第四篇 借着作忠信又精明的奴仆，而为着主的来临将自己预备好
Making Ourselves Ready for the Lord's Coming by Being a Faithful and Prudent Slave
读经：太二四45~51
壹 “这样，谁是那忠信又精明的奴仆，为主人所派，管理他的家人，按时分粮给他们？主人来到，看见他这样行，那奴仆就有福了。我实在告诉你们，主人要派他管理一切的家业”─太二四45~47：
I. "Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Truly I say to you that he will set him over all his possessions"—Matt. 24:45-47:
一 神在信仰里的经纶，乃是祂的“家庭”经营，祂的家庭行政，要在基督里将祂自己分赐到祂所拣选的人里面，使祂得着一个家彰显祂自己，这家就是召会，基督的身体─提前一4，三15，弗二19。
A. God's economy in faith is His "household" economy, His household administration, which is to dispense Himself in Christ into His chosen people that He may have a house to express Himself, which house is the church, the Body of Christ—1 Tim. 1:4; 3:15; Eph. 2:19.
二 忠信又精明的奴仆乃是神家中的管家，管理家庭的人，将基督当作“食物”分赐给祂的信徒─林前九17，弗三2，林前四1，彼前四10：
B. The faithful and prudent slave is a steward in God's house, a household administrator, dispensing Christ as "food" to His believers—1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 3:2; 1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:10:
1 忠信是向着主（林前四2，七25）；精明是向着信徒（参西一28，代下一10，腓四5）。─引用经文
1. Faithfulness is shown toward the Lord (1 Cor. 4:2; 7:25), whereas prudence is exercised toward the believers (cf. Col. 1:28; 2 Chron. 1:10; Phil. 4:5).
2 对于忠信的奴仆，主在诸天之国的实现里，要派他管理一切的家业，作为赏赐─太二五21、23。
2. In the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, the Lord will set the faithful slave over all His possessions; this will be a reward to His slave—Matt. 25:21, 23.
三 “分粮给他们”，意指在召会里，将神的话和基督当作生命的供应，供应信徒；作为赐生命之灵的基督是我们的食物，祂具体化并实化在生命的话里─二四45，约六57、63、68：
C. Give them food refers to ministering the word of God and Christ as the life supply to the believers in the church; Christ as the life-giving Spirit is our food, embodied and realized in the word of life—24:45; John 6:57, 63, 68:
1 我们若要享受主作我们属灵的食物，使我们能喂养别人，就需要借着各样的祷告，并借着默想祂的话，就是反复思想且（出声）讲说祂的话，而接受祂的话─弗六17~18，诗一一九15（见注）、48、148，书一8，利十一2~3，结三1~4，西三16。─引用经文
1. In order to enjoy the Lord as our spiritual food so that we can feed others, we need to receive His word by means of all prayer and by musing on His word, speaking His word aloud with much reconsideration—Eph. 6:17-18; Psa. 119:15 (see footnote), 48, 148; Josh. 1:8; Lev. 11:2-3; Ezek. 3:1-4; Col. 3:16.
2 我们需要坚定持续地祷告，并尽话语的职事─徒六4，参来七25，八2。
2. We need to continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word—Acts 6:4; cf. Heb. 7:25; 8:2.
3 我们需要申言以建造召会，就是借着操练我们的灵，在圣灵即时和新鲜的感动、膏抹并光照下，用这生命的活话讲说我们所看见的─林前十四4下，徒五20，四20，二二15。
3. We need to prophesy to build up the church—speaking what we see with the living words of this life under the instant and fresh inspiration, anointing, and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit through the exercise of our spirit—1 Cor. 14:4b; Acts 5:20; 4:20; 22:15.
4 我们需要把自己祷告到神里面，接受赐生命的灵作我们的供应，我们属灵的食物，以喂养我们自己，和那些受我们照顾的人─路十一1~13。
4. We need to pray ourselves into God to receive the life-giving Spirit as our supply, our spiritual food, to feed ourselves and those under our care—Luke 11:1-13.
