Well, this morning is a very important day for us because we begin a new book in the New Testament - in our ongoing effort to complete the whole New Testament - the book of Titus.   And I want you to take your Bible, if you will do so, and open it to the first chapter of this epistle from the apostle Paul to his friend and co-worker, Titus.

今天早上对我们来说是非常重要的一天 ，因为我们开始了新约的新书——在我们不断努力完成整本新约—— 提多书。 我希望你拿起你的圣经 ，如果你愿意的话，打开它，看看使徒保罗写给他的朋友和同工提多的 这封书信的第一章。

Titus is the next to the last letter that Paul wrote.   As in the case of 1 and 2 Timothy, it has a somewhat similar purpose. When Paul wrote 1 and 2 Timothy he was endeavoring to strengthen Timothy because Timothy was going to follow up on Paul's work.   He wanted to pass the baton, as it were, to Timothy, and those two epistles were to give him a strong hand in ministry to equip him for the future.   And the same is true in the case of Titus.   Here is another young man who must replace Paul.   Here is another very important young man who is close to Paul, beloved by Paul, and who has the responsibility of carrying on after Paul is gone.   And so both of these young men, Timothy and Titus, have certain similarities.

提多是保罗写的最后一封信的第二封信。 就像提摩太前书和提摩太后书一样， 它有一个类似的目的。 保罗写提摩太前书和提摩太后书时，他努力加强提摩太，因为提摩太要跟进保罗的工作。 他想把接力棒传给提摩太，这两封书信 是为了给他在事工上一个强大的手，为他的未来做好准备。 提多的情况也是如此。 这是另一个必须取代保罗的年轻人。 这里还有另一个非常重要的年轻人，他与保罗关系密切，被保罗所爱，并且有责任在保罗离开后继续工作。 因此，这两个年轻人，提摩太和提多，都有某些相似之处。

It is also true that as it was in the case of Timothy, Titus had a very difficult task.   He was in a different place than Timothy. Timothy, as you remember, was in Ephesus trying to straighten out the Ephesian church. And then from there other things would come in terms of future ministry.   But he had a hard, a hard task to fix the decaying Ephesian church.   Titus was in a different location as is noted here - down in verse 5 - he was in Crete, the island of Crete. And he had the responsibility there of straightening out the church, of establishing leadership in the church.   Now in both Timothy and Titus’ case there was strong opposition.   There was opposition inside the church; there was opposition outside.   So both of these young men had been properly and amply trained by the apostle Paul; both of them were gifted by the Holy Spirit; both of them had served faithfully and proven themselves; both of them had very difficult tasks at hand; both of them faced opposition.   Consequently, both of them needed this kind of letter from Paul to strengthen them, also to give them some apostolic authority for the task that they faced.

同样，就像提摩太的情况一样， 提多的任务也非常艰巨。 他与提摩太在一个不同的地方。 正如你记得的，提摩太 在以弗所试图整顿以弗所的教会。 然后，就未来的事工而言，其他事情将从那里开始。 但他有一项艰巨的 任务，要修复腐朽的以弗所教会。 正如这里所指出的，提多在另一个地方——在第 5 节中—— 他在克里特岛，克里特岛。 在那里，他有责任整顿教会，在教会中建立领导层。 提摩太和提多的案子都遭到了强烈的反对。 教会内部有反对意见; 外面有反对意见。 因此，这两个年轻人都接受了使徒保罗适当而充分的训练; 他们都是圣灵赐予的; 他们俩都忠心耿耿地服事并证明了自己; 他们俩手头的任务都非常艰巨; 他们都面临反对。 因此，他们俩都需要保罗的这种信来加强他们， 也给他们一些使徒的权柄来完成他们所面临的任务。

Now in this letter that Paul writes to Titus, the purpose of the letter really is to instruct the church to do what it ought to do, to behave itself properly.   And there are several things that fall very clearly from these chapters.   First of all, chapter 1 looks at the character and conduct of leaders.   Chapter 1 looks at the character and conduct of leaders, a very appropriate subject for us to discuss in our own contemporary setting in the church.   Chapter 2 looks at the character and conduct of members - the members of the church. And chapter 3 deals with character and conduct regarding the church's witness before the world.

在保罗写给提多的这封信中， 这封信的目的实际上是指示教会做它应该做的事，要正确地行事。 从这几章中可以清楚地看到几件事。 首先，第一章着眼于领导者的品格和行为。 第一章着眼于领袖的品格和行为，这是我们在教会当代环境中 讨论的一个非常合适的主题。 第二章着眼于成员的品格和行为——教会的成员。 第三章涉及教会在世人面前见证的品 格和行为。

So the first chapter focuses on the leaders. The second chapter focuses on the members.   And the third chapter focuses on those outside the church and how the church is to behave itself before them - the good and godly deeds of leaders, the good and godly deeds of members, the good and godly living of the church in the face of a watching world.   Now this instruction is very important, not only for Titus and for the churches in the island of Crete, but for all churches.

因此，第一章的重点是领导者。 第二章重点介绍成员。 第三章着重于教会之外的人 ，以及教会在他们面前应该如何表现自己—— 领袖的善行和敬虔的行为， 成员的善行和敬虔的行为， 教会在面对一个注视的世界时的善行和敬虔的生活。 现在，这个教训非常重要， 不仅对提多和克里特岛的教会，而且对所有教会来说都是非常重要的。

Now these three brief chapters are doctrinal.   They are full of rich, doctrinal treasures, as we shall see going through considering some of the great doctrines of the faith.   We will note some of them even in the very beginning verse of chapter 1.   And while there are some treasures of doctrine and theology in this brief epistle, it is preeminently practical.   It deals with the qualifications for spiritual leadership.   It confronts sin and heresy.   It spells out the spiritual roles and obligations of believers in the church and in the family.   It rehearses the magnificent realities of our salvation and their practical implications.   It tells believers how to live godly before the watching world in order that we might have an effective witness.   It speaks about necessary purging in the church and other very important matters.

这三章是教义性的。 它们充满了丰富的教义宝藏，正如我们将在考虑信仰的一些伟大教义时看到的那样。 我们甚至会在第一章的开头经文中注意到其中的一些。 虽然这封简短的书信中有一些教义和神学的宝藏，但它 非常实用。 它涉及精神领导的资格。 它对抗罪恶和异端。 它阐明了信徒在教会和家庭中的 属灵角色和义务。 它演练了我们救赎的壮丽现实 及其实际影响。 它告诉信徒如何在注视的世界面前过敬虔的生活 ，以便我们能够有一个有效的见证。 它谈到了教会中必要的净化和其他非常重要的事情。

Now it also should be noted that this is what I call a condensed epistle.   It is compact.   You could almost call it a pocket guide to life in the church, because it's that.   It is concentrated, all the water is out.   It is vacuum-packed, all the air is out.   It is squeezed tight.   But when we take the lid off, it's going to expand.   When we add the water or the air of our own investigation we're going to see this very compact, condensed, concentrated epistle begin to expand.   It is economical in the sense that there are not a lot of words, and yet again in the genius of the mind of God with an economy of words He can say a world of things.   This is one of those epistles that you would call a bargain epistle; this is a sale item because you get a lot for a little.   And it will be for all of us, I think, a very wonderful experience.

现在还应该指出，这就是我所说的浓缩书信。 它很紧凑。你几乎可以称它为教会生活的袖珍指南， 因为它就是这样。它是浓缩的， 所有的水都出来了。 它是真空包装的， 所有的空气都排出了。 它被挤紧了。 但是当我们取下盖子时， 它就会膨胀。 当我们加入我们自己调查的水或空气时，我们将看到这封非常紧凑、 浓缩、集中的书信开始扩展。 从某种意义上说，它是经济的，因为没有很多文字，而且又以上帝的头脑的天才和 文字的节约，他可以说出一个事物的世界。 这是一封你可以称之为便宜书信的书信; 这是一个促销商品，因为你可以花一点钱得到很多。 我认为，这对我们所有人来说都是一次非常美妙的经历。

Now it all begins, of course, at the beginning, and that's where we have to start.   Let's look at the first four verses.   "Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior; to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."

