第七篇   使徒保羅的榜樣

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詩歌：378

讀經：提前一16，四12，帖前二1 ～ 12

【週一】

壹 保羅是信徒的榜樣，他在靈裏活基督、顯大基督並供應基督作爲那靈，爲着建造基督的身體—提前一16，四12，羅八16，腓一19 ～ 21 上、25，林後三3、6：

一 主向保羅顯現，選定保羅作執事和見證人，將保羅所看見祂的事，和祂將要顯現給保羅的事，見證出來—徒二六16 ～ 19，參一8，二三11，二十20、31：

1 保羅過一種生活是全然尊貴，有人性美德的最高標準，彰顯最高超的神聖屬性，與多年前主在地上所過的生活相似—弗四20 ～ 21，腓四5 ～ 8、11 ～ 13。

2 這是從前活在福音書裏那奇妙、超絕、奧祕的神人，藉着祂許多肢體中的一個—保羅—繼續活着；保羅是成爲肉體、釘死十架、復活、被神高舉之基督的活見證人—徒一8，腓二2、5，一8，二13，徒二七22、24 ～ 25，二八3 ～ 9，見9 註1。

二 保羅以基督爲一切—作他的生活、榜樣、目標和祕訣—腓一19 ～ 21 上，二5 ～ 16，三7 ～14，四11 ～ 13。

三 保羅在新約的職事，就是在那靈的職事、義的職事並和好的職事裏，被神注入，將神照耀出來—林後三18，四1，三6、8 ～ 9，五18 ～ 20。

四 因着保羅是信徒的榜樣（提前一16），他就能囑咐提摩太『在言語、爲人、愛、信、純潔上』作榜樣（四12）。

【週二】

五 保羅是我們的榜樣，他作基督的大使（弗六20，林後五18 ～ 20），有以下的資格：

1 他不憑他所是的或所能作的，乃憑那不死的生命（就是基督自己）而活—4 節，約十四6，西三4，加二20。

2 他懷着雄心大志，在一切事上都要討基督的喜悅—就是在各方面活基督、長基督、彰顯基督並繁殖基督—林後五9，西一10。

3 他受基督的愛困迫，不再向自己活，乃向主活；我們『向主』活，意卽服在主的指引和管制之下，願意履行祂的要求，滿足祂的渴望，並完成祂所要作的—林後五14 ～ 15。

4 他不在外面按着舊造裏的肉體認人，乃在裏面按着新造裏的靈認人—16 ～ 17 節，加六15。

六 保羅是我們的榜樣，他活神並事奉神，乃是在他重生的靈裏，憑着內住的基督（賜生命的靈），而不是在他的魂裏，憑魂的能力和才能；他是屬靈的人，爲着那靈撒種，結那靈的果子—羅一9，七6，八4、16，加三3，五16、22 ～25，六8，林後四5，林前二15，林後二13。

七 保羅是我們的榜樣，他有身體感且以身體爲中心，在身體裏、藉着身體並爲着身體作一切事—羅十二4 ～ 5，林前十二12 ～ 27，弗四1 ～ 6、15 ～ 16，西二19，徒二八13 ～ 15 與15 註2。

【週三】

貳 牧養人，顧惜並餧養人，最好的路乃是給他們正確的榜樣；保羅自己活基督，他就以此餧養他屬靈的兒女—帖前二1 ～ 12，林後一23 ～二14，十一28 ～ 29，林前九22，徒二十28：

一 保羅和他的同工乃是所傳之福音的模型；『你們知道，我們在你們中間，爲你們的緣故是怎樣爲人』—帖前一5 下。

二 在召會裏，人比甚麼都要緊；人就是方法，人就是主的工作；你所是的，就是你所作的—約五19，六57，腓一19 ～ 26，徒二十18 ～35，太七17 ～ 18，十二33 ～ 37。

三 我們需要跟隨使徒的榜樣，注意生命過於工作—約十二24，林後四12。

四 使徒不僅傳福音，也活福音；他們盡職傳福音，不僅憑着言語，也憑着展示神能力的生活，就是在聖靈裏，並在信心確據裏的生活—帖前一5。

五 帖撒羅尼迦的聖徒成了效法使徒的人；這引導他們跟從主，以主爲榜樣，因而使他們成了所有信徒的榜樣—6 ～ 7 節。

六 使徒保羅一再強調使徒進到信徒那裏；這表明在使徒將福音注入初信者裏面時，使徒的行事爲人扮演了重要的角色—5、9 節，二1：

1 使徒一面爭戰，一面在神裏面放膽，對帖撒羅尼迦人講說福音—2 節。

2 使徒毫無錯謬、污穢或詭詐—3 節。

【週四】

3 神首先試驗並驗中使徒，然後把福音託付他們；因此，他們的講說、他們福音的傳揚，不是出於自己，要討人喜歡，乃是出於神，要討神喜歡；祂一直察驗、察看並試驗他們的心—4 節，詩二六2，一三九23 ～ 24，林後一12，六6，七3。

