西三10~11 并且穿上了新人；这新人照着创造他者的形像渐渐更新，以致有充足的知识；在此并没有希利尼人和犹太人、受割礼的和未受割礼的、化外人、西古提人、为奴的、自主的，唯有基督是一切，又在一切之内。

　　在歌罗西的难处是文化，不像在哥林多的难处是犯罪。禁欲主义和哲学乃是文化的两大产品。没有文化的人是野蛮的，一点禁欲主义也没有。不仅如此，那些文化低的人，也没有哲学。越有文化的人，哲学发展得越高。希利尼人擅长哲学，而犹太人以宗教规条闻名。宗教的规条多半与压抑肉体、克制自己有关。

　　在歌罗西的信徒很注意文化，不想与化外人或西古提人一样。因此保罗指出在召会这新人里，有文化与没有文化的，都没有地位。哲学、禁欲主义或规条，也都没有地位。……歌罗西人不像有些哥林多人那样犯罪。然而在歌罗西的信徒以各种各类的文化顶替了新人的成分—基督。有些人宝贝哲学，有些人宝贝宗教的规条。结果，这些东西就得以进到召会生活中，成了基督的代替品。然而在新人里除了基督以外，什么都没有地位（歌罗西书生命读经，三三一至三三三页）。

　　Col. 3:10-11 And have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all.

　　The problem in Colossae was not sinfulness, as in Corinth; it was culture. Asceticism and philosophy are two of the leading products of culture. Uncultured people are wild, altogether without any form of asceticism. Furthermore, those of a low culture do not have philosophy. The more cultured people are, the more highly developed their philosophy is. The Greeks are strong in philosophy, whereas the Jews are known for their religious observances. Most religious observances are related to the putting down of the flesh and to the suppression of the self.

　　The Colossian believers devoted much attention to matters of culture and did not want to be like barbarians or Scythians. Hence, Paul pointed out that in the church as the new man, there is no room for either the cultured or the uncultured. There is no place for philosophy, asceticism, or observances. The Colossians were not sinful like some of those in Corinth. However, the believers in Colossae replaced Christ, the constituent of the new man, with various aspects of culture. Some treasured philosophy, whereas others treasured religious observances. These things were allowed to come into the church life as substitutes for Christ. But in the new man there is room for nothing other than Christ. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 268-269)

　　保罗在歌罗西三章十五至十六节嘱咐我们，要让基督的平安在我们心里作仲裁，并要让基督的话丰丰富富地住在我们里面。我们若让基督的平安在我们心里作仲裁，这平安会止息我们中间所有的争执。……一场游戏或比赛如何需要裁判来平息纠纷，歌罗西人也需要一个裁判，一位仲裁者，来平息一切的歧见。保罗只有在歌罗西书这卷对付文化、以及文化的主义和作法的书信中，提到基督的平安在里面作仲裁，这实在很有意义。这位仲裁者止息一切出于文化的意见。

　　当基督的平安止息了我们的意见时，那丰丰富富住在我们里面之基督的话，就会顶替我们的意见。我们所有的，不再是我们的意见，乃是基督的话。新约清楚地启示，基督的话就是那灵。不仅如此，基督今天也是赐生命的灵。我们基督徒的生活，完全在于基督作为活的灵。我们不需要主义、哲学、作法或规条。我们需要经历基督是赐生命的灵。弟兄们不需要努力去爱妻子，姊妹们也不需要努力去服从丈夫；我们都需要接触基督，让祂作我们的爱和服从。今天基督这赐生命的灵，乃是在我们的灵里。我们需要说，“主耶稣，感谢你，你在这里。你一直在我里面，作我一切的需要。”我们若要这样实行，就需要有清楚的异象，看见基督是我们的一切。这样的异象会消杀我们一切的哲学、禁欲、意见和主义，甚至除净文化对我们经历基督的影响。这样，我们就不是讲究文化的人，乃是被基督占有，被基督充满，且被基督浸透的人。

　　不错，我们的心当然需要得安慰，在爱里结合一起，以致丰丰富富地在悟性上有充分的确信。然而，我们的心得安慰，目的乃是叫我们对神的奥秘就是基督，有完全的认识〔西二2〕。我们不该只注意心得安慰，而忘了我们需要神的奥秘—基督，作我们的一切。我们每时每刻都需要接受祂作我们的生命，并且凭祂而活（歌罗西书生命读经，三四二至三四三页）。

　　参读：歌罗西书生命读经，第三十二、六十三至六十四篇。

　　In Colossians 3:15 and 16 Paul charges us to let the peace of Christ arbitrate in our hearts and to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. If we allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts, this peace will settle all the disputes among us…. Just as a referee is needed to settle disputes in a game or contest, so the Colossians needed a referee, an arbitrator, to calm down all the differing opinions. It is significant that only in the book of Colossians, a book that deals with culture and its isms and practices, does Paul speak of the inward arbitration of the peace of Christ. This arbitrator calms down all the opinions which have their source in our culture.

　　When the peace of Christ calms our opinions, the word of Christ, which is to dwell in us richly, replaces them. Instead of our opinions, we then have the word of Christ. The New Testament reveals clearly that the word of Christ is the Spirit. Furthermore, Christ today is the life-giving Spirit. Our Christian life is altogether a matter of Christ as the living Spirit. We do not need isms, philosophies, practices, or observances. We need the experience of Christ as the life-giving Spirit. The brothers need not try to love their wives, nor the sisters to submit to their husbands. Rather, we all should contact Christ and let Him be our love and submission. Christ today as the life-giving Spirit is in our spirit. We need to say, “Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are here. You are in me all the time to be whatever I need.” If we would practice this, we need a clear vision that Christ is everything to us. Such a vision will slay our philosophy, asceticism, opinions, and isms. It will even terminate the influence of culture on our experience of Christ. Then, instead of being cultured people, we shall be people occupied with, possessed by, and saturated with Christ.

　　There is no doubt that our hearts need to be comforted and knit together in love unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding. But the goal of this comforting of our hearts is that we would have the full knowledge of Christ as the mystery of God [Col. 2:2]. We should not allow the concern with the heart to keep us from the realization that we need Christ, the mystery of God, to be everything to us. Moment by moment, we need to take Him as our life and live by Him. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 276-277)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 32, 63-64