越來越光明 8　

我們先前提到主同在的彰顯和肢體相交（koinonia）的關係，現在我們將談到一些可以使其發生的基本原則，以及一些可能阻止或竊奪此和我們在基督裡產業的重要部分。我們先從墮落之人的心性談起，這帶給人最具破壞性的假冒品，竊奪他們這一生所能擁有的許多最美好經歷。對此陷阱最貼切的例子記載在創世記十一章2-4節：

他們往東邊遷移的時候，在示拿地遇見一片平原，就住在那裡。
他們彼此商量說：來吧！我們要做磚，把磚燒透了。他們就拿磚當石頭，又拿石漆當灰泥。
他們說：來吧！我們要建造一座城和一座塔，塔頂通天，為要傳揚我們的名，免得我們分散在全地上。 

人墮落後第一個看似美好卻最邪惡的意圖，是企圖靠自己的力量和智慧來建造一座可以「通天」的塔。或許他們想要通到神那裡，但他們真正的動機是為著自己建造，「為要傳揚自己的名」，或是說為著自己的名望，而沒有高舉神。

他們也認為此原始的人類計畫可以將人聚在一起，免得分散。但當這些成為我們建造背後的真實動機，無論我們怎麼宣稱是為著主的緣故，最終都會分散而不是凝聚，正如接下來我們在創世記十一章5-9節所讀到的：

耶和華降臨，要看看世人所建造的城和塔。
耶和華說：看哪，他們成為一樣的人民，都是一樣的言語，如今既做起這事來，以後他們所要做的事就沒有不成就的了。
我們下去，在那裡變亂他們的口音，使他們的言語彼此不通。
於是耶和華使他們從那裡分散在全地上；他們就停工，不造那城了。
因為耶和華在那裡變亂天下人的言語，使眾人分散在全地上，所以那城名叫巴別【就是變亂的意思】。 

巴別（Babel）的意思是「混亂」，巴比倫（Babylon）的意思是「混亂之城」。在啟示錄一書中的「奧秘的巴比倫」則是在創世記的種子長成植物的版本。「奧秘的巴比倫」又稱為「大淫婦」，是因為它是由被蛇再次欺騙並因尋求自我為中心而墮落的基督徒所組成的。所有這些產物全都是純淨貞潔的處女教會之假冒品，貞潔的教會是不會與世界的靈通姦。 

當此錯誤淫亂的教會隨著這世界的靈成長並與地上政府聯合，它試圖做示拿地的人想要做的事，它試圖連結所有宣稱是在主的工之下的人，卻倚靠自己的勢力和才能，而不是倚靠神的靈。他們其實是在為自己建造，為要傳揚自己的名，吸引人更多就近他們的計畫，而不是主的計畫。主對他們所做的和對巴別塔所做的一樣─主分散他們，現在我們有超過上萬種不同的語言─和教派。

並非所有教派都受此邪惡意圖所驅使，也不是每個在裡面的人都是如此。許多教派是在神真實運作中誕生的，許多在這些教派中的人對主和祂的工有著純淨的心。然而，儘管他們的建造者和領袖聲稱每件事都是為主做的（有些人確實如此），但整個系統有一個腐敗根基，這不會成為上帝之城的根基。記得我們幾週前在希伯來書十三章12-14節所讀到：

所以，耶穌要用自己的血叫百姓成聖，也就在城門外受苦。
這樣，我們也當出到營外，就了祂去，忍受祂所受的凌辱。
我們在這裡本沒有常存的城，乃是尋求那將來的城。 

有沒有任何的屬靈運動後來機構化而沒有變得腐敗的？「出到營外，就了祂去」是什麼意思？耶穌和第一世紀的使徒或第一世紀的教會有沒有任何時候「去到營內」？第三、第四世紀「去到營內」的教會發生了什麼事？它成為世上最嚴重的屬靈腐敗和敵基督之靈的所在。 

