第四章

⁷ 我們各人蒙恩，是照著基督量給我們的恩賜。 ⁸ 所以他說：“他升上高天的時候，擄了許多俘虜，把賞賜給了人。” ⁹ （“他升上”這句話是甚麼意思呢？他不是也曾降到地上嗎？ ¹⁰ 那降下的，就是那升到諸天之上的，為了要使他充滿萬有。） ¹¹ 他所賜的，有作使徒的，有作先知的，有作傳福音的，也有作牧養和教導的， ¹² 為的是要裝備聖徒，去承擔聖工，建立基督的身體； ¹³ 直到我們眾人對神的兒子都有一致的信仰和認識，可以長大成人，達到基督豐盛長成的身量；

 

默想

1. 這段經文保羅並沒有羅列所有的恩賜，他在其他的書信中，有提到類似以及別的恩賜。在12 節，保羅指出恩賜的目的是為“裝備（訓練）聖徒”。聖靈賜給我們恩賜，當我們都使用這些恩賜時，我們就能幫助彼此，越來越像基督。
2. 神給了我怎樣的恩賜？我如何使用它們？是為了修補、糾正、整合基督的身體嗎？
3. 為神給我及教會其他弟兄姐妹的恩賜感謝神，求主助我能盡我的本分，參與在建立教會上。

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在「靈程筆記簿」上面。

 

 

Chapter 4

⁷But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ⁸This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men.” ⁹(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? ¹⁰He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) ¹¹It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹²to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

 

Meditation

1. This list of gifts is by no means exhaustive.  Similar lists appear in Paul’s other letters.  Here, he says that the purpose of these gifts is “to train (prepare… for work) Christ’s followers, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (v12).  The Spirit gives gifts to us so that, by all of us exercising these gifts, we will build each other up to be more and more like Christ.
2. What gifts has God given me?  How am I using them?  Are they for mending, setting right, or putting together in the body of Christ?
3. Thank God for the gifts he’s given me and other members of the church.  Pray that I will do my part to help build up the church.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2012 “Spiritual Journal” book.