第一週■週三

w01d03-ch

晨興餧養

彼前二4 ～ 5『你們來到祂這爲人所棄絕，卻爲神所揀選所寶貴的活石跟前，也就像活石，被建造成爲屬靈的殿，成爲聖別的祭司體系，藉着耶穌基督獻上神所悅納的屬靈祭物。』

雖然彼得前後書的主題是神的行政，特別是祂在審判上所顯示的行政，但這不是這兩卷書的中心焦點。神聖的行政也不是彼得書信的基本結構。這些書信的中心焦點是甚麼？基本結構是甚麼？…實際上，彼得前書只有一章半在生命上是要緊的。〔一1 ～二10。〕…此外，我們也需要把彼得在五章十節的話看爲重要的。彼得在這一節說，『但那全般恩典的神，就是那曾在基督耶穌裏召你們進入祂永遠榮耀的，等你們暫受苦難之後，必要親自成全你們，堅固你們，加強你們，給你們立定根基。』…在彼得後書裏，一章上半和末了一章最後一節在生命上是要緊的。在彼得前後書這些要緊的部分裏，有這些書信的中心焦點。（猶大書生命讀經，四七至四八頁。）

信息選讀

在彼前一章，我們看見三一神爲着祂完全的救恩而有的工作。在二節我們看見父神的先見、那靈的聖別、以及耶穌基督的灑血。這節啓示父的先見、子的救贖、和那靈的實施。這就是三一神的工作，爲要成功神完全的救恩。在三節彼得說，父重生了我們，使我們有活的盼望。神完全的救恩由三種元素構成：父的重生、子的救贖、和那靈的實施。我們經歷這救恩的時候，就有一種以聖別和愛爲特徵的生活。我們的生活方式是聖別的，並且我們愛弟兄。所以，聖別和愛乃是神完全救恩的結果。不僅如此，這救恩裏還有不能壞的種子，就是神活而常存的話。這就是彼前一章的簡單概要。

現在，我們繼續看彼前二章一至十一節。我們旣蒙了重生，如今就是纔生的嬰孩，切慕那純淨的話奶，叫我們靠此長大，以致得救。（2。）我們在一章看見，我們蒙了重生，並且神完全的救恩乃是我們的分。如今我們需要有分於並享受這救恩。爲此，我們需要從話奶得餧養。

藉着從純淨的話奶得餧養並且長大以致得救，我們就會變化成爲寶石。所以，彼得說到信徒是活石。（二5。）這些石頭乃是爲着建造屬靈的殿，這殿就是聖別的祭司體系：『〔你們〕也就像活石，被建造成爲屬靈的殿，成爲聖別的祭司體系，藉着耶穌基督獻上神所悅納的屬靈祭物。』（5。）一面，屬靈的殿就是神的居所；另一面，這殿宣揚神的美德，彰顯神的所是。

這屬靈的殿當然是團體的。我們以團體的方式建造在一起，爲要給神一個居所，並宣揚神的美德，就是彰顯祂。

在彼得前書〔一章和二章一至十一節〕這兩段裏，包括五章十節在內，有這卷書的中心焦點。我們需要完全被這中心抓住。這樣，當我們留意這卷書的其他事情時，就沒有從這中心岔開的危機。

我們可以將彼得前書的中心焦點比作人體內的心臟。我們不該不惜損壞心臟來照顧身體其他的肢體。我們可以失去一個腳趾、一個手臂或一條腿，而仍然活着。但我們沒有心臟，就活不成了。照樣，我們需要顧到彼得前書的『心臟』，中心焦點。（猶大書生命讀經，四八至五○頁。）

參讀：猶大書生命讀經，第四至五篇；在神聖三一裏並同神聖三一活着，第四、六章。

WEEK 1 — DAY 3

Morning Nourishment

1 Pet. 2:4-5 Coming to Him, a living stone, rejected by men but with God chosen and precious, you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Although the subject of 1 and 2 Peter is God’s government, especially His government shown in His judgment, this is not the central focus of these books. Neither is the divine government the basic structure of the Epistles of Peter. What is the focus of these Epistles? What is their basic structure? In 1 Peter actually only one and a half chapters are crucial in relation to life [1:1—2:11]… In addition, we need to regard Peter’s word in 5:10 as crucial. In this verse Peter says, “The God of all grace, He who has called you into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground you.”…In [2 Peter] the first half of the first chapter and the last verse of the last chapter are crucial in relation to life. In these vital portions of 1 and 2 Peter we have the central focus of these Epistles.
(Life-study of Jude, p. 38)

Today’s Reading

In chapter 1 of 1 Peter we see the operation of the Triune God for His full salvation. In verse 2 we see the foreknowledge of God the Father, the sanctification of the Spirit, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. This verse reveals the Father’s foreknowledge, the Son’s redemption, and the Spirit’s application. This is the operation of the Triune God to carry out God’s full salvation. In verse 3 Peter says that the Father has regenerated us unto a living hope. The full salvation of God is composed of three elements: the Father’s regeneration, the Son’s redemption, and the Spirit’s application. When we experience this salvation, we have a life that is characterized by holiness and love. We are holy in our manner of life, and we love the brothers. Therefore, holiness and love are the issue of God’s full salvation. Furthermore, in this salvation there is a seed, the incorruptible seed, which is the living and abiding word of God. This is a simple sketch of chapter 1 of 1 Peter.

Let us now go on to consider 1 Peter 2:1-11. Having been regenerated, we are now newborn babes longing for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it we may grow unto salvation (v. 2). In chapter 1 we see that we have been regenerated and that the full salvation of God is our portion. Now we need to partake of and enjoy this salvation. For this, we need to feed on the milk of the word.

By feeding on the guileless milk of the word and by growing unto salvation, we will be transformed into precious stones. Therefore, Peter refers to the believers as living stones (v. 5). These stones are for the building up of a spiritual house, and this house is a holy priesthood: “You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (v. 5). On the one hand, this spiritual house is God’s dwelling place; on the other hand, it is something that tells forth the virtues of God, that expresses what God is.

This spiritual house, of course, is a corporate matter. We are being built up together in a corporate way to afford God a dwelling place and to tell out God’s virtues, that is, to express Him.

In these two portions of 1 Peter, including 5:10, we have the central focus of this book. We need to be fully captured by this focus. Then we will not be in danger of being distracted from this focus as we pay attention to the other matters in this book.

We may compare the central focus of 1 Peter to the heart in the human body. We should not take care of the other members of the body at the cost of damaging our heart. We may lose a toe, an arm, or a leg and still live. But we cannot live without a heart. In a similar way, we need to care for the “heart,” the central focus, of 1 Peter. (Life-study of Jude, pp. 38-40)

Further Reading: Life-study of Jude, msgs. 4—5; CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, “Living in and with the Divine Trinity,” chs. 4, 6