147 中翻英 GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF LOVE 进入爱的基層 09/02/2026

147 中翻英      GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF LOVE         进入爱的基層                    09/02/2026

親愛的主內訪友, 愛編輯者的兄弟姐妹們, 在2001年我接受心血管手術治療時, 上帝要使用孩子讓我存活到現在, 為的是要我向你們作見證, 上帝恩賜我們苦難, 是要我們愛祂的人, 不要忘了主耶穌基督釘十字架的受苦.  祂是無罪的, 却是為贖我們的罪釘死.  我們是罪人應該受懲罰.  還有是要孩子告你們上帝是愛.  約翰壹書是約翰用螺旋式的意念,   用三層螺旋式講解“上帝是爱”的主题.     感謝主恩.  請讓我們來享受主話語的甘甜.  

CHAPTER EIGHT               1 John 4:7–16                 GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF LOVE
第8課                                       约翰壹書   4：7–16                           进入爱的基層
 
For the third time, we are considering the subject of love!
這進到螺旋式第三層“爱”的主题！
 
This does not mean John ran out of ideas and had to repeat himself. It means that the Holy Spirit, who inspired John, presents the subject once more, from a deeper point of view.
这并不是說约翰用尽了所有的思想，而不得不再重复的來講一次。这意味着聖靈启发约翰，从更深一層的角度再次提出“愛”這個主题。
 
First, love for the brethren has been shown as proof of fellowship with God (1 John 2:7–11); then it has been presented as proof of sonship (1 John 3:10–14). In the earlier passage, love for the brethren is a matter of light or darkness; in the second it is a matter of life or death.
首先，基督徒弟兄相爱，证明是在上帝的團契中相交（约壹2：7-11）；那么它就已经被证明是祂儿子名份（约壹3：10-14）。在较早的章節中，弟兄相爱的第一層次，是光明或黑暗的関係。第二層次則是生死攸关的问题。
 
But in 1 John 4:7–16, we get down to the very foundation of the matter. Here we discover why love is such an important part of the life that is real. Love is a valid test of our fellowship and our sonship because “God is love.” Love is part of the very being and nature of God. If we are united to God through faith in Christ, we share His nature. And since His nature is love, love is the test of the reality of our spiritual life.
但是在约翰壹書4章7至16節中，我们深入到愛的的根本问题。在这里，我们发现为什么爱是真实生活中這樣重要的部分。爱是对我们與上帝的团契和祂儿子名份的實質考验，因为“上帝就是爱”。爱是上帝的實存和祂本性的一部分。通过对基督的信心而与上帝联合，我们将分享祂這本性。由于祂的本性是爱，所以爱是对我们屬靈生活实存的考验。
 
A navigator depends on a compass to help him determine his course. But why a compass? Because it shows him his directions. And why does the compass point north? Because it is so constituted that it responds to the magnetic field that is part of the earth’s makeup. The compass is responsive to the nature of the earth.
导航员依靠指南针来帮助他确定航向。但是为什么要用指南针呢？因为指南针為他显示方向。指南针为什么老是指向北？  因为它的构造原理是使用它尖端的磁性，对地球组成的磁场部分的反应。指南针对地球的本性的反應。 
 
So with Christian love. The nature of God is love. And a person who knows God and has been born of God will respond to God’s nature. As a compass naturally points north, a believer will naturally practice love because love is the nature of God. This love will not be a forced response; it will be a natural response. A believer’s love for the brethren will be proof of his sonship and fellowship. 基督徒的爱也是如此。上帝的本性是爱。认识上帝，并由祂生的人，会回应祂的本性。指南针自然指向北方，信徒自然会行在爱中，因为爱是上帝的本性。这种爱不会是强迫性的回应；而是自然而然的反应。信徒的彼此相爱確证他們的儿子名份和团契。
 
Three times in this section John encouraged us to love one another (1 John 4:7, 11–12). He supported these admonitions by giving us three foundational facts about God.
在本段中，约翰三次來鼓励我们彼此相爱（约壹4：7，11-12）。他提供有关于上帝的三个基本本性，通过它們来支持他向我们的告诫。
 
1.  What God Is: “God Is Love” (4:7–8)
1.  上帝是何種神：“上帝就是真爱的靈”（4：7-8）

 
This is the third of three expressions in John’s writings that help us understand the nature of God: “God is spirit” (John 4:24 nasb); “God is light” (1 John 1:5); and “God is love.” None of these is a complete revelation of God, of course, and it is wrong to separate them.
这是约翰著作中帮助我们理解上帝本性的上第三次螺旋梯中表达的第三次：“上帝就是靈”（约4:24 新美國標準版）； “上帝就是光”（约壹1：5）；和  “上帝就是爱”。当然，这些都不是上帝的完整启示，将它们分开是错误的。
 
God is spirit as to His essence; He is not flesh and blood. To be sure, Jesus Christ now has a glorified body in heaven, and one day we shall have bodies like His body. But being by nature spirit, God is not limited by time and space the way His creatures are.
上帝的本性是靈。祂不是有血有肉的。可以肯定，就是耶稣基督现在在天上拥有荣耀
的身体，有一天我们将拥有像祂一样的身体。但是就自然的灵來講，上帝并没有像祂創之造物那样，受到时间和空间的限制。
 
God is light. This refers to His holy nature. In the Bible, light is a symbol of holiness, and darkness is a symbol of sin (John 3:18–21; 1 John 1:5–10). God cannot sin because He is holy. Because we have been born into His family, we have received His holy nature (1 Peter 1:14–16; 2 Peter 1:4).
上帝是光。这是指祂的圣洁。在圣经中，光是圣洁的象征，黑暗是罪的象征（约3：18-21；约壹1：5-10）。上帝不能犯罪，因为祂是圣洁的。我们因为出生在祂的家中，所以获得祂的圣洁本性（彼前1：14-16；彼後1：4）。
 
