第二十二週　一個新人—作為神的傑作—的創造者

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讀經：創一26，弗二14～16，四22～24

【週　一】

壹　神創造人的目的是要得著一個團體的人，以彰顯祂並代表祂—創一26，弗二15：

一　神按著祂自己的形像造人，以彰顯祂，並將祂的管治權給人，使人能代表祂以對付祂的仇敵—創一26。

二　召會作為在新造中的新人，有神的形像，作神的彰顯，並為著神的國度與神的仇敵爭戰—西三10～11，弗二15，四24，六10～11。

三　在舊人裏分裂並分散的，在新人裏得著恢復—創十一5～9，徒二5～12，西三10～11。

【週　二】

貳　新人作為神的詩章、傑作，乃是藉著基督的死並在祂的復活裏所創造的—弗二10，15～16：

一　我們需要謹慎注意十五節的兩個辭：『在祂的肉體裏』，和『在祂自己裏面』：

1　基督『在祂的肉體裏』了結了宇宙中一切消極的事物：神的仇敵，就是魔鬼撒但；（來二14；）罪；（羅八3，約一29；）墮落之人的肉體；（加五24；）撒但邪惡的系統，就是世界，『科斯莫斯』（the cosmos）；（約十二31；）舊人所代表的舊造；（羅六6；）以及律法之隔離的規條。（弗二15。）

2　基督『在祂自己裏面』，就是以祂自己為範圍、元素和素質，將猶太人和外邦人創造成一個新人：

ａ　基督不僅是一個新人—召會—的創造者，並且是這一個新人得以創造的範圍，又是用來創造這新人的元素和素質。

ｂ　基督是一個新人的元素和素質，使神性與人性成為一個實體—參西三10～11。

【週　三】

二　在新人的創造裏，首先我們天然的人被基督釘死，然後藉著除去舊人，基督將神聖的元素分賜到我們裏面，使我們成為神工作的傑作，宇宙中全新的東西，就是神的新發明—羅六6，林後五17：

