1525 英翻中(以弗所书第六課) I KNOW A SECRET` 我知道一個秘密 19/03/2026
CHAPTER
SIX I KNOW A SECRET Ephesians 3:1–13
第六課 我知道一個秘密 以弗所书 3:1-13
I was
once a character witness at a child-custody trial. I was grateful that the case
was being tried at a small rural county seat rather than in a big city, because
it was my first experience on the witness stand. I have since learned that the
location of the court makes little difference. All trials can be difficult and
it is no fun to be a witness at any.
我曾经是儿童犯罪审判的性格证人。我很庆幸这案子是在农村小县城而不是在大城市的法院审理，因为这是我第一次作证人的经历。从那以后，我了解到那裡的法院几乎都一樣。所有的审判都可能很困难，做证人一点也沒有趣。
The
prosecutor’s first question caught me unawares, “Reverend, do you think that a
man who has been in prison is fit to raise a child?”
检察官的第一个问题让我措手不及，“牧师，你认为已经坐过牢的人适合抚养孩子吗？”
I was
supposed to answer yes or no, so the reply I gave did not make the judge too
happy. “Well,” I said slowly, stalling for time, “I guess it depends on the
man. Some very famous people have been in jail and have made the world a better
place because of their experiences—John Bunyan, for example, and the great
apostle Paul.” I could have given other examples from the Bible, but I detected
that my answer was not acceptable to the court.
我只能回答 “是” 或 “否”，所以我给出的回答，并没有让法官太高兴。 為了拖延了时间，我慢慢地回答，“嗯，我想这要取决于那个人。一些非常有名的人因为他们在監獄的经历，让世界变得更美好 — 例如约翰班扬和伟大的使徒保罗。”我本可以举出圣经中的其他例子，但发现我的回答法庭並不接受。
Twice
in this letter, Paul reminded his readers that he was a prisoner (Eph. 3:1;
4:1), and at the close he called himself an “ambassador in bonds” (Eph. 6:20). No doubt the Ephesians were
asking, “Why is Paul a prisoner in Rome?
Why would God permit such a thing?” In this paragraph, Paul explained his
situation and, in doing so, also explained one of the greatest truths in this
letter, the “mystery” of the church. In the New Testament, a mystery is not
something eerie or inscrutable, but rather “a truth that was hidden by God in
times past and is now revealed to those who are in His family.” A mystery is a
“sacred secret” that is unknown to unbelievers, but understood and treasured by
the people of God.
在信中，保罗曾两次提醒读者他是囚犯（弗 3:1；4:1），并在信结束时，称自己为“被捆綁的大使”（弗 6:20）。毫无疑问，以弗所人會问，“为什么保罗要到罗马被囚禁？ 为什么上帝会允许这样的事发生？”在这段中，保罗解释了他的处境，同时也解释了这封信中最伟大的真理之一，教会的“奥秘”。 在新约聖經中，奥秘不是怪异或高深莫测的事，而是“上帝在过去將它隐藏的真理，现在向祂的家人揭示”。奥秘是非信徒不知道的“神圣秘密”，但为上帝的子民所理解和珍寶。
Paul
explained the mystery—the Gentile believers are now united to the Jewish
believers in one body, the church (Eph. 3:6). He had mentioned this new work of
God, so his readers were familiar with the concept (Eph. 1:10; 2:11,
22). But now Paul explained the tremendous impact of this “sacred secret” that
had so possessed his own life and ministry. Actually, this explanation is
almost a parenthesis in the letter, for Paul began this section with the
intention of praying for his readers. Compare Ephesians 3:1 and 14. His use of
the words prisoner and Gentiles led him into this important explanation of the
“mystery of the church,” and in this explanation, Paul showed us that the
“mystery” is important to four different groups of persons. 暫停
保罗解释了該奥秘是教会现在為外邦信徒与犹太信徒結合成的身体 （弗 3:6）。他提到了上期的这项新作為，所以他的读者对該概念很熟悉（弗 1:10；2:11、22）。但是现在保罗解释了这“神圣的秘密”的巨大影响，對他自己的生活和事工被这秘密占据了。实質上，該解释在信中是加上括号，因为保罗在信的开始是為他的读者祈祷。比较以弗所书 3章1節 和 14節。他对囚犯和外邦人这两个词的運用，使他对“教会的奥秘”进行了很重要的解释，在这个解释中，保罗向我们展示了“奥秘”对四種不同群体的人的重要性。
1. It Was Important to
Paul (3:1–5)
1. 对保罗很重要（3:1-5）
The
best way to grasp the importance of “the mystery” in Paul’s life is to focus on
the two descriptions he gave of himself in this section. He began by calling
himself “a prisoner” (Eph. 3:1), and then he called himself “a minister” (Eph.
