11月7日 使徒的教导
11月7日，周五
使徒的教导
……并且建造在使徒和先知的根基上。（以弗所书2:20）
约翰写约翰壹书的目的，是要对早期信徒说：“要持守我和其他使徒所教导的。”你还记得他怎样开始写到吗：“论到太初就已经存在的生命之道，就是我们所听见，亲眼所看见，仔细观察过，亲手摸过的；”（约壹1:1）约翰在这里指的就是使徒。接着他说：“我们把所看见所听见的向你们宣扬，使你们也可以和我们彼此相通。”（约壹1:3）这里的“我们”，仍然是指使徒。
这是绝对重要和根本的事。新约宣称：唯有使徒的教导在这些事上具有权威。神借着圣灵，将属灵真理启示给了使徒与先知，叫他们去教导人们，并形成文字记录，传承下来。保罗在以弗所书2:20节说，教会是“建造在使徒和先知的根基上”。所有的教导必须出自他们，因此新约才有如此非凡的宣称：这些人宣告了他们有独特的权柄。
听一听保罗在加拉太书中再次这样写道：“但无论是我们，或是从天上来的使者，如果传给你们的和我们以前传给你们的福音不同，他就该受咒诅。”（加1:8）有人说：“这太狂傲了！”不，这不是自负，而是一个奉神差遣之人的宣告。这是在表明，神已将他分别了出来，赐下了启示。保罗在许多书信中强调，他所传的信息与其他使徒所传的是同一个信息。所有使徒都毫不犹豫地教导信徒，要以他们的教导为检验一切的标准。你我今日仍当持守相同的立场。
默想主题：
使徒和先知是神启示了属灵真理的人。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：王下20章，来2章
个人灵修：何13章，诗137-138篇
November 7, Friday
THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES
. . . built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. (EPHESIANS 2:20)
John’s whole purpose in writing his first epistle was to say to the early Christians, “Hold on to what I and the other apostles have told you.” You remember how he began. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). He is referring to the apostles, and he says that he writes these things so that these Christians “may have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:3). Who are they? They are still the apostles.
Now this is something that is absolutely primary and fundamental. The claim of the New Testament is that it alone is authoritative in these matters. It teaches us that the apostles and prophets were the people to whom God, through the Holy Spirit, had revealed spiritual truth, and He meant them to teach it and to write it. The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:20 that the Christian Church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” All teaching must derive from them, and so you have this extraordinary claim in the New Testament. These men claimed a unique authority.
Listen to the apostle Paul putting it again in writing to the Galatians; he uses strong language like this: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (1:8). “What egotism!” says someone. No, it is not egotism; it is the claim of a man who has been commissioned by God. God has set him apart; God has given him the revelation. And he goes on to argue in so many of his letters that what he preached was also the message that was preached by the other apostles. This apostle and all the apostles did not hesitate to say that they exhorted these people to test every teaching by their teaching. And you and I are still committed to the same position.
A Thought to Ponder: The apostles and prophets were the people to whom God revealed spiritual truth.