当然，现在一切都从 头开始，这就是我们必须开始的地方。 让我们看看前四节经文。 “保罗，神的仆人，耶稣基督的使徒， 为神所拣选的人的信心，认识按着敬虔的真理，为着永生的盼望，就是神那不能说谎的神在很久以前所应许的，但在适当的时候显现了 ，就是他的话，就是他按照我们救主神的诫命，在宣告中，就是他的话语，就是我所托付的宣告; 致提多，我真正的孩子，有共同的信仰：愿恩典与平安从父神和我们的救主基督耶稣而来。

Now honestly, that is an unusual amount of words.   That is a sentence, a long and involved and intricate and somewhat complicated sentence, stringing together various thoughts without ever putting a period anywhere.   It is not only a long sentence and a somewhat involved one, but it is an unusual amount of words to introduce a letter written to a dear personal friend.   You get the feeling in reading this that there's something very formal about this introduction and yet there must be something very informal about Paul's relationship to Titus.   It is, in fact, more lengthy and more formal than either of the letters to Timothy.   Does it reflect that Paul had somewhat of a distant relationship to Titus or that Paul was somewhat a stranger to Titus or there was some kind of alienation in their relationship?   Not at all. There is good reason for this rather technical, rather formal, rather lengthy approach, sort of cataloguing apostolic data in regard to writing Titus. And the good reason is this: the letter is intended to delegate to Titus apostolic authority.

老实说，这是一个不寻常的字数。 这是一个句子， 一个长而复杂、错综复杂且有些复杂的句子， 将各种想法串在一起，而从未在任何地方放置句号。 这不仅是一个很长的句子，而且是一个有点复杂的句子，而且用不寻常的字数来介绍 一封写给亲爱的私人朋友的信。 读到这篇文章，你会觉得 这个介绍有一些非常正式的东西，但保罗与提多的关系一定有一些非常非正式的东西。 事实上，它比给提摩太的任何一封信都更长、更正式。 这是否反映了保罗 与提多的关系有些疏远，或者保罗对提多来说有些陌生，或者他们的关系中存在某种疏远？ 一点也不。这种相当技术性、 相当正式、相当冗长的方法有充分的理由，对写提多书的使徒数据进行编目。 充分的理由是： 这封信的目的是将使徒的权柄委托给提多。

He was working, as I said, in the island of Crete, as it notes in verse 5, and he was working in the churches there.   The churches were new.   The churches were immature.   It was going to be his job to ordain elders and to establish pastors and leaders there.   He was in the foundational work of the church.   He also was undoubtedly a young man.   There were already false teachers, as we shall see, in Crete.   There were already false teachers who had come around the church and had begun to pervert the church with heresy and ungodliness. These false teachers would surely question whatever Titus tried to do.   It's a very formative time in these churches.   They are new. They are immature.   The believers are young.   They are without leadership.   There is already the influx of error and the lack of virtue in the lives of these false teachers as impacting the church.

正如我所说的，正如第5节所指出的，他在克里特岛工作 ， 他在那里的教会里工作。 教堂是新的。 教会还不成熟。 他的工作是按立长老并在那里建立牧师和领袖。 他参与了教会的基础工作。 毫无疑问，他也是一个年轻人。 正如 我们将要看到的，在克里特岛已经有假教师了。教会周围已经有假教师，开始用异端和不敬虔来歪曲教会。 这些假教师肯定会质疑提多试图做的任何事情。 在这些教会中，这是一个非常有形成意义的时期。 它们是新的。他们不成熟。 信徒很年轻。 他们没有领导力。 这些假教师的生活中 已经有错误和缺乏美德的涌入，影响着教会。

This young man is going to have to get a hold of this whole thing, put the right people in leadership, set the church on its feet, give it the doctrinal foundation.   And he's not going to do it without opposition, and he knows, does Paul, that he will need some strong authority.   He is going to have to be perceived as one with apostolic authority, delegated to him to act in behalf of Paul.   He is in every sense the direct legate, the delegate, the envoy, the ambassador sent by the great apostle himself.   He needs strong apostolic backing to carry on his ministry.   And the opening then lays out carefully Paul's apostolic authority and shows then in verse 4 how he delegates this to Titus, so that anyone who wants to counterattack or attempt to withstand or to prevent Titus from doing what he is doing is going to be dealing with the apostle Paul himself and with authority which he possesses, because it was given him by none other than Jesus Christ Himself.

这个年轻人必须掌握这整件事， 让合适的人担任领导，让教会站稳脚跟，给它教义基础。 他不会在没有反对的情况下这样做，他知道，保罗也知道，他需要一些强大的权柄。 他必须被视为具有使徒权柄的人，被委派给他代表保罗行事。 从任何意义上说，他都是 伟大使徒亲自派来 的直接使者、代表、使者和大使。他需要强大的使徒支持来继续他的事工。 然后，开头仔细地阐述了保罗的 使徒权柄，并在第4节中表明他如何将权柄委托给提多， 因此，任何想要反击或 试图抵挡或阻止提多 做他正在做的事情的人，都是在对付使徒保罗本人和他所拥有的权柄， 因为这是耶稣基督自己赐给他的。

In fact, I think we would be fair in saying this: that the purpose of this letter is not to give Titus the information that is contained in it. And I mean not only in the first four verses but in the rest of the letter.   It is most likely that Titus already knew most of this.   If not the fine points, certainly in general he knew this.   He already knew what the standards for leadership were, because he had been with Paul long enough to see Paul in action and to see the kind of leaders that Paul put into place.   He was very involved in Paul's interaction with the Corinthian church. And so he knew what Paul expected in terms of church leadership.

事实上，我认为我们这样说是公平的： 这封信的目的不是要给提多书信 中所包含的信息。 我的意思不仅是前四节，还有这封信的其余部分。 提多很可能已经知道了大部分。 如果不是细微之处，他 当然知道这一点。 他已经知道领导的标准是什么， 因为他和保罗在一起的时间足够长，可以看到 保罗的行动，看到保罗所设立的那种领袖。 他非常参与保罗与哥林多教会的互动。 因此，他知道保罗对教会领导的期望是什么。

He also was very well aware of what the apostle's expectations were for the membership.   He also knew full well how the people of Christ were to conduct themselves in the face of a watching world.   So this is not primarily information for Titus; but what it is to do is to arm Titus with an apostolic document by which he can lead the church and his leadership not be questioned.   The letter, then, with its formidable opening and strong teaching, should give Titus the necessary clout to lead the church and overcome the resistance of the obstinate detractors and false teachers.

他也很清楚使徒对成员的期望是什么。 他也非常清楚基督的子民在面对一个注视的世界时应该如何行事。 因此，这主要不是给提多的信息;而是要做的是用一份使徒文件武装提多，他可以据此领导教会，他的领导能力不会受到质疑。 因此，这封信以其令人敬畏的开场白和强有力的教导， 应该给提多必要的影响力来领导 教会，并克服顽固的诋毁者和假教师的阻力。

Now, as we look at Paul's opening statement about himself, I don't want us to see this just as history.   I mean, we could say, "Well it's just here because it's an apostolic recitation of certain data that will cause anybody who questions Titus to know that he's representing Paul, and this is who Paul is, and herein lies Paul's authority, and so it's sort of historical."   Well, it's more than that.   It is not just history. It is not just an interesting insight into Paul. It is not just a bit of data about his apostolic authority. It is not just a note, as it were, that tells us the authority on which Titus was to base his ministry. It is contemporary; it is applicable.   Why?   Follow this: because it gives to us - as so often Paul does - it gives to us certain vital patterns and principles regarding our own ministry.   It is again a model of ministry.   What we see that is true of Paul becomes the pattern for us.   From these opening verses we can learn what I believe could be simply stated as the commitments of a great leader.   What makes a great leader?   We have certainly a major leadership gap in America in the church today. The continual defaulting of leadership is of grave concern to me, and I think to all of us who name the name of Christ and love His truth and put our confidence in His representatives.

现在，当我们看到保罗关于他自己的开场白时， 我不希望我们把这仅仅看作是历史。 我的意思是，我们可以说，“好吧，它只是在这里，因为它是使徒对某些数据的背诵，这将使任何质疑提多的人知道他代表保罗， 这就是保罗，这就是保罗的权柄， 所以它有点历史。 嗯，它不止于此。 这不仅仅是历史。 这不仅仅是对保罗的有趣见解。这不仅仅是关于他的使徒权柄的一点数据。它可以说不仅仅是一个注释，告诉我们提多的事工所依据的权柄。它是当代的;它是适用的。 为什么？ 请遵循这一点：因为它给了我们——就像 保罗经常做的那样——它给了我们关于我们自己事工的某些重要模式和原则。 它又是一个事工的典范。 我们看到保罗的真实情况成为我们的榜样。 从这几节开头的经文中，我们可以学到我 认为可以简单地说为伟大领袖的承诺。 什么才是伟大的领袖？ 今天，美国的教会中确实存在着重大的领导缺口。领导的持续失职是我非常关切的，我想我们所有称呼基督的名 、热爱他的真理、并相信他的代表的人。

When we come to a passage like this, it is very instructive for us because it again gives us the characteristics of a man who was a leader, who was blameless and above reproach and without fault and who was powerful and effective and useful and fruitful.   And so whenever I hear Paul talk about himself and about his ministry and about the nature of it or the authority of it or the quality of it or the character of it, or the emphasis of it, I listen carefully because I'm hearing in those words a model for my own life.   So I want to ask the question then regarding these four verses - What commitments in Paul's life made him the great leader that he was?   What was it that made him such a useful, powerful, effective and fruitful leader?   Why was he so respected and so honored and so loved?   And the answer, I believe, is bound up in part in these four verses.   There are several obvious components - if you look long enough at the text you could probably see there what I see - but there are several components that come out of these four verses that identify the features of his spiritual commitment.