God is love. This does not mean that “love is God.” And the fact that two people “love each other” does not mean that their love is necessarily holy. It has accurately been said that “love does not define God, but God defines love.” God is love and God is light; therefore, His love is a holy love, and His holiness is expressed in love. All that God does expresses all that God is. Even His judgments are measured out in love and mercy (Lam. 3:22–23).
上帝就是爱。这與 “爱是上帝” 不同。两人 “彼此相爱” 的事实，并不意味着他们的爱一定是神圣的。明确地说，“爱不能定义上帝，但上帝可以定义爱。”  上帝是爱，上帝是光。因此，祂的爱是圣洁的爱，祂的圣洁体现在爱中。上帝所做的一切都表达了上帝的是。即使祂的审判，也是以仁慈和怜悯來衡量（哀3：22-23）。
 
Much that is called “love” in modern society bears no resemblance or relationship to the holy, spiritual love of God. Yet we see banners saying “God is love!” displayed at many festivals, particularly where young people are “doing their own thing” —as if one could dignify immorality by calling it “love.”
在现代社会中，许多所谓的 “爱” 与上帝的圣洁，属灵的爱没有任何相似之处或联系。但我们還是看到标语上写着 “上帝就是爱！”  在许多节日上都有展出，特别是在年轻人  “做自己的事” 的地方 — 好像人们可以用称其为 “爱” 来使不道德成為端莊。

Christian love is a special kind of love. First John 4:10 may be translated: “In this way is seen the true love.” There is a false love, and this kind of love God must reject. Love that is born out of the very essence of God must be spiritual and holy, because “God is spirit” and “God is light.” This true love is “poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5 nasb).
基督教的爱是特殊的爱。約翰壹書4章10節可以這樣译：“这样才能看到真爱。”  有虚假的爱，这种爱上帝必须拒绝。从上帝的本质中诞生的爱，必须是属灵的和圣洁的，因为“上帝是靈” 和 “上帝是光”。真正的爱 “是圣灵倾泻在我们心中的恩賜”（罗5：5新美國標準版）。
 
Love, therefore, is a valid test of true Christian faith. Since God is love, and we have claimed a personal relationship with God, we must of necessity reveal His love in how we live. A child of God has been “born of God,” and therefore he shares God’s divine nature. Since “God is love,” Christians ought to love one another. The logic is unanswerable!
因此，爱是对真基督徒信心的有效考验。既然上帝是爱，并且我们已经宣称与上帝有个人关系，那么我们在生活中必须展现祂的爱。上帝的兒女是 “上帝生的”，因此他拥有上帝的神圣本性。由于 “上帝就是爱”，基督徒应该彼此相爱。在逻辑上是非常清晰！
 
Not only have we been “born of God,” but we also “know God.” In the Bible, the word know has a much deeper meaning than simply intellectual acquaintance or understanding. For example, the verb “know” is used to describe the intimate union of husband and wife (Gen. 4:1). To know God means to be in a deep relationship to Him — to share His life and enjoy His love. This knowing is not simply a matter of understanding facts; it is a matter of perceiving truth (see 1 John 2:3–5).
我们不仅是 “上帝所生的”，而且我们還 “知道上帝”。 在圣经中，“知道”一词的含义比单纯的认识或理解要深得多。 例如，动词 “知道(know)” 用于描述夫妻之间的亲密结合
（创4：1）。知道上帝是顯示与祂建立深厚的关系 — 分享祂的生活并享受祂的爱。 这种知道不仅仅是了解事实的问题； 還有洞悉真理的重大意思（见  约壹2：3-5）。

We must understand “he that loveth not knoweth not God” (1 John 4:8) in this light. Certainly many unsaved people love their families and even sacrifice for them. And no doubt many of these same people have some kind of intellectual understanding of God. What, then, do they lack? They lack a personal experience of God. To paraphrase 1 John 4:8, “The person who does not have this divine kind of love has never entered into a personal, experiential knowledge of God. What he knows is in his head, but it has never gotten into his heart.”
我们必须从这个角度去理解 “沒有爱心的，就不认识上帝”（约壹4：8）。许多未得救的人確實爱他们的家人，甚至能为他们牺牲。毫无疑问，这些人当中有许多從理智上去理解上帝。那么，他们缺乏什么呢？  他们缺乏上帝的意志上亲身经历。约翰壹書4章8節可以這樣解释：“没有神圣之爱的人，从未对上帝有个人意志的经验性的知道。他所知道的是在他的脑海中，从未进入他的内心。”
 
What God is determines what we ought to be. “As he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). The fact that Christians love one another is evidence of their fellowship with God and their sonship from God, and it is also evidence that they know God. Their experience with God is not simply a once-for-all crisis; it is a daily experience of getting to know Him better and better. True theology (the study of God) is not a dry, impractical course in doctrine—it is an exciting day-by-day experience that makes us Christlike!
上帝是天父决定了我们应该成为天父的兒子。 “因為祂如何，我们在这世上也如何”（约壹4:17）。基督徒彼此相爱的事实，確证他们与上帝的相交，和他们具有上帝儿子的名份，也证實他们知道上帝。他们与上帝的相交，不仅是一次以後就了了；它們是每天越来越了解上帝的经历。真正的神学（对上帝的学习）不是一门枯燥無味，不切实际的理論，而是令人振奋的日常的仰望主，使我们越來越像基督！
 
A large quantity of radioactive material was stolen from a hospital. When the hospital administrator notified the police, he said, “Please warn the thief that he is carrying death with him, and that the radioactive material cannot be successfully hidden. As long as he has it in his possession, it is affecting him disastrously!”
一家医院被偷走了大量放射性物质。医院管理员通知警察时，他對警察说：“请警告小偷，他正在与它們一起死亡，放射性物质无法成功隐藏自己。只要誰拥有它們，它們就会对他造成灾难性的影響！
 