3:7). Paul was a prisoner because he believed in God’s new program of uniting
believing Jews and Gentiles into one body, the church. The orthodox Jews in
Paul’s day considered the Gentiles “dogs,” but some of the Christian Jews did
not have a much better attitude toward the Gentiles.
要了解“奥秘”在保罗生平中的重要性，最好的方法是关注他在本节中对自己的两个描述。他开始称自己为“被囚的”（弗 3:1），然后他称自己为“传道人”（弗 3:7）。保罗是囚犯，因为他深信上帝是要將犹太人和外邦人的信徒結合成為一体，即教会的新计划。保罗时代犹太的正统教者，认为外邦人是“狗”，但一些教犹太基督徒对外邦人的态度并不好一些。
Paul
was a leader in Jewish orthodoxy when Christ saved him (Gal. 1:11–24; Phil. 3:1–11), yet in the providence
of God, he began his early ministry in a local church in Antioch that was composed of both Jews and
Gentiles (Acts 11:19–26).
When the council was held at Jerusalem
to determine the status of believing Gentiles, Paul courageously defended the
grace of God and the unity of the church (Acts 15; Gal. 2:1–10).
当基督拯救保罗时，他是犹太正統教的领袖（加 1:11-24；腓 3:1-11），然而上帝的旨意下，安排在安提阿的地方教会开始了他早期的對犹太人和外邦人信徒的事工（徒 11：19-26）。当在耶路撒冷举行的大公会议，作對外邦信徒的地位决定时，保罗勇敢地捍卫了上帝的恩典和教会的合一（徒 15；加 2:1-10）。
Paul
knew from the very beginning of his Christian life that God had called him to
take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15;
26:13–18), and he was not disobedient to that call. Wherever Paul ministered,
he founded local churches composed of believing Jews and Gentiles, all “one in
Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).
保罗从他一开始基督徒生活，就知道上帝呼召他将福音传给外邦人（徒 9:15；26:13-18），他并没有违背这个呼召。无论保罗在哪里服事，他都建立了由信主的犹太人和外邦人组成的地方教会，他们都“在基督耶稣里是合一的”（加 3:28）。
Because
Paul was the “apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13; 15:15–16;
Eph. 3:8; 1 Tim. 2:7), he was accused of being prejudiced against the Jews,
particularly the Jewish believers in Jerusalem
and Judea. The special offering Paul collected
for the needy believers in Judea should have
shown the goodwill that existed between these churches and the churches Paul
founded (Rom. 15:25–33).
Paul delivered the offering in person (Acts 21:17–19), and from all evidence, it was graciously
received by the Judean Christians. Even though Paul took drastic steps to
pacify the Jewish believers, there was a riot in the temple and Paul was
arrested (Acts 21:30–33).
Paul defended himself by giving his personal testimony, and the crowd listened
to him until he got to the word “Gentiles” and then they rioted again (Acts 22:22–23). The rest of the book of
Acts explains how Paul got from Jerusalem
to Rome, “a
prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles” (Eph. 3:1). Had Paul compromised his
message and encouraged the selfish prejudices of the Jews he probably would
have been released.
因为保罗是“外邦人的使徒”（罗 11:13；15:15-16；弗 3:8；提前 2:7），他被指控对犹太人有偏见，尤其是犹太人耶路撒冷和犹大省的信徒。保罗为有需要犹太信徒收集的特别奉献，本应显示出这些教会与保罗所建立的教会之间存在的善意（罗 15:25-33）。保罗亲自献祭（徒 21：17-19），从所有证据来看，犹太基督徒都欣然接受了。尽管保罗采取严厉措施来安抚犹太信徒，但圣殿里还是发生了骚乱，保罗被捕（徒 21：30-33）。保罗用个人见证作为自己的辩护，众人听他说话，直到他说到“外邦人”这词，然后再次發生骚动（徒 22：22-23）。使徒行传的其余部分解释了保罗如何从耶路撒冷到罗马，“为你们外邦人做了耶稣基督的囚徒”（弗 3:1）。若保罗在他的信息上妥协，并贊同犹太人的自私偏见，他可能会被释放。
Paul
was not only a “prisoner” because of “the mystery,” but he was also a
“minister.” God gave him a “dispensation” (stewardship) that he might go to the
Gentiles, not only with the good news of salvation through Christ, but also
with the message that Jews and Gentiles are now one in Christ. The word
dispensation comes from two Greek words: oikos, meaning “house” and nomos,
meaning “law.” Our English word “economy” is derived directly from the Greek
oikonomia, “the law of the house,” or “a stewardship, a management.” God has
different ways of managing His program from age to age, and these different
“stewardships” Bible students sometimes call “dispensations” (Eph. 1:9–10).
