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歌罗西书生命读经 · 第38篇

基督活在我里面

Christ lives in me
1读经： 歌罗西书一章二十七节，三章四节，加拉太书二章二十节上，约翰福音十四章十九至二十节，十五章四至五节。
1Scripture Reading: Col. 1:27; 3:4; Gal. 2:20a; John 14:19-20; 15:4-5
2歌罗西书虽然很短，却包含许多奥秘的事物。这卷书信的思想很深。因此一章和二章很难记住并背诵。 我们读一章的时候，必须特别注意保罗所用的字眼。在十二节他说，父叫我们彀资格“在光中同得所分给众圣徒的分”。父怎样使我们彀资格？按照十三节，祂是藉着拯救我们脱离黑暗的权势，把我们迁入祂爱子的国里，而使我们彀资格。
2Although the book of Colossians is short, it contains many things which are mysterious. The thought in this Epistle is deep. For this reason chapters one and two are difficult to memorize and recite. As we read chapter one, we must pay close attention to Paul’s terminology. In verse 12 he says that the Father has qualified us “for a share of the portion of the saints in the light.” In what way has the Father qualified us for this? According to 1:13, He did this by delivering us out of the authority of darkness and transferring us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
3保罗在十五节继续说，基督是那不能看见之神的像，是一切受造之物的首生者。 按照十六节和十七节，万有都是在祂里面，藉着祂并为着祂造的，并且万有也在祂里面得以维系。不仅如此，祂也是从死人中复活的首生者，所以，祂是召会身体的头。（18。）在十九节保罗告诉我们，一切的丰满都乐意居住在祂里面。“丰满”这辞在此是指一个活的人位，而不是一件东西，因为一个没有人位的物质或东西是不会有所乐意的。这丰满乐意居住在基督里面，就是在那位叫万有与自己和好的包罗万有者里面。（20。）
3In 1:15 Paul goes on to say that Christ is the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation. According to verses 16 and 17, all things were created in Him, through Him, and unto Him, and all things subsist together in Him. Furthermore, as the firstborn from among the dead, He is the Head of the Body, the church (v. 18). In verse 19 Paul tells us that all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Him. The word “fullness” here denotes a living person, not a thing, for an impersonal substance or thing cannot be pleased about something. This fullness was pleased to dwell in Christ, in the all-inclusive One who has reconciled all things to Him (v. 20).
神的经纶
God’s economy
4从二十四节开始，保罗接着说到神的经纶。神的经纶是甚么？我们也许作了基督徒多年，却不晓得神的经纶是甚么；我们甚至也没有求神把祂的经纶启示给我们。神的经纶与祂将自己分赐到我们里面有关。然而，经纶的意义包括更广。经纶这辞在希腊原文是oikonomia，奥依克诺米亚，含示安排或行政管理的意思。因此，神的经纶乃是一个行政的安排。在一些地方，如一章二十五节，这辞最好译为“管家职分”。神的经纶就是祂行政的安排，祂的管家职分，为要将祂的丰富分赐到我们里面。富有的家庭怎样有一个安排，要把家里的财富分给家中的人，在神的经纶里也照样有一个安排，要把祂的丰富分赐到祂的儿女里面。赞美主，我们是神家里的人！神的经纶乃是将基督那追测不尽的丰富，分赐到所有蒙神拣选的人里面，使他们能成为祂的儿女，并成为宇宙、神圣家庭的一分子。我们既是神的儿女，我们就在祂行政的安排之下，祂要藉此将祂自己作到我们里面。
4Beginning with verse 24, Paul goes on to speak of God’s economy. What is God’s economy? We may have been Christians for years without knowing what God’s economy is, or without even asking Him to reveal His economy to us. God’s economy is related to the dispensing of Himself into us; however, it involves even more. The Greek word for economy, oikonomia, implies the thought of arrangement or administration. Hence, God’s economy is an administrative arrangement. In some places, as in 1:25, the Greek word is best rendered “stewardship.” God’s economy is His administrative arrangement, His stewardship, to dispense His riches into us. Just as wealthy families have an arrangement to distribute the wealth of the family to its members, so God has an arrangement in His economy to dispense His wealth into His children. Praise the Lord that we are members of God’s household! God’s economy is to dispense the unsearchable riches of Christ into all those chosen by God that they might become His children and members of the universal, divine family. As children of God, we are under His administrative arrangement by which He works Himself into our being.
