We are so blessed week in and week out to be studying together the Word of God and have its truths opened to our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit.   What a tremendous, tremendous privilege it is.   Every text that we come to as the months and years go by carries with it such great truth, such heart-searching truth, such life-changing truth. And I, I find that the adventure of my own preparation each week is an exhilarating joy.

我们非常幸运，一周又一周地一起学习上帝的话语，并被圣灵向我们的心灵和思想打开它的真理。这是多么巨大的特权。随着时间的流逝，我们所读到的每一节经文都带有如此伟大的真理，如此令人反省的真理，如此改变生命的真理。而我，我发现每周自己准备的冒险是一种令人振奋的快乐。

This week, however - as was last week - is a bit hard for me to preach because I'm talking about what I do in talking about the qualifications for one who is a pastor.   And I want you to understand that I come to this pulpit humbly, and I come to this pulpit not at all advocating myself as the pattern or the model for these things. I come to the pulpit as one who is really myself under the authority of what the Scripture says, and I must bring it to bear upon my own life, so this is indeed an exercise in my own spiritual life.   I have been through this text now for days and days and it has searched out my own heart, as do all of those that particularly pertain to the ministry and those who are qualified.   And whatever God has done in my life in ministry, whatever he is doing and shall do in the future, is strictly and only due to His grace, which is abundant in me and for which I give Him all the glory.

然而，本周——就像上周一样——对我来说有点难以讲道，因为我谈论的是我在谈论牧师资格方面所做的事情。我希望你们明白，我谦卑地来到这个讲台上，我来到这个讲台上，根本不是在鼓吹自己是这些事情的榜样或榜样。我来到讲台上时，是一个真正在圣经所说的权柄下的我自己，我必须把它带到我自己的生活中，所以这确实是我自己属灵生活的一种锻炼。我已经读了这段经文，它已经找到了我自己的心，以及所有与事工特别相关的人和那些有资格的人。无论神在我的事工生活中所做的，无论他正在做什么，以及将来要做的，都完全是由于他的恩典，这恩典在我里面是丰盛的，我为此把所有的荣耀都归给他。

We're studying Titus chapter 1 and we're looking at verses 5 to 9, which give us the required character for a pastor or an elder.   We are examining what kind of man the Lord wants to lead His church.   This instruction is explicit, unarguable, it is not negotiable. It is simple and straightforward.   It tells us precisely, without equivocation, that there are certain men who fit as leaders in the Lord's church and there are certain men who do not.   It is crucial for the life of the church, the future of the church, that it might continue to become more and more like Jesus Christ, that the right men are its pastors, elders, overseers, leaders.

我们正在学习提多书第1章，我们正在研究第5至9节，这给了我们牧师或长老所需的品格。我们正在研究主想要什么样的人来领导他的教会。该指令是明确的、无可争议的、没有商量余地的。它简单明了。它毫不含糊地告诉我们，在主的教会中，有些人适合担任领袖，而有些人则不适合。对于教会的生活，教会的未来来说，至关重要的是，它能够继续变得越来越像耶稣基督，合适的人是教会的牧师、长老、监督、领袖。

In general, the role of leadership is one of example.   Obviously precept is there, but behind anything we say is what we are.   And that is why in this text, starting in verse 5 and running down to verse 9, you don't hear anything about teaching until you come to verse 9.   Only as the last category of discussion does the apostle Paul talk about men who are skilled in holding forth the faithful Word.   Up until that point, everything has to do with character.   The character of the man is the foundation of his preaching and teaching because the pattern of his life is the platform for his proclamation.   We are preachers and we are teachers, we are articulators of truth, but at the same time that is done from the platform of a virtuous life.   Leadership primarily is example.   We are called to live what we preach and teach.   We are to set a pattern for others to follow in our own lives, as well as what we say.   The apostle Paul reminds us of that in a number of places, as do other New Testament writers.   Philippians 3:17, Paul says, "Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.   Follow people who follow me because I follow Christ."   That's leadership in the church.