A person who claims he knows God and is in union with Him must be personally affected by this relationship. A Christian ought to become what God is, and “God is love.” To argue otherwise is to prove that one does not really know God!
”声称自己認識上帝，并与祂合而为一的人，必须會受到这种个人关系的影响。基督徒应该學像上帝，“上帝就是爱”。否则，若對這點有争论，就证明他并不真正認識上帝！

2.  What God Did: “He Sent His Son” (4:9–11)
2.  上帝所作的：“祂差祂的愛子到世上”（4：9-11）
 
Because God is love, He must communicate—not only in words but in deeds. True love is never static or inactive. God reveals His love to mankind in many ways. He has geared all of creation to meeting men’s needs. Until man’s sin brought creation under bondage, man had on earth a perfect home in which to love and serve God.
因为上帝是爱，所以，祂必须與人，不仅在言语上，而且要在行为上，互相交通。真正的爱永远不会静止或不动。上帝以多种方式向人揭示祂的爱。上帝為满足人的需求，充分发挥了祂创造力。直到在人的罪恶，将祂的创造被捆綁，人在世上拥有完美的家庭，可以任其爱和侍奉上帝。
 
God’s love was revealed in the way He dealt with the nation of Israel. “The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people. But because the Lord loved you … hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand” (Deut. 7:7–8).
上帝的愛在處理以色列国的事項上彰显無遺。 “主專爱你們，选择你們，亦非因你们的人数多於別民，原來你们的人數在萬民中是最少的。只因主爱你們……主用大能的手领你們出来”（申7：7-8）。
 
The greatest expression of God’s love is in the death of His Son. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8 nasb).
顯示上帝之爱的最大地方是在祂愛子的捨命上。 “但是祂向我们展示了自己对我们的爱，因为当我们还不是罪人时，基督就为我们死”（罗5：8 新美國標準版）。
 
The word manifested means “to come out in the open, to be made public.” It is the opposite of “to hide, to make secret.” Under the old covenant, God was hidden behind the shadows of ritual and ceremony (Heb. 10:1); but in Jesus Christ “the life was manifested” (1 John 1:2). “He that hath seen me,” said Jesus, “hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).
“显露”的意思是 “赤露敞開，使它公开”。这与 “被隐藏，使它秘密” 相反。在旧约裡，上帝被隐藏在仪式和仪式的阴影后面（来10：1）。但是在耶稣基督里，“生命得以彰显”（约壹1：2）。耶稣说：“见过我的人就见过天父”（约14：9）。
 
Why was Jesus Christ manifested? “And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins” (1 John 3:5). “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Where did Jesus take away our sins and destroy (render inoperative) the works of the devil? At the cross! God manifested His love at the cross when He gave His Son as a sacrifice there for our sins.
为什么耶稣基督要显现？ “你們曾知道主曾顯現，是要除掉人的罪”（约壹3：5）。 “上帝的儿子显现出來，為要除滅魔鬼的作为”（约壹3：8）。耶稣在哪里除掉我们的罪，并除滅魔鬼的作為（使之无效）？ 在十字架上！上帝在十字架上彰顯祂的大爱，把祂的兒子在那裡獻上為贖我们罪。

This is the only place in the epistle where Jesus is called God’s only begotten Son. The title is used in John’s gospel (John 1:14). It means “unique, the only one of its kind.” The fact that God sent His Son into the world is one evidence of the deity of Jesus Christ. Babies are not sent into the world from some other place; they are born into the world. As the perfect Man, Jesus was born into the world, but as the eternal Son, He was sent into the world.
上帝稱耶稣为祂的惟一的独生子，這稱號是在這书信中出現的唯一的地方。這頭銜也用在约翰福音中（约1:14）。它的意思是 “獨特，只有這一種”。上帝差遣祂儿子进入世上，这一事实证明了耶稣基督的神性。婴儿不是从其他的地方帶入世界。他们出生在這世上。耶稣是完全的人，祂出生于人世间，但作为永恒的上帝的儿子，祂被遣送到人世間。
 
But the sending of Christ into the world and His death on the cross were not prompted by man’s love for God. They were prompted by His love for man. The world’s attitude toward God is anything but love!
但是，世人对上帝的爱，并不能促使基督降世人間，和使祂在十字架上捨命。它们是出于祂对人的爱。世界对上帝的态度只不过是爱！
 
Two purposes are given for Christ’s death on the cross: that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9) and that He might be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). His death was not an accident; it was an appointment. He did not die as a weak martyr, but as a mighty conqueror.
基督在十字架上的死有两个目的：一是我们可以活在祂里面（约壹4：9），另外是祂可以贖我们的罪（约壹4:10）。祂的死不是偶然的。是註定的。祂并不是以弱的烈士般的殉道而死，而是以强大的戰勝者而死。
 
Jesus Christ died that we might live “through Him” (1 John 4:9), “for Him” (2 Cor. 5:15), and “with Him” (1 Thess. 5:9–10). A sinner’s desperate need is for life, because he is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). It is something of a paradox that Christ had to die so that we may live! We can never probe the mystery of His death, but this we know: He died for us (Gal. 2:20).
耶稣基督的死,   使我们可以 “經由祂”（约壹4：9），“为祂”（林前5:15）和 “與祂”（帖后5：9-10）。罪人迫切需要活著，因为他   “死在过犯和罪恶之中”（弗2：1）。基督必须死我们才能生，这似乎是互相矛盾。我们永远无法探究祂死的奥秘，但是我们知道：祂是为我们而死（加2:20）。
 