神分赐的目标
The goal of God’s dispensation
5神将祂自己分赐到我们里面的目标，乃是一个新人。新人的终极完成，乃是新耶路撒冷。今天新人乃是永远之新耶路撒冷的雏型。两者的差别不在性质上或素质上，乃在大小及程度上。今天我们享受新人作神经纶的结果，但在永世里我们将享受新耶路撒冷，作神将祂自己分赐到我们里面的终极结果。我们每一个在主恢复里的人，都需要这样来认识神的经纶。
5The goal of God’s dispensation of Himself into us is the one new man. The ultimate consummation of the new man will be the New Jerusalem. Today the new man is a miniature of the eternal New Jerusalem. The difference is not in nature or essence, but only in size or degree. Today we enjoy the new man as the issue, the result, of God’s economy. But in eternity we shall enjoy the New Jerusalem as the ultimate issue of God’s dispensing of Himself into us. It is necessary for all of us in the Lord’s recovery to know God’s economy in this way.
生命的长大
The growth of life
6我在本篇信息中的负担乃是指出，神经纶的完成不在于我们的努力，乃在于生命的长大。神经纶的中心点不是我们的作为，乃是生命的长大。因此，重要的是我们要看见长大是甚么，以及如何长大。神不需要我们作甚么，凡我们凭自己作的都不算数。然而，神要我们长大。
6My burden in this message is to point out that the fulfillment of God’s economy does not depend on our effort. Rather, it depends on the growth of life. The focal point of God’s economy is not our doing; it is life growing. Hence, it is crucial for us to see what it means to grow and how to grow. God does not need our doing. Anything that we do in ourselves means nothing. However, God wants us to grow.
7要叫一个东西长大，当然必须先有生命。桌子不会长大，因为它没有生命。然而植物会生长，因为植物满有生命。譬如，我妻子在我们后院种了一棵蕃茄。这棵植物长得很大，结出许多蕃茄，真令我惊奇。因着蕃茄长得太大了，所以需要架子支撑住，使它长得好。这棵蕃茄需要有一个经纶来管理。 我愿意题醒你们，神创造人之后，就把人放在一个园子里，那是一个生长的地方。神没有把人放在学校里，使他受教育；也没有把人放在工厂里，使他制造东西；神乃是把人放在一个园子里，在那里生命能以生长。今天在召会里我们所需要的乃是长大，而为了长大，我们就必须有生命。
7In order for something to grow, it must, of course, have life. A table cannot grow, because it does not have life. However, a plant will grow because it is full of life. For example, my wife planted a tomato plant in our backyard. I am amazed how much this plant has grown and how many tomatoes it has produced. Because that tomato plant grew so much, there was the need of stakes to support it and to direct its growth. There was the need for an economy to manage this tomato plant. I would remind you that after God created man, He put him into a garden, a place of growth. God did not put man into a school, where he could be educated, or into a factory, where he could manufacture things, but into a garden, a place where life could grow. Our need today in the church is for growth, and in order to grow we must have life.
