什么话—出二八29~30。note

C. Those who minister the word must bear people's condition before God, sense their condition, and know what God wants to speak—Exo. 28:29-30.

四 在话语的职事上,最大的难处就是没有从主领受的负担;没有负担,无论作什么都是死的,都没有果效;有负担才是活的,才会朝气蓬勃:

D. The greatest problem in the ministry of the word is not having a burden from the Lord; without a burden, all our activity will be dead and ineffective; with a burden, we will be living and flourishing:

1 负担是最叫我们受对付的;若有负担,己会减少,并要受对付,因为有些事我们的负担不许可我们作,有些事我们得受对付,否则无法释放负担。

1. Having a burden deals with us the most; if there is a burden, the self decreases and is dealt with, because there are things that our burden will not allow us to do, and there are areas that will require our being dealt with before we can release our burden.

2 我们若因着责任事奉而不是带着负担事奉,这样的事奉会叫我们失去主的同在—玛三14,申四25。note

2. If we serve according to obligation instead of serving with a burden, such service will cause us to lose the Lord's presence—Mal. 3:14; Deut. 4:25.

3 什么时候我们的事奉变作尽责任,我们的事奉就已经堕落了。

3. Whenever our service becomes a matter of fulfilling an obligation, our service has already degraded.

捌 我们要作基督的好执事,就必须渴望有以下生机的特点:

VIII. In order to be a good minister of Christ, we must aspire to have the following organic characteristics:

一 我们必须爱主到极点,好被祂充满,而带着复活的基督作权柄将祂涌流到人里面—诗十八1,九一14,九七10,一一六1~2,一一九140,约二一15~17,林后五14~15,约壹四16、19,民十七1~10,太十九26。note

A. We must love the Lord to the uttermost to be filled with Him and overflow Him into others with the resurrected Christ as our authority—Psa. 18:1; 91:14; 97:10; 116:1-2; 119:140; John 21:15-17; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 John 4:16, 19; Num. 17:1-10; Matt. 19:26.

二 我们需要借着复兴的生活并牧养的劳苦维持我们在基督里的得胜—启三18~22,何六1~3,罗六4,七6,彼前二25,五1~4。note

B. We must maintain our victory in Christ by having a revived living and a labor in shepherding—Rev. 3:18-22; Hosea 6:1-3; Rom. 6:4; 7:6; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:1-4.

三 我们需要天天、时时住在与主的交通里—林前一9,林后十三14。note

C. We must abide in the fellowship with the Lord daily and hourly—1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 13:14.

四 我们必须是祷告的人—西四2,创四26,哀三55~56,罗十12~13。note

D. We must be praying persons—Col. 4:2; Gen. 4:26; Lam. 3:55-56; Rom. 10:12-13.

五 我们需要每日清早在主的话上享受主,使我们每天有新的起头—诗一一九147~148。note

E. We must enjoy the Lord in the Word early in the morning to have a new start of each day—Psa. 119:147-148.

六 我们必须凭着并照着我们那与神的灵调和的灵而行—加五16、25,罗八4、16,林前六17。note

F. We must walk by and according to our spirit, which is mingled with the divine Spirit—Gal. 5:16, 25; Rom. 8:4, 16; 1 Cor. 6:17.

七 我们必须借着耶稣基督之灵全备的供应而活基督,以显大基督—腓一19。note

G. We must live Christ for His magnification by the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ—Phil. 1:19.

八 我们需要建立无论得时不得时,天天对各种人讲说基督的习惯—徒五42,八4,提后四2。note

H. We must build up a habit of speaking Christ to all kinds of people daily in season and out of season—Acts 5:42; 8:4; 2 Tim. 4:2.

九 我们必须彻底对付罪—约壹一7、9,诗五一1~9、17。note

I. We must be ones who deal with our sins thoroughly—1 John 1:7, 9; Psa. 51:1-9, 17.

十 我们必须里面充满素质的灵,外面充溢经纶的灵—徒十三52,弗五18,徒四31、8,十三9。note

J. We must be filled with the essential Spirit inwardly and with the economical Spirit outwardly—Acts 13:52; Eph. 5:18; Acts 4:31, 8; 13:9.

十一 我们必须累积对基督的经历(腓三8~10、12~14),并对主的话有丰富的积存(西三16,诗一一九11、15,约八31,十五7,约壹二14)。note

K. We must accumulate the experiences of Christ (Phil. 3:8-10, 12-14) and keep a rich storage of the Lord's word (Col. 3:16; Psa. 119:11, 15; John 8:31; 15:7; 1 John 2:14).

玖 每当我们供应神的话,主要的事是要操练我们的灵;基督的好执事建立一种操练灵以至于敬虔的习惯,好在日常生活中活基督—提前四6~8、15~16,提后一6~7,罗一9,七6,十二11,约四23~24:note

IX. Whenever we minister God's word, the primary thing is for us to exercise our spirit; a good minister of Christ builds up a habit of exercising his spirit unto godliness to live Christ in his daily life—1 Tim. 4:6-8, 15-16; 2 Tim. 1:6-7; Rom. 1:9; 7:6; 12:11; John 4:23-24:

一 我们得救的人有本钱过基督徒的生活和召会生活;这本钱乃是神所赐给我们的灵—提后一6~7,四22。note

A. We saved ones have the capital to live the Christian life and the church life; this capital is our God-given spirit—2 Tim. 1:6-7; 4:22.

二 敬虔是彰显神的生活,是为着神圣经纶之神圣分赐的结果;这分赐是在于操练我们的灵,在日常生活中活基督,使神在召会生活中得着团体的显出—提前一3~4,三15~16,四7~8,提后一6~7,诗歌三七一首第五节。note

B. Godliness, a living that is the expression of God, is the issue of the divine dispensing for the divine economy, and this dispensing depends on the exercise of our spirit to live Christ in our daily life for the corporate manifestation of God in the church life—1 Tim. 1:3-4; 3:15-16; 4:7-8; 2 Tim. 1:6-7; Hymns, #493, stanza 5.

三 “操练”这辞含示勉强;我们基督徒若要刚强并在主里长大,就必须勉强自己用我们的灵,直到我们建立起操练灵的坚强习惯—提前四7。note

C. The word exercise implies forcing; if we Christians want to be strong and want to grow in the Lord, we must force ourselves to use our spirit until we build up a strong habit of exercising our spirit—1 Tim. 4:7.

四 我们必须操练我们的灵,应用并享受整个可称颂的神圣三一,在圣灵里祷告,保守自己在神的爱中,等候我们主耶稣基督在祂得胜显现之日的怜悯,使我们成为永远生命的总和,就是新耶路撒冷—犹19~21。note

D. We must exercise our spirit to employ and enjoy the entire blessed Trinity by praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in the love of God, and awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ in the day of His victorious appearing so that we may become the totality of the eternal life, the New Jerusalem—Jude 19-21.