第八章　实行神命定之路的基本原则

　　读经：以弗所书四章十一至十六节，罗马书十五章十六节，彼得前书二章五节，九节，希伯来书十章二十四至二十五节，哥林多前书十四章一节，三至五节，十二节，二十三节上，二十四节，二十六节，三十一节，以弗所书三章八至十节。

　This book is composed of a message given by Brother Witness Lee in San Bernardino, California, on September 22, 1990.

　Scripture Reading: Eph. 4:11-16; Rom. 15:16; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Cor. 14:1, 3-5, 12, 23a, 24, 26, 31; Eph. 3:8-10

　　主的恢复乃是恢复三个主要项目。这些项目对我们实行召会生活是极重要的；我们不可漏掉其中任何一项，这是至关紧要的。

　The Lord’s recovery is the recovery of three main items. These items are vital for our practice of the church life, and it is crucial for us not to miss any of them.

　　首先，主的恢复是恢复基督身体的一。过去这些世纪以来，基督徒一再分裂。在十八世纪，新生铎夫伯爵看见需要保守基督身体的一。一个世纪以后，英国弟兄们对身体的一有更多的看见，并且也实行到某种程度。然后在一九二〇年，主在中国兴起了倪柝声弟兄，使他看见基督的身体。他将所看见的作成文字，我们从他得着很多帮助。从那时起，在中国有许多年轻圣徒为着身体一的见证而站住。主的恢复乃是见证，不管种族、文化、和教育水平有何不同，所有的基督徒都应该是一。我们没有理由分裂。这是在新约中所清楚启示的。

　First, the Lord’s recovery is the recovery of the oneness of the Body of Christ. Throughout the past centuries Christians have been divided again and again. In the eighteenth century Count Zinzendorf saw the need of keeping the oneness of the Body of Christ, and a century later the Brethren in England saw more concerning the oneness of the Body and practiced it to some degree. Then in 1920 the Lord raised up Brother Watchman Nee in China and showed him the Body of Christ. He put what he saw into writing, and we received much help from him. From that time many young saints in China took the stand for the testimony of the oneness of the Body. The Lord’s recovery is testifying that regardless of differing races, cultures, or levels of education, all Christians should be one. There is no reason for us to be divided. This is clearly revealed in the New Testament.

　　第二，主的恢复不是恢复任何的道理，乃是恢复基督作我们一切的一切。基督是一切；祂是中心，祂也是圆周。我们只在意基督。过去六十年来，主使用我们出版了许多书报，论到基督、召会、和在一里之基督的身体。

　Second, the Lord’s recovery is the recovery not of any doctrine, but of Christ as our all in all. Christ is everything. He is the center, and He is also the circumference. We care only for Christ. In the past sixty years the Lord has used us to put out many publications concerning Christ, the church, and the Body of Christ in oneness.

　　第三，主的恢复是恢复基督身体所有肢体的功用。主渴望祂身体上的每个肢体都是尽功用的肢体。几乎所有的基督徒团体都实行圣品阶级与平信徒制度。圣品阶级是专业的传道人和牧师，他们代替召会中其他的肢体来事奉神。实际上，圣品阶级取代了基督身体上的肢体，这样的取代自然就废除并扼杀了基督肢体的功用、性能和用处。这实在得罪主。主的恢复是要废除圣品阶级与平信徒制度，并要发展基督生机身体上所有肢体的恩赐、功用和性能（弗四11~16）。

　　根据马太二十五章十四至三十节的比喻，主把银子分给了我们所有人。有些人祂给了五他连得，有些人祂给了二他连得，有些人祂只给了一他连得。倪弟兄告诉我们，今天的问题不是在有五他连得的人身上，而是在有一他连得的人身上。他指出，召会有五他连得的并不多，但是有许多一他连得的。不仅如此，如果我们把五个有一他连得的人加起来，就等于一个有五他连得的人。在一个大家庭里，所有的成员，包括父母、祖父母和孩子，都必须为这个家作一些事。身体上的每个肢体，不管得救多久，不管领受了几他连得，都必须服事。只要他已经得救，就必须参与召会的服事。