基督最高的启示
The highest revelation of Christ
8现在我们来到一个紧要的问题：我们的生命是甚么？也许我们都会回答说，我们的生命是基督。那么，基督是甚么？在召会里长大的生命，以及召会长大所需要的生命，乃是基督。但这位基督是甚么？这问题的答案在歌罗西书中可以找到。根据这卷书，基督是神的丰满、不能看见之神的像、一切受造之物的首生者、从死人中复活的首生者、一切的丰满乐意居住在其中的那一位、神经纶的奥秘、神的奥秘、一切正面事物的实际、以及新人的成分。多年来我们指出基督是生命，但是我们也许不彀注意基督是甚么。简单的说，基督是我们的生命，是我们的一切，也是宇宙中一切正面事物的实际。这就是歌罗西书里的启示。 歌罗西书包含新约中基督最高的启示。没有别卷书告诉我们，基督是一切受造之物的首生者，或基督是神的奥秘。歌罗西书却启示，基督是神经纶的奥秘，也是神自己的奥秘。根据这卷书，基督乃是我们的一切。
8Now we come to a crucial question: What is our life? Probably we all would answer this question by saying that our life is Christ. What, then, is Christ? The life that grows in the church and which is needed for the growth of the church is Christ. But what is this Christ? The answer to this question is found in Colossians. According to this book, Christ is the fullness of God, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, the One in whom all the fullness is pleased to dwell, the mystery of God’s economy, the mystery of God, the reality of all positive things, and the constituent of the new man. For years we have pointed out that Christ is life, but perhaps we have not adequately paid our attention to what Christ is. In short, the Christ who is our life is everything, the reality of every positive thing in the universe. This is the revelation in the book of Colossians. Colossians contains the highest revelation of Christ in the New Testament. No other book tells us that Christ is the firstborn of all creation or that He is the mystery of God. Colossians reveals that Christ is the mystery of God’s economy and the mystery of God Himself. According to this book, Christ is everything to us.
凭基督活着，不凭文化活着
Living by Christ, not by culture
9我们若看见基督是一切，我们自然就领悟，我们一无所是，我们算不得甚么。用加拉太二章二十节的话说，我们已经与基督同钉十字架，并且基督活在我们里面。祂乃是那忍耐、恩慈、亲爱、且满了生命的一位。
9If we see that Christ is everything, we shall spontaneously realize that we are nothing and nobody. In the words of Galatians 2:20, we have been crucified with Christ and Christ lives in us. He is the One who is patient, kind, loving, and full of life.
10然而我们许多人不是活基督，反而不知不觉的努力挣扎，想要改良自己。譬如，一个即将结婚的青年弟兄，也许定意要作一个理想的丈夫。这样作若不是照着我们自己制订的文化，就是照着承继的文化而活。有时在特会中，圣徒们也许会见证说，特会完后他们绝不再像从前那样。因着这样的说法是照著文化，所以特会之后不到几天，那些人又是老样子了。我们何等容易在自己身上加上文化的标准！
10However, instead of living Christ, many of us unconsciously strive to improve ourselves. For example, a young brother who is about to get married may make up his mind to be an ideal husband. To do this is to live either according to our self-made culture or according to the culture we have inherited. Sometimes in conferences saints may testify that after that conference they will never be the same. Because such a statement is according to culture, a few days after the conference that person is the same as before. How easy it is to impose a cultural standard on ourselves!
11我们加在自己身上的文化，实际上乃是一种禁欲主义。假定有位弟兄发现，他很受不了他的妻子，虽然她是主里亲爱的姊妹。这位弟兄就许愿，无论出甚么代价，都要作自己妻子的好丈夫。他要容忍他的妻子，即使咬着牙也要忍受。这位弟兄是照着禁欲主义生活。每次我们下定决心要改良自己，要不一样的时候，我们就是照文化活着，而不是照基督活着。
11The culture we impose on ourselves is actually a form of asceticism. Suppose a certain brother finds his wife difficult to bear, even though she is a dear sister in the Lord. This brother vows that, whatever the cost, he will be a good husband to his wife. He will bear with her, even if it is with gnashing of his teeth. This brother is living according to asceticism. Every time we make a decision to improve or to be different, we are living according to culture instead of according to Christ.
12神的目的乃是要将基督分赐到我们里面，使祂能作我们的生命和一切。神要基督作我们的公义、圣别、谦卑和忍耐。基督既是一切，我们就不需要定意作甚么或成为甚么。相反的，我们只应当转向主说，“主，感谢你。你是我的生命，也是我的一切。你是真神又是真人。我需要爱的时候，你就是爱。我需要谦卑的时候，主，你就是谦卑。无论我需要甚么，你就是。”
12God’s intention is to dispense Christ into us so that He may be our life and our everything. God wants Christ to be our righteousness, holiness, humility, and patience. Since Christ is everything, there is no need for us to decide to do anything or to be anything. Instead, we should simply turn to the Lord and say, “Lord, thank You. You are my life and my everything. You are the real God and the real man. When I need love, You are love. When I need humility, You, Lord, are humility. Whatever I need, You are.”