4 使徒沒有用過諂媚的話，也沒有藉掩飾而貪婪—帖前二5：

a 藉掩飾而貪婪，就是混亂或攙混神的話—林後二17，四2。

b 也是爲利假裝敬虔—提前六5，多一11，彼後二3。

【週五】

5 使徒沒有尋求從人來的榮耀—帖前二6 下：

a 尋求從人來的榮耀，對每一個基督的工人都是真試誘，許多已被這事吞滅、破壞—參撒上十五12。

b 路西弗由於尋求榮耀，成爲神的對頭撒但；凡尋求從人來的榮耀，都是撒但的跟從者—結二八13 ～17，賽十四12 ～ 15，太四8 ～ 10。

c 我們能給主用多少，我們的用處會持續多久，乃在於我們是否尋求從人來的榮耀—參約七17 ～ 18，五39 ～ 44，十二43，林後四5。

6 使徒雖然是基督的使徒，卻不維護自己的權柄和尊嚴—帖前二6 上：

a 在基督徒的工作中維護權柄、尊嚴或權利，就破壞了工作；主耶穌在地上時放棄了祂的尊嚴（約十三4 ～ 5），使徒也寧可不用他的權利（林前九12）。

b 我們若效法這個榜樣，就會把基督身體裏這種要求地位的致命病菌殺死—太二十20 ～ 28。

7 使徒顧惜信徒並切慕他們，如同乳母顧惜、切慕自己的孩子—帖前二7 ～ 8，參加四19，賽四九14 ～15，六六12 ～ 13：

a 顧惜人就是使人快樂，安慰人，叫人覺得你令他們愉快，在每件事上並在每一方面都叫人容易接觸你。

b 在我們天然的人性裏顧惜人，是不真的；我們顧惜人必須有主的同在作迷人的因素，作復活的實際。

c 顧惜人包含餧養人；餧養人是以那在三個時期中盡其豐滿職事之包羅萬有的基督餧養他們—弗五29。

【週六】

8 使徒不但將神的福音分給帖撒羅尼迦人，連自己的性命也分給他們—帖前二8：

a 過潔淨、正直的生活（3 ～ 6、10），並且愛初信者，甚至將我們的性命分給他們（7 ～ 9、11），乃是我們將福音注入他們裏面的必要條件。

b 保羅爲聖徒的緣故，不僅願意花費他所有的，也願意花上他自己，就是他這個人—林後十二15。

9 在勸勉信徒上，使徒看自己是父親，要叫他們行事爲人配得過神，而有一種生活行動，使他們能進入神的國，並將他們引進神的榮耀—帖前二11 ～ 12。

Message Seven

The Pattern of the Apostle Paul

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Hymns: 499

Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 1:16; 4:12; 1 Thes. 2:1-12

§ Day 1

I. Paul was a pattern to the believers of living Christ, magnifying Christ, and ministering Christ as the Spirit in his spirit for the building up of the Body of Christ—1 Tim. 1:16; 4:12; Rom. 8:16; Phil. 1:19-21a, 25; 2 Cor. 3:3, 6:

A. The Lord appeared to Paul to appoint him as a minister and a witness both of the things in which Paul had seen Him and of the things in which He would appear to Paul—Acts 26:16-19; cf. 1:8; 23:11; 20:20,31:

1. Paul lived a life that was fully dignified, with the highest standard of human virtues expressing the most excellent divine attributes, a life that resembled the one that the Lord Himself had lived on the earth years before—Eph. 4:20- 21; Phil. 4:5-8, 11-13.

2. The wonderful, excellent, and mysterious God-man, who lived in the Gospels, continued to live through Paul as one of His many members; Paul was a living witness of the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and Godexalted Christ—Acts 1:8; Phil. 2:2, 5; 1:8; 2:13; Acts 27:22, 24-25; 28:3-9, see footnote 1 on v. 9.

B. Paul took Christ as everything—as his living, pattern, goal, and secret— Phil. 1:19-21a; 2:5-16; 3:7-14; 4:11-13.

C. Paul was infused with God to shine forth God in the ministry of the new covenant, which is the ministry of the Spirit, the ministry of righteousness, and the ministry of reconciliation—2 Cor. 3:18; 4:1; 3:6,8-9; 5:18-20.

D. Because Paul was a pattern to the believers (1 Tim. 1:16), he could charge Timothy to be a pattern "in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity" (4:12).

§ Day 2

E. Paul is our pattern in his being an ambassador of Christ (Eph. 6:20; 2 Cor. 5:18-20) with the following qualifications:

1. He did not live by what he was or could do but by the immortal life, which is
Christ Himself—v. 4; John 14:6; Col. 3:4; Gal. 2:20.

2. He was determined to gain the honor of being well pleasing to Christ in all things—living Christ, growing Christ, expressing Christ, and propagating Christ in every respect—2 Cor. 5:9; Col. 1:10.

3. He was constrained by the love of Christ to no longer live to himself but to live to the Lord; for us to live "to the Lord" means that we are under the Lords direction and control and that we want to fulfill His requirements, satisfy His desires, and complete what He intends—2 Cor. 5:14-15.

4. He did not know others outwardly according to the flesh in the old creation but inwardly according to the spirit in the new creation—vv. 16-17; Gal. 6:15.