5 我们需要作赐生命的“祈求者”，就是作那能赐人生命的赐生命之灵的管道─约壹五16。
5. We need to be life-giving "askers," channels of the life-giving Spirit who can give life to others—1 John 5:16.
6 我们需要作“新鲜之油的儿子”，不断被新鲜、现今并终极完成的那灵作为欢乐的油所充满，流出那灵到灯台里，使灯台作照耀的见证，就是耶稣的见证─亚四6、12~14，腓一25，启三18，太二五9：
6. We need to be "sons of fresh oil," those who are continually being filled with the fresh, present, and consummated Spirit as the oil of gladness, to flow out the Spirit into the lampstand for its shining testimony, the testimony of Jesus—Zech. 4:6, 12-14; Phil. 1:25; Rev. 3:18; Matt. 25:9:
a 日复一日，我们必须出代价得着更多的神在祂的神圣性情里作为金油，好使我们能成为纯金的灯台，为着建造金的新耶路撒冷─彼后一4，启三18，一20，二一18，太二五8~9。
a. Day by day we need to pay the price to gain more of God as the golden oil in His divine nature so that we can become a pure golden lampstand for the building of the golden New Jerusalem—2 Pet. 1:4; Rev. 3:18; 1:20; 21:18; Matt. 25:8-9.
b 我们将这事应用到今天的经历时，就看见从我们里面流出来的那灵就是神，而神就是金；因此，我们将基督供应给别人，用油供应他们的时候，实际上就是用神供应他们；神就从我们流出来，流到他们里面─亚四12~14，约七38~39，林后三3、6、8，路十34。
b. As we apply this matter to our experience today, we see that the Spirit who flows out of us is God, and God is gold; thus, when we minister Christ to others, supplying them with oil, we are actually supplying them with God; God is flowing out from us into them—Zech. 4:12-14; John 7:37-39; 2 Cor. 3:3, 6, 8; Luke 10:34.
贰 “若是那恶仆心里说，我的主人必来得迟，就动手打那些和他同作奴仆的，又和酒醉的人一同吃喝，在想不到的日子，不知道的时辰，那奴仆的主人要来，把他割断，定他和假冒为善的人同受处分；在那里必要哀哭切齿了”─太二四48~51：
II. "But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master delays, and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with the drunken, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him asunder and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth"—Matt. 24:48-51:
一 我们心里说，我们的主人必来得迟，这乃是爱现今邪恶的世代，不爱主的显现─提后四8、10：
A. To say in our heart that our Master delays is to love the present evil age and not to love the Lord's appearing—2 Tim. 4:8, 10:
1 “来临”的原文是parousia，巴路西亚，意思是“同在”；我们要成为爱主显现，就是爱祂来临的人，就必须宝爱祂今天的显现，就是祂今天的同在─太二四3、37，徒二六16，林后二10，诗歌二九〇首。
1. The Greek word for coming is parousia, which means "presence"; to love the Lord's appearing, His coming, we must love His appearing, His presence, today—Matt. 24:3, 37; Acts 26:16; 2 Cor. 2:10; Hymns, #389.
2 只要我们有今天，就应当爱主和祂的显现，等候祂的来临，以祂的来临作为警告、鼓励和激励─提后四8，腓三20，启二二12。
2. As long as we have today, we should love the Lord and His appearing, awaiting His coming and taking His coming as a warning, an encouragement, and an incentive—2 Tim. 4:8; Phil. 3:20; Rev. 22:12.
3 为着主的来临，我们需要儆醒并预备好─太二五13，二四44，启十九7。
3. We need to watch and be ready for His coming—Matt. 25:13; 24:44; Rev. 19:7.
4 我们需要提防贪婪，不为自己积财，乃要对神富足─路十二16~20，林后六10，弗三8。
4. We need to beware of covetousness, not storing up treasure for ourselves but being rich toward God—Luke 12:16-20; 2 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 3:8.
5 我们需要回想罗得的妻子，不要贪爱并宝贝神即将审判并彻底毁灭的邪恶世界─路十七28~32。
5. We need to remember Lot's wife, not loving and treasuring the evil world that God is going to judge and utterly destroy—Luke 17:28-32.
