第五週■週二

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晨興餧養

提前三16『…大哉！敬虔的奧祕！這是眾所公認的，就是：祂顯現於肉體，被稱義於靈裏，被天使看見，被傳於萬邦，被信仰於世人中，被接去於榮耀裏。』

     六11『但你這屬神的人阿，要逃避這些事，竭力追求公義、敬虔、信、愛、忍耐、溫柔。』

『敬虔』（godliness）這名詞在提摩太前後書中使用了九次。（提前二2，三16，四7 ～ 8，六3，5 ～ 6，11，提後三5。）此外，『敬虔的』（godly）這形容詞出現了兩次，（提前二10—中文譯爲『敬神』，提後三12，）而『不敬虔』（ungodliness）這名詞用了一次。（二16。）…少有基督徒知道，『敬虔』這辭的正確定義是神顯現於肉體，或，神在肉體的顯現。…提前三章十五節說，召會是活神的家，真理的柱石和根基。十六節指明，召會是神顯現於肉體，或，神在肉體的顯現。有人可能認爲，說召會是神顯現於肉體是異端。大部分的聖經學者都不了解，十六節啓示：敬虔的奧祕就是神顯現於召會；他們認爲這節僅僅是指着基督說的。然而，因爲『被接去於榮耀裏』是十六節的最後一句，所以這必定不僅是指基督的升天，也指召會的被提，因爲基督的升天是在祂被傳於萬邦之前。這證明神顯現於肉體不只是指着基督，也是指着召會，祂的身體。（李常受文集一九七八年第三册，一八○至一八一頁。）

信息選讀

頭是甚麼，身體也必定是甚麼。基督—頭—是神在肉體的顯現；因此，召會—祂的身體—也必定是神在肉體的顯現。林前十四章二十四至二十五節說，倘若召會有正確的聚集，當不信者進來時，他就會說，『神真是在你們中間。』每當召會正確的聚在一起，就有神的同在—神顯現於肉體。

敬虔是個奧祕，因爲又真又活，卻不可見。當不信者進到召會聚會中，可能覺得相當神祕，不懂爲甚麼這一班人又唱又叫，還見證他們個人的經歷。…許多不信者不懂這個奧祕，但是當他們進到聚會中，常會發現有神。召會是神顯現於肉體，敬虔的奧祕。

簡而言之，神的經綸是神進入我們裏面，而敬虔是神從我們而出。…這個交流可比作電路中的電流；那就是電不斷的來來往往。在我們裏面、在我們中間有神聖的電流，就是三一神的流進流出。神的流進是神的經綸，而神的流出就是敬虔。

保羅勸提摩太仍留在以弗所，惟一的目的是要囑咐那幾個人，不可教導不同的事。（提前一3。）我們只該教導神的流進與流出，此外別無教導。…我們需要教導神的經綸。

一位新得救的青年姊妹可能問另一位姊妹，關於姊妹頭髮正確的長度。這位姊妹該回答她說，『我們的得救不是爲着頭髮有特定的長度。頭髮不是我們的救主。我們得救是爲着基督；基督今天是賜生命的靈。如今祂正將祂自己分賜到我們全人裏面。』…不論有人問甚麼問題，我們只該給人一個答案—神的經綸。聖經教導神的經綸，就是神的管家職分，將神分賜到我們裏面。神的經綸產生敬虔，神的經綸該是我們交通的獨一題目。（李常受文集一九七八年第三册，一八一至一八二、一八四頁。）

參讀：神經綸的要素，第五章；神對基督與召會的心意，第四章。

WEEK 5 — DAY 2

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Morning Nourishment

1 Tim. 3:16 ...Great is the mystery of godliness: He who was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

          6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things, and pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, endurance, meekness.

The word godliness is used nine times in [1 and 2 Timothy] (1 Tim. 2:2; 3:16; 4:7-8; 6:3, 5-6, 11; 2 Tim. 3:5). Also, the word godly occurs twice (1 Tim. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:12), and the word ungodliness is used once (2:16)...Very few Christians know that the proper definition of the term godliness is God manifested in the flesh, or the manifestation of God in the flesh...First Timothy 3:15 says that the church is the house of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth. Verse 16 indicates that the church is God manifested in the flesh, or the manifestation of God in the flesh. Some may think that to say that the church is God manifested in the flesh is heretical. Most Bible scholars do not realize that 1 Timothy 3:16 reveals that the mystery of godliness is God manifested in the church; they think that this verse refers only to Christ. However, because taken up in glory is the last phrase in verse 16, it must refer not only to Christ’s ascension but also to the church’s rapture, for Christ’s ascension preceded His being preached among the nations. This proves that God’s being manifested in the flesh refers not only to Christ but also to the church, His Body. (CWWL, 1978, vol. 3, “Crucial Elements of God’s Economy,” pp. 130-131)

Today’s Reading

If the head is something, the body must be the same thing. Christ, the Head, is the manifestation of God in the flesh; therefore, the church, His Body, also must be the manifestation of God in the flesh. First Corinthians 14:24-25 says that when the church is meeting properly, if an unbeliever enters, he will say, “Indeed God is among you.” Whenever the church comes together properly, God’s presence is there—God is manifested in the flesh.

Godliness is a mystery because it is real and living yet invisible. When unbelievers
come into a church meeting, they may consider it to be quite mysterious, not understanding why a group of people are singing, shouting, and giving testimonies
concerning their personal experiences...Many unbelievers do not understand this
mystery, but often when people come into a meeting, they realize that God is there.
The church is God manifested in the flesh, the mystery of godliness.

In brief, God’s economy is God coming into us, and godliness is God going out of us...This traffic may be likened to an electrical current in a circuit, which is electricity constantly coming and going. We have a divine current among us and within us; it is the Triune God coming in and going out. God coming in is God’s economy, and God going out is godliness.

Paul charged Timothy to remain in Ephesus with the sole purpose of charging certain ones not to teach different things (1 Tim. 1:3). We should always teach God’s coming in and God’s going out and nothing else...We need to teach God’s economy.

A newly saved young sister may ask another sister concerning the proper length of hair for a sister. The sister should answer her, “We are not saved in order to have a certain length of hair. Hair is not our Savior. We have been saved for Christ, and Christ today is the life-giving Spirit. He is now dispensing Himself into our being.”...Regardless of the question that is raised, we should give only one answer—God’s economy. The Bible teaches God’s economy, which is God’s stewardship, the dispensing of God into us. God’s economy, which issues in godliness, should be the unique topic of our fellowship. (CWWL, 1978, vol. 3, “Crucial Elements of God’s Economy,” pp. 131-133)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1978, vol. 3, “Crucial Elements of God’s Economy,” ch. 5; CWWL, 1963, vol. 2, “God’s Intention concerning Christ and the Church,” ch. 4