Keeping the Faith
读经：提后四7下，提前一19，三9，四1，六12，帖前三2，犹3
壹 在新约里，信是客观的，也是主观的：
I. In the New Testament, faith is both objective and subjective:
一 客观的信仰是指我们所相信的对象，也就是我们所相信的事物；这客观的信仰包含神新约经纶的内容─弗四13，提后四7下：
A. The objective faith refers to the subject of our believing, that is, to the things in which we believe; this objective faith includes the contents of God's New Testament economy—Eph. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:7c:
1 以弗所四章十三节的“信仰”不是相信的行动，乃是客观的信仰。─引用经文
1. The faith in Ephesians 4:13 is not faith as a believing action but the objective faith.
2 客观的信仰只包括与我们救恩有关的项目─换句话说，只包括那些与基督身位和工作有关的项目─约三16，一18，约壹四9。
2. The items of the objective faith are only those items that are related to our salvation—in other words, only those items that relate to Christ's person and work—John 3:16; 1:18; 1 John 4:9.
二 主观的信与我们相信的行动有关─约三15~16：
B. Subjective faith has to do with our action of believing—John 3:15-16:
1 按照这意义，有在主里的信就是相信主。
1. According to this meaning, to have faith in the Lord is to believe in Him.
2 所有在基督里的真信徒，因着有关于基督的信而是一。
2. All genuine believers in Christ are one in having faith related to Christ.
三 在帖前三章二节里的信（该处中文译为“信心”）不仅是主观的，指圣徒的相信，如在五节、六节、十节者（中文译为“信心”），也是客观的，指我们所相信的事物，如在提前三章九节，四章一节，和提后四章七节者（中文译为“信仰”）：─引用经文
C. In 1 Thessalonians 3:2 faith is not only subjective, referring to the saints' believing, as in verses 5, 6, and 10, but also objective, referring to what we believe in, as in 1 Timothy 3:9; 4:1; and 2 Timothy 4:7:
1 信的这两方面彼此相关联。
1. These two aspects of faith involve one another.
2 我们的相信（主观的信心），是出于我们所相信的事物，也是在于我们所相信的事物（客观的信仰）。
2. Our believing (subjective faith) is out of the things we believe and in the things we believe (objective faith).
贰 “当守的信仰我已经守住了”─7节下：
II. "I have kept the faith"—v. 7c:
一 这里的“信仰”乃是客观的。
A. The faith here is objective.
二 这节里的“信仰”这辞，含示我们相信基督，是以祂的身位和祂救赎的工作，作为我们信仰的对象─提前一19，加一23。
B. The word faith in this verse implies our believing in Christ, taking His person and His redemptive work as the object of our faith—1 Tim. 1:19; Gal. 1:23.
三 守住信仰，就是守住整个神新约的经纶，就是关于基督是神的具体化身也是神的奥秘，以及召会是基督的身体也是基督的奥秘之信仰─提前一4。
C. To keep the faith is to keep the entire New Testament economy of God—the faith concerning Christ as the embodiment of God and the mystery of God and the church as the Body of Christ and the mystery of Christ—1 Tim. 1:4.
叁 提前六章十二节上半说，“你要为信仰打那美好的仗”：
III. First Timothy 6:12a says, "Fight the good fight of the faith":
一 为信仰打仗，意思是为神新约的经纶打仗。
A. To fight for the faith means to fight for God's New Testament economy.
二 为信仰打那美好的仗，就是为那照着神新约经纶之完全福音的内容打仗─弗一9~10，提前一4。
B. To fight the good fight of the faith is to fight for the contents of the complete gospel according to God's New Testament economy—Eph. 1:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:4.
三 因着不同的教训，召会堕落了，偏离了信仰─3节。
C. Because of the different teachings, the church had already become degraded and had deviated from the faith—v. 3.
四 保罗嘱咐提摩太，要与这偏离信仰的事打仗，就是要为信仰打那美好的仗─六12上。
D. Paul charged Timothy to fight against the deviation from the faith, which is to fight the good fight of the faith—6:12a.
肆 在提前六章十二节下半，保罗继续说，“持定永远的生命；你已蒙召进入这永远的生命”：
IV. In 1 Timothy 6:12b Paul goes on to say, "Lay hold on the eternal life, to which you were called":
一 我们在基督徒的生活中，要为信仰打那美好的仗，就需要持定这生命─永远的生命，神圣的生命─而不信靠人的生命─12节下。
A. To fight the good fight of the faith in the Christian life, we need to lay hold on this life—the eternal life, the divine life—and not trust in human life—v. 12b.
