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【要能讀出聖經裏面的實際】請看這個檯子，你說它是甚麼顏色？是深咖啡色。但是你若打開檯子一看，裏面是另一個顏色。外面是一個樣子，裏面又是一個樣子。聖經的表面大家都能讀懂，但是要摸著聖經裏頭的實際，就需要神的啟示。
【讀經當心吃錯神以外的東西】聖經乃是一本講究吃的書。吃甚麼？吃神！吃主！亞當當初墮落，就是因為吃錯了。我們肉身的吃，也象徵這件事。無論是動物的、植物的，凡我們好吃的東西，都給我們生命的供應。若我們吃錯了東西，那就叫我們中毒，叫我們輕就生病，重就死亡。在屬靈方面也是如此。只有神是對的，我們只有吃神才是對的。我們吃神之外的東西，都是吃錯了東西。所以難怪今天個個人都中毒了。創世記的末了一句話就是說：「收殮在棺材裏，停在埃及。」這是約瑟的結局，也是整個人類的結局。這就是神所創造的人中了毒的結果。吃中毒就死了，死了就裝棺材，裝了棺材就停在世界裏。
【正常讀主話之後，靈裏的感覺大不一樣】我們洗過了澡，身上並沒有水留下，但洗過了總和沒有洗大相同。照樣，我們這樣用靈來接觸主的話，事後頭腦裏好像沒有留下甚麼，靈裏感覺卻大不一樣。
【享受主的話不一定記得讀了些甚麼】當我們真是用靈來享受主的話，這正如你吃了一頓豐美的早餐一樣，吃的是甚麼可能都記不太清楚了，但是吃過之後，總覺得裏面充實了，有力量了，不飢渴了，舒服了，有一種說不出的光景。
【讀經不僅是為著認識神，也是為著接觸、享受神】你到飯館去，侍者拿來一張菜單給你看，你是去讀菜單呢？還是去吃飯？但是今天許多基督徒到屬靈的餐館裏是讀菜單。你光把主耶穌當作話來認識，卻沒有把主耶穌當作靈來接觸，來享受，來經歷。
【須注意聖經和聖靈的平衡】神給了我們兩個大的恩賜：一個是聖經，再一個是聖靈。聖經是話，聖靈是靈。聖經在我們的外面，聖靈在我們的裏面。我們需要認識這本聖經，我們更需要接觸這個靈。你看火車軌是兩條，我們走路也是要用兩條腿，缺一不可。感謝主，有聖經，還有聖靈，叫我們又能清楚，又能活。這是平衡，這是保障。
【是行為的教訓呢？還是真實的經歷呢？】在新約書信的釋義引言中，J.B. Phillips發出了這樣一段震撼性的評論：「現代基督教與我們在這些書信上所讀到使徒時代的教會間，最大的不同就是：信仰對我們而言，只是行為的教訓，對於他們卻是一項真實的經歷。」在當時，那些基督徒能夠很清楚地知道，有一股新的能力，將他們整個生命都佔滿，他們能毫無猶豫地說道：「基督活在我們裏面。」這對於今日我們的教會是多麼嚴重的指責啊！每思及此，我不得不自問：「我到底是怎麼樣的一個基督徒？我曾否藉著聖靈經歷到全能的神在我裏面顯現？」─《Moody Monthly》
【迷信的讀經法】曾經有一個商人經營事業失敗了，他就禱告求神指點。這位先生就按照中國人到廟宇抽籤的方式對神說：「神啊！我閉眼禱告，我翻開那一頁，我指頭所指的就是你給我的指點。」剛巧他翻到馬太二十七章五節：「出去吊死。」他想了一下，「難道神要我上吊嗎？」他覺得不對，又禱告說：「神啊！你是滿有仁慈的，你不會要我去上吊，你再指點我怎麼作，我一定怎麼作。」他再翻開，所指的是路加十章三十七節：「你去照樣行吧！」他越想越不對，最後又點了一節，是約翰十三章二十七節：「你所作的，快作罷！」。
【手點聖經】有一信徒，受浸以後，如同學校畢業一樣，再也不讀聖經了。一次，急事臨頭，不能解決，就把聖經從床底破舊網籃之內翻找出來，除去蛛網，拂下灰塵，放在桌上，自己坐在椅上，面對聖經，低頭把心中難決的事禱告一陣，求主藉著聖經指示如何解決。於是就像世人卜卦一樣，猛然打開聖經，用手一指，指著一處經文：「猶大出去吊死了」(太廿七5)。他一看不對，就再重翻重指，剛巧指在：「你去照樣行罷」(路十37)。讀經要用心靈接受神的話語，得著生命的供應；屬肉體的讀法毫無益處。
【算豬價】有位弟兄讀到馬可五章十一節，主耶穌在格拉森趕鬼的故事，鬼入豬群，一次二千頭豬跳到海裏淹死。讀到此處，就想如此多的豬能值多少錢呢？一頭豬有多重呢？想來想去，不知豬的重量若干？每斤價值幾何？於是他就跑到街上打聽豬價。明明是在那裏讀聖經，卻又跑到街上打聽豬價。
The story is told of four ministers discussing the pros and cons of various bible translations and paraphrases. Eventually each stated which version, in his opinion, is the best. The first minister said he used the King James because the Old English style is beautiful and produces the most reverent picture of the Holy Scriptures. The second said he preferred the New American Standard Bible because he felt it comes nearer to the original Greek and Hebrew texts. The third minister said his favorite was the paraphrased Living Bible because his congregation was young, and it related to them in a practical way.