当我们读到这样的经文时， 它对我们来说是非常有启发性的，因为它再次 给了我们一个领导者的特征，他无可指责，无可指责，没有 过错，他有能力、有效、有用和多结果子。 因此，每当我听到保罗谈论他自己 ，谈论他的事工，谈论它的性质 ，它的权柄，它的品质，它的品格， 或它的重点，我都会仔细聆听，因为我听到的是这些话，是我自己生活的典范。 因此，我想问一个关于这四节经文的问题—— 保罗生命中的哪些承诺使他成为伟大的领袖？ 是什么让他成为如此有用、 强大、有效和富有成效的领导者？ 为什么他如此受人尊敬、如此荣幸、如此爱戴？ 我相信，答案部分与这四节经文有关。 有几个明显的组成部分——如果你 看经文足够长的时间，你可能会看到我所看到的——但从这四节经文中得出了几个组成部分，它们确定了他属灵委身的特征。

Now let me just say this.   Anyone who is effective in life in terms of spiritual ministry makes commitments and then sticks with those commitments.   The aspect of leadership that we see, or I should say the level of leadership that we see in Paul, doesn't happen by accident; you don't back into it.   It is the result of a resolute mind and a resolute heart and a strong determination to walk in the power of the Spirit of God and in obedience to the Word.   You learn to make commitments and to keep them.   And Paul made such commitments. And they became the benchmarks of his leadership.   In this greeting those commitments surface and they then become for us transferable principles that we can apply in our own life, commitments which we ourselves can and must make.   These commitments, I believe, provide the framework for the greatness of his ministry.   They provide the structure, the internal structure.   He made strong commitments.   He made unwavering commitments. And by the power of God, he kept them.

现在让我说这个。 任何在属灵事工方面有效的人都会做出承诺，然后坚持这些承诺。 我们看到的领导力方面， 或者我应该说我们在保罗身上看到的领导力水平， 并不是偶然发生的; 你不会回到它。 这是坚定的头脑和坚定 的心，以及坚定的决心，要在圣灵的大能中行走，顺服圣言的结果。 你学会做出承诺并遵守它们。 保罗做出了这样的承诺。 他们成为他领导的标杆。 在这种问候中，这些承诺浮出水面， 然后它们成为我们可以在自己的生活中应用的可转移原则， 我们自己可以而且必须做出的承诺。我相信，这些承诺为他的伟大事工提供了框架。 它们提供了结构， 内部结构。 他做出了坚定的承诺。 他做出了坚定不移的承诺。他靠着神的大能，保守了他们。

Let's look at the first one.   First of all, he was committed to God's mastery.   He was committed to God's mastery.   He says, "Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ."   Now in that very introduction, you can clearly see that he saw himself as a man under sovereign authority.   Introducing himself with the word "Paul," he reminds us that in ancient times people put their name at the beginning of a letter, not at the end, which seems to me to make a lot more sense so you don't have to rummage through all the pages to find out who it's from.   “Paul” comes from the Latin Paulus, which means "little."   He also had the name “Saul” – “Paulos” is a Greek name; “Saul” is a Hebrew name.   Some believe he had both names from birth, both a Greek and a Hebrew name.   Because he was a Jew he would have a Hebrew name, because he was born and raised in a Greek culture, he may well have had also the name “Paul” all his life long.   We're not sure about that.   But he is the same as the one known as “Saul.”

让我们看看第一个。 首先，他委身于神的掌管 。他委身于神的掌管 。他说：“保罗是神的奴仆，耶稣基督的使徒。 ”现在，在引言中， 你可以清楚地看到他认为自己是一个在主权之下的人。 他用“保罗”这个词来介绍自己，提醒我们，在古代， 人们把自己的名字放在信件的开头， 而不是在信的结尾，在我看来，这更有意义，这样你就不必翻遍所有页面来找出它来自谁。 “保罗”来自拉丁语保卢斯 意思是“小”。 他还有“扫罗”这个名字 ——“保罗”是一个希腊名字;“扫罗”是一个希伯来名字。 有些人认为他从出生起就有两个名字， 一个希腊名字和一个希伯来名字。因为他是犹太人，所以他会有一个希伯来名字， 因为他在希腊文化中出生和长大，他很可能一生也 拥有“保罗”这个名字。 我们不确定这一点。但他与被称为“扫罗”的那位是一样的。

He was an unusually gifted man.   He was a Jew.   He was trained by the best Jewish teacher, Gamaliel; yet he was raised in the Greek world, so he was sufficiently Hellenized to understand his culture very well.   He was fiercely loyal, however, and unaffected, as it were, by Gentile religion - fiercely loyal to Judaism and dutifully zealous as a Pharisee.   So zealous was he as a Pharisee that he was a persecutor of Christians until the day he was confronted by Jesus Christ Himself.   He was converted and became a preacher of the gospel.

他是一个非常有天赋的人。 他是一个犹太人。他接受了最好的犹太老师迦玛列的训练 ;但他是在希腊世界长大的， 所以他已经足够希腊化了，可以很好地理解他的文化。 然而，他非常忠诚 ，并且没有受到外邦宗教的影响 ——对犹太教非常忠诚，并且像法利赛人一样尽职尽责地热心。 作为一个法利赛人，他是如此热心，以至于他一直迫 害基督徒，直到他面对耶稣基督本人的那一天。 他得到了转变，成为了福音的传道人。

He had a brilliant mind.   He was a powerful and forceful person in terms of his abilities to reason and to proclaim truth.   He became God's instrument for thirteen books of the New Testament.   His spiritual credentials were endless; his achievements legendary; his miracles recorded for us; his virtues exemplary.   But none of those formed the basis of his authority.

他有一个聪明的头脑。 就他的推理和宣扬真理的能力 而言，他是一个强大而有力的人。 他成为新约十三卷书的神的工具。 他的精神资历是无穷无尽的;他的成就是传奇的; 他为我们记录的神迹; 他的美德堪称典范。但这些都没有构成他权威的基础。

He does not say, "Paul, a Jew trained by the very best Jewish teacher.   Paul, raised in a Greek world understanding fully Greek culture.   Paul, a fiercely loyal believer in Judaism.   Paul, a zealous Pharisee who knew the Law.   Paul, a persecutor.   Paul, the one who saw the beauty of Jesus Christ and yielded himself to Him."   He doesn't say, "Paul with a brilliant mind."   He doesn't say, "Paul, the man that God used to write so many books."   He doesn't say, "Paul whose achievements are legendary, whose virtue is exemplary.   Paul whose credentials are endless.   Paul, the one who performed miracles."   No.   He doesn't base his authority on any of those personal matters.

他没有说，“保罗是受最优秀的犹太教师训练的犹太人。 保罗，在希腊世界长大，完全了解希腊文化。 保罗，犹太教的忠实信徒。 保罗，一个热心的法利赛人，他知道律法。 保罗，一个迫害者。保罗，他看到了 耶稣基督的美丽，并把自己交给了他。 他没有说，“保罗头脑聪明”。 他没有说，“保罗，上帝用他写了那么多书的人。 他没有说，“保罗的成就是传奇的，他的美德是模范的。 保罗的资历是无穷无尽的。 保罗，行神迹的那位。 不。他没有将自己的权威建立在任何这些个人事务之上。

When he looks at the very essence of his ministry, he sees himself in ministry not because of anything in himself or accomplished by himself, but because of sovereign choice.   He is a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.   He is one who refers to himself in those two ways to demonstrate his commitment to God's mastery over his life.   He did not see himself as a loose cannon -   as somebody who could act independently, as somebody who could control his own life, could call the shots, could live any way he wanted to live, could determine the direction of his ministry.   He saw himself and was fully committed to the fact that he was a man under divine call, authority, and obligation.