就算在此腐敗最黑暗的時候─歐洲黑暗時代，都有偉大的靈魂作為世上的光。即使是現在，在機構性教會中也有偉大的靈魂，直到主召喚他們出來。他們當中的一些人對主的單純擺上和親密使我吃醋，我很榮幸能稱他們為弟兄姊妹，但到了一個時候，連他們都必須做決定「出到營外，就了祂去」。

亞伯拉罕這位「信心之父」是出到營外而開始了與主同行，離開當時的偉大文化和文明，那是與巴別和巴比倫同個地區。他出去時還不知道要往哪裡去，只知道他在尋找─神而非人所建造的城。正如耶穌回答那些稱亞伯拉罕為父的人說：「你們若是亞伯拉罕的兒子，就必行亞伯拉罕所行的事」(約翰福音8:39)。

(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 8, 2022)
 

Increasing Light, Part 8

    We have been addressing the manifest presence of the Lord, and its relationship to koinonia fellowship. We will now cover some of the basics that enable this, and that can inhibit or rob us of this basic and crucial part of our inheritance in Christ. We will begin with the mentality of fallen man, which has led to the most devastating counterfeits and robbed many of the greatest experiences they can have in this life. The most poignant illustration of this trap is found in Genesis 11:2-4:

It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

They said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.

         The first seemingly good but most evil of all intents of fallen men was to attempt to build what would “reach into heaven” by their own strength and wisdom. They may have attempted to reach God, but their real motive was to “build for ourselves.” It was to “make for ourselves a name,” or for their own fame, not to lift up God.

            They also thought this original human project would gather men and not scatter them. But when these are the true motives behind what we build, no matter how much we claim it is for the Lord, it will ultimately end up scattering instead of unifying, as we read in Genesis 11:5-9:

The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

The Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.

"Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."

So, the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.

Therefore, its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

         Babel means “confusion,” and Babylon means “city of confusion.” “Mystery Babylon” in the Book of Revelation is the mature plant version of this seed in Genesis. “Mystery Babylon” is also called the “great harlot” because it is composed of Christians whom the serpent again deceived and caused to fall by seeking what is self-centered. All such works are the counterfeit of the pure, chaste virgin church that will not commit adultery with the spirit of the world.

         When this false, harlot church grew in the power of the spirit of this world and joined herself to earthly governments, it tried to do what the men of Shinar tried. It tried to unite all men under what it claimed was the Lord’s work in their own might and power and not God’s Spirit. It was really building for themselves to make a name for themselves and attract more men to their project than to the Lord. The Lord did the same thing to them He did at this original tower—He scattered them and now we have more than ten thousand languages—and denominations.

          Not all denominations are driven by this evil intent, nor is everyone in them. Many denominations were born out of authentic moves of God and many who are in them have pure hearts for the Lord and for His true work. However, as much as their builders and leaders claim to be doing everything for the Lord (and some are), this whole system has a corrupt foundation, and this will not be the foundation of the city of God. Remember what we read before in Hebrews 13:12-14:

Therefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

          Has there ever been a spiritual movement that became institutionalized that did not become corrupt? What does it mean to “go out to Him outside the camp?” Was there any time Jesus, the first century apostles, or the first century church ever went “inside the camp?” What happened to the church in the third and fourth centuries that did go “inside the camp?” It became the seat of the worst spiritual corruption and antichrist spirit the world had yet known.

         Even within the darkest times of this corruption, the Dark Ages, there were great souls in it who were lights to the world. And even now there are great souls in the institutional churches, and there will be until the Lord calls them out. Some of them make me jealous with their pure devotion and intimacy to the Lord, and I am honored to call them my brothers and sisters. But a time is coming when they, too, will have to make the choice “to go out to Him outside the camp.”

         Abraham, the “father of faith,” began His walk with the Lord by going outside the camp, leaving one of the great cultures and civilizations of the time, which was in the same region of Babel and Babylon. He went out not knowing where he was going but knew what he was looking for—the city that God is building, not men. As Jesus replied to those who claimed Abraham was their father, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham” (John 8:39).