The death of Christ is described as a “propitiation.” John has used this word before (1 John 2:2), so there is no need to study it in detail again. We should remember that propitiation does not mean that men must do something to appease God or to placate His anger. Propitiation is something God does to make it possible for men to be forgiven. “God is light,” and therefore He must uphold His holy law. “God is love,” and therefore He wants to forgive and save sinners. How can God forgive sinners and still be consistent with His holy nature? The answer is the cross. There Jesus Christ bore the punishment for sin and met the just demands of the holy law. But there, also, God reveals His love and makes it possible for men to be saved by faith.
基督的死被描述为  “赎罪”。约翰以前曾使用过这词（约壹2：2），因此，无需再次详细研討。我们应该记住，赎罪不是說人必须做安抚上帝或平息祂的愤怒的事。贖罪是上帝所做的事，用來使人有可能被宽恕。 “上帝是光”，因此祂必须支援自己的圣洁律法。 “上帝是爱”，因此祂想宽恕并拯救罪人。上帝如何宽恕罪人，并仍然与他的圣洁性相符呢？答案是十字架。耶稣基督在那裡受了罪的刑罚，满足了神圣的律法要求。但是在十字架上，上帝也彰显了祂的大爱，并使人们有可能因信心而得救。
 
It is important to note that the emphasis is on the death of Christ, not on His birth. The fact that Jesus was “made flesh” (John 1:14) is certainly an evidence of God’s grace and love, but the fact that He was “made sin” (2 Cor. 5:21) is underscored for us. The example of  Christ, the teachings of Christ, the whole earthly life of Christ, find their true meaning and fulfillment in the cross.
要注意重要之處是強調基督的死，而不是基督的生。耶稣 “道成肉身”（约1：14）的事实確证上帝的恩典和爱心，但是，我们强调耶稣  “成为有罪”（林後5:21）。基督的榜样，基督的教导，基督的整个尘世生活，在十字架上都能找到其真实的意义和应验。
 
For the second time, believers are exhorted to “love one another” (1 John 4:11). This exhortation is a commandment to be obeyed (1 John 4:7), and its basis is the nature of God. “God is love; we know God; therefore, we should love one another.” But the exhortation to love one another is presented as a privilege as well as a responsibility: “If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11). We are not saved by loving Christ; we are saved by believing on Christ (John 3:16). But after we realize what He did for us on the cross, our normal response ought to be to love Him and to love one another.
信徒们第二次被告誡要 “彼此相爱”（约壹4:11）。这种劝告是要遵守诫命（约壹4：7），其基础是上帝的本性。 “上帝是爱；我们知道上帝；因此，我们应该彼此相爱。”
但是，劝告彼此相爱是榮幸，也是责任：“若上帝如此的爱我们，就应该彼此相爱”（约壹4:11）。我们不是因爱基督而得救；而是因相信祂才得救的（约3：16）。但是，当我们意识到祂在十字架上，为我们所做的事情之后，我们的正常反应该是爱祂，並且彼此相爱。
 
It is important that Christians progress in their understanding of love. To love one another simply out of a sense of duty is good, but to love out of appreciation (rather than obligation) is even better.
基督徒对爱的理解必须更進一步。 仅仅出于责任感而彼此相爱是好的，但是出于彼此的尊重（而不是义务）而相爱比較更好。
 
This may be one reason why Jesus established the Lord’s Supper, the Communion service. When we break the bread and share the cup, we remember His death. Few men, if any, want their deaths remembered! In fact, we remember the life of a loved one and try to forget the sadness of his death. Not so with Christ. He commands us to remember His death: “This do in remembrance of Me”!
这可能是耶稣建立圣餐事奉的原因之一。当我们擘餅，并分享杯子时，我们会记念祂的死。世人很少愿意记住他们的死！实际上，我们记住了亲人的生活，并试图忘记他去世的悲伤。對基督不是这样。祂命令我们记住祂的死：“这是为了纪念我”！
 
We should remember our Lord’s death in a spiritual way, not merely sentimentally. Someone has defined sentiment as “feeling without responsibility.” It is easy to experience solemn emotions at a church service and yet go out to live the same defeated life. True spiritual experience involves the whole man. The mind must understand spiritual truth; the heart must love and appreciate it, and the will must act on it. The deeper we go into the meaning of the cross, the greater will be our love for Christ and the greater our active concern for one another.
我们应该以屬靈的方式來记念我们主的死，而不仅仅是在情感上。有人将情感定义为
“没有责任感的感覺”。在教堂举行礼拜时，很容易感受到莊严的情绪，而一到外面就过同样頹廢的生活。真正的属灵经验涉及整體全人。头脑必须了解属灵的真理。内心必须爱护并尊重它，並且意志必须对它采取行动。我们越深入了解十字架的含义，我们对基督的爱就越大，我们对彼此的积极关心也就越大。
 
We have discovered what God is and what God has done, but a third foundation fact takes us even deeper into the meaning and implications of Christian love.
我们既已经发现了上帝的特徵，和上帝所行的事，但是第三个基础事实，使我们更深入地了解了基督徒爱的意义和含意。
 
3.  What God Is Doing: “God Abides in Us” (4:12–16)
3.  上帝在做什么：“上帝住在我们里面”（4：12-16）
 
At this point it would be good for us to review what John has been saying about the basic truth that “God is love.”
我們在这一点上，最好回顾约翰有关對  “上帝就是爱” 真理的基本说法。
 
This truth is revealed to us in the Word, but it was also revealed on the cross, where Christ died for us. “God is love” is not simply a doctrine in the Bible; it is an eternal fact clearly demonstrated at Calvary. God has said something to us, and God has done something for us.

