保羅的完成職事(二):完成神啟示的話

歌羅西一章25節,說"我照神為你們所賜我的管家職分，作了教會的執事，要完成神
的話";　歌羅西二2  『要叫他們的心得安慰，在愛里結合一起，以致豐豐富富的在
悟性上有充分的確信，能以完全認識  神的奧秘，就是基督。』

在歌羅西一章二十五節，保羅論到基督的身體，就是教會，說，『我照神為你們所
賜我的管家職分，作了教會的執事，要完成神的話。』保羅在這裡說，他是管家，
成了教會的執事。

在二十五節，保羅也說到完成神的話。神的話就是神的啟示，在新約以前並未完成。
在新約時，使徒們，特別是使徒保羅，在神的奧秘（基督），以及基督的奧秘（教
會）這兩點上，完成了神的話，將神的經綸完滿的啟示給我們。

根據歌羅西一章二十六節，神的話就是『歷世歷代以來所隱藏的奧秘，但如今向他
的聖徒顯明了』。這隱藏的奧秘是關乎基督與教會（弗五32），就是頭與身體。使
徒保羅揭開這奧秘，乃是完成神的話這神聖啟示的主要部分。

在保羅的時代以前，神的啟示還沒有完成。保羅出來盡職以前，神的啟示已經記在
舊約里。此外，借着福音書和部分使徒行傳所記載的事情，神將他自己啟示出來。

然而，還需要保羅寫許多書信，論到基督是神的奧秘，以及教會是基督的奧秘，為
要完成神聖的啟示。這神聖啟示的完成特別可見於他的四封書信：加拉太書、以弗
所書、腓立比書、歌羅西書。

歷世歷代以來所隱藏的奧秘，乃是如今必須借着聖徒的傳揚來完成之神的話。這隱
藏的奧秘，已經向神的聖徒顯明了，就是『基督在你們裡面成了榮耀的盼望』。

多年來我們聽人傳福音，但難得聽見說，人相信耶穌基督的時候，基督不僅拯救他，
並且要進到他的靈里，還要留在那裡作他的生命。今天的基督教，多半不是這樣傳
揚。因此，我們需要完成神的話。

請注意二十五節的結束不是句點，乃是撇點。保羅在二十六節繼續說，『就是歷世
歷代以來所隱藏的奧秘，但如今向他的聖徒顯明了。』

照這句原文的文法，二十六節的『奧秘』與二十五節『神的話』是同位語，表明神
的話就是那歷世歷代以來所隱藏的奧秘，但如今向聖徒顯明了。

歷世，意從永遠以來；歷代，意從各時代以來。關於基督與教會的奧秘，是從永遠，
從各時代以來一直隱藏着，直到新約時代才顯明給聖徒，包括我們眾人，就是在基
督里的信徒。

在二十五節，保羅清楚說到，他從神領受了使命，要完成神啟示的話，特別是關於
神經綸中的奧秘。這奧秘是論到基督和他的身體，其主要的點乃是基督在他身體裡
作榮耀的盼望（26~27）。

如今惟一能得着發展的，就是我們的盼望。這啟示已經完成了，沒有甚麼可再發展
了；今天我們已有了一切。

參讀：歌羅西書生命讀經，第十一篇；約伯記生命讀經，第三十一篇。



English Version:
                                                    
Col. 1:25 "Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of 
God, which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God."
Col. 2:2 "That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in 
love and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge 
of the mystery of God, Christ."

    Speaking of the Body of Christ, the church, Paul says in Colossians 
1:25,"Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, 
which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God." Here Paul says 
that,as a steward, he became a minister of the church.

    In 1:25 Paul also speaks of completing the word of God. The word of 
God is the divine revelation, which was not completed until the New Testament 
was written. In the New Testament the apostles, especially the apostle Paul, 
completed the word of God in the mystery of God, which is Christ, and in 
the mystery of Christ, which is the church, to give us a full revelation of 
God's economy. According to 1:26, the word of God is the "mystery which 
has been hidden from the ages and from the generations but now has been 
manifested to His saints." This hidden mystery is related to Christ and 
the church, the Head and the Body. The unveiling of this mystery through 
the apostle Paul is a major part of the completion of the word of God as 
the divine revelation. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 93-94)
                                                
    Prior to the time of Paul, the divine revelation had not been completed.Before 
Paul came forth to minister, God's revelation had already been given in 
the Old Testament. Furthermore, God had revealed Himself through the events 
recorded in the Gospels and in part of the Acts. However, it was necessary 
for Paul to write a number of Epistles concerning Christ as the mystery 
of God and concerning the church as the mystery of Christ in order for the 
divine revelation to be complete. This completion of the divine revelation 
is seen especially in four of his Epistles: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
 and Colossians.

    The mystery concealed from ages and generations is the word of God that 
must now be completed through the preaching of the saints. This concealed 
mystery, which has been made manifest to God's saints, is "Christ in you, 
the hope of glory" (v. 27). Although I have heard the preaching of the gospel 
for years, I have rarely heard a message saying that when someone believes in 
Jesus Christ, Christ will not only save him, but also come into his spirit 
and remain there as his life. Most of the preaching in today's Christianity 
is not like this. Thus, there is the need for the completion of the word 
of God.

    Notice that verse 25 does not end with a period, but with a comma. Then 
in verse 26 Paul continues, "The mystery which has been hidden from the 
ages and from the generations but now has been manifested to His saints." 
According to grammar, the mystery in verse 26 is in apposition to the word 
of God in verse 25. This means that the word of God is the very mystery which 
has been hidden from the ages and generations, but is now made manifest 
to the saints. The ages here denote eternity, whereas the generations denote 
the times. The mystery concerning Christ and the church had been hidden 
from eternity and from all times until the New Testament age, when it was 
manifested to the saints, the believers in Christ. (Life-study of Colossians,
pp. 94-95, 114)

    In Colossians 1:25 Paul made it clear that he received a commission 
from God to complete God's word of revelation, especially regarding the 
mystery in God's economy. This mystery concerns both Christ and His Body, 
with the main point being that Christ is within His Body as the hope of 
glory (vv. 26-27). Now, the only thing that can be developed is our hope. 
The revelation has been completed and will have no more development. Today 
we have everything. (Life-study of Job, p. 165)

    Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msg. 11; Life-study of Job, 
msg.31


- 未完待續

保羅的完成職事(三):主觀地經歷基督

保羅的完成職事(一):看見異象