第一週  爲着神的經綸之神的行政

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詩歌：447

讀經：彼前一2 ～ 3，5，10 ～ 12，20，二1 ～ 5，9，三4，四14，五10，彼後一4，三13，18

【週一】

壹 彼得書信的主題是神的行政連同神的審判：

一 神的審判是從天使開始，（彼後二3 ～ 4，）經過舊約各世代的人。（5 ～ 9。）

二 在新約時代，審判是從神的家起首，（彼前一17，二23，四6，17，）一直持續到主的日子來到；（彼後三10；）這日子就是在千年國以前，審判猶太人、信徒和外邦人的日子。（12。）

三 千年國以後，一切的死者，包括人和鬼，都要受審判而滅亡，（彼前四5，彼後三7，）諸天和地也都要燒盡。（10 下，12。）

四 各種審判的結果都不一樣；有些審判的結果是管教的對付，有些是時代的刑罰，有些是永遠的沉淪—二1 註5 第二點。

五 無論如何，主神要藉着這一切的審判，清理並潔淨整個宇宙，使祂得着一個新天新地，成爲充滿祂義的新宇宙，（三13，）使祂喜悅。

六 神行政的審判也可見於但以理書：

1 因着尼布甲尼撒的『心高傲，靈也剛愎，甚至行事狂傲，就被革去王位，奪去榮耀』；（五20；）神說，等他『知道諸天掌權』，以後他的國必定歸他。（四26，五21。）

2 他的子孫伯沙撒雖然知道這一切，卻在神面前荒淫放蕩，褻瀆神的聖別，於是但以理對他說，『你…沒有將尊榮歸與那手中有你氣息，管理你一切道路的神；』（22 ～ 23；）因此，他的國『分裂，歸與瑪代人和波斯人』。（28。）

【週二】

七 因此，彼得告訴我們，『當在你們寄居的時日中，憑着敬畏行事爲人；』（彼前一17；）他也說我們需要『謙卑，服在神大能的手下，使祂到了時候，可以叫你們升高』；（五6；）甘願讓神使人降卑的手在祂的管教裏叫我們卑微，乃是先決條件，讓神那使人升高的手叫我們升高，並叫我們享受三一神自己作那在謙卑信徒裏面繁增之生命的供應。（5，一2，四10。）

八 敬畏神就是尊崇神，在每件事上顧到並尊重神，（詩八六11，賽十一2，箴一7，三5 ～10，）絕不忘記祂是創造我們的奇妙之神；（賽四三7；）敬畏神使我們停止作惡；也會使我們感受別人的苦難，並向他們施憐憫，動憐恤。

【週三、週四】

貳 雖然彼得前後書的主題是神的行政，但這不是這兩卷書信的中心焦點和基本結構；凡與神行政有關的事，都應當帶我們回到這兩卷書信的中心焦點和基本結構，就是三一神作我們完滿的享受，以完成神的經綸：

一 彼得前後書的中心焦點和基本結構，乃是奮力活動的三一神在祂的經綸裏作工，要把祂所揀選的人帶進對三一神完滿的享受裏；我們人的靈作爲心中隱藏的人，以及神的靈作爲榮耀的靈和基督的靈，乃是我們在神聖性情裏有分於神作我們之分的憑藉—彼前一2 ～ 3，5，11，二1 ～ 3，5，9，三4，四14，五10，彼後一4。

二 彼得前後書的中心焦點和基本結構，乃是三一神在作工，要完成祂完整的救恩，使我們得重生、從祂的話得餧養、長大、被變化並被建造，而使祂得着一個居所，並使我們被榮化，以彰顯祂—彼前一23，二1 ～ 5，9。

【週五】

三 彼得放膽承認，早期的使徒如約翰、保羅和他自己，雖然風格、辭句、發表、見地的角度、教訓的陳明，各不相同，但他們都有分於同樣惟一的職事，就是新約的職事—彼後一12 ～21，三2，15 ～ 16，林後三6，8 ～ 9，四1。

