806 英翻中 (506)By “the principalities and powers,” Paul meant the angelic beings created by God, both good and evil.“执政的和掌权的”保羅是指上帝创造的天使，有善有恶. 22/07/2024

806 英翻中 (506)By “the principalities and powers,” Paul meant the angelic beings created by God, both good and evil.“执政的和掌权的”保羅是指上帝创造的天使，有善有恶.        22/7/2024

3.  It Is Important to the Angels (3:9–10)                                                                                                3.  对天使很重要（弗   3 : 9-10） 

Perhaps at this point, you are asking yourself the question, “Why did God keep His secret about the church hidden for so many centuries?” Certainly the Old Testament clearly states that God will save the Gentiles through Israel, but nowhere are we told that both Jews and Gentiles will form a new creation, the church, the body of Christ. It was this mystery that the Spirit revealed to Paul and other leaders in the early church, and that was so difficult for the Jews to accept.               或许在这点上，你会问自己一个问题，“为什么上帝对有關教会祂的秘密，隐藏了这么多個世纪的？”当然，旧约清楚地说明上帝将通过以色列拯救外邦人，但在聖經中没有任何地方記載，犹太人和外邦人将组成新的创造，教会，基督的身体。圣灵启示给保罗和早期教会，及其他领袖的正是这奥秘，这让犹太人很难接受。

Paul tells us that “the principalities and powers” are also involved in this great secret. God is “educating” the angels by means of the church! By “the principalities and powers,” Paul meant the angelic beings created by God, both good and evil (Eph. 1:21; 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:15). Angels are created beings and are not omniscient. In fact, Peter indicated that during the Old Testament period, the angels were curious about God’s plan of salvation then being worked out on earth (1 Peter 1:10–12). Certainly the angels rejoice at the repentance of a lost sinner (Luke 15:10), and Paul suggested that the angels watch the activities of the local assembly (1 Cor. 11:10). “We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels,” Paul wrote (1 Cor. 4:9).                                           保罗告诉我们，“执政的、掌权的”也牵涉到这伟大的秘密裡。上帝正在通过教会“教導”天使！ 保罗所说的“执政的和掌权的”是指上帝创造的天使，有善有恶（弗  1:21；6:12；西   1:16；2:15）。天使是受造之物，不是无所不知。事实上，彼得指出，在旧约时期，天使们对上帝在地球上实施的救恩计划感到好奇（彼前  1：10-12）。当然，天使为任何失丧的罪人悔改，都會欢欣鼓舞（路  15:10），保罗建议天使们留意当地集​​会的活动（林前 11:10）。保罗写道，“我们成为了一台戏，给世人和天使观看”（林前 4:9）。                  

What, then, do the angels learn from the church? “The manifold wisdom of God” (Eph. 3:10). Certainly the angels know about the power of God as seen in His creation. But the wisdom of God as seen in His new creation, the church, is something new to them. Unsaved men, including wise philosophers, look at God’s plan of salvation and consider it “foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:18–31). But the angels watch the outworking of God’s salvation, and they praise His wisdom. Paul called it manifold wisdom, and this word carries the idea of “variegated” or “many-colored.” This suggests the beauty and variety of God’s wisdom in His great plan of salvation.                                                那么，天使从教会学到什么？ “上帝百般的智慧”（弗  3:10）。当然，天使们知道从上帝的创造中看到的上帝的大能。但从祂的新创造 --- 教会中看到的祂的智慧，对他们来说是新事物。未得救的人，包括聪明的哲学家，看到上帝的救恩计划，并认为它是“愚蠢的”（林前  1：18-31）。但天使注视着上帝的救恩结果，并赞美祂的智慧。保罗称之为多方面的智慧，这词带有“杂色”或“多色”的意思。它暗示了上帝在祂伟大的救恩计划中智慧的美丽和多样性。 

But there is another facet to this truth that must be explored. What are the evil angels learning from God’s “mystery”? That their leader, Satan, does not have any wisdom! Satan knows the Bible, and he understood from the Old Testament Scriptures that the Savior would come, when He would come, how He would come, and where He would come. Satan also understood why He would come, as far as redemption is concerned. But nowhere in the Old Testament would Satan find any prophecies concerning the church, “the mystery” of Jews and Gentiles united in one body! Satan could see unbelieving Jews rejecting their Messiah, and he could see Gentiles trusting the Messiah, but he could not see both believing Jews and Gentiles united in one body, seated with Christ in the heavenlies, and completely victorious over Satan! Had Satan known the far reaching results of the cross, no doubt he would have altered his plans accordingly.                                        但是，必须探索这真理的另一方面。邪恶的天使从上帝的“奥秘”中学到了什么？他们的首领撒旦没有任何智慧！撒旦知道圣经，他从旧约圣经中明白救主会来，祂什么时候来，祂会怎么来，祂会去哪里。就救赎而言，撒旦也明白祂为什么会来。但在旧约中，撒旦找不到任何关于教会的预言，即犹太人和外邦人合而为一的“奥秘”！ 撒旦可以看到不信的犹太人拒绝他们的弥赛亚，牠可以看到外邦人相信弥赛亚，但牠看不到相信基督的犹太人和外邦人會結合为一，与基督一同坐在天上，完全战胜了撒旦！如果撒旦知道十字架的深远结果，毫无疑问牠会相应地改变牠的计划。

God hid this great plan “from the beginning of the world,” but now He wants “the mystery” to be known by His church. And this is why He made Paul a “steward” of this great truth. Ephesians 3:9 should read, “And to make all men see what is the stewardship of the mystery.” Here is an amazing truth: Now all believers are to be faithful stewards of this great truth! This “sacred secret” that was so important to Paul, and to the Gentiles, and to angels, is now in our hands!          上帝在“创世之初”就隐藏了这伟大的计划，但现在祂希望祂的教会知道這“奥秘”。就是为什么他让保罗成为这伟大真理的“管家”。以弗所书 3 章 9 节应读为，“又叫众人明白何为奥秘的管家职分。”这是惊人的真理：现在所有的信徒都要成为这伟大真理的忠实管家！ 这对保罗、外邦人和天使是如此重要的“神圣秘密”，现在掌握在我们手中！