彼前二25　　你们好像羊走迷了路，如今却归到你们魂的牧人和监督了。

　　五4　　到了牧长显现的时候，你们必得着那不能衰残的荣耀冠冕。

　　彼得对主（要他牧养主的羊）这个托付印象非常深刻，以致在他的前书里，他告诉信徒，他们好像羊走迷了路，如今却归到他们魂的牧人和监督（基督）了。（彼前二25。）基督牧养祂的群羊，包括照顾他们外面的事物，以及他们内里的所是，就是他们的魂。祂借着监督他们的魂，而照顾有关他们魂的事。基督住在我们里面，作我们的生命和一切，但祂也监督、察看我们内里所是的光景和情形。祂借着顾到我们里面各部分的益处，并监督我们魂（就是我们真人位）的光景，而牧养我们。

　　彼得劝勉长老，要牧养他们中间神的群羊，好使他们这些忠信的长老在牧长显现的时候，得着那不能衰残的荣耀冠冕。（五1~4。）（李文集一九九四至一九九七年第四册，五七六页。）

　　1 Pet. 2:25 For you were like sheep being led astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

　　5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

　　Peter was so impressed with [the] commission of the Lord [to shepherd His sheep] that in [1 Peter] he tells the believers that they were like sheep being led astray, but they have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer (Christ) of their souls (2:25). Christ’s shepherding of His flock includes His caring for their outward things and also their inner being, their souls. He takes care of the things concerning their souls by overseeing their souls. Christ indwells us to be our life and everything, but He is also overseeing, observing, the condition and situation of our inner being. He shepherds us by caring for the welfare of our inner being and by exercising His oversight over the condition of our soul, our real person.

　　Peter exhorts the elders to shepherd the flock of God among them so that when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, they, the faithful elders, will receive the unfading crown of glory (5:1-4). (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, “Crystallization-study of the Gospel of John,” p. 448)

　　在我们的魂里被那灵充满，需要我们在生活的每一面都付代价否认己。我们否认己有多少，就决定我们给基督空间有多少，也决定我们买多少的油。在我们的日常生活中和一切事上，我们都需要付代价否认己，好得着更多那灵作油。结果，基督就安家在我们心里，将祂自己扩展到我们里面的各部分。至终，我们这人作为盛装基督的器皿，就会被那灵作油所完全充满。

　　我们有基督在我们的灵这灯里，但我们的魂这器皿里也许满了许多无用的事物。我们需要付代价抛弃这一切事物。我们越这样倒空我们的器皿，耶稣作为油就越进到其中。油是在我们的灵里，等候要“侵入”并浸透我们的心思、情感和意志。我们的魂若打开，油就会进入。我们越倒空并卸载我们的器皿，就越有空间让神圣的油来充满我们。基督正安家在我们心里，直到我们被充满，成为神一切的丰满。被充满，就是有油在我们的器皿里。这是我们今天的需要。（李文集一九七二年第一册，七二四至七二五页。）

　　马太二十四章四十五节告诉我们事奉的路，乃是“按时分粮给他们”。分粮给他们，意指在召会里，将神的话和基督当作生命的供应，供应信徒。我们在聚会中说话，到人的家中探访，将基督供应人，就是分粮给他们。对我们自己，我们必须否认魂并在灵里跟从主；对别人，我们必须学习一直将神的话和基督，当作生命的供应来供应人。

　　年轻人不该找借口说，“我不能喂养人，我要人喂养我。”主不会接受这个借口。年轻人如果天天享受主，经历主，就会有一些丰富，可以供应给他们的父母。一位年轻姊妹聚完会回家，她的父亲可能正需要食物；第二天早餐时，他可能又需要食物了。在这些时候，这位年轻的姊妹不需要教导她父亲，只要将她从基督所领受的滋养，向父亲传输一点。这就是按时分粮给主家中的一个成员。这位姊妹也能在学校喂养她的同学，甚至喂养老师。她甚至能在召会聚会中说话，喂养全会众。（李文集一九七○年第一册，三○三至三○四页。）

　　参读：活力排，第四篇；约翰福音结晶读经，第十三篇。

　　To be filled with the Spirit in our soul requires that we pay the price to deny our self in every aspect of our living. How much we deny the self determines how much room we give to Christ and how much oil we buy. In our daily life and in every matter, we all need to pay the price by denying our self to gain more of the Spirit as the oil. As a result, Christ will make His home in our heart, spreading Himself into all the parts of our inner being. Eventually, our being as the vessel to contain Christ will be completely filled with the Spirit as the oil.

　　We have Christ in our spirit as the lamp, but our soul as the vessel may be filled with many useless things. We need to pay the price to throw out all these things. The more we empty our vessel in this way, the more Jesus as the oil comes into it. The oil is in our spirit, waiting to invade and penetrate our mind, emotion, and will. If we afford an opening in our soul, the oil will come in. The more we empty and unload our vessel, the more room we will afford for the divine oil to fill us. Christ is making His home in our heart until we are filled unto all the fullness of God. To be filled is to have the oil in our vessel. This is our need today. (CWWL, 1972, vol. 1, pp. 545-546)

　　Matthew 24:45 tells us the way to serve; it is to “give them food at the proper time.” Give them food refers to ministering the word of God and Christ as the life supply to the believers in the church. Our speaking in the meetings and our visiting people in their homes to minister Christ to them is our giving them food. Toward ourselves, we must deny our soul and follow the Lord in spirit, and toward others, we must learn to always minister the word of God and Christ as the life supply.

　　A young person should not make an excuse and say, “I cannot feed others; I need them to feed me.” The Lord will not accept this excuse. If the young ones enjoy the Lord and experience Him day by day, they will have some riches that they can minister to their parents. When a young sister comes home from a meeting, her father may be in need of food, and the next day at the breakfast table he may be in need again. At such times there is no need for the young sister to teach her father. She can simply pass on to him something of the nourishment of Christ that she has received. This is to give food to a member of the Lord’s household at the proper time. Such a sister will also be able to feed her classmates at school and even her teachers. She will even be able to speak something in the church meetings and feed the whole congregation. (CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, p. 228)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” chs. 4, 11; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, “Crystallization-study of the Gospel of John,” ch. 13