God’s principles do not change, but His methods of dealing with mankind do
change over the course of history. “Distinguish the ages,” wrote Saint Augustine, “and the
Scriptures harmonize.”
保罗不仅因“奥秘”而成为“囚徒”，而且还因為他是“传道人”。上帝给了他“攝理”的職事（管家），這樣他可以去外邦人傳道，不仅傳講基督得救的好消息，而且傳講现在犹太人和外邦人在基督里合一的信息。 希腊词(Dispensation)是来自两个詞：oikos(房子)和 nomos(法律)。英语則為单词“经济”，是來自希腊语經濟( oikonomia)，意思是“房屋的法律”或“管家，經理”。上帝在各个时代，有不同的方式来攝理祂的计划，这些不同的“管家”圣经学生有时称之为“攝理”（弗 1:9-10）。上帝的原则不会改变，但祂对待人类的方法，确实会随着历史的进程而改变。 圣奥古斯丁写道，“在年代的分別上，圣经是一致的。”
Paul was made，by God， a steward of “the mystery” with the responsibility of sharing it
with the Gentiles. It was not enough simply to win them to Christ and form them
into local assemblies. He was also to teach them their wonderful position in
Christ as members of the body, sharing God’s grace equally with the Jews. This
truth had not been revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures. It was revealed to
the New Testament apostles and prophets (see Eph. 4:11) by the Holy Spirit. God revealed it
personally to Paul, and it was his responsibility to share it with the Gentile
Christians. This was the “dispensation”—or stewardship—that God had given him.
And because Paul was a faithful steward, he was now a prisoner in Rome. Like Joseph in the
Old Testament, his faithful stewardship resulted in false arrest and
imprisonment. But, in the end, it brought great glory to God and salvation to
Jews and Gentiles.
上帝設立保罗為 “奥秘”的管家，有责任与外邦人分享。仅仅赢得他们归向基督是不够的，并且要将他们參加当地的集会。保羅还要教导他们在基督里成為祂身體肢体的奇妙地位，与犹太人平等地分享上帝的恩典。这真理在旧约圣经中没有启示。它被圣灵启示给新约的使徒和先知（见 弗 4:11）。上帝亲自向保罗启示，他有责任与外邦基督徒分享。这就是上帝给他的“攝理”--- 或管家。因为保罗是一位忠心的管家，他现在是罗马的囚犯。就像旧约中的约瑟一样，他對管家職事的忠心，导致被猶太人错误的逮捕和监禁。但最终，給上帝带来了极大的荣耀，也为犹太人和外邦人带来了救恩。
2. It Was Important to
the Gentiles (3:6–8)
2. 这对外邦人很重要（3:6-8）
In 2:11–22,
we discovered that Christ’s work on the cross accomplished much more than the
salvation of individual sinners. It reconciled Jews and Gentiles to each other
and to God. It is this truth that Paul presented here, and you can imagine what
exciting news it would be! The truth of “the mystery” reveals to believing
Gentiles that they have a wonderful new relationship through Jesus Christ. 在以弗所書 2章11-22等節 中，我们发现基督在十字架上的工作所成就的，远不止只是拯救我們罪人。它使犹太人和外邦人彼此和解，并与上帝和好。保罗在这里提出的就是这真理，想象看，这将是多么令人振奋的消息！ “奥秘”的真理向相信基督的外邦人揭示，他们藉由耶稣基督建立了奇妙的新关系。
To
begin with, they are fellow-heirs with the Jews and share in the spiritual
riches God gave them because of His covenant with Abraham (Gal. 3:29). In Christ, being a Jew or a
Gentile is neither an asset nor a liability, for together we share the riches
of Christ. The Gentiles are also fellow-members of the body of Christ, the
church. “There is one body” (Eph. 4:4). Our human birth determines our racial
distinctions, but our spiritual birth unites us as members of the same body (1
Cor. 12:12–14). Christ is
the Head of this body (Eph. 5:22–23),
and each individual member shares in the ministry (Eph. 4:10–13). Finally, in their new relationship,
the Gentiles are partakers of God’s promises. Once they were outside the
covenant, with no claims on the promises of God (Eph. 2:12), but now, in Christ, they share the
promises of God with the believing Jews. In Romans 11:13–15, Paul explained
that believing Gentiles share in the spiritual riches that God gave to Israel. But in
Romans 11:1–12, Paul explained that God has not, because of the church, negated
His promises to Israel.
