生命的長大(一):growth of life
弗四13『直到我們眾人都…達到了長成的人，達到了基督豐滿之身材的度量。』
Eph. 4:13 "Until we all
arrive...at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ.
15~16『…我們就得以在一切事上長到他，就是元首基督裡面；本於他，全身借著每一豐富供應的節，並借著每一部分依其度量而有的功用，得以聯絡在一起，並結合在一起，便叫身體漸漸長大，以致在愛里把自己建造起來。』
15-16 ...We may grow up into Him in
all things, who is the Head, Christ, out from whom all the Body, being joined
together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and
through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the
Body unto the building up of itself in love."
感謝主，我們都有心為著他的恢復，至少我們多多少少也都為著主在地上的行動對他認真。然而，我有一個大問題：你們在生命里長大了多少？
Thank the Lord that we all have a heart for His recovery and that, at
least to some extent, we all mean business with the Lord for His move on this
earth. Yet, I have a big question: how much growth in life have you gained?
此外，我們中間許多人還沒有照著我們所該有的來盡功用。如果我們缺少在生命里長大，缺少合式的盡功用，主的恢復怎麼能往前？最終我們會回到基督教的光景里，重複基督教可悲的歷史。因此，這是一件很要緊的事！
Furthermore, many among us still do not function as we should. If we are
lacking the growth in life and lacking the proper functioning, how can the
Lord’s recovery go on? Eventually we will drift back into the situation of
Christianity. Then we will be a repetition of the sad history of Christianity.
So, this is a crucial matter! (Perfecting Training, p. 11)
在教會生活的實行里，該強調的首要之事就是生命。有時候別人要我們告訴他們，他們那個地方有什麼不對；我們絕不該說什麼。一個人如果死了，你告訴他在這件事或那件事上錯了，有什麼益處呢？就算他能領會，他也改不過來。
In the practice of the church life, the primary thing to be emphasized
is life. Sometimes we are asked by others to tell them what is wrong in their
place, but we should never do it. If a person is dead, what is the profit to
tell him that he is wrong in this matter or that matter? Even if he could
realize, he could not change.
在主恢復的教會生活里，某處也許有個真正的地方教會。但如果沒有生命的實行，教會就是死的。教會也許在各方面都是對的，卻是死的。太平間裡的屍體是真人，卻是已經死了的人。因此，在教會生活的實行里，主要的事乃是生命。
我們為著生命的事，永遠不會太過。其他的事也許會強調過度，但生命的事絕不會強調得過度。…對於生命來說，最重要的事就是長大。如果沒有長大，不是沒有生命，就是有什麼不對。我們需要在生命里長大。
In the Lord’s recovery of the church life in a certain place, there may
be a genuine local church. But without the practicality of life, it will be
dead. It may be right in every aspect, but it is dead. The dead body in the
mortuary was a real person, but it is now a dead person. Thus, the primary
thing in the practicality of the church life is life. We can never be too much
for the matter of life. Other things can be over-emphasized, but the matter of
life can never be over-emphasized....The most significant thing with life is
growth. If there is no growth, it means that either there is no life, or there
is something wrong. We need to grow in life.
如果在地方教會裡，眾聖徒中間有一些難處；解決難處最好的路，就是將他們的注意力轉向餵養的事，轉向生命長大的事。醫生知道，最好的藥物就是食物。一個人如果吃得合式且充足，從食物來的養分就會應付各種疾病和軟弱。
如果聖徒合式的吃主耶穌，在得餵養一段時間以後，一切死亡就都會被生命吞滅了。絕不要企圖運用你的手段來解決難處。在政治上也許可以那樣作，但在教會裡卻不然。人在教會裡越耍政治手腕，就越發死。他會先叫自己死，然後又叫別人死。我們要誠實、坦率、真摯，絕不玩弄政治。惟一有效的乃是生命的長大。我們要學習幫助人長大。
If there are some problems among the saints in a local church, the best
way to solve the problems is to turn their attention to the matter of feeding,
to the matter of growth in life. Medical doctors know that the best medicine is
food. If one eats properly and sufficiently, the nourishment from the food will
take care of all kinds of disease and weakness. If the saints feed on the Lord
Jesus properly, after a certain time all the deadness will be swallowed up by
life. Do not ever try to solve a problem by your maneuvering. In politics that might be fine
but not in the church. In the church, the more one plays politics the more he
will be deadened. He will first deaden himself and then deaden others. Be
honest. Be frank. Be sincere. And never play politics. The only thing that
works is the growth in life. Learn to help people grow.
我們〔該〕領悟…，今天在教會生活的實行上，生命乃是我們所必須關注最好、最主要，和首要的事。…主恢復的歷史顯示，在已過四、五百年間，幾乎所有的教訓都已經恢復了，恩賜也已經恢復到了極點，甚至走到極端。但生命的事從來沒有得著充分的恢復。
We realize that today the best thing, the primary thing, the first
thing,that we have to take care of in the practicality of the church life is
the matter of life. The history of the Lord’s recovery shows that in the past
four or five hundred years almost all the teachings have been recovered. Also,
the gifts have been recovered to the uttermost and even to the extreme.
However, the matter of life has never been adequately recovered. (The Speciality,
Generality, and Practicality of the Church Life, pp. 47-49, 45)
我們要對生命有進一步的認識，也必須知道什麼是生命的長進。有許多弟兄姊妹，向著主的心情不能說不熱切，所付上的代價也不能說不夠多，但因不認識真正的生命長進是什麼，就有許多錯誤的看法和追求，因而生命在他們裡面真正的長進就十分有限。
這是何等可惜的事！所以為著使我們能在生命的路上，有正確的認識，和正當的追求，…〔就需要〕專一的來看什麼是生命的長進（生命的認識，二○九頁）。
If we desire to have further knowledge of life, we must also know what
the growth of life is. There are many brothers and sisters whose hearts’ love
toward the Lord cannot be said to lack fervency, and the price they have paid
also cannot be considered insufficient, yet because they do not know what the
real growth of life is, they have many mistaken views and pursuits; thus, the
real growth of life in them is quite limited. How unfortunate this is!
Therefore, in order that we may have accurate knowledge and proper pursuit in
the path of life, we shall spend a little time to see what the growth of life
is. (The Knowledge of Life, p. 175)
- 未完待續