　　倪弟兄还向我们指出，根据林前十四章，需要有正确的申言，以建造召会作基督生机的身体。申言是建造身体最佳的路。但是在大多数基督徒的主日聚会中，都是有一群会众，只有一两个人在说话，其他人在听。其余的会众都是“板凳教友”。这样聚会多年之后，肢体尽功用的性能和恩赐自然就被废除了。

　Third, the Lord’s recovery is the recovery of the function of all the members of the Body of Christ. The Lord desires that every member of His Body be a functioning member. Almost all Christian groups practice the system of the clergy and laity. The clergy consists of the professional preachers, pastors, and ministers who serve God in place of the other members of the church. Actually, the clergy replaces the members of the Body of Christ, and this replacement spontaneously annuls and kills the function, the capacity, and the usefulness of the members of Christ. This is an offense to the Lord. The Lord’s recovery is for the annulling of the clergy and laity and the developing of the gifts, functions, and capacity of all the members of the organic Body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16).

　According to the parable in Matthew 25:14-30, the Lord has distributed talents to all of us. To some He gave five talents, to some He gave two talents, and to some He gave only one talent. Brother Nee told us that the problem today is not with the five-talented ones but with the one-talented ones. He pointed out that not many churches have five-talented members, but they all have many one-talented members. Moreover, if we add together five one-talented members, they will equal a five-talented member. In a big family all the members, including the parents, grandparents, and children, must do something for the family. Every member of the Body, regardless of how long he has been saved and how many talents he has received, must serve. As long as he has been saved, he must participate in the church service.

　Brother Nee also pointed out to us that, according to 1 Corinthians 14, there is the need of the proper prophesying in order to build up the church as the organic Body of Christ. To prophesy is the best way to build up the Body. However, in most Christian meetings on the Lord’s Day, there is a congregation with one or two speaking while the rest listen. The rest of the congregation are “pew members.” After many years of meeting in this way, the functioning capacity and gifts of the members are spontaneously annulled.

　　一九八四年，我意识到我们在主恢复的第三项有欠缺，这一项就是身体上肢体普遍的祭司职分。在我们的服事中有一种危险，就是圣品阶级与平信徒制度被建立起来。几乎每个地方召会在主日上午的聚会中都依赖一位好讲员，却没有太多圣徒参与合式的召会服事。所以，我们的服事没有果效。近十年来，我们人数的扩增非常低。经过六年的研究、实行和实验之后，主已经给我们清楚看见关于全体事奉的事。我们蒙主怜悯，祂已经给我们看见新约中所启示神命定之路。

　　神命定的路就是尽神新约福音的祭司职分（罗十五16，彼前二5，9）。这条路主要由四个实行组成。第一，我们必须借着探访罪人而按时传扬福音。神爱世人，甚至赐下祂的儿子救主基督，好使罪人，就是世人，能相信祂，并得着祂永远的生命（约三16）。神愿意万人得救（提前二4）。主在复活之后对祂门徒主要的吩咐，就是要向一切受造之物传扬福音（可十六15）。传福音是召会必须为主作的首要之事。对于神命定的路，我们若向主认真，就必须拿起负担传福音，使罪人得救。

　　然后我们必须按时在新人的家中喂养他们。新人信主并受浸之后，我们必须把他们当作我们的婴孩，把自己当作生他们的父母。婴孩出生之后需要充分地照顾，得着滋养和顾惜，才能长大。如果我们帮助他们得救受浸了，之后却不管他们，他们就会在属灵上死亡。

　　我们也需要在排聚会中成全圣徒。父母在喂养、滋养并顾惜孩子之后，必须教育他们。要借着教育合式的成全孩子，需要将近二十年的时间。同样，我们必须借着在排聚会中教导、指导并改正初信者，尽力培育他们。

