基督里的自由与结果子                                    

歌罗西书一章9至14节

 

 

请将此段经文读两遍。第一遍请一位组员诵读，设想这就是保罗在对歌罗西信徒说话；然后大家默读一遍，设想这是一位属灵前辈写给你个人的一封劝勉、鼓励的信。

 

一、保罗在西一：9处的祷文，需要何种自律与责任感才能做到？（可参读不同译本。）比较弗六：18；帖前三：10；五：17；帖后一：11。忙碌的人如何才能经常地祷告？

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

二、请比较保罗与你的祷告方式。研讨保罗祷告的动力。更深的动机会改变你的祷告方式吗？

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

注：保罗的话也指出我们不祷告的惰性。我们要切忌祷告与行动不一致，也不可以只在「属灵」或「有祷告心愿」时才祷告。（Trevethan，第30页）

                                                                              

三、根据西一：9，找出保罗最迫切为歌罗西人祷告的事情。这在你生活中有多重要？为何属世的智慧在此不够？你还需要什么？如何获得？

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

四、西一：10中，神的旨意如何以四种方式在日常生活中实现？（请用你自己的言语表达。）

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                             

五、找出第一与第二种方式之不同点。

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                             

注：现代中文译本将西一：10译作：「这样，你们的生活就会合乎主的要求，凡事使他喜欢。」

                                                                             

六、注意在此段经文中，如「一切」，「凡事」，「渐渐的」、等数个含有「增长」意义的字眼。然后找出西一：6，10中保罗所用「结果子」的比喻。这比喻如何增进你对基督徒生命之了解？（请将这两节经文与约十五：1～5作一比较。）信徒在基督里当结什么果子？请加以讨论。

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

七、腓力斯（J．B．Phillips）的英译本将10节下半段的祷告译作：「你们对神的认识能够变得更深刻。」「变」，「更深刻」会使你产生什么生物学上的联想？这一「根本法则」如何可用来进一步的认识神？

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

八、根据西一：11，神加添给我们的力量具有何等非凡的性质？这力量在人心中能激发出什么样的品质？（比较不同译本。）歌罗西的信徒为何需要神的激励？我们为何也需要？

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

九、西一：11的「欢欢喜喜」与西一：12的「感谢」为何也被加在这里？（提示：如无此二者，基督徒的生活将是何光景？）

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

十、西一：12～14所说的两个国度是什么？找出两个国度的相异之处。

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

十一、谁能将信徒「迁」到神国里去？（英译本用不同字眼，如迁移、移植、搬运、迁徙入新环境。）我们能「自迁」么？为什么能？为什么不能？

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

十二、「救赎」一词有何含意（参见弗一：7）？

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

十三、你如已在基督里享受新的自由，请写下你喜乐感恩的祷文与大家共享。轮流祷告后结束。

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                              

思考重点

 

    只有藉着基督，世人才能从撒但的权势中挣脱，成为神国的公民。正如古时的战胜者常将被征服地的人民迁移到别处去，神在他得胜的爱中，也将信徒从罪恶黑暗的权势中迁移到圣洁、光明、慈爱的国度里。（Barclay，第134～135页）