The church today shares in the spiritual riches of Israel, but one day God will
restore His people and fulfill His promises concerning their land and their
kingdom.
首先，他们与犹太人同为后嗣，并分享上帝因与亚伯拉罕立约而赐给他们的属灵财富（加 3:29）。在基督里，身为犹太人或外邦人既不是产業，也不是责任，因为我们一起分享基督的丰富。外邦人也是基督身体， 教会的同工。 “身体只有一个”（弗 4:4）。人的出生决定了我们的种族，但我们的属灵出生将我们团结为一個身体的成员（林前 12：12-14）。基督是这身体的元首（弗 5:22-23），每个成员都参与事工（弗 4:10-13）。最后，在他们的新关系中，外邦人分享了上帝的应许。外邦人曾经在圣约之外，不能对上帝的应许有任何懇求（弗 2:12），但现在，在基督里，他们与相信的犹太人分享上帝的应许。在罗马书 11章13-15等節中，保罗解释说，相信的外邦人分享上帝赐给以色列的属灵财富。但是在罗马书 11章1-12等節中，保罗解释说，上帝并没有因为教会，而否定祂对以色列的应许。今天的教会分享以色列的属灵财富，但总有一天上帝会复兴祂的子民，实现祂关于他们的土地和王国的应许。
“The
mystery” not only gives believing Gentiles a new relationship, it also reveals that there is a
new power available to them (Eph. 3:7). This power is illustrated in the life
of Paul. God saved him by grace and gave him a stewardship, a special ministry
to the Gentiles. But God also gave Paul the power to accomplish this ministry.
The word working here is energeia from which we get our word (energy). The word power is dunamis, which gives us
our words dynamic and dynamite. Paul has already told us about this mighty
power in Ephesians 1:19–23, and he will mention it again in Ephesians 3:20 and Ephesians 4:16. The mighty
resurrection power of Christ is available to us for daily life and service.
“奥秘”不仅给相信的外邦人新的关系，还表明他们有一种新的能力可用（弗 3:7）。这种能力在保罗的生平中得到体驗。上帝經由恩典拯救了他，并赐给他管家的职位，是对外邦人的特殊事工。但是上帝也给了保罗完成这个事工的能力。在这里 “工作” 是能量，英文 “能量(energy)”一詞的由來。大能 (power)是希臘文(dunamis)，它给了英文 “动力(dynamic)”
是希臘文(dynamite)这词。保罗已经在以弗所书 1章19-23等節中告诉我们大能，他将在以弗所书 3章20節 和以弗所书 4章16 節中再次提及。我们可以在日常生活和事奉中，获得基督偉大的复活的大能。
Finally,
there is available to the Gentiles new riches: “the unsearchable riches of
Christ” (Eph. 3:8). Paul called them “exceeding riches” (Eph. 2:7), but here he
described them as “unfathomable.” The words can also be translated
“untraceable,” which means that they are so vast you cannot discover their end.
(Some students suggest that “untraceable” might also carry the idea that “the
mystery” cannot be traced in the Old Testament since it was hidden by God.)
最后，外邦人可以获得新的丰富：“基督测不透的丰富”（弗 3:8）。保罗称它们为
“极其丰富”（弗 2:7），但在这里他称它们为“深不可测”。 也可以译为“无法追踪”，这意味着它们是如此深遠，以至于你无法发现它们的尽头。 （有些神学生认为“无法追踪”也可能带有旧约中“奥秘”的想法，因为它被上帝隐藏了。）
Are
these riches available to every believer? Yes! In fact, Paul made it clear that
he himself had no special claim on God’s wealth, for he considered himself
“less than the least of all saints” (Eph. 3:8). The name Paul (Paulus) means
“little” in Latin, and perhaps Paul bore this name because he realized how
insignificant he really was (Acts 13:9). He called himself “the least of the
apostles” (1 Cor. 15:9), but at least he was an apostle, which is more than we
can claim. Here he called himself, not “the least of all saints,” but “less
than the least of all saints” (Eph. 3:8), and he later calls himself the “chief
of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15).
