彼前一7~9 叫你们信心所受的试验，……经过火的试验……，可以在耶稣基督显现的时候，显为可得称赞、荣耀和尊贵的；你们虽然没有见过祂，却是爱祂，如今虽不得看见，却因信入祂而欢腾，有说不出来、满有荣光的喜乐，得着你们信心的结果，就是魂的救恩。

　　在彼前一章七节彼得说到我们被摆在试炼里〔6〕的原因。我们被摆在试炼里，因为我们的信心需要受试验。……“试验”原文意蒙称许的试验。显为可得称赞、荣耀、尊贵的，不是信心的本身，乃是信心所受的试炼、试验（正如学校对学生的功课举行考试，显为可称许的是考试，不是学生功课的本身）。当然，信心得称许是来自正确的信心。这里所强调的不是我们的信心，乃是借着苦难在试炼之下对我们信心的试验（彼得前书生命读经，五五页）。

　　1 Pet. 1:7-9 So that the proving of your faith, ...though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; whom having not seen, you love; into whom though not seeing Him at present, yet believing, you exult with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

　　First Peter 1:7 gives the reason we are put into trials [v. 6]. We are put into trials because our faith needs to be tested, proved. The Greek word rendered “proving” means testing for approval. It is the proving, the testing, of our faith, not our faith itself, that may be found unto praise. This may be compared to an examination in school related to a student’s study. It is not the student’s study itself that is found approved; rather, it is the examination that is found to be approved. Of course, the approval of our faith comes out of the proper faith. The emphasis here is not on our faith; the emphasis is on the proving of our faith by the trials through sufferings. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 45-46)

　　彼前一章九节……按事实是联于七节。我们信心所受的试验，将来显为可得称赞、荣耀和尊贵的，使我们得着我们信心的结果，就是魂的救恩。……九节的救恩是完全的救恩，这救恩分三个阶段—起初的阶段、长进的阶段和完成的阶段。我们有三部分：灵、魂、体。我们的灵已经借着重生得救了（约三5~6）。我们的体要借着将来的改变形状而得救，而得赎（腓三21，罗八23）。我们的魂要在主显现、回来时得救，脱离苦难得以完满地享受主。为此我们必须在今世否认自己的魂，就是我们的魂生命连同其一切享乐，使我们来世在对主的享受里可以得着魂（太十37~39，十六24~27，路十七30~33，约十二25）。

　　主显现时，有些信徒经过祂的审判台要进去享受主的快乐（太二五21、23，二四45~46），有些要哀哭切齿地受苦（二五30，二四51）。进去享受主的快乐，就是我们魂的得救（来十39）。

　　最近一些弟兄对我说，“……其他地方的圣徒……很贫穷，他们遭遇许多苦难，包括遭受逼迫。这似乎不公平。他们受许多的苦，我们却在这国家享受美好的事物。”……我回答说，“……不要以为因为我们可以得着丰盛的物质东西，我们就没有苦难。许多美国人受心脏病、胃溃疡和精神病的苦。……无论我们在哪里，我们都会受苦，并受神的管教。”……我们无法逃避我们魂里的受苦。人活在地上就是受苦。今天这地不是给我们享受的。

　　年轻人也许期望完成他们的教育，找分好的工作，然后有非常愉快的婚姻生活。然而，他们需要领悟，在这地上没有乐园。我们必须等候主来，救我们脱离苦难的范围，进入安适的范围里。那将是我们魂的完全救恩。

　　我能见证，虽然我有一位好妻子，虽然我为众圣徒和众召会所爱，但我魂里不断地受许多的苦。没有人能帮助我逃避这苦楚。所以，我在等候主耶稣显现。祂回来的时候，我就要从这受苦的范围被救到享受的范围。在那范围里我们要完全享受三一神，和祂一切所是、所有、所成就、所达到并所得着的（彼得前书生命读经，六一、七四至七五页）。

　　参读：彼得前书生命读经，第六至七篇；神圣分赐的异象与新路实行的指引，第四篇。

　　First Peter 1:9 is the direct continuation of verse 7. The proving of our faith to be found unto praise, glory, and honor results in the obtaining of the end of our faith, that is, the salvation of our souls. The salvation in verse 9 is full salvation, the salvation which is in three stages—the initial stage, the progressing stage, and the completing stage. We are of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. Our spirit has been saved through regeneration (John 3:5-6). Our body will be saved, redeemed, through the coming transfiguration (Rom. 8:23; Phil. 3:21). Our soul will be saved from sufferings into the full enjoyment of the Lord at His unveiling, His coming back. For this we have to deny our soul, our soulish life, with all its pleasures in this age, that we may gain it in the enjoyment of the Lord in the coming age (Matt. 10:37-39; 16:24-27; Luke 17:30-33; John 12:25). At the Lord’s unveiling, some believers through His judgment seat will enter into the joy of the Lord (Matt. 25:21, 23; 24:45-46), and some will suffer in weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 25:30; 24:51). To enter into the Lord’s joy is the salvation of our souls (Heb. 10:39).

　　Recently some brothers said to me, “…The saints in other places are poor and they are suffering many things, including persecution. This does not seem fair. While they are suffering so much, we are here in this country enjoying good things.” I replied, “...Do not think that because we may have an abundance of material things we do not have sufferings. Many Americans suffer from heart disease, ulcers, and mental illness….Wherever we may be, we shall suffer and be subject to God’s discipline.” There is no way for us to avoid suffering in our soul. To live on earth as a human being is to suffer. The earth today is not for our enjoyment.

　　The young people may expect to finish their education, find a good job, and then have a very pleasant married life. They need to realize, however, that on this earth there is no paradise. We must wait for the Lord’s coming to be saved from the realm of suffering into a realm of comfort. That will be the full salvation of our soul.

　　I can testify that although I have a good wife and although I am loved by the saints and the churches, I continue to suffer a great deal in my soul. No one can help me to avoid this suffering. Therefore, I am waiting for the unveiling of the Lord Jesus. At the time of His coming back, I shall be rescued from this realm of suffering into a realm of enjoyment. In that realm we shall have the full enjoyment of the Triune God and of all that He is, has, and has accomplished, attained, and obtained. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 50, 60-61)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msgs. 6-7; CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “The Vision of the Divine Dispensing and Guidelines for the Practice of the New Way,” ch. 4