The Nature of the Church
读经∶林前一2，十二12，弗一19～21，二6，三16～21，四4～6、16，林前六17
壹 召会是神圣的，“基督的”，“复活的”，属天的：
I. The church is divine, "Christly," "resurrectionly," and heavenly:
一 召会是神的─林前一2，十32，十一16:
A. The church is of God—1 Cor. 1:2; 10:32; 11:16:
1 地方召会必须是神的召会，有神的神圣性质─彼后一4。
1. A local church must be a church of God, possessing the divine nature of God—2 Pet. 1:4.
2 “神的召会”这发表不仅指明召会属于神，也指明召会必须有神的性质。
2. The expression the church of God indicates not only that the church belongs to God but also that the church must have the nature of God.
二 召会是“基督的”─林前十二12，弗一22～23:
B. The church is "Christly"—1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:22-23:
1 每一个地方召会必须是基督的召会（罗十六16），在基督的元素里：─引用经文
1. Every local church must be a church of Christ (Rom. 16:16), being in the element of Christ:
a 基督是召会的性质，召会实际上就是基督本身─西三10～11。
a. Christ is the nature of the church, and the church is actually Christ Himself—Col. 3:10-11.
b 凡和基督差了一点的，都不是召会；不是基督的，就不是召会。
b. Anything that is short of Christ or is not Christ is not the church.
2 召会是基督的纯产物─弗四15～16：
2. The church is a pure product out of Christ—Eph. 4:15-16:
a 这由夏娃所预表；夏娃完全、纯粹是从亚当产生出来的；凡夏娃里面所有的，凡夏娃所是的，全是亚当─创二22～24，弗五30～32。
a. This is typified by Eve, who was fully, completely, and purely produced out of Adam; whatever was in Eve and whatever Eve was, was of Adam—Gen. 2:22-24; Eph. 5:30-32.
b 召会也必须只有一种元素─基督的元素；在召会里，除了基督的元素以外，不该有别的元素─西三10～11。
b. The church must also be of one element—the element of Christ; apart from Christ's element, there should be no other element in the church—Col. 3:10-11.
三 召会是“复活的”─约十一25，徒二24，启一18，二8、10:
C. The church is "resurrectionly"—John 11:25; Acts 2:24; Rev. 1:18; 2:8, 10:
1 召会完全是在复活里的实体；召会不是天然的，也不是在旧造里。
1. The church is an entity absolutely in resurrection; it is not natural, nor is it in the old creation.
2 召会是在基督的复活里并凭着复活的基督造成的新造；因此，召会是“复活的”─加六15，林后五17。
2. The church is a new creation created in Christ's resurrection and by the resurrected Christ; therefore, the church is "resurrectionly"—Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17.
3 召会乃是在基督的复活里产生的，并且凭着基督的复活生命得以继续存在；因此，召会是耐死的。
3. The church was produced by Christ in resurrection and exists by His resurrection life; thus, the church is a being that can endure death.
四 召会是属天的─弗一19～21，二6:
D. The church is heavenly—Eph. 1:19-21; 2:6:
1 召会乃是在升天的基督里；召会已经与基督一同复活，现今与基督一同坐在诸天界里─6节。
1. The church is in Christ in His ascension; the church has been resurrected with Christ and is now seated in the heavenlies in Christ—v. 6.
2 召会是属天的，主要的意思是，召会乃是在神的权柄之下─太二八18，但四26、34～35：
2. The main significance of the church being heavenly is that it is under God's authority—Matt. 28:18; Dan. 4:26, 34-35:
a 召会的性质就是服神的权柄。
a. The nature of the church is to submit to God's authority.
b 天有一个特别的性质，就是服神的权柄；因此，属天就是有服神权柄的性质─太六10，十八18～19。
b. The particular nature of heaven is that it submits to God's authority; hence, to be heavenly is to have the nature of submitting to God's authority—Matt. 6:10; 18:18-19.
贰 我们需要儆醒并忠信地保守召会的性质─十三31～32:
II. We need to be watchful and faithful in preserving the nature of the church—13:31-32:
一 召会该像菜蔬一样生产食物，使神和人得着满足─31～32节上。
A. The church should be like an herb that produces food for the satisfaction of God and man—vv. 31-32a.
二 召会的性质和功用都变了，成了“树”，作飞鸟的宿处─32节下、4、19节。
B. The nature and function of the church were changed, so that it became a "tree," a lodging place for birds—vv. 32b, 4, 19.
三 召会按其属天、属灵的性质，该像芥菜一样寄居地上；但召会的性质改变了，像树一样深深扎根、定居地上─31～32节。
C. The church, according to its heavenly and spiritual nature, should be like the mustard, sojourning on earth; but with its nature changed, the church became deeply rooted and settled as a tree in the earth—vv. 31-32.
