保罗的完成职事(28): 教会的五方面小结

读经：提前三15 ～ 16，加六10、16

保罗的完成职事22至27, 实际上讲了教会的五个重要方面, 包括于36个点如下:

1 神的教会是活神的家─提前三15.
2 神的家就是神的家人─弗二19.
3 居所（家）和家庭（家人）乃是一体，也就是一班蒙召、重生并由神自己内住的
人─彼前一3，二5，林前三16。
4 神的家人是由神许多儿子，就是神长子基督的许多弟兄所组成─罗八29，来二10 
～12。
5 基督与他身体上的肢体不是分开的，乃是住在他们里面；照样，父不是在他家人
中分开的一员，乃是在他所有的儿女里面─罗八10，十二4 ～ 5，林后六16。
6 在说到教会是神的家时，保罗特别说到神是活神；因为神是活的，教会作神的家
也就在他里面、凭他并同他活著；活的神与活的教会，同活著、同行动、同工作─
提前三15，林前三16。

7 教会作神的家，乃是神的居所─是神能得著安息并寄托的所在─弗二22。
8 教会是活神的家，父的家，乃是扩大、宇宙、神人二性的合并─约十四2、20。
9 教会是支持真理的柱石，也是托住真理的根基─提前三15：
10 真理就是三一神，以基督为具体化身、中心和彰显，以产生教会作基督的身体、
神的家和神的国─西二 9，弗一22 ～ 23，四16，提前三15，约三3、5。
11 提前三章十五节的『真理』，是指照著神新约的经纶，在新约里所启示，关乎基
督与教会的真实事物─太十六16、18，弗五32。

12 教会有基督作实际；教会向全宇宙见证，基督是实际，并且惟有基督才是实际─
约一14、17，十四6。
13 教会?是支持真理的柱石，和托住柱石的根基，就为『基督是神的奥秘』与『教
会是基督的奥秘』之实际、真理作见证─西二2，弗三4。
14 教会是神显现於肉体─敬虔的奥秘─提前三15 ～ 16.
15 神的显现首先是在基督里，那是在肉体里个别的彰显─16 节，西二9，约一1、14。
16 神显现於教会─神的家和基督的身体─就是他在肉体里扩大的团体彰显─弗二19，
一22 ～ 23.

17 神显现於肉体，开始於基督，在教会中延续；教会是神显现於肉体的扩增、扩大
和繁殖─约十四9，提前三15 ～ 16。
18 基督从教会活出，成为神的显现；这是照著新约成为肉体的原则，神以一种更广
泛的方式显现於肉体─林 前七40，加二20。
19 敬虔的极大奥秘乃是神成为人，使人在生命和性情上，但不在神格上，成为神，
以产生一个团体的神人，使神显现於肉体─罗八3，一3 ～ 4，弗四24。

20 教会是信仰之家─加六10.
21 信徒是信仰之家（家庭）的一分子；神的家，永远的伯特利作为神心头的愿望，
乃是信仰之家─创二八11 ～ 12、16 ～ 19 上，加六10。
22 信有两种意义─客观的与主观的─提前一19，彼后一1.
23 在客观的意义上，信（信仰）指我们所相信的事物─徒十四22，林前十六13，犹
3、20，弗四13，提后四7。
24 在主观的意义上，信指信徒相信的行动─加二20，罗一17。
25 信徒的信实际上不是他们自己的信，乃是基督进到他们里面作他们的信─三22，
加二16。
26 信乃是信神是；信神是，就是信他是我们的一切，而我们一无所是─来十一6，
约八58，传一2。
27 我们信心的灵乃是将那看不见之神的一切，质实到我们里面的器官，我们必须运
用这器官，将他一切客 观的所是迁移到我们里面来，成为我们主观的经历─约四24，
来十一1、27，彼前一8，二7，林后四13。
28 我们所有的信在质的一面都是同样的，但这信的量有多少，乃在於我们有多少接
触活的神，使他得以在我们里面增长─罗十二3，徒六5，西二19。

29 教会是神的以色列─加六16.
30 使徒保罗认为在基督里许多单个的信徒，在团体一面乃是神的以色列─8、16 节.
31 神的以色列即真以色列人，包括在基督里所有外邦和犹太的信徒，他们是亚伯拉
罕的真子孙，是信仰之家的人─罗九6 下，二28 ～29，腓三3，加六15 ～ 16、10，
三7、29。
32 真以色列，属灵的以色列，乃是教会─六16，太十六18。
33 在神新约的经纶里，我们已成为神的儿子和神的以色列；我们的定命是作神的儿
子彰显神，并作君王在神的国里掌权─加三26，六16，启二一7，二二5 下，十二5 
上。
34 我们作为神的以色列，代表神，行使他的权柄，并在地上执行他的行政，以完成
他的定旨─创一26、28，路十19，启十二5、7 ～ 11。
35 神新约的经纶不但要使我们成为神的儿子，也要使我们成为神的以色列；我们需
要成为这样的以色列， 就是王子，在地上执行神的行政─弗一5，来二10，罗八14、
19，加三26，四6 ～ 7，六16，太六9 ～10。
36 教会作为神的以色列是要来新耶路撒冷的小影，新耶路撒冷将是神的以色列终极
的完成─启二一2。


2013 Memorial Day Conference
THE COMPLETING MINISTRY OF PAUL - Five Aspects of the Church

Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 3:15-16; Gal. 6:10, 16
I. The church of God is the house of the living God─1 Tim. 3:15.
A. The house of God is the household of God─Eph. 2:19.
1. The dwelling place─the house─and the family─thehousehold─are one 
entity─a group of  called, regenerated ones indwelt by God Himself─1 Pet. 
1:3; 2:5; 1 Cor. 3:16.
2. The household of God is composed of the many sons of God as the many 
brothers of Christ, the firstborn Son of God─Rom.8:29; Heb. 2:10-12.
3. Just as Christ is not separate from the members of His Body but dwells 
in them, the Father is not  a separate member of His household but is in 
all the children─Rom. 8:10; 12:4-5; 2 Cor.6:16.
4. In speaking of the church as the house of God, Paul refers to God as 
the living God; because God is living, the church as the house of God is 
also living in Him, by Him, and with Him; a living God  and a living church 
live, move, and work together─1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Cor. 3:16.