F. Paul is our pattern by living and serving God in his regenerated spirit by the indwelling Christ, the life-giving Spirit, not in his soul by the power and ability of the soul; he was a spiritual man who sowed unto the Spirit to bear the fruit of the Spirit—Rom. 1:9; 7:6; 8:4,16; Gal. 3:3; 5:16, 22-25; 6:8; 2 Cor. 4:5; 1 Cor. 2:15; 2 Cor. 2:13.

G. Paul is our pattern in his being Body-conscious and Body-centered, doing everything in the Body, through the Body, and for the Body—Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 4:1-6, 15-16; Col. 2:19; Acts 28:13-15 and footnote  2 on v. 15.

§ Day 3

II. The best way to shepherd people, to cherish and nourish them, is to give them a proper pattern; Paul fed his spiritual children with his own living of Christ—1 Thes. 2:1-12; 2 Cor. 1:23—2:14; 11:28-29; 1 Cor. 9:22; Acts 20:28:

A. Paul and his co-workers were a pattern of the glad tidings that they spread; "you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake"—1 Thes. 1:5b.

B. In the church the most important thing is the person; the person is the way, and the person is the Lords work; what you are is what you do—John 5:19; 6:57; Phil. 1:19-26; Acts 20:18-35; Matt. 7:17-18; 12:33-37.

C. We need to follow the pattern of the apostles to pay more attention to life than to work—John 12:24; 2 Cor. 4:12.

D. The apostles not only preached the gospel but also lived it; their ministering of the gospel was not only by word but also by a life that displayed the power of God, a life in the Holy Spirit and in the assurance of faith—1 Thes. 1:5.

E. The saints in Thessalonica became imitators of the apostles; this led them to follow the Lord, to take Him as their pattern, thus making them a pattern to all other believers—vv. 6-7.

F. The apostle Paul stressed repeatedly the apostles entrance toward the believers; this shows that their manner of life played a great role in infusing the gospel into the new converts—vv. 5, 9; 2:1:

1. The apostles were struggling and speaking the gospel to the Thessalonians in the boldness of God—v. 2.

2. The apostles were free from deception, uncleanness, and guile—v. 3. § Day 4

3. The apostles were first tested and approved by God and then were entrusted by Him with the gospel; hence, their speaking, the preaching of the gospel, was not of themselves to please men but of God to please Him; God proved, examined, and tested their hearts continually—v. 4; Psa. 26:2; 139:23-24; 2 Cor. 1:12; 6:6; 7:3.

4. The apostles were neither found with flattering speech nor with a pretext for covetousness—1 Thes. 2:5:

a. To have any pretext for covetousness is to peddle or adulterate the word of God—2 Cor. 2:17; 4:2.

b. It is also to pretend to be godly for the sake of gain—1 Tim. 6:5; Titus 1:11; 2 Pet. 2:3.

§ Day 5

5. The apostles did not seek glory from men—1 Thes. 2:6a:

a. To seek glory from men is a real temptation to every Christian worker; many have been devoured and spoiled by this matter—cf. 1 Sam. 15:12.

b. Lucifer became Gods adversary, Satan, because of glory-seeking; anyone who seeks glory from men is a follower of Satan—Ezek. 28:13-17; Isa. 14:12-15; Matt. 4:8-10.

c. How much we will be used by the Lord and how long our usefulness will last depend on whether we seek glory from men—cf. John 7:17- 18; 5:39-44; 12:43; 2 Cor. 4:5.

6. The apostles did not stand on their own authority or dignity as apostles of Christ—1 Thes. 2:6b:

a. To assert authority, dignity, or right in Christian work damages that work; the Lord Jesus, while on earth, gave up His dignity (John 13:4- 5), and the apostle preferred not to use his right (1 Cor. 9:12).

b. If we follow this pattern, we will kill a deadly disease germ in the Body of Christ, the germ of assuming a position—Matt. 20:20-28.

7. The apostles cherished the believers and yearned over them as a nursing mother would cherish and yearn over her own children—1 Thes. 2:7-8; cf. Gal. 4:19; Isa. 49:14-15; 66:12-13:

a. To cherish people is to make them happy, to comfort them, to make them feel that you are pleasant to them, easy to be contacted in everything and in every way.

b. To cherish people in our natural humanity is not genuine; we must cherish people with the Lords presence as the charming factor, as the reality of resurrection.

c. Cherishing includes nourishing; to nourish people is to feed them with the all-inclusive Christ in His full ministry of three stages—Eph. 5:29.

§ Day 6

8. The apostles not only imparted the gospel of God to the Thessalonians; they also imparted their own souls—1 Thes. 2:8:

a. To live a clean and upright life (vv. 3-6, 10) and to love the new converts, even by giving our own souls to them (vv. 7-9,11), are the prerequisites for infusing them with the gospel.

b. Paul was willing to spend not only what he had but also himself, his very being, on behalf of the saints—2 Cor. 12:15.

9. The apostles considered themselves as fathers in exhorting the believers to walk in a manner worthy of God, to have a walk that will enable them to enter into the kingdom of God and usher them into the glory of God—1 Thes. 2:11-12.