第三週•週六

w03d06-ch

晨興餧養

弗四13『直到我們眾人都達到了信仰上並對神兒子之完全認識上的一，達到了長成的人，達到了基督豐滿之身材的度量。』

提前六21『有些人自稱有這知識，就在信仰上偏離了目標。願恩典與你們同在。』

在以弗所四章三節那靈的一，是在實際上神聖生命的一；十三節的一，是在實行上我們生活中的一。我們在實際上已經有了神聖生命的一，我們只需要持守這一。但我們需要往前，直到我們在實行上達到生活中的一。這方面的一，包括兩件事：信仰，以及對神兒子的完全認識。信仰不是指我們信的行動，乃是指我們所信之事，就如基督神聖的身位，以及祂爲我們的救恩所成就救贖的工作，如猶大書三節，提後四章七節，提前六章二十一節所啓示的。對神兒子的完全認識，乃是對關於神兒子之啓示的領畧，是爲着我們的經歷。我們越在生命中長大，就越固守信仰，持定對基督的領畧，也越拋棄一切引起分裂，次要且較低的道理觀念。然後我們就要達到或達成這實行上的一；也就是說，我們要達到長成的人，達到基督豐滿之身材的度量（聖經恢復本，弗四13 註3）。

信息選讀

在以弗所四章十三節，保羅不僅對聖徒們說，也對十一節裏那些有恩賜的人說，眾人都要達到信仰上的一。…『直到我們眾人都達到了信仰上並對神兒子之完全認識上的一。』接着，還要達到長成的人。若是我們的亮光只停留在片面的真理上，是無法達到信仰上的一。達到信仰上的一，只能在神的兒子身上。我們裏面若真認識神的兒子，守主日或守安息日，對我們就都不成問題。羅馬十四章說，『有人斷定這日比那日強，有人斷定日日都一樣，只是各人自己的心思要堅信不移。』（5）猶太人問主耶穌關於干犯安息日的事，主回答說，『人子是安息日的主。』（太十二8）實在說，不是安息日的問題，乃是『主』的問題。

我們惟有以基督爲中心，專注在祂身上，纔能達到信仰上的一。只有在神的兒子身上，我們的信仰纔能是一。當我們一離開這個中心，立刻就不一了。…如果我們真認識神的兒子，就沒有甚麼可爭的。這個認識不在於我們頭腦的領會，乃在於我們生命的長大；這個認識不是心思的，乃是經歷的。所以，以弗所四章十三節接着說，『達到了長成的人，達到了基督豐滿之身材的度量。』從這節我們可以看見，這裏的認識，乃是因着長大成人、滿有基督豐滿之身材的度量而有的。

卽使我們把『被提』爭對了，人不認識基督，又有甚麼用？若是我們認識神的兒子，也經歷了神的兒子，關於災前或災後被提的豫言問題，對我們就無足輕重了。聖徒們在信仰上的一，不在於這些事上。聖徒們在信仰上的一，乃是在神的兒子身上，在基督身上。

弟兄們在召會行政、管理的事上，…只要和神的兒子—基督—不牴觸的，怎樣實行都可以。我們若看見這個大原則，就不會爭論了。…我們若是以基督—神的兒子—作準則，看得大一點，就都沒有問題。所有的問題，都發生在對神的兒子不彀認識，不彀看見。…達到信仰上的一有賴於我們對神兒子完全的認識（李常受文集一九五二年第二册，一二一至一二二、一二四頁）。

參讀：如何治理召會，第三篇；召會的信仰、見證與立場，第四篇。

WEEK 3 — DAY 6

Morning Nourishment

Eph. 4:13 Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

1 Tim. 6:21 Because of which some, professing this, have misaimed regarding the faith. Grace be with you.

In Ephesians 4:3 the oneness of the Spirit is the oneness of the divine life in reality; in 4:13 the oneness is the oneness of our living in practicality. We already have the oneness of the divine life in reality. We need only to keep it. But we need to go on until we arrive at the oneness of our living in practicality. This aspect of oneness is of two things: the faith and the full knowledge of the Son of God. As revealed in Jude 3, 2 Timothy 4:7, and 1 Timothy 6:21, the faith does not refer to the act of our believing but to the things in which we believe, such as the divine person of Christ and His redemptive work accomplished for our salvation. The full knowledge of the
Son of God is the apprehension of the revelation concerning the Son of God for our experience. The more we grow in life, the more we will cleave to the faith and to the apprehension of Christ, and the more we will drop all the minor and meaner doctrinal concepts that cause divisions. Then we will arrive at, or attain to, the practical oneness; that is, we will arrive at a fullgrown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (Eph. 4:13, footnote 2)

Today’s Reading

In Ephesians 4:13 Paul speaks of the need for all to arrive at the oneness of the faith, not only in relation to the saints but also in relation to the gifts in verse 11. The gifts also all need to arrive at the oneness of the full knowledge of the Son of God; then we will arrive at a full-grown man. If the light we receive stays merely on the surface of the truth, we will have no way to arrive at the oneness of the faith. It is only in the Son of God that we can arrive at the oneness of the faith. If we truly know the Son of God inwardly, whether we keep the Lord’s Day or the Sabbath day will not matter to us. Romans 14:5 says, “One judges one day above another; another judges every day alike. Let each be fully persuaded in his own mind.” The Jews asked the Lord
Jesus about the matter of profaning the Sabbath, and the Lord replied, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matt. 12:8). Actually, it is not a matter of the Sabbath but a matter of the Lord.

Only when we take Christ as the center and focus on Him can we arrive at the oneness of the faith. Only in the Son of God can our faith be one. Once we deviate from this center, the oneness is gone…If we truly know the Son of God, there will be no arguments. This knowing does not depend on mental comprehension but on growth in life; this knowing is not in the mind but in experience. Hence, Ephesians 4:13 continues, saying, “At a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” From this verse we can see that knowing is the result of arriving at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Even though we may win an argument regarding the rapture, what is the profit if people do not know Christ? If we know and experience the Son of God, the matter of the prophecy regarding the rapture will not matter to us. The oneness of the faith among the saints does not depend on the rapture; rather, it depends on the Son of God, Christ.

In the matter of the administration and management of the church,…any practice that is not in contradiction to the Son of God, Christ, is acceptable. If we have seen this great principle, we will not have any arguments…If we take Christ—the Son of God—as the criterion and broaden our view, there will be no problem. All our problems are due to our inadequate knowledge and vision of the Son of God…The oneness of the faith altogether depends on our full knowledge of the Son of God. (CWWL, 1952, vol. 2, “How to Administrate the Church,” pp. 87-89)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1952, vol. 2, “How to Administrate the Church,” ch. 3; CWWL, 1957, vol. 1, “The Faith, Testimony, and Ground of the Church,” ch. 4