第二週■週一

w02d01-ch

晨興餧養

彼前四17『因爲時候到了，審判要從神的家起首。若是先從我們起首，那不信從神福音的人，將有何等的結局？』

彼後一2『願恩典與平安，因你們充分認識神和我們的主耶穌，繁增的歸與你們。』

彼得這兩封書信的主題乃是神宇宙的行政。…如我們所知道的，馬太福音說到國度。不要以爲行政與國度是相同的。不，國度是一件事，行政是另一件事。國家有政府（行政）。然而，政府不是國家；政府乃是國家的行政中心。（彼得前書生命讀經，一一頁。）

信息選讀

雖然馬太福音陳明國度，那卷書裏卻找不着行政。神的行政是在彼得的著作裏。馬可福音陳明服事，路加福音陳明救恩，約翰福音陳明生命。因此，四福音裏有國度、服事、救恩和生命，卻沒有神的行政。彼得在他的書信裏給我們看見神宇宙的行政，藉此補上這缺欠。

神藉着審判來管理。這是神施行祂行政的路。我是年長的人，藉着研讀和觀察，對世界歷史有一點認識，我能見證我常在神面前低頭敬拜。祂是管理者，祂藉着審判來管理。神審判了希特勒、史達林、和其他作惡的人。一面，神多少容忍他們作一些事，來爲祂的定旨効力，如希特勒屠殺猶太人，促使猶太人合一。然而，神也審判了這些作惡的人。

彼得前後書裏有神審判的記載。神藉着洪水審判地。後來祂審判所多瑪和蛾摩拉。神審判的歷史也包括在曠野對以色列人的審判。在以色列人飄流的年間，他們一再經歷神的審判。除了約書亞和迦勒以外，所有出埃及的人，包括摩西、亞倫和米利暗，都在神的審判之下死在曠野。不但如此，聖經說，神使成千不順從的人倒斃在曠野。那是神的審判。我們不該以爲神只審判希特勒和史達林這樣作惡的人。神也審判祂自己的子民。照着彼前四章十七節，神行政的審判要從祂自己的家起首。

神行政審判的目的…是要清理祂的宇宙。…神不願居住或停留在不潔淨的地方。因此，神在潔淨、煉淨宇宙。首先祂煉淨我們，就是祂的家。我們現今是祂潔淨工作的中心。有時候你豈不是對自己說，『爲甚麼我越愛主耶穌，難處就越多？我的親戚很發達；他們非常亨通。但我的情況似乎越來越糟。』有些聖徒的健康有問題；有些人對兒女失望。我們有難處，原因是神的審判從祂自己的家起首。你我都在神的審判之下。

彼得寫這兩封書信（尤其是第一封）的原因是，分散的猶太信徒在受逼迫。他們在經歷火煉的試驗。彼得將這逼迫比作熔爐的焚燒。因着信徒受困擾，並且可能在疑惑，彼得就寫信教導他們，也安慰他們。在彼前五章十節他說，『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。』這裏彼得似乎在告訴信徒，他們不需要疑惑，因爲神在成全他們。正如石頭被切割，好適合擺在建築物裏；我們也需要被『切割』，好得着成全、堅固、加強，並立定根基。彼得寫信安慰受苦、遭逼迫的聖徒，給他們看見，他們都在神的行政之下。神的行政乃是首先施行在祂自己的兒女身上。（彼得前書生命讀經，一一至一三頁。）

參讀：彼得前書生命讀經，第一篇。

WEEK 2 — DAY 1

Morning Nourishment

1 Pet. 4:17 For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if first from us, what will be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?

2 Pet. 1:2 Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

In his two Epistles Peter is on the subject of God’s universal government… As we know, Matthew is on the kingdom. Do not think that the government and the kingdom are identical. No, the kingdom is one thing, and the government is another. A country or nation has a government. The government, however, is not the nation; rather, the government is the administrative center of the nation. (Life-study of 1 Peter, p. 8)

Today’s Reading

Although Matthew presents the kingdom, the government is not found in that book. The government of God is in the writings of Peter. Mark presents service; Luke, salvation; and John, life. Thus, in the four Gospels we have the kingdom, service, salvation, and life. But we do not have the divine government. In his Epistles Peter makes up this lack by showing us God’s universal government.

God governs by judging. This is the way God carries out His government. As an elderly man who has some knowledge of world history both by study and  observation, I can testify that I bow before God. He is the governing One, and He governs by judging. God has judged Hitler, Stalin, and other evildoers. On the one hand, to some extent, God tolerated them in doing certain things that served His purpose…Nevertheless, God judged them.

In 1 and 2 Peter we have a record of God’s judgment. God judged the earth by means of the flood, the deluge. Later, He judged Sodom and Gomorrah. The history of God’s judgment also includes the judgment upon the children of Israel in the wilderness. During their years of wandering, the children of Israel experienced God’s judgment again and again. With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, all of those who came out of Egypt, including Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, died in the wilderness under God’s judgment. Furthermore, the Bible says that thousands of the disobedient ones were strewn by God in the wilderness. That was God’s judgment. We should not think that God judges only evildoers such as Hitler and Stalin. God also judges His own people. According to 1 Peter 4:17, God’s governing judgment begins from His own household.

The purpose of God’s governing judgment [is] to clear up His universe…God will not live or dwell in a place that is unclean. Thus, God is cleansing, purifying, the universe. First, He purifies us, His household. We are now the center of His cleaning work. Do you not sometimes say to yourself, “Why is it that the more I love the Lord Jesus, the more difficulties I have? My relatives are flourishing; they are doing very well. But my situation seems to get worse and worse.” Some saints have problems with their health; others are disappointed with their children. The reason we have difficulties is that God’s judgment begins from His own household. You and I are under God’s judgment.

The reason the two Epistles of Peter were written, especially the first, was that the dispersed Jewish believers were suffering persecution. They were undergoing a fiery trial. Peter compares this persecution to the burning of a furnace. Because the believers were troubled and perhaps doubting, Peter wrote to instruct them and also to comfort them. In 1 Peter 5:10 he 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.” Here Peter seems to be telling the believers that there is no need for them to doubt, for God is perfecting them…Peter wrote to comfort the suffering, persecuted saints, showing them that all of them were under God’s government. The exercise of God’s government is first upon His own children. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 9-11)

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msg. 1