第六週■週一

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晨興餧養

提前四6『你將這些事題醒弟兄們，便是基督耶穌的好執事，在信仰的話，並你向來所緊緊跟隨善美教訓的話上，得了餧養。』

提後二2『你…從我所聽見的，要託付那忠信、能教導別人的人。』

基督的執事乃是以基督服事人，供應基督作人的救主、生命、生命的供應、並一切正面事物的人；與教導律法和其他事物的教師不同。（提前一7，3。）…基督的執事屬於基督雖然沒有錯，但提前四章六節主要的思想是他以基督服事別人，供應基督給他們。他不但屬於基督，也將基督服事給別人。（提摩太前書生命讀經，八三頁。）

信息選讀

保羅說，『你將這些事題醒弟兄們，便是基督耶穌的好執事，在信仰的話，並你向來所緊緊跟隨善美教訓的話上，得了餧養。』（提前四6。）保羅所說『這些事』，意思是他在這封書信裏到目前爲止所說過的一切。管家怎樣在一餐飯中將不同的食物擺在客人面前，基督的好執事照樣該將『這些事』題醒信徒們。不僅如此，保羅用『得了餧養』來指明，他的觀念是供應生命給別人。…我們若要供應基督給別人，我們自己必須先得餧養。我們得了基督的餧養，就會有基督作食物，作生命的供應，供應別人。『得了餧養』給我們依據說，基督的好執事不僅僅教導別人關於基督的事，乃是將基督供應到他們裏面作食物。別人應當能彀見證，我們以基督餧養了他們。

在提摩太將這些事題醒弟兄們之前，他自己必須在這些事上得餧養。他必須先消化、吸收、並讓這些事浸透到他裏面。然後他纔能將這些事題醒弟兄們。今天我們應當跟從提摩太的榜樣，在主藉着職事所交通的事上得着餧養，並將這些事題醒弟兄們。我們若都這樣作，召會生活將是何等美妙！然而，我們若偏離職事，而想要產生一些不同的東西，就會給不同的教訓留地步。提摩太無意要教導一些與保羅所教導不同的事。反之，他要將他從保羅所領受的事，題醒弟兄們。

我…的負擔…是要爲着眾地方召會出產食材。…一個地方召會領頭的人若將生命讀經裏所包含的豐富題醒聖徒們，聖徒們就會得着豐盛的餧養。…我只盼望〔眾召會〕能從主所給我們的屬靈豐富，得着餧養，…〔並〕將主從祂的話所給我們看見的豐富作爲食材陳明給〔眾聖徒〕。

許多真正愛主的人在挨餓。我們必須接受負擔供應他們食物。我們都需要作基督的好執事，以祂的豐富服事他們。讓我們自己先得餧養，然後將這營養供應所有神的子民。…我們要強調，得餧養是爲着在生命裏長大，這是生命的事，與僅僅受教導不同，那是知識的事。我們要將基督供應別人，自己必須先在關乎基督之生命的話上得着餧養。

保羅在提前四章六節特別說到『在信仰的話，並…善美教訓的話上，得了餧養』。信仰的話就是關乎神新約經綸之完全福音的話。…你若要看見神經綸的中心點，就要研讀加拉太書、以弗所書、腓立比書、和歌羅西書。我們需要在這幾卷書裏所看見之信仰的話，就是神經綸的話上，得着餧養。（提摩太前書生命讀經，八四至八七頁。）

參讀：提摩太前書生命讀經，第八篇。

WEEK 6 — DAY 1

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Morning Nourishment

1 Tim. 4:6 If you lay these things before the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, being nourished with the words of the faith and of the good teaching which you have closely followed.

2 Tim. 2:2 And the things which you have heard from me..., these commit to faithful men, who will be competent to teach others also.

A minister of Christ is one who serves others with Christ, ministering Christ as Savior, life, life supply, and every positive thing to people. He differs from the teacher of the law and of other things (1 Tim. 1:7, 3)...Although it is true that a minister of Christ belongs to Christ, the main thought in 4:6 is that he serves others with Christ, ministering Christ to them. Not only does he belong to Christ, but he serves Christ to others. (Life-study of 1 Timothy, second edition, p. 69)

Today’s Reading

Paul says, “If you lay these things before the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, being nourished with the words of the faith and of the good teaching which you have closely followed” (1 Tim. 4:6). By these things Paul means that all he has covered thus far in this Epistle. Just as a steward lays different courses of food before guests at a dinner, so a good minister of Christ should lay “these things” before the believers. Furthermore, Paul’s use of the term being nourished indicates that his concept is that of supplying life to others...If we would minister Christ to others, we ourselves must first be nourished. Being nourished with Christ, we will have Christ as food, as life supply, to minister to others. The words being nourished give us the ground to say that a good minister of Christ does not merely teach others about Christ but ministers Christ into others as food. Others should be able to testify of us that we have nourished them with Christ.

Before Timothy could lay these things before others, he first had to feed on them himself. He had to digest them, assimilate them, and allow them to saturate his inner being. Then he would be able to lay them before the brothers. Today we should follow Timothy’s example and lay before the saints the things with which we have been nourished by the Lord through the ministry. How wonderful the church life would be if we all did this! However, if we turn from the ministry and seek to produce something different, we may give place to different teachings. It was not Timothy’s intention to teach anything different from what Paul taught. Rather, he would lay before the brothers what he had received from Paul.

My burden...is to produce groceries for the local churches...If the leading ones in a local church lay before the saints the riches contained in the Lifestudies, the saints will be abundantly nourished. I simply long that [the churches] feed on the spiritual riches the Lord has given us...[and] present [the saints] the riches, the groceries, that the Lord has shown us from the Word.

Many who truly love the Lord are starving. We must take up the burden to supply them with food. We all need to be good ministers of Christ, serving others with His riches. Let us first be nourished ourselves and then minister this nourishment to all the people of God. We would emphasize that being nourished is for the growth in life. This is a matter of life, and it differs from merely being taught, which is a matter of knowledge. To minister Christ to others requires that we ourselves first be nourished with the words of life concerning Christ.

In verse 6 Paul specifically speaks of “being nourished with the words of the faith and of the good teaching.” The words of the faith are the words of the full gospel concerning God’s New Testament economy...If you want to see the focal point of God’s economy, study the books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. We need to be nourished with the words of the faith, God’s economy, found in these books. (Life-study of 1 Timothy, second edition, pp. 69-72)

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Timothy, msg. 8