 “上帝就是爱”的真理在圣经中向我们启示過，但在基督为我们捨命的十字架上也一樣的启示過。 “上帝就是爱” 在圣经中不仅仅是教义；在骷髏地都清楚地表明了，它是永恒的实存。上帝对我们说了些话，上帝为我们做了些事。
 
But all this is preparation for the third great fact: God does something in us! We are not merely students reading a book, or spectators watching a deeply moving event. We are participants in the great drama of God’s love!
但这一切都是為第三循環愛解說明其重大意義作准备：上帝在我们里面做了大事！我们不仅是学生在读书，或观众在观看激动人心的事件。我们還是上帝的大爱伟大戏剧的觀眾！
 
In order to save money, a college drama class purchased only a few scripts of a play and
cut them up into the separate parts. The director gave each player his individual part in order and then started to rehearse the play. But nothing went right. After an hour of missed cues and mangled sequences, the cast gave up.
大学戏剧團为了省钱，只买了几个剧本，将它们拆開分成单独的部分。导演按顺序给每一位演員要表演的角色那一部分，然后开始排练戲劇。但是，一切都不對似的。在错綜複雜中混乱的一小时的提示重點,  和糾正混亂顺序之后，演员们放弃了。
 
At that point, the director sat the actors all on the stage and said: “Look, I’m going to read the entire play to you, so don’t any of you say a word.” He read the entire script aloud, and when he was finished, one of the actors said:
正在那时，导演使所有的演員坐在舞台上，然後對他們说，“注意，現在把整个剧本读给你們听，你们每人都不要说话。”  他大声地朗读了整个剧本，当他讀完后，一位演员说：
 
 “So that’s what it was all about!”
 “这就是戲劇的全部！”
 
And when they understood the entire story, they were able to fit their parts together and have a successful rehearsal.
当他们了解了整个戲劇的故事后，他们就可以将自己的部分參入，且组合在一起，并进行了成功的排练。
 
When you read 1 John 4:12–16, you feel like saying, “So that’s what it’s all about!” Because here we discover what God had in mind when He devised His great plan of salvation.
当阅读约翰壹書4章12至16等節全部时，你會感受到说，“这就是全部！”  因为，在这段經節中，發現在上帝心內已制定了祂伟大的救赎计划。
 
To begin with, God’s desire is to live in us. He is not satisfied simply to tell us that He loves us, or even show us that He loves us.
首先，上帝想望生活在我们里面。仅仅告诉我们祂爱我们是不夠的，或者，甚至顯示祂爱我们也是不夠的。
 
It is interesting to trace God’s dwelling places as recorded in the Bible. In the beginning, God had fellowship with man in a personal, direct way (Gen. 3:8), but sin broke that fellowship. It was necessary for God to shed the blood of animals to cover the sins of Adam and Eve so that they might come back into His fellowship.
追溯圣经中记载上帝與我們同住的居处也很有趣。起初，上帝以个人直接的方式与人相交（创3：8），但因罪破坏了這種相交。上帝必须流动物的血，取牠們的皮，做衣服来掩盖亚当和夏娃的犯罪，以便他们可以重返上帝的团契。
 
One of the key words in the book of Genesis is walked. God walked with men, and men walked with God. Enoch (Gen. 5:22), Noah (Gen. 6:9), and Abraham walked with God (Gen. 17:1; 24:40).
创世记中的关键词之一是行事為人。上帝与人同行，人与上帝同行。以诺（创5:22），挪亚（创6：9）和亚伯拉罕与上帝同行（创17：1; 24:40）。
 
But by the time of the events recorded in Exodus, a change had taken place: God did not simply walk with men, He lived, or dwelt, with them. God’s commandment to Israel was, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Ex. 25:8). The first of those sanctuaries was the tabernacle. When Moses dedicated it, the glory of God came down and moved into the tent (Ex. 40:33–35).
但是，在出埃及记中记载的事发生了变化：上帝不仅与人同行事為人，祂也与人同住或居住。上帝給以色列人的诫命是：“让他们為我造居住的圣所；我可以住在他们中间”（出25：8）。第一个圣所是帐幕。当摩西奉献它时，上帝的荣耀降下来，搬進帐幕里（出40：33-35）。

God dwelt in the camp, but He did not dwell in the bodies of the individual Israelites.
上帝住在营地里，但祂不與以色列人的個人同住。
 
Unfortunately, the nation sinned and God’s glory departed (1 Sam. 4:21). But God used Samuel and David to restore the nation; and Solomon built God a magnificent temple. When the temple was dedicated, once again the glory of God came to dwell in the land (1  Kings 8:1–11).
不幸得很，以色列国家犯罪，上帝的荣耀离去了（撒上4:21）。但是上帝用撒母耳和大卫来重建以色列民族。所罗门建造了一座宏伟的神殿。当奉献圣殿时，上帝的荣耀再次降临在以色列國的土地上（王上8：1-11）。
 
But history repeated itself, and Israel disobeyed God and was taken into captivity. The gorgeous temple was destroyed. One of the prophets of the captivity, Ezekiel, saw the glory of God depart from it (Ezek. 8:4; 9:3; 10:4; 11:22–23).
但是历史重演，以色列不順服上帝，被敵人俘虏。宏偉的神庙被毁。被俘虜中的一位先知以西结，看见上帝的荣耀离开了以色列（结   8：4; 9：3; 10：4; 11：22-23）。
 
Did the glory ever return? Yes—in the Person of God’s Son, Jesus Christ! “And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory” (John 1:14, literal translation). The glory of God dwelt on earth in the body of Jesus Christ, for His body was the temple of God (John 2:18–22). But wicked men nailed His body to a cross. They crucified “the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). All this was part of God’s thrilling plan, and Christ arose from the dead, returned to heaven, and sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in men.
上帝的荣耀曾再回来過吗？  有的，在上帝儿子耶稣基督的身上！ “祂道成肉身，住在我们所造的帳幕中，並且我们看见祂的荣耀”（约1:14，直译）。上帝的荣耀住在耶稣基督的身体裡，因为祂的身体是上帝的圣殿（约2：18-22）。但是恶人把祂的身体钉在十字架上。他们钉死  “荣耀之主”（林前   1：2：8）。所有这一切都是上帝令人悚慄计划的一部分，基督从死里复活，升天，并差遣圣灵住在人间。
 
