彼前一7　　叫你们信心所受的试验，比那经过火的试验仍会毁坏之金子的试验，更为宝贵，可以在耶稣基督显现的时候，显为可得称赞、荣耀和尊贵的。

　　四12　　亲爱的，有火炼的试验临到你们，为要试炼你们，不要以为奇怪，似乎是遭遇非常的事。

　　圣经给我们看见，没有一次的信心是不经过试验的；所有的信心都要经过试验。信心所以要经过试验，有以下…原因。…〔第一，〕神试验我们的信心，乃是要我们有长进。没有一个基督徒有长进，而他的信心是没有经过试验的。全世界的基督徒，所有长进的，信心都是经过试验的。我没有保留地说这话，所有基督徒的信心，都是经过试验的。信心长进唯一的方法，就是经过试验。神要带领我们进步，唯一的方法就是叫信心经过试验。因为我们来到神面前，是借着信心，接受神的一切恩典。所以神叫我们的信心经过试验，我们就自然而然地长进了。

　　〔第二，〕神叫我们的信心受试验，不只叫我们有长进，也是叫祂的心得着满足。世界上没有一个人信了主，领受了神的恩典，而信心是没有经过试验的。所以要试验你的信心，就是证明说，你实实在在是信了。你信心的实在叫神得着满足。这经过试验的信心，是叫神的名得荣耀的。在这世上能荣耀神的名的，就是经过试验的信心。你无论经过什么种的患难，什么种的逼迫，什么种的拦阻，什么种的黑暗，你经过了这些试验还能信，经过了试验还不倒，这一种的信心要叫神的名得着荣耀（得胜的生命，一五○至一五一页）。

　　1 Pet. 1:7 So that the proving of your faith, much more precious than of gold which perishes though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

　　4:12 Beloved, do not think that the fiery ordeal among you, coming to you for a trial, is strange, as if it were a strange thing happening to you.

　　The Bible shows us that there can be no faith without testing. All faith must be tested. Faith has to be tested for the following reasons. God tests our faith in order that we may grow. No Christian can grow without first having his faith tested. Every Christian who is growing has his faith tested. I can say without reservation that all Christian faith must be tested. The only way for faith to grow is by testing. The only way that God helps us grow is by testing our faith. We come to God and receive all of His grace by faith. When our faith is tested, we spontaneously grow.

　　God tests our faith not only for our growth but also to satisfy Himself. No one who has believed in the Lord and received God’s grace can avoid the testing of faith. The testing of faith proves that we have genuine faith. It is genuine faith that satisfies God. A faith that is approved is a glory to God’s name. God’s name is glorified in this world through an approved faith. When we pass through tribulations, persecutions, obstacles, and darkness, and we still believe after these tests and still stand fast after these trials, this faith will glorify God’s name. (CWWN, vol. 24, “The Overcoming Life,” p. 129)

　　在彼前一章七节，彼得说到我们被摆在试炼里的原因。我们被摆在试炼里，因为我们的信心需要受试验。…“试验”原文意蒙称许的试验。显为可得称赞、荣耀、尊贵的，不是信心的本身，乃是信心所受的试炼、试验（正如学校对学生的功课举行考试，显为可称许的是考试，不是学生功课的本身）。当然，信心得称许是来自正确的信心。这里所强调的不是我们的信心，乃是借着苦难在试炼之下对我们信心的试验。…好学生的确会乐意接受考试的机会。考试会试验出他研读多彻底，他对要考的科目知道多少。没有考试，就绝不会试验出一个优秀的学生是杰出的。勤奋读书的学生也许盼望考试，因为考试会向学生自己和别人证明他是优秀的学生。这说明了彼得所说信心受试验的意思。

　　在彼前一章七节彼得说，我们信心所受的试验，“比那经过火的试验仍会毁坏之金子的试验，更为宝贵。”“比那经过火的试验…之金子的试验，更为宝贵，”不是形容“信心”，乃是形容“试验”。这就是说，我们信心所受的试验比金子的试验更为宝贵。这里不是比较信心和金子。许多基督徒就是这样领会七节；然而，这领会是错误的。这里的比较是我们信心所受的试验和金子的试验之间的比较。金子是被炼净的火所试验；同样，我们的信心乃是被试炼所试验。这试验的确比金子的试验更宝贵。…在七节彼得用“宝贵”这个形容词。彼得在他的两封书信里，向我们陈明五件宝贵的东西：宝贵的石头，就是主自己（二4、6~7）；宝贵的血（一19）；宝贵的应许（彼后一4）；宝贵的信（1）；和宝贵的试验（彼前一7）（彼得前书生命读经，五五至五六页）。

　　参读：得胜的生命，第八篇。

　　In 1 Peter 1:7 Peter gives the reason we are put into trials. We are put into trials because our faith needs to be tested, proved. The Greek word rendered “proving” means testing for approval. It is the proving, the testing, of our faith, not our faith itself, that may be found unto praise. This may be compared to an examination in school related to a student’s study. It is not the student’s study itself that is found approved; rather, it is the examination that is found to be approved. Of course, the approval of our faith comes out of the proper faith. The emphasis here is not on our faith; the emphasis is on the proving of our faith by the trials through sufferings. A good student will actually welcome the opportunity to be examined. An examination will prove how thoroughly he has studied and how much he knows concerning the material on which he is being tested. Without examinations, a superior student would never be proved to be outstanding. A student who studies diligently may look forward to an examination because it will prove, both to the student himself and to others, that he is an excellent student. This is an illustration of what Peter means by the proving of our faith.

　　In verse 7 Peter says that the proving of our faith is “much more precious than of gold which perishes though it is proved by fire.” The words much more precious than of gold… by fire do not modify faith; they modify the proving. This means that the proving of our faith is much more precious than the proving of gold. The comparison here is not that between faith and gold. Many Christians understand verse 7 in this way; however, this understanding is wrong. The comparison here is that between the proving of our faith and the proving of gold. Gold is proved by the purifying fire. In like manner, our faith is proved by trial. This proving is certainly more precious than the proving of gold. In verse 7 Peter uses the adjective precious. Peter in his two Epistles presents us five precious things: the precious stone, which is the Lord Himself (1 Pet. 2:4, 6-7); the precious blood (1 Pet. 1:19); the precious promises (2 Pet. 1:4); the precious faith (2 Pet. 1:1); and the precious proving (1 Pet. 1:7). (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 45-46)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 24, “The Overcoming Life,” ch. 8