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

第八篇　召会的功用（一）活神的家以及真理的柱石和根基
The Function of the Church (1) The House of the Living God and the Pillar and Base of the Truth

读经：提前三15，林前一2，三16~17，十32，十一16，弗二19、21~22

Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Cor. 1:2; 3:16-17; 10:32; 11:16; Eph. 2:19, 21-22

壹　“神的家”是形容召会，“真理的柱石和根基”也是形容召会；“神的家”以及“真理的柱石和根基”都是描述召会是什么—提前三15。

I.　The house of God modifies the church, and the pillar and base of the truth also modifies the church; the house of God and the pillar and base of the truth describe what the church is—1 Tim. 3:15.

贰　召会乃是神的家—林前一2，十32，十一16：

II.　The church is the house of God—1 Cor. 1:2; 10:32; 11:16:

一　“神的召会”这辞指明召会是神所拥有的，也指明召会有神的性情，并以神的元素所构成—徒二十28，加一13。

A.　The expression the church of God indicates that the church is possessed by God and that the church has the nature of God and is constituted with the element of God—Acts 20:28; Gal. 1:13.

二　召会是“神的”，因为召会是神作源头所产生的，并有神为其神圣、宇宙并永远的性质和素质—林前三16~17。

B.　The church is of God because it is produced of God as the source and has God as its nature and essence, which are divine, universal, and eternal—1 Cor. 3:16-17.

三　召会的内容在素质一面乃是神自己—十32。

C.　The content of the church essentially is God Himself—10:32.

叁　神的召会乃是活神的家—提前三15：

III.　The church of God is the house of the living God—1 Tim. 3:15:

一　神的家就是神的家人—弗二19：

A.　The house of God is the household of God—Eph. 2:19:

１　居所（家）和家庭（家人）都是一个实体，乃是一班蒙召、重生并由神自己内住的人—彼前一3，二5，林前三16。

1.　The dwelling place—the house—and the family—the household—are one entity—a group of called, regenerated ones indwelt by God Himself—1 Pet. 1:3; 2:5; 1 Cor. 3:16.

２　基督与祂身体上的肢体不是分开的，乃是住在他们里面；照样，父不是在祂家人中分开的一员，乃是在祂所有的儿女里面—罗八16，十二4~5，林前三16。

2.　Just as Christ is not separate from the members of His Body but dwells in them, the Father is not a separate member of His household but is in all the children—Rom. 8:16; 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 3:16.

３　神的家在神圣的生命上是生机的，在神圣的性情上是生机的，并且在三一神里是生机的—弗四18，彼后一4，太二八19。

3.　The house of God is organic in the divine life, organic in the divine nature, and organic in the Triune God—Eph. 4:18; 2 Pet. 1:4; Matt. 28:19.

４　因为召会是生机的，所以召会能生长—弗二21。

4.　Because the church is organic, the church grows—Eph. 2:21.

二　在说到召会是神的家时，保罗特别说到神是活神—提前三15：

B.　In speaking of the church as the house of God, Paul refers to God as the living God—1 Tim. 3:15:

１　活在召会里的活神，对召会必是主观的，不是仅仅客观的—林前三16。

1.　The living God, who lives in the church, must be subjective to the church and not merely objective—1 Cor. 3:16.

２　因为神是活的，召会作神的家也就在祂里面、凭祂并同祂活着。

2.　Because God is living, the church as the house of God is also living in Him, by Him, and with Him.

３　活的神与活的召会，同活着、同行动、同工作。

3.　A living God and a living church live, move, and work together.

三　召会作神的家，乃是神的居所—是神能得着安息并寄托的所在—弗二22。

C.　As the house of God, the church is the dwelling place of God—the place where God can have His rest and put His trust—Eph. 2:22.

四　召会是神的家，父的家，乃是扩大、宇宙、神人二性的合并，作为基督为父用神圣的荣耀所荣耀的结果—约十二23，十三31~32，十四20。

D.　The church as the house of God—the Father's house—is the enlarged, universal, divine-human incorporation as the issue of Christ's being glorified by the Father with the divine glory—John 12:23; 13:31-32; 14:20.

肆　主要祂的召会认识祂是真理，接受并享受祂作生命—约壹一1~2、5~6，约十一25，十四6，十八37下：

IV.　The Lord wants His church to know Him as the truth and to receive and enjoy Him as life—1 John 1:1-2, 5-6; John 11:25; 14:6; 18:37b:

一　“真理”意即实际，指神的话里所启示一切真实的事物，主要的是指作神具体化身的基督，以及作基督身体的召会—提前二4，西二9、19。

A.　Truth means "reality," denoting all the real things revealed in God's Word, which are mainly Christ as the embodiment of God and the church as the Body of Christ—1 Tim. 2:4; Col. 2:9, 19.

