王下十三14 以利沙得了必死的病，以色列王约阿施下来看他，在他面前哭泣，说，我父啊！我父啊！……

　　21 有人正葬死人，……就把死人抛在以利沙的坟墓里；一碰着以利沙的骸骨，那死人就复活，站起来了。

　　以利沙为别人行神奇医治的神迹，但照着神的旨意，他自己却没有借神迹得医治（参提后四20注1）（圣经恢复本，王下十三14注1）。

　　以利沙身体虽然死了，却仍在灵里尽职，使一个死人活过来。甚至死了的以利沙也能使人活过来。这是基督在复活里的图画。无论谁碰着祂，就活过来。重生就是灵里死了的人碰着死而复活的基督，而活过来（参约五25，弗二1~6上）（王下十三21注1）。

　　2 Kings 13:14 Now when Elisha was ill with his illness by which he eventually died, Joash the king of Israel went down to him and wept over him and said, My father! My father!...

　　21... The people were burying a man... ; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came to life and stood up on his feet.

　　Elisha performed miracles of divine healing for others, but, in the will of God, he himself was not healed by a miracle (cf. 2 Tim. 4:20, footnote 2). (2 Kings 13:14, footnote 1)

　　Elisha was deceased in his body yet still ministered in the spirit to enliven one of the dead. Even the dead Elisha could enliven people. This is a picture of Christ in resurrection. Whoever touches Him is enlivened. Regeneration involves a spiritually dead person touching the dead and resurrected Christ and being enlivened (cf. John 5:25; Eph. 2:1-6a). (2 Kings 13:21, footnote 1)

　　保罗问百基拉、亚居拉和阿尼色弗一家的人安以后（提后四19），就说，“以拉都在哥林多住下了。特罗非摩病了，我就留他在米利都。”〔20〕……使徒为什么让这样亲密的人生病，而没有为他得医治祷告？他为什么不施行他医病的恩赐（徒十九11~12），治好提摩太的胃病，反倒教导他用自然的方法得医治？（提前五23）这两个问题的答案乃是：保罗及其同工们在这段受苦的时期，是在里面生命的管治之下，不是在外面恩赐的能力之下。前者属于生命里的恩典，后者属于神奇能力中的恩赐。在召

　　 会败落中，当人在为召会受苦时，能力的恩赐不像生命里的恩典那样需要。

　　照着新约，召会刚兴起时，神奇的恩赐也许有地位。但召会要抵挡败落或逼迫，神奇的恩赐或能力就不是非常有帮助。唯有我们要持定的永远生命是得胜的。借这生命我们才能抵挡败落和逼迫。

　　有些人也许认为保罗以常人的作法顾到提摩太和特罗非摩的疾病，仿佛是个不信者。圣经没有记载他祷告求医治，他也的确没有运用医病的恩赐。反之，他鼓励提摩太稍微用点酒，并且留特罗非摩在米利都。保罗以常人的作法照顾他的同工们。他没有作什么炫耀的事表演给人看。照样，在主的恢复里我们不该想要表演。我们必须强调永远的生命，借此我们就能抵挡试验、试炼、逼迫、攻击和反对。坚固的根基立住了。这样立住不在于神迹，乃在于那在我们里面作恩典的永远生命。

　　保罗嘱咐提摩太要赶紧在冬天以前来，并转达与他同在的众弟兄的问安以后，就总结说，“愿主与你的灵同在。愿恩典与你们同在。”（提后四22）这里我们看见，保罗用他写提摩太后书的两个主要元素作总结：刚强的灵和神的恩典。提摩太后书这卷教导如何对抗召会堕落的书，有力地强调我们的灵。本书一开始就强调能力、爱并清明自守的灵已经赐给我们，借此我们能将神的恩赐，如火挑旺起来，并且按神的能力以及主分赐生命的恩典，与福音同受苦难（一6~10）。到了结语，本书强调主与我们的灵同在，且以此祝福我们，使我们享受祂作恩典，以站住抵挡召会败落中那下坡的流，并借着祂内住的灵（14）和装备的话（三16~17），完成神的经纶（提摩太后书生命读经，八三至八五页）。

　　参读：列王纪生命读经，第十三篇。

　　After greeting Prisca and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 4:19), Paul says, “Erastus remained in Corinth, and Trophimus I left at Miletus sick” [v. 20]... Why did the apostle leave such an intimate one in sickness without exercising healing prayer for him? Why did he not also execute his healing gift (Acts 19:11-12) to cure Timothy of his stomach illness rather than instruct him to take the natural way for healing (1 Tim. 5:23)? The answer to both questions is that both Paul and his co-workers were under the discipline of the inner life in this time of suffering rather than under the power of the outward gift. The former is of grace in life; the latter of gift in power—miraculous power. In the decline of the church and in suffering for the church, the gift of power is not as much needed as the grace in life.

　　According to the New Testament, miraculous gifts may have a place when the church is first raised up. But for the church to withstand decline or persecution, miraculous gifts or powers are not very helpful. Only the eternal life on which we are to lay hold is prevailing. By this life we can withstand decline and persecution.

　　It may appear to some that in caring for Timothy’s ailment and Trophimus’s sickness in a human way Paul acted as if he were an unbeliever. There is no record that he prayed for healing, and he certainly did not exercise the gift of healing. Instead, he encouraged Timothy to take a little wine, and he left Trophimus at Miletus. Paul cared for his co-workers in a very human way. He did not do anything spectacular to make a display. In like manner, in the Lord’s recovery we should not seek to make a show. Our emphasis must be on the eternal life by which we can withstand tests, trials, persecution, attack, and opposition. The firm foundation stands. This standing depends not on miracles, but on the eternal life which is the grace within us.

　　After charging Timothy to be diligent to come before winter and after sending him the greetings of all the brothers with him, Paul concludes, “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you” (2 Tim. 4:22). Here we see that Paul concludes with two of the main elements of his composition of 2 Timothy: a strong spirit and the grace of God. The book of 2 Timothy, which gives instructions concerning how to confront the degradation of the church, strongly stresses our spirit. In the beginning it emphasizes that a strong, loving, and sound spirit has been given to us by which we can fan the gift of God into flame and suffer evil with the gospel according to the power of God and the Lord’s life-imparting grace (1:6-10). In the conclusion this book blesses us with the emphasis on the Lord’s being with our spirit that we may enjoy Him as grace to stand against the down current of the church’s decline and carry out God’s economy through His indwelling Spirit (1:14) and equipping word (3:16-17). (Life-study of 2 Timothy, pp. 71-72)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of 1 & 2 Kings, msg. 13