创二16~17 耶和华神吩咐那人说，……善恶知识树上的果子，你不可吃，因为你吃的日子必定死。

　　来二14　 儿女既同有血肉之体，祂也照样亲自有分于血肉之体，为要借着死，废除那掌死权的，就是魔鬼。

　　两个选择中，第一个……是生命树，这树指明神自己是生命。生命树的内容是生命，单单、纯粹、绝对是生命。这树的性质和结果也是生命。生命是内容、性质和结果。一切都是生命。……生命树的原则是什么？生命树的原则就是倚靠。我们必须倚靠。

　　第二个选择是知识树（创二17），这树是和生命树相反的。要注意这棵树称为善恶知识树，而不仅是恶的知识树。善的知识和恶的知识都出自同一棵树。不管知识是善的或是恶的，只要是知识就不属于生命树，而属于知识树。

　　虽然善恶知识树表征撒但，但不是直接表征。这树首先表征神以外的一切事物，然后间接表征撒但，因为撒但躲藏在一切神以外的事物背后。撒但喜欢隐藏自己。因此，知识树间接代表撒但（创世记生命读经，二○一、二○五页）。

　　Gen. 2:16-17 And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying,… Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of it you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

　　Heb. 2:14 …The children have shared in blood and flesh, He also Himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death He might destroy him who has the might of death, that is, the devil.

　　The first of…two choices was the tree of life, which denoted God Himself as life. The content of the tree of life is life. It is life, simply, purely, and absolutely. The nature of this tree and the result of this tree are also life. Life is the content, nature, and result. Everything is life…What is the principle of the tree of life? Its principle is dependence. We all must be dependent.

　　The second choice was the tree of knowledge (Gen. 2:17), which was the opposite of the tree of life. Note that this tree was called the tree of knowledge of good and evil, not simply the knowledge of evil. Both the knowledge of good and the knowledge of evil come from the same tree. It does not matter whether knowledge is the knowledge of good or of evil. As long as it is knowledge, it does not belong to the tree of life. It belongs to the tree of knowledge.

　　Although the tree of the knowledge of good and evil signifies Satan, it does not signify him directly. It first signifies everything apart from God, and then it signifies Satan indirectly, because Satan is hidden at the back of the things that are apart from God. Satan likes to conceal himself. Thus, the tree of knowledge represents him indirectly: (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 162, 165-166)

　　神总是坦率的，且从正面而来；然而，撒但是狡猾的，总是躲在背后。撒但若要找你麻烦，他不会公开地、老实地作，乃是狡猾地借着你的妻子，或世界的一部分，譬如百货公司，来烦扰你。有的时候他甚至利用圣经，借着其中的字句困扰你。不要忘了犹太宗教徒，就是那些法利赛人和经学家，他们怎样用圣经把主耶稣定了死罪（约十九7）。因为撒但是狡猾的，知识树并不直接表征他，乃是表征神以外的一切事物，包括美好的事物、合乎圣经的事物以及宗教的事物。不管是好是坏，只要不是神自己，都会被撒但利用。

　　在神之外，一切的事物可分为知识、善、恶这三类。假设你打算作一件好事，然而在你灵的深处却觉得不要碰，也不要作。……不要应用善恶的原则，乃要与生命的原则合作；你里面若没有平安，就表示生命之灵不赞同你的打算，你必须与祂合作。你若肯，就能得着生命。你过去没有一再重复这样的经历么？什么时候你照着善行动，你就被杀死，你就经历死。然而，你若照里面的生命行动，你就得着更丰盛的生命。

　　因为生命树是生命的树，所以性质和结果都是生命；因为知识、善和恶都属于死，且带进死，所以善恶知识树的性质和结果都是死。……实际上，善恶知识树是死亡树；但是它不叫死亡树，却叫善恶知识树。死亡不仅在恶的背后，也在知识和善的背后。善恶知识树是个诡秘的称呼，因为撒但总是喜欢隐藏自己。撒但是掌死权的（来二14）。善恶知识树实际上是死亡树，所以这树表征撒但（创世记生命读经，二○五至二○七、二○九页）。

　　参读：约伯记生命读经，第三十七篇；李文集一九六九年第三册，基督徒生活中的两棵树，第一、三章。

　　God is very frank and always comes to the front. Satan, however, is subtle, always staying at the rear. If Satan wants to trouble you, he will not do it openly and frankly. He will do it subtly, acting through your wife or through a part of the world, such as a department store. Sometimes, Satan even utilizes the Bible, operating through the letters of the Scripture to harass you. Remember how the Jewish religionists, the Pharisees and the scribes, used the Bible to condemn the Lord Jesus to death (John 19:7). Because Satan is subtle, the tree of knowledge does not signify him directly. It signifies everything apart from God, including good things, scriptural things, and religious things. Regardless of whether a thing is good or evil, as long as it is not God Himself, it can be utilized by Satan.

　　The things apart from God fall into three categories: knowledge, good, and evil. Suppose you have the intention of doing a certain good thing. Deep in your spirit, however, you have the sense not to touch it and not to do it… Do not employ the principle of good and bad, but cooperate with the principle of life. If you do not have peace within, it means that the Spirit of life does not agree with what you intend to do. You need to cooperate with Him. If you do, you will receive life. Have you not had this kind of experience repeatedly in the past? Whenever you acted according to the good, you were killed. You experienced death. However, when you acted according to the inner life, you received more life.

　　The nature and result of the tree of life are both life because it is a tree of life. But the nature and result of the tree of knowledge of good and evil are both death because knowledge, good, and evil are all of death and bring in death… Actually, the tree of knowledge of good and evil is the tree of death; yet it is not called the tree of death, but the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Death is not only behind evil; it is also behind knowledge and good. The title of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is subtle because Satan always likes to conceal himself. Satan has the power of death (Heb. 2:14). Since the tree of knowledge of good and evil is actually the tree of death, it signifies Satan. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 166-167, 169)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Job, msg. 37; CWWL, 1969, vol. 3, pp. 411-417, 425-432