晨興聖言-腓立比書中所啟示的認識...(W3-1)

第三週■週一

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晨興餧養

腓一4 ~ 5『每逢爲你們眾人祈求的時候,總是歡歡喜喜的祈求,爲了你們從頭一天直到如今,在推廣福音上所有的交通。』

   四4『你們要在主裏常常喜樂,我再說,你們要喜樂。』

在腓立比的聖徒,藉着使徒保羅的職事,在福音上有交通,有分於福音的推廣。這樣的有分,包括在財物上供給使徒(腓四10、15 ~ 16),結果使福音得着推廣。這種交通,使他們脫離個人主義和不同的心向,含示他們與使徒保羅是一,也彼此是一。這給他們立場經歷並享受基督,這是腓立比書的要點。經歷並享受基督的生活,乃是推廣福音、傳揚福音的生活;不是個人的,乃是團體的。因此這裏說,在推廣福音上所有的交通。我們在推廣福音上越有交通,就越經歷並享受基督。這殺死我們的己、野心、喜好和選擇(聖經恢復本,腓一5 註2)。

信息選讀

經歷基督主要是在我們的靈裏,而享受基督乃是在我們的魂裏。經歷基督是一回事,而享受基督又是另一回事。…有時我們經歷基督,不是以享受的方式,而是以受苦的方式。我們可能說,『我必須接受基督作我的生命,並憑祂活着。我必須經歷基督。』這不是享受基督。我們就像那些〔被迫〕喫食物卻沒有享受食物的孩子,許多時候我們經歷基督卻沒有享受基督。我們沒有享受基督,反而是在受苦。因此,我們可能經歷基督而沒有享受基督。這裏的難處是在於我們的魂。

嚴格的說,腓立比書不僅論到經歷基督,也論到享受基督。在三章八節下半,保羅說他因基督將萬事看作糞土。這不僅是經歷的事,更是享受的事。以認識基督爲至寶(8 上),也指明了享受。至寶主要不是爲着經歷,乃是爲着享受。保羅在三章似乎在說,『先前的我,大數的掃羅,只享受我的身分。我是希伯來人所生的希伯來人,又是法利賽人。但現在我因基督,將萬事看作虧損。』八節所說的糞土、狗食,指明沒有享受。沒有人能從狗食得着享受。…在對基督的享受上,應當有令人愉悅的品嘗。

保羅寫信給腓立比人,原因是他們雖然爲着主並顧到主的僕人,他們的靈也非常好,但是他們在魂裏有難處,因爲他們沒有思念相同的事。他們在思想上有難處。因此,保羅寫這封書信勸告他們,甚至求他們,要在魂裏是一。

我多少擔心你們對基督的享受可能不是那麼多。…過了一段時間,你可能就失去了這享受。這原因乃是你在魂裏有問題。不是姊妹們太在情感裏,就是弟兄們太在心思裏。並且我們都有頑梗意志的難處。…許多在主恢復裏多年的人,就像喫食物而沒有享受食物的小孩一樣。…青年人可能在校園非常活躍的傳福音;他們禱告讚美,又喊阿利路亞。但這一切可能變成僅僅是履行義務。…你們若對基督沒有很多的享受,就指明你們沒有在魂裏是一,你們的思想和情感與別人不同。友歐底亞和循都基二人不合〔參四2〕的原因,就是她們在魂裏有難處。她們沒有思念相同的事(李常受文集一九七八年第一册,四三五至四三九頁)。

參讀:經歷基督,第一至六章。

WEEK 3 — DAY 1

Morning Nourishment

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Phil. 1:4-5 Always in my every petition on behalf of you all, making my petition with joy, for your fellowship unto the furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now.

        4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

The saints in Philippi had fellowship unto the gospel, participating in the furtherance of the gospel through the apostle Paul’s ministry. This participation included their financial contributions to the apostle (Phil. 4:10,15-16), which issued in the furtherance of the gospel. This kind of fellowship, which kept them from being individualistic and diversely minded, implies that they were one with the apostle Paul and with one another. This gave them the ground for their experience and enjoyment of Christ, which is the main point of Philippians. The Christ-experiencing and -enjoying life is a life in the furtherance of the gospel, a gospel-preaching life, not individualistic but corporate. Hence, there is the fellowship unto the furtherance of the gospel. The more fellowship we have in the furtherance of the gospel, the more Christ we experience and enjoy. This kills our self, ambition, preference, and choice. (Phil. 1:5, footnote 1)

Today’s Reading

The experience of Christ is a matter primarily in our spirit, but the enjoyment of Christ is in our soul. To experience Christ is one thing, and to enjoy Christ is another… Sometimes we experience Christ not in the way of enjoyment but in the way of suffering. We may say, “I must take Christ as my life and live by Him. I have to experience Christ.” But this is not the enjoyment of Christ. Like children who eat without enjoying their food, many times we experience Christ without enjoying Him. Instead of enjoying Christ, we suffer. Thus, we can have the experience of Christ without the enjoyment of Christ. The problem here is with our soul.

Strictly speaking, Philippians is a book not only on the experience of Christ but also on the enjoyment of Christ. In Philippians 3:8 Paul says that for the sake of Christ he counted all things as refuse. This is not only a matter of experience but also a matter of enjoyment. The excellency of the knowledge of Christ (v. 8) also indicates enjoyment. Excellency is not mainly for experience but for enjoyment. In chapter 3 Paul seemed to be saying, “Formerly, I, Saul of Tarsus, enjoyed my status. I was a Hebrew of the Hebrews and a Pharisee. But now I count all things loss for Christ.” The refuse, the dog food, mentioned in verse 8, indicates no enjoyment. No human being can have enjoyment from dog food…With the enjoyment of Christ there is a pleasant taste.

The reason for writing the Epistle to the Philippians was that, although they were for the Lord and cared for His servant and were very good in their spirit, they had a problem in their soul because they did not think the same thing. In their thinking they had a problem. Hence, Paul wrote this Epistle to advise them and even to beg them to be one in soul.

I am somewhat concerned that you may not have very much enjoyment of Christ…As time has gone by, you may have lost this enjoyment. The reason for this is that there is a problem in the soul. Either the sisters are too much in the emotion, or the brothers are too much in the mind. But we all have a problem with our stubborn will… Many of those who have been in the Lord’s recovery a long time are like children eating food without enjoying it…The young people may be very active in preaching the gospel on the campuses. They may pray, praise, and shout Hallelujah. But all this may become merely the carrying out of a duty… If you do not have much enjoyment of Christ, it indicates that you are not one in soul. Your thoughts and emotions differ from those of others. The reason Euodias and Syntyche were not one [cf. 4:2] was that they had a problem in the soul. They were not thinking the same thing. (CWWL, 1978, vol. 1, “The Experience of Christ,” pp. 338-341)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1978, vol. 1, “The Experience of Christ,” chs. 1-6

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