启二二1　天使又指给我看在城内街道当中一道生命水的河，明亮如水晶，从神和羔羊的宝座流出来。

　　罗九21　窑匠难道没有权柄，从同一团泥里，拿一块作成贵重的器皿，又拿一块作成卑贱的器皿么？

　　无论什么权柄都是出于神的，因为都是神定规的。一切在上的权柄，如果往上推，推到最后就遇到神了。神在一切权柄之上，所有的权柄都在神之下。你摸到神的权柄，就是摸到神自己。神的工作基本的不是用能力，乃是用权柄。……祂是用权柄的命令创造一切。命令就是权柄。神的权柄如何发生功效，我们不知道，但神所成就的，乃是在于祂的权柄。

　　那个百夫长的仆人病了，他知道他顺服在上掌权的，也有在下的顺服他。因此他只要主说一句话，相信事就那样成了，因为一切的权柄都在主的手里，他信主的权柄。所以主说，没有信心比这个再大（见太八5~10）。碰见神权柄的，就是遇见了神。今天神所设立的权柄充满了宇宙。……得罪神的权柄，就是得罪神自己。基督徒应该顺服权柄（倪柝声文集第三辑第一册，一三○至一三一页）。

　　Rev. 22:1 And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street.

　　Rom. 9:21 Or does not the potter have authority over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?

　　All authority is from God because everything is ordered by God. If we trace any authority upward, we eventually will come to God. God is above all authorities, and every authority is under Him. Once we touch God's authority, we touch God Himself Basically, God's work is not carried out by power, but by authority…. Creation came about through the word of His authority. His word is His authority. We do not know how God's authority works. But we know that God accomplishes everything through His authority. The centurion whose servant was sick knew that there was an authority above him to which he should submit, inasmuch as there were those under him who submitted to him. Therefore, he only needed the Lord to say one word, and he believed that the matter would then be taken care of. He knew that all authority was in the Lord's hand; he believed in the Lord's authority. This is why the Lord said that He had found no faith greater than this. Meeting God's authority is the same as meeting God. Today God appoints authorities everywhere in the universe….Offending God's authority is the same as offending God Himself. A Christian should submit to authority. (CWWN, vol. 47,”Authority and Submission,” pp. 119-120)

　　我们是作主工的，是作神的仆人，第一碰着的就是权柄。人碰着权柄，会像碰着救恩一样的实际，这乃是更深的功课。我们必须有一次碰着权柄，被权柄打倒了，这时才能作神的工。在与神整个的关系中，就是我们是否碰着权柄？若碰着了，到处都会遇到权柄，我们这个人才会受神约束，才起首能被神所使用。

　　宇宙有两个原则：一是神权柄的原则，一是撒但背叛的原则。……背叛的人虽能讲道，撒但在那里笑，因他里头有撒但的原则。事奉的对面就是权柄。……我们这班事奉神的人，必须要有一次基本的认识。比方人一次碰着了电，以后就晓得不能随便了。同样，人若一次碰着神的权柄，给神打倒，以后眼睛就越过越会明亮。

　　关于〔民数记十六章背叛者〕所说，摩西没有把他们领到流奶与蜜之地，没有把田地和葡萄园分给他们为产业，这些话也是有道理的。……但是请注意，人凭道理、凭肉眼所见，就走道理的路，但服权柄的人是凭信心走到迦南地。属灵的路绝非讲理由、讲道理的人所能走得上的。凡凭信心，接受云柱、火柱以及代表的权柄—摩西—率领的人，必定能享受属灵的丰满。地开口就是为那些不服权柄的人开了速速下到阴间的路，死亡的路。那些不服权柄的人，眼睛相当明亮，可惜只看见旷野的荒凉。只有像是瞎眼的人，专凭信心摸索前进，不看当前的荒凉，因为属灵的道路是凭信心的眼睛看到将来美好的应许，这等人才能进迦南。所以人总得碰着权柄，受神的约束，也受代表权柄的引领。人若只碰着父亲、哥哥、姐姐，他尚不认识何谓权柄，所以也就碰不到神。总之，权柄问题是里面的开启，不是外面的教导（倪柝声文集第三辑第一册，一二四、一二六、一四六至一四七页）。

　　参读：权柄与顺服，第一至三、六至八篇；如何作神代表的权柄，第一至四、六至七篇；国度之于信徒，第二至三篇。

　　We who are involved in the Lord's work are the servants of God. As such, the first thing we touch is the matter of authority. Touching authority is as real as the matter of touching salvation. For us this is a deeper lesson. We must be touched and smitten at least once by authority. Only then can we work the work of God. In our relationship with God, nothing is more important….Once we touch [authority], we will see it wherever we turn. Only then can we be restricted by God, and only then can we begin to be used by God.

　　There are two principles in the universe—God's authority and Satan's rebellion….Although a rebellious person can preach, Satan will laugh, because the principle of Satan is there in the preaching. Service is ever attendant to authority….We who serve God must gain this basic understanding at some time. It is like touching electricity. Once one touches it, he will never be careless with it. In the same way, once a man meets God's authority and is smitten by it, his eyes will be enlightened.

　　When the rebellious ones spoke against Moses for not leading them into the land flowing with milk and honey, and for not giving them the inheritance of fields and vineyards, their words were somewhat true….Please note that whenever men act and judge according to doctrine or according to what they see with their physical eyes, they are taking the way of reason. But those who submit to authority will enter Canaan by faith. The way of the spirit can never be taken by those who argue and reason. Those who by faith take the leading of the pillars of cloud and of fire and take the leading of Moses, the deputy authority, will enjoy the fullness of the Spirit. The earth opens its mouth for the rebellious ones. This is the way of death leading them quickly to Hades. Those who do not submit to authority have clear eyes, but they only see the desolation in the wilderness. Only those who are apparently blind, who probe forward by faith, ignoring the present desolation, can enter into Canaan. Those on the spiritual pathway see the future promise of blessing by the eyes of faith. Therefore, one must meet authority, be restricted by God, and be led by His deputy authority. If a man sees only his father, brothers, or sisters, he does not know what authority is, and has not yet met God. In any case, the matter of authority is an inward revelation rather than an outward teaching. (CWWN, vol. 47,”Authority and Submission,” pp. 114-115, 133-134)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 47,”Authority and Submission,” chs. 1-3, 6-8, 12-15, 17-18; CWWL, 1957, vol. 2,”What the Kingdom Is to the Believers,” chs. 2-3