贰 马太二章一至十二节启示，寻得基督是一件活的事，而不仅仅是圣经道理知识的事： |
Ⅱ Matthew 2:1-12 reveals that to find Christ is a living matter; it is not a matter of mere doctrinal knowledge of the Bible: |
一 这星的显现远离圣地的圣殿，远离犹太的宗教中心，远离祭司、经学家、法利赛人，远离所有守宗教的人；反之，在外邦人之地，却有一颗星显明了一些有关基督的事。 |
A The star appeared far away from the temple in the Holy Land, from the Jewish religious center, from the priests, the scribes, the Pharisees, and from all the religious ones; instead, there was a star showing something of Christ in a heathen land. |
二 单单手持圣经，念弥迦书五章二节说基督将生在伯利恒，那是不灵的；我们也许有圣经，但可能失去了属天的星。 |
B Merely to hold the Bible in our hand and read Micah 5:2, saying that Christ will be born in Bethlehem, does not work; we may have the Bible, but we may miss the heavenly star. |
三 那星就是活的启示，活的异象，不是老旧且死的圣经道理知识，不是弥迦书五章二节死的知识；今日我们所需要的不是单单圣经的知识，而是属天的异象，当前、即时的异象，活的异象，人的观念永远没法教导的异象。 |
C The star is the living revelation, the living vision, not the old and dead doctrinal knowledge of the Scriptures, not the dead knowledge of Micah 5:2; what we need today is not merely Bible knowledge but the heavenly vision, the up-to-date, instant vision, the living vision, the vision that human concepts can never teach. |
四 即或我们有了圣经的知识，我们还需要即时、当前的活星引导我们，去到耶稣所在的那一条街，那一家屋子。 |
D Even if we have the knowledge of the Scriptures, we still need the instant, up-to-date, living star to lead us to the very street and the very house where Jesus is. |
五 星象家接受了活的异象后，受自己属人观念的误引，去了犹太国的京城耶路撒冷，以为犹太人的王就在那里；他们这误引使许多孩童被杀—太二16。 |
E After receiving the living vision, the magi were misled by their human concept and went to Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish nation, where its king was presumed to be; their being misled caused many young boys to be killed—Matt. 2:16. |
晨兴喂养
太二4~6 他〔希律王〕就召集了所有的祭司长和民间的经学家，向他们查问，基督当生在何处。他们对他说，在犹太的伯利恒，因为借着申言者所记的是这样：“犹大地的伯利恒啊！你在犹大的首领中，绝不是最小的，因为有一位掌权者要从你出来，牧养我民以色列。” 耶稣生在伯利恒，……但奇怪的是，远离了所谓的圣地，远离了这真的宗教，远离了圣殿，远离了犹太的宗教中心，远离了祭司、经学家、法利赛人和所有宗教人士，却有一颗星在异教之地显明有关基督的事。这星并未显示给犹太人，而是显示给外邦人，异教人。人一再被告知，必须凭借圣经来寻找并认识基督。但是圣经里寻找基督的头一个例子并非借着圣经。星象家并没有任何圣经知识—他们连圣经也没有。 那些祭司长和经学家真是精通圣经，但主并没有到他们那里去。祂去到一个遥远的异教之地，把这件事启示给一些异教徒，不是借着圣经，而是借着人手摸不到的东西—一颗天上的星。 也许我们有圣经，但我们可能错过了星。把圣经拿在手里是容易的事，但要等待观看一颗星太难了。我们根本没法晓得这星会在何时何地出现。我们能研究圣经，……可能知道圣经讲论基督的一切事，但我们无法断定那颗星几时来到。圣经这本书是在犹太人这群宗教人士手中，星却是显示给异教人士。你看见这点么？也许我们想，这星一定会向那些在圣殿中祈祷的祭司们显现，但它却是显示给远离圣殿的外邦人（李文集一九七○年第一册，三六九至三七○页）。 信息选读 我们都必须看见这颗星！……那星是什么？那星就是活的启示，活的异象。不是圣经字句的死知识，不是弥迦书五章二节的死知识。今日我们所需要的不是单单圣经的知识，而是属天的异象，即时的异象，活的异象，人的观念没法教导的异象。……今日要认识基督，乃是一件活的事，不是照着圣经知识的死字句，而是照着那属天的活星。 我们没法将祂包围、拘禁、限制在我们的宗教里。……每逢我们坚持自己对，别人错，主就要离开我们去找那些错的人了。 民数记二十四章十七节说，“必有一星从雅各而出”，但这星没有显给雅各家任何一个人。从雅各而出的星显给外教人了。 现在我们要来看星象家作了什么事：他们看见了那天上的星，便跟随它，但是他们犯了一个大错。……他们知道这星表征犹太人的王；因此他们推想他们该去到耶路撒冷，询问那些对这一类事有知识的人。我们知道，那一去就带来许多麻烦。我确信，如果他们不转向自己天然的观念，而是继续仰望天上的星，那星会一直走在他们前头，引导他们直达耶稣所在的地方。他们用不着去耶路撒冷。他们完全错了，以致许多幼小无辜的生命受害。犹太宗教的领袖们有知识，星象家有异象。但那些接受异象的人犯了一个大错，若非神出来干预，甚至可能导致婴孩耶稣丧生（李文集一九七○年第一册，三七○至三七二页）。 参读：新约的事奉，第五至六章；脱离宗教仪文随从灵，第二、十篇。 |
Matt. 2:4-6 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written through the prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you the least among the princes of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a Ruler, One who will shepherd My people Israel.” Jesus was born in Bethlehem…The strange thing, however, is this: far away from the so-called Holy Land, far away from the genuine religion, far away from the temple, far away from the Jewish religious center, far away from the priests, the scribes, the Pharisees, and all the religious people, was a star showing something of Christ in a heathen land. It did not appear to the Jews, but to the Gentiles, the heathen…The first case of finding Christ in the Scriptures was not by the Bible. The magi did not have any Bible knowledge—they did not even have a Bible. Those chief priests and scribes knew the Bible so well, but the Lord did not go to them. He went far away to a heathen land to reveal this matter to some pagans, not through the Scriptures but through something which human hands cannot touch—a heavenly star. We may have the Bible, yet we may miss the star. To hold the book in our hand is easy, but to wait and look unto the star is rather difficult. We simply do not know when and where the star will appear. We may study the Scriptures and obtain a degree in those studies, and we may learn all that the Bible has to say about Christ, but we simply cannot determine when the star will come. The book was with the Jewish people, the religious people, but the star appeared to the heathen. Have you seen this? We may think that the star should have appeared to those priests praying in the temple, but it appeared to some pagans far away from the temple. (CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, “New Testament Service,” pp. 276-277) |