创十一4 他们说，来吧，我们建造一座城和一座塔，塔顶通天；我们要宣扬我们的名，免得我们分散在全地上。

　　耶五一9 我们本想医治巴比伦，她却没有治好。离开她吧，我们各人往本地去；因为她受的审判上达于天，高及云霄。

　　“巴比伦”这个辞是从“巴别”来的。……巴别塔的原则，就是从地上造到天上。人造巴别塔是用砖头造的。……石头是神造的，……砖头是人的发明。……巴比伦的意思，就是人要用自己的方法建造一座塔，直通到天。巴比伦所代表的，就是人能。巴比伦所代表的，是一个假冒的基督教，她不是让圣灵有权柄，不是求圣灵的引导，而是凭着人在那里作一切的事。……人没有看见人是有限的，却以为有天然的本事就可以作主的工。他们没有站在一个地位上，真是对主说，“主，如果你不施恩，我们就不能作什么。”他们以为属灵的事借着人的能力能作得到。他们的目的，就是想要从地上一直通到天上（倪柝声文集第二辑第十四册，一一九页）。

　　Gen. 11:4 And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top is in the heavens; and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the surface of the whole earth.

　　Jer. 51:9 We tried to heal Babylon, but she is not healed; forsake her, and let each one of us go to his own land; for her judgment has reached to heaven…

　　The name Babylon originates from “Babel.”…The principle of the tower of Babel involves the attempt to build up something from earth to reach unto heaven. When men built this tower, they used bricks….Stone is made by God;…bricks are a human invention….The meaning of Babylon relates to man’s own efforts to build a tower to reach unto heaven. Babylon represents man’s ability. It represents a false Christianity, a Christianity which does not allow the Holy Spirit to have authority. It does not seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance; it does all things by human effort….Those who are according to this principle do not see that they are limited; rather, they attempt to do the Lord’s work by their own natural ability. They do not stand in a position where they are truly able to say, “Lord, if You do not give us grace, we cannot do anything.” They think that man’s ability can suffice for spiritual things. Their intention is to establish something upon the earth that will reach to heaven. (CWWN, vol. 34, “The Glorious Church,” p. 101)

　　人有本事，以为读了一点神学就可以讲道了，这是什么？是砖头！这个人很聪明，他只要受一点造就，就有一点知识，就可以传道了，这是什么？是砖头！这个人办事能力很好，就请他办召会的事，这是什么？是砖头！凡打算用人的能力从地上通到天上去的，都是砖头。我们要说，人在召会里没有地位。天上的东西只能从天上来，地上的东西都不能到天上去。人的难处，就是没有看见人是受审判的，没有看见自己是像灰尘，是像泥土一样。人会造得高，但是天比人的最高还要高。不管人的塔造得怎样高，人仍然摸不着天，天总是在人的上面。人怎样爬，怎样造，即使不倒下来，也摸不着天。神所以把人要造巴别塔的计划破坏了，就是要给人看见，人的自己在属灵的事上并没有用处，人不能作什么。

　　巴比伦的原则就是将人的事物与神的话搀混，又把属肉体的事物和属灵的事物搀混，就是把出乎人的来假冒出乎神的，就是要得着人的荣耀，就是要满足人的私欲。所以，巴比伦就是那混乱的基督教，也就是败坏了的基督教。我们对于巴比伦应该抱什么态度呢？启示录十八章四节说，“我又听见从天上另有声音说，我的民，你们要从那城出来，免得有分于她的罪，受她所受的灾害。”林后六章十七节也有话说，“你们务要从他们中间出来，得以分别，不要沾不洁之物，我就收纳你们。”神的话是说，一切有巴比伦性质的东西，神的儿女都不能有分在内。所有把人的能力和神的能力混在一起的，所有把人的本事和神的工作混在一起的，所有把人的意见和神的道混在一起的，一切有巴比伦性质的，神说要从那里出来，不能在那里有分。神的儿女要从心里学习与巴比伦有分别，要从心里审判一切巴比伦的作为，这样，才不至和巴比伦一同被定罪（倪柝声文集第二辑第十四册，一一九至一二○、一二二至一二三页）。

　　参读：圣洁没有瑕疵，第五章；不要爱世界，第一章。

　　One man has some talent and thinks that he can preach after he has studied a little theology. What is this? Bricks! Another man who is very clever receives some help and possesses some knowledge and then becomes a Christian worker. Again, what is this? Bricks! A certain man is capable of doing things, so he is asked to come and manage the affairs of the church. What is this? Bricks! All of these things are man’s endeavors to build something from earth to heaven by human ability, by bricks. Again we must emphasize that there is no place for man in the church. Heavenly things can only come from heaven; the things of this earth can never go to heaven. Man’s difficulty is that he does not see that he is under judgment, nor does he see that he is just dust and clay. Man may build high, but heaven is higher than man’s highest height. No matter how high men may build their tower, they still cannot touch heaven. Heaven is always above man. Though man may climb and build and though he may not fall, he still will not be able to touch heaven. God destroyed man’s plan to build the tower of Babel in order to show man that he is useless in spiritual matters. Man cannot do anything.

　　[The] principle of Babylon is mixing the things of man with the Word of God, and the things of the flesh with the things of the Spirit. It is pretending that something of man is something of God. It is receiving man’s glory to satisfy man’s lust. Therefore, Babylon is mixed and corrupted Christianity. What should our attitude be toward Babylon? Revelation 18:4 says, “And I heard another voice out of heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that you do not participate in her sins and that you do not receive her plagues.” Second Corinthians 6:17-18 also says, “Therefore ‘come out from their midst and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.’”…According to God’s Word, His children cannot be involved in any matter containing the character of Babylon. God said that we must come out from every situation where man’s power is mixed with God’s power, where man’s ability is mixed with God’s work, and where man’s opinion is mixed with God’s Word. We cannot partake of anything that has the character of Babylon. We have to come out of it. God’s children must learn from the depths of their spirit to separate themselves from Babylon and to judge all her actions. If we do this, we will not be condemned together with Babylon. (CWWN, vol. 34, “The Glorious Church,” pp. 101-102, 104)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 34, “The Glorious Church,” ch. 5; CWWN, vol. 39, “Love Not the World,” ch. 1