　　最后，每位信徒都应当在召会的聚会中申言，以建造召会作基督生机的身体。人人都必须受训练申言，就是讲说主、为主说话、把主说出来并说到人里面。使徒嘱咐所有的信徒都要追求、切慕并且寻求申言（林前十四1，12，39）。

　　我们在福音祭司职分这四方面都很弱。我们在定期探访罪人、传福音的事上是弱的，在喂养新人的事上是弱的。不仅如此，我们依赖主日上午的聚会、特会和训练聚会来培育和成全圣徒，却没有实行直接成全圣徒。同样，我们在召会聚会中申言的事上也是弱的。一人讲众人听的实行，已经抹煞了林前十四章。

　In 1984 I realized that we were lacking something related to the third item of the Lord’s recovery—the universal priesthood of the members of the Body. In the service among us, there was the danger that the system of the clergy and laity was being built up. Almost every local church depended on a good speaker for the Lord’s Day morning meeting, and not many saints were participating in the proper church service. As a result, our service was not fruitful. For almost ten years our increase in numbers was very low. After six years of study, practice, and experimenting, the Lord has given us a clear view concerning the universal service. We have received mercy of the Lord, and He has shown us the God-ordained way revealed in the New Testament.

　The God-ordained way is to practice God’s New Testament priesthood of His gospel (Rom. 15:16; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9). This way consists of mainly four practices. First, we must preach the gospel regularly by visiting sinners. God so loved the world that He gave His Son, the Savior, Christ, that the sinners, the people of the world, might believe in Him and have His eternal life (John 3:16). God desires all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). The Lord’s main charge to His disciples after His resurrection was to preach the gospel to all the creation (Mark 16:15). To preach the gospel is the first thing the church must do for the Lord. If we mean business with the Lord in His God-ordained way, we must bear the burden to preach the gospel to get sinners saved.

　Then we must feed the new believers regularly in their homes. After the new believers have believed and have been baptized, we must consider them as our babies and ourselves as their begetting parents. After their delivery, babies need the adequate care to be nourished and cherished so that they may grow. If we help them to be saved and baptized and then leave them alone, they will die spiritually.

　We also need to perfect the saints in group meetings. After feeding, nourishing, and cherishing their children, parents must educate them. Almost twenty years are needed to properly perfect children through education. In the same way, we must do our best to raise up the new believers by teaching, instructing, and correcting them through the group meetings.

　Finally, every believer should prophesy in the church meetings for the building up of the church as the organic Body of Christ. Everyone must be trained to prophesy, which is to speak the Lord, speak for the Lord, and speak the Lord forth into others. All the believers have been charged by the apostle to pursue, to desire earnestly, and to seek to prophesy (1 Cor. 14:1, 12, 39).

　We have been weak in all four aspects of the priesthood of the gospel. We have been weak in preaching the gospel regularly by visiting sinners and weak in feeding the new ones. Moreover, we have depended on the Lord’s Day morning meetings and the conference and training meetings to raise up and perfect the saints. We have not practiced the direct perfecting of the saints. Likewise, we have been weak in prophesying in the church meetings. The practice of one man speaking and all the rest listening has annulled 1 Corinthians 14 for us.

　　我们众人都必须学习神新约福音祭司职分的四项实行，没有人可以例外。首先，我们必须学习借着探访罪人而结果子。我们是基督这葡萄树上的枝子（约十五5）。作为葡萄树的枝子，我们应当每年结果子。虽然很多圣徒听职事的信息已经许多年了，他们却还没有结果子。这是一个大问题。

　　所有的大型公会都苦于人数减少或增长缓慢。我们在主的恢复里，扩增也很弱。一九七五年，美国众地方召会约有一万名圣徒。到今天，圣徒人数不到一万八千位。我们的人数十五年还未翻倍。一个有一百位圣徒的召会，一年内得着三十位新人不算多。在一个地方召会聚会的一百位圣徒，不需要都出去传福音；只要有三十位出去，每人每年结一个果子，召会每年就会有百分之三十的扩增。但是，我们没有这样实行。

