第三週 · 週二

w03d02-ch

📖晨興餧養

太二八19 『所以你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，將他們浸入父、子、聖靈的名裏。』

十六19 『我要把諸天之國的鑰匙給你，凡你在地上捆綁的，必是在諸天之上已經捆綁的；凡你在地上釋放的，必是在諸天之上已經釋放的。』

因為所有的權柄都已經賜給屬天的王了，祂就差遣門徒去，使萬民作祂的門徒。他們是帶着祂的權柄去的。使萬民作門徒，就是使外邦人成為國度的子民，好在這地上，就在今天，建立祂的國，就是召會。

請注意，主不是囑咐門徒去傳福音，乃是去使萬民作祂的門徒。兩者的不同在於傳福音僅僅是帶領罪人得救，使萬民作主的門徒乃是使外邦人成為國度的子民。我們受主差遣，不僅要帶人得救，也要使萬民作主的門徒。這是國度的事（馬太福音生命讀經，九一六頁）。

📖信息選讀

基督作為大衛的子孫，…使我們能有分於神聖的權柄。…主已賜我們捆綁並釋放的權柄：『我要把諸天之國的鑰匙給你，凡你在地上捆綁的，必是在諸天之上已經捆綁的；凡你在地上釋放的，必是在諸天之上已經釋放的。』（太十六19）馬太福音論到諸天的國，而諸天的國乃是權柄的事。這卷書所啟示的召會，代表掌權的國度。因此，在十六章十九節，捆綁並釋放的權柄不僅賜給為着召會的使徒彼得，也賜給召會本身（十八17~18）。

二十八章十八至十九節是另一段聖言，啟示我們有分於神聖的權柄。…因着所有的權柄都已賜給屬天的王，大衛的子孫主耶穌，祂就差遣祂的門徒前去，使萬民作主的門徒（新約總論第九冊，三至四頁）。

馬太十二章二十八至二十九節說，『我若靠着神的靈趕鬼，這就是神的國臨到你們了。人怎能進壯者家裏，搶奪他的傢俱？除非先捆綁那壯者，纔能洗劫他的家。』二十八章十八至十九節說，『耶穌進前來，對他們說，天上地上所有的權柄，都賜給我了。所以你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，將他們浸入父、子、聖靈的名裏。』我們需要加強的讀『所以』一辭。『所以』是指天上地上所有的權柄都賜給基督的事實。為這緣故，『所以』我們必須去，使萬民作主的門徒。

我們都必須看見，傳福音不是僅僅傳講或教導，傳福音乃是爭戰。馬太十二章告訴我們，為要傳福音，我們必須捆綁那壯者。撒但就是那壯者，是霸佔所有人的那一位。全世界如今都在黑暗之下，在撒但霸佔的手下。傳福音帶人歸主，乃是從撒但霸佔人的手中搶奪一些傢俱。所以，我們必須禱告來捆綁那壯者撒但。為此我們不只需要能力，也需要權柄。我們可以用員警為例，來說明能力和權柄的分別。馬路上的汽車有能力，但員警有權柄。不論汽車多有能力，員警一聲令下，就有權柄管制汽車（李常受文集一九六五年第一冊，二九五至二九七頁）。

參讀：憑生命的路傳揚福音，第三章。

WEEK 3 — DAY 2

Morning Nourishment

Matt. 28:19 Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

        16:19 I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens.

Because all authority had been given to Him, the heavenly King sent His disciples to disciple all the nations. They go with His authority. To disciple the nations is to cause the heathen to become the kingdom people for the establishing of His kingdom, which is the church, even today on this earth.

Notice that the Lord did not charge the disciples to preach the gospel but to disciple the nations. The difference between preaching the gospel and discipling the nations is that to preach the gospel is simply to bring sinners to salvation, but to disciple the nations is to cause the Gentiles to become the kingdom people. We have been sent by the Lord not only to bring people to salvation but also to disciple the nations. This is a matter of the kingdom. (Life-study of Matthew, 2nd ed., p. 787)

Today’s Reading

Christ’s being the Son of David is…for us to participate in the divine authority…The Lord has given us the authority to bind and to loose. “I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens” (Matt. 16:19). The Gospel of Matthew is concerned with the kingdom of the heavens, which is a matter of authority. The church revealed in this book represents the kingdom to reign. Hence, the authority to bind and to loose is given not only to Peter, the apostle for the church in 16:19, but also to the church itself (18:17-18).

Matthew 28:18-19 is another portion of the Word which reveals that we participate in the divine authority…Because all authority has been given to the Lord Jesus, the Son of David as the heavenly King, He has sent His disciples to go and disciple all the nations. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 2754-2755)

Matthew 12:28 and 29 say, “If I, by the Spirit of God, cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter into the house of the strong man and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will thoroughly plunder his house.” Verses 18 and 19 of chapter 28 say, “Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We need to read the word therefore strongly. Therefore refers to the fact that all authority has been given to Christ. For this cause, “therefore,” we must go to disciple all the nations, to make all the nations disciples.

We all have to realize that to preach the gospel is not merely to preach or to teach; it is to fight the battle. Matthew 12 tells us that in order to preach the gospel we have to bind the strong man. Satan is the strong man, the one who usurps all people. The whole world is now under darkness and the usurping hand of Satan. To preach the gospel to bring someone to the Lord is to plunder some goods out of the usurping hand of Satan. Therefore, we have to pray to bind the strong man Satan. For this we need not only power but also authority. We can illustrate the difference between power and authority with a policeman. Cars on the street have power, but a policeman has authority. No matter how powerful a car is, when a policeman gives an order, he has the authority over the car. (CWWL, 1965, vol. 1, “Preaching the Gospel in the Way of Life,” pp. 219-220)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1965, vol. 1, “Preaching the Gospel in the Way of Life,” ch. 3