四 這樣一個職事的中心點，乃是將包羅萬有的基督這三一神的具體化身供應給人；這三一神經過了成肉體、過人生、釘十架、復活、升天等過程後，藉着基督的救贖並憑着聖靈的運行，把祂自己分賜給祂的贖民，作他們惟一的生命之分，並生命的供應和一切，好照着父永遠的定旨，建造召會作基督的身體，總結於三一神完滿的彰顯，就是三一神的豐滿—徒二36，三13，15，十36，彼前一2 ～3，18 ～ 19，23，二2 ～ 5，7，9，25，三7，四10，17，五2，4，10，彼後一2 ～ 4，三18。

【週六】

叁 彼得在他僅有八章的兩封書信裏，說到神的整個經綸，從創世以前已過的永遠，（彼前一2，20，）說到將來永遠的新天新地；（彼後三13；）他從以下四方面揭示，眾申言者所豫言、眾使徒所傳講（彼前一10 ～ 12）神經綸中重要的事：

一 從三一神一面說：

1 父神在永遠裏照着祂的先見揀選了一班人，（1 ～ 2，二9，）並且呼召他們進入祂的榮耀。（彼後一3。）

2 基督在創世以前，是豫先被神知道的，卻在這末後的時期纔顯現出來；（彼前一20；）祂已經憑祂的代死，（二24，三18，）藉祂生命中的復活，並大能裏的升天，（一3，三21 ～ 22，）救贖並拯救了神所揀選的人。（一18 ～ 19，2。）

3 從天上差來的那靈，已經聖別並潔淨基督所救贖並拯救的人（2，12，22，四14）—天使也渴望詳細察看這些事。（一12。）

4 三一神的神能已將一切關於生命和敬虔的事賜給蒙救贖的人，（彼後一3 ～ 4，）要保守他們得着完全的救恩。（彼前一5。）

5 神也藉着祂一些不同的行政審判（17，二23，四5 ～6，17，彼後二3 ～ 4，9，三7）管教他們，（彼前五6，）又藉着祂全般的恩典成全、堅固、加強他們，給他們立定根基。（10。）

6 主對他們恆忍，使他們都有機會悔改得救—彼後三9，15。

7 然後，基督要顯現在榮耀裏，給那些愛祂的人帶來完全的救恩—彼前一5，7 ～ 9，13，四13，五4。

二 從信徒一面說：

1 信徒是神的產業，爲神揀選，（一2，二9，）蒙祂用祂的榮耀和美德所召，（9，三9，彼後一3，10，）爲基督所救贖，（彼前一18 ～ 19，）藉神活的話由神重生，（3，23，）並藉基督的復活得救。（三21。）

2 他們現今蒙神的能力保守，（一5，）得潔淨以致彼此相愛，（22，）藉着話奶的餧養而長大，（二2，）在生命裏發展屬靈的美德，（彼後一5 ～ 8，）被變化且被建造成爲屬靈的殿，就是聖別的祭司體系以事奉神。（彼前二4 ～ 5，9。）

3 他們是神所揀選的族類，是君尊的祭司體系，是聖別的國度，是作神私有產業的奇特子民，以彰顯祂的美德—9 節。

4 他們受神行政審判的管教，（一17，二19 ～ 21，三9，14，17，四6，12 ～ 19，五6，9，）憑佳美的品行和敬虔，過聖別的生活，以榮耀神，（一15，二12，三1 ～ 2，）在長老作榜樣的牧養之下，（五1 ～ 4，）作神諸般恩典的好管家服事人，叫神藉着基督得榮耀，（四10 ～ 11，）並且期待、催促主的來臨，（一13，彼後三12，）叫他們得着豐富充足的供應，以進入主永遠的國。（一11。）

5 他們更期待永世裏有神的義居住其中的新天新地，（三13，）並且不斷在我們的主和救主耶穌基督的恩典和知識上長大。（18。）

三 從撒但一面說—撒但是信徒的對頭，是魔鬼，如同吼叫的獅子，徧地遊行，尋找可吞喫的人—彼前五8。

四 從宇宙一面說：

1 墮落的天使被定罪，等候永遠的審判；（彼後二4；）上古不敬虔的世界被洪水毀滅；（5，三6；）不敬虔的城被焚燒成灰；（二6；）背道的假教師和異端譏誚者，以及過邪惡生活的人，都要受審判遭毀壞；（1，3，9 ～ 10，12，三3 ～ 4，7，彼前四5；）諸天和地要被燒盡；（彼後三7，10 ～ 11；）並且所有的死人和鬼都要受審判。（彼前四5。）

2 然後，那作新宇宙的新天新地就要來到，有神的義居住在其中，直到永遠—彼後三13，參賽一26。

Week One

The Government of God for the Economy of God

Hymns: 608

Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 1:2-3, 5, 10-12, 20; 2:1-5, 9; 3:4; 4:14; 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:4; 3:13, 18

§ Day 1

I. The subject of Peters Epistles is the government of God with His judgment:

A. Gods judgment began from the angels (2 Pet. 2:3-4) and passed through the generations of man in the Old Testament (vv. 5-9).

