於2014-03-22發佈

大使命10

真實的教會生活

新約中有兩個希臘字最常被使用來代表『教會』,一個音譯為『科依諾尼亞』(koinonia),我們上週開始提到,指的是聖徒關係上的特別緊密連結。另一個音譯為『愛克雷西亞』(ecclesia),指的是教會的秩序、結構與治理。我們兩者都需要,才能成為我們被呼召成為的教會,經歷神原本想要的團契生活。

首先,我們可以擁有最好的人、最好的設備,最好的計畫、最好的意圖和努力,卻無法實現『科依諾尼亞』(koinonia)。要使『科依諾尼亞』(koinonia)發生需要主的同在,祂是使我們緊密在一起的黏著劑,沒有其他替代品。正如我們在詩篇133篇所讀到的,當我們將油倒在頭上,它會留下來覆蓋整個身體,合一才會發生。

『科依諾尼亞』(koinonia)對真實教會生活而言是不可或缺的;然而,倘若我們尋求這樣的關係超越過主,它就可能成為偶像。我們可以擁有很棒的團契與合一,但沒有主成為我們聚集的中心與目的,我們就不可能擁有『科依諾尼亞』(koinonia)。我們是在凡事上長進,連於元首基督,而不是連於『科依諾尼亞』(koinonia)。『科依諾尼亞』(koinonia)是一個團體連於主的結果。沒有連於祂,就不可能發生。我先前曾經歷某種程度的『科依諾尼亞』(koinonia),後來當我們開始對特別的團契與合一擺上超過對主的擺上時,我目睹這樣的關係漸漸消失。

正如彼得.洛德(Peter Lord)常說:『首要的事就是讓首要的事成為首要的事』。首要的事就是我們在凡事上都長進更靠近主;然而,正如約翰壹書一章7節告訴我們:『我們若在光明中行,如同神在光明中,就彼此相交(希臘文koinonia),祂兒子耶穌的血也洗淨我們一切的罪。』我們若真的在光中行走,我們就會彼此相交(koinonia)。我們不可能正確連於元首(頭),卻沒有正確與祂的身體連結。倘若我們正確連於頭,我們也會經歷肢體之間的彼此相交(koinonia)。

對於那些超過百分之五十以上不再投入地方教會生活的基督徒呢?首先,受歡迎的現代教會形式離原本應有的教會生活甚遠。許多人離開教會是因為受傷或失望,其他人則因為覺得無趣,發現既沒有主的同在,也沒有每一位基督徒深深渴望的肢體相交(koinonia)。倘若有真實的肢體相交(koinonia),就不會發生因受傷與失望或無聊與空虛而離開。倘若我們要讓真實的教會生活回到教會,正如神原本所想要的樣式,我們目前的教會生活必須改變。 

許多超大型教會是被建造在一個人的事奉上,那個人可能是非常優秀的教師或牧師。看見如此多飢餓的人被餵養是件美事,但因每件事都建造在那人之上,當某件事發生在那人身上時,人們就散去了,沒留下什麼。倘若我們要所做的工長存,我們所建造的一切必須被建造在基督之上。就算是祂最好的僕人都無法取代祂。

有一種神學原則稱為『首次陳述的原則』(the principle of first mention),意指一件事的根基原則被建造在聖經第一次提到的地方。雖然情況不總是如此,因為它是原則而不是律法,但通常是對的。因此,我們所需要瞭解的教會生活,大部分的確可以從研讀第一世紀的教會生活中領受。當然,我們是在廿一世紀,而不是第一世紀的教會,但教會生活的根基在第一世紀早已存在。最初是建造在大群在聖殿相遇聽從使徒教導的基督徒身上,接著他們在『從這家到那家』的小群體中相遇。對一個健康教會生活而言,我們二者都需要,肢體才能密切相交(koinonia)。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week10, 2014)


True Church Life - The Great Commission, Part 10
Week 10, 2014 
Rick Joyner

There are two Greek words most commonly translated “church” in the New Testament. Koinonia, which we began to address last week, speaks of the special bonding of the saints in relationship. The other is ecclesia, which speaks of church order, structure, and government. We must have both of these to become the church we are called to be and to experience fellowship as God intended.

First, we can have the best people together in the best settings with the best plan and the best intentions with the best effort and not achieve koinonia. What makes koinonia happen is the presence of the Lord. He is the cement that bonds us together. There can be no other substitute. As we see in Psalm 133, it is when we pour oil upon the Head and it runs down covering the rest of the body that unity happens.

Koinonia is essential for true church life and is a demonstration of true Christianity. However, koinonia can become an idol if we seek it above the Lord. We can have great fellowship and a measure of unity, but we cannot have koinonia without keeping the Lord as the center and purpose of our gathering. We are to grow up in all things into Christ, not into koinonia. Koinonia is the result of a group being joined to the Lord. Without being joined to Him, it is not really possible. Where I have previously experienced a measure of koinonia, I also watched it fade away as the devotion to our special fellowship and unity began to eclipse our devotion to the Lord.

As Peter Lord often says, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” The main thing is that we are all growing closer to the Lord. However, as we are told in I John 1:7, “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship (Greek word koinonia) with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” If we are truly walking in the light, we will have koinonia. We cannot be properly joined to the Head without also being properly joined to His body. If we are properly joined to the Head, we will be experiencing koinonia as well.

So what about the more than 50% of Christians who are no longer engaged in local church life? First, the popular modern form of church life is far from what local church life is meant to be. Many have left church because of being wounded or disappointed. Others have left out of sheer boredom, finding neither the presence of the Lord nor the koinonia that every Christian has a deep yearning for. Separations for either wounding and disappointment or boredom and emptiness could not happen if true koinonia was present. Church life must change if we are going to have true life back in the church as it was intended.

Many, if not most, of the largest churches are built on the ministry of a single person. That person may be an extraordinary teacher or preacher, and it is great to see so many hungry ones being fed, but when something happens to that one person on which everything has been built, the people fade away and little remains. If we want our work to remain, all that we build must be built on Christ. Even the best of His servants is no substitute for Him.

The theological principle called “the principle of first mention” basically implies that the foundational principle of a subject is established at the first mention of it in Scripture. This is not always the case, for it is a principle and not a law. Yet very often it is true. Therefore, it is true that much of what we need to understand about church life, we will receive by studying the first-century church. Of course, we are the twenty-first century church, not the first-century church, but the foundation of church life as it is meant to be was laid in the first century. It was first built on Christians who met in the temple as a large group to hear the apostles teach. Then they met “from house to house” in small groups. We need both for a healthy church life where koinonia can happen.