第八篇

召會的功用（一）活神的家以及真理的柱石和根基

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詩歌：627

讀經： 提前三15， 林前一2， 三16 ～ 17， 十32，十一16，弗二19、21 ～ 22

【週一】

壹 『神的家』是形容召會，『真理的柱石和根基』也是形容召會；『神的家』以及『真理的柱石和根基』都是描述召會是甚麼—提前三15。

貳 召會乃是神的家—林前一2，十32，十一16：

一 『神的召會』這辭指明召會是神所擁有的，也指明召會有神的性情，並以神的元素所構成—徒二十28，加一13。

二 召會是『神的』，因爲召會是神作源頭所產生的，並有神爲其神聖、宇宙並永遠的性質和素質—林前三16 ～ 17。

三 召會的內容在素質一面乃是神自己—十32。

叁 神的召會乃是活神的家—提前三15：

一 神的家就是神的家人—弗二19：

1 居所（家）和家庭（家人）都是一個實體，乃是一班蒙召、重生並由神自己內住的人—彼前一3，二5，林前三16。

2 基督與祂身體上的肢體不是分開的，乃是住在他們裏面；照樣，父不是在祂家人中分開的一員，乃是在祂所有的兒女裏面—羅八16，十二4 ～ 5，林前三16。

3 神的家在神聖的生命上是生機的，在神聖的性情上是生機的，並且在三一神裏是生機的—弗四18，彼後一4，太二八19。

4 因爲召會是生機的，所以召會能生長—弗二21。

【週二、週三】

二 在說到召會是神的家時，保羅特別說到神是活神—提前三15：

1 活在召會裏的活神，對召會必是主觀的，不是僅僅客觀的—林前三16。

2 因爲神是活的，召會作神的家也就在祂裏面、憑祂並同祂活着。

3 活的神與活的召會，同活着、同行動、同工作。

三 召會作神的家，乃是神的居所—是神能得着安息並寄託的所在—弗二22。

四 召會是神的家，父的家，乃是擴大、宇宙、神人二性的合併，作爲基督爲父用神聖的榮耀所榮耀的結果—約十二23，十三31 ～ 32，十四20。

【週四】

肆 主要祂的召會認識祂是真理，接受並享受祂作生命—約壹一1 ～ 2、5 ～ 6，約十一25，十四6，十八37 下：

一 『真理』意卽實際，指神的話裏所啓示一切真實的事物，主要的是指作神具體化身的基督，以及作基督身體的召會—提前二4，西二9、19。

二 召會乃是在基督裏用神聖的生命建造的，這生命是不能毀壞、不能征服的，並且能抵擋來自任何源頭的致死敗落—提前一16，六12、19，提後一1、10，多一2，三7。

三 真理和生命，二者都是基督自己—約十四6：

1 生命是裏面、內在的成分；真理是外在的解釋、說明—一4，十八37 下，八12、32、36，十七17。

2 經歷主作生命，乃是包藏在主作爲真理裏；我們要經歷主作生命，就必須認識真理—十四6，十一25，八32、36。

四 召會的內容，必須是基督作真理、作生命，而從我們裏面長出來的—西二19，三4：

【週五】

1 真理是神聖之光的照耀，顯出—約八12、32、36，約壹一5 ～ 6。

2 在主的恢復裏，眾召會中間真理的標準應當不斷的提高—提前二4，三15。

3 我們需要在生命裏長大，在生命裏得救，被生命充滿，並在生命中作王—弗四13 ～ 16，羅五10、17。

伍 召會是支持真理的柱石，也是托住真理的根基—提前三15：

一 真理就是三一神，以基督爲具體化身、中心和彰顯，以產生召會作基督的身體、神的家和神的國—西二9，弗一22 ～ 23，四16，提前三15，約三3、5。

二 提前三章十五節的『真理』，是指照着神新約的經綸，在新約裏所啓示，關乎基督與召會的真實事物—太十六16、18，弗五32：

1 召會是支持這一切實際的柱石，也是托住這一切實際的根基。

2 地方召會該是這樣的建築，托住、擔負並見證基督與召會的真理—實際—二22。

三 召會擔負着基督作實際；召會向全宇宙見證，基督是實際，並且惟有基督才是實際—約一14、17，十四6。

四 召會旣是支持真理的柱石，和托住柱石的根基，就爲『基督是神的奧祕』與『召會是基督的奧祕』之實際、真理作見證—西二2，弗三4。

【週六】

五 爲使召會盡真理的柱石和根基的功用，我們都需要達到對真理完全的認識—提前二4，四3，提後二25，三7，多一1。

陸 當每一位弟兄姊妹都滿了生命和真理，召會就會剛強，成爲活神的家與真理的柱石和根基；這是主的恢復今日所需要的—提前三15。

Message Eight

The Function of the Church (1) The House of the Living God and the Pillar and Base of the Truth

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Hymns: 863

Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Cor. 1:2; 3:16-17; 10:32; 11:16; Eph. 2:19, 21-22

§ Day 1

I. The house of God modifies the church, and the pillar and base of the truth also modifies the church; the house of God and the pillar and base of the truth describe what the church is—1 Tim. 3:15.

