弗二21　 在祂里面，全房联结一起，长成在主里的圣殿。

　　林前三6 我栽种了，亚波罗浇灌了，唯有神叫他生长。

　　西二19　 ……持定元首；本于祂，全身……得了丰富的供应，并结合一起，就以神的增长而长大。

　　〔在以弗所二章二十一节〕我们看到，在基督这房角石里面，全房，包括犹太和外邦信徒，联结一起，长成在主里的圣殿。……召会这神的家真实的建造，乃是借着信徒生命的长大。今天召会在长大，但不是在我们天然的生命里长大，乃是在神圣的生命、属灵的生命里长大。……“联结”这辞的意思是，使之适合于全房的情形和处境。……召会是基督的身体，已经蒙了重生，需要在生命中长大；召会是神的家，正在被建造。表面看，长大和建造是分开的事；事实上，家的建造就是身体的长大。身体若不长大，家也就无法建造（以弗所书生命读经，二八六至二八七、二八三页）。

　　Eph. 2:21 In whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.

　　1 Cor. 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.

　　Col. 2:19 ...Holding the Head, out from whom all the Body, being richly supplied and knit together..., grows with the growth of God.

　　[In Ephesians 2:21] we see that in Christ, who is the cornerstone, all the building, including both Jewish and Gentile believers, is fitted together and is growing into a holy temple. The actual building of the church as the house of God is by the growth in life of the believers. Today the church is growing. However, it is not growing in our natural life, but in the divine life, the spiritual life. The word fitted means being made suitable for the condition and situation of the building. As the Body of Christ, the church has been regenerated, and as the house of God, the church is being built. Apparently, growth and building are separate things. Actually, the building of the house is the growth of the Body. If the Body does not grow, the house cannot be built. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 236, 233)

　　在圣经中，你常常看见一件事，就是长大和建造总是联在一起。……林前三章九节说，“你们是神的耕地，神的建筑。”就着我们是神所耕种的农作来说，是需要长大的；就着我们是神所建筑的房屋来说，是需要建造的。……因此以弗所二章就说，这一所属灵的殿，这一所神的居所，乃是长大而成的〔21~22〕，正如我们的身体是长成的一样。彼前二章也说，你们既然得救了，弃绝了罪恶，就要切慕话奶，好叫你们长大〔1~2〕；接着就说，你们是活石，被建造成为属灵的殿〔5〕。以弗所四章也有这样的话说，建造基督的身体，直到我们众人都达到了长成的人〔12~13〕。

　　……我们长得越多，就越有建造。……神在我们里面的长大与调和，就是神的建造（神的建造，四六至四七页）。

　　神乃是借着进到我们里面，叫我们生长的。……基督身体的长大在于我们里面神的增长，神的加添，神的增多。所以，神是以非常主观的方式把祂自己给了我们，而使我们生长。……我们每天……该花时间吸取主，花时间吸收基督的丰富。我们与主接触不该匆匆忙忙的。如果我们匆匆忙忙，就不能吸收多少祂的丰富。我们需要有充分的时间来祷告，这使我们能更多吸取神的丰富。

　　我们的神乃是经过过程、包罗万有的灵，而我们有灵可以吸取祂。因此，我们必须操练我们的灵，留在神的面光中来吸取祂。这是需要花时间的。虽然我们都经历过吸取神的丰富，但我们的经历还不够充分。……不要浪费时间在心思、情感、意志里，乃要更多花时间在灵里爱慕主，赞美祂，向祂献上感谢，并且自由地对祂说话。你这样与祂交通，就吸取祂的丰富，祂也会更多把祂自己加到你里面。神越加到我们里面，就越使我们生长。这就是神叫人生长的路。

　　唯有神能叫人生长。在我的职事里，我所能作的，顶多只是栽种或浇灌。我无法叫人生长，因为我不能把神给人。唯有神才能把祂自己给你。……神自己是我们的粮食，我们必须在祂的餐桌上寻求祂，我们必须花时间在那里慢慢地吃祂。然后祂就更多加到我们里面来。神这样加到我们里面，就是祂使我们生长。神使我们生长，事实上意思乃是把祂自己赐给我们（歌罗西书生命读经，五六七至五六八页）。

　　参读：神的建造，第二至五篇；新约总论，第九、五十九、三百三十六篇。

　　In the Scriptures we often see that growth and building are linked together. First Corinthians 3:9 says, “You are God’s cultivated land, God’s building.” As God’s cultivated land, we need to grow; as God’s building, we need to be built up... Hence, Ephesians 2 says that this spiritual house, this dwelling place of God, is built up by growing (vv. 21-22), just as our body reaches its full stature by growing. Moreover, 1 Peter 2 says that having been saved and having put away sins, we need to long for the spiritual milk so that we may grow (vv. 1-2). Following this, it says that as living stones we are being built up as a spiritual house (v. 5). Ephesians 4:12-13 says, “Unto the building up of the Body of Christ, until we all arrive... at a full-grown man.”... The more we grow, the more we are built up... God’s growth and mingling in us are God’s building. (CWWL, 1958, vol. 2, “The Building Work of God,” p. 279)

　　[God] gives the growth by getting into us... The growth of the Body depends on the growth of God, the addition of God, the increase of God, within us. Therefore, God gives the growth by giving Himself to us in a very subjective way. We should daily take time to absorb the Lord, take time to assimilate the riches of Christ. Our contact with the Lord should not be rushed. If we are in a hurry, we shall not be able to absorb much of His riches. We need to allow adequate time for prayer. This will enable us to absorb more of the riches of our God.

　　Our God today is the processed, all-inclusive Spirit, and we have a spirit with which to absorb Him. Thus, we must exercise our spirit to stay in His presence to absorb Him. This takes time. Although we all have experienced absorbing the riches of God, our experience is not yet adequate... Do not spend so much time in your mind, emotion, and will, but spend more time in your spirit to adore the Lord, to praise Him, to offer thanks to Him, and to speak to Him freely. As you fellowship with Him in this way, you will absorb His riches, and He will add more of Himself into you. The more God is added into us, the more growth He gives to us. This is the way God gives the growth.

　　Only God can give growth. In my ministry the most I can do is to plant or water. I cannot give growth to anyone, for I cannot give God. Only God can give you Himself... God Himself is our food, and we need to seek Him at His dining table, where we need to take time to eat Him slowly. Then more of Him will be added into us. This addition of God into us is the growth He gives. For God to give us growth actually means that He gives us Himself. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 456-457)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1958, vol. 2, “The Building Work of God,” chs. 2-5; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 9, 59, 336