13神不要我们努力去作好丈夫、好妻子、好父母或好儿女。神只要一个人位─基督。然而，我们不该太早对儿女传讲这事，乃该先向自己传讲，告诉自己说，神不要我们改良自己，祂只要基督。神已将基督分赐到我们里面，作我们的生命和一切，使我们能活祂，并且祂也能住在我们里面。我们不需要挣扎努力去爱人，我们的爱是有限的。但基督是爱，是无限的爱，而祂就活在我们里面。
13God does not want us to try to be good husbands or wives, parents or children. God only wants one person — Christ. However, we should not preach this to our children prematurely. Instead, we should first preach to ourselves, telling ourselves that God does not want our self-improvement, but that He only wants Christ. He has dispensed Christ into us to be our life and our everything so that we may live Him and that He may dwell in us. There is no need for us to strive to be loving. Our love is limited. But Christ is love, unlimited love, and He lives in us.
让基督在我们里面有地位
Giving Christ the ground within us
14我们需要看见属天的异象，就是在神的经纶里，除了基督，神不要别的。基督太奇妙了。祂是神也是人，祂经过了成为肉体、人性生活、钉十字架、复活、升天、以及登宝座。基督所是的一切，并祂所得着、所达到的一切，都已经复合到包罗万有的灵里。现今祂是那包罗万有赐生命的灵，活在我们里面。在我们的生活中，若没有将一切的地位让给祂，那是何等的愚昧！虽然我们也许爱祂，但因着我们努力要作好的基督徒丈夫或妻子，我们仍然限制、拘束了祂。在我们自己里面，我们仍想要谦卑、忍耐、恩慈、爱人。只要我们这样作，基督就无法活在我们里面。
14We need to see the heavenly vision that in His economy, God wants nothing except Christ. Christ is wonderful. As the One who is God and man, He has passed through incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement. All that Christ is and all that He has obtained and attained have been compounded into the all-inclusive Spirit. Now as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, He lives in us. How foolish not to give all the ground in our living to Him! Although we may love Him, we may still limit and restrict Him by our efforts to be good Christian husbands or wives. In ourselves, we still try to be humble, patient, kind, and loving. As long as we do this, there is no way for Christ to live in us.
15在约翰十四章，主耶稣说到祂的死与复活。祂在十九节说到门徒在祂复活后的经历：“因为我活着，你们也要活着。”根据加拉太二章二十节，主复活以后，就能活在祂的门徒里面，他们也能凭祂而活。
15In John 14, the Lord Jesus spoke of His death and resurrection. Speaking of the disciples’ experience after His resurrection, He says in verse 19, “Because I live, you shall live also.” It was after His resurrection that the Lord could live in His disciples and they could live by Him, according to Galatians 2:20.
16基督要活在我们里面。当祂活在我们里面时，我们就凭祂而活。但今天，让基督在他们里面有自由通路的基督徒在那里？这样的基督徒太少了。连我们在主恢复里的人，也没有让基督有充分的地位活在我们里面。反之，我们努力要谦卑、要爱人；我们努力要作好丈夫、好妻子，作好弟兄、好姊妹。因此，我们里面的地位都被自己和自我努力占有了。我们自己的努力也许失败了，我们就悔改、祷告、求主洁净，然后重新再来。我们甚至欢迎新的一天、一周、一月、或一年所给我们重新开始的机会，使我们能再试一次，作个正当的基督徒。我们也许在一天的末了安慰自己说，到明日早晨我们还有一个新的机会再试一遍。我们也许在每周、每月、每年的末了都是这样。特别是在旧年尾、新年初时，我们应许自己要有一个新的开始。我们也许彻底的清理已往，懊悔我们的短处，为我们的过错悔改，求主赦免我们的错误，然后尝试有一个新的开始。我们也许说，“过去的就算了，在新的一年我要有个新开始。”可惜，不久我们就发现，我们最努力的结果仍是失败。
16Christ wants to live in us. When He lives in us, we live by Him. But where are the Christians today who give Christ the free course to live in them? Very few Christians do this. Even we in the Lord’s recovery do not give Christ the sufficient ground to live in us. Instead, we try to be humble and loving. We try to be a good husband or wife, a good brother or sister. Thus, the ground within us is occupied by ourselves and by our self-effort. Although we may fail in our efforts, we repent, pray, ask for the Lord’s cleansing, and then try once again. We may even welcome the opportunity for a new beginning afforded by a new day, week, month, or year so that we may try once again to be a proper Christian. We may comfort ourselves at the end of the day with the thought that in the morning we shall have a fresh opportunity to try again. We may do the same thing at the end of a week, month, or year. Especially at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year, we may promise ourselves to have a new beginning. We may thoroughly clear the past, regret our shortcomings, repent for our mistakes, ask the Lord’s forgiveness for our wrongdoings, and then try to have a new beginning. We may say, “Let the past be the past. With the new year I can have a new beginning.” Nevertheless, before long we find that our best efforts still result in failure.