二 我们为信仰打那美好的仗，不但是客观的，更是主观的，就是借着持定永远的生命来打这仗─12节下。
B. We fight the good fight of the faith not only objectively but also subjectively by laying hold on the eternal life—v. 12b.
三 我们需要持定永远的生命；这样，我们才能为信仰打那美好的仗─12节。
C. We need to lay hold on the eternal life; then we will be able to fight the good fight of the faith—v. 12.
伍 正确的基督徒生活包括为着在神的经纶里有分于神圣的丰富，守住信仰─一19，三9，四1，六12，多一4，犹3：
V. A proper Christian life involves keeping the faith for participation in the divine riches in God's economy—1:19; 3:9; 4:1; 6:12; Titus 1:4; Jude 3:
一 神的经纶是在信仰里的，就是在信仰的范围和元素里得以开始而发展的─提前一4。
A. The economy of God is a matter in faith, that is, a matter that is initiated and developed in the sphere and element of faith—1 Tim. 1:4.
二 神的经纶是要将祂自己分赐到祂所拣选的人里面，不是在天然的范围里，也不是在律法的行为里，乃是因着相信基督，借着重生，在新造属灵的范围里─林后五17，加三23~26。
B. God's economy, which is to dispense Himself into His chosen people, is not a matter in the natural realm nor in the work of the law but in the spiritual sphere of the new creation through regeneration by faith in Christ—2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:23-26.
三 因着信，我们由神而生，成为祂的儿子，有分于祂的生命和性情以彰显祂─约一12~13：
C. By faith we are born of God to be His sons, partaking of His life and nature to express Him—John 1:12-13:
1 因着信，我们被放在基督里，成为祂身体的肢体，分享祂一切的所是，叫祂得着彰显─罗十二4~5。
1. By faith we are put into Christ to become members of the Body, sharing all that He is for His expression—Rom. 12:4-5.
2 这就是神照着祂新约的经纶，在信仰里所完成的计划。
2. This is God's plan, which is carried out in faith, according to God's New Testament economy.
陆 我们需要用清洁的良心持守信仰的奥秘─提前三9：
VI. We need to hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience—1 Tim. 3:9:
一 信仰是指我们所相信的事物，就是那些构成福音的事物─罗一1、3~4。
A. The faith refers to the things we believe in, the things that constitute the gos-pel—Rom. 1:1, 3-4.
二 信仰的奥秘，主要的是基督是神的奥秘，并召会是基督的奥秘─西二2，弗三4。
B. The mystery of the faith is mainly Christ as the mystery of God and the church as the mystery of Christ—Col. 2:2; Eph. 3:4.
三 我们要持守信仰的奥秘，就必须有清洁的良心，就是得了洁净、没有搀杂的良心─提前三9，一19。
C. In order to hold the mystery of the faith, we must have a pure conscience, a conscience purified from any mixture—1 Tim. 3:9; 1:19.
柒 犹大在他的书信中说，“我……不得不写信劝你们，要为那一次永远交付圣徒的信仰竭力争辩”─3节：
VII. Jude says in his Epistle, "I found it necessary to write to you and exhort you to earnestly contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints"— v. 3b:
一 这节里的“信仰”不是主观的，乃是客观的。
A. The faith in this verse is not subjective; it is objective.
二 这里的“信仰”这辞不是指我们的相信，乃是指我们所相信的。
B. The word faith here does not refer to our believing but refers to our belief, to what we believe.
三 犹大书三节的信仰乃指新约的内容作为我们的信仰，我们相信，就能得着我们共享的救恩─徒六7，提前一19，三9，四1，五8，六10、21，提后三8，四7，多一13。
C. The faith in Jude 3 denotes the contents of the New Testament as our faith, in which we believe for our common salvation—Acts 6:7; 1 Tim. 1:19; 3:9; 4:1; 5:8; 6:10, 21; 2 Tim. 3:8; 4:7; Titus 1:13.
四 这信仰（不是任何道理）已经一次永远地交付圣徒。
D. This faith, not any doctrine, has been delivered once for all to the saints.
五 我们应当为这信仰争辩─提前六12。
E. For this faith we should contend—1 Tim. 6:12.
捌 我们都需要“达到……信仰上……的一”─弗四13上：
VIII. We all need to "arrive at the oneness of the faith"—Eph. 4:13a:
一 这辞句里所提的信仰乃是客观的信仰。
A. The faith mentioned in this phrase is objective faith.
二 信仰上的一有赖于我们对神儿子完全的认识─13节。
B. The oneness of the faith depends on our full knowledge of the Son of God— v. 13.
三 我们唯有以基督为中心，专注在祂身上，才能达到信仰上的一。
C. Only when we take Christ as the center and we focus on Him can we arrive at the oneness of the faith.