二　召会乃是在基督里用神圣的生命建造的，这生命是不能毁坏、不能征服的，并且能抵挡来自任何源头的致死败落—提前一16，六12、19，提后一1、10，多一2，三7。

B.　The church is built with the divine life in Christ, a life that is indestructible, unconquerable, and able to withstand decline into death from any source—1 Tim. 1:16; 6:12, 19; 2 Tim. 1:1, 10; Titus 1:2; 3:7.

三　真理和生命，二者都是基督自己—约十四6：

C.　Both the truth and the life are Christ Himself—John 14:6:

１　生命是里面、内在的成分；真理是外在的解释、说明—一4，十八37下，八12、32、36，十七17。

1.　Life is the inward and intrinsic element, and truth is the outward definition and explanation—1:4; 18:37b; 8:12, 32, 36; 17:17.

２　经历主作生命，乃是包藏在主作为真理里；我们要经历主作生命，就必须认识真理—十四6，十一25，八32、36。

2.　The experience of the Lord as life is contained in the Lord as the truth; in order to experience the Lord as life, we must know the truth—14:6; 11:25; 8:32, 36.

四　召会的内容，必须是基督作真理、作生命，而从我们里面长出来的—西二19，三4：

D.　The content of the church should be the growth of Christ in us as truth and life—Col. 2:19; 3:4:

１　真理是神圣之光的照耀，显出—约八12、32、36，约壹一5~6。

1.　Truth is the shining, the expression, of the divine light—John 8:12, 32, 36; 1 John 1:5-6.

２　在主的恢复里，众召会中间真理的标准应当不断地提高—提前二4，三15。

2.　The standard of the truth should constantly be raised higher among all the churches in the Lord's recovery—1 Tim. 2:4; 3:15.

３　我们需要在生命里长大，在生命里得救，被生命充满，并在生命中作王—弗四13~16，罗五10、17。

3.　We need to grow in life, be saved in life, be filled with life, and reign in life—Eph. 4:13-16; Rom. 5:10, 17.

伍　召会是支持真理的柱石，也是托住真理的根基—提前三15：

V.　The church is the supporting pillar and the holding base of the truth—1 Tim. 3:15:

一　真理就是三一神，以基督为具体化身、中心和彰显，以产生召会作基督的身体、神的家和神的国—西二9，弗一22~23，四16，提前三15，约三3、5。

A.　The truth is the Triune God, having Christ as the embodiment, center, and expression, to produce the church as the Body of Christ, the house of God, and the kingdom of God—Col. 2:9; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:16; 1 Tim. 3:15; John 3:3, 5.

二　提前三章十五节的“真理”，是指照着神新约的经纶，在新约里所启示，关乎基督与召会的真实事物—太十六16、18，弗五32：

B.　Truth in 1 Timothy 3:15 refers to the real things revealed in the New Testament concerning Christ and the church according to God's New Testament economy—Matt. 16:16, 18; Eph. 5:32:

１　会是支持这一切实际的柱石，也是托住这一切实际的根基。

1.　The church is the supporting pillar and holding base of all these realities.

２　地方召会该是这样的建筑，托住、担负并见证基督与召会的真理—实际—二22。

2.　A local church should be such a building that holds, bears, and testifies the truth, the reality, of Christ and the church—2:22.

三　召会担负着基督作实际；召会向全宇宙见证，基督是实际，并且唯有基督才是实际-—约一14、17，十四6。

C.　The church bears Christ as the reality; the church testifies to the whole universe that Christ, and Christ alone, is the reality—John 1:14, 17; 14:6.

四　召会既是支持真理的柱石，和托住柱石的根基，就为“基督是神的奥秘”与“召会是基督的奥秘”之实际、真理作见证—西二2，弗三4。

D.　As the pillar that bears the truth and the base that upholds the pillar, the church testifies the reality, the truth, of Christ as the mystery of God and the church as the mystery of Christ—Col. 2:2; Eph. 3:4.

五　为使召会尽真理的柱石和根基的功用，我们都需要达到对真理完全的认识—提前二4，四3，提后二25，三7，多一1。

E.　In order for the church to function as the pillar and base of the truth, we all need to arrive at the full knowledge of the truth—1 Tim. 2:4; 4:3; 2 Tim. 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1.

陆　当每一位弟兄姊妹都满了生命和真理，召会就会刚强，成为活神的家与真理的柱石和根基；这是主的恢复今日所需要的—提前三15。

VI.　When every brother and sister is full of life and truth, the church will be strong as the house of the living God and the pillar and base of the truth; this is what is needed in the Lord's recovery today—1 Tim. 3:15.