17因为我们都有这个倾向，所以我有负担让大家看见，神不要我们试着去作正当的基督徒，祂只要我们活基督。我们应当忘记要作个好丈夫、作个好妻子，只该留意活基督。愿我们爱祂、接触祂、并与祂是一。祂是何等亲切便利！祂在我们里面与我们成为一灵，等待机会活在我们里面。我们若要让基督有地位活在我们里面，就该停止一切的努力。我们不该求主帮助我们努力，乃该祷告说，“主耶稣，离了你，我就不能作甚么。我何等愚昧，我一直辛苦努力！现在，主，我看见了异象，没有你我就不能作甚么。主，感谢你，你住在我里面。主，我求你作工在我里面。主，赞美你，你是我的生命，你一直等候机会要活在我里面。主，感谢你，我在你里面。现今我乐意将所有的地位给你，让你在我里面作一切，并在我里面成为一切。”这就是基督活在我们里面的意思。
17Because we all have this tendency, I am burdened that we would see that God does not want us to try to be proper Christians — He only wants us to live Christ. We should forget about trying to be a good husband or wife and care only to live Christ. Let us love Him, contact Him, and be one with Him. How near and available He is! He is within us and is one spirit with us, waiting to be given the opportunity to live in us. If we would give Christ the ground to live in us, we should cease from all our efforts. Instead of asking the Lord to help us in our efforts, we should pray, “Lord Jesus, I can do nothing apart from You. How foolish I have been in trying so hard! Now, Lord, I see the vision that I cannot do anything without You. Lord, I thank You that You dwell in me. I ask You, Lord, to work within me. Lord, I praise You that You are my life and that You are waiting for the opportunity to live in me. Lord, I thank You that I am in You. Now I am willing to give You all the ground to do everything and to be everything in me.” This is what it means for Christ to live in us.
18我们这样向主祷告之后，就该转向撒但，告诉他不要再试诱我们，使我们离开基督去作甚么。我们要对撒但说，“撒但，不要再这样试诱我。我向你保证，离了基督，我就不能作甚么。不要想来使我作甚么事。”
18After praying to the Lord in this way, we should turn to Satan and tell him to no longer tempt us to try to do anything apart from Christ. Say to him, “Satan, don’t tempt me in this way anymore. I assure you that I cannot do anything apart from Christ. Don’t try to get me to do anything.”
需要看见异象
The need to see the vision
19在召会聚会中，我们也许很享受的唱：“主活我里面，主活我里面。”然而，聚会一过，活的是我们自己，不是基督。不是基督活在我们里面；反之，我们里面的人被我们自己占有了。但我们若看见基督活在我们里面的异象，我们就会停止自己一切的作为。何等有福，我们不必作甚么，只要让基督活在我们里面！主不要我们努力改良自己的行为。祂不要我们努力作个好丈夫、好妻子。基督徒的生活乃是基督在我们里面活着。在这样的生活里，我们和基督同有一个生命和一个生活。基督活在我们的生活里。哦！我们急切需要看见这异象！我们需要祷告：“主，给我们看见这异象，就是神只要一个人位，祂要基督活在我们里面。”这个异象会自然而然的终止我们一切的努力和作为。它要将我们从自己的努力转向内住的基督。
19In the church meetings, we may enjoy singing, “Christ liveth in me, Christ liveth in me.” However, when the meeting is over, we are the ones who live, not Christ. Instead of Christ living in us, our inward being is occupied with ourselves. But if we see the vision of Christ living in us, we shall stop all our doing. How blessed it is to do nothing and to let Christ live in us! The Lord does not want us to try to improve our behavior. He does not want us to try to be a good husband or wife. The Christian life is Christ living in us. In such a life, we and Christ have one life and one living. Christ lives in our living. Oh, we desperately need to see this vision! We need to pray, “Lord, show me the vision that God only wants one Person. He wants Christ to live in me.” This vision will spontaneously terminate all of our efforts and doings. It will turn us from our trying to the indwelling Christ.
