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。

　　我们若进入歌罗西书的深处，就会看见这卷书不是对付罪，也不是对付律法，而是对付人类的文化。文化是每一个人不知不觉的生活。……骗取我们对基督的享受、破坏召会生活的，乃是我们的文化。……今天我们主要地还不是受罪恶事情的搅扰，像在哥林多前书一样；也不是受律法的搅扰，像在加拉太书一样。但我们都不知不觉地，在下意识里受了文化的影响。我们进入召会生活时，也把文化带了进来。这个文化现今一直破坏我们对基督的享受。文化乃是我们发展出来，使我们赖以生存并得以维生的有系统的方法。我们的文化越强，对别人就越挑剔。根据我们的文化，我们发展出自己禁欲的方式，自己限制肉体情欲的作法。我们的禁欲主义是我们所发明，克制自己，使自己不犯罪的方法（歌罗西书生命读经，三四○至三四一页）。

　　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.

　　If we get into the depths of the book of Colossians, we shall see that it deals not with sin or with the law, but with man’s culture. Culture is the unconscious living of every human being…. What defrauds us of the enjoyment of Christ and frustrates the church life is our culture. Today mainly we are not troubled by the sinful things, as in 1 Corinthians, nor by the law, as in Galatians. But we are all unconsciously and subconsciously under the influence of culture. When we came into the church life, we brought our culture with us. This culture is now undermining our enjoyment of Christ. Culture is the systematic method we have developed to exist and to maintain our being. The stronger our culture is, the more critical we shall be of others. Based upon the culture we have, we develop our type of asceticism, our own practices to restrict the indulgence of the flesh. Our asceticism is the method we devise to restrain ourselves and to keep from doing sinful things. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 275-276)

　　文生（Vincent）在他的《新约字研》里说，“没有”〔西三11〕这辞，原文的语气很强，表示没有可能的意思。在新人里，希利尼人和犹太人、化外人和西古提人、为奴的和自主的，都不可能存在，因为见于这些人中间从前的生活样式已经除去了。毫无疑问的，在歌罗西召会中，有人是从这一切背景中出来的。然而，根据保罗在以弗所四章二十二节的话，他们都必须脱去他们从前的生活样式。借此，他们就得以更新。

　　借着重生，一个新人已经放到我们这些从前因着巴别所造成的区别而受影响的人里面。……我们对这个遗传该如何？我们该埋葬它。这意思是说，我们必须脱去从前的生活样式。不要称义你的生活样式或引以为荣。问题不在于生活样式的对错。每一种生活方式都与规条有关，所以我们都必须脱去。有些所谓的召会是按着国籍组成的，那是何等可悲！……当我们来在一起实行真正的召会生活时，我们都必须脱去并忘掉我们民族的遗传。……我们不该宝贝我们的遗传，而该否认它。在积极一面，我们必须看见新人已经创造成了，并且已经借着重生放在我们的灵里。现今所需要的，乃是使我们的灵成为管理我们全人的部分。这意思是说，我们那与神的灵调和的灵，必须成为我们心思的灵（23）。我们的灵若是心思的灵，我们一切的生活就都是凭着灵。凡我们所作的，都是照着灵。我们这心思的灵就要成为更新的灵。当我们被这灵更新时，我们就穿上了新人。

　　每当我们回到老旧的生活样式时，我们就自然而然地感觉到我们里面是昏暗的，并且与神的生命隔绝。我们若坚持照着从前的生活样式而活，至终我们会硬化、麻木。

　　请看保罗在十七至十九节用了多少的辞，来描述堕落之人的生活。他提到虚妄、昏暗、无知、刚硬和隔绝。每当我们照着老旧的团体生活而活时，我们里面不觉得有什么光照或明亮。我们也许讲理说，某一件事是可以作的；但我们知道，那事使我们与神的生命隔绝，使我们落在黑暗里（以弗所书生命读经，二六六、二六八至二六九、九四○至九四一页）。

　　参读：歌罗西书生命读经，第三十三篇；以弗所书生命读经，第九十三篇。

　　In his Word Studies of the New Testament Vincent says that in the Greek language the words rendered “cannot be” [in Colossians 3:11] are very strong and mean that there is no possibility. In the new man there is no possibility for Greek and Jew, Barbarian and Scythian, bondman and free man to exist, because the former manner of life found among these peoples has been put away. No doubt, in the church in Colossae there were people from all these backgrounds. Nevertheless, according to Paul’s word in Ephesians 4:22, they all had to put away their former manner of life. By doing this they were renewed.

　　Through regeneration, the one new man has been put into us, those who formerly had been under the influence of the differences caused by Babel…. What should we do about this heritage? We should bury it. This means that we must put off the former manner of life. Do not justify your manner of life or glory in it. The issue is not which manner of life is right and which is wrong. Every way of life involves ordinances and must be put off. How deplorable it is to see so-called churches formed according to nationality!… When we come together for the practice of the genuine church life, we must all put off our national heritage and forget it. Instead of treasuring our heritage, we should disown it. On the positive side, we need to see that the new man has already been created and, by regeneration, has been put into our spirit. The need now is for our spirit to become the dominant part of our being. This means that our spirit mingled with the Spirit of God must become the spirit of our mind (4:23). If our spirit is the spirit of our mind, then all our living will be by the spirit. Whatever we do will be according to the spirit. This spirit of our mind will then become the renewing spirit. As we are renewed by this spirit, we put on the new man.

　　Whenever we return to the old manner of life, we shall spontaneously sense that we are darkened within and estranged from God’s life. If we persist in living according to the former manner of life, we shall eventually become calloused and insensitive.

　　Consider how many terms Paul uses to describe the life of fallen man in verses 17 through 19. He refers to vanity, darkness, estrangement, ignorance, and hardness. Whenever we live according to our old community life, we do not sense any shining or brightness within. We may reason that it is permissible to do a certain thing, but we realize that it causes us to be alienated from the life of God and to be in darkness. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 219, 221-222, 780)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msg. 33; Life-study of Ephesians, msg. 93