当他审视自己事工的本质时， 他认为自己从事事工不是因为他自己有什么或他自己完成了什么， 而是因为主权的选择。 他是上帝的奴仆，也是耶稣基督的使徒。 他用这两种方式称呼自己 ，以表明他对上帝掌管他生命的承诺。 他不认为自己是一门松散的大炮——一个可以独立行动的人， 一个可以控制自己生活的人，可以做主的人，可以按照他想过的方式生活， 可以决定他事工的方向。 他看到了自己，并完全致力于 他是一个受神召、权柄和义务的人。

That becomes clear in the two titles which he uses here.   First, “a bond-servant of God,” “a bond-servant of God.”   By the way, that's the only time he gives himself that title, the only time in Scripture.   He often refers to himself as “a bond-servant of Christ,” but this is the only time he refers to himself as “a bond-servant of God.”   James does refer to himself as “a bond-servant of God.”   Even more interestingly, Moses is called “a bond-servant of God” in Revelation 15:3.   So Paul here is putting himself on a level with Moses as one uniquely called to serve Yahweh, the living God.   He puts himself then on the level of other Old Testament leaders and New Testament leaders as the servant of the true God.

这在他在这里使用的两个标题中变得很清楚。 首先，“神的奴仆”，“ 神的奴仆”。 顺便说一句，那是他唯一一次给自己这个头衔，也是圣经中唯一一次。 他经常称自己为“基督的奴仆”， 但这是他唯一一次称自己为“上帝的奴仆”。 雅各确实称自己为“上帝的奴仆”。更有趣的是， 摩西被称为“上帝的奴仆” 在启示录 15：3. 因此，保罗在这里将自己与摩西放在一个水平上，摩西是唯一被呼召去事奉耶和华永生神的人。然后，他将自己置于其他旧约领袖和新约领袖的水平上，成为真神的仆人。

I think this is very important because there was obviously some negative influence in Crete.   If you go down to verse 10 of chapter 1, already in Crete, before Titus could even get the work started, there were rebellious men, empty talkers, and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision.   Already, Judaizing influence had entered - certain Jews who said you can't have a right relationship to God unless you've been circumcised.   They were holding to Old Testament prescription.

我认为这非常重要，因为 克里特岛显然存在一些负面影响。 如果你下到第1章第10节，已经在克里特岛了，在提多开始工作之前， 就已经有悖逆的人、 空话的人和骗子，尤其是那些受割礼的人。 犹太教的影响已经进入——某些 犹太人说，除非你受过割礼，否则你无法与上帝建立正确的关系。 他们坚持旧约的处方。

Notice down in verse 14, we go a little bit further.   He reminds Titus and the church not to pay attention to “Jewish myths and commandments of men,” these Jewish commandments that had grown up in the rabbinical tradition.   So already there was a pretty heavy influence there in regard to Judaism.   And that may be the reason that the apostle chooses to call himself a servant of God, or a bond-servant and slave of God rather than of Jesus Christ because he wants those who are associated with Judaism to know that he stands in the great tradition with Moses and other Old Testament servants of Jehovah God.   He is therefore describing himself by the term doulos, which means "slave."   It's the most servile word in the Greek language.   It points out that he is nothing but a slave.   It describes someone who serves without any regard for his own interest, who serves without any regard for his own interest. And that word contains, I guess you could say, all the common connotations of the word slave.   All that you can conceive of in the concept of slavery is in that word.   Paul understood that he had no life of his own.   He understood that he had no will of his own, that he had no purpose of his own, that he had no plan of his own, that he had no goal of his own.   He was under the mastery of God.   And he understood that that called him to a life of absolute submission to God.   Such a commitment is at the heart of his effectiveness.

请注意，在第 14 节中， 我们走得更远一点。 他提醒提多和教会不要关注 “犹太人的神话和诫命”， 这些在拉比传统中成长起来的犹太诫命。 因此，那里已经对犹太教产生了相当大的影响。 这也许就是使徒选择称自己为上帝的仆人， 或上帝的奴仆和奴隶，而不是 耶稣基督的原因，因为他想让那些 与犹太教有联系的人知道，他与摩西和耶和华上帝的其他旧约仆人一样，处于伟大的传统中。 因此，他用这个词来描述自己杜洛斯， 意思是“奴隶”。 这是希腊语中最卑鄙的词。 它指出他只不过是一个奴隶。 它描述了一个不顾自己的利益而服务的人，他不顾自己的利益而服务。 这个词包含， 我想你可以说， 这个词的所有常见内涵奴隶. 你能从奴隶制的概念中想象到的一切都在那个词中。 保罗明白他没有自己的生命。 他明白他没有自己的意志， 他没有自己的目的， 他没有自己的计划， 他没有自己的目标。 他在上帝的掌控之下。 他明白，这呼召他过着绝对顺服上帝的生活。 这种承诺是他有效性的核心。

It all started on the road to Damascus when he was struck down. And as he was lying in the dirt a voice said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:5).   "He said, `Who art thou, Lord?'   And He said, `I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.'"   And from that moment on it was submission on his part.   "Who are You, Lord?   Who are You?"

这一切都始于他被击倒的路上前往大马士革。 当他躺在泥土里时，一个声音说： “扫罗，扫罗，你为什么逼迫我？”(使徒行传 9：5). “他说：'主啊，你是谁？'他 说：'我就是你们所逼迫的耶稣。从那一刻起，他就顺从了。 “主啊，你是谁？你是谁？

And then he asked, "What do You want me to do?"   He engaged himself at that moment in the submissive role as a slave to God, to Christ.   It meant that Paul was the undisputed possession of God.   It meant that he had no time of his own, that he had no plans of his own.   He was God's slave, doulos theo.   Back in Joshua 1:2 you'll find that in reference again to Moses, and Joshua his successor (Joshua 24:29), also “slave of God.”   It was said of the prophets in Amos 3:7 that they were slaves of Jehovah.   Jeremiah 7:25 says it.   And so here he is in a long line of those who stood as slaves to God.

然后他问：“ 你要我做什么？ 那一刻，他就扮演了顺服的角色，成为上帝、基督的奴隶 。这意味着保罗是神无可争议的财产。 这意味着他没有自己的时间， 他没有自己的计划。 他是上帝的奴隶， 杜洛斯·西奥.返回约书亚记 1：2你会发现，再次提到摩西， 和约书亚，他的继任者（约书亚记 24：29），也称为“上帝的奴隶”。 有人说先知阿摩司书 3：7他们是耶和华的奴隶。 耶利米书 7：25说。 因此，他在这里是一长串对上帝作奴隶的人。

Now the apostle Paul understood - and I just want to comment on this for a brief few moments - he understood what spiritual slavery meant, and he joyfully concurred with the privilege of such slavery.   And I don't need to beg the issue, but you remember Philippians 2, for example, verse 17, "Even if I am poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice."   In other words, “Even if I have to give up my life, even if I have to sacrifice myself in my ministry to you, I rejoice in that.”

现在使徒保罗明白了——我只 想对此进行短暂的评论——他明白了属灵奴隶制的含义， 并且他喜乐地同意这种奴隶制的特权。 我不需要乞求这个问题， 但你还记得腓立比书 2 章， 例如第 17 节，“我虽被倒在 你们信心的牺牲和事奉上，作奠祭，我也欢喜。 换句话说，“即使我不得不放弃我的生命， 即使我不得不牺牲自己来服事你，我也为此而欢欣。

In other words, he was utterly and totally sacrificial.   He had yielded himself up completely to service to God.   In Acts 20:24 he said, "I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself in order that I may finish my course and the ministry which I have received."   “I don't consider my life dear; I am not important.”   He was completely enslaved to God.

换句话说，他完全是牺牲的。 他完全屈服于事奉上帝。 在使徒行传 20：24他说：“我不认为我的 我所珍视的任何生活，以便 我能够完成我的课程和我所接受的事工。 “我不认为我的生命是珍贵的; 我不重要。他完全被上帝奴役了。

Now there's a sense in which every one of us is in that same kind of slavery, to one degree or another, as the servants of God.   You remember in Romans chapter 6 and verse 22, Paul said there, "But you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God."   When you became a Christian, the fact is you became a slave to God.   First Corinthians 6 says, "What?   Do you not know that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, you have been purchased, bought with a price?"   First Peter 1 says, "The price was the precious blood as of a lamb without spot and without blemish."   Every believer, then, is a slave of God.   We are to be submissive.   We are to be obedient.   We have no agenda of our own; we have no will of our own except to align our own will with His will.   We have no goal of our own except to fulfill the purposes of God.   As we read earlier from the gospel of Luke in our opening prayer this morning, "Seek first His kingdom and let everything else be added at God's own discretion."

