晨興聖言-話語的職事...(W3-2)

第三週 週二

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晨興餧養

林後四10~12   身體上常帶着耶穌的治死,使耶穌的生命也顯明在我們的身體上。因為我們這活着的人,是常為耶穌被交於死,使耶穌的生命,也在我們這必死的肉身上顯明出來。這樣,死是在我們身上發動,生命卻在你們身上發動。

 

保羅告訴我們他和他的同工被壓太重,力不能勝,甚至連活命的指望都絕了之後,就說,『自己裏面也斷定是必死的,叫我們不信靠自己,只信靠那叫死人復活的神。』(林後一9)當使徒在患難的重壓之下,甚至連活命的指望都絕了,他們也許問自己,他們受苦的結果是甚麼?答案或反應乃是死〔9〕。然而死的經歷引我們進入復活的經歷。復活就是那叫死人復活的神(約十一25)。十字架的工作了結我們的己,使我們在復活裏經歷神。十字架的經歷總是帶進對復活之神的享受。這樣的經歷產生並形成職事(林後一4~6)(李常受文集一九六七年第二冊,一七一頁)。

信息選讀

保羅〔在林後一章〕的話給我們看見,我們需要被了結。我們需要被帶到盡頭。然後我們就學會不信靠自己,乃信靠神。我們說我們需要信靠神,不信靠自己,是容易的;但要在這事上被作透,是需要一些經歷的。…你也許非常信靠你屬靈的成就,但甚至這成就也必須被了結。

當十字架把你作透的時候,這工作就帶進復活。因此,林後一章二十一至二十二節說,神已經膏了我們,印了我們,又將那靈的作質和豫嘗賜給我們。我們若要將出於基督的東西供應給人,就必須藉着十字架的工作經歷基督;十字架的工作乃是為着那靈的施膏、印塗和作質。職事乃是出於這種經歷(李常受文集一九六七年第二冊,一七一、一七三頁)。

保羅在林後四章八節說,『我們四面受壓,卻不被困住;出路絕了,卻非絕無出路。』四面受壓,或,各面遭難。八至十八節描述使徒的生活,表明他們在復活裏過釘十字架的生活,或在十字架的殺死下,活出復活的生命,為着完成他們的職事。

治死〔10〕的意思是殺死,致死,指死的工作,十字架的工作,就是主耶穌所遭受、所經過的。主在地上的時候,天天都在殺死之下。…使徒們〔也〕經歷這殺死的工作,『使耶穌的生命也顯明在我們的身體上。』…這種日常的殺死,是要在復活裏釋放出神的生命。十節的『生命』即復活的生命,就是主耶穌藉着十字架的工作,所活並所顯出的。

每天繼續不斷磨碾的工作,有一個特別的目的,就是使耶穌的生命也顯明在我們的身體上。這生命乃是復活的生命。主耶穌甚至在釘十字架以前,就活出復活的生命。祂在地上所活的,乃是復活的生命。這復活的生命可以對抗被治死。

當我們在主死的殺死之下,祂復活的生命就藉着我們分賜到別人裏面。分賜生命到別人裏面,總是我們接受十字架殺死的結果。在十二節,保羅的意思是說,『我們死了,你們哥林多人卻活了。我們死了,就將生命灌注到你們裏面,叫你們活着。對我們來說是被治死,對你們來說卻是生命的分賜。』(哥林多後書生命讀經,一○四至一○六頁)。

參讀:約翰的修補職事,第十一章。

WEEK 3 — DAY 2

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Morning Nourishment

2 Cor. 4:10-12 Always bearing about in the body the putting to death of Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who are alive are always being delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death operates in us, but life in you.

After Paul told us that he and his co-workers were so burdened that they despaired even of living, he said, “Indeed we ourselves had the response of death in ourselves, that we should not base our confidence on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Cor. 1:9). When the apostles were under the pressure of affliction, despairing even of living, they might have asked themselves what the issue of their suffering would be. The answer or response was “death.” The experience of death, however, ushers us into the experience of resurrection. Resurrection is the very God who resurrects the dead (John 11:25). The working of the cross terminates our self so that we may experience God in resurrection. The experience of the cross always issues in the enjoyment of the God of resurrection. Such experience produces and forms the ministry (2 Cor. 1:4-6). (CWWL, 1967, vol. 2, “An Autobiography of a Person in the Spirit,” p. 139)

Todays Reading

Paul’s word shows us that we need to be terminated. We need to be brought to an end. Then we will learn not to trust in ourselves but in God. For us to say that we need to trust in God and not in ourselves is easy, but to be wrought through in this matter needs a certain amount of experience… We may trust so much in our spiritual attainment, but even that has to be terminated.

When the cross has been working through us, this working brings in resurrection. Therefore, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says that God has anointed us, has sealed us, and has given us the pledge, the foretaste, of the Spirit. If we are going to minister something of Christ to others, we have to experience Christ by the working of the cross, and the working of the cross is for the anointing, the sealing, and the pledge of the Spirit. The ministry comes out of this experience. (CWWL, 1967, vol. 2, “An Autobiography of a Person in the Spirit,” pp. 139-140)

In 2 Corinthians 4:8 Paul says, “We are pressed on every side but not constricted; unable to find a way out but not utterly without a way out.” The Greek word rendered “pressed on every side” can also be translated “afflicted”…This description of the apostles’ life…shows that they lived a crucified life in resurrection, or the resurrection life under the killing of the cross, for the carrying out of their ministry.

The putting to death [v. 10]…means the killing, the deadening, referring to the working of death, the working of the cross, which the Lord Jesus suffered and endured. When the Lord was on earth, He was daily under the killing. The apostles [also] experienced this killing work “that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”…This daily killing is for the release of the divine life in resurrection. The life in verse 10 is the resurrection life, which the Lord Jesus lived and expressed through the working of the cross.

The continual daily grinding works for a specific purpose: that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. This life is resurrection life. The Lord Jesus lived resurrection life even before He was crucified. The life He lived on earth was a life of resurrection. This resurrection life is a life that can withstand being put to death.

When we are under the killing of the Lord’s death, His resurrection life is imparted through us into others. The impartation of life into others is always the issue of our suffering the killing of the cross. In verse 12 Paul seems to be saying, “We are dying, but you Corinthians are being made alive. Our dying infuses life into you and makes you alive. For us it is a matter of being put to death; for you it is a matter of the impartation of life.” (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 91-93)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1980, vol. 2, “The Mending Ministry of John,” ch. 11

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