II. The church is the house of God—1 Cor. 1:2; 10:32; 11:16:

A. The expression the church of God indicates that the church is possessed by God and that the church has the nature of God and is constituted with the element of God—Acts 20:28; Gal. 1:13.

B. The church is of God because it is produced of God as the source and has God as its nature and essence, which are divine, universal, and eternal—1 Cor. 3:16-17.

C. The content of the church essentially is God Himself—10:32.

III. The church of God is the house of the living God—1 Tim. 3:15:

A. The house of God is the household of God—Eph. 2:19:

1. The dwelling place—the house—and the family—the household—are one entity—a group of called, regenerated ones indwelt by God Himself—1 Pet. 1:3; 2:5; 1 Cor. 3:16.

2. Just as Christ is not separate from the members of His Body but dwells in them, the Father is not a separate member of His household but is in all the children—Rom. 8:16; 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 3:16.

3. The house of God is organic in the divine life, organic in the divine nature, and organic in the Triune God—Eph. 4:18; 2 Pet. 1:4; Matt. 28:19.

4. Because the church is organic, the church grows—Eph. 2:21.

§ Day 2 & Day 3

B. In speaking of the church as the house of God, Paul refers to God as the living God—1 Tim. 3:15:

1. The living God, who lives in the church, must be subjective to the church and not merely objective—1 Cor. 3:16.

2. Because God is living, the church as the house of God is also living in Him, by Him, and with Him.

3. A living God and a living church live, move, and work together.

C. As the house of God, the church is the dwelling place of God—the place where God can have His rest and put His trust—Eph. 2:22.

D. The church as the house of God—the Fathers house—is the enlarged, universal, divine-human incorporation as the issue of Christs being glorified by the Father with the divine glory—John 12:23; 13:31-32; 14:20.

§ Day 4

IV. The Lord wants His church to know Him as the truth and to receive and enjoy Him as life—1 John 1:1-2, 5-6; John 11:25; 14:6; 18:37b:

A. Truth means "reality," denoting all the real things revealed in Gods Word, which are mainly Christ as the embodiment of God and the church as the Body of Christ—1 Tim. 2:4; Col. 2:9, 19.

B. The church is built with the divine life in Christ, a life that is indestructible, unconquerable, and able to withstand decline into death from any source—1 Tim. 1:16; 6:12, 19; 2 Tim. 1:1, 10; Titus 1:2; 3:7.

C. Both the truth and the life are Christ Himself—John 14:6:

1. Life is the inward and intrinsic element, and truth is the outward definition and explanation—1:4; 18:37b; 8:12, 32, 36; 17:17.

2. The experience of the Lord as life is contained in the Lord as the truth; in order to experience the Lord as life, we must know the truth—14:6; 11:25; 8:32, 36.

D. The content of the church should be the growth of Christ in us as truth and life—Col. 2:19; 3:4:

§ Day 5

1. Truth is the shining, the expression, of the divine light—John 8:12, 32, 36; 1 John 1:5-6.

2. The standard of the truth should constantly be raised higher among all the churches in the Lords recovery—1 Tim. 2:4; 3:15.

3. We need to grow in life, be saved in life, be filled with life, and reign in life— Eph. 4:13-16; Rom. 5:10, 17.

V. The church is the supporting pillar and the holding base of the truth—1 Tim. 3:15:

A. The truth is the Triune God, having Christ as the embodiment, center, and expression, to produce the church as the Body of Christ, the house of God, and the kingdom of God—Col. 2:9; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:16; 1 Tim. 3:15; John 3:3, 5.

B. Truth in 1 Timothy 3:15 refers to the real things revealed in the New Testament concerning Christ and the church according to Gods New Testament economy—Matt. 16:16, 18; Eph. 5:32:

1. The church is the supporting pillar and holding base of all these realities.

2. A local church should be such a building that holds, bears, and testifies the truth, the reality, of Christ and the church—2:22.

C. The church bears Christ as the reality; the church testifies to the whole universe that Christ, and Christ alone, is the reality—John 1:14, 17; 14:6.

D. As the pillar that bears the truth and the base that upholds the pillar, the church testifies the reality, the truth, of Christ as the mystery of God and the church as the mystery of Christ—Col. 2:2; Eph. 3:4.

§ Day 6

E. In order for the church to function as the pillar and base of the truth, we all need to arrive at the full knowledge of the truth—1 Tim. 2:4; 4:3; 2 Tim. 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1.

VI. When every brother and sister is full of life and truth, the church will be strong as the house of the living God and the pillar and base of the truth; this is what is needed in the Lords recovery today—1 Tim. 3:15.