罗八19~21 受造之物正在专切期望着，热切等待神的众子显示出来。因为受造之物服在虚空之下，不是自己愿意的，乃是因那叫它服的，指望着受造之物自己，也要从败坏的奴役得着释放，得享神儿女之荣耀的自由。

　　〔在罗马八章十九节，〕“显示”指神的众子显明或显现。我们都是神的众子。……我们若在街上告诉人，我们是神的众子，他们会以为我们疯了。他们会说，“看看你和我。我们之间有什么不同？我们都是人。你与我没有不同。你只是另一个人。为什么你说你是神的儿子？”然而，日子将到，神的众子要显明出来。到那日不需要宣告：“从现在起我们是神的众子，”因为我们都会得荣耀。我们会在荣耀里，被神的荣耀标出为众子。那时，其他的人都必须承认我们是神的众子。他们会说，“看这些人！这些满了荣耀的人是谁？他们必是神的众子。”……整个受造之物正在用注视的眼目等待这事，因为受造之物热切等待神的众子显示出来（罗马书生命读经，二六九页）。

　　Rom. 8:19-21 For the anxious watching of the creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

　　[In Romans 8:19 “the revelation”] denotes the manifestation or the appearing of the sons of God. We all are the sons of God…. If we tell people on the street that we are sons of God, they will think that we are crazy. They will say, “Look at you and me. What is the difference between us? We are both human beings. You are not different from me. You are just another person. Why do you say that you are a son of God?” However, the day will come when the sons of God will be manifested. In that day there will be no need to make the declaration, “From now on we are the sons of God,” because we all shall be glorified. We shall be in glory, designated as sons by the glory of God. Then all other people will have to admit that we are the sons of God. They will say, “Look at these people. Who are these people so full of glory? They must be sons of God.”…The entire creation is waiting for this with watching eyes, for the creation eagerly expects the revelation of the sons of God. (Life-study of Romans, p. 226)

　　整个受造之物都在虚空之下。日光之下一切都是虚空。智慧的王所罗门说，“虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。”（传一2）受造之物服在虚空之下。

　　我们需要留意〔罗马八章二十一节的〕两个辞：“奴役”和“败坏”。在整个宇宙中，除了虚空和败坏之外，没有别的。这败坏是一种辖制，是辖制整个受造之物的奴役。受造之物服在虚空之下，指望着自己要从败坏的奴役得着释放，得享神儿女之荣耀的自由。有一天，神的儿女要得荣耀，要被带进荣耀里。那荣耀会有自由，那自由将是一个国度、范围。那整个荣耀将是我们要被带进的国度、范围。我们被带进那自由或荣耀的国度时，受造之物就要得拯救脱离虚空、败坏和奴役。这是整个受造之物在等待那时候的原因。我们与受造之物关系密切，因为受造之物将来的定命在于我们。我们若成熟得慢，受造之物就会责怪我们，并埋怨我们。受造之物会说，“神亲爱的儿女，你们长得太慢了。我们在等待你们成熟的时候，就是你们进入荣耀的时候，那将是我们得释放脱离虚空、败坏和奴役的时候。”我们必须对受造之物忠信，不使受造之物失望。二十二节说，“我们知道一切受造之物一同叹息，一同受生产之苦，直到如今。”……受造之物不但一同叹息，也一同受生产之苦。

　　二十三节接着说，“不但如此，就是我们这有那灵作初熟果子的，也是自己里面叹息，热切等待儿子的名分，就是我们的身体得赎。”虽然我们已借着重生生为神的众子，并有那灵作初熟的果子，但我们也叹息，因为我们仍在联于旧造的身体里。……我们的身体既属于旧造，还没有得赎，我们就在其中叹息，和受造之物一样。然而，我们叹息的时候，有那灵的初熟果子。那灵的初熟果子是给我们享受的；这是对要来之收成的预尝。这初熟果子是圣灵，作我们完满享受神，享受神之于我们一切所是的样品。……全享会在荣耀的日子来临。然而，在全享来临之前，神今天已给我们预尝（罗马书生命读经，二七○至二七一页）。

　　参读：罗马书生命读经，第十九、二十一篇；长老训练第六册，第二章。

　　The entire creation is under vanity. Everything under the sun is vanity. The wise king Solomon said, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Eccl. 1:2). Creation is subject to vanity.

　　We need to notice two…words [in Romans 8:21], “slavery” and “corruption.” In the entire universe there is nothing except vanity and corruption. This corruption is a kind of bondage, a slavery that binds the whole creation. Creation has been made subject to vanity in the hope that it will be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. One day the children of God will be glorified, brought into glory. With that glory there will be freedom, and that freedom will be a kingdom, sphere, or realm. The whole glory will be a kingdom, a sphere, into which we will be brought. When we are brought into that freedom or kingdom of glory, creation will be delivered from vanity, corruption, and slavery. This is the reason that the entire creation is awaiting that time. We have very much to do with the creation, for the future destiny of the creation rests upon us. If we mature slowly, the creation will blame us and murmur against us. It will say, “Dear children of God, you are growing too slowly. We are waiting for the time of your maturity, the time when you will enter into glory, the time when we will be freed from vanity, corruption, and slavery.” We must be faithful to the creation and not disappoint it.

　　Verse 22 says, “For we know that the whole creation groans together and travails in pain together until now.”… Not only does the creation groan together, it also travails as in the pangs of childbirth.

　　Verse 23 follows, “And not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan in ourselves, eagerly awaiting sonship, the redemption of our body.” Although we have been born through regeneration as the sons of God and have the Spirit as the firstfruits, we also groan because we are still in the body which is linked to the old creation…. Since our body belongs to the old creation and has not yet been redeemed, we are groaning in it as the creation does. However, while we are groaning we have the firstfruits of the Spirit. The firstfruits of the Spirit are for our enjoyment; they are a foretaste of the coming harvest. The firstfruits are the Holy Spirit as a sampling of the full taste of God as our enjoyment, of all that God is to us….The full taste will come in the day of glory. Nevertheless, before the full taste comes, God has given us a foretaste today. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 226-228)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Romans, msgs. 19, 21; CWWL, 1985, vol. 3, “Elders’ Training, Book 6: The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul’s Epistles,” ch. 2