徒十五19　所以我判断，不可难为那转向神的外邦人。

　　　 39~41　于是二人起了争执，甚至彼此分开；巴拿巴带着马可，坐船往居比路去；保罗却拣选了西拉，也出去，蒙弟兄们把他交与主的恩典。他就走遍叙利亚和基利家，坚固众召会。

　　当召会往外扩展时，因着撒但借着人的打岔，可以说产生了三个难处。这三个难处，限制了召会的扩展。……召会扩展首先遇到的难处，是犹太教的限制和捆绑（徒十五1~35）。当时犹太地信主的犹太人，仍保有犹太教的遗传；他们用犹太教的眼光和主义看待召会。……犹太人自以为他们的律法、规条和礼仪，都是出乎神的，是敬虔的，所以自认最能遵守神的话。撒但就利用这点，限制了召会；这个限制非常厉害。

　　从召会两千年的历史，我们看见，每一次召会的扩展，都是因着召会得着了一个能力；而这个能力在一班认识神的人身上，冲破了那些宗教的仪式、规条和死的字句。……一面我们固然该遵守圣经，照着真理的教训，在圣经的光中生活行事。……另一面，我们要问，这些圣经的知识、真理的亮光，是死的还是活的？如果那些不过是死的字句，就会完全限制、拦阻召会（召会的历程，四二至四三页）。

　　Acts 15:19 Therefore I judge that we do not harass those from the Gentiles who are turning to God.

　　39-41 And there was a sharp contention, so that they separated from each other; and Barnabas, taking Mark along, sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and went out, having been commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

　　When the church was spreading, Satan created three problems through various people. These three problems limited the spread of the church.

　　The first problem encountered in the spread of the church was the limitation and bondage of Judaism (Acts 15:1-34). The believers in Judea were Jews who still kept the traditions of Judaism; they looked at the church from a Jewish viewpoint....The Jews believed that their law, ordinances, and rituals were from God and pertained to piety; therefore, they considered themselves as those best able to keep God's word. Satan used this thought to severely limit the church.

　　Throughout church history, each time the church has spread, it has been through a group of people whom God empowered to break through religious rituals, ordinances, and dead letters.

　　On the one hand, we should obey the Bible, walk in its light, and comply with the teachings of the truth....On the other hand, however, we must ask ourselves whether our Bible knowledge and our light of the truth are dead or living. If we have only dead doctrines, this will limit and frustrate the church. (Three Aspects of the Church, Book 2: The Course of the Church, pp. 37-38)

　　〔行传十五章〕叫召会的眼睛明亮，叫召会脱离犹太教的辖制，也叫召会脱离耶路撒冷的管治。因此，召会才得以自由的扩展。撒但就是要用犹太教和耶路撒冷，来管治、辖制、禁止、约束召会的扩展。然而，神是要往外邦去的，神要往地极去；祂要走遍宇宙，要在遍地上都有祂儿子的见证。保罗实在有这异象，所以几年后，他写以弗所书，就说到他有这异象，并且神给他看见，要叫外邦人和以色列人，一同作神儿子基督的身体（三6）。

　　等这个犹太教的难处解决之后，保罗和巴拿巴立即同往外邦去传福音。耶路撒冷的问题不解决，召会就不能往外去；耶路撒冷的问题一解决，犹太教的问题一解决，使徒立即可以起身，再往外邦去。然而，他们又遇到一个难处；外面宗教的难处过去了，里面主观的难处来了—巴拿巴和保罗竟然不能同心（徒十五36~41）。巴拿巴要带着马可同去看望弟兄，保罗觉得不妥，他们之间就起了争论。我们必须认识，他们两人的争论，其实就是撒但的作为。那时召会的扩展，就因着巴拿巴与保罗不能同心，受到相当的亏损。……本是同工的弟兄们，有了不同的意见，这又限制了召会的扩展。

　　经过这一次的破坏，召会向外扩展的力量自然就减弱了。两个一同行动的使徒，现在分开了；巴拿巴带着马可往西去了居比路，保罗带着西拉向北去，走遍叙利亚和基利家（39~41）。两个人分了两条线，这就到了行传十六章。对于这一段圣经，我们要仔细读，并且要读出圣灵的意思。保罗曾在小亚细亚一带作工，所以很愿意留在那里，但圣灵禁止他们（6）；尔后他想去庇推尼，耶稣的灵却不许（7）。这是为什么呢？没有别的原因，乃是为着召会的扩展。圣灵为要扩展召会，最后逼得只好给保罗异象，要他往欧洲去。保罗看见异象后，就有了负担，从小亚细亚过海到马其顿（9~12）。召会就从亚洲扩展到欧洲，往南到雅典、哥林多那些城（十七15，十八1）（召会的历程，四八至五○页）。

　　参读：召会的历程，第三篇。

　　Acts 15 opens the eyes of the church and allows the church to escape the bondage of Judaism and the rule of Jerusalem. Thus, the church can spread freely. Satan wanted to use Judaism and Jerusalem to control, limit, prohibit, and restrict the spread of the church. But God wanted to spread to the Gentiles, to the uttermost part of the earth. God wanted the whole earth to have the testimony of His Son. Paul had this vision. In his Epistle to the Ephesians he wrote that God wanted to make both Gentiles and Jews into the Body of Christ (3:6).

　　After the problem of the Jewish religion was resolved, Paul and Barnabas immediately went out to the Gentile lands to preach the gospel. The problem of outward religion had been solved, but now they encountered an inward, subjective problem—Barnabas and Paul could not be in one accord (Acts 15:35-41). Barnabas wanted to take Mark to visit the brothers, but Paul felt it was not suitable, and an argument arose between them. Their argument was the work of Satan. The spread of the church was greatly damaged because Barnabas and Paul could not be in one accord....When brothers who are co-workers have a difference of opinion, the spread of the church is limited.

　　The contention between Paul and Barnabas weakened the spread of the church. These two apostles, who had been working together, were now separated; Barnabas took Mark and went west to Cyprus, and Paul took Silas and went north to Syria and Cilicia (vv. 39-41). We must read this portion of the Bible very carefully in order to discover the thought of the Holy Spirit. Paul wanted to stay in Asia Minor where he had labored previously, but the Holy Spirit forbade him to remain there (16:6). Paul considered going to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them (v. 7). For the sake of the spread of the church, the Holy Spirit gave Paul a vision calling him to Europe. After Paul saw the vision, he crossed the sea from Asia Minor to Macedonia (vv. 9-12). Thus, the church spread from Asia Minor to Europe and turned south to the cities of Athens and Corinth (17:15; 18:1). (Three Aspects of the Church, Book 2: The Course of the Church, pp. 41-43)

　　Further Reading: Three Aspects of the Church, Book 2: The Course of the Church, ch. 3