Understanding the deep truths of God’s Word does not give a man a big head; it
gives him a broken and contrite heart.
任何信徒都可以获得这些财富吗？ 是的！ 事实上，保罗明确表示，他自己对上帝的财富没有特别的要求，因为他认为自己“比众圣徒中最小的还小”（弗 3:8）。保罗（Paulus）这个名字在拉丁语中的意思是“小”，也许保罗之所以取这名字是因为他意识到自己是多么的渺小（徒 13:9）。他称自己为“使徒中最小的”（林前 15:9），但至少他是使徒，这是我们所能声称他的。在这里他称自己不是“众圣徒中最小的”，而是“比众圣徒中最小的还小”（弗 3:8），后来他称自己为“罪人之首”（提前 1:15 ）。明白聖言深奥真理，并不会让人头大；而是让他有颗破碎及痛悔的心。
3. It Is Important to the Angels (3:9–10)
3. 对天使很重要（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，牠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”。就是为什么祂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！
4. It Should Be Important to Christians Today (3:11–13)
4. 这对今天的基督徒应该非常重要（3:11-13）
When
God saved Paul, He deposited with him the precious treasures of gospel truth (1
Tim. 1:11). Paul in turn
committed these truths to others, exhorting them to commit the truths to
faithful men who would guard them and share them (2 Tim. 2:2). “O Timothy! Keep
that which is committed to thy trust” (1 Tim. 6:20). At the close of his life, Paul would say, to the
glory of God, “I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). During those apostolic
days, the truths of the gospel and “the mystery” were guarded, preached, and
handed down to faithful men.
当上帝拯救保罗时，祂将福音真理的宝藏存放在他身上（提前 1:11）。保罗順理的，将这些真理遞交给他人，劝勉他们将真理交给忠心的人，他们会保护它们并分享它们（提后 2:2）。 “哦提摩太！保守你所托付的”（提前 6:20）。在他生命的尽头，为了上帝的荣耀，保罗会说，“我已经守住了基督信仰”（提后 4:7）。在使徒时代，福音的真理和“奥秘”得到保护、传扬，并传给忠心的人。
But a
study of church history reveals that, one by one, many of the basic truths of
the Word of God were lost during the centuries that followed. God had His
faithful people—a minority—at all times, but many of the great truths of the
Word were buried under man[1]made
theology, tradition, and ritual. Then, God’s Spirit began to open the eyes of
seeking souls, and these great truths were unveiled again. Martin Luther
championed justification by faith. Other spiritual leaders rediscovered the
person and work of the Holy Spirit, the glorious truth of the return of Jesus
Christ, and the joy of the victorious Christian life. In recent years, the
truth of “the mystery” has again excited the hearts of God’s people. We rejoice
that we are “all one in Christ Jesus.”
但对教会历史的研究表明，在随后的几个世纪里，上帝话语的许多基本真理都慢慢遗失了。上帝在任何时候都有祂忠心的子民 — 少数人 — 但圣经的许多伟大真理都被人为的神学、传统和仪式所掩埋。然后，上帝的灵开始打开寻求灵魂的眼睛，这些伟大的真理再次被揭开。马丁路德提倡因信称义。其他属灵领袖重新发现圣灵的位格，工作，及耶稣基督再来的荣耀真理，以及得胜基督徒生活的喜乐。近年来，“奥秘”的真相再次感动了上帝子民的心。我们喜乐，因为“在基督耶稣里我們都成为一体了”。
Most of
us identify Napoleon Bonaparte as the would-be conqueror of Europe.
But not many would name him as a patron of arts and sciences. Yet he was. In
July 1798, Napoleon began to occupy Egypt, but by September 1801, he
was forced to get out. Those three years meant failure as far as his military
and political plans were concerned, but they meant success in one area that
greatly interested him—archeology. For in August 1799, a Frenchman named
Boussand discovered the Rosetta Stone about thirty miles from Alexandria. This discovery gave to
archeologists the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphics. It opened the
door to modern Egyptian studies.
