弗三1　因这缘故，我这为你们外邦人作基督耶稣囚犯的保罗，为你们祈求。

　　四1　所以我这在主里的囚犯劝你们，行事为人要与你们所蒙的呼召相配。

　　虽然保罗是一个管家，但……使徒……认为自己是基督的囚犯〔弗三1〕。表面上他是拘禁在监牢里，实际上他是被囚在基督里。凭着这样的身分，就是他实际生活的身分，他劝勉众圣徒〔四1〕。

　　保罗认为自己是基督的囚犯，因为他已被基督囚禁。……基督是保罗的监牢。有一天，你所爱的基督要成为你的监牢。每一个神的管家，每一个供应神丰富的执事，每一个忠信爱基督的人，迟早要被基督囚禁，且被囚禁在基督里。你越爱祂，你就越在祂里面。至终，你在祂里面会到一个地步，祂要成为你的监牢。你一旦被放在这监牢里，就不会想出去，因为你会深深爱上这监牢。在此你能享受基督到极致（以弗所书生命读经，二九二至二九三页）。

　　Eph. 3:1 "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you, the Gentiles."

　　Eph. 4:1 "I beseech you therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called."

　　Although Paul was a steward, …the apostle…considered himself the prisoner of Christ [Eph. 3:1]. Apparently he was confined in a physical prison; actually he was imprisoned in Christ. On the basis of such a status, the status of his actual living as a prisoner in Christ, he besought the saints [4:1].

　　Paul considered himself the prisoner of Christ because he had been imprisoned by Christ.…Christ was Paul's prison. One day, the very Christ whom you love will become your prison. Sooner or later, every steward of God, every minister of God's riches, every faithful lover of Christ, will be imprisoned not only by Christ but also in Christ. The more you love Him, the more you will be in Him. Eventually, you will be in Him to such an extent that He will become your prison. Once you are placed in this prison, you will not want to get out, because you will love this prison very much. Here you enjoy Christ to the uttermost. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 242-243)

　　每一个爱圣经的人，都非常看重以弗所书。……以弗所书包含圣经里最高的启示。这个启示是赐给一个囚禁在基督里的人，一个享受基督作他监牢的人。这指明我们若要看见一些属天并神圣的东西，就必须成为一个在主里的囚犯。我们越自由，就越瞎眼。但基督若是我们的监牢，我们的眼睛就会被开启，看见属天的异象，我们也要得着最高的启示。

　　基督是无限无量、不可度量、追测不尽的。祂是在万有中充满万有那包罗万有的一位（一23）。祂甚至就是宇宙那阔、长、高、深的量度（三18）。祂是何等一位基督！……五章二十五节说，“基督爱召会，为召会舍了自己。”这一节指明，基督是一位爱召会的基督。……〔祂也是〕创造新人的基督、将万有归一于一个元首之下的基督、产生恩赐并赐下恩赐的基督以及安家的基督。我们有何等一位基督！（以弗所书生命读经，二九三、八○一、八○八页）

　　神的手带领、管治以西结这个为神说话的人。他每个行动都在神的手中。无论他到哪里，无论他作什么，并他怎样行动举止，都是由于神带领、管治的手。无论被捆绑，或是得自由，无论喜怒哀乐，无论去彼或来此— 一切都是受神手的带领和管治。……这里我们看见一个为神说话的人，不再有自己的自由，不再随自己的方便行事。神的手若带他到哪里，他就必须到哪里；神的手若要他作什么，他就必须作什么。他的行动是随着神手的带领，是受到神手严格管治的。他去哪里，他作什么，不是随着他的挑选，乃是在神带领管治之下，随着神带领管治的手。这需要为神说话的人出相当的代价（以西结书生命读经，二六页）。

　　保罗是基督许多俘虏中的一个。他原是基督和基督福音的最大敌人；有一天在往大马色的路上，他被击败、征服、掳掠了（徒九1~9）。从那天起，他成了基督的俘虏。我们也许以为保罗像个了不起的传道人那样，到处旅行。但按照他的感觉，他乃是在基督凯旋行列中。……保罗是庆祝基督得胜的俘虏（一个在灵里之人的自传，二三页）。

　　参读：以弗所书生命读经，第二十八、七十九篇；神人的生活，第八篇；一个在灵里之人的自传，第三章。

　　Everyone who loves the Bible has a high regard for the Epistle to the Ephesians.…Ephesians contains the highest revelation in the Bible. This revelation was given to a man imprisoned in Christ, a man who enjoyed Christ as his prison. This indicates that in order to see something so heavenly and divine, we need to be a prisoner in the Lord. The more freedom we have, the more blind we are. But if Christ is our prison, our eyes will be opened to see the heavenly vision, and we shall receive the highest revelation.

　　Christ is unlimited, immeasurable, and unsearchable. He is the all-inclusive One that fills all in all (1:23). He is even the very dimensions of the universe: the breadth and length and height and depth (3:18). What a Christ He is! Ephesians 5:25 says that Christ “loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” This verse indicates that Christ is a church-loving Christ.…[He is also] the new-man-creating Christ, the all-things-heading-up Christ, the gift-making and gift-giving Christ, and the home-making Christ. What a Christ we have! (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 243, 662, 668)

　　God's hand led and directed Ezekiel as a person who spoke for God. His every action was under God's hand. Wherever he went, whatever he did, and how he acted and behaved were all due to God's leading and directing hand. Whether he was bound or free, whether he mourned or rejoiced, whether he went or came—everything was under the leading and directing of God's hand. Here we see that a man who speaks for God no longer has his own freedom and can no longer do things according to his own convenience. If God's hand leads him to go to a certain place, he must go there. If God's hand directs him to do a certain thing, he must do it. His actions are according to the leading of God's hand and are under the strict directing of God's hand. Where he goes and what he does are not according to his choice but are under and according to the leading and directing hand of God. This requires the one who speaks for God to pay a considerable price. (Life-study of Ezekiel, pp. 21-22)

　　Among so many who have been captured by Christ, Paul was one. He was one of the biggest opponents to Christ and to His gospel. One day on the road to Damascus, he was conquered, subdued, and captured (Acts 9:1-9). From that day he became a captive of Christ. We may think that Paul was going out to travel here and there as a wonderful preacher. But according to his feeling, he was in the triumphal procession of Christ.…Paul was a captive in the celebration of Christ's victory. (CWWL, 1967, vol. 2, “An Autobiography of a Person in the Spirit, “p. 151)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Ephesians, msgs. 28, 79; Life-study of Ezekiel, msg. 2; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The God-man Living, “msg. 8; CWWL, 1967, vol. 2, “An Autobiography of a Person in the Spirit, “chs. 3, 6