　　神命定的路是一条殷勤的路。一个人要维持一分工作，必须有规律并且准时。否则，他就会失去工作。同样，我们在新路，就是神命定的路上，必须殷勤，并且有规律。我们不能说新路行不通；新路是非常行得通的。但是，如果我们没有规律作工，新路就行不通。留在主的恢复中，表明我们爱主；但是如果我们爱主，就必须对祂认真。我们许多人多年未结果子。我们必须重新考量我们的情形，甚至向主许愿，每周给主三个小时去接触一些罪人。

　　我们不一定要探访陌生人而传福音。我们可以与自己的朋友、亲戚、邻居和同事约好时间，带其他弟兄姊妹去探访他们。要帮助自己的亲戚得救，有时很困难。但是如果有两位弟兄或姊妹和我们一起去，他们就可能在我们第一次探访的时候得救。一旦他们得救，他们可能有更多熟识的人让我们认识。若有十个人得救，这些得救的人会带许多他们熟识的人给我们认识，我们就可以和他们约时间。这需要我们花时间，但是我们不需要用太多时间。无论我们的情形如何，每周都要出去一次，一次三小时，这就足够了。

　We all, without exception, must learn the four practices of God’s New Testament priesthood of His gospel. First, we must learn to bear fruit by visiting sinners. We are the branches of Christ as the vine (John 15:5). As branches of the vine, we should bear fruit yearly. Although many of the saints have been listening to the messages of the ministry for many years, they have not borne fruit. This is a great problem.

　All the large denominations have been bothered by the decrease or slow increase in their numbers. We also in the Lord’s recovery have been very weak in the increase. In 1975 there were about ten thousand saints in the local churches in America. Today we have less than eighteen thousand. We have not doubled our numbers in fifteen years. It is not too much for a church with one hundred saints to gain thirty new ones in a year. All one hundred saints meeting in a local church do not need to go out for the gospel. If only thirty go out and each one bears one fruit yearly, the church will have a thirty percent increase yearly. However, we have failed to practice this.

　The God-ordained way is a diligent way. To maintain a job, one must be regular and on time. Otherwise, he will lose his job. In the same way, we must be very diligent and regular in the new way, the God-ordained way. We must not say that the new way does not work. It is very workable. However, it does not work if we do not work regularly. To remain in the Lord’s recovery indicates that we love the Lord, but if we love the Lord, we must mean business with Him. Many of us have been barren for many years. We must reconsider our situation and even make a vow to the Lord to give Him three hours a week to reach some sinners.

　We may not need to visit new people for the gospel. We can simply make an appointment with our friends, relatives, neighbors, and colleagues and visit them with some other brothers or sisters. Sometimes it is difficult to help our own relatives to be saved, but if two brothers or sisters come with us, our relatives may be saved on the first visit. Then once they are saved, they may have several more acquaintances for us to meet. Ten saved ones will lead to many new acquaintances with whom we can make appointments. This requires our time, but we do not need to use too much time. It is sufficient to go out once a week for three hours, regardless of our situation.

　　我们为新人施浸之后，应当回去他们的家，实行家中聚会。家中聚会应当在新人的家中；我们必须去他们那里喂养他们。我们得着两三位新人之后，可以有一段时间停止探访罪人，而用我们全部的时间来喂养新人。总该有两三位新人在我们的照顾之下。这些新人当中有些会搬走，我们就无法带他们跟随主往前。如果是这样，我们就必须再出去寻找其他人。

　After we baptize new believers, we should return to their homes to have home meetings. The home meetings should be in the new ones’ homes; we must go to them to feed them. When we have two or three new ones, we can stop visiting sinners for a while and spend all our time feeding the new ones. We should always have two or three new ones under our care. Some among these new ones will move away, and we will not have the way to take some of them on with the Lord. If this happens, we must go out again to find someone else.