我们大多数人都认为拿破仑(Napoleon)是欧洲的征服者。但没有多少人会称他为艺术和科学的赞助人。然而他還不是。 1798年7月，拿破仑开始占领埃及，但到了1801年9月，他被迫撤离。这三年的失败只是就他的军事和政治计划而言，但對其他而言，他非常感兴趣的领域 — 考古学上取得了成功。 1799 年 8 月，一位名叫布桑(Boussand)的法国人，在距离亚历山大，大约 30 英里的地方发现了罗塞塔(Rosetta)石碑。这一发现为考古学家提供了理解埃及象形文字的钥匙。它打开了研究现代埃及的大门。
The
“mystery” is God’s “Rosetta Stone.” It is the key to what He promised in the
Old Testament, what Christ did in the Gospels, what the early church did in the
book of Acts, what Paul and the other writers teach in the Epistles, and what
God will do as recorded in the book of Revelation. God’s program today is not
“the headship of Israel”
(Deut. 28:1–13), but the headship of Christ over His church. We today are under
a different “stewardship” from that of Moses and the Prophets, and we must be
careful not to confuse what God has clarified.
“奥秘”是上帝的“罗塞塔石碑”。它是祂在旧约中应许的关键，基督在福音书中所做的，早期教会在使徒行传中所做的，保罗和其他作者在书信中所教导的，以及上帝在圣经中所记载在启示录的那些将要做的事情。上帝今天的计划不是“作以色列的元首”（申 28:1-13），而是基督作他教会的元首。我们今天处于与摩西和先知不同的“管家”之下，我们必须小心不要混淆上帝所阐明的。
The
reason many churches are weak and ineffective is because they do not understand
what they have in Christ. And the cause of this is often spiritual leaders who
are not good “stewards of the mystery.” Because they do not “rightly divide the
word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15),
they confuse their people concerning their spiritual position in Christ, and
they rob their people of the spiritual wealth in Christ.
许多教会软弱和无效的原因，是因为教會教友不明白他们在基督里的豐盛。造成这种情况的原因往往是屬靈领袖，他们不是“奥秘的好管家”。因为他们没有“按照正意分解真理的道”（提后 2:15），混淆了他们在基督里的属灵地位，并剥夺了他们在基督里的属灵豐盛。
This
great truth concerning the church is not a divine afterthought. It is a part of
God’s eternal purpose in Christ (Eph. 3:11).
To ignore this truth is to sin against the Father who planned it, the Son whose
death made it possible, and the Spirit who today seeks to work in our lives to
accomplish what God has planned. When you understand this truth, it gives you
great confidence and faith (Eph. 3:12).
When you know what God is doing in the world, and you work with Him, you can be
sure that He will work in you and for you. All of His divine resources are
available to those who sincerely want to do His will and help Him accomplish
His purposes on earth.
关于教会的伟大真理不是屬天的事后想法。它是上帝在基督里永恒旨意的一部分（弗 3:11）。忽视这真理，就是得罪作這计划的父上帝，得罪以死亡欲使這真理成为可能的子上帝，以及今天寻求在信徒生活中作工以來完成父上帝计划的圣灵上帝。当你明白这真理时，它会给你极大的自信和信心（弗 3:12）。当你知道上帝在世界上正在做什么，并且你与祂一起工作时，你就可以确信祂会在你里面，并为你有所作為。那些真诚地想要遵行祂的旨意，并帮助祂在地上实现祂旨意的人，可以获得祂所有的屬天的神圣资源。
The
early church thought that the gospel belonged to the Jews because it had come
through them and to them first. Until Peter, by divine direction, went to the
Gentiles in Acts 10, the Jewish believers thought that a Gentile had to become
a Jew before he could become a Christian! God’s Spirit gradually revealed to
the churches that God was doing a new thing: He was calling out a people for
His name from both the Jews and Gentiles (Acts 15:14). There are no national, racial, political,
physical, or social distinctions in the church! “There is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye
are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).
早期教会认为福音是属于犹太人的，因为福音是藉由他们传到世人。直到彼得在使徒行传第 10 章，奉上帝的指示前往外邦人那里，犹太信徒认为外邦人必须先成为犹太人才能成为基督徒！上帝的灵逐渐向教会显明，祂正在做一件新事：祂从犹太人和外邦人中，以祂的名呼召一群人（徒 15:14）。教会中没有民族、种族、政治、身体或社会的分别！ “没有犹太人也没有希腊人，没有束缚也没有自由，没有男性也没有女性；因为你们在基督耶稣里都成为一了”（加 3:28）。
But an
understanding of God’s program in this present age not only gives the believer
confidence toward God. It also gives him courage in the difficult circumstances
of life. Paul’s sufferings for the Gentiles would mean glory for the Gentiles.