叁 召会是神与人的调和─弗三16～21，四4～6、16:
III. The church is the mingling of God and man—Eph. 3:16-21; 4:4-6, 16:
一 神与人的调和是圣经里既深且中心的真理─林前六17，约十四20，十七21～23。
A. The mingling of God and man is a deep and central truth in the Scriptures—1 Cor. 6:17; John 14:20; 17:21-23.
二 我们必须抓牢召会的原则─召会乃是神与人调在一起─弗四4～6:
B. We must grasp the principle of the church—the church is God mingled with man—Eph. 4:4-6:
1 召会不光是神，也不光是人；若光是神或光是人，就失去召会的性质。
1. The church is neither merely divine nor merely human; if the church were merely divine or merely human, it would lose its nature.
2 神与人调在一起，显明召会的性质。
2. The mingling of God and man manifests the nature of the church.
三 神独一的定旨是要将祂自己与我们调和，好使祂成为我们的生命、性情和内容，我们成为祂团体的彰显─约十四20，十五4～5，弗三16～21，四4～6、16:
C. God's unique purpose is to mingle Himself with us so that He becomes our life, our nature, and our content, and we become His corporate expression—John 14:20; 15:4-5; Eph. 3:16-21; 4:4-6, 16:
1 神与人的调和，乃是神性与人性之元素内在的联结，以形成一个生机的实体，但联结中的元素彼此仍有分别。
1. The mingling of God and man is an intrinsic union of the elements of divinity and humanity to form one organic entity, yet the elements remain distinct in the union.
2 神的意愿乃是要神与人调和，而神永远定旨的完成，是在于这调和─一5、9，三11。
2. The will of God is the mingling of God with man, and the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose depends on this mingling—1:5, 9; 3:11.
四 基督的身体是基督的扩大，就是那神与人调和者的扩大─一22～23，四16:
D. The Body of Christ is the enlargement of Christ, the enlargement of the One who is the mingling of God and man—1:22-23; 4:16:
1 在福音书里，神与人调和产生元首；在使徒行传里，神与人调和的扩大产生基督的身体─弗一22～23，四15～16。
1. In the Gospels the mingling of God and man produced the Head; in Acts the enlargement of the mingling of God and man produced the Body of Christ—Eph. 1:22-23; 4:15-16.
2 在以弗所四章四至六节，四个人位─身体、那灵、主和父神，都活跃地调和在一起：
2. In Ephesians 4:4-6 four persons—the Body, the Spirit, the Lord, and God the Father—are actively mingled together:
a 父具体化身在子里，子实化为那灵，那灵与信徒调和。
a. The Father is embodied in the Son, the Son is realized as the Spirit, and the Spirit is mingled with the believers.
b 这调和乃是基督身体的构成。
b. This mingling is the constitution of the Body of Christ.
3 经过过程并终极完成的三一神，将祂自己与蒙祂拣选的人，在他们的人性里相调和，这调和就是基督身体真正的一─3节，约十七21～23。
3. The processed and consummated Triune God mingles Himself with His chosen people in their humanity, and this mingling is the genuine oneness of the Body of Christ—v. 3; John 17:21-23.
五 为着召会生活，我们需要看见调和的灵─神圣的灵调着我们人得了重生的灵─这个异象─林前六17，罗八4：
E. For the church life, we need to see a vision of the mingled spirit—the divine Spirit mingled with our regenerated human spirit—1 Cor. 6:17; Rom. 8:4:
1 父在子里，子就是那灵，而那灵如今调着我们的灵─约十四9～10、16～18，林前十五45下，六17，罗八16。
1. The Father is in the Son, the Son is the Spirit, and the Spirit is now mingled with our spirit—John 14:9-10, 16-18; 1 Cor. 15:45b; 6:17; Rom. 8:16.
2 神与人的联结乃是神灵与人灵二灵的联结（林前二11～16）；这二灵的联结乃是圣经中极深的奥秘。─引用经文
2. The union of God and man is a union of the two spirits, the Spirit of God and the spirit of man (1 Cor. 2:11-16); the union of these two spirits is the deepest mystery in the Bible.
3 神经纶的中心点乃是调和的灵，就是神灵与人灵的调和；神所要作或完成的一切，都与这中心点有关─六17，弗三9、5，一17，二22，四23，五18，六18。
3. The focus of God's economy is the mingled spirit, the divine Spirit mingled with the human spirit; whatever God intends to do or accomplish is related to this focus—6:17; Eph. 3:9, 5; 1:17; 2:22; 4:23; 5:18; 6:18.