第九週•週六

w09d06-ch

晨興餧養

彼後一3『神的神能，藉着我們充分認識那用祂自己的榮耀和美德呼召我們的，已將一切關於
生命和敬虔的事賜給我們。』

5 ～ 7『正因這緣故，你們要分外殷勤，在你們的信上，充足的供應美德，在美德上供應知識，…在敬虔上供應弟兄相愛，在弟兄相愛上供應愛。』

一切關於生命和敬虔的事，乃是神聖生命的不同方面，由舊約裏美地出產的豐富所豫表。這些乃是我們的信所質實的本質，由神分給我們作我們承受的分。生命是在裏面叫我們活着，敬虔是在外面作我們內裏生命的外在彰顯。生命是內裏的能力，內裏的力量，產生外在的敬虔，引到並致成榮耀。

藉着又寶貴又極大的應許，我們在基督…裏的信徒，在我們藉着信入和受浸所進入與祂生機的聯結裏，（約三15，加三27，太二八19，）得有分於神的性情。這神聖性情的美德（生命的能力）要帶我們進入祂的榮耀，就是那豐滿彰顯三一神的敬虔。（彼得後書生命讀經，一七、二○頁。）

信息選讀

在彼後一章七節…弟兄相愛，原文由『有情愛爲着』和『弟兄』組成；所以是弟兄的情愛，一種以喜悅和快樂爲特徵的愛。在敬虔，就是彰顯神的事上，需要供應這愛，使我們能維持弟兄的關係，（彼前二17，三8，加六10，）能對世人作見證，（約十三34 ～ 35，）並能結果子。（十五16 ～ 17。）

彼後一章七節的愛，原文在新約中用以指神聖的愛，就是神在祂性情上的所是。（約壹四8，16。）這比人的愛高尚，妝飾基督徒生活的一切品質。（林前十三，羅十三8 ～ 10，加五13 ～ 14。）這比人的愛能力更強，度量更廣，（太五44，46，）信徒若憑着神聖的生命而活，（彼後一3，）並有分於神的性情，（4，）就能被這愛浸透，並將這愛完全彰顯出來。這樣的愛需要在弟兄相愛上得着發展，以管治弟兄相愛，並在其中流通，好完全彰顯是這愛的神。信可視爲生命的種子，這更高尚的愛乃是這種子得着完全發展的果子。（8。）

彼後一章五至七節有從信到愛的發展。這發展包括美德、知識、節制、忍耐和敬虔。至終，有完全的發展和成熟，從信的種子，經過美德和知識的根，節制的榦，以及忍耐和敬虔的枝子，到弟兄相愛和愛的花和果子。

在八節彼得接着說，『因爲這幾樣存在你們裏面，且不斷增多，就必將你們構成非閒懶不結果子的，以致充分的認識我們的主耶穌基督。』『這幾樣』，指五至七節所說，從信到愛的一切美德。信、美德、知識、節制、忍耐、敬虔、弟兄相愛和愛，都該存在我們裏面。然而，這些只是神聖的能力所賜給我們一切事的幾樣。我們需要看見，所有這些事都包括在種子裏面。這種子包含了根、榦、枝子、花和果子。

神聖的美德不僅存在信徒裏，爲信徒所有，更因神聖生命的發展和長大，在他們裏面不斷加多並繁增。所有的美德已經存在種子裏面，現今正等候機會不斷增多。種子裏的美德要不斷增多，種子就需要種在土裏，然後長大、發展，直到開花、結果。（彼得後書生命讀經，五六至五九頁。）

參讀：彼得後書生命讀經，第二、六篇。

WEEK 9 — DAY 6

Morning Nourishment

2 Pet. 1:3 Seeing that His divine power has granted to us all things which relate to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and virtue.

         5-7 And for this very reason also, adding all diligence, supply bountifully in your faith virtue; and in virtue, knowledge;…and in godliness, brotherly love; and in brotherly love, love.

“All things which relate to life and godliness” are the various aspects of the divine life, typified by the riches of the produce of the good land in the Old Testament. They are the substance of our faith’s substantiation allotted to us by God as our portion for our inheritance. Life is within, enabling us to live, and godliness is without as the outward expression of the inward life. Life is the inward energy, inward strength, to bring forth the outward godliness, which leads to and results in glory.

Through the precious and exceedingly great promises, we, the believers in Christ,…have become partakers of His divine nature in an organic union with Him. We have entered this union through faith and baptism (John 3:15; Gal. 3:27; Matt. 28:19). The virtue (energy of life) of this divine nature carries us into His glory (godliness becoming the full expression of the Triune God). (Life-study of 2 Peter, second edition, pp. 14-16)

Today’s Reading

In 2 Peter 1:7…the Greek word rendered “brotherly love” is philadelphia, composed of phileo, “to have affection for,” and adelphos, “a brother”; hence, brotherly affection, a love characterized by delight and pleasure. In godliness, which is the expression of God, this love needs to be supplied for the brotherhood (1 Pet. 2:17; 3:8; Gal. 6:10), for our testimony to the world (John 13:34-35), and for the bearing of fruit (15:16-17).

The Greek word for love in 2 Peter 1:7 is agape, the word used in the New Testament for the divine love, which God is in His nature (1 John 4:8, 16). It is nobler than phileo, human love. It adorns all the qualities of the Christian life (1 Cor. 13; Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 5:13-14). It is stronger in ability and greater in capacity than human love (Matt. 5:44, 46), yet a believer who lives by the divine life (2 Pet. 1:3) and partakes of the divine nature (v. 4) can be saturated with it and express it in full. Such a love needs to be developed in brotherly love to govern it and flow in it for the full expression of God, who is this love…Faith can be considered the seed of life, and this nobler love, the fruit (v. 8) in its full development.

In 2 Peter 1:5-7 we have the development from faith to love. This development includes virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, and godliness. Eventually, we have the full development and maturity from the seed of faith, through the roots of virtue and knowledge, the trunk of selfcontrol, and the branches of endurance and godliness, to the blossom and the fruit of brotherly love and love.

In verse 8 Peter goes on to say, “For these things, existing in you and abounding, constitute you neither idle nor unfruitful unto the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The words these things refer to all the virtues covered in verses 5 through 7, from faith to love. Faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly love, and love should all exist in us. Nevertheless, these are only some of the “all things” that have been granted to us by the divine power. We need to see that all these things are included in the seed. This seed contains the root, the trunk, the branches, the blossom, and the fruit.

The divine virtues not only exist in and are possessed by the believers but also abound and multiply in them in the development and growth of the divine life. All the virtues already exist in the seed, and now they are waiting for the opportunity to abound. In order for the virtues in the seed to abound, the seed needs to be sown in the soil and then grow and develop until it blossoms and bears fruit. (Life-study of 2 Peter, second edition, pp. 47-50)

Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Peter, msgs. 2, 6