2013-07-31 17:16:15 Joshuachang

晨興聖言─創世記結晶讀經(一)(25)

第二週 ‧ 週五


晨興餧養
西一16~17『因為萬有,無論是在諸天之上的、在地上的、能看見的、不能看見的、或是有位的、主治
                   的、執政的、掌權的,都是在祂裏面造的;萬有都是藉着祂並為着祂造的;祂在萬有之先,萬
                  有也在祂裏面得以維繫。』

    希伯來一章三節告訴我們,基督『用祂大能的話維持、載着並推動萬有』。基督在創造萬有之後,成了維持、載着並推動萬有者。地球懸在太空裏,沒有甚麼看得見的東西托住它。基督在創造地球以後,就開始托住地球;如今祂用祂大能的話托住它。

    你若問科學家是甚麼托住地球,他們只會說有個東西在托住。地球是許多行星中的一個。天文學家告訴我們,所有的行星都按着自己的軌道運行。它們若在軌道之外運行,就會有星球的事故。誰托住所有的星球和整個宇宙?基督托住萬有,並且祂非常容易的托住萬有。祂不需要作甚麼—祂只要說話。祂用祂大能的話維持、載着並推動萬有(新約總論第二冊,六四至六五頁)。

信息選讀

    希伯來書強調神的話。十一章三節說,宇宙是憑神的話結構起來的。現今在一章三節我們看見,宇宙是用基督大能的話維持、載着並推動的。神聖的話是有能力的。基督不僅是創造者和創造的憑藉;祂也是維持、載着並推動者。祂創造宇宙,如今祂用祂的話維持、載着並推動宇宙。

    歌羅西一章十七節論到基督,說,『萬有也在祂裏面得以維繫。』在祂裏面得以維繫,意指萬有靠着
基督作聯繫的中心,得以一同存在,如同輪子的輪輻靠着輪軸作中心,得以聯繫在一起。受造之物在基督
二〇一三年夏季訓練 - 第2 篇 晨興聖言 - 第 10 頁 裏得以維繫,進一步指明基督與創造有主觀的關係。

    區別存在(exist)、包含(consist)、維繫(subsist)這三個辭是很重要的。…『存在』是存有,『包含』是被組成或構成,『維繫』是被聯繫得以存在。想想看輪子的輪輞、輪輻和輪軸。所有的輪輻都在輪軸裏面得以維繫。輪輻得以維繫的惟一方法,是在輪子中心的輪軸那裏聯繫在一起。這可說明基督與受造之物的關係,萬有在基督裏面得以維繫的事實。

    萬有在基督裏面、藉着基督而成,並且歸於基督。沒有甚麼事物是可以與祂分開的。萬有都是在基督人位內在的能力裏,藉着祂作主動的憑藉造的,並且歸於祂這完成的目標。不僅如此,萬有都是在祂這輪軸裏面得以維繫,聯繫在一起。因為萬有都是在基督裏面、藉着基督並為着基督造的,又因為萬有都是在基督裏面得以維繫的,神就能藉着基督,那不能看見之神的像,在創造裏彰顯祂自己(新約總論第二冊,六五至六六頁)。

    在啓示錄三章十四節,主也稱自己作『神創造之物的元始』。這是指主乃是神創造之物的起源或根源,含示主是神工作中不變永存的根源。這指明恢復後又墮落的召會,是因離開主這源頭而改變了(啓示錄生命讀經,二三六至二三七頁)。

    歌羅西一章十六節說,『因為萬有,無論是在諸天之上的、在地上的、能看見的、不能看見的、或是有位的、主治的、執政的、掌權的,都是在祂裏面造的;萬有都是藉着祂並為着祂造的。』『在祂裏面』,指在基督人位的能力裏。萬有都是在基督所是的能力裏被造的。一切受造之物,都帶着基督內在能力的特徵。…『藉着祂』,指明基督是主動的憑藉。藉這憑藉,萬有的創造纔得依次完成。末了,『為着祂』或作『歸於祂』,指明基督是一切受造之物的歸結。萬有的被造乃是為着歸於祂,為祂所有(歌羅西書生命讀經,八三至八四頁)。

    參讀:神的奧祕與基督的奧祕,第二至三章。



‹‹ WEEK 2 — DAY 5 ››

Morning Nourishment

Col. 1:16-17 "Because in Him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth,the visible and the
                      invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created
                      through Him and unto Him. And He is before all things, and all things cohere in Him."

    Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Christ upholds “all things by the word of His power.” After creating all things, Christ became the Upholder of all things. The earth is suspended in space. There is nothing visible
supporting it. After Christ created the earth, He began to uphold it, and He upholds it now by the word of His power.

    If you ask scientists what upholds the earth, they will say only that something upholds it. The earth is
one of many planets. Astronomers tell us that all the planets move according to their own track. If they
were to move out of orbit, there would be a global accident. Who upholds all the planets and the whole
universe? Christ upholds all things, and He upholds them very easily. There is no need for Him to do
anything—He simply speaks. He upholds all things by the word of His power. (The Conclusion of the
New Testament, p. 278)

Today's Reading

    The book of Hebrews emphasizes the word of God. Hebrews 11:3 says that the universe was framed by
the word of God. Now we see in 1:3 that the universe is upheld by the word of Christ's power. The divine
word is powerful. Christ is not only the Creator and the means of creation; He is also the Upholder. He
created the universe, and now He upholds the universe by His word.

    Speaking of Christ, Colossians 1:17 says, “All things subsist together in Him” [Darby]. Subsist together
in Him [or cohere] means to exist together by Christ as the holding center, just as the spokes of a wheel
are held together by the hub at their center. For creation to subsist in Christ is a further indication that
Christ is subjectively related to creation.

    It is important to differentiate between the words exist, consist, and subsist....To exist is to be, to
consist is to be composed or constituted, and to subsist is to be held together for existence. Imagine
a wheel with its rim, spokes, and hub. All the spokes subsist together in the hub. The only way for the
spokes to subsist is to be held together at the hub in the center of the wheel. This illustrates Christ's
relationship to creation with respect to the fact that all things subsist in Him.

    All things came into being in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ. Nothing should be regarded as
separate from Him. All things were made in the intrinsic power of Christ's person, through Him as the
active instrument, and unto Him as the consummate goal. Furthermore, all things subsist, [cohere], are
held together, in Him as the hub. Because all things were created in Christ, through Christ, and unto
Christ and because all things subsist in Christ, God can be expressed in creation through Christ, who is
the image of the invisible God. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 278-279)

    In Revelation 3:14 the Lord also refers to Himself as “the beginning of the creation of God.” This refers to the Lord as the origin or source of God's creation, implying that the Lord is the unchanging and ever-existing source of God's work. This indicates that the degraded recovered church is changing by
leaving the Lord as the source. (Life-study of Revelation, p. 198)

    Colossians 1:16 says, “Because in Him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, the
visible and the invisible;...all things have been created through Him and unto Him.” In Him means in
the power of Christ's person. All things were created in the power of what Christ is. All creation bears the
characteristics of Christ's intrinsic power....Through Him indicates that Christ is the active instrument
through which the creation of all things was processed. Finally, unto Him indicates that Christ is the end
of all creation. All things were created for His possession. (Life-study of Colossians, p. 69)

    Further Reading: The Mystery of God and the Mystery of Christ, chs. 2-3