2018年8月27日 星期一

提多書1:5-9


1:5 我從前留你在克里特,是要你將那沒有辦完的事都辦整齊了,又照我所吩咐你的,在各城設立長老。
1:6
若有無可指責的人,只作一個婦人的丈夫,兒女也是信主的,沒有人告他們是放蕩不服約束的,就可以設立。
1:7
監督既是上帝的管家,必須無可指責,不任性,不暴躁,不因酒滋事,不打人,不貪無義之財;
1:8
樂意接待遠人,好善,莊重,公平,聖潔自持;
1:9
堅守所教真實的道理,就能將純正的教訓勸化人,又能把爭辯的人駁倒了。

 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

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    教會設立長老是很重要的,是為的要治理教會的需要,是服務的性質。而長老有治理性的與教導性,而教導性的長老在此保羅稱為「監督」,是長老們的領袖,相當於今天的牧師。

    設立為長老的條件是:「無可指責的人,只作一個婦人的丈夫,兒女也是信主的,沒有人告他們是放蕩不服約束的,就可以設立。而監督則是:必須無可指責,不任性,不暴躁,不因酒滋事,不打人,不貪無義之財;樂意接待遠人,好善,莊重,公平,聖潔自持;堅守所教真實的道理,就能將純正的教訓勸化人,又能把爭辯的人駁倒了。

    在今日要達到「監督」的標準,真的只有牧師!所以,教會對牧師要有敬重的心,雖是有謝禮,卻不是教會的雇工,是上帝差派來帶領教會的。當然監督落牧師也要憑著上帝所賜的恩賜,好好照管教會!如此,才是教會之福!

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