In the Old Testament age, when God’s people obeyed, God blessed them
materially, nationally, and physically (Deut. 28), and if they disobeyed, He
withdrew these blessings. This is not the way He deals with the church today.
Our blessings are spiritual, not material (Eph. 1:3); they have all been given
to us completely in Christ. We appropriate them by faith, but if we disobey
God, He does not revoke them. We simply lose the enjoyment and the enrichment
of them. Paul was certainly a dedicated, Spirit-filled man, yet he was
suffering as a prisoner. Paul made it clear that physical, material blessings
are not always the experience of the dedicated Christian (2 Cor. 4:7–12; 11:23— 12:10).
但明白上帝在今世的计划，不仅能使信徒对祂有信心。这也给了他在艰难环境中的生活勇气。保罗为外邦人受苦，就是为外邦人得荣耀。在旧约时代，当上帝的子民顺服时，祂在物质、民族和身体上都祝福他们（申 28），如果他们不顺服，祂就会收回这些祝福。这不是祂今天对待教会的方式。我们的祝福是属灵的，而不是物质的（弗 1:3）；
它们都是在基督里完全赐给我们的。我们凭信心擁有它们，但如果我们不顺服上帝，祂不会撤销它们。我们只是失去了對它们的乐趣和丰富。保罗当然是献身的，被圣灵充满的人，但他作为囚犯正在受苦。保罗明确表示，身体和物质上的祝福，并不总是献身基督徒的经历（林后 4:7-12； 11:23-12:10）。
I was
driving to a preaching engagement, trying to follow a map I had found in the
glove compartment of my car. (I am a very poor navigator, so my wife is usually
the navigator in our family.) For some reason, I could not locate the
interstate highway I needed, so I stopped to get directions at a filling
station.
我开车去参加布道会，试图按照我在汽车杂物箱里找到的地图走。 （我對方向是个很差的导航员，所以我的妻子通常是家中的导航员。）出于某种原因，找不到我需要的州际公路，所以我在加油站停下来问路。
“You’ve
got an ancient map there, Mister!” the attendant told me. “Here’s the latest
map. Follow it and you’ll get where you are going.” He was right. I followed
the new map and arrived in plenty of time to preach.
服务员告诉我，“先生，你的地图是舊的！ 这是最新的地图。跟随它，你就会到达你要去的地方。”他是对的。我跟着新地图走，有足够的时间到达讲道的處所。
People
who do not understand God’s “mystery” in His church are trying to make
spiritual progress with the wrong map. Or, to change the figure, they are trying
to build with the wrong blueprints. God’s churches on this earth—the local
assemblies—are not supposed to be either Gentile culture cliques or Jewish
culture cliques. For a German church to refuse fellowship to a Swede is just as
unscriptural as for a Jewish congregation to refuse a Gentile. God’s church is
not to be shackled by culture, class, or any other physical distinction. It is
a spiritual entity that must submit to the headship of Jesus Christ in the
power of the Spirit.
不了解在上帝的教会中的“奥秘”的人，正试图用错误的地图来達成属灵的进步。或者改变数字，他们试图用错误的蓝图来建造。在地上的上帝 — 教会集会 — 不应该是外邦文化團契或犹太文化團契。德国教会拒绝与瑞典人团契，就像犹太会众拒绝外邦人一样不符合圣经。上帝的教会不受文化、阶级或任何其他身体差异的束缚。它是属灵实体，必须在圣灵的大能中，顺服耶稣基督的领导地位。
Yes,
God had a “secret”—but God does not want it to be a secret anymore! If you
understand your wonderful position in Christ, then live up to it—and share the
blessing with others. This “secret” was important to Paul, to the Gentiles, and
to the angels—and it ought to be important to you and me today.
是的，上帝有個“秘密”— 但祂不希望它再成为秘密！如果你明白自己在基督里的奇妙地位，那就去实践它 — 并与他人分享祝福。这“秘密”对保罗，外邦人，和天使 — 都很重要。 並且今天对你我也应该很重要。