The glory of God now lives in the bodies of God’s children. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19 nasb). The glory of God departed from the tabernacle and the temple when Israel disobeyed God, but Jesus has promised that the Spirit will abide in us forever (John 14:16).
现在，上帝的荣耀住在祂儿女的身体中。 “或者你不知道你的身体是圣灵的殿，祂来自上帝的，而你不再是你自己？” （林前6:19 新美國標準版）。以色列违抗上帝时，上帝的荣耀离开会幕和圣殿，但是耶稣应许圣灵将永远存留在我们里面（约14:16）。
 
With this background, we can better understand what 1 John 4:12–16 is saying to us. God is invisible (1 Tim. 1:17), and no man can see Him in His essence. Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). By taking on Himself a human body, Jesus was able to reveal God to us. But Jesus is no longer here on earth. How, then, does God reveal Himself to the world?
在这种背景下，可以更清楚地理解约翰壹書4章12至16等節，对我们所说的话。上帝是看不见的（提前1:17），没有人能看到的本相。耶稣是 “看不见的上帝的像”
（西1:15）。耶稣借着自己的身体，得以向我们启示上帝。但是耶稣不再在世上了。那么，上帝如何向世界再启示自己呢？
 
He reveals Himself through the lives of His children. Men cannot see God, but they can see us. If we abide in Christ, we will love one another, and our love for one another will reveal God’s love to a needy world. God’s love will be experienced in us and then will be expressed through us.
上帝通过祂的儿女的生活彰显祂自己。人们看不见上帝，但他们可以看见我们基督徒。若我们住在基督裡，将彼此相爱，然而我们的彼此相爱，将向世界需要的上帝的爱顯示給他們。在我们里面將经历上帝的爱，然后，通过我们表現出来。
 
That important little word abide (or “dwell” kjv) is used six times in 1 John 4:12–16. It refers to our personal fellowship with Jesus Christ. To abide in Christ means to remain in spiritual oneness with Him, so that no sin comes between us. Because we are “born of God,” we have union with Christ, but it is only as we trust Him and obey His commandments that we have communion with Him. Much as a faithful husband and wife “abide in love” though they may be separated by miles, so a believer abides in God’s love. This abiding is made possible by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13).
在约翰壹書4章12至16等節中，使用這重要的 “住在” 短語有六次之多（或  “居住”  欽定版）。它是指我们与耶稣基督的个人团契。住在基督裡是表示与祂保持属灵裡的合一，这样我们就不会犯罪。因为我们是  “上帝生的”，所以能与基督联合，但是只有当我们相信祂，并遵守祂的诫命时，我们才能与祂相交。就像信实的夫妻 “相爱相守”，尽管他们可能相隔很遠，如信徒住在上帝的爱裡。圣灵的內住使这 “住在”成为可能（约壹4:13）。
 
Imagine the wonder and the privilege of having God abide in you! The Old Testament Israelite would look with wonder at the tabernacle or temple, because the presence of God was in that building. No man would dare to enter the Holy of Holies, where God was enthroned in glory! But we have God’s Spirit living in us! We abide in this love, and we experience the abiding of God in us. “If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23).
試想象一下，有上帝住在你里面該是多麼的奇妙和榮幸！旧约的以色列人会惊奇地看着帐幕或圣殿，因为上帝住在的那建筑物中。没有人敢进入至圣所，那是上帝的荣耀顯現的寶座處！但是我们里面有上帝的灵內住！我们住在這爱中，并在我们里面经历了上帝的內住。 “若有人爱我，他会遵守我的话；我父亲将爱他，我们将要到祂那里，与祂同住”（约14:23）。

God’s love is proclaimed in the Word (“God is love”) and proved at the cross. But here we have something deeper: God’s love is perfected in the believer. Fantastic as it may seem, God’s love is not made perfect in angels, but in sinners saved by His grace. We Christians are now the tabernacles and temples in which God dwells. He reveals His love through us.
在圣经中上帝的爱被宣稱（“上帝就是爱”），并在十字架上得到印证。但是，在这里我们有更深的印證：上帝的爱在信徒中是完善的。看起来很神奇，上帝的爱并没有在天使中顯得完美，而是在被祂的恩典所拯救的罪人當中。我们基督徒现在是上帝居住的帳幕和圣殿。祂通过我们把祂的爱彰显了。
 
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, famous British preacher, had five sons, all of whom became ministers of the gospel. One day a visitor in their home dared to ask a personal question: “Which of you six is the best preacher?”
英国著名宣教士坎贝尔·摩根（G. Campbell Morgan）博士有五个儿子，所有儿子都成为福音的传道人。有一天，他们家中的访客膽敢的问个人问题說，“你们中間六个宣教士，那一位是最好的传道人？”
 
Their united answer was “Mother!”
他们的都回答說是，“母亲！”
 
Of course, Mrs. Morgan had never preached a formal sermon in a church, but her life was a constant sermon on the love of God. The life of a Christian who abides in God’s love is a potent witness for God in the world. Men cannot see God, but they can see His love moving us to deeds of helpfulness and kindness.
当然，摩根太太从未在教堂里正式的布道過，但她的一生却一直是作有关于上帝之爱的布道。住在上帝之爱中的基督徒的一生，是上帝在世上有力的见证。人看不到上帝，但他们可以從基督信仰者身上，看到上帝的爱感動我们，進入去作帮助和仁愛的事工。
 