现在有一种感觉，我们每个人都在某种程度上与神的仆人一样 ，处于同样的奴役中。你还记得在罗马书第6章和第22节，保罗说：“ 但你已经从罪中释放出来，为神作奴役了。 ”当你成为基督徒时， 事实是你成了神的奴隶。 哥林多前书6章说：“ 什么？难道你们不知道你们是圣灵的殿，你们是被买来的，是用价钱买来的吗？彼得前书 1 章说：“ 代价是宝血，好像没有玷污、没有瑕疵的羔羊一样。 因此，每个信徒都是神的奴隶。 我们要顺服。 我们要顺服。 我们没有自己的计划;我们没有自己的旨意，只是使自己的旨意与祂的旨意保持一致。 除了实现神的旨意之外，我们没有自己的目标。 正如我们早些时候在今天早上的开会祷告中读到的路加福音， “你们要先寻求他的国，其他的都由神自己决定。

Now there's a second title here that I think is very obvious and familiar to us.   He says not only is he “a slave to God” and thereby committed to God's mastery of his life, but he is “an apostle of Jesus Christ.”   This, in a sense, more narrowly and more specifically defines the very general concept of being a slave to God.   He is a slave to God.   So was Moses. So was Joshua.   So were the prophets.   And so were the apostles.   But he has narrowed down in the second phrase the nature of his slavery. He has been sent by God as God's slave to perform the task of being a messenger on behalf of Jesus Christ.   Apostolos means "a messenger," “one sent on a mission.”   The specific nature then of his slavery is defined.

现在这里还有第二个标题，我认为它对我们来说非常明显和熟悉。 他说，他不仅是“上帝的奴隶” ，因此委身于上帝掌管他的生活， 而且他是“耶稣基督的使徒”。 从某种意义上说，这更狭隘、更具体地定义了成为上帝的奴隶的非常普遍的概念。 他是上帝的奴隶。 摩西也是。约书亚也是如此。先知们也是如此。使徒们也是如此。 但他在第二句话中缩小了奴隶制的性质。 他被上帝差遣为上帝的奴隶，为 耶稣基督执行使者的任务。 阿波斯托洛斯意思是“信使”， “一个被派去执行任务。”那么他被奴役的具体性质就被定义了。

Now let me just say a word about this.   We think of the word "apostle," “a messenger.”   Sometimes you hear that the term "envoy," sometimes "ambassador,” and you get the idea that this is some kind of a lofty term.   The fact is, it is not.   It is not an elevated term.   Now when we talk about the apostles, we have elevated the term because God elevated the men.   But the term itself is not an elevated term.   It is not particularly lofty; it is not even very dignified.

现在让我对此说几句话。 我们想到“使徒”、“使者”这个词。 有时你听到“特使”这个词，有时听到 “大使”这个词，你会觉得这是一个崇高的词。 事实是，事实并非如此。这不是一个高尚的术语。 现在，当我们谈论使徒时， 我们抬高了这个词，因为神抬高了人。 但这个词本身并不是一个高级术语。 它不是特别高大上，甚至不是很端庄。

For example, if I have a slave and he may be the lowest slave in my stable of slaves; he may be the very bottom guy on the totem pole, if you will, and I say to my slave, "I want you to go across town and I want you to take this message to a man over there," that slave then becomes my apostle.   It doesn't carry any more dignity than that.   The dignity is in the authority of the one who sent the messenger, not in the messenger.   There's no inherent dignity in being a messenger of Jesus Christ, except the dignity of the task itself, based upon the authority of the Lord who gave the task.

例如，如果我有一个奴隶，他可能是我奴隶马厩中最低的奴隶; 如果你愿意的话，他可能是图腾柱上最底层的人 ，我对我的奴隶说， “我要你穿过城镇，我要你把这个信息带给那边的一个人，” 然后那个奴隶就成了我的使徒。 它没有比这更有尊严的了。 尊严在于差遣使者的权柄， 而不是在使者身上。 作为耶稣基督的使者，除了 任务本身的尊严之外，没有与生俱来的尊严，这是基于赋予任务的主的权柄。

So, Paul is not in any sense elevating himself when he calls himself an apostle.   He is saying, however, “I come with authority, not my own authority, not based on my own credentials, but I am a slave of God, and God has sent me as the messenger of Jesus Christ.”   And so he with that title then narrows the sense of his slavery; he is a slave with a specific task of being sent by Jesus Christ.

因此，保罗称自己为使徒时，绝不是在抬高自己。 然而，他说的是，“我带着权柄来， 不是我自己的权柄， 不是基于我自己的资格， 而是我是神的奴隶， 神差遣我作耶稣基督的使者。 因此，有了这个头衔，他就缩小了奴隶制的意义; 他是一个奴隶，肩负着耶稣基督差遣的特定任务。

And I believe this note is perhaps to help those Gentiles who may not understand the necessary authority that Titus bears.   Down in verse 15 we get a little insight into some of the culture in Crete.   In fact, verse 12 might help even as a starter.   "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons" - not exactly a chamber of commerce recommendation for the place.   But verse 15 says, "To the pure, all things are pure.   But to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, both their mind and their conscience are defiled.   They profess to know God but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed."

我相信这条纸条也许是为了帮助那些 可能不了解提多所承担的必要权柄的外邦人。 在第 15 节中，我们对克里特岛的一些文化有了一点了解。 事实上，第 12 节即使作为开场白也可能有所帮助。 “克里特岛人总是骗子、邪恶的野兽、懒惰的贪吃者”——这并不完全是商会 对这个地方的推荐。 但第15节说， “对于纯洁的人来说，万物都是纯洁的。 但对那些被玷污和不信的人来说， 没有什么是纯洁的，他们的心思和良心都被玷污了。 他们自称认识上帝，却以自己的行为否认上帝， 是可憎的、不顺服的，对任何善行都毫无价值。

Now it may well be that there were religious people in Crete, professing to know God, but not knowing Jesus Christ.   That's very evident.   They were defiled. They were unbelieving.   They were impure.   Their mind, their conscience was defiled, their deeds denied the knowledge of God, they were detestable, disobedient, and they were worthless with regard to any good deed.   This may well be the characterization of the local pagan Gentiles.   And they need to know that this man comes not with the authority of Moses. The Jews need to know that he comes as Moses came, the slave of Jehovah, and the Gentiles need to know he comes as the messenger of Jesus Christ with the saving gospel.   Now certainly that's a word for the Jews as well, but it may be that it covers the ground.   If you look at both those titles and see one having an emphasis toward the Jews, the other having an emphasis toward the Gentiles.

现在，克里特岛很可能有一些宗教人士，他们自称认识上帝， 但不认识耶稣基督。 这是非常明显的。他们被玷污了。 他们不信。 他们是不纯洁的。 他们的心思、良心被玷污， 他们的行为否认了对上帝的认识，他们是可憎的， 不顺服的，他们在任何善行上都毫无价值。 这很可能就是当地异教外邦人的特征。 他们需要知道，这个人不是带着摩西的权柄来的。 犹太人需要知道他来了，就像摩西来了一样，是耶和华的奴隶，外邦人需要知道他是作为 耶稣基督的使者带着救恩的福音来的。 当然，这也是对犹太人的词，但它可能涵盖了地面。 如果你看看这两个标题，发现一个强调犹太人， 另一个强调外邦人。

Another way to look at it is this.   “Slave of God” is an Old Testament name of authority.   “Apostle of Jesus Christ” is a New Testament name of authority.   He then comes to the Jews with Old Testament, with the equivalent of Old Testament authority.   He comes to the Gentiles with the equivalent of New Testament apostolic authority.   He is then in every sense the slave of God, the messenger of Jesus Christ.   It cannot be gainsaid by Jew or Gentile.   He is under divine mastery, and he is committed totally and singularly to his master.

另一种看待它的方式是这个。 “上帝的奴隶”是旧约中权柄的名称。 “耶稣基督的使徒” 是新约中权柄的名称。 然后，他带着旧约的权柄来到犹太人面前，具有相当于旧约的权柄。 他带着相当于新约使徒权柄来到外邦人面前。 那么，从任何意义上来说，他都是上帝的奴隶， 耶稣基督的使者。 犹太人或外邦人都不能说出这一点。 他处于神圣的掌控之下，他完全、专一地委身于他的主人。

And I might simply add that if you read Acts chapter 22 you really feel the heartbeat of this man as the testimony of what happened on the day that he was confronted with Christ finds its way into his first-person description.   Let me just share with you that in Acts 22:6 Paul recites that on that road to Damascus, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven.   It was about noon.   He fell to the ground.   He was confronted with Christ.   In verse 10 he says, "What shall I do?   And the Lord said to me, `Arise and go on into Damascus and there will be there’” – “‘you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’"   From the very outset he said, “What do I do?”   God says, “You go in there and I'll tell you what to do.”   And you know where it went from there - how he was commissioned to preach. And in verse 21 - sort of wraps it up in Acts 22 – “He said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you.’"