　　我们喂养、滋养初信者之后，应当带他们去排聚会。我们在排聚会中成全圣徒，不是照着老路，带着规条和形式，而是照着新路，满了那灵、生命、歌唱和赞美。在排聚会中，应当就着每个人最近发生的事有交通（来十24~25）。可能我们在主的恢复里已经聚会几年了，仍然不了解彼此的情形。我们需要使我们的交通跟得上最新的状况。要这么作，唯一的路是在排聚会中。在排聚会中，我们应当彼此敞开。当有人敞开说到自己的情形，聚会里其他的人可以为他祷告。这样，每个人的情形就为其他人所了解。这样相互的交通产生相互代求的需要。从这种相互的代求，会产生相互的照顾和牧养。

　　排聚会里也应当彼此问、互相答，实行互相教导，为着彼此成全（弗四12）。从前长老们可能把圣徒们分到排聚会中，并在每个排聚会中指定一位带头人作教师。那种作法没有益处，我们已经放弃了。排聚会不应当有指定的教师。人人都是教师，人人都是学生。每个人都可以问，每个人也都可以答。

　　当我们在排聚会中聚集时，我们可以先交通我们的现况。然后我们就彼此代祷，彼此相顾，彼此牧养。接着我们必须实行教导和成全。新人可能不知道如何问合式的问题，但是我们不应当教他们。反之，我们只该率先帮他们问问题。然后其他人回答，每个人都学习。众人一起回答问题，二十分钟后问题就会得到充分地回答，自然就会有成全。这就是正确的教导。这样，聚会中每个人对于问问题和回答问题，都会变得有兴趣。这种教导的方式，会在一年内涵盖许多主题。一年聚会五十次以后，每人都接受了五十次的教导。这样聚会两年之后，新人一定会知道如何为主说话，排聚会中的每个人都会得成全。

　　为着排聚会的缘故，我们必须拿起负担学习真理。我们有许多书报，涵盖许多的主题，如因信称义、受浸、和好与赦罪。我们必须从这些有所学习，使自己得着装备，对真理有充足的认识。当排聚会中有人发问时，可能没有人能充分回答。在这种情况下，可以有人作长一点的回答，好好说明这个主题。这样所有与会的人都会有学习，就没有一个排聚会是徒然的。所有与会的人都能实行这种成全。这样聚会之后，所有新近受成全的人都能在召会聚会中为主说话。

　After feeding and nourishing the new believers, we should bring them to the group meetings. We perfect the saints in the group meetings not according to the old way with regulation or formality, but according to the new way, which is full of the Spirit, life, singing, and praising. In the group meetings there should be fellowship of each one’s up-to-date incidents (Heb. 10:24-25). It may be that after meeting in the Lord’s recovery for several years, we still do not know each other’s situation. We have to keep our fellowship up-to-date. The only way to do this is in the group meetings. In the group meetings we should open up to one another. When someone opens up his situation, the others in the meeting can pray for him. In this way everyone’s situation is known to the others. The mutual fellowship issues in the need to mutually intercede for one another. Out of this mutual intercession comes mutual care and mutual shepherding.

　The group meetings should also have mutual questions and mutual answers to carry out the mutual teaching for the perfecting of one another (Eph. 4:12). In the past the elders may have divided the saints into group meetings and assigned a leader to be the teacher in each group meeting. That way was not profitable, and we have given it up. The group meetings should have no assigned teacher. Everyone is a teacher, and everyone is a learner. Everyone can ask, and everyone can answer.

