第六週■週四

w06d04-ch

晨興餧養

彼後一7『在敬虔上供應弟兄相愛，在弟兄相愛上供應愛。』

彼前三8『總之，你們眾人都要心思一致，同情體恤，弟兄相愛，心存慈憐，心思卑微。』

弟兄相愛，原文由『有情愛爲着』和『弟兄』組成；所以是弟兄的情愛，就是一種以喜悅和快樂爲特徵的愛。

彼後一章七節的愛，原文在新約中用以指神聖的愛，就是神在祂性情上的所是。（約壹四8，16。）這比人的愛高尚，妝飾基督徒生活的一切品質。…這比人的愛能力更強，度量更廣，（太五44，46，）信徒若憑着神聖的生命而活，（彼後一3，）並有分於神的性情，（4，）就能被這愛浸透，並將這愛完全彰顯出來。這樣的愛需要在弟兄相愛上得着發展，以管治弟兄相愛，並在其中流通，好完全彰顯是這愛的神。（彼得後書生命讀經，五六至五七頁。）

信息選讀

彼得在前書一章的思想是三一神完全的救恩產生聖別和弟兄相愛。聖別與敬虔有關。因此，神完全救恩的結果是神的彰顯和弟兄相愛。

在質上，可能也在量上，神聖的愛都超過人的愛。有時候，我們也許用一點弟兄的愛，狹窄、有限的愛弟兄。在我們的愛裏也許有偏愛，我們也許愛某些弟兄過於別人。…因爲彼得很老練，並知道聖徒中間的情況，所以他不停在弟兄相愛，而往前說到愛，說到神聖的愛，就是父神用以愛全人類，愛信
徒和罪人，那深刻、高尚的愛。

在馬太五章四十四至四十七節主耶穌說，『但是我告訴你們，要愛你們的仇敵，爲那逼迫你們的禱告，你們就可以作你們諸天之上父的兒子；因爲祂叫祂的日頭上升，照惡人，也照好人；降雨給義人，也給不義的人。你們若愛那愛你們的人，有甚麼賞賜？稅吏不也是這樣行麼？…』正如神降雨給義人，也給不義的人，照樣，我們應當不僅愛我們的弟兄，也愛我們的仇敵。人要愛自己的弟兄，不需要花許多力量或精力。但要愛我們的仇敵，的確需要特別的力量和精力。我們都需要有這高尚的愛。

在召會生活中，我們也許較喜歡某位我們認爲好的弟兄而愛他，但我們也許不怎麼欣賞另一位弟兄。我們也許對兩位弟兄都有愛，但那愛是膚淺的。所以，我們需要更深刻、更高尚的愛。這愛是神聖的愛。我們有了這樣的愛，就同樣的愛眾弟兄，無論他們是怎樣的弟兄。

彼後一章五至七節有從信到愛的發展。這發展包括美德、知識、節制、忍耐和敬虔。至終，有完全的發展和成熟，從信的種子，經過美德和知識的根，節制的榦，以及忍耐和敬虔的枝子，到弟兄相愛和愛的花和果子。

在八節彼得接着說，『因爲這幾樣存在你們裏面，且不斷增多，就必將你們構成非閒懶不結果子的，以致充分的認識我們的主耶穌基督。』『這幾樣』，指五至七節所說，從信到愛的一切美德。信、美德、知識、節制、忍耐、敬虔、弟兄相愛和愛，都該存在我們裏面。然而，這些只是神聖的能力所賜給我們一切事的幾樣。我們需要看見，所有這些事都包括在種子裏面。這種子包含了根、榦、枝子、花和果子。（彼得後書生命讀經，五七至五九頁。）

參讀：彼得後書生命讀經，第六篇。

WEEK 6 — DAY 4

Morning Nourishment

2 Pet. 1:7 And in godliness, brotherly love; and in brotherly love, love.

1 Pet. 3:8 And finally be all of the same mind, sympathetic, loving the brothers, tenderhearted, humble-minded.

The Greek word rendered “brotherly love” is philadelphia, composed of phileo, “to have affection for,” and adelphos, “a brother”; hence, brotherly affection, a love characterized by delight and pleasure.

The Greek word for love in 2 Peter 1:7 is agape, the word used in the New Testament for the divine love, which God is in His nature (1 John 4:8, 16). It is nobler than phileo, human love. It adorns all the qualities of the Christian life…It is stronger in ability and greater in capacity than human love (Matt. 5:44, 46), yet a believer who lives by the divine life (2 Pet. 1:3) and partakes of the divine nature (v. 4) can be saturated with it and express it in full. Such a love needs to be developed in brotherly love to govern it
and flow in it for the full expression of God, who is this love. (Life-study of 2 Peter, pp. 47-48)

Today’s Reading

Peter’s thought in [1 Peter 1] is that the full salvation of the Triune God issues  in holiness and brotherly love. Holiness is related to godliness. Hence, the issue of God’s full salvation is the expression of God and the love for the brothers.

In quality and perhaps also in quantity, agape is greater than phileo. Sometimes we may love the brothers in a narrow, limited way with a certain amount of brotherly love. In our love we may have preferences and love certain brothers more than others…Because Peter was experienced and knew the situation among the saints, he did not stop with brotherly love but went on to speak of love, of agape, the deep and noble love with which God the Father loves all mankind, both believers and sinners.

In Matthew 5:44-47 the Lord Jesus said, “I say to you, Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father who is in the heavens, because He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?…” As God sends rain upon both the just and the unjust, so we should love not only our brothers but also our enemies. It does not take much strength or energy for someone to love his own brother. But it does take a special strength and energy to love our enemies. We all need to have this noble love.

In the church life we may prefer a certain brother whom we regard as nice and love him, but we may not appreciate another brother as much. We may have love for both brothers, but that love is shallow. Therefore, we need a deeper, nobler love [agape]. When we have this kind of love, we love all the brothers the same, no matter what kind of brothers they may be.

In 2 Peter 1:5-7 we have the development from faith to love. This development includes virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, and godliness. Eventually, we have the full development and maturity from the seed of faith, through the roots of virtue and knowledge, the trunk of self-control, and the branches of endurance and godliness, to the blossom and the fruit of brotherly love and love.

In verse 8 Peter goes on to say, “For these things, existing in you and abounding, constitute you neither idle nor unfruitful unto the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The words these things refer to all the virtues covered in verses 5 through 7, from faith to love. Faith, virtue, knowledge, selfcontrol, endurance, godliness, brotherly love, and love should all exist in us. Nevertheless, these are only some of the “all things” that have been granted to us by the divine power. We need to see that all these things are included in the seed. This seed contains the root, the trunk, the branches, the blossom, and the fruit. (Life-study of 2 Peter, pp. 48-49)

Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Peter, msg. 6