All three men waited while the fourth minister sat silently. Finally he said, “I guess when it comes to translations and paraphrased editions of the Bible, I like my Dad’s translation best. He put the Word of God into practice every day. It was the most convincing translation I’ve ever seen.”
It is told that many years ago, while on a visit to England, a wealthy businessman was fascinated by a powerful microscope. Looking through its lens to study crystals and the petals of flowers, he was amazed at their beauty and detail. He decided to purchase a microscope and take it back home. He thoroughly enjoyed using it until one day he examined some food he was planning to eat for dinner. Much to his dismay, he discovered that tiny living creatures were crawling in it. Since he was especially fond of this particular food, he wondered what to do. Finally, he concluded that there was only one way out of his dilemma—he would destroy the instrument that caused him to discover the distasteful fact. So he smashed the microscope to pieces!
“How foolish!” you say. But many people do the same thing with the Word of God. They hate it and would like to get rid of it because it reveals their evil nature.
There is a story about a New England teacher who quizzed a group of college-bound high-school juniors and seniors on the Bible. The quiz preceded a “Bible as Literature” class he planned to teach at Newton High School in Massachusetts, generally considered one of the better public schools in the nation. Among the most unusual answers from his students were: “Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers” and “Jezebel was Ahab’s donkey.”
Other students thought that the four horsemen appeared “on the Acropolis,” that the New Testament Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, “Luther,” and John, that Eve was created “from an apple,” and that Jesus was “Baptized by Moses.” The answer that took the misinformation prize was given by a fellow who was academically in the top 5 percent of the graduating class. The question: “What was Golgotha?” The answer: “Golgotha was the name of the giant who slew the apostle David.”
Bible, “Problem”
Passages in
Mark Twain once said: “Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture which they cannot understand; but as for me, I have always noticed that the passages in Scripture which trouble me most are those which I do understand.”
Bible, Context in
There is a story of two lawyers on opposing sides of a case. During the trial, one thought he would make a great impression on the jury by quoting from the Bible. So he said, concerning his opponent’s client, “We have it on the highest authority that ‘All that a man has will he give for his skin.’”
The other lawyer knew the Bible better. He said, “I am very much impressed by the fact that my distinguished colleague here regards as the highest authority the one who said, ‘All that a man has will he give for his skin.’ You will find that this saying comes from the Book of Job and the one who utters it is the devil. And that is who he regards as the highest authority!”
On a Christmas card the following verse was cited: “They exchanged gifts and made merry…(Rev. 11:10).” The context of the verse, which describes anything but what it appeared to mean on the Christmas greeting, is rejoicing over the death of God’s two witnesses at the hand of the beast.
Trying to destroy or defend the Word of God is like having two men push with toothpicks on opposite sides of the Rock of Gibraltar. While one is trying push it over with his toothpick, the other is trying to hold it up with his. The rock is going to stay firm regardless of what either man does!
The authority of Scripture is so rooted in and closely linked to the authority of Jesus Christ that the two are indivisible. To attempt to distinguish them is like asking which blade of a pair of scissors is more important, or which leg of a pair of pants is more necessary. We know Christ through the Bible, and we understand the Bible through the knowledge of Christ and the Spirit he sent.