彼前二5　〔你们〕也就像活石，被建造成为属灵的殿，成为圣别的祭司体系，借着耶稣基督献上神所悦纳的属灵祭物。

　　　9　唯有你们是蒙拣选的族类，是君尊的祭司体系，是圣别的国度，是买来作产业的子民，要叫你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗、入祂奇妙之光者的美德。

　　在旧约里，神能不借着人而自己行动。例如，神在创造诸天与地时，不需要人与祂配合。但新约开始于神圣的话成肉体。这为神新约的经纶设立了原则，就是神需要人与祂配合。没有人，神就不能作什么。在旧约里，神没有人也能作许多事。在新约里，神赐下祂自己，与人绑在一起。……在新约里，神必须有人与祂配合，与祂是一，与祂配搭。这是神新约经纶的基本原则（民数记生命读经，三六至三七页）。

　　1 Pet. 2:5 You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

　　9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired for a possession, so that you may tell out the virtues of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

　　In the Old Testament, God could move by Himself, without man. For instance, when God created the heavens and the earth, there was no need of man to match Him. But the New Testament begins with the divine incarnation. This set up the principle for God's New Testament economy, which is that God needs man to match Him. Without man, God can do nothing. In the Old Testament, God could do many things without man. In the New Testament, God has given Himself to be bound together with man....In the New Testament, God must have man to match Him, to be one with Him, to coordinate with Him. This is the basic principle of God's New Testament economy. (Life-study of Numbers, p. 33)

　　帐幕出发时的职责是祭司和利未人的事。在旧约，祭司和利未人是有区别的，但在新约里只有一班人，就是祭司，包括利未人。因此，利未人在旧约里所作的，我们新约的祭司也该作。

　　〔在民数记四章十九节上半〕我们看见，哥辖人的事奉是在亚伦和他儿子的指派之下。这指明在旧约里有两班人—祭司与利未人。但在新约里这两班人乃是一。我们今天是祭司，也是利未人。当我们这些祭司作利未人的工作时，我们必须在祭司眼光的监督之下。例如，在会所里排椅子不是属灵的工作，乃是利未人的事奉。但这利未人的事奉应当在祭司体系内里、属灵的眼光之下完成。倘若事奉的人这样排椅子，他们就会为着召会，为着要坐在椅子上的人祷告。为着传福音的目的登门访人，原则也是一样。叩门这项利未人的事奉，应当在祭司眼光的监督之下来完成。这样探访人传福音的人，会有许多的祷告。他们也许祷告：“主，当我叩这人的门时，我求你叩他的心。”

　　今天我们不该将利未人的服事与祭司的眼光分开。任何一种外面的活动，都必须在祭司体系内里、属灵眼光的监督之下来完成。……我们需要学习在祭司职任内里的眼光下作外面的事。例如，在召会执事室里的工作该与银行里的作法大不相同。……在召会执事室里一切的事奉，都该在祭司属天的眼光和监督下来作。我们在召会的执事室里无论作什么，都该是属灵的活动，叫我们将生命服事给别人。当我们照管事务时，我们该将生命供应给人。我们若这样作，我们的利未人事奉就是在祭司职任的眼光与监督之下（民数记生命读经，三八、四二至四三页）。

　　一个人事奉神的时候，一面要有祭司的工作，另一面要有利未人的工作，两个都应该作。一面你在那些属灵的事奉上有分，一面你在事务上也要作。……这些事……是基督徒工作里的一大部分。这一类的事，是召会在神面前全体都要好好地学习的（教会的路，一七○页）。

　　参读：祭司职分与神的建造，第十一篇；教会的路，第五篇。

　　The duties in the tabernacle's setting out involve both the priests and the Levites. In the Old Testament there is a distinction between the priests and the Levites. However, in the New Testament there is only one class, that of the priests, which includes the Levites. Hence, what the Levites did in the Old Testament, we, the New Testament priests, should also do.

　　[In Numbers 4:19b] we see that the service of the Kohathites was under the assigning of Aaron and his sons. This indicates that in the Old Testament there are two classes—the priests and the Levites. But in the New Testament these two classes are one. We today are both priests and Levites. When we as priests do the Levitical work, we must be under the supervision of our priestly view. For example, arranging chairs in the meeting hall is not a spiritual work but a Levitical service. But this Levitical service should be carried out under the inward, spiritual view of the priesthood. If the arranging of chairs is done in this way, the serving ones will pray for the church and for those who will sit on the chairs. The principle is the same with knocking on people's doors for the purpose of preaching the gospel. The Levitical service of door-knocking should be carried out under the supervision of the priestly view. Then those who visit people with the gospel in this way will have much prayer. They may pray, "Lord, while I am knocking on this person's door, I ask You to knock on his heart."

　　Today we should not separate the Levitical service from the priestly view. Any kind of outward activity must be carried out under the supervision of the inward, spiritual view of the priesthood.

　　We need to learn to do outward things under the inward view of the priesthood. For instance, the way work is done in the church business office should be very different from the way in a bank....All the service in the church business office should be done under the heavenly view and supervision of the priests. Then whatever we do in the church business office will become a spiritual activity and will minister life to others. While we are caring for business matters, we should minister life to others. If we do this, our Levitical service is under the view and supervision of the priesthood. (Life-study of Numbers, pp. 35, 37-38)

　　When a person serves God, there is the priestly work on the one hand, and there is the Levitical work on the other hand. Both should be accomplished. On the one hand, you participate in the spiritual service, and on the other hand, you should also take care of the practical affairs....These things occupy a great part of Christian work. This category of things is what everyone in the church must properly learn before God. (Further Talks on the Church Life, p. 135)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1966, vol. 1, "The Priesthood and God's Building," ch. 11; Watchman Nee, Further Talks on the Church Life, ch. 5