我可以简单地补充一点，如果你读使徒行传 第22章，你会真正感受到这个人的心跳，因为他与基督对峙那天所发生的事情的见证进入了他的第一人称描述。 让我与大家分享一下使徒行传 22：6保罗在通往大马士革的路上背诵道： 突然有一道非常明亮的光从天上闪过。 大约是中午。 他倒在地上。 他与基督对峙。 在第 10 节中，他说：“ 我该怎么办？耶和华对我说： '你起来往大马士革去，那里就必有人行'” ——“'凡所指定要你做的事，都必告诉你。'” 从一开始，他就说：“ 我该怎么办呢？神说：“你进去，我就告诉你该怎么做。 ”你知道事情从那里去哪里——他是如何被委派去传道的。在第21节——在使徒行传22章中总结了这一点——“他对我说： '你去吧，因为我要差遣你去。

So Paul gave the recitation of his own submission in Acts chapter 22.   He really then becomes the model for our submission, doesn't he?   All effective, all powerful, all useful, all fruitful, all genuinely spiritual people see themselves as under divine authority.   That becomes the controlling influence of their life.   They say with the apostle Paul, "I don't count my life dear unto myself, it's of little consequence to me what happens in my own life as regards to my own comfort or my own success. I am under authority."   These kinds of people don't fulfill a personal agenda - they aren't building a personal empire; they aren't pursuing personal goals; they aren't trying to achieve personal accomplishments.   They are subject to the master whose slave they are. They are subject to the master whose messenger they are and in whose will is their life and their joy.

因此，保罗在使徒行传第22章中背诵了他自己的顺服。 然后他真的成为我们降服的榜样， 不是吗？所有有效的、所有强大的、所有 有用的、所有结果子、所有真正属灵的人都 认为自己处于神圣的权柄之下。 这成为他们生活的控制性影响。 他们和使徒保罗说：“ 我不把我的生命看作是珍贵的，我自己的生活中发生的事情对我自己的舒适或我自己的成功来说无关紧要。 我在权威之下。 这类人没有实现个人 议程——他们没有建立个人帝国; 他们不追求个人目标; 他们并不是试图实现个人成就。 他们服从他们是奴隶的主人。 他们服从主人，主人是他们的使者 ，他们的生命和喜乐是他的旨意。

When Paul came to the end of his life in that last epistle to Timothy, he wrote - just across the page you can see it in chapter 4 of 2 Timothy, verse 17 - he said, "The Lord stood with me, the Lord strengthened me in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was delivered out of the lion's mouth.   And the Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom."   That's his only goal.   I just want to keep preaching; I just want to get through the whole ministry.   I want to preach fully what He wants me to preach.   He'll protect me as long as I'm faithful, and He'll bring me to His kingdom.   That was and that should be the goal of everyone who follows the pattern of Paul - under God's control until the end.

当保罗在给提摩太的最后一封书信中临终时，他写道——就在提摩太后书第4章第17节—— 他说：“ 耶和华与我同站，加给我力量，使宣讲借着我完全完成，使一切外邦人都能听见， 我从狮子口里被救出来。 耶和华必救我脱离一切恶行 ，把我安全地带到他的天国。 这是他唯一的目标。 我只想继续讲道; 我只想完成整个事工。 我想充分地传讲祂要我传讲的话。 只要我忠心，他就会保护我， 他会把我带到他的国度。 这曾经是，也应该是每个遵循保罗模式的人的目标—— 在上帝的统治下直到最后。

There, then, is the very beginning of all spiritual effectiveness.   You are under authority.   You are a slave of God and a messenger of Jesus Christ.

因此，这就是所有精神功效的开始。 你在权威之下。你是神的奴隶，是耶稣基督的使者。

Now not in the same sense that Paul was - certainly that's not true in my life.   I'm not an apostle with a capital a. I'm not one of the Twelve, or Paul who saw the resurrected Christ.   But I am, nonetheless, a slave of God and a messenger of Christ, and so are you.   It's only a question of degree.   That was Paul's first and undying commitment.   And that commitment sustained him through his life.

现在，保罗的意义上不同了——当然，在我的生活中不是这样。 我不是大写的使徒一个. 我不是十二使徒中的一员，也不是 看到复活基督的保罗。 但我是上帝的奴隶，是基督的使者， 你们也是。这只是一个程度问题。 这是保罗的第一个也是永恒的承诺。 这种承诺支撑着他一生。

Let me give you a second commitment - and we won't be able to cover all of this because it's such a rich one, but I want to give at least a part of it.   The second thing he was committed to was God's mission - not only God's mastery in his life, but he was committed to God's mission.   Please note verse 1 again, this man who is “the bond-servant” or the doulos, “the slave of God and the messenger of Jesus Christ,” was “for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life.”   We'll stop at that point.

让我给你们第二个承诺—— 我们无法涵盖所有这些，因为它太丰富了， 但我想至少给出其中的一部分。 他委身的第二件事是上帝的使命—— 不仅上帝对他生命的掌控， 而且他也致力于上帝的使命。 请再次注意第1节， 这个人是“奴仆” 或杜洛斯，“上帝的奴隶和耶稣基督的使者”。 是“为神所拣选的人的信心，并认识按着敬虔的真理，对永生的盼望”。到此为止。

Here he tells us what his mission was.   He not only lived to do God's will and to do Christ's bidding, but to fulfill a very specific mission that was their will.   And here we move to the very straight-forward and specific expression of the will of God for his ministry.   And again, I just remind you, this is compact. What you have in verse 1 and 2 you could probably preach on for six months. It's so rich - more of this condensed, concentrated, vacuum-packed, profound stuff. And we're going to have to let it expand a little bit, although we're not going to spend months but must maybe a couple of Sundays looking at it.

在这里，他告诉我们他的使命是什么。 他活着不仅是为了遵行上帝的旨意和遵行基督的命令， 而且是为了完成一个非常具体的使命，即他们的旨意。 在这里，我们转向非常直接 和具体地表达上帝对他事工的旨意。 再一次，我只是提醒你，这是紧凑的。 你在第 1 节和第 2 节中所拥有的内容，你可能会讲六个月。 它是如此丰富——更多的是这种浓缩的、浓缩的、 真空包装的、深刻的东西。我们将不得不让它扩大一点， 尽管我们不会花几个月的时间，但可能必须花几个星期天来研究它。

In verse 1, and then into verse 2, Paul is talking about the mission on which he was sent.   Now let me show you, it's three parts, okay?   Part one, "For the faith of those chosen of God."   Part two, "For the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness."   Part three, "For the hope of eternal life."   Those are the three aspects of his ministry, and they are profound and comprehensive.

在第1节，然后进入第2节， 保罗谈到了他被差遣去执行的使命。 现在让我给大家看看， 分为三个部分， 好吗？第一部分，“为神所拣选之人的信心”。 第二部分，“为要认识合着敬虔的真理”。 第三部分，“为了永生的盼望”。 这是他事工的三个方面，它们是深刻而全面的。

The first one says he was for evangelization, the faith of those chosen of God.   The second one, he was for edification, the knowledge of the truth which produces godliness.   The third one, he was for endurance, the hope that sustains in view of eternal life.   We could call that encouragement.   He was for evangelism.   He was for edification.   And he was for encouragement.   That is the threefold mission.   And that is the same threefold mission for every preacher and every teacher and every believer.   We are for the bringing of the lost to Christ; we are for the training up of the saved to godliness; and we are for the encouragement that allows for endurance unto eternal life - a threefold mission statement is given in those great words.

第一个说他是为了福传，是上帝所拣选的人的信仰。 第二，他是为了造就，就是对真理的认识，从而产生敬虔。 第三个，他是为了忍耐，是因永生而维持的盼望。 我们可以称之为鼓励。 他赞成传福音。 他是为了造就人。 他是为了鼓励。 这就是三重使命。 这是对每个传道人、每个教师和每个信徒 的三重使命。 我们赞成将失丧的人带到基督面前; 我们是要训练得救的人成为敬虔; 我们支持鼓励，使人能够忍耐到永生—— 这些伟大的话语中给出了三重使命宣言。

Let's just look at the first one.   Paul says, "As a slave of God and a messenger of Jesus Christ” - here's my mission – “for the faith of those chosen of God,” “for the faith of those chosen of God."   What does he mean?   Listen carefully; here's what he means.   To bring the elect to the point of saving faith - that's what he means.   My first mission, my first goal, is to bring the elect to the point of saving faith.   Those chosen of God are the elect, the ones that the Lord has chosen for salvation.   Paul's job is to be a messenger for their faith, because the elect are not redeemed until they activate faith when hearing the truth.   And so Paul says, “I have come, I have been sent to preach the truth which activates the faith which saves the elect.”   He was for the faith of those chosen by God.

