约壹五11　这见证就是神赐给我们永远的生命，这生命也是在祂儿子里面。

　　西三4　基督是我们的生命，祂显现的时候，你们也要与祂一同显现在荣耀里。

　　迁入父爱子的国里，乃是迁入对我们是生命的子里（约壹五12）。在复活里的子（彼前一3，罗六4~5），现今是赐生命的灵（林前十五45下）。祂在祂复活的生命里带着爱来管理我们，这就是父爱子的国。当我们在复活里凭着子作我们的生命而活时，我们就活在祂的国里，在父的爱里享受祂。

　　我们已经迁入一个范围，在那里我们是在爱和生命中受管理。在此，我们在属天的管理和约束之下有真正的自由，就是在爱中、凭着生命并在亮光下的正当自由。这就是蒙拯救脱离黑暗的权势，迁入神爱子的国里。在这国里，我们享受基督，并过召会生活。在这里没有意见，没有分裂。在这里我们只有一件事，就是召会生活，以基督作我们的一切。这就是歌罗西书的启示（歌罗西书生命读经，四一至四二页）。

　　1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony, that God gave to us eternal life and this life is in His Son.

　　Col. 3:4 When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.

　　To be transferred into the kingdom of the Son of the Father's love is to be transferred into the Son who is life to us (1 John 5:12). The Son in resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3; Rom. 6:4-5) is now the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b). He rules us in His resurrection life with love. This is the kingdom of the Son of the Father's love. When we live by the Son as our life in resurrection, we are living in His kingdom, enjoying Him in the Father's love.

　　We have been transferred into a realm where we are ruled in love with life. Here, under the heavenly ruling and restriction, we have genuine freedom, the proper freedom in love, with life, and under light. This is what it means to be delivered out of the authority of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Here in this kingdom we enjoy Christ and have the church life. Here there is no opinion or division. Here we have one thing: the church life with Christ as everything to us. This is the revelation of the book of Colossians. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 34-35)

　　在歌罗西书，黑暗的权势〔一13〕是指文化好的方面，以及我们的性格、个性和天然人的优点。黑暗的权势包含我们的美德、宗教、哲学、仪文、规条、原则和道德规范。神已经救了我们脱离这一切，并把我们迁入祂爱子的国里，在那里我们生活在属天的管理和约束之下。在这国里，我们不在严厉的管理之下，乃在子爱的管理之下。在这里我们不觉得是在公义、能力或权柄之下，乃是在可爱可亲的主耶稣之下。我们越告诉主耶稣我们爱祂，一面我们就越得以自由，另一面却越受约束、越受管理。因着我们爱祂，我们就渴慕以祂为我们的人位和生命。这就是为着召会生活的正当基督徒生活。

　　歌罗西人所犯的错误，就是接受并跟随基督以外的事物。接受任何顶替基督的事物，不仅是在黑暗中，更是在黑暗权势的控制之下。任何代替基督的事物—哲学、宗教、性格、美德、观念、意见—都成了控制我们的黑暗权势。在歌罗西，黑暗的权势是犹太宗教的仪文、异教的规条、哲学、神秘主义以及禁欲主义。虽然这些东西似乎是好的，实际上却是黑暗的权势，因为这些事物顶替了基督，使基督这光被摆在一边。因此，黑暗又猖狂起来，而辖制了召会中的圣徒。这是当时歌罗西的光景，也可能是今天的光景。

　　许多信徒坚信圣经充满了光。这当然是对的。但我们若不在主的面光中读主的话，连我们的读经也会在黑暗里。我们就像主在约翰五章三十九至四十节所说的法利赛人：“你们查考圣经，因你们以为其中有永远的生命，为我作见证的就是这经。然而你们不肯到我这里来得生命。”我们可能有圣经在手中，却仍然是瞎眼的，并且是在黑暗里。当基督说那些宗教徒瞎了眼，他们就被得罪了（九39~41）。他们以为自己外表上既有圣经，就在光中了。但事实上，他们因为没有基督而瞎了眼；唯有基督才是世界的光。凡是没有主耶稣同在的地方，就是在黑暗的权势下。

　　为着基督作身体的头，并为着我们信徒作祂身体的肢体，神需要拯救我们脱离黑暗的权势，就是撒但的国（太十二26下），把我们迁入基督的国，就是神爱子的国里（歌罗西书生命读经，四二、四七至四八、四六、三○页）。

　　参读：歌罗西书生命读经，第三至四篇。

　　In Colossians the authority of darkness [1:13] refers to the good aspects of culture and of our character, disposition, and natural being. The authority of darkness includes our virtues, religion, philosophy, observances, ordinances, principles, and ethical standards. God has delivered us out of all this and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, where we live under a heavenly rule and restriction. In this kingdom we are not under a harsh rule, but under the loving rule of the Son. Here we do not sense that we are under righteousness, power, or authority, but under the loving and lovable Lord Jesus. The more we tell the Lord Jesus that we love Him, the more we are freed on the one hand, and the more we are restricted and ruled on the other hand. Because we love Him, we desire to take Him as our person and as our life. This is the proper Christian life for the church life.

　　The mistake the Colossians were making was that of receiving and following something other than Christ. To accept something in place of Christ is not only to be in darkness, but also to be under the controlling authority of darkness. Anything that is a substitute for Christ—philosophy, religion, character, virtues, concepts, opinions— becomes the authority of darkness to control us. At Colossae, the authority of darkness was Jewish religious observances, pagan ordinances, philosophy, mysticism, and asceticism. Although these things seemed to be good, they were actually the authority of darkness because they replaced Christ. They caused Christ, the light, to be set aside. Therefore, darkness became prevailing once again and controlled the saints in the church. This was the situation in Colossae, and may also be the situation today.

　　Many believers insist that the Bible is full of light. This, of course, is true. But if we do not read the Word in the Lord's presence, even our reading of the Scriptures will be in darkness. We shall be like the Pharisees addressed by the Lord Jesus in John 5:39 and 40: “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify concerning Me. Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” It is possible to have the Bible in our hand and yet still be blind and in darkness. The religionists were offended when Christ told them they were blind (John 9:39-41). They thought they were in light because they had the Scriptures in an outward way. But actually they were blind because they did not have Christ, who alone is the light of the world. Any place where the Lord Jesus is not present is under the authority of darkness.

　　For Christ to be the Head of the Body, and for us, His believers, to be the members of His Body, He needed to deliver us out of the authority of darkness, the kingdom of Satan (Matt. 12:26), and transfer us into the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God's Beloved. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 35, 41, 39-40, 24)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 3-4