彼前五2 务要牧养你们中间神的群羊，按着神监督他们，不是出于勉强，乃是出于甘心……。

　　弗四29　 败坏的话一句都不可出口，只要按需要说建造人的好话，好将恩典供给听见的人。

　　在彼得的头一封书信中，在二章二十五节他说到基督是我们魂的牧人和监督，而我们的魂乃是我们内里的所是，也就是我们的真人位。在五章一至二节他告诉长老们，务要按着神牧养神的群羊。按着神，意思就是我们必须活神；我们必须随时随处有神。我们在我们的悟性上、道理上、与教训上有神，但我们在牧养人时可能没有活神。当我们与神是一，我们就成了神。在我们牧养别人时，我们就有神并且就是神。按着神牧养，意思就是按着神属性的所是牧养。神是爱、光、圣、义。……我们必须按着这四种属性牧养年幼的、软弱的和退后的。这样，我们就是好牧人。

　　我们若要享受生命，并将生命供应别人，就必须牧养他们。真正生命的供应乃是借着访问人、接触人而牧养人（李文集一九九四至一九九七年第五册，一五四至一五五页）。

　　1 Pet. 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion but willingly, according to God…

　　Eph. 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, according to the need, that it may give grace to those who hear.

　　In his first Epistle, Peter speaks of Christ being the Shepherd and Overseer of our soul, our inner being and real person (2:25). Then in 5:1-2 he tells the elders that their obligation is to shepherd God’s flock according to God. According to God means that we must live God. We must have God on hand. We have God in our understanding, in our theology, and in our teaching, but we may not live God when we are shepherding people. When we are one with God, we become God. Then we have God and are God in our shepherding of others. To shepherd according to God is to shepherd according to what God is in His attributes. God is love, light, holiness, and righteousness.. We must shepherd the young ones, the weak ones, and the backsliding ones according to these four attributes. Then we will be good shepherds.

　　If we want to enjoy life and minister life to others, we must shepherd them. The real ministering of life is shepherding by visiting and contacting people. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” pp. 114-115)

　　许多年前，我以为监督是要观察谁对谁错，谁作得好，谁作得差。后来我才领悟，监督主要的是在于监督需要。……〔牧人〕的监督与保护群羊、引导群羊并喂养群羊有关。

　　如彼得所说的，作长老的应当“按着神……出于甘心”而监督〔彼前五2〕。按着神监督，意即按着神的性情、心意、作法和荣耀，不按着人的偏好、兴趣和目的。作长老的不该按着他们的意见、观念或好恶而监督。反之，他们该照着神的拣选、愿望、心意和喜好而监督。作长老的必须全然按着神的思想、感觉、意愿和拣选而监督。他们必须按着神的好恶而监督。

　　在彼前五章二节，彼得警告作长老的不要为着卑鄙的利益，乃要热切地施行监督。这就是说，作长老的不该利用长老职分，当作得利的方法。他们该热切地监督，像父母热切地照管儿女一样（彼得前书生命读经，三五一至三五三页）。

　　我们能帮助〔个性乖僻、顽固的〕肢体有多少，在乎我们自己的个性受对付有多少。主使用他们的个性作为镜子，返照我们的个性。我们也许说他们的难处是他们的个性，但主也许问我们：“你的个性如何？”……我们的个性若被主摸过，他们……会知道。这会帮助他们，让他们的个性受对付。……今天我们所在地的召会是幼嫩新鲜的，但几年之后，有些圣徒乖僻的个性会显明出来。我们是否能帮助他们，在乎我们让主摸我们的个性有多少。

　　与弟兄们交通并与他们配搭，也许能帮助我们从自己的个性里出来。我们也许只要跟随一同配搭的弟兄们，就能得着帮助。……大部分个性强的人都认为自己比别人聪明；他们认为自己比别人更有眼光、更有远见。因此，他们不信任别人，结果他们就不跟随别人。……这种人可以借着简单地跟随别人而得帮助。

　　我们要帮助人在个性上受对付，就必须率先使自己的个性受对付（李文集一九七七年第二册，六五四至六五六页）。

　　参读：活力排，第五章。

　　Years ago I thought that the overseeing was to observe who is wrong and who is right, who is doing well and who is doing poorly. Later, I came to realize that to oversee is mainly a matter of overseeing the need…[A shepherd’s] oversight is related to protecting the flock, leading the flock, and feeding the flock.

　　As Peter says, the elders should oversee “willingly, according to God” [1 Pet. 5:2]. To oversee according to God means according to God’s nature, desire, way, and glory, not according to man’s preference, interest, and purpose. The elders should not oversee according to their opinion, concept, or likes or dislikes. Instead, they should oversee according to God’s choice, desire, intention, and preference. The elders must oversee the church altogether according to God’s thought, feeling, will, and choice. They must oversee according to God’s likes and dislikes.

　　In 5:2 Peter warns the elders not to seek gain through base means but to eagerly exercise oversight. This means that the elders should not take advantage of the eldership and use it as a means to gain money. They should eagerly take the oversight like parents who eagerly exercise care over their children. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 290-292)

　　How much we can help these members [who have a peculiar, stubborn disposition] depends on how much our own disposition has been dealt with. The Lord uses their disposition as a mirror to reflect our disposition. We may say that their problem is their disposition, but the Lord may ask us, “How about your disposition?”…If our disposition has been dealt with by the Lord, they will know this…This will help them to allow their disposition to be dealt with…Today the church in our place is tender and fresh, but after a number of years the peculiar dispositions of some of the saints will be manifested. Whether we can help them depends on how much we have allowed the Lord to touch our disposition.

　　Fellowshipping with brothers and coordinating with them may help us to get out of our disposition. We may receive help simply by following the brothers with whom we are coordinating…Most people with strong dispositions think that they are smarter than others. They think that they have more insight and more foresight than others. Thus, they do not trust in others, and as a consequence, they do not follow others…This kind of person may be helped by simply following others.

　　In order for us to help people to be dealt with in their disposition, we must take the lead to have our disposition dealt with. (CWWL, 1977, vol. 2, pp. 487-489)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” ch. 7