晨興聖言-信徒(一)-(W07-2)

第七週 • 週二

W07-d2-ch

晨興餧養

提後二21 所以人若潔淨自己,脫離這些卑賤的,就必成為貴重的器皿,分別為聖,合乎主人使用,豫備行各樣的善事。

   2   你在許多見證人面前從我所聽見的,要託付那忠信、能教導別人的人。

    15  你當竭力將自己呈獻神前,…正直的分解真理的話。

 

在提後二章二十一節…潔淨自己指『離開不義』(19),這是內在神聖性質的外在證據。…我們不僅該潔淨自己,脫離不義的事,也該脫離卑賤的器皿〔16~18〕。這就是說,我們必須遠離他們。…我們若潔淨自己,脫離這些消極的事和消極的人,就必成為貴重的器皿,分別為聖,合乎主人使用,豫備行各樣的善事。貴重是性質的問題,分別為聖是地位的問題,合乎使用是功用的問題,豫備是訓練的問題(新約總論第五冊,一五○頁)。

信息選讀

保羅在〔提後二章二節〕這裏所指的是一章十三節的健康話語。健康話語託付忠信的人以後,就成了那美好的託付(一14)。這話指明,在地方召會中,人若有主所託付健康的話,他就該訓練那些忠信的人,可信託的人,使他們也從主得着美好的託付,能以教導別人。

保羅知道提摩太領受了美好的託付,受了教導,並得了恩典之豐富的餧養。所以,他囑咐提摩太將這些事交托其他忠信能施行同樣職事的人。這指明施行神新約經綸的豐富,不只需要一個人。我盼望藉着這一切生命讀經的資訊,在主恢復裏成千的聖徒,會得着關於神新約經綸之恩典豐富的美好託付。然後,領受了這些豐富的人,能將這些事託付別人。想想看,主若得着一萬個被祂美好的託付充滿的聖徒,將祂經綸的豐富擴展到全地,那是何等的光景。毫無疑問,這會催促祂榮耀顯現的時候來到。

在二章三節保羅繼續說,『你要和我同受苦難,好像基督耶穌的精兵。』使徒認為他們的職事乃是為着基督的爭戰,正如民數記四章二十三、三十、三十五節,把祭司的事奉看作服役,爭戰。每當我們將基督供應別人,就發覺自己是在爭戰。因此,我們不但該是將美好的託付交托別人的教師,也該是為着神的權益爭戰的精兵。…在提後二章五節保羅把提摩太比作競賽中的運動員:『競賽的人,非按規矩競賽,就不能得華冠。』

六節繼續說,『勞力的農夫,理當先分享果實。』這裏保羅把提摩太比作農夫。當兵的必須贏得勝利,運動員必須得着華冠,農夫理當分享果實—糧食。這需要忍耐。作為運動員,我們該迅速;但作為農夫,我們需要忍耐。…對農作物和牲畜,農夫必須學習有忍耐。

在十五節…保羅指明豫防者要作工人。這工人是木匠,必須正直的分解真理的話。這就是說,將神話語的各部分,正確、正直、毫不曲解的揭示出來。木匠怎樣有技巧正直的切割木頭,照樣,主的工人需要有技巧正直的分解真理的話。這是需要的,因為在召會的敗落中,許多真理被曲解,呈現歪曲、偏頗的樣式(提摩太后書生命讀經,二六至二九、三二頁)。

參讀:成全訓練,第二十二章;倪柝聲文集第二輯第十七冊,第二十二篇。

WEEK 7 — DAY 2

W07-d2-en

Morning Nourishment

2 Tim. 2:21 If therefore anyone cleanses himself from these, he will be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, useful to the master, prepared unto every good work.

         2 And the things which you have heard from me through many witnesses, these commit to faithful men, who will be competent to teach others also.

            15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,…cutting straight the word of the truth.

In 2 Timothy 2:21…to cleanse ourselves is to “depart from unrighteousness” (v. 19), as an outward evidence of the inward divine nature…We should cleanse ourselves not only from anything unrighteous but also from the dishonorable vessels [vv. 16-18]. This means that we must stay away from them…If we cleanse ourselves from these negative things and negative persons, we shall be vessels unto honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared unto every good work. “Unto honor” is a matter of nature, “sanctified” is a matter of position, “useful” is a matter of practice, and “prepared” is a matter of training. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1189)

Todays Reading

The things to which Paul refers [in 2 Timothy 2:2] are the healthy words in 1:13. The healthy words, after being committed to faithful men, become the good deposit in them (v. 14). This word indicates that if someone in a local church has a deposit of the Lord’s healthy words, he should train the faithful ones, the trustworthy ones, that they too may have a good deposit from the Lord and be competent to teach others.

Paul realized that Timothy had received a good deposit, that he had been taught and nourished with the riches of grace. Therefore, he charged Timothy to commit these things to others who would be faithful and competent to carry on the same ministry. This indicates that more than one person is needed to carry on the riches of God’s New Testament economy. My hope is that through all these Life-study messages thousands of saints in the Lord’s recovery will receive a good deposit of the riches of grace concerning God’s New Testament economy. Then those who have received these riches will be able to commit these things to others. Imagine what the situation would be if the Lord had ten thousand saints filled with His good deposit, spreading the riches of His economy throughout the earth. No doubt, this would hasten the time of His glorious appearing.

In 2:3 Paul continues, “Suffer evil with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” The apostle considered their ministry a warfare for Christ, just as the priestly service was considered a military service, a warfare, in Numbers 4:23, 30, 35 (lit.). Whenever we minister Christ to others, we find ourselves in a battle. Hence, we should not only be teachers committing the deposit to others, but we should also be soldiers fighting for God’s interests. In 2 Timothy 2:5 Paul likens Timothy to an athlete contending in the games: “And also if anyone contends in the games, he is not crowned unless he contends lawfully.”

Verse 6 continues, “The laboring farmer must be the first to partake of the fruit.” Here Paul likens Timothy to a farmer. Just as a soldier must win the victory and an athlete must receive the crown, so a farmer must partake of the fruit, the food. This requires patience. As athletes, we should be quick, but as farmers, we need to be patient…With both crops and livestock, farmers must learn to have patience.

In verse 15…Paul indicates that the inoculator is to be a workman. As a carpenter, this workman must cut straight the word of the truth. This means to unfold the word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without distortion. Just as a carpenter has the skill to cut wood in a straight way, so the Lord’s workman needs the skill to cut straight the word of the truth. This is necessary because in the decline of the church so many truths are twisted and presented in a warped, biased form. (Life-study of 2 Timothy, pp. 22-24, 26)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1980, vol. 1, “Perfecting Training,” ch. 22; CWWN, vol. 37, “General Messages,” ch. 22

留言

這個網誌中的熱門文章

晨興聖言-話語的職事...(W1-綱要)

晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W43-綱要)

晨興聖言-信徒(一)-(W01-綱要)