罗八29　因为神所预知的人，祂也预定他们模成神儿子的形像，使祂儿子在许多弟兄中作长子。

　　十二5　我们这许多人，在基督里是一个身体，并且各个互相作肢体，也是如此。

　　〔使徒行传〕没有结束，乃是敞口待加的。这必是因为圣灵借着基督的信徒，传扬基督，使基督得到繁殖、扩增并普及的工作，还没有完毕，还需要很长一大段时间的继续。这种使基督繁殖、扩增并普及的福音工作，乃是照着神新约的经纶，为神产生许多的儿子（罗八29），作基督的肢体，构成基督的身体（十二5），以完成神永远的计划，成全祂永远的旨意。这是使徒行传以后，二十一卷书信，和一卷启示录，所接着详尽启示的。基督这样的繁殖、扩增所产生的召会，乃是神在基督里得彰显并掌权的范围，所以就成为神的国。神的国乃是由神的生命，随着基督的繁殖、扩增而生长出来并普及的。使徒行传是基督的普及，也是神国的普及，因为神的国乃是基督的扩大。此书内所广传的福音，是以基督为福音（五42），是基督的福音，也是以神的国为福音（八12），也是神国的福音。这福音的传扬，一直继续向前，直到全地都成了基督的国（启十一15）（圣经恢复本，徒二八31注2）。

　　Rom. 8:29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers.

　　12:5 So we who are many are one Body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

　　The book of Acts was not actually ended; rather, it was left open that more may be added. The reason for this must have been that the work of the Holy Spirit in preaching Christ for His propagation, multiplication, and spread through the believers of Christ was not yet completed and needed to be continued for a long period of time. Such an evangelistic work for Christ's propagation, multiplication, and spread is according to God's New Testament economy for the producing of many sons for God (Rom. 8:29) that they might be the members of Christ to constitute His Body (Rom. 12:5) for the carrying out of God's eternal plan and the fulfillment of His eternal will. This is revealed in detail in the twenty-one Epistles and the book of Revelation, which follow this book. The church produced by Christ's propagation and multiplication is the sphere in which God is expressed and in which He reigns in Christ; hence, the church becomes the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God, along with Christ's propagation and multiplication, grows out of and spreads from God's life. Acts is a record of the spreading of Christ; it is also a record of the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of God is the expansion of Christ. The gospel that is widely preached in this book is the very Christ as the gospel (Acts 5:42), the gospel of Christ, and it is also the kingdom of God as the gospel (8:12), the gospel of the kingdom of God. The preaching of such a gospel will continue and advance until the whole earth becomes the kingdom of Christ (Rev. 11:15). (Acts 28:31, footnote 2)

　　启示录一章说，召会就是金灯台。神不只说召会是金的，神并且说召会是金的灯台。召会如果只是金的而已，就并不能满足神的心。神为什么说召会是金的灯台呢？因为金灯台是发光的，是为着照亮的。神要召会作一个发光的器皿，见证的器皿。神在当初的时候，定规叫召会作灯台。不是某人，乃是召会，召会在神面前就是灯台。金的还不够，出乎神的还不够，必须为神发光，为神作见证，才是金灯台。

　　所以，召会是为着神的见证而有的。如果不是金的，就不是召会；如果不是灯台，也不是召会。里面如果没有生命，就不是召会；里面如果没有见证，也不是召会。召会必须看见神在这一个世代里要作什么，要得着什么，看见神今天在地上的见证是什么，这个才叫作金灯台。

　　我们再简单的说，神的工作是继续往前进的，神仍旧需要得着器皿，神今天的器皿要像当初的器皿一样，不是个人，乃是召会。

　　或者有人要问，召会中有得胜者出来，这是什么意思呢？不错，召会需要有得胜者出来，但是得胜者的见证也是为着团体的，不是为着个人的。得胜者不是有一班人自命不凡，自以为比别人好，把别人都撇在一边。得胜者乃是为全召会工作；工作是他们作的，好处是全召会都得着的。得胜者不是为着他个人，得胜者乃是站在召会的地位上把召会带到完全的地步，乃是站在召会的地位上代替召会到那个地步。甚至得胜者的得胜也是团体的得胜（倪柝声文集第二辑第十七册，一五九至一六○页）。

　　参读：使徒行传生命读经，第五十五篇。

　　Revelation 1 tells us that the churches are golden lampstands. God does not simply say that the churches are golden; He says that the churches are golden lampstands. If the churches are just golden, they cannot satisfy God. God says that the churches are golden lampstands because golden lampstands shine and enlighten. God desires the church to be a shining vessel, a vessel of testimony. From the beginning God has ordained that the church be a lampstand. The church, not individuals, is a lampstand before the Lord. It is not enough just to be golden, and it is not enough just to be of God. There must be the shining for God and the testimony for Him before the church can be considered the lampstand.

　　Hence, the church exists for God's testimony. Anything that is not golden is not the church, and anything that is not a lampstand is not the church. Anything that does not have life within is not the church, and anything that does not have the testimony within is also not the church. The church must realize what God is doing and what He is after in this age; it must realize what God's testimony on the earth today is. Only then can the church be considered the golden lampstand.

　　Simply put, God's work is always advancing. He is still seeking this vessel. His vessel today is the same vessel He intended to have at the beginning; the church is this vessel, not single individuals.

　　Some may ask, What does it mean that the overcomers come out of the church? It is true that there needs to be overcomers who come out of the church. But even the testimony of the overcomers is maintained on behalf of the corporate whole; it is not for individuals alone. The overcomers are not men who consider themselves extraordinary, better than others, and who put everyone else aside. The overcomers work on behalf of the whole church. They do the work, while the whole church gains the benefit. The overcomers are not for themselves; they stand on the ground of the church, and they are there to bring the whole church to perfection. They stand on the ground of the church and maintain their stand on behalf of the church. Even the victories of the overcomers are corporate victories. (CWWN, vol. 37, pp. 123-124)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Acts, msg. 55