1　傑作，原文poiema，波依瑪，意，『寫成的詩章』。

2　不僅詩詞作品，凡是表達製作者智慧和設計的藝術品，都是詩章。

3　我們—召會—是神工作的傑作，也是一首詩章，彰顯神無窮的智慧和神聖的設計；召會是神對基督一切所是的智慧展示—弗三10～11。

4　基督成了從神給我們的智慧，作為在神救恩裏三件重要的事物—林前一30：

ａ　祂是我們的公義（為著我們的已往），藉此我們已經得神稱義，使我們能在靈裏重生，得著神的生命—羅五18，八10。

ｂ　祂是我們的聖別（為著我們的現在），藉此我們因祂神聖的生命在魂裏漸漸被聖別，也就是在我們的心思、情感和意志裏漸漸被變化—六19，22。

ｃ　祂是我們的救贖（為著我們的將來），就是我們的身體得贖，藉此我們的身體要因祂神聖的生命改變形狀，有祂榮耀的樣式—八23，腓三21。

5　我們能有分於這樣完整且完全的救恩，使我們的全人—靈、魂、體—在生機上與基督成為一，使基督成為我們的一切，並使我們成為基督一切所是的智慧展示，這全是出於神。

【週　四】

參　基督在十字架上，在祂的肉體裏，廢掉了那規條中誡命的律法，就是中間隔斷的牆，而在祂自己裏面創造了一個新人—弗二14下～15：

一　十五節所說的律法，不是道德誡命的律法，乃是儀式誡命的律法，如行割禮、守安息日、以及某些飲食的條例。

二　規條是生活和敬拜的形式或作法，造成仇恨和分裂：

1　在十字架上，基督廢去一切有關生活和敬拜的規條，就是那分裂了各民族的規條—15節，西二14。

2　從巴別的時候起，人類就因生活和敬拜作法的規條而分裂了；在神的經綸裏，在召會生活中，我們必須勝過巴別—創十一1～9：

ａ　基督應該是我們惟一的源頭；我們不該讓我們背景、文化、或國籍的任何東西，成為我們的源頭—參西三10～11。

ｂ　世人認為文化的差異乃是聲望的來源，但是在基督裏我們擺脫了這聲望；現今我們惟一的聲望乃是基督和真正的一。

ｃ　我們若願意放下我們文化的驕傲，主纔有可能得著正當的召會生活—弗四22～24。

【週　五】

肆　為著一個新人並在一個新人裏，我們需要讓基督的平安在我們心裏作仲裁—二14上，15下，西三12～15，二14～18，羅五1，太十八21～35：

一　『作仲裁』一辭的希臘文也可譯為：『作裁判』，『作主席』，『登位作每件事的管治者和決斷者』；基督那在我們心裏作仲裁的平安，消除我們與任何人的嫌隙—西三13～15。

二　我們常常發現我們裏面有三派：一派是積極的，另一派是消極的，還有一派是中立的；因此，需要內裏的仲裁來解決我們裏面的爭執：

1　每當我們感覺我們裏面各派在爭執或爭吵時，我們需要讓基督的平安作主席，並讓這平安，就是新人的一，在我們裏面管治並下最後的斷語。

2　我們需要把我們的意見、觀念擺在一邊，聽內住之裁判的話。

三　我們若讓基督的平安在我們心裏作仲裁，這平安會解決我們中間所有的爭執，我們就會與神有縱的平安，並與聖徒有橫的平安：

1　藉著基督的平安作仲裁，我們的難處解決了，聖徒之間的摩擦也消失了；然後召會生活就能甜美的得保全，新人也實際的得以維持。

2　基督的平安作仲裁，就是基督在我們裏面作工，好在我們身上施行管治，來作結論，下最後的決斷—參賽九6～7。

3　如果我們一直讓基督的平安作王管治，我們就不會得罪別人，破壞別人；我們反而會靠著主的恩典連同祂的平安，把生命供應給別人。

4　這平安應當將所有的信徒聯結一起，成為聯索—弗四3。

【週　六】

伍　在一個新人裏，基督是一切的肢體，又在一切的肢體之內—西三10～11：

一　住在我們裏面的基督乃是一個新人的構成成分—一27，三11：

1　因著基督是新人的一切肢體，在一個新人裏不可能有天然的人（任何種族、國籍、文化或社會身分），也沒有地位給天然的人—10～11節。

2　不論我們是何種人，就著一個新人而言，我們都算不了甚麼。

3　在一個新人裏只有一個人位—包羅萬有的基督—二17，三4，11。

二　為著新人，我們都需要接受基督作我們的人位—弗二15，三17上：

1　召會作為基督的身體，需要基督作生命；召會作為一個新人，需要基督作人位。

2　基督是在我們眾人裏面作一個人位；因此，我們大家只有一個人位—加二20，弗三17上。

3　為著一個新人實際的出現，舊人的整個人位就必須除去，並且我們必須憑我們的新人位而活—羅六6，加二20，弗四22～24，三17上：

ａ　我們需要接受基督作我們的人位，以祂作我們裏面主張一切的一位，而過在新人裏的生活。

ｂ　我們一旦看見自己是一個新人的一部分，就無法僅僅憑著自己有所主張。

ｃ　我們需要看見，我們是團體的身體和團體的新人，並且我們的生活（人位）和行動（生命）都是團體的—林前十二12，羅十二4～5。

4　我們需要把以弗所二章十五節的『一個新人』，與羅馬十五章六節『同一的口』，以及林前一章十節『說一樣的話』連起來看：

ａ　從前口太多，是因為人位太多了。

ｂ　『同心合意』以及『用同一的口』（羅十五6）的意思是，我們人數雖多，並且眾人都說話，我們卻都『說一樣的話』。（林前一10。）

ｃ　我們人數雖多，並且來自許多地方，我們卻都有同一的口，我們也都說一樣的話；這是因為我們眾人乃是一個新人，只有一個人位—弗二15，四22～24，三17上，羅十五6，林前一10。

