晨興聖言-按照神對召會的經綸...(W7-5)
第七週■週五
晨興餧養
帖前二6 ～ 7『我們作基督的使徒，雖然有權利叫人尊重，卻沒有向你們，或向別人，尋求從人來的榮耀；只在你們中間爲人溫和，如同乳母顧惜自己的孩子。』
尋求從人來的榮耀，對每一個基督的工人都是真試誘，〔參帖前二6，〕許多已被這事吞滅、破壞。…叫人尊重，〔6，〕原文或譯作，維護權柄。…在基督徒的工作中維護權柄、尊嚴或權利，就破壞了工作。主耶穌在地上時放棄了祂的尊嚴，（約十三4
～
5，）使徒也寧可不用他的權利。（林前九12。）…天使長的墮落是由於尋求榮耀。…他雖然是帶頭的天使，有很高的地位，但他還尋求榮耀。…根據新約聖經，凡尋求從人來的榮耀，都是撒但的跟從者。尋求榮耀是撒但所佈的陷阱，要叫基督的工人跌入其中。…能逃避這陷阱的人不多。（帖撒羅尼迦前書生命讀經，二八頁。）
信息選讀
我們能給主用多少，我們的用處會持續多久，乃在於我們是否尋求從人來的榮耀。…爲自己尋求榮耀，總會使一個人的用處報廢。所以但願我們眾人，特別是青年人，接受警告，絕對不在主的工作中尋求榮耀。
帖前二章六節清楚指明，使徒雖然是基督的使徒，卻不維護〔自己的〕權柄。…他們必須忘記他們是使徒，而像奴僕般服事神的子民。他們不該題醒別人他們是基督的使徒，卻要記得自己是服事信徒的弟兄。
信徒與非信徒可能都認爲帶頭的人、長老或使徒是尊貴的人。但是在地方召會中沒有尊貴的人。我們不是尊貴的人，乃是彼此服事的奴僕。但是我認識一些人，他們沒有地位、沒有名聲的時候，並不要求甚麼。然而，一旦他們有了地位，也許是在一個事奉小組裏有了地位之後，就開始要求尊嚴。這是可恥的。…長老的妻子不應當因爲自己是長老的妻子，而要求尊嚴。…她只是一位服事召會的小姊妹。不僅如此，她的丈夫也不是尊貴的人，而是奴僕。他旣是長老，就是被指派，像奴僕一樣服事召會的人。我們都當有這種態度。
保羅說，『我們作基督的使徒，雖然有權利叫人尊重。』〔6。〕這話指明，甚至在召會初期，就已經有要求尊嚴的試誘。…但保羅不維護他使徒的權柄，而爲自己求甚麼。保羅拒絕叫人尊重，或維護權柄；他是我們眾人的好榜樣。我們若效法這個榜樣，就會把基督身體裏，這種要求地位的致命病菌殺死。
在七節…乳母，原文（有時）指母親，因此指乳養的母親。（參加四19。）顧惜包括餧養；指明不僅餧養，更有親切的照顧。…保羅雖然是弟兄，但他認爲自己是乳養的母親。他當然沒有想到地位、尊嚴或權柄。…乳母有甚麼地位可言？有甚麼地位、尊嚴或權柄是屬於她的？她的尊嚴在於乳養並顧惜她的孩子，溫柔的照顧他們。…保羅認爲自己不僅是服事人的，也是顧惜人的。他當然沒有控制信徒。他不僅服事他們，更顧惜他們。他對他們的照顧滿了溫柔。（帖撒羅尼迦前書生命讀經，一一八至一二○頁。）
參讀：活力排，第七、十篇。
WEEK 7 — DAY 5
Morning Nourishment
1
Thes. 2:6-7 Nor did we seek glory from men, neither from you nor from
others, though we could have stood on our authority as apostles of
Christ. But we were gentle in your midst, as a nursing mother would
cherish her own children.
To
seek glory from men is a real temptation to every Christian worker [cf.
1 Thes. 2:6]. Many have been devoured and spoiled by this matter. The
Greek words rendered “stood on our authority” also mean “asserted
authority.”...To assert authority, dignity, or right in Christian work
damages that work. The Lord Jesus, while on earth, gave up His dignity
(John 13:4-5), and the apostle preferred not to use his right (1 Cor.
9:12). The fall of the archangel was due to the seeking of glory...Even
though he was a leading angel with a very high position, he was still
seeking glory...According to the New Testament, anyone who seeks glory
from men is a follower of Satan. The seeking of glory is a trap spread
by Satan to snare Christian workers...Not many have escaped this trap.
(Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, second edition, p. 98)
Today’s Reading
How
much we will be used by the Lord and how long our usefulness will last
depend on whether we seek glory from men...The seeking of glory for the
self always kills one’s usefulness. Therefore, may we all, especially
the young, be warned never to seek glory in the Lord’s work.
First Thessalonians 2:6 indicates clearly that the apostles did not stand on their authority as apostles of Christ...They had to forget that they were apostles and serve God’s people as slaves. They were not to remind others of the fact that they were apostles of Christ. Instead, they were to keep in mind that they were brothers serving believers.
Those
who are believers and also those who are not believers may consider the
leading ones, the elders, or the apostles as dignitaries. However, in
the local churches there are no dignitaries. Instead of being
dignitaries, we are slaves serving one another. Nevertheless, I know of
certain ones who did not assume anything when they did not have a
position or title. But as soon as they were given a position, perhaps in
a service group, they began to assume authority. This is shameful. A
sister whose husband is an elder should not assume authority because she
is the wife of an elder...She is simply a little sister serving the
church. Furthermore, her husband is not a dignitary; he is a slave. As
an elder, he has been appointed to serve the church as a slave. We all
should have this attitude.
Paul’s
statement, “We could have stood on our authority as apostles of Christ”
[v. 6], indicates that even in the early days there was the temptation
of assuming authority...Paul, however, did not stand on his authority as
an apostle in order to claim something for himself. By refusing to
stand on his authority or assert authority, Paul is a good pattern for
us all. If we follow this pattern, we will kill a deadly disease germ in
the Body of Christ, the germ of assuming a position.
In
verse 7...the Greek word rendered “nursing mother,” trophos, sometimes
means “a mother”; hence, a nursing mother (cf. Gal. 4:19). Cherishing
includes nourishing. Therefore, this word not only includes nourishing
but also includes tender care. Even though Paul was a brother, he
considered himself a nursing mother. Surely, he had no thought of
position, dignity, or authority...What position does a nursing mother
have? What rank, dignity, or authority belongs to her? Her authority
consists in nourishing and cherishing her children, in taking care of
them in a tender way. Paul regarded himself as a cherishing one, not
merely as one who served. He certainly did not control the believers.
Neither did he merely serve them. Rather, he cherished them. His care
for them was full of tenderness. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, second
edition, pp. 98-100)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” chs. 7, 10
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