6 我们需要儆醒并祈求，叫主来临的那日子不致如同网罗忽然临到我们─二一34~36，参太二3。
6. We need to be watchful and beseeching so that the day of the Lord's coming would not come upon us suddenly as a snare—21:34-36; cf. Matt. 2:3.
7 “主耶稣啊，我愿你来！”─这该是爱主和祂显现之人的渇望、呼求和经常的祷告─启二二20，多二12~13。
7. "Come, Lord Jesus!"—this should be the longing, cry, and constant prayer of those who love the Lord and His appearing—Rev. 22:20; Titus 2:12-13.
二 动手打那些和我们同作奴仆的，乃是虐待作我们同伴的信徒─参徒九4：
B. To beat our fellow slaves is to mistreat fellow believers—cf. Acts 9:4:
1 我们不该审判、定罪作我们同伴的信徒，乃要以恩慈待他们，心存慈怜，饶恕他们，正如神在基督里饶恕了我们一样─路六37，弗四31~32。
1. We should not judge and condemn our fellow believers but be kind to them, tenderhearted, forgiving them even as God in Christ forgave us—Luke 6:37; Eph. 4:31-32.
2 我们不该辱骂或批评我们的弟兄，乃要看他们比我们强─林前六10~11，腓二3、29。
2. We should not revile or criticize our brothers but consider them more excellent than ourselves—1 Cor. 6:10-11; Phil. 2:3, 29.
3 我们不该作主辖管作我们同伴的信徒（如为他们作决定），乃要作奴仆服事他们，以那作为赐生命之灵的复活基督喂养他们─彼前五3，太二十25~28，参民十七8。
3. We should not lord it over our fellow believers (such as making decisions for them) but serve them as a slave to feed them with the resurrected Christ as the life-giving Spirit—1 Pet. 5:3; Matt. 20:25-28; cf. Num. 17:8.
三 和酒醉的人一同吃喝，乃是与沉醉在属世事物里的世人为伴：
C. To eat and drink with the drunken is to keep company with worldly people, who are drunk with worldly things:
1 因着信徒神圣的性情和圣别的地位，他们不该跟不信者同负一轭；这不只该应用在信徒与不信者之间的婚姻和事业上，也该应用在他们各种亲密的关系上─林后六14，林前十五33，参箴十三20。
1. Because of their divine nature and holy standing, the believers should not be yoked together with the unbelievers; this should be applied to all intimate relationships between believers and unbelievers, not only to marriage and business—2 Cor. 6:14; 1 Cor. 15:33; cf. Prov. 13:20.
2 我们需要逃避青年人的私欲，同那清心呼求主的人，竭力追求包罗万有的基督─提后二22。
2. We need to flee youthful lusts and pursue the all-inclusive Christ with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart—2 Tim. 2:22.
四 在国度的实现里，忠信又精明的奴仆要得着管理的权柄为赏赐；但恶仆要从荣耀的基督，和祂国度的荣耀，并祂国度中荣耀的同在被割断─太二四47、51：
D. The faithful and prudent slave will be rewarded with the authority to rule in the manifestation of the kingdom, whereas the evil slave will be cut off from the glorious Christ, from the glory of His kingdom, and from His glorious presence in His kingdom—Matt. 24:47, 51:
1 从国度的实现被割断，乃是被扔在外面的黑暗里，在那里哀哭切齿：
1. To be cut off from the manifestation of the kingdom is to be cast into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth:
a 外面的黑暗是指在国度实现里的光明荣耀以外的黑暗─十六28，二五30。
a. The outer darkness is the darkness outside the bright glory in the manifestation of the kingdom—16:28; 25:30.
b 哀哭指明懊悔，切齿指明自责。
b. Weeping indicates regret, and gnashing of teeth indicates self blame.
2 在千年国里与基督一同辖管列国，乃是给祂忠信又精明之奴仆的奖赏─启二26，路十九17~19。
2. To reign with Christ over the nations in the millennial kingdom will be a prize to His faithful and prudent slaves—Rev. 2:26; Luke 19:17-19.