西三16~17 当用各样的智慧，让基督的话丰丰富富地住在你们里面，用诗章、颂辞、灵歌，彼此教导，互相劝戒，心被恩感歌颂神；凡你们所作的，无论是什么，或说话，或行事，都要在主耶稣的名里，借着祂感谢父神。

　　保罗说过基督的平安在我们里面作仲裁之后，接着就告诉我们，要让基督的话住在我们里面〔西三16〕。为什么保罗先提基督的平安，再提基督的话？这问题的答案与圣经里所启示的基本原则有关，就是神的说话需要合一。每当神的子民分裂，祂的言语就稀少。神不在分裂的地方说话。分裂使神的说话减少，甚至使神的说话完全停止。

　　以色列人在旷野的时候，神在会幕里说话。会幕就是神子民合一的表记。……在耶路撒冷建造的圣殿乃是会幕的延续。……神借着祭司说话，是从至圣所出来的，至圣所乃是帐幕和圣殿的中心。

　　当基督的平安在我们里面作仲裁，保守我们在满了一与和谐的光景中，我们就成了神说话的地方，成了神的出口（歌罗西书生命读经，七○四至七○五、七○八页）。

　　Col. 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

　　Immediately after speaking about the peace of Christ arbitrating in us, Paul goes on to tell us to let the word of Christ dwell in us [Col. 3:16]. Why does Paul mention the peace of Christ before the word of Christ? The answer to this question is related to the basic principle revealed in the Bible that God’s speaking requires oneness. Whenever God’s people are divided, His word becomes rare. God does not speak where there is division. Division causes God’s speaking to diminish, even to cease altogether.

　　When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, God spoke in the Tent of Meeting. The Tent of Meeting was a sign of the oneness of God’s people....The temple built in Jerusalem was the continuation of the Tent of Meeting....God’s speaking through the priests came out of the Holy of Holies, the center both of the tabernacle and of the temple.

　　When the peace of Christ arbitrates in us and keeps us in a situation full of oneness and harmony, we become the place of God’s speaking, His oracle. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 567-568, 570)

　　基督的话包括整本新约。我们需要被这话充满。……主的话在我们里面必须有充分的地位，才能把基督的丰富运行并供应到我们里面的人里。不仅如此，基督的话也必须丰丰富富地住在我们里面。基督的丰富（弗三8）是在祂的话里。这样丰富的话，其居住必是丰丰富富的。

　　〔有些圣徒〕虽然……读圣经，神的话却仍旧在他们之外。我们必须让基督的话进到我们里面，住在我们里面，并顶替我们的观念、意见和哲学；这是十分要紧的。我们需要祷告说，“主耶稣，我乐意放弃我的观念，我要你的话在我里面有地位，我愿意忘掉自己的意见和哲学，我要让你的话在我里面得胜。”

　　我们不能把基督的话与祂作仲裁分开。……我们需要把我们的案件带到仲裁者那里并听祂的话。这意思是说，我们需要让基督的平安在我们心里作仲裁，并让基督的话住在我们里面。这样，我们就要满了歌唱和感恩。

　　我们需要基督的平安作仲裁来保守我们在一里，使基督能对我们说话。然后我们需要让神的话居首位。如果我们这样作，我们就经历神话语的功用：光照、滋养、解渴、加强、洗涤、建造、成全和造就。我们从神的话所得着的是何等的益处！

　　首先，神的话光照我们。如果我们没有神的话，我们就在黑暗里。但因着神的话满了光，并且光照我们，就使我们清楚许多事情。……其次，神的话是食物，满了滋养。这意思是说，神的话光照我们的时候，就滋养我们。我能作见证，多年来我借着神的话得着充分的滋养。

　　神的话也使人完备并完全。……我们既是基督身体上的肢体，就都该尽功用。但如果我们要尽功用，就必须先借着神的话得以完全。因为神的话滋养我们，我们就长大。然后借着长大，就产生功用。我们由神的话所得的滋养，使我们这些身体上的肢体得以完备并完全（歌罗西书生命读经，三○三至三○五、七一五、七○九、七一一至七一二页）。

　　参读：歌罗西书生命读经，第三十三、三十五、六十四至六十五篇。

　　The word of Christ includes the entire New Testament. We need to be filled with this word....The word of the Lord must have adequate room within us so that it may operate and minister the riches of Christ into our inner being. Furthermore, the word of Christ must dwell in us richly. The riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8) are in His word. When such a rich word inhabits us, it must inhabit us richly.

　　[With certain saints], although they read the Bible, God’s word remains outside of them. It is crucial for us to let the word of Christ enter into us, dwell in us, and replace our concepts, opinions, and philosophies. We need to pray, “Lord Jesus, I am willing to let go of my concepts. I want Your word to have ground in me. I am willing to forget my opinion and philosophy. I want Your word to be prevailing in me.”

　　We cannot separate the word of Christ from His arbitration. .. .We need to bring our case to the Arbitrator and listen to His word. This means that we need to allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts and the word of Christ to dwell in us. Then we shall be filled with singing and giving of thanks.

　　We need the arbitrating peace of Christ to preserve us in oneness that the Lord may speak to us. Then we need to give first place to the word of God. If we do this, we shall experience the functions of the word of God: enlightening, nourishing, quenching our thirst, strengthening, washing, building, perfecting, and edifying. What benefit we receive from the word of God!

　　First, the word of God enlightens us. If we did not have the Word, we would be in darkness. But because God’s word is full of light and it enlightens us, it can make us very clear about many different things. Second, the word of God is food, full of nourishment. This means that God’s word nourishes us while it enlightens us. I can testify that throughout the years I have been adequately nourished through the word of God.

　　The word of God also completes and perfects.... As members of the Body, we all should function. But if we would function, we first need to be perfected by the word of God. Because God’s word nourishes us, we have growth. Then through the growth, the functions come forth. The nourishment we receive from the word of God completes us and perfects us as members of the Body. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 246-247, 575, 571-573)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 33,35,64-65