Three different witnesses are suggested in these verses: (1) The witness of the believer that Jesus Christ is God’s Son (1 John 4:15); (2) the witness in the believer by the Spirit (1 John 4:13); and (3) the witness through the believer that God is love and that He sent His Son to die for the world (1 John 4:14).
这些经文中提出三种不同的见证人：（1）信徒的见证者，見證耶稣基督是上帝的儿子（约壹4:15）； （2）圣灵感動信徒作见证（约壹4:13）； （3）通过信徒的见证上帝就是爱，祂差遣祂儿子为世界而死（约壹4:14）。
 
These witnesses cannot be separated. The world will not believe that God loves sinners until they see His love at work in His children’s lives.
这些見证是不能分开的。在世界未看到上帝子民的生活顯示上帝爱罪人的事工之前，世界将不会相信上帝爱罪人。
 
A Salvation Army worker found a derelict woman alone on the street and invited her to come into the chapel for help, but the woman refused to move. The worker assured her, “We love you and want to help you. God loves you. Jesus died for you.” But the woman did not budge.
在救世军中的一位工作者，在街上发现一位單獨的妇女被遗弃，他邀请她到教堂寻求帮助，但她拒绝。工人向她保证：“我们爱您，并願意为您提供帮助。上帝爱你。耶稣为你而死。”但是那女人并没有感動。
 
As if on divine impulse, the Army lassie leaned over and kissed the woman on the cheek, taking her into her arms. The woman began to sob, and like a child, was led into the chapel, where she ultimately trusted Christ.
仿佛是在神圣的激动下，救世军俯身亲吻那婦人，将她抱在怀里。女人像孩子一样开始抽泣，被带到教堂里，在那里她最终信靠了基督。
 
 “You told me that God loved me,” she said later, “but it wasn’t till you showed me that God loved me that I wanted to be saved.”
她后来说，“你告诉我上帝爱我，但直到你向我证明上帝爱我后，我才想要得到拯救。”
 
 Jesus did not simply preach the love of God; He proved it by giving His life on the cross. He expects His followers to do likewise. If we abide in Christ, we will abide in His love. If we abide in His love, we must share this love with others. Whenever we share this love, it is proof in our own hearts that we are abiding in Christ. In other words, there is no separation between a Christian’s inner life and his outer life.
耶稣不仅宣扬上帝的爱;  還以祂在十字架上献出生命来还証實上帝的爱。祂希望祂的門徒也照做。若我们住在基督裡，我们就住在祂的爱裡。如果我们住在祂的爱裡，我们必须會与他人分享祂的爱。每当我们分享这种爱时，就在我们自己的心中证明了我们一直住在基督里。换句话说，基督徒的内在与外在的生活之间是没有任何區别。
 
Abiding in God’s love produces two wonderful spiritual benefits in the life of a believer: (1) he grows in knowledge, and (2) he grows in faith (1 John 4:16). The more we love God, the more we understand the love of God. And the more we understand His love, the easier it is for us to trust Him. After all, when you know someone intimately and love him sincerely,
you have no problem putting your confidence in him.
住在上帝的爱裡，在信徒的生活中会产生，两種奇妙的属灵益处：（1）他在知识上成长，（2）他在信仰上成长（约壹4:16）。我们越爱上帝，就越了解上帝的爱。我们越了解祂的爱，就越容易信靠祂。毕竟，当你亲密地认识某人，并真诚地爱他时，就可以毫无疑问地信任他。
 
A man standing in the greeting card section of a store was having trouble picking out a card. The clerk asked if she could help, and he said, “Well, it’s our fortieth wedding anniversary, but I can’t find a card that says what I want to say. You know, forty years ago it wouldn’t have been any problem picking out a card, because back then I thought I knew what love was. But we love each other so much more today, I just can’t find a card that says it!”                                                            站在賣贺卡部門的商店的人，在挑选卡片时遇到困難。店员问她是否需要帮忙，他说：“好，我们结婚40周年，但是我找不到能说我想说的卡片。要知道，四十年前挑选卡片不会有任何问题，因为那时候我以为我知道什么是爱。但是，四十年後，彼此之间更加相爱，只是找不到能说出来這愛的卡片！”

This is a growing Christian’s experience with God. As he abides in Christ and spends time in fellowship with Him, he comes to love God more and more. He also grows in his love for other Christians, for the lost, and even for his enemies. As he shares the Father’s love with others, he experiences more of the Father’s love himself. He understands the Father’s love better and better.
这是基督徒与上帝之间不断增长的经验。当他住在基督里，并花时间与祂相交时，他越来越爱上帝。他对其他基督徒，迷路者，甚至敌人的爱也不断的增长。当他与他人分享天父的爱时，他自己会经历更多的天父的大爱。他越来越了解天父的爱。
 
“God is love,” then, is not simply a profound biblical statement. It is the basis for a believer’s relationship with God and with his fellow man. Because God is love, we can love. His love is not past history; it is present reality. “Love one another” begins as a commandment (1 John 4:7), then it becomes a privilege (1 John 4:11). But it is more than a commandment or a privilege. It is also the thrilling consequence and evidence of our abiding in Christ (1 John 4:12). Loving one another is not something we simply ought to do; it is something we want to do.
因此，“上帝就是爱”，不只是一句深刻的圣经短語。它是信徒与上帝及其同胞关系的基础。因为上帝是爱，所以我们可以相爱，祂的爱不是過去历史，它是现在的实存。 “彼此相爱”  從诫命开始（约壹4：7），然后变成榮幸（约壹4:11）。但它不仅仅是诫命或榮幸。它也是我们住在基督裡心中感受的结果和证据（约壹4:12）。彼此相爱并不是我们应该做的;  却是我们想要去做的。
 
