弗四 24『并且穿上了新人,这新人是照著神,在那实际的义和圣中所创造的。』
启二二 5『不再有黑夜,他们也不需要灯光日光,因为主神要光照他们;他们要作王,直到永永远远。』
创世记一章神创造人,这是一幅图画,描绘出在神新造里的新人。这就是说,旧造是新造的表号、豫表。在神的旧造里中心人物是人,在神的新造里也是如此。所以,在旧造和新造中,人都是中心。
神创造人是按著他自己的形像(26),并给人他的管治权。形像是为著彰显。神要人作他的彰显。然而,管治权不是彰显的事,而是代表的事。神要人在他的权柄上代表他,为他管理。在旧造中,人被造有神的形像以彰显他,并有他的管治权以代表他。
形像说到神积极的目的,管治权说到神消极的目的。神积极的目的是要人彰显他,神消极的目的是要人对付神的仇敌撒但,魔鬼(新约总论第七册,二九五页)。
在旧造里所给人的管治权仅限於地上,就是说在旧造中对付神的仇敌只局限於地上。然而,在神的新造中,管治权扩大到全宇宙。
最后,召会这新人乃是在神的目的中所要得著的人。神要得著一个人,在旧造中他所创造的,乃是一个表号,豫表,而不是真正的人。真正的人乃是基督藉他包罗万有的死,在十字架上所创造的人,这人称为新人。
『新人』这辞使我们想到旧人。旧人没有完成神的二重定旨;然而,在神新造里的新人,的确完成了彰显神并对付神仇敌的二重定旨(新约总论第七册,二九六页)。
按照创世记一章,神按著他自己的形像造人,并且将他的权柄赐给人,为使人管理一切受造之物。…人有神的形像,为要彰显神,人也得著神的权柄,为要代表神。我们必须有神的权柄,才能代表神并征服他的仇敌。
为了要有神完全的形像,好彰显神,并为了要实现神完全的权柄,好代表神,征服他的仇敌,我们必须得著神作我们的生命。因此,在创世记头二章,不仅有形像和权柄,也有生命树所表徵的生命。我们需要接受神的神圣生命,有两个理由:积极一面,为使我们能彰显神;消极一面,为使我们能代表神,以征服他的仇敌。神的权柄乃是国度的事。整本圣经从头到尾,有一条权柄的线,与国度有关(国度,一至二页)。
在永世里全新耶路撒冷都要彰显神。此外,在永世里,新耶路撒冷所有得救的人,要与神一同作王掌权(启二二 5),这是管治以代表神。
我们在蒙召得救时,虽然并不关心神的管治和形像,但在神的呼召和说话中,我们深处领会,这些事乃是含示在内。我们在得救后,就知道需要在神的治理下。这就是国度,就是管治。并且,在我们里面深处有个感觉,我们在得救后必须荣耀神。这就是形像以彰显神。…赞美主,在神的恢复里,他已经把我们恢复到他原初的目的,把我们带回到起初(创世记生命读经,六五四页)。
参读:国度,第七章;一个新人,第一至二章;新约总论,第二百一十六至二百一十八篇。
Eph. 4:24 "And put on the new
man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the
reality."
Rev. 22:5 "And night will be no
more; and they have no need of the light of a lamp and of the light of the sun,
for the Lord God will shine upon them; and they will reign forever
and ever."
God's creation of man in Genesis 1 is a picture of the new man in God's
new creation. This means that the old creation is a figure, a type, of the new
creation. In God's old creation the central character is man. It is the same in
God's new creation. Therefore, in both the old creation and the new creation
man is the center.
God created man in His own image (Gen. 1:26) and then gave man His
dominion. Image is for
expression. God wants man to be His
expression. Dominion, however, is a matter not of expression but of
representation. God wants man to represent Him in His authority for His
dominion.
The image refers to God's positive intention, and dominion to God's
negative intention. God's positive intention is that man would express Him,
whereas God's negative intention is that man would deal with God's enemy,
Satan, the devil. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2302)
In the old creation the dominion given to man was limited to the earth.
This means that in the old creation the dealing with God's enemy was restricted
to the earth. However, in God's new creation the dominion has been enlarged to
the entire universe.
Eventually, the church as the new man is the man in God's intention. God
wanted a man, and in the old creation He created a figure, a type, not the real
man. The real man is the man Christ created on the cross through His
all-inclusive death. This man is called the new man.
The term the new man reminds us of the old man. The old man did not
fulfill God's dual purpose. However, the new man in God's new creation does
fulfill the twofold purpose of expressing God and dealing with God's enemy.
(The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2303)
According to Genesis 1, God created man in His own image and gave man
His authority to rule over all the created things....Man is in the image of God
in order to express God, and he has received God's authority in order to
represent God. We need God's authority to represent God and to subdue His
enemy.
In order to have the full image of God to express God and to realize the
full authority of God to represent God in subduing His enemy, we must have God
as life to us. Therefore, in the first two chapters of Genesis, there is not
only image and authority but also life, signified by the tree of life. We need
to take in the divine life of God for two reasons: positively, so that we can
express God; negatively, so that we can represent God to subdue His enemy. The
authority of God is a matter of the kingdom. Throughout the entire Scriptures
there is a line of authority related to the kingdom. (CWWL, 1972, vol. 2, “The
Kingdom,” p. 3)
In eternity the whole New Jerusalem will express God. Furthermore, in
eternity all the saved ones in the New Jerusalem will reign as kings with God
(Rev. 22:5). This will be the dominion to represent God.
Although we did not care about God's dominion and image at the time we
were called and saved, deep within, in God's calling and speaking, we realized
that these matters were implied. After being saved, we had the realization that
we needed to be under God's ruling. This is the kingdom, the dominion. Also,
deep within us, we had the sensation that, after being saved, we had to glorify
God. This is the matter of image to express God....Praise the Lord that in
God's recovery He has recovered us to His original purpose, and He has brought
us back to the beginning. (Life-study of Genesis, p. 537)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1972, vol. 2, pp. 57-63; The One New Man, chs.
1-2; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 216-218
- 未完待续
创世记结晶读经(34):生命水的河