基督─我们惟一的标准与原则
Christ — our unique standard and principle
20当我们停止自己的作为时，我们就不在基督之外再有任何标准或原则。基督将是我们的标准与原则。譬如，我们没有一种标准来决定甚么是好丈夫或好妻子，乃是有基督作我们的标准。照样，我们没有关于仁慈、谦卑、和爱的标准，我们惟一的标准乃是基督。当基督成为我们惟一的标准和原则时，祂就有自由的通路活在我们里面。这样，我们就享受祂并经历祂。
20When we cease from our own doing, we shall no longer have any standards or principles apart from Christ. Christ will be our standards and our principles. For example, instead of having a standard that determines what is a good husband or wife, we shall have Christ as our standard. Likewise, instead of having standards concerning kindness, humility, and love, our only standard will be Christ. When Christ becomes our unique standard and principle, He will have the free course to live in us. Then we shall enjoy Him and experience Him.
让基督活在我们里面
Letting Christ live in us
21歌罗西书启示神要的是基督，祂只要基督。在这卷书信里，保罗指出神不要任何属人文化的东西。神不在意哲学、宗教、规条、条例或任何“主义”。神只要那奇妙、居首位、包罗万有的基督，祂是那是一切又在一切之内的一位。虽然基督是包罗万有的，祂却住在我们里面作我们的生命。祂是那位内住者，一直等候机会要活在我们里面。祂是活的、真实的、实际的、也是便利的。一面，祂在宝座上为万有之主；另一面，祂是赐生命的灵在我们里面。在基督徒生活并在召会生活中，基督都是一切。
21The book of Colossians reveals that God wants Christ and Christ alone. In this Epistle, Paul points out that God does not want anything of man’s culture. God does not care for philosophy, religion, ordinances, observances, or any kind of ism. God wants only the wonderful, preeminent, all-inclusive Christ, the One who is all in all. Although Christ is all-inclusive, He dwells in us as our life. As the indwelling One, He is waiting for the opportunity to live in us. He is living, real, practical, and available. On the one hand, on the throne He is the Lord of all; on the other hand, He is the life-giving Spirit in us. Both in the Christian life and in the church life, Christ is everything.
22我们若看见这事，就会停止我们一切的作为。在召会生活中，神不要我们作许多；祂只要基督活在我们里面、长在我们里面。我若有加拉太二章二十节的异象─不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着─我就绝不再以为自己能作甚么。我会自然而然的停止我一切的努力，因为我知道我一无所是，我算不得甚么，并且知道基督乃是一切。这位活在我们里面并作我们生命的，乃是我们的一切。祂是我们的圣别、我们的能力、我们的智慧。但祂需要得着机会，在我们里面作一切。我们若给祂地位，祂就要进来成为一切，并作一切的事。这就是让基督活在我们里面的意思。
22If we see this, we shall stop all our doing. In the church life, God does not want us to be doing so much; He simply wants Christ to live in us and grow in us. If I have a vision of Galatians 2:20 — that it is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me — I shall never assume that I can do anything. I shall spontaneously cease from all my trying, for I shall realize that I am nothing and nobody and that Christ is everything. As the One who dwells in us to be our life, He is everything to us. He is our holiness, our power, and our wisdom. But He needs to be given the opportunity to be everything in us. If we give Him the ground, He will come in to be everything and to do everything. This is what it means to let Christ live in us.