9让我见证我如何对召会的立场有确信的经历。一九三二年,我们开始在我的家乡烟台实行召会生活。几个月之后,就有人起来反对我们。在我们实行召会生活之前,我受那城里基督教领袖的爱戴与尊敬;他们认为我是一个绝对为着主耶稣的人。然而这些领袖们对我的态度逐渐起了改变,因为越来越多爱主的人加入了召会。这使那些基督教中领头的人很受搅扰,于是对我们消极的谣言就开始流传了。不仅如此,那些以前尊敬我的人,在街上遇见我也不再和我打招呼。我很关切这事,便到主面前去问主,我求祂显明出了甚么错。有一个多月的时间,我在主面前彻底考量这件事。最后我得到结论:我若要作人,就一定要信主耶稣;我若要信主,就一定要爱祂;我若要爱祂,就一定要走召会的路。结果,我对召会的立场有充分的确信。我不只有信心,也有一种认识,使我有把握。四十六年多以来,不管我为召会的立场受了多少的苦,我对这立场的坚持从来没有改变。有些曾与我亲近的同工们,因着畏惧对召会立场的攻击,就出卖了我。有些人甚至还释放过论到召会立场的信息,但实际上他们是三心二意,他们没有保罗在二章二节中所说在悟性上之充分的确信。保罗知道,关于神的奥秘就是基督的这件事,信徒们需要有把握、有确信;这确信是由信心和认识来的。有了这样确信的人,就不会在这件事上三心二意了。
9Allow me to testify of my experience about becoming assured regarding the ground of the church. In 1932 we began to practice the church life in Chefoo, my hometown. After several months, opposition rose up against us. Before we began to practice the church life, I was loved and respected by the Christian leaders in that city. They regarded me as one who was for the Lord Jesus in an absolute way. However, the attitude of those leaders toward me began to change when more and more of the promising ones began to come into the church. This troubled those Christian leaders, and negative rumors were circulated about us. Furthermore, those who once respected me no longer greeted me when they saw me on the street. Deeply concerned about this, I went to the Lord and inquired about the situation. I asked Him to show me what was wrong. I spent more than a month thoroughly considering the matter before the Lord. Eventually I concluded that if I were to be a man, I had to believe in the Lord Jesus; that if I were to believe in the Lord, I had to love Him; and that if I were to love Him, I had to take the way of the church. As a result, I received the full assurance concerning the ground of the church. I had not only faith, but also the knowledge which caused me to have certainty. For more than forty-six years I have not changed my position with respect to the church ground, no matter how much I have suffered because of the stand I have taken. Some co-workers who used to be close to me betrayed me because they were afraid to face opposition regarding the church ground. Some of them had even given messages on the ground of the church. But actually they were wishy-washy. They did not have the full assurance of understanding that Paul speaks of in 2:2. Paul realized that concerning the mystery of God, Christ, the believers needed certainty, the assurance that comes from faith and knowledge. Those who have such an assurance are not wishy-washy in this matter.