帖前一1 ……给在父神和主耶稣基督里，帖撒罗尼迦人的召会……。

　　弗一4~5 就如祂在创立世界以前，在基督里拣选了我们，使我们……成为圣别……；按着祂意愿所喜悦的，预定了我们，……得儿子的名分……。

　　罗十一36 ……万有都是本于祂、借着祂并归于祂；愿荣耀归与祂，直到永远。阿们。

　　（帖撒罗尼迦前后书）都是写给在帖撒罗尼迦的地方召会，就是由该城所有在基督里的信徒所组成的。这样的地方召会是属于信徒的，也是在父神和主耶稣基督里的。这指明这样的地方召会是由父神所生，有祂的生命和性情，并在主耶稣基督一切的所是和所作里，与祂有生机的联结。因此，召会是属于人的（如帖撒罗尼迦人），但在生机上是在神里并在主里的。这种在神的生命和性情里生机的联结，乃是信徒为着召会生活，过圣别生活不可少的基础。这样的生活乃是这两封书信的主题。

　　保罗在帖前一章一节说到在父神和主耶稣基督里，帖撒罗尼迦人的召会。这里的介系词“在……里”非常重要，指出召会是在三一神里的。召会是由人所组成，但这些人—信徒—乃是在三一神里的。在帖撒罗尼迦的召会，一面是属于帖撒罗尼迦人的，另一面是在父神里的（帖撒罗尼迦前书生命读经，三至四页）。

　　1 Thes. 1:1 …To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…

　　Eph. 1:4-5 Even as He chose us in Him…to be holy…, predestinating us unto sonship…, according to the good pleasure of His will.

　　Rom. 11:36 …Out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

　　[The two Epistles to the Thessalonians] were both addressed to the local church in Thessalonica, composed of all the believers in Christ in that city. Such a local church is of the believers and is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This indicates that such a local church is born of God the Father with His life and nature and is united with the Lord Jesus Christ organically in all He is and has done. Hence, it is of men (such as the Thessalonians), yet in God and in the Lord organically. Such an organic union in the divine life and nature is the vital base for the believers to live a holy life for the church life, which is the theme of the two Epistles.

　　In 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul speaks of the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The preposition in here is very important; it indicates that the church is in the Triune God. The church is composed of human beings, but they, the believers, are in the Triune God. On the one hand, the church in Thessalonica was of the Thessalonians; on the other hand, this church was in God the Father. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, pp. 2-3)

　　召会不仅在神里，也在父里。这里的“父”字指明生命的关系。神不再只是我们的创造者，祂也是我们的父。神是召会人的父，因为我们都已经从神而生。我们已经从神而生，现今神乃是我们的父，这是何等奇妙的事实！

　　假定你的父亲是美国总统，你提到他的时候就可以说，“我的父亲总统。”……只说“我们的总统”，指明你可能是公民。但你若说“我的父亲总统”，这就指明总统是你的父亲，你与他有生命的关系。同样的原则，我们能说神是我们的父。神不再仅仅是我们的创造者，祂已成了我们的父，因为我们已经从神而生。不仅如此，耶稣基督也是我们的主。阿利路亚，我们有父，也有主！

　　父神有一个确定的旨意，就是要产生众子。祂不是一位愚昧、没有定旨的父。祂乃是有定旨、有计划的。神的拣选和预定都是根据祂的定旨。神首先拣选我们，然后预定我们。这指明神是独一的发起者和起始者。因此，召会在父神里，含示召会乃是在神的定旨、计划、拣选和预定里。毫无疑问，召会也在神的呼召里。在父神里的召会，就是在那是发起者和起始者里的召会。

　　召会在父里面这种领会不仅是道理；这在我们实际的经历中与我们很有关系。今天基督徒中间有一个难处，就是他们有许多不同的目的和计划；有许多发起人和起始人。这是不对的。我们基督徒都只该有独一的目的，就是我们父的定旨。我们也该有父的独一计划。这意思是说，发起者和起始者只该有一位，就是父。我们不该发起或起始什么事。如果所有的基督徒都放弃他们自己的目的和计划，只有一位发起者和起源者，请想想看，会有怎样的光景出现。在我们众人当中会有何等的一！再没有任何分门别类的事了（帖撒罗尼迦前书生命读经，五二、七三至七四页）。

　　参读：帖撒罗尼迦前书生命读经，第一、三、五、七至九篇；基督身体的内在观点，第二、四章。

　　The church is not merely in God, but is in the Father…. Father here indicates a relationship of life. God is no longer only our Creator; He is our Father. God is the Father of the church people, for we have all been born of Him. It is a wonderful fact that we have been born of God and that He is now our Father!

　　Suppose your father were the President of the United States. If such were the case, you could refer to him as “my father, the President.”…To refer to our President may indicate that you are a citizen. But if you could say, “my father, the President,” that would indicate that the President is your father and that you have a life relationship with him. In the same principle, we can speak of God as being our Father. No longer is God only our Creator. He has become our Father, for we have been born of Him. Furthermore, Jesus Christ is our Lord. Hallelujah, we have a Father and a Lord!

　　God the Father has a definite purpose in producing many sons. He is not a foolish father, one without a purpose. Rather, He has a purpose and a plan. God’s selection and predestination are according to His purpose. First He selected us and then predestinated us. This indicates that God is the unique initiator and originator. Thus, for the church to be in God the Father implies that the church is in God’s purpose, plan, selection, and predestination. No doubt, the church is also in God’s calling. The church in God the Father is the church in the One who is the initiator and originator.

　　This understanding of the church in the Father is not merely a matter of doctrine; rather, it has much to do with us in our practical experience. A problem among Christians today is that they have many different purposes and plans. There are different initiators and originators. This is not right. We Christians all should have the unique purpose, the purpose of our Father. We should also have the unique plan of the Father. This means that only one—the Father—should be the initiator and originator. We should not originate anything or initiate anything. Imagine what would happen if all Christians gave up their own purposes and plans and had only one initiator and originator. What oneness there would be among us all! There would be no division whatever. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, pp. 45, 63-64)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, msgs. 1, 3, 5, 7-9; CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 2, “The Intrinsic View of the Body of Christ,” chs. 2, 4