B. In the New Testament age it begins from the house of God (1 Pet. 1:17; 2:23; 4:6, 17) and continues until the coming of the day of the Lord (2 Pet. 3:10), which will be a day of judgment on the Jews, the believers, and the Gentiles before the millennium (v. 12).

C. After the millennium all the dead, including men and demons, will be judged and will perish (1 Pet. 4:5; 2 Pet. 3:7), and the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire (vv. 10b, 12).

D. The results of the various judgments are not the same; some judgments result in a disciplinary dealing, some in a dispensational punishment, and some in eternal perdition—2:1, footnote 5, point 2.

E. However, by all these judgments the Lord God will clear up and purify the entire universe that He may have a new heaven and a new earth for a new universe filled with His righteousness (3:13) for His delight.

F. Gods governmental judgment can also be seen in the book of Daniel:

1. Because Nebuchadnezzars "heart was lifted up and his spirit became so arrogant that he conducted himself in pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken away from him" (5:20); God said that his kingdom would be assured to him after he had "come to know that the heavens do rule" (4:26; 5:21).

2. Although his descendant Belshazzar knew all this, his debauchery before  God was an insult to Gods holiness, and Daniel told him that "the God in whose hand is your breath and to whom all your ways belong, you have not honored" (vv. 22-23); thus, his kingdom was "divided and given to the Medes and Persians" (v. 28).

§ Day 2

G. Thus, Peter tells us that we should "pass the time of your sojourning in fear" (1 Pet. 1:17); he also says that we need to "be humbled under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time" (5:6); to be willing to be made low by Gods humbling hand in His discipline is a prerequisite to our being made high by Gods exalting hand and to our enjoying the Triune God Himself as our life supply, which is multiplied in the humble
believer (v. 5; 1:2; 4:10).

H. To fear the Lord is to revere Him and to consider and regard Him in everything (Psa. 86:11; Isa. 11:2; Prov. 1:7; 3:5-10), never forgetting that He is the wonderful God who has created us (Isa. 43:7); fearing the Lord stops us from doing evil; it also causes us to be touched by the sufferings of others and to show mercy and compassion to them.

§ Day 3 & Day 4

II. Although the subject of 1 and 2 Peter is Gods government, this is not the central focus and basic structure of these Epistles; everything concerning Gods government should bring us back to the central focus and basic structure of these Epistles—the Triune God as our full enjoyment to carry out the economy of God:

A. The central focus and basic structure of 1 and 2 Peter are the energizing Triune God operating in His economy to bring His chosen ones into the full enjoyment of the Triune God; our human spirit, as the hidden man of the heart, and Gods Spirit, as the Spirit of glory and as the Spirit of Christ, are the means for us to partake of God, in His divine nature, as our portion—1 Pet. 1:2-3, 5, 11; 2:1-3, 5, 9; 3:4; 4:14; 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:4.

B. The central focus and basic structure of 1 and 2 Peter are the Triune God operating to accomplish His complete salvation so that we may be regenerated, so that we may feed on His word, and so that we may grow, be transformed, and be built up in order that He may have a dwelling place and we may be glorified to express Him—1 Pet. 1:23; 2:1-5, 9.

§ Day 5

C. Peter was bold in admitting that the early apostles, such as John, Paul, and himself (although their style, terminology, utterance, certain aspects of their views, and the way they presented their teachings differed), participated in the same, unique ministry, the ministry of the New Testament—2 Pet. 1:12-21; 3:2, 15-16; 2 Cor. 3:6, 8-9; 4:1.

