生命的长大(一):growth of life
弗四13『直到我们众人都…达到了长成的人，达到了基督丰满之身材的度量。』
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『…我们就得以在一切事上长到他，就是元首基督里面；本於他，全身借著每一丰富供应的节，并借著每一部分依其度量而有的功用，得以联络在一起，并结合在一起，便叫身体渐渐长大，以致在爱里把自己建造起来。』
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."
感谢主，我们都有心为著他的恢复，至少我们多多少少也都为著主在地上的行动对他认真。然而，我有一个大问题：你们在生命里长大了多少？
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，我们中间许多人还没有照著我们所该有的来尽功用。如果我们缺少在生命里长大，缺少合式的尽功用，主的恢复怎么能往前？最终我们会回到基督教的光景里，重复基督教可悲的历史。因此，这是一件很要紧的事！
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)
在教会生活的实行里，该强调的首要之事就是生命。有时候别人要我们告诉他们，他们那个地方有什么不对；我们绝不该说什么。一个人如果死了，你告诉他在这件事或那件事上错了，有什么益处呢？就算他能领会，他也改不过来。
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.
在主恢复的教会生活里，某处也许有个真正的地方教会。但如果没有生命的实行，教会就是死的。教会也许在各方面都是对的，却是死的。太平间里的尸体是真人，却是已经死了的人。因此，在教会生活的实行里，主要的事乃是生命。
我们为著生命的事，永远不会太过。其他的事也许会强调过度，但生命的事绝不会强调得过度。…对於生命来说，最重要的事就是长大。如果没有长大，不是没有生命，就是有什么不对。我们需要在生命里长大。
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.
如果在地方教会里，众圣徒中间有一些难处；解决难处最好的路，就是将他们的注意力转向喂养的事，转向生命长大的事。医生知道，最好的药物就是食物。一个人如果吃得合式且充足，从食物来的养分就会应付各种疾病和软弱。
如果圣徒合式的吃主耶稣，在得喂养一段时间以后，一切死亡就都会被生命吞灭了。绝不要企图运用你的手段来解决难处。在政治上也许可以那样作，但在教会里却不然。人在教会里越耍政治手腕，就越发死。他会先叫自己死，然后又叫别人死。我们要诚实、坦率、真挚，绝不玩弄政治。惟一有效的乃是生命的长大。我们要学习帮助人长大。
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.
我们〔该〕领悟…，今天在教会生活的实行上，生命乃是我们所必须关注最好、最主要，和首要的事。…主恢复的历史显示，在已过四、五百年间，几乎所有的教训都已经恢复了，恩赐也已经恢复到了极点，甚至走到极端。但生命的事从来没有得著充分的恢复。
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)
我们要对生命有进一步的认识，也必须知道什么是生命的长进。有许多弟兄姊妹，向著主的心情不能说不热切，所付上的代价也不能说不够多，但因不认识真正的生命长进是什么，就有许多错误的看法和追求，因而生命在他们里面真正的长进就十分有限。
这是何等可惜的事！所以为著使我们能在生命的路上，有正确的认识，和正当的追求，…〔就需要〕专一的来看什么是生命的长进（生命的认识，二○九页）。
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)
- 未完待续
生命的长大(二)
