创世记结晶读经(十二): 基督创造的主观性与客观性
西一15『爱子是那不能看见之神的像，是一切受造之物的首生者。』
西一18『他也是召会身体的头；他是元始，是从死人中复活的首生者，使他可以在万有中居首位。』
基督主观地创造。基督不是仅仅作为客观的创造者，客观的创造宇宙。我们可以说，他不是站在一旁，称一切为有。相反的，创造的过程是在他里面，就是在他人位的能力里进行的。基督是宇宙中独一的能力。他的人位就是这个能力。
所以，创造是在他里面进行的。这意思是说，他不仅仅是客观的创造者，也是创造借以依次完成的主观凭借。
因这缘故，创造带有基督内在能力的特徵。圣经不是说基督创造了宇宙，乃是说万物是借着他成的，或说万有都是在他里面造的〕。『由他』这辞是客观的，但『借着他』和『在他里面』这些辞是主观的。
钦定英文译本歌罗西一章十六节说，万有都是为着他造的。『为着他』也可译作『归於他』。『为着他』是客观的，而『归於他』是主观的。万有都是在基督里面，借着基督而造的，最终还要归於基督。
这些说法都指明基督与创造有主观的关联。受造之物不仅是为着他，也是归於他。
这意思是说，受造之物归结在他里面。保罗使用『在…里面』、『借着』并『为着（归於）』这三个介系词，都指明基督与创造有主观的关联。创造是在基督人位的能力里，以他为主动的凭借而发生的，并且还要归於他，作受造之物的归结。
这种关系全然是主观的。因着基督与创造有主观的关联，他便在创造里彰显神。创造彰显了基督的特徵；而基督是那不能看见之神的像。
按新约看，『维系』一辞包括或含示三件事：存在、存活并同活。万有不仅存在基督里面，也存活或继续存在他里面。不仅如此，万有也一同存活或一同存在他里面。整个宇宙是在基督里面得以维系，一同存在。
他是万有得以维系的中心。万有不仅存在他里面；万有也存活在他里面，并且集体的同活在他里面。
保罗在歌罗西一章十五节继续说，基督是一切受造之物的首生者。这意思是说，在创造里，基督是首先的。基督是神，他是创造者；然而，基督是人，有分於受造的血肉之体（来二14 上），所以他是受造之物的一部分。
一切受造之物的首生者，是指基督在一切受造之物中居首位，因为从歌罗西一章十五节到十八节，使徒着重基督在万有中的首位。十五节启示基督不仅是创造者，也是一切受造之物的首生者，在一切受造之物中居首位。
有些人不明白，既然基督是在不到二千年前出生，而不是在创造开始时出生，他怎能成为一切受造之物的首生者。我们若要正确的领会这事，就必须知道，在神没有时间的元素。
所以，根据神在永远里的眼光，基督在已过的永远里就出生了。这就是为甚么按着神的观点，基督始终是一切受造之物的首生者。神豫知基督要生在伯利恒马槽里的日子。
因为基督在受造之物中居首位，我们就能说，作为包罗万有者，他是创造者，也是受造之物的一部分。
参读：歌罗西书生命读经，第八、十篇。
Col. 1:15 "Who is the image of
the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation."
18 "And He is the Head of the
Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He
Himself might have the first place in all things."
Christ is related to creation in a subjective way. Christ did not create
the universe merely in an objective way as an objective Creator. He did not, so
to speak, stand apart and call everything into being.
On the contrary, the process of
creation took place in Him, that is, in the power of His person. Christ is the
unique power in the universe. His very person is this power. Therefore,
creation was processed in Him. This means that He was not simply an objective
Creator, but also the subjective instrument through which creation was processed.
For this reason, creation bears the characteristics of Christ's intrinsic
power. Instead of saying that Christ created the universe, the Bible says that
all things came into being through Him or were created in Him. The words by Him
are objective, whereas the words through Him and in Him are subjective.
(Life-study of Colossians, p. 81)
The King James Version of Colossians 1:16 says that all things have been
created for Him. It is better to render the Greek “unto Him.” For Him is
objective, but unto Him is subjective. All things have been created in Christ,
through Christ, and, ultimately, unto Christ. These expressions indicate that
Christ has a subjective relationship to creation. Creation is not simply for
Him; it is also unto Him. This means that
it consummates in Him. The three
prepositions in, through, and unto were used by Paul to point out the
subjective relationship of Christ to creation. Creation took place in the power
of Christ's person, through Him as the active instrument, and unto Him as its
consummation. Such a relationship is altogether subjective. Because of His
subjective relationship to creation, Christ expresses God in creation. Creation
expresses the characteristics of Christ who is the image of the invisible God.
(Life-study of Colossians, pp.81-82)
According to the New Testament, the word subsist includes, or implies,
three things: to exist, to live, and to live together. All things not only
exist in Christ but also live, or continue in existence, in Him.
Furthermore, all things live together,
or exist together, in Him. The entire universe subsists, exists together, in
Christ. He is the center in which all things subsist. All things not only exist
in Him; all things also live in Him and live together corporately in Him. (The
Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 279)
In Colossians 1:15 Paul goes on to say that Christ is the Firstborn of
all creation. This means that in creation Christ is the first. Christ as God is
the Creator. However, as man, sharing the created blood and flesh (Heb. 2:14),
He is part of the creation. “Firstborn of all creation” [Col. 1:15] refers to
Christ's
preeminence in all creation, since
from this verse through verse 18 the apostle stresses the first place of Christ
in all things. This verse reveals that Christ is not only the Creator, but also
the first among all created things, the first among all creatures.
Some may wonder how Christ could be the Firstborn of all creation since
He was born less than two thousand years ago, not at the very beginning of
creation. If we would understand this properly, we need to realize that with
God there is no time element.
Therefore, according to God's perspective in eternity, Christ was born
in eternity past. This is the reason that, according to God's viewpoint, Christ
has always been the first of all creatures. God foresaw the day that Christ
would be born in a manger in Bethlehem. Because Christ is the first among the
creatures, we can say that as the all-inclusive One He is both the Creator and part
of creation. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 66-68)
Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 8, 10
- 未完待续
创世记结晶读经(十三): 六日谈神创造
创世记结晶读经(十一):基督也是万有的维系者
创世记结晶读经(二十三):神创造的头一个人亚当是一个团体人