让我们看看第一个。 保罗说，“作神的奴仆，耶稣基督的使者” ——这是我的使命——“为神所拣选的人的信心”， “为神所拣选的人的信心”。 他是什么意思？䏃; 这就是他的意思。 把选民带到得救的信心的地步——这就是他的意思。我的第一个使命， 我的第一个目标，是将选民带到得救信心的地步。 神所拣选的人是选民， 是主为救恩所拣选的人。 保罗的工作是成为他们信心的使者， 因为选民在听到真理时激活信心之前不会被救赎。 保罗说：“ 我来了，我被差遣来传真理，能激活信心，拯救选民。 他是为了那些被上帝拣选的人的信心。

Back in 2 Timothy 2:10 he says - he's willing in verse 9 to suffer hardship, even imprisonment as a criminal; I'll suffer anything - verse 10, "For this reason” - Why do you go through this? – “I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen."   Why?   "In order that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory."   I'll endure anything to get the elect saved.   That's his whole purpose.

返回提摩太后书 2：10他说——在第9节，他愿意受苦， 甚至作为罪犯入狱; 我愿意受任何痛苦 - 第 10 节， “为此”——你为什么经历这件事？ – “我为那些被拣选的人忍受一切。” 为什么？“使他们也得着在基督耶稣里的救恩，并随之得 着永远的荣耀。” 为了得救选民，我会忍受一切 。这就是他的全部目的。

Simply stated, point one, "I will give my life to see people saved."   That's his mission.   And he was committed to it.   He was committed to a life of evangelization.

简单地说，第一点，“我将献出我的生命来看到人们得救。 这就是他的使命。 他致力于此。他致力于福传的生活。

That little phrase, "those chosen of God," is also used in Romans 8:33; "God's elect" it is often translated.   It is also used in Colossians 3:12, that's the only other places it's used in the New Testament.   But it is a well-known Old Testament term.   And again, it may be that any Jews hovering around the church there would identify immediately with that phrase "God's elect," because in the Old Testament it was a title for Israel.   You find in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verse 6; Deuteronomy chapter 14, verse 2; Israel is designated as God's elect, the chosen of God.   But now there is a new group, a new church, chosen of God.   And Paul's mission was to bring to those chosen of God saving faith through the preaching of the gospel.

那句话，“神所拣选的人” 也用于罗马书 8：33;“上帝的选民”，它经常被翻译。 它也用于歌罗西书 3：12, 这是新约中唯一使用它的地方。 但它是旧约中一个众所周知的术语。 再说一次，任何在教堂周围徘徊的犹太人可能会 立即认同“上帝的选民”这个词， 因为在旧约中，它是以色列的头衔。 你会在申命记第7章第 6节找到;申命记第14章第 2节;以色列被指定为上帝的选民， 上帝的选民。 但现在有一个新的团体，一个新的教会，是 神所拣选的。保罗的使命是 通过传福音给那些被神拣选的人带来得救的信心。

Now I don't need to beg this issue either, but just to mention that some of you may be saying, "Well now, are you saying that people who come to salvation are saved because God chose them to be saved?"   I'm not saying that - the Bible is, and I'm echoing it.   It's obvious; it's all through Scripture.   We don't need to take a great amount of time but just to remind you of scriptures that are very, very explicit.   In John 15:16 it is said, as specifically as it could ever be said; Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain."   “You didn't choose Me, I chose you.”   That pattern follows through in the teaching of the book of Acts.   In Acts chapter 13, verse 46, "Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life...we're turning to the Gentiles. For thus the Lord has commanded us, “I have placed you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the end of the earth.”’ And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."   As many as had been already chosen for eternal life believed.

现在，我也不需要乞求这个问题， 但我想提一下，你们中的一些人可能会说， “那么，你们是说，那些得救的人 之所以得救，是因为神拣选了他们得救吗？ 我不是这么说——圣经是， 我正在呼应它。 这是显而易见的;这都是通过圣经的。 我们不需要花很多时间，只是 提醒你非常， 非常露骨。在约翰福音 15：16有人说，尽可能具体地说; 耶稣说：“你不是拣选了我， 是我拣选了你，命你去结果子，你的果子就要留着。 “不是你选择了我， 我选择了你。”使徒行传的教导也遵循了这种模式。 在使徒行传第13章46节中 ，“保罗和巴拿巴放胆说： '神的道必须先对你们说; 既然你们拒绝了它，并认为自己不配 得永生......我们转向外邦人。 因为耶和华这样吩咐我们说： 『我把你们放在外邦人，作外邦人的光， 叫你们把救恩带到地极。』 外邦人听见这话，就欢喜，为耶和华的话而荣耀。 凡被指定得永生的，都信了。 凡已经被拣选为永生的人，都相信了。

You find now, moving from the gospels, where Jesus said it, to the book of Acts where it is reiterated by the Holy Spirit inspiring the writer Luke into the epistles themselves; you come into Romans; you find the very same thing is taught in Romans.   Romans 9:13, "It is written, ‘Jacob I loved and Esau I hated.’   What shall we say then?   There is injustice with God?” - Is there? – “May it never be.   For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,...I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’"   In other words, "I'll do what I want."   And “it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”   It's God's choice.   It's God's choice.

现在，你会发现，从福音书中耶稣所说的福音书，到使徒行传中，圣灵在书信中默示作者路加福音的重申; 你进入罗马书; 你会发现罗马书中也教导了同样的事情。 罗马书 9：13，“经上记着说：'我爱雅各，我恨以扫。 那我们该说什么呢？ 上帝有不公正吗？ - 有吗？– “但愿永远不会。 因为他对摩西说： '我必怜悯我怜悯谁,...我会怜悯谁，我就会怜悯谁。 换句话说，“我会做我想做的事”。 “这不取决于那愿意的人或奔跑的人， 乃取决于怜悯的上帝。这是上帝的选择。这是上帝的选择。

You find, coming into Ephesians chapter 1, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world."   He predestined us to the adoption of sons.   You come into 1 Thessalonians, you find the very same thing - I'm only giving you some samples.   "That we are brethren beloved by God and we are chosen by Him."   Second Thessalonians, the same thing; chapter 2, verse 13, "God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation."   On it goes.

你会发现，在以弗所书第1章， “我们主耶稣基督的父神是应当称颂的，他在基督里把天上各样属灵的祝福赐给我们， 正如他在创世以前在他里面拣选了我们一样。 他预定了我们要收养儿子。 你读到帖撒罗尼迦前书， 你会发现同样的事情——我只是给你一些样本。 “我们是神所爱的弟兄，是神所拣选的。” 帖撒罗尼迦后书，也是一样的; 第2章13节，“神从起初就拣选了你们，叫你们得救。继续下去。

Now that divine choice in eternity past. Our names, Revelation says, were written in the Lamb's book of life before the foundation of the world.   We were chosen in Christ.   We'll see a little more about that as we move through this text and even as we study further into Titus.   But that divine choice that God made in eternity past is activated in time by personal faith.   And so look at Titus 1 again, and you get the feeling here of what Paul is saying.   They're chosen of God, but I have been sent for the activation of their faith.   That's what we all do, beloved; we are all in the world for that.   That's the Great Commission, “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” make disciples.   Why?   Because God will use you as the means of bringing the message that activates the faith of His elect.   They can't be saved without personal faith, “for by grace are you saved,” Ephesians 2:8 and 9, “through faith.”   Romans 3 says salvation is by faith; justification is by faith.

现在，这是永恒过去的神圣选择。 启示录说，我们的名字 是在创世之前就写在羔羊的生命册上。 我们在基督里被拣选了。 当我们阅读这段经文时，甚至当我们进一步研究提多书时， 我们会看到更多关于这一点的信息。 但是，上帝在永恒的过去所做的神圣选择 ，在时间上被个人的信仰激活了。 因此，再看看提多书第1章， 你就会感受到保罗在说什么。 他们是神所拣选的， 但我被差遣来激活他们的信仰。 亲爱的，这就是我们都在做的; 我们都为此而来到这个世界。 这就是大使命， “往普天下去，把福音传给万物”，使人作门徒。 为什么？因为神会使用你作为传递信息的手段，激活他选民的信心。 如果没有个人的信心，他们就无法得救， “因为你们得救是因恩典”。 以弗所书 2：8和9, “通过信心。”罗马书 3 章说救恩是因信;称义是因信。

So Paul says, "I know my mission.   My mission is to give the elect the opportunity to hear the saving gospel so they can believe and be redeemed.   That's my mission.   That's my purpose."

