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| 生命的事奉(二): 職事Vs執事 |
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生命的事奉(二): 職事Vs執事
林後三6 他使我們夠資格作新約的執事,這些執事不是屬於字句,乃是屬於靈,
因為那字句殺死人,那靈卻叫人活。
四1 因此,我們既照所蒙的憐憫,受了這職事,就不喪膽。
12 這樣,死是在我們身上發動,生命卻在你們身上發動。
論到職事,倪弟兄說,基督必須編織到我們裡面。這意思是說,基督必須構成到我
們裡面。職事是在於構成。我們必須以基督所是、所完成、所達到並所得着的為構
成。基督已經得着了寶座、榮耀以及至高的權能。
基督也有所達到的,他所達到的乃是他所完成、所成就之事的結果。
新約只有一個職事。保羅和彼得都有分於這職事,所有的使徒也都有分於新約中的
這職事。這獨一的職事就是新約的職事。這樣的職事不是由禱告和禁食得來的;那
樣得來的是恩賜,不是職事。
職事是由包羅萬有、賜生命之靈的構成所產生出來的結果。基督連同他所是、所有,
以及所得着、所達到的一切,必須構成到神所揀選、所救贖之人的每一部分裡面。
這是得着職事惟一的路。
我們不僅是要傳福音或教導人聖經。更是要實行這新約的職事,幫助那些誠心尋求
主並顧念他心頭願望的人,能有分於這職事。這就是保羅在哥林多後書所論到的職
事,特別是在三章,他多次用到職事這辭。
保羅將這職事和舊約的職事相比較,新約的職事遠勝於舊約的職事。新約的職事不
僅是生命的事,更是在生命里並出於生命的構成。因此,這職事需要時間來長大成
熟。
使徒那為着新約的職事,不是屬於死的字句,如摩西那為着舊約的職事,乃是屬於
賜人生命的活靈。…保羅在三章六節告訴我們,那字句殺死人,那靈卻叫人活。殺
死人的字句,就是律法的字句,只向人要求,卻不供應人生命(加三21);因着人
不能滿足它的要求,它就殺死人(羅七9~11)。
那靈,就是經過過程,成了賜生命之靈的三一神終極的表現,將神的生命,就是神
自己,分賜到信徒和使徒裡面,使他們成為新約(生命之約)的執事。因此,他們
的職事乃是憑着賜生命的靈,用那是生命的三一神構成的。
保羅在這裡說那靈的職事,而不說生命的職事,其原因乃是那靈就是生命的源頭、
元素和範圍。沒有那靈,就沒有生命的源頭,也沒有生命的元素和範圍。因此,在
這裡說生命的職事遠不如說那靈的職事。保羅選擇了最好的說法,不是拿死與生命
作比較,而是拿死與那靈作比較。
保羅在林後三章九節繼續說,『若定罪的職事有榮光,那稱義的職事,就越發充盈
着榮光了。』舊約的職事成了屬死的職事,因為舊約帶進定罪,叫人死(羅五13、
18、20~21)。死又導致定罪。
因此,舊約的職事也是定罪的職事。新約的職事乃是賜人生命之靈的職事(林後三
8、6),因為新約帶進神的義,叫人得生命(羅五17、21),並且這生命又帶進義。
因此,新約的職事也是義的職事,就是稱義的職事。
參讀:哥林多後書生命讀經,第五至七篇。
English Version
2 Cor. 3:6 "Who has also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant,
ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but
the Spirit gives life."
4:1 "Therefore having this ministry as we have been shown mercy, we do not
lose heart."
12 "So then death operates in us, but life in you."
In speaking concerning the ministry, Brother Nee said that Christ must
be woven into our being. This means that Christ must be constituted into
us. The ministry is a matter of constitution. We need to be constituted
with what Christ is, with what He has done, with what He has attained, and
with what He has obtained. Christ has obtained the throne, the glory, and
the highest power. Christ also has certain attainments. His attainments
are the result of what He has accomplished and achieved.
The New Testament has just one ministry. Both Paul and Peter had a part
of this ministry. All the apostles shared in the one ministry in the New
Testament. This unique ministry is the ministry of the new covenant. Such
a ministry is not gained by prayer and fasting. Anything received in that
way would be a gift, not a ministry. The ministry is brought forth as a
result of being constituted of the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit. Christ,
with all that He is, has, and has obtained and attained, must be constituted
into the fiber, into the very being, of God’s chosen and redeemed people.
This is the only way to have a ministry.
My burden is not simply to preach the gospel or teach the Bible. [It] is
to carry out this New Testament ministry and to help those who sincerely
seek the Lord and care for the desire of His heart to have a share in this
ministry. This is the ministry Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians, especially
in 2 Corinthians 3, where the word ministry is used a number of times. Paul
compared this ministry to that of the old covenant. The ministry of the
new covenant is far superior to that of the old covenant. The new covenant
ministry is not only a matter of life; it is a constitution in life and
of life. Therefore, this ministry takes time to grow and mature.
The apostolic ministry for the New Testament is not of dead letters
like the Mosaic ministry for the Old Testament, but of the living Spirit,
who gives life. In 2 Corinthians 3:6 Paul tells us that the letter kills,
but the Spirit gives life. The letter which kills is the letter of the law,
which only requires of man but is unable to supply man with life (Gal. 3:21).
Due to man's inability to fulfill its requirements, it kills man (Rom. 7:9-11)
. The Spirit, who is the ultimate expression of the processed Triune God,
imparts the divine life, even God Himself, into the apostles and all other
believers, making them ministers of a new covenant, the covenant of life.
Hence, their ministry is one constituted of the Triune God of life by His
life-giving Spirit.
The reason Paul speaks of the ministry of the Spirit here and not of
the ministry of life is that the Spirit is the source, the element, and
the sphere of life. Without the Spirit, there is no source of life. Neither
is there the element or sphere of life. Therefore, to speak here of the
ministry of life would be to say much less than to speak of the ministry
of the Spirit. Paul chose the best expression and instead of comparing death
with life, he compared death with the Spirit.
In 2 Corinthians 3:9 Paul goes on to say, "For if there is glory with
the ministry of condemnation, much more the ministry of righteousness abounds
with glory." The ministry of the old covenant became one of death because
the old covenant brought in condemnation unto death (Rom. 5:13, 18, 20-21)
and death unto condemnation. Hence, it was also the ministry of condemnation.
The ministry of the new covenant is one of the Spirit that gives life (2
Cor. 3:8, 6) because the new covenant brings in God's righteousness unto
life (Rom. 5:17, 21) and life that brings forth righteousness. Hence, it
is also the ministry of righteousness.
Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Corinthians, msgs. 5-7
- 未完待續
生命的事奉(三): 供應生命
生命的事奉(一):三十四要點及經文
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