Week Twenty-two

The Creator of the One New Man as the Masterpiece of God

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Hymns: E1230

Scripture Reading: Gen. 1:26; Eph. 2:14-16; 4:22-24

§ Day 1

I. Gods intention in His creation of man was to have a corporate man to express Him and to represent Him—Gen. 1:26; Eph. 2:15:

A. God created man in His own image for His expression and gave man His dominion so that man would represent Him to deal with His enemy—Gen. 1:26.

B. The church as the new man in the new creation bears Gods image for Gods expression and fights against Gods enemy for Gods kingdom—Col. 3:10-11; Eph. 2:15; 4:24; 6:10-11.

C. What was divided and scattered in the old man is recovered in the new man—Gen. 11:5-9; Acts 2:5-12; Col. 3:10-11.

§ Day 2

II. The new man as the poem, the masterpiece, of God was created through Christs death and in His resurrection— Eph. 2:10, 15-16:

A. We need to pay careful attention to two phrases in verse 15: in His flesh and in Himself:

1. "In His flesh" Christ terminated all the negative things in the universe: Satan, the devil, the enemy of God (Heb. 2:14); sin (Rom. 8:3; John 1:29); the flesh of fallen man (Gal. 5:24); the world, the cosmos, the evil system of Satan (John 12:31); the old creation represented by the old man (Rom. 6:6); and the separating ordinances of the law (Eph. 2:15).

2. "In Himself" as the sphere, element, and essence, Christ created the Jews and the Gentiles into one new man:

a. Christ is not only the Creator of the one new man, the church, but also the sphere in which and the element and essence with which the new man was created.

b. Christ is the very element and essence of the one new man, making Gods divine nature one entity with humanity—cf. Col. 3:10-11.

§ Day 3

B. In the creating of the new man, first our natural man was crucified by Christ, and then through the crossing out of the old man, Christ imparted the divine element into us, causing us to become the masterpiece of Gods work, an absolutely new item in the universe, a new invention of God— Rom. 6:6; 2 Cor. 5:17:

1. The Greek word for masterpiece is poiema, meaning "something that has been written or composed as a poem."

2. Not only a poetic writing may be considered a poem, but also any work of art that expresses the makers wisdom and design.

3. We, the church, the masterpiece of Gods work, are a poem expressing Gods infinite wisdom and divine design; the church is Gods wise exhibition of all that Christ is—Eph. 3:10-11.

4. Christ became wisdom to us from God as three vital things in Gods salvation—1 Cor. 1:30:

a. He is our righteousness (for our past), by which we have been justified by God, that we might be reborn in our spirit to receive the divine life—Rom. 5:18; 8:10.

b. He is our sanctification (for our present), by which we are being sanctified in our soul (transformed in our mind, emotion, and will) with His divine life—6:19, 22.

c. He is our redemption (for our future), that is, the redemption of our body, by which we will be transfigured in our body with His divine life to have His glorious likeness—8:23; Phil. 3:21.

5. It is of God that we participate in such a complete and perfect salvation, which makes our entire being—spirit, soul, and body—organically one with Christ to make Him everything to us and to make us the wise exhibition of all that Christ is.

§ Day 4

III. On the cross Christ created the new man in Himself by abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, the middle wall of partition—Eph. 2:14b-15a:

A. The law spoken of in verse 15 is not the law of the moral commandments but the law of the ritual commandments, such as the ordinances of circumcision, keeping the Sabbath, and eating certain foods.

B. Ordinances are the forms or ways of living and worship, which create enmity and division:

1. On the cross Christ abolished all the regulations regarding living and worship, regulations that have divided the nations—v. 15; Col. 2:14.

