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教会的治理

【监督的职责】监督这字希腊文是Episcopus，Epi的意思是『在上』，scopus的字根是scope，意思是眼界。因此Episcopus的意思就是『在上面看』。你居高来看，从上头来看整个局面，这就是监督的意思。若是有些信徒走岔了路，或带进一些罪恶的事，以致叫主的名受到羞辱，长老们必须出来有所作为，好保守教会一直在主的路上。

【阶级的思想令人厌恶】在教会中不该有阶级，不该有地位。『阶级』就是『臭味』(在英文，Rank一词同时含有『阶级』与『恶臭』两个意义)。你是否还想在教会里得甚么地位？这就是你把自己污秽了，叫自己发臭。

【完美的秩序】有许多人不敢做任何与常规不合或违反常规的事。可是，你会发现，坟墓是最有秩序的地方；你会发现，最有秩序的地方，就是死亡的地方。只要是有生命，总会有一些与常规不合的事。

【阻碍教会增长的主因】一般信徒不长进，直接阻碍了教会，因为教会的增长，并非看事工的兴旺，乃是看信徒的见证是否有力。而左右信徒属灵光景的，当推工人和长执们。今日教会中缺少有异象、有托付的工人，身为教会传道、牧者身分的人，不竭力追求与这份职事符合的实质与资格，反而把布道事工视作例行公事，交差了事。此外，教会中也缺乏有属灵深度的长执领袖，其本身生活没有好见证，行事又效法世俗的方式，久而久之，教会遂落入世俗圈子，所谓「世俗化」的教会到处可见。支撑着外壳，内容却空空如也。侈言教会增长，简直与虎谋皮。─《五十灵筵》李非吾

【教会与世界之间必须有界限】比方：一只船在海里，船和海不能交通，一有交通，这只船迟早要沉到海里面去。你一把教会打一个洞，把世界里面的东西摆到教会里面来，结果教会和世界之间没有分别的界限，教会就被你拆毁了。

【Church, Discipline in】If someone has cancer, an operation is usually performed to cut out the malignancy. The reason is simple: if left alone, it will metastasize; that is, it will spread. No one wants a cancer to spread, so it is cut out or otherwise removed from the body so that the patient can be healthy again. And, of course, when the doctors tell the patient, “We got it all,” everyone is encouraged and rejoices.

The same thing should be true in the church. The reason to excommunicate the one refusing to be disciplined is to protect the rest of the body from being infected with that disease. Sin, like cancer, needs to be cut out so it will not spread.

【Church, Discipline in】Discipline in the church is kind of like a vaccination. You get a little dose of the disease and then you fight against it. And that builds immunity, whether it be against germs or sinning.

【Church, Discipline in】If our physical bodies were like the body of Christ—the church—we would be in intensive care twenty-four hours a day.

【Church, Service to】This is a story about four people in the church whose names were Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

The church had financial responsibilities and Everybody was asked to help. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. But you know who did it? Nobody. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Then the church grounds needed some work, and Somebody was asked to help. But Somebody got angry about that, because Anybody could have done it just as well and, after all, it was really Everybody’s job. In the end the work was given to Nobody, and Nobody did a fine job.

On and on this went. Whenever work was to be done, Nobody could always be counted on. Nobody visited the sick. Nobody gave liberally. Nobody shared his faith. In short, Nobody was a very faithful member.

Finally the day came when Somebody left the church and took Anybody and Everybody with him. Guess who was left. Nobody!