D. Such a ministry ministers to people, as its focus, the all-inclusive Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God, who, after passing through the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, dispenses Himself through the redemption of Christ and by the operation of the Holy Spirit into His redeemed people as their unique portion of life and as their life supply and everything, for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ, which will consummate in the full expression, the fullness, of the Triune God, according to the eternal purpose of the Father—Acts 2:36; 3:13, 15; 10:36; 1 Pet. 1:2-3, 18-19, 23; 2:2-5, 7, 9, 25; 3:7; 4:10, 17; 5:2, 4, 10; 2 Pet. 1:2-4; 3:18.

§ Day 6

III. In his two Epistles, comprising only eight chapters, Peter covers the entire economy of God, from eternity past before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:2, 20) to the new heavens and new earth in eternity future (2 Pet. 3:13); he unveils the crucial things related to Gods economy, concerning which things the prophets prophesied and the apostles preached (1 Pet. 1:10-12) from four sides:

A. From the side of the Triune God:

1. God the Father chose a people in eternity according to His foreknowledge (vv. 1-2; 2:9) and called them into His glory (2 Pet. 1:3).

2. Christ, foreknown by God before the foundation of the world but manifested in the last times (1 Pet. 1:20), has redeemed and saved Gods chosen people (vv. 18-19, 2) by His vicarious death (2:24; 3:18) through His resurrection in life and ascension in power (1:3; 3:21-22).

3. The Spirit, sent from heaven, has sanctified and purified those whom Christ has redeemed and saved (1:2, 12, 22; 4:14)—the angels long to look into these things (1:12).

4. The Triune Gods divine power has provided the redeemed ones with all things that relate to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3-4) to guard them unto full salvation (1 Pet. 1:5).

5. God also disciplines them (5:6) by some of His varied governmental judgments (1:17; 2:23; 4:5-6, 17; 2 Pet. 2:3-4, 9; 3:7), and He will perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground them by His all grace (1 Pet. 5:10).

6. The Lord is long-suffering toward them that they all may have opportunity to repent unto salvation—2 Pet. 3:9, 15.

7. Then, Christ will appear in glory with His full salvation for His lovers—1 Pet. 1:5, 7-9, 13; 4:13; 5:4.

B. From the side of the believers:

1. The believers, as Gods possession, were chosen by God (1:2; 2:9), called by His glory and virtue (v. 9; 3:9; 2 Pet. 1:3, 10), redeemed by Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19), regenerated by God through His living word (vv. 3, 23), and saved through the resurrection of Christ (3:21).

2. They now are being guarded by the power of God (1:5), are being purified to love one another (v. 22), are growing by feeding on the milk of the word (2:2), are developing in life the spiritual virtues (2 Pet. 1:5-8), and are being transformed and built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to serve God (1 Pet. 2:4-5, 9).

3. They are Gods chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, and peculiar people for His private possession to express His virtues—v. 9.

4. They are being disciplined by His governmental judgment (1:17; 2:19- 21; 3:9, 14, 17; 4:6, 12-19; 5:6, 9), are living a holy life in an excellent manner and in godliness to glorify Him (1:15; 2:12; 3:1-2), are ministering as good stewards of His varied grace for His glorification through Christ (4:10-11)—under the elders exemplary shepherding
(5:1-4)—and are expecting and hastening the coming of the Lord (1:13; 2 Pet. 3:12) in order to be richly supplied with an entrance into the eternal kingdom of the Lord (1:11).

5. Further, they are expecting the new heavens and new earth, in which righteousness dwells, in eternity (3:13), and they are growing continually in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (v. 18).

C. From the side of Satan—Satan is the believers adversary, the devil, who as a roaring lion is walking about, seeking someone to devour—1 Pet. 5:8.

D. From the side of the universe:

1. The fallen angels were condemned and are awaiting eternal judgment (2 Pet. 2:4); the ancient ungodly world was destroyed by a flood (v. 5; 3:6); the ungodly cities were reduced to ashes (2:6); the false teachers and heretical mockers in the apostasy and mankind in his evil living will all be judged unto destruction (vv. 1, 3, 9-10, 12; 3:3-4, 7; 1 Pet. 4:5); the heavens and the earth will be burned up (2 Pet. 3:7, 10-11); and all the dead men and the demons will be judged (1 Pet. 4:5).

2. Then the new heavens and new earth will come as a new universe, in which Gods righteousness will dwell for eternity—2 Pet. 3:13; cf. Isa. 1:26.