生命的事奉(四): 祈求生命给犯了不至於死的罪的弟兄

约壹五14~16 我们若照他的旨意求甚么，他就听我们；这是我们向著他所存坦然无
惧的心。我们若知道他听我们一切所求的，就知道我们所求於他的无不得著。

人若看见他的弟兄犯了不至於死的罪，就当为他祈求，将生命赐给他，就是给那些
犯了不至於死之罪的…。

约壹五章十五节的这个知道乃是基於我们得著神圣的生命以后，我们住在主里面，
以及在他名里向神祷告中与他是一的事实。基於我们已藉著神圣的出生得著神圣的
生命这事实，我们可以住在主里面，并在祷告中与他是一。

因为我们在祷告中与主是一，所以我们是在他的名里祷告。藉此我们知道他听我们
一切所求的。我们不是在自己里面，照著自己的心思求，乃是在主里面，照著神的
旨意求。所以，我们知道我们所求於他的无不得著。

约翰在约壹五章十六节来到这一段话的要点：『人若看见他的弟兄犯了不至於死的
罪，就当为他祈求，将生命赐给他，就是给那些犯了不至於死之罪的。有至於死的
罪，我不说当为那罪祈求。』这节的『至於死』，直译是『向著死』。

约翰在这里是说，人若看见他的弟兄，就是在主里和他亲近的人，犯了不至於死的
罪，就当为那人祈求。这里的『祈求』，必是指我们住在与神交通里而有的祷告。

『当…祈求』的主词，无疑地是指那看见弟兄犯了不至於死之罪的人。但『将生命
赐给他』，这里的主词是指谁？有些英文译本在这里用了大写的代名词，因而把这
句的主词说成是主。实际上，二句的主词都是指同一个人，就是那看见弟兄犯罪并
为弟兄祈求的人。

『将生命赐给他』这句话的主词还是上文的『人』，这人也是『祈求』的主词。这
指明祈求的人将生命赐给他所代求的人。这不是说，祈求的人本身有生命，能凭自
己将生命赐给别人。

这是说，这样一个住在主里面，与主是一，并在与主是一的灵里（林前六17）祈求
的祈求者，成了神赐生命之灵能将生命赐给他所代求之人的凭藉。这是一件在神圣
生命的交通里，分赐生命的事。

我们要成为能将生命分赐给别人的人，就必须住在神圣的生命里，并在神圣的生命
里行事、生活、为人。雅各书五章十四至十六节的祷告是为著医治，约壹五章十六
节的祷告是为著分赐生命。

这里要紧的点是，我们若要照著十六节所描述的为弟兄祷告，就需要与主是一。我
们必须住在主里面，与他在一灵里来祈求。因为我们这样与主是一，我们就能成为
神赐生命之灵能将生命分赐给我们所代求之人的凭藉、管道。

这生命的分赐是在神圣生命的交通里进行的。

我们里面永远的生命是真实而实际的。我们能成为管道，让永远的生命从我们或藉
我们流到别人里面。然而，成为管道让永远的生命流出给人的经历是很深的。

我们若要成为永远的生命流出给人的管道，就必须在主里是深的，也必须因著在主
的心里而认识主的心。我们若进到主里面到这样的程度，自然就会明白主对这位与
我们亲近、犯了罪的弟兄的旨意如何。

因为我们知道主对这位弟兄的光景旨意如何，我们就知道怎样为他祷告。
参读：约翰一书生命读经，第三十六至三十八篇。

English Version
1 John 5:14-16 "And this is the boldness which we have toward Him, that 
if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that 
He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which 
we have asked from Him. If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not unto 
death, he shall ask and he will give life to him, to those sinning not unto 
death..."

    [In 1 John 5:15] knowing is based upon the fact that after having received 
the divine life, we abide in the Lord and are one with Him in our prayer 
to God in His name (John 15:7, 16; 16:23-24). Based upon the fact that we 
have received the divine life through the divine birth, we may abide in 
the Lord and be one with Him in our prayer. Because we are one with the 
Lord in prayer, we pray in His name. By this we know that He hears us in 
whatever we ask. Our asking is not in ourselves according to our mind, but 
in the Lord according to God’s will. Therefore, we know that we have the 
requests which we have asked from Him. (Life-study of 1 John, p. 330)

In 1 John 5:16 John comes to his point in this section: “If anyone sees 
his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask and he will give 
life to him, to those sinning not unto death. There is sin unto death; I 
do not say that he should make request concerning that.” Literally, the 
Greek word rendered “unto” in this verse means toward. Here John is saying 
that if anyone sees his brother, someone close to him in the Lord, sinning 
a sin not unto death, he should ask concerning that one. The word “ask” 
here must refer to a prayer made when we are abiding in fellowship with God.

    No doubt, “he shall ask” refers to the one who sees his brother sinning 
a sin not unto death. But to whom does “he will give life” refer? There 
is a problem with the second “he” in this verse. Some translations capitalize 
the second “he” and thereby make it refer to the Lord. Actually, in both 
cases “he” refers to the same person, that is, to the one who sees his brother 
sinning and who asks concerning him.

    The subject of “will give life” is still he, the subject of the first 
predicate “shall ask.” This indicates that the asker will give life to the 
one asked for. This does not mean that the asker has life of himself and 
can give life by himself to others. It means such an asker, who is abiding 
in the Lord, who is one with the Lord, and who is asking in one spirit with 
the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17), becomes the means through which God’s life-giving 
Spirit can give life to the one he asks for. This is a matter of life-imparting 
in the fellowship of the divine life. To be one who can give life to others, 
we must abide in the divine life and walk, live, and have our being in the 
divine life. In James 5:14-16 the prayer is for healing; here the prayer 
is for life-imparting.

    The vital point here is that if we would pray for a brother according 
to what is described in 1 John 5:16, we need to be one with the Lord. We 
must abide in the Lord and ask in one spirit with Him. Because we are so 
one with the Lord, we can become the means, the channel, through which God’s 
life-giving Spirit can impart life to the one for whom we ask. This imparting 
of life takes place in the fellowship of the divine life.

    The eternal life within us is real and practical....We can be a channel 
for eternal life to flow out from us, or through us, to others. However, 
the experience of being a channel for eternal life to flow out to others 
is a deep matter....If we would be a channel for eternal life to flow out 
to others, we must be deep in the Lord, and we must know the Lord’s heart 
by being in His heart. If we have entered into the Lord to such a degree, 
spontaneously we shall know the Lord’s will concerning a brother close to 
us who has sinned. Because we know the Lord’s will concerning the brother’s 
situation, we shall know how to pray for him. (Life-study of 1 John, pp. 
330-331, 338)

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 John, msgs. 36-38


- 未完待续

生命的事奉(五):神的百姓作了两件恶事

生命的事奉(三): 供应生命