第一週•週四

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晨興餧養

提後一 1『憑神旨意，照着在基督耶穌裏生命的應許，作基督耶穌使徒的保羅。』

       10『…我們救主基督耶穌…已經把死廢掉，藉着福音將生命和不朽壞照耀出來。』

保羅寫提摩太後書時，完全知道眾召會在敗落。然而，因爲他是持定永遠生命之應許的人，他就不灰心或失望。在他裏面有永不改變的東西—神永遠、非受造、不能朽壞的生命。無論環境如何改變，這永遠的生命仍是一樣。因爲保羅自己在神的生命裏得鼓勵，不因着環境失望，他就寫了提摩太後書，不但作這位青年同工的鼓勵並加強，也作整個基督身體對召會敗落的豫防劑。

保羅照着永遠的生命成了使徒；這生命是不能朽壞，且不能改變的，因這生命實際上就是經過過程的三一神自己。因爲保羅由這生命所內住，所以甚至整個羅馬帝國對付他，也不能勝過他。保羅由經過過程的三一神作生命而得加強（提摩太後書生命讀經，二、四頁）。

信息選讀

提後一章一節所提的生命包括豫防劑所有的八個基本元素。這就是說，永遠的生命包括清潔的良心、無偽的信心、神聖的恩賜、剛強的靈、永遠的恩典、不能朽壞的生命、健康的話與內住的靈。我們若有這生命，實際上就是經過過程的三一神，我們就有清潔的良心、無偽的信心，和神聖豫防劑所有其他的供備。

神永遠的生命是賜給所有在基督裏的信徒（提前一 16），也是所賜給我們神聖恩典的主要成分（羅五17、21）。這生命已經征服死（徒二 24），還要吞滅死（林後五 4）。保羅乃是照着這樣生命的應許作了使徒（提後一 1）。這生命以及隨之而有的不朽壞，藉着福音的傳揚，已經照耀出來，使眾人都得看見。

生命是神聖的元素，甚至就是神自己，分賜到我們的靈裏；不朽壞是生命浸透我們身體的結果（羅八 11）。這生命和不朽壞，能抵擋召會中敗落的死亡和腐敗。

在提後一章十二節保羅說，『知道我所信的是誰。』使徒所信的不是任何事物，乃是活的人位，就是活神的兒子基督，也就是神聖恩典和永遠生命的具體化身。在祂裏面的永遠生命是有能力的，足能扶持爲祂受苦的人，一直到底，並保守他承受那要來的榮耀。

要面對召會敗落中的死亡、敗壞和混亂，一章所根據的永遠生命（1、10），二章所強調的神聖真理（15、18、25），以及三章所尊重的聖經（14 ～17）都是必需的。永遠的生命不僅吞滅死亡，也給與生命的供應；神聖的真理，用一切神聖豐富的實際頂替敗壞的虛空；聖經不僅除去混亂，也給人神聖的亮光和啓示。因此，使徒在提摩太後書強調這三件東西（提摩太後書生命讀經，五、一一至一二、六○頁）。

基督對我們乃是永遠的生命。我們若不在祂裏面，基督在祂自己裏面還是永遠的生命，但祂對我們卻不是永遠的生命。因爲我們現今在祂裏面，所以耶穌基督對我們乃是永遠的生命〔約壹五 20〕（約翰壹書生命讀經，四三○頁）。

參讀：提摩太後書生命讀經，第一至二、六至七篇。

WEEK 1 — DAY 4

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Morning Nourishment

2 Tim. 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus.

           10 …Our Savior Christ Jesus, who nullified death and brought life and
incorruption to light through the gospel.

When Paul was writing 2 Timothy, he was fully aware that the churches were declining. However, because he was one who laid hold on the promise of eternal life, he was not discouraged or disappointed. He had something within him that never changed—the eternal, uncreated, incorruptible life of God. No matter how the environment may change, this eternal life remains the same. Because he himself was encouraged in the life of God and not disappointed by the situation, Paul wrote the second Epistle to Timothy not only as an encouragement and strengthening to a younger co-worker but also as an inoculation for the entire Body of Christ against the decline of the church.

The eternal life according to which Paul became an apostle is incorruptible and unchanging, for this life is actually the processed Triune God Himself. Because Paul was indwelt by this life, not even the whole Roman Empire was able to prevail over him in its dealings with him. Paul was strengthened by the processed Triune God as life. (Life-study of 2 Timothy, 2nd ed. pp. 2-3)

Today’s Reading

The life mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:1 includes all the eight basic elements of the inoculation. This means that eternal life includes a pure conscience, unfeigned faith, the divine gift, a strong spirit, eternal grace, the element of incorruption, the healthy word, and the indwelling Spirit. If we have this life, which is actually the processed Triune God, we have a pure conscience, unfeigned faith, and all the other provisions of the divine inoculation.

The eternal life of God is given to all believers in Christ (1 Tim. 1:16) and is the main element of the divine grace given to us (Rom. 5:17, 21). This life has conquered death (Acts 2:24) and will swallow up death (2 Cor. 5:4). It was according to the promise of such a life that Paul was an apostle (2 Tim. 1:1). This life and the incorruption that is its consequence have been brought to light and made visible to men through the preaching of the gospel.

Life is the divine element, even God Himself, imparted into our spirit. Incorruption is the consequence of life’s saturating of our body (Rom. 8:11). This life and incorruption are able to counter the death and corruption brought in by the decline among the churches.

In 2 Timothy 1:12 Paul says, “I know whom I have believed.” What the apostle believed was not a thing or a matter but a living person, Christ, the Son of the living God, who is the embodiment of divine grace and eternal life. The eternal life in Him is powerful; it is more than able to sustain to the end the one who suffers for His sake, and to preserve him for the inheritance of the coming glory.

To confront the death, corruption, and confusion in the church’s decline, the eternal life, on which chapter 1 is based (vv. 1, 10), the divine truth, emphasized in chapter 2 (vv. 15, 18, 25), and the Holy Scripture, highly regarded in chapter 3 (vv. 14-17), are all needed. The eternal life not only swallows up death but also renders the life supply; the divine truth replaces the vanity of corruption with the reality of all the divine riches; and the Holy Scripture not only dispels the confusion but also furnishes divine light and revelation. Hence, in this book the apostle stressed these three things. (Life- study of 2 Timothy, 2nd ed., pp. 4, 8-9, 48-49)

Christ is eternal life to us. If we were not in Him, Christ would still be eternal life in Himself, but He would not be eternal life to us. Because we are now in Him, to us Jesus Christ is eternal life [1 John 5:20]. (Life-study of 1 John, 2nd ed., p. 351)

Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Timothy, msgs. 1-2, 6-7