B. As the house of God, the church is the dwelling place of God─the place 
where God can have His   rest and put His trust─Eph. 2:22.
C. The church as the house of the living God─the Father’s house─is the 
enlarged, universal,  divine-human incorporation─John 14:2, 20.

II. The church is the supporting pillar and the holding base of the truth─
1 Tim. 3:15.
A. The truth is the Triune God, having Christ as the embodiment,center, 
and expression, to   produce the church as the Body of Christ, the house 
of God, and the kingdom of God─Col. 2:9;  Eph. 1:22-23;4:16; 1 Tim. 3:15; 
John 3:3, 5.

B. Truth in 1 Timothy 3:15 refers to the real things revealed in the New 
Testament concerning   Christ and the church according to God’s New Testament 
economy─Matt. 16:16, 18; Eph. 5:32.
C. The church bears Christ as the reality; the church testifies to the whole 
universe that Christ, and Christ alone, is the reality─John 1:14,17; 14:6.
D. As the pillar, which bears the truth, and the base, which upholds the 
pillar, the church testifies  the reality, the truth, of Christ as the mystery 
of God and the church as the mystery of  Christ─Col. 2:2;Eph. 3:4.

III. The church is the manifestation of God in the flesh─the mystery of 
godliness─1 Tim. 3:15-16.
A. God’s manifestation was first in Christ as an individual expression in 
the flesh─v. 16; Col. 2:9; John 1:1, 14.
B. God is manifested in the church─the house of God and the Body of Christ─
as the enlarged, corporate expression in the flesh─Eph. 2:19;1:22-23:
1. The manifestation of God in the flesh, which began with Christ, continues 
with the church, which is the increase, enlargement,and multiplication of the manifestation 
of God in the flesh─John14:9; 1 Tim. 3:15-16.
2. This is Christ lived out of the church as the manifestation of God─God 
manifested in the flesh in  a wider way according to the New Testament principle 
of incarnation─1 Cor. 7:40; Gal. 2:20.
C. The great mystery of godliness is that God has become man so that man 
may become God in life and nature but not in the Godhead to produce a corporate 
God-man for the manifestation of God in the flesh─Rom. 8:3; 1:3-4; Eph. 4:24.

IV. The church is the household of the faith─Gal. 6:10:
A. The believers are the members of the family, the household, of the faith; 
the house of God, the eternal Bethel as the desire of God’s heart, is the 
house of faith─Gen. 28:11-12, 16-19a; Gal. 6:10.
B. Faith bears two denotations─objective and subjective─1 Tim. 1:19; 2 
Pet. 1:1.
1. In the objective denotation, “the faith” refers to the things in which 
we believe─Acts 14:22; 1 Cor. 16:13; Jude 3, 20; Eph. 4:13;2 Tim. 4:7.
2. In the subjective denotation, “faith” refers to the believing action 
of the believers, the act of believing─Gal. 2:20; Rom. 1:17.
C. The faith of the believers is actually not their own faith but Christ 
entering into them to be their faith─3:22; Gal. 2:16.
D. Faith is to believe that God is; to believe that God is, is to believe 
that He is everything to us and that we are nothing─Heb. 11:6; John 8:58;Eccl.1:2.
E. Our spirit of faith is the organ we must exercise to substantiate everything 
of the unseen God, transferring all that He is objectively into us to become 
our subjective experience─John 4:24;Heb. 11:1,27; 1 Pet. 1:8; 2:7; 2 Cor. 4:13.
F. We all have the same faith in quality, but the quantity of faith we have 
depends upon how much we contact the living God so that we may have Him 
increased in us─Rom. 12:3; Acts 6:5; Col.      2:19.

V. The church is the Israel of God─Gal. 6:16:
A. The apostle Paul considers the many individual believers in Christ collectively 
as the Israel of   God─vv. 8, 16:
1. The Israel of God is the real Israel including all the Gentile and Jewish 
believers in Christ, who  are the true sons of Abraham and the household 
of the faith─Rom. 9:6b; 2:28-29; Phil. 3:3;    Gal. 6:15-16, 10; 3:7, 29.
2. The real Israel, the spiritual Israel, is the church─6:16; Matt.16:18.
3. In God’s New Testament economy we have been made both the sons of God 
and the Israel of God; our destiny is to be sons of God expressing God and 

also kings reigning in the kingdom of God─Gal. 3:26; 6:16; Rev. 21:7; 22:5b; 12:5a.
4. As the Israel of God, we represent God, exercise His authority,and carry 
out His administration  on earth for the fulfillment of His purpose─Gen. 
1:26, 28; Luke 10:19; Rev. 12:5, 7-11.
5. God’s New Testament economy is not only to make us sons of God but also 
to make us the Israel  of God; we need to be such an Israel, a prince, to 
execute God’s government on earth─Eph.1:5;Heb. 2:10; Rom. 8:14, 19; Gal. 
3:26; 4:6-7; 6:16; Matt. 6:9-10.
B. The church as the Israel of God is a miniature of the coming New Jerusalem,
 which will be the ultimate consummation of the Israel of God─Rev. 21:2.

- The End.

保罗的完成职事(29): 重生,魂变化,生命长大

保罗的完成职事(27): 活新造就是神的真以色列