晨興聖言--認識、經歷、並活包羅萬有的基督...(W6-1)

第六週■週一

晨興餧養

w06d01-ch

西三13 ~ 15『倘若這人與那人有嫌隙,總要彼此容忍,彼此饒恕;主怎樣饒恕了你們,你們也要怎樣饒恕人。在這一切之上,還要穿上愛,愛是全德的聯索。又要讓基督的平安在你們心裏作仲裁,你們在一個身體裏蒙召,也是爲了這平安;且要感恩。』

按原文,〔歌羅西三章十五節裏的〕『作仲裁』也可以繙譯爲『作裁判』,『作主席』,或『登位作每件事的管治者和決斷者』。基督那在我們心裏作仲裁的平安,消除了十三節的嫌隙。

十五節的『這平安』是指基督的平安。我們乃是在基督的一個身體裏,爲這平安蒙召的。爲着基督身體正當的生活,我們需要基督的平安在我們心裏,在祂身體眾肢體的關係上,仲裁、調整並斷定一切的事。我們是爲了基督的平安蒙召的,這也該是我們讓這平安在我們心裏作仲裁的動機(歌羅西書生命讀經,二九八至二九九頁)。

信息選讀

各派之間不同的意見與爭議,總需要仲裁者來平息。…我們常常發現我們裏面有三派:一派是積極的,一派是消極的,還有一派是中立的。我們基督徒比不信的人還麻煩。得救以前,我們是在撒但那一派的控制之下。我們縱情屬世的享樂,裏面一點爭執都沒有。但如今我們得救了,也許有一派鼓勵我們作一件事,另一派卻鼓勵我們作另一件事。…我們需要有人來主持我們裏面所開的會議。從歌羅西三章十五節來看,這個主持人,這位仲裁者,是基督的平安。

我們裏面都有一樣東西,稱作基督的平安。這是保羅在以弗所二章十五節所說的和平,那裏告訴我們,基督在祂自己裏面,將兩下創造成一個新人。藉着將猶太人和外邦人創造成一個新人,基督已經成就了和平。這就是歌羅西三章十五節的平安。

文化背景不同、國籍不同的信徒,已經被創造成一個新人。這個新人的一就產生真正的和平。離了基督與召會,不同種族和國籍的人絕無法有真正的一。我們在主的恢復中乃是一,因爲我們是在基督裏並在召會中。我們在新人裏;在新人裏沒有希利尼人、猶太人、受割禮的或未受割禮的,在新人裏也不分種族、階級和國籍。相反的,在新人裏有一,因爲基督是一切,又在一切之內。這一乃是我們的平安。三章十五節中基督的平安,就是在新人裏使人和平的一。

你知不知道,你有一位仲裁者在你裏面?我們從歌羅西書清楚看見,基督的平安乃是我們裏面的仲裁者。這位仲裁者必須平息我們裏面一切的爭執。…每當我們發覺我們裏面各派有不同的意見和爭執時,我們立刻就要讓基督的平安來作主,並讓這個平安,就是新人的一,來管理我們。讓這平安,這個一,來下斷語。

基督的平安就是新人的一,這新人是由不同的種族所構成的。…基督藉着祂的死已經成就了和平;也就是說,祂產生了一。這個新人的一現今就在我們裏面。現今我們必須讓這個一,就是基督的平安,在我們心裏作仲裁。…我們需要把我們的意見、觀念放下,聽裏面裁判的話。我們不需要爭吵、各持己見。我們應當只讓基督的平安下最後的斷案(歌羅西書生命讀經,二九九至三○二、三二七至三二八頁)。

參讀:歌羅西書生命讀經,第二十八至三十、三十二至三十三、三十五、三十九篇。

WEEK 6 — DAY 1

Morning Nourishment

w06d01-en 

Col. 3:13-15 Bearing one another and forgiving one another, if anyone should have a complaint against anyone; even as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive. And over all these things put on love, which is the uniting bond of perfectness. And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful.

In Colossians 3:15…the Greek term for arbitrate can also be rendered “umpire,” “preside,” or “be enthroned as a ruler and decider of everything.” The arbitrating peace of Christ in our hearts dissolves the complaint mentioned in verse 13.

The relative pronoun which in verse 15 refers to the peace of Christ. We were called to this peace in the one Body of Christ. For the proper Body life we need the peace of Christ to arbitrate, to adjust, to decide all things in our heart in the relationships between the members of His Body. Our having been called to the peace of Christ should also motivate us to let this peace arbitrate in our hearts. (Life-study of Colossians, p. 242)

Today’s Reading

An arbitrator is always needed to settle disagreements or disputes between parties…Often we are conscious of three parties within us: a positive party, a negative party, and a neutral party. As Christians, we are more complicated than unsaved people are. Before we were saved, we were under the control of the satanic party. We could indulge in worldly amusements and entertainments without any sense of controversy within. But now that we are saved, one party may encourage us to do one thing, but another party may encourage us to do something else…We need someone or something to preside over the conferences that take place within our being. According to Colossians 3:15, this presiding one, this arbitrator, is the peace of Christ.

Within us we all have something called the peace of Christ. This is the peace about which Paul speaks in Ephesians 2:15, where we are told that in Himself Christ created one new man out of two peoples. By creating the Jews and the Gentiles into one new man, Christ has made peace. This is the very peace in Colossians 3:15.

Believers with different cultural backgrounds and nationalities have been created into one new man. The oneness of the new man produces genuine peace. Apart from Christ and the church, those of different races and nationalities cannot be truly one. We in the Lord’s recovery are one because we are in Christ and in the church. We are in the new man, where there is no Greek, Jew, circumcision, or uncircumcision. In the new man there are no different races, classes, or nationalities. Rather, there is oneness because Christ is all and in all. This oneness is our peace. The peace of Christ in Colossians 3:15 is simply the peaceful oneness in the new man.

Do you realize that you have an arbitrator within you? From Colossians we see clearly that the peace of Christ is our inward arbitrator. This arbitrator must settle all the disputes within us…Whenever we sense that different parties within our being are arguing or quarreling, we need to give place to the presiding peace of Christ and allow this peace, which is the oneness of the new man, to rule within us. Let this peace, this oneness, have the final word.

The peace of Christ is the very oneness of the new man composed of different peoples…Through His death Christ has made peace; that is, Hehas produced oneness. This oneness of the new man is now within us. This oneness, the peace of Christ, must now be permitted to arbitrate in our hearts…We need to set aside our opinion, our concept, and listen to the word of the indwelling referee. There is no need for us to quarrel or to express our opinion. We should simply let the peace of Christ make the final decision. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 242-245, 265)

Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 28-30, 32-33, 35, 39

留言

這個網誌中的熱門文章

晨興聖言-經營美地...(W7-綱要)

晨興聖言-基督徒的生活(W1-綱要)

晨興聖言-活在神國的實際裏(W8-綱要)