西三4 基督是我们的生命，祂显现的时候，你们也要与祂一同显现在荣耀里。

　　　一18 祂也是召会身体的头；祂是元始，是从死人中复活的首生者，使祂可以在万有中居首位。

　　在歌罗西一章九节至三章十一节，我们看见基督的七个主要方面：基督是圣徒的业分（一9~14）；祂是神的像和在创造并复活里的首生者（15~23）；祂是神经纶的奥秘（24~29）；祂是神的奥秘（二1~7）；祂是一切影儿的实体（8~23）；祂是圣徒的生命（三1~4）；祂也是新人的成分（5~11）。基督的这几面，是按着十分美好的次序陈明出来的。我们首先看见基督是圣徒的业分，末了看见祂是新人的成分。这指明享受基督作我们的分，最终的结果乃是经历祂作新人的内容和成分。……享受基督作众圣徒的分，结果就是经历基督作新人的成分，这么说乃是指明，享受基督的结果就产生召会生活。……基督是众圣徒包罗万有的分，这是美地所预表的。我们若享受基督作这样的分，结果将是以基督作内容的新人。……在这新人里基督是一切，又在一切之内。因此，顶要紧的乃是，我们要学习活出基督作新人的成分（歌罗西书生命读经，三二五至三二六页）。

　　Col. 3:4 When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.

　　1:18 And He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things.

　　In Colossians 1:9—3:11 we see seven major aspects of Christ: that Christ is the portion of the saints (1:9-14), that He is the first both in creation and in resurrection (1:15-23), that He is the mystery of God’s economy (1:24-29), that He is the mystery of God (2:1-7), that He is the body of all the shadows (2:8-23), that He is the life of the saints (3:1-4), and that He is the constituent of the new man (3:5-11). These aspects of Christ are presented in a marvelous sequence. First we see that Christ is the portion of the saints and last that He is the constituent of the new man. This indicates that the ultimate issue of enjoying Christ as our portion is that we experience Him as the content and constituent of the new man…. To say that the enjoyment of Christ as the portion of the saints results in the experience of Christ as the constituent of the new man indicates that the enjoyment of Christ results in the church life…. Christ is the all-inclusive portion of the saints, typified by the good land. If we enjoy Christ as such a portion, the result will be the new man with Christ as the content…. In this new man Christ is all and in all. Hence, it is crucial for us to learn to live Christ as the constituent of the new man. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 263-264)

　　罗马和歌罗西之间的地区，有许多不同的种族。然而，在地中海附近的这个区域里，新人出现了，并且实际地活出来。虽然交通不便，但众召会之间，却有相当的往来。这给我们一个教训，虽然我们享受一切近代便利的交通工具，但是今天召会之间彼此的往来，可能没有保罗那个时代密切。……我从来没有写过一封信，像歌罗西书那样，有这么多个人的问安。请看四章七至十七节提到多少名字。……保罗也说到在老底嘉的弟兄，在宁法家里的召会，以及在老底嘉的召会。……所有这些名字指明保罗有新人的感觉，有“新人感”。

　　这个实际活在地上的新人，按照文化和社会地位来说，是由希利尼人、犹太人、受割礼的、未受割礼的、化外人、西古提人、为奴的和自主的所构成的。然而，……新人真正的构成成分乃是基督，而且只是基督。因为基督是新人独一的构成成分，信徒既是这新人的一部分，他们之间就不该有分别。

　　不仅如此，召会与召会之间也不该有分别。譬如，在老底嘉的召会和在歌罗西的召会不该有分别。这由保罗〔在四章十六节〕关于念书信的话得到证明。……保罗写给歌罗西人的，也是为着老底嘉人的；他写给老底嘉人的，也是为着歌罗西人的。这含示何等的交通、合一、和谐、与亲密的接触！

　　保罗在七节说，“一切关于我的事，有亲爱的弟兄，忠信的执事，在主里同作奴仆的推基古，要告诉你们。”保罗嘱咐推基古要将一切关于他的事，都告诉歌罗西人。如果保罗没有新人的感觉，他不会觉得需要给推基古这样的嘱咐。他反倒会认为：“我何必将我的事告诉歌罗西人？他们在小亚细亚，我在罗马这里，离他们很远。”然而保罗却有新人的感觉（歌罗西书生命读经，三一九至三二○页）。

　　参读：歌罗西书生命读经，第三十一篇。

　　In the geographical region between Rome and Colossae were many different kinds of people. However, in this region near the Mediterranean, the new man had come into being and was living in a practical way. Although travel was not convenient, there was considerable traffic among the churches. There is a lesson for us here. Although we enjoy all the modern conveniences and means of transportation, there may not be as much traffic among the churches today as there was at the time of Paul…. I have never composed a letter containing as many personal greetings as there are in the book of Colossians. Think of how many names are mentioned in 4:7-17…. Paul also refers to the brothers in Laodicea, the church in the house of Nymphas, and the church of the Laodiceans…. All these names indicate that with Paul there was a sense, a consciousness, of the new man.

　　This new man who was living on earth in a practical way was constituted of those who according to culture and social status were Greeks, Jews, circumcision, uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slaves, and free men. However, …the actual constituent of the new man is Christ and Christ alone. Because Christ is the unique constituent of the new man, there should be no differences among the believers who are part of this new man. Furthermore, there should be no differences among the churches, for example, no difference between the church in Laodicea and the church in Colossae. This is proved by Paul’s word regarding the reading of letters [in 4:16]…. What Paul wrote to the Colossians was also for the Laodiceans, and what he wrote to the Laodiceans was for the Colossians. What fellowship, oneness, harmony, and intimate contact this implies!

　　In 4:7 Paul says, “All the things concerning me, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you.” Paul had charged Tychicus to make known to the Colossians all that concerned him. If Paul did not have the consciousness of the new man, he would not have regarded it necessary to give Tychicus such a charge. Rather, he may have thought to himself, “Why should I tell those in Colossae the things that concern me? They are in Asia Minor, and I am here in Rome, far away from them.” Paul, however, had the sense of the new man. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 258-260)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msg. 31