　When we come together in the group meetings, we may first fellowship about our present situations. Then we can intercede for one another, care for one another, and shepherd one another. Then we must take care of the teaching, the perfecting. The new ones may not know how to ask the proper questions, but we should not teach them. Rather, we should simply take the lead to ask something for their sake. Then the others will answer, and everyone will learn. After twenty minutes of answers from everyone, the question will have been adequately covered. Spontaneously, there will be the perfecting. This is the proper teaching. In this way everyone in the meeting will become interested in asking and in answering questions. This way of teaching will cover many subjects throughout the year. After fifty meetings in a year, everyone will have received fifty teachings. After meeting in this way for two years, the new ones will surely know how to speak for the Lord, and everyone in the group meeting will be perfected.

　For the sake of the group meetings, we must pick up the burden to learn the truth. We have many publications covering many subjects, such as justification by faith, baptism, reconciliation, and forgiveness of sins. We must learn from these in order to equip ourselves with the adequate knowledge of the truth. When a question is raised in a group meeting, no one may be able to answer it adequately. In this case someone can give a longer answer that covers the subject in a good way. Then all the attendants will learn, and no group meeting will ever be in vain. All the attendants can carry out this kind of perfecting. After meeting in this way, all the newly perfected ones will be able to speak for the Lord in the church meetings.

　　我们所有人都需要在召会的聚会中申言，为着建造地方召会，好使基督生机的身体能在宇宙中全面的建造起来，完成神新约的经纶（林前十四1，3~5，12，23上，24，26，31，弗四12，16，三8~10）。林前十四章所说的申言，在三节有说明：“但那申言的，是对人讲说建造、勉励和安慰。”能建造基督身体的申言，是为着建造人或给人勉励和安慰。讲说建造、勉励和安慰，不是说预言。这样申言不是一项神奇的恩赐。我们申言是需要学习的（林前十四31），但是神奇的说预言或者说方言，并不需要学习。

　　为了申言建造召会，我们必须有很多学习。当主的母亲马利亚去见以利沙伯的时候，她们对彼此申言（路一42~45，46~55）。马利亚的申言几乎全部是引自旧约。这表明马利亚非常熟悉神的话，并且很有学习。在今天的基督教里，很难找到正确的申言。在神学院读过书又有学问的牧师和传道人，成了专业讲员。但许多基督徒不知道如何为主说话，因为他们从未这样学习或实行过。

　　我们应当带头在地方召会中实行神命定的路，然后我们就能帮助别人走上这条路。我们要与主合作，保守基督身体的一，经历基督作生命和一切，作神经纶的见证。我们也必须有普遍的事奉，每个肢体都在神命定之路的实行中尽功用。

　　一九九〇年九月二十二日讲于美国加州圣伯纳迪诺（San Bernardino）

　All of us need to prophesy in the church meetings for the building up of the local churches so that the organic Body of Christ might be built up universally for the fulfillment of God’s New Testament economy (1 Cor. 14:1, 3-5, 12, 23a, 24, 26, 31; Eph. 4:12, 16; 3:8-10). The prophesying in 1 Corinthians 14 is defined in verse 3: “He who prophesies speaks building up and encouragement and consolation to men.” The prophesying that builds up the Body of Christ is either to build others up or to render encouragement or consolation. To speak building up, encouragement, and consolation is not to predict. Prophesying in this way is not a miraculous gift. Learning is needed for our prophesying (v. 31), but to predict miraculously or to speak in tongues does not require learning.

　In order to prophesy for the building up of the church, we must learn much. When Mary, the Lord’s mother, visited Elizabeth, they prophesied one to another (Luke 1:42-55). Mary’s prophecy consisted almost entirely of quotations from the Old Testament. This indicates that Mary was very well acquainted with the Word of God and had learned much. In today’s Christianity it is difficult to find the proper prophesying. The learned pastors, preachers, and ministers who have studied in seminaries have become the professional speakers. Many Christians do not know how to speak for the Lord because they have never learned or practiced.

　We should take the lead to practice the God-ordained way in a local church. Then we can help others to take this way. We want to cooperate with the Lord to keep the oneness of the Body of Christ and to experience Christ as life and everything as a testimony of God’s economy. We must also have the universal service with every member functioning in the practice of the God-ordained way.