西一18　 祂……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。

　　弗四15　 唯在爱里持守着真实，我们就得以在一切事上长到祂，就是元首基督里面。

　　按照人的观念，我们的身体有一种安排的方式：肩膀是手臂的头、手臂是手的头、手是手指的头。因此，我们的观念乃是一个身体里有许多的头。然而，按照医学，只有一个头，它直接下命令给身体的每一个肢体。……在直接从头领受命令这件事上，肩膀、手臂、手和手指完全是同等的。……保罗这位最伟大的使徒，直接听命于元首基督；我们这些最小的肢体，也直接听命于元首基督。这样就尊荣了元首。基督的元首权柄不允许有任何其他的“头”或“小头”。任何其他的头对基督都是侮辱。因此，召会中除了基督以外，没有别的头（李文集一九七八年第二册，八二七至八二八页）。

　　Col. 1:18 …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.

　　Eph. 4:15 But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ.

　　According to the human concept, our bodies are arranged in such a way that the shoulder is the head of the arm, the arm is the head of the hand, and the hand is the head of the fingers. Thus, our concept is that a body has many heads. However, according to medical science, there is only one head, and it gives orders directly to every member of the body…. The shoulder, the arm, the hand, and the fingers are all equal in receiving orders directly from the head…. Paul, the greatest apostle, received orders directly from Christ the Head, and we, the smallest members, also receive orders directly from Christ the Head. This honors the Head. The headship of Christ does not allow for there to be any other heads or subheads. Any other head is an insult to Christ. Therefore, in the church there is no head other than Christ. (CWWL, 1978, vol. 2, “Crucial Principles for the Christian Life and the Church Life,” p. 605)

　　倘若一位弟兄是基督身体的肩膀，另一位是小指头，头一位弟兄该对第二位说，“不要高举我。我的地位和你一样。你不是头，我也不是。你直接听命于头，我也是。”在今天的基督教里，甚至在某些地方召会中，这项真理几乎完全失去了。我们知道如何听命于较高的弟兄，却不知道如何直接听命于我们的元首。这是错误的。

　　召会绝非照着人的想法或属世组织的办法所构成，而是以基督作生命，并以基督作独一的元首所构成。在召会—基督的身体—里，没有别的头。无论一个肢体的位置或功用为何，都直接联于头；每个肢体都有相同的地位，没有居间的肢体。这与天主教的教训相反，他们教导所谓的“圣母”，在信徒和耶稣中间作居间调停者。我们都知道这个天主教的教训是错误的，但在我们的实行中，我们可能仍会觉得某些人是我们和主之间的居间者。

　　一面来说，我们绝不该成为神百姓和主自己之间的居间者。我们需要让主的百姓直接听命于主。凭着主的怜悯，在已过这些年间，每一次圣徒来找我交通，我从未给他们决定、命令或诫命。反而我总是告诉他们：“你需要到主面前，祷告寻求主直接的引导。”另一面来说，我们绝不该以某人为我们和主之间的居间者。因为大多数的信徒都是软弱的，所以他们偏好倚靠别人，而不直接去找主。……这很可怕。

　　凭着主的怜悯，从五十多年前主在我们中间的恢复开始以来，主就向我们启示这个真理：每一个肢体都是直接联于元首。倪柝声弟兄是第一个如此实行的人，他很小心，避免介入任何肢体和元首之间。……我和他多年同处，看过许多例子。他从未告诉人作什么、不作什么。……他使我们清楚一件事：他不是元首或领头人，他只是一个有负担将神的话语供应给祂百姓的弟兄。……今天我们中间竟然有人宣称自己是领头的，或是宣称将来要领头，这真是可耻！然而，事实上，许多圣徒接受这种论调，这指明我们不认识真理，也没有实行真理（李文集一九七八年第二册，八二八至八三○页）。

　　参读：正当召会生活极重要的原则，第三章；哥林多后书生命读经，第五十至五十一篇。

　　If one brother is a shoulder in the Body of Christ and another brother is a little finger, the first brother should say to the second, “Do not exalt me. I have the same standing as you. You are not the head, and neither am I. You receive orders directly from the Head, and I do too.” In Christianity today and even among some of the local churches this truth has been almost completely lost. We know how to receive orders from higher brothers, but we do not know how to receive orders directly from our Head. This is wrong.

　　The church is constituted absolutely not according to the human mentality or worldly organizational methods but with Christ as life and with Christ as the unique Head. In the church, the Body of Christ, there is no other head. Regardless of his or her location or function, every member is related directly to the Head; every member has the same standing. There are no intermediary members, contrary to the teaching of the Catholic Church that the so-called holy mother mediates between the believers and Jesus. We all know that this teaching of the Catholic Church is wrong, but in our actual practice we may consider that certain persons are intermediaries between us and the Lord.

　　On the one hand, we must never be an intermediary between God’s people and the Lord Himself. We need to allow the Lord’s people to receive orders directly from the Lord. By the Lord’s mercy, in all the times that saints have come to me for fellowship throughout the years, I have never given them a decision, an order, or a commandment. Instead, I always tell them, “You need to go to the Lord. Pray to seek the Lord’s leading directly.” On the other hand, we must never take someone else as an intermediary between us and the Lord. Because most believers are weak, they prefer to depend upon others rather than going directly to the Lord…. This is terrible.

　　By the Lord’s mercy, since the beginning of the Lord’s recovery among us over fifty years ago, the Lord has shown us the truth that every member is related directly to the Head. Brother Watchman Nee was the first to practice being careful not to come between any member and the Head…. I was with him for many years and saw many cases. He never told anyone what to do or what not to do…. He made it clear that he was not the head or the leader but only a brother with a burden to minister God’s word to His people…. How shameful it is that some among us today claim to be the leader or the future leader! The fact that many saints accepted such claims indicates that we do not know or practice the truth. (CWWL, 1978, vol. 2, “Crucial Principles for the Christian Life and the Church Life,” pp. 605-606)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1978, vol. 3, “Crucial Principles for the Proper Church Life,” ch. 3; Life-study of 2 Corinthians, msgs. 50-51