第一章

³ 我往馬其頓去的時候，曾經勸你留在以弗所，為要囑咐某些人，不可傳別的教義， ⁴ 也不可沉迷於無稽之談和無窮的家譜；這些事只能引起爭論，對於神在信仰上所定的計劃是毫無幫助的。 ⁵ 這囑咐的目的是出於愛；這愛是發自純潔的心、無愧的良心和無偽的信心。 ⁶ 有些人偏離了這些，就轉向無意義的辯論， ⁷ 想要作律法教師，卻不明白自己講的是甚麼，主張的又是甚麼。

 

默想:

1. 保羅在他的書信中經常強調「純正教導」（10節），以及防備教導錯誤道理的假教師。他提到純正的教導會產生一種獨特的生活形態 ——就是有愛特徵，「這愛是發自純潔的心、無愧的良心和無偽的信心」（5節）。
2. 神的真理能激發我們的信心，清潔我們的良心，純化我們的內心，因為神的真理事實上，就是耶穌（約14：6）。一個人被神的真理觸摸過，就會變得有愛心、會關懷人。因此，我們不要與神的真理爭鬥，而是要向真理敞開心門，讓它來改造我們。
3. 繼續安靜在神的面前，思想下面的問題：

我的愛是來自純潔的心嗎？或是已經被自我中心污染了？
求神幫助我除去生命中自私的污染。

我的愛是出自無虧的良心，真實無偽的？或是虛假、冒牌的？
求神賜我勇氣來真實地面對神、他人、自己。

我的生命和愛表明我對神真實的信心嗎？或是對神及神的旨意封閉？
求主讓我願意對祂的旨意更加開放，既或如此作會讓我感覺更加不安與懼怕。

4. 我是否願意今天就活出無私、真實、敞開的愛？

 

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。

1 Timothy (NIV)

Chapter 1

³As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer ⁴nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. ⁵The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. ⁷They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

 

MEDITATION:

1. In his letters Paul often emphasized the importance of teaching “sound doctrine” as well as guarding against those who teach “false doctrines.”  Paul noted that teaching sound doctrine produces a distinctive lifestyle characterized by love, “which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (v5).
2. God’s truth has the power to stimulate faith, to cleanse the conscience, and purify the heart, because God’s truth is in fact, the Truth—Jesus (John 14:6).  A person touched by Truth will become a loving, caring individual.  We are not to fight for God’s Truth.  We are to open our hearts to the Truth, and let Him transform us.
3. Stay quiet before God and consider the following:

Does my love come from a pure heart?  Or has it been contaminated by self-centeredness?  Ask God to help remove the selfishness in my life.

Is my love real, and from a good conscience, not fake?  Ask for courage to be authentic with God, others and myself.

Does my life and love demonstrate a sincere faith in God?  Or is it closed off, or resistant to God and His purposes?  Ask God to give me the willingness to be more open to his purposes, even if doing so feels uncertain and scary.

4. Am I willing to live and love selflessly, authentically, and openly today?

 

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.