Some practical applications grow out of this basic truth:
一些实际应用是基與這事实而產生：
 
First, the better we know God’s love, the easier it will be to live as a Christian. Bible knowledge alone does not take the place of personal experience of God’s love. In fact, it can be a dangerous substitute if we are not careful.
第一，对上帝的爱我們越發的了解，越容易成为基督徒。光靠圣经知识，并不能代替亲身经历上帝的爱。实际上，如果我们一不小心，它可能是危险的替代品。
 
Helen came home from a youth retreat greatly enthused over what she had learned.
海伦从青年退修會回家，对她所学到的知识非常感到兴趣。
 
 “We had some terrific sessions on how to have personal devotions,” she told her sister Joyce. “I plan to have my devotions every single day.”
她对姐姐乔伊斯(Joyce)说，“我们有些特別的討討會，討論有关于如何虔誠靈修的事。我计划著每天都這樣做。”
 
A week later, while Joyce was running the vacuum cleaner, she heard Helen screaming, “Do you have to make all that noise? Don’t you know I’m trying to have my devotions?” And the verbal explosion was followed by the slamming of a door.
一周后，当乔伊斯（Joyce）用吸尘器清潔地板时，忽然听到海伦的尖叫壭，“你必须把這嗓音弄得這麼大吗？你不知道我在虔誠的靈修吗？”  大聲咆哮后，就紧紧关上了门。
 
Helen still had to learn that personal devotions are not an end in themselves. If they do not help us love God and love one another, they are accomplishing little. The Bible is a revelation of God’s love, and the better we understand His love, the easier it should be for us to obey Him and love others.
海伦必须繼續了解個人虔誠靈修，它們本身并不是結果。若它们不能帮助我们爱上帝和彼此相爱的話，那么他们就只做到了一點點事。圣经启示上帝的大爱，而我们对上帝的爱越了解，我们就应该越容易順服祂，并爱别人。
 
A second consideration is that unless we love the lost, our verbal witness to them will be useless. The gospel message is a message of love. This love was both declared and demonstrated by Jesus Christ. The only way we can effectively win others is to declare the gospel and demonstrate it in how we live. Too much “witnessing” today is a mere mouthing of words. People need an expression of love.
第二件要考虑的因素是，除非我们去爱失喪的人，否则我们用口头对他们作见证将是无用的。福音信息是爱的信息。耶稣基督既宣告又彰顯了这种爱。我们若要有效的赢得別人的相信，唯一途径就是要宣扬福音，并在我们的生活中彰显福音的愛。今天太多的  “见证” 只是口头上的表达。人们需要用行動表达這爱。
 
One reason why God permits the world to hate.   Christians is so that Christians may return love for the world’s hatred. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.… But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:11, 44 nasb).
上帝允许世界憎恨基督徒的原因之一，是基督徒可以用上帝的爱去回報世界的憎恨。 “人若因我辱駡你們，逼迫你們，捏造各樣的壞話毀謗你們，你們就有福了!  ……只是我告訴你們，要爱你們的仇敌，为那迫害你們的祷告”（太5:11， 44 新美國標準版）。
 
 “Pastor, the Bible tells us to love our neighbors, but I doubt that anybody could love my neighbors,” Mrs. Barton said at the close of a Sunday school lesson. “I’ve tried to be nice to them, but it just doesn’t work.”
巴顿(Barton)夫人在一次主日学课程完结时说，“牧师，圣经告诉我们要爱邻居，但我怀疑怎麼会有人爱我的邻居，我试图对他们友好，但就是行不通。”
 
 “Perhaps ‘being nice to them’ isn’t the real answer,” the pastor explained. “You know, it’s possible to be nice to people with the wrong motive.”
牧师解释说，“也许  '对他们很好' 不是真正的答案。你知道，可能你對人很好，而動機錯了。”
 
 “You mean as though you’re trying to buy them off?”
 “你的意思是想收买他们吗？”
 
 “Something like that. I think you and I had better pray that God will give you a true spiritual love for your neighbors. If you love them in a Christian way, you’ll not be able to do them any damage,” the pastor pointed out.
牧师指點他，“有些像這样。我认为你和我，最好先向上帝祈祷，求祂賜会给你真正属灵的爱，來愛你的邻居。如果你以基督徒的方式爱他们，将无法对他们造成任何伤害。”
 
It took some weeks, but Mrs. Barton grew in her love for her neighbors, and she also found herself growing in her own spiritual life.
花了几个星期的時間，但巴顿夫人对邻居的爱不断增长，她发现自己的屬靈生活也在成长。
 
 “My neighbors haven’t changed a whole lot,” she told the prayer group, “but my attitude toward them has really changed. I used to do things for them to try to win their approval. But now I do things for Jesus’ sake, because   He died for them — and it makes all the difference in the world!”
她对祷告小组说，“我的邻居并没有太大的改变，但是，我对他们的态度确实改变了很多。我曾经为他们做一些事情，试图赢得他们的认可。但是，现在我是为耶稣而做這事，因为，祂为他们而死  —  改变了世界！”

 
In this paragraph of his letter, John has taken us to the very foundation of Christian love. But he still had more to teach us. In the next section, he dealt with our own personal love for God and how God perfects that love in us.
在约翰的書信这一段經節中，他带我们进入了基督徒爱的基本教義裡。但是，他还有更多要教導我们的。在下一段經節中，他將讨论有關我们自己对上帝的個人的爱，以及上帝如何在我们里面使这爱趨於完善。
 
These two aspects of Christian love cannot be separated from one another: if we love God, we will love one another; and if we love one another, we will grow in our love for God.
基督徒爱的这两个方面是不能彼此分开的：若我们爱上帝，我们就会彼此相爱。若我们彼此相爱，我们就会在為愛上帝的過程中成长。
 
And both statements are true because “God is love.”
两种说法都是真實的，因为   “上帝就是爱。”