第二週•週三

w02d03-ch

晨興餧養

林前九 24 ～ 26『豈不知在場上賽跑的都跑，但得獎賞的只有一人？你們應當這樣跑，好叫你們得着獎賞。凡較力爭勝的，諸事都有節制；他們不過是要得能壞的華冠，我們卻是要得不能壞的華冠。所以我這樣奔跑，不像無定向的…。』

保羅的背景，與希伯來信徒的背景一樣，所以他有資格作奔跑賽程之人的榜樣。加拉太二章二節和林前九章二十六至二十七節給我們看見，保羅如何開始奔跑賽程。腓立比三章五至八節、十二至十四節給我們看見，他如何一直奔跑賽程。…提後四章七至八節是保羅在殉道前不久寫的，他告訴我們，他已經跑完了他的賽程。

當保羅奔跑時，他說，『我乃是痛擊己身，叫身爲奴，免得我傳給別人，自己反不蒙稱許。』（林前九 27）雖然一個得救的人，不會再滅亡，但仍有可能不蒙稱許。不蒙稱許的意思，就是在賽程上半途而廢，失去達到目標的機會。…『不蒙稱許』也有不合格，被棄絕的意思。…這種觀念與達到目標和贏得獎賞的觀念相符。但是參加賽跑的人，仍有可能成爲不蒙稱許、不配得賞賜的人。在希伯來十二章，保羅警告、勉勵並激勵希伯來的弟兄們，要奔跑賽程。我們今天也像他們一樣，不僅要走這條道路，也要奔跑賽程（希伯來書生命讀經，六八○頁）。

信息選讀

保羅告訴希伯來信徒要『望斷以及於耶穌，就是我們信心的創始者與成終者；祂爲那擺在前面的喜樂，就輕看羞辱，忍受了十字架，便坐在神寶座的右邊』〔來十二 2〕。…保羅在別的書信中，主要的是向我們陳明，基督作賜生命的靈（林前十五 45），住在我們靈裏（羅八 10，提後四 22），作了我們的生命和一切。但在〔希伯來〕書，他特別將我們指向這坐在天上、具備多面、在各面照顧我們的基督。…在〔這卷〕書，天上的基督與地上的宗教並一切地上的事物相對。我們要經歷內住的基督，就需要轉到靈裏接觸祂；我們要享受天上的基督，就需要望斷一切地上的事物，而及於這位坐在神寶座右邊的基督。
祂藉着死與復活，已經成就了神和人所需要的一切；現今祂在升天裏，坐在諸天之上，乃是在神子（來一 5）和人子（二 6）的身位裏，也就是在神（一 8）和人（二 6）的身位裏，作了神所立的承受萬有者（一 2）、神的受膏者（9）、我們救恩的創始者（二10）、那聖別人者（11）、常時的救援者（16）、應時的幫助者（四 16）、從神來的使徒（三 1）、大祭司（二 17，四 14，七 26）、真帳幕的執事（八 2），有更超特的職任（6），是更美之約的保證和中保（七 22，八 6，十二 24）、新約的執行者（九 16 ～17）、先鋒（六 20）、信心的創始者與成終者（十二2）以及羣羊的大牧人（十三 20）。我們若仰望祂這奇妙且包羅萬有的一位，祂就要把天、生命和力量供應我們，將祂的所是傳輸並灌注到我們裏面，使我們能奔跑屬天的賽程，在地上過屬天的生活，帶我們走完一生的路途，領我們進榮耀裏去（二 10）。

奇妙的耶穌，在天上登了寶座，並得了榮耀尊貴爲冠冕（9），祂是宇宙中最大的吸引，就像巨大的磁石，吸引所有尋求祂的人歸向祂。我們乃是受祂迷人的美麗所吸引，纔望斷祂以外一切的事物。若沒有這樣迷人的對象，我們怎能望斷地上這麼多迷惑人的事物？（希伯來書生命讀經，六七七至六七九頁）。

參讀：希伯來書生命讀經，第四十五至四十六、四十九至五十篇。

WEEK 2 — DAY 3

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Morning Nourishment

1 Cor. 9:24-26 Do you not know that those who run on a racecourse all run but one receives the prize? Run in this way, that you may lay hold. And everyone who contends exercises self-control in all things; they then, that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible. I therefore run in this way, not as though without a clear aim…

Because Paul’s background was exactly that of the Hebrew believers, he was qualified to be an example in running the race. Galatians 2:2 and 1 Corinthians 9:26 and 27 show how he began to run the race. Philippians 3:5- 8 and 12-14 show how he was still running the race…In 2 Timothy 4:7 and 8, written shortly before his martyrdom, he told us that he had finished the race.

As Paul was running the race, he said, “I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest perhaps having preached to others, I myself may become disapproved” (1 Cor. 9:27). Although a saved person can never perish, it is quite possible for him to become disapproved. To be disapproved is to fail in the race, missing the opportunity of reaching the goal…The Greek word rendered “disapproved” also means “a reprobate, one not qualified or approved.”…This concept fits in with that of reaching the goal and winning the prize as a reward. But there is the possibility that a runner may be
disapproved and not be approved for the reward. In Hebrews 12 Paul was warning the Hebrew brothers and encouraging them, giving them a great incentive to run the race. We, like them, must not only walk the way but also run the race. (Life-study of Hebrews, 2nd ed., pp. 552-553)

Today’s Reading
Paul told the Hebrew believers to look “away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God” [Heb. 12:2]…In all his other Epistles Paul presents to us mainly the Christ who dwells in our spirit (Rom. 8:10; 2 Tim. 4:22) as the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45) to be our life and our everything. But in this book he points us particularly to the Christ who has sat down in heaven and who is of so many aspects, that He may care for us in every way…In this book the heavenly Christ is contrasted to the earthly religion and all earthly
things. To experience the indwelling Christ, we need to turn to our spirit and contact Him. To enjoy the heavenly Christ, we need to look away from all things on earth unto Him, who has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. By His death and resurrection He accomplished everythingthat is needed by both God and man. Now in His ascension He is sitting in the heavens, in the person of the Son of God (Heb. 1:5) and the Son of Man (2:6), in the person of God (1:8) and man (2:6), as the appointed Heir of all things (1:2), the anointed One of God (v. 9), the Author of our salvation (2:10), the Sanctifier (v. 11), the constant Succor (v. 16), the instant Helper (4:16), the Apostle from God (3:1), the High Priest (2:17; 4:14; 7:26), the
Minister of the true tabernacle (8:2) with a more excellent ministry (v. 6), the surety and the Mediator of a better covenant (7:22; 8:6; 12:24), the Executor of the new testament (9:16-17), the Forerunner (6:20), the Author and Perfecter of our faith (12:2), and the great Shepherd of the sheep (13:20). If we look unto Him as such a wonderful and all-inclusive One, He will minister heaven, life, and strength to us, transfusing and infusing us with all that He is, that we may be able to run the heavenly race and live the heavenly life on earth. In this way He will carry us through all the lifelong pathway and lead and bring us into glory (2:10).

The wonderful Jesus, who is enthroned in heaven and crowned with glory and honor (v. 9), is the greatest attraction in the universe. He is like an immense magnet drawing all His seekers to Him. It is by being attracted by His charming beauty that we look away from all things other than Him. Without such a charming object, how could we look away from so many distracting things on this earth? (Life-study of Hebrews, 2nd ed., pp. 550-552)

Further Reading: Life-study of Hebrews, msgs. 45-46, 49-50