所以保罗说：“我知道我的使命。 我的使命是让选民有机会 听到得救的福音，这样他们就可以相信并得到救赎。 这就是我的使命。这就是我的目的。

Now, you can see in just looking at as much as we've looked at up to this point that here is a man whose life is very confined.   He says, first of all, "I am a slave.   I am a slave of God.   I have no will of my own, no personal agenda, no goals, no purpose, no plan for my life but that which is God's will and purpose.   My slavery is defined as being a messenger on behalf of Jesus Christ which means I bear the Word of Christ, the message of Christ.   That's who I am.   That's why I live.   Consequently I will do nothing to cause myself to step out of my commitment to God's mastery.   I will not act independently.   I will not create my own agenda.   I will not set my life in its own direction.”   And so he was controlled by his commitment.

现在，只要 看看我们到目前为止所看到的那么多，你就会发现，这是一个生命非常有限的人。 他说，首先，“我是一个奴隶。我是上帝的奴隶。 我没有自己的意志，没有个人议程， 没有目标，没有目的，没有我的生活计划，只有上帝的旨意和目的。 我的奴隶身份被定义为 代表耶稣基督的使者，这意味着我携带基督的话语， 基督的信息。 这就是我。这就是我活着的原因。因此，我不会做任何事情来使自己 脱离我对上帝掌管的承诺。 我不会独立行动。 我不会制定自己的议程。 我不会让自己的生活朝着自己的方向发展。 因此，他被自己的承诺所控制。

Secondly he says, “I am a man who understands my mission.   Not only the mastery of God but the mission of God, and I know that mission is that I might be the instrument by which the chosen come to faith.”   What a tremendous thing that is.

其次，他说：“我是一个了解我使命的人。 不仅是对上帝的掌控，而且是上帝的使命， 我知道使命是让我成为 被拣选的人归信的工具。 这是多么了不起的事情。

Listen, Paul knew that it wasn't his cleverness that converted people.   Paul knew that it wasn't the uniqueness of his style that converted people.   It wasn't the depth of his own ability to reason and preach that converted people.   What he knew was the simple gospel, when it hit the heart of the elect, brought about conversion.   And so he says to the Corinthians, "I am determined to know nothing among you except Christ and Him crucified.   I didn't come to you with the words of wisdom” - man's wisdom – “I didn't come to you with clever speech. I came determined to know nothing among you except Christ and Him crucified."   The simplicity of his message.

听着，保罗知道，不是他的聪明才智使人得到转变。 保罗知道，不是他独特的风格使人皈依。 使人皈依的不是他自己推理和讲道的能力的深度。 他知道的是，当简单的福音 击中选民的心时，它就会带来转变。 因此，他对哥林多人说：“ 我决心在你们中间，除了基督和钉十字架的他之外，别无所知。 我不是带着智慧的话语来到你们那里的“ ——人的智慧——”我不是带着聪明的话语来到你们那里的。 我来定决心，除了基督和钉十字架的他，在你们中间别无所知。 他的信息很简单。

When I hear people say about me, and I hear it quite often, "MacArthur is biblical, but he's not relevant."   I am, frankly, not distressed by that but complimented, because if ever I am anything but biblical I have prostituted this task.   The simplicity of ministry is its genius.   The elect will respond to the gospel.   It isn't a question of repackaging it.   The knowledge of the gospel elicits faith in the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of those chosen.

当我听到人们谈论我时， 我经常听到， “麦克阿瑟是符合圣经的， 但他并不相关。 坦率地说，我并不为此感到痛苦，而是受到赞美， 因为如果我不符合圣经，我就把这项任务卖淫了。 事工的简单性是它的天才。 选民会回应福音。 这不是重新包装它的问题。 福音的知识使人们对圣灵在被拣选的人的生活中的能力充满信心。

So, I don't see myself as somebody who has to go around and try to talk people into being converted, and somebody who has to run across the world in a frenzy and a panic trying to convert everybody in sight.   In fact, I grieve when I see these things that say, "If you'll give us this many dollars, we'll guarantee you this many conversions."   But sometimes that kind of solicitation is done in the name of ministry.   That's not the task.   The task is simply to know this: there are God's elect all over the world, and I want to be the instrument where God can use me as the instrument to bring them the message of Christ so that it can activate saving faith.   What a joy.

所以，我不认为自己是一个必须四处走动，试图说服人们获得转变的人，也不是一个必须在疯狂和恐慌中跑遍世界，试图让眼前的每个人都得到转变的人。 事实上，当我看到这些说“如果你给我们这么多美元， 我们就会保证你这么多的转变”时，我会感到悲伤。 但有时这种招揽是以事工的名义进行的。 这不是任务。 任务很简单，就是知道这一点：世界各地都有神的选民， 我想成为神可以使用我的工具，将基督的信息带给他们，从而激活得救的信心。多么高兴啊。

Yes, there's a certain joy in being used to bless someone's life by being the instrument of their salvation, but the greater joy is being counted useful to God Himself, to be that kind of agency.   So Paul says, "My mission is very clear.   I am for the faith of those chosen by God."

是的，被用来祝福 某人的生命，成为他们得救的工具，是有一定的喜乐，但更大的喜乐是被认为对神自己有用， 成为这种选择权。 所以保罗说：“我的使命非常明确。我为神所拣选的人的信心。

That's only one out of three, but we'll have to look at the rest next time.   Time passes so fast.

这只是三分之一，但下次我们必须看看其余的。时间过得真快。

Father, thank You this morning again that our lives can be led and guided by Your Word.   We thank You for the commitments of this great man, Paul, who could have laid out a string of achievements and accomplishments and exemplary patterns of life and behavior and said, "On the basis of all of this, listen to me," but he didn't.   Rather than take the place of pride, he took the place of humility and said, "I'm nothing but a slave, and I've been sent on a mission."   He had a commitment to Your mastery in his life; speaks of a pattern that we must have in our own lives.   May we see ourselves as slaves, slaves to God, messengers of Jesus Christ.   In neither title is there anything lofty.   Slave is the lowest, the humblest of all, and a messenger is simply one sent as a slave with a duty.   Lord, may we see ourselves committed to Your mastery with no personal agenda, no pursuit of our personal goals but only living to do Your bidding, to serve You, to do Your will, and to represent Jesus Christ.   And may we understand not only Your mastery but Your mission. And may we know that it begins in the sense that You want to use us to bring about the gospel to elicit faith in the heart of the heart of the elect.   What a tremendous, what a thrilling mission that You don't need our innovation and our creativity. You don't need our cleverness; You just need us to be faithful to preach the message that produces in the power of the Spirit saving faith in the hearts of the elect.   O God, may we be so faithful.   And even as we anticipate next Lord's Day and the rest of that mission, may You use us also to bring the knowledge of the truth that produces godliness, and the hope of eternal life that produces encouragement through all the trials and struggles of life.   May we live for these things for which Paul lived and died, fulfilling his calling.

天父啊，今天早上再次感谢你，让我们 的生活可以被你的话语引导和引导。 我们为这位伟人保罗的承诺感谢你 ，他本可以列出一系列的成就 和成就，以及生活和行为的模范模式，并说：“根据这一切，你们要听我的话”，但他没有这样做。他没有取代骄傲，而是代替谦卑，说 ：“我不过是一个奴隶， 我被差遣去传教。 ”他承诺在他的生活中掌管祢;谈到我们在自己的生活中必须拥有的模式。 愿我们将自己视为奴隶、 上帝的奴隶、耶稣基督的使者。 这两个头衔都没有什么崇高的东西。 奴隶是 所有奴隶中最低级、最卑微的，而使者只是被差遣为有职责的奴隶。 主啊，愿我们看到自己委身于你的掌管，没有个人的议程， 没有追求我们的个人目标，只是活着去遵行你的命令，服侍你，遵行你的旨意， 并代表耶稣基督。 愿我们不仅了解你的掌管，而且了解你的使命。愿我们知道，这始于 祢要使用我们来带来福音，在 选民心中引起信心。这是多么伟大、 多么激动人心的使命，祢不需要我们的创新和创造力。祢不需要我们的聪明;你只需要我们忠心传讲 信息，在圣灵的大能中，在选民的心中产生拯救的信心。神啊，愿我们如此信实。 即使我们期待下一个主日和该使命的其余部分，也愿您也使用我们带来对真理的认识，从而产生敬虔， 以及永生的盼望，在生活中的所有考验和挣扎中 产生鼓励。愿我们为保罗为之生而死的这些事而活，完成他的呼召。

Thank You for giving us a pattern of a godly leader who made commitments and kept them to the very end.   May we be so faithful.   We pray in our Savior's dear name.   Amen.

感谢你给了我们一个敬虔的领袖的榜样，他做出承诺并坚持到底。 愿我们如此忠诚。我们奉救主亲爱的名祷告。阿门。