2. From the time of Babel, mankind has been divided by ordinances concerning the ways of living and worship; in Gods economy in the church life, we must overcome Babel—Gen. 11:1-9:

a. Christ should be our only source; we should not allow anything of our background, culture, or nationality to be our source—cf. Col. 3:10-11.

b. The worldly people regard cultural differences as a source of prestige, but in Christ we have put off this prestige; now our only prestige is Christ and the genuine oneness.

c. If we are willing to let go of our cultural pride, it will be possible for the Lord to have the proper church life—Eph. 4:22-24.

§ Day 5

IV. For and in the one new man, we need to allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts—2:14a, 15b; Col. 3:12-15; 2:14-18; Rom. 5:1; Matt. 18:21-35:

A. The Greek term for arbitrate can also be rendered "umpire, preside, or be enthroned as a ruler and decider of everything"; the arbitrating peace of Christ in our hearts dissolves our complaint against anyone— Col. 3:13-15.

B. Often we are conscious of three parties within us: a positive party, a negative party, and a neutral party; hence, there is the need for inward arbitration to settle the dispute within us:

1. Whenever we sense that different parties within our being are arguing or quarreling,
we need to give place to the presiding peace of Christ and allow this peace, which is the oneness of the new man, to rule within us and have the final word.

2. We need to set aside our opinion, our concept, and listen to the word of the indwelling Referee.

C. If we allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts, this peace will settle all the disputes among us; we will have peace with God vertically and with the saints horizontally:

1. Through the arbitration of the peace of Christ, our problems are solved, and the friction between the saints disappears; then the church life is preserved in sweetness, and the new man is maintained in a practical way.

2. The arbitrating of the peace of Christ is Christ working within us to exercise His rule over us, to speak the last word, and to make the final decision—cf. Isa. 9:6-7.

3. If we stay under the ruling of the enthroned peace of Christ, we will not offend others or damage them; rather, by the Lords grace and with His peace, we will minister life to others.

4. This peace should bind all the believers together and become the uniting bond—Eph. 4:3.

§ Day 6

V. In the one new man Christ is all the members and is in all the members—Col. 3:10-11:

A. The Christ who dwells in us is the constituent of the one new man—1:27; 3:11:

1. Because Christ is all the members of the new man, there is no possibility, no room, for any natural person (for any race, nationality, culture, or social status) in the new man—vv. 10-11.

2. No matter what kind of person we may be, as far as the one new man is concerned, we all are nobodies.

3. In the one new man there is only one person—the all-inclusive Christ—2:17; 3:4, 11.

B. For the new man we all need to take Christ as our person—Eph. 2:15; 3:17a:

1. As the Body of Christ, the church needs Christ as its life; as the one new man, the church needs Christ as its person.

2. Christ is in all of us as one person; therefore, we all have only one person— Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:17a.

3. For the practical existence of the one new man, the total person of the old man must be put away, and we must live by our new person—Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:22-24; 3:17a:

a. We need to live a life in the new man by taking Christ as our person, with Him as the One making all the decisions in us.

b. Once we see that we are a part of the one new man, we will not be able to decide things merely by ourselves.

c. We need to see that we are a corporate Body and a corporate new man and that both our living (person) and our moving (life) are corporate—1 Cor. 12:12; Rom. 12:4-5.

4. We need to consider one new man in Ephesians 2:15 together with one mouth in Romans 15:6 and speak the same thing in 1 Corinthians 1:10:

a. In the past there were too many mouths because there were too many persons.

b. With one accord and with one mouth (Rom. 15:6) mean that even though we are many and all are speaking, we all "speak the same thing" (1 Cor. 1:10).

c. Although we are many and come from many places, we all have one mouth, and we all speak the same thing; this is because we all are the one new man having only one person—Eph. 2:15; 4:22-24; 3:17a; Rom. 15:6; 1 Cor. 1:10.