一般来说，领导的角色就是一个例子。显然，戒律就在那里，但我们所说的一切背后都是我们是什么。这就是为什么在这段经文中，从第 5 节开始一直到第 9 节，直到你读到第 9 节，你才听到任何关于教导的内容。只有在最后一类讨论中，使徒保罗才谈到善于宣扬忠心话语的人。在那之前，一切都与性格有关。人的品格是他讲道和教导的基础，因为他的生活模式是他宣讲的平台。我们是传道人，我们是教师，我们是真理的阐述者，但与此同时，这是在美德生活的平台上完成的。领导力主要是榜样。我们被呼召要活出我们所宣扬和教导的。我们要为其他人树立一个模式，让他们在自己的生活中效仿，以及我们所说的话。使徒保罗在许多地方提醒我们这一点，其他新约作者也是如此。腓立比书 3：17，保罗说：“弟兄们，你们要一起效法我的榜样，观察那些按照你们在我们里面的榜样行事的人。跟随跟随我的人，因为我跟随基督。这就是教会的领导力。

In 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse 9, Paul says that we “offer ourselves as a model for you that you might follow our example.”   In 1 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 12, Paul says to Timothy that you are to be an example “in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity,” an example that others can follow. In Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 7, the readers are told to “remember those who led them, who spoke the word,” and they are to “imitate their faith,” follow their life pattern.   In 1 Peter 5, Peter says that under shepherds, pastors, are “to be examples to the flock.”

在帖撒罗尼迦后书第3章9节中，保罗说我们“为你们献上榜样，叫你们效法我们的榜样”。在提摩太前书第4章和第12节，保罗对提摩太说，你要“在言语、行为、爱心、信心、纯洁上”作榜样，成为别人可以效法的榜样。在希伯来书第13章和第7节中，读者被告知要“记住那些引导他们的人，说道的”，他们要“效法他们的信心”，遵循他们的生活模式。在彼得前书5章中，彼得说，在牧人之下，牧师要“为羊群作榜样”。

I suppose it's summed up in 1 Corinthians 11:1 where Paul says, "Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ."   And so leadership is basically spiritual virtue, spiritual character, spiritual maturity, godliness, holiness, righteousness, integrity of life that sets a pattern for others to follow.

我想这在哥林多前书 11：1 中得到了总结，保罗说：“你们要跟随我，像我跟随基督一样。因此，领导基本上是属灵的美德、属灵品格、属灵成熟、敬虔、圣洁、公义、正直的生活，为其他人树立了榜样。

When Paul wants to find a way to illustrate this kind of leadership, when he wants to find some other arena to draw as an analogy for this, interestingly enough he chooses the family.   Look at a very important text, 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, 1 Thessalonians chapter 2.   Paul here is describing to the Thessalonians the nature of his ministry.   And he describes it beginning in verse 7 in some very wonderful terms.   First Thessalonians 2:7, "We proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.   You're witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory."

当保罗想找到一种方法来说明这种领导力时，当他想找到其他的领域来比喻这一点时，有趣的是，他选择了家庭。请看一段非常重要的经文，帖撒罗尼迦前书第2章，帖撒罗尼迦前书第2章。保罗在这里向帖撒罗尼迦人描述他事工的性质。他从第7节开始用一些非常奇妙的词语描述了它。帖撒罗尼迦前书 2：7，“我们在你们中间是温柔的，像乳母温柔地照顾自己的孩子一样。我们对你怀有深情，不仅将上帝的福音传给你，而且将我们自己的生命传给你，因为你对我们来说已经变得非常亲爱了。弟兄们，你们回想，我们怎样昼夜劳苦，不给你们任何人带来负担，就向你们传福音。你们是见证人，神也是见证人，我们对你们信徒的行为是多么虔诚、正直、无可指责;正如你们知道，我们怎样劝勉、勉励、恳求你们各人，像父亲对待自己的儿女一样，使你们能以配得上那召你们进入他自己的国度和荣耀的神行事。

Verse 7 mentions a mother, and verse 11 mentions a father.   And all around those two are various characteristics of a mother and a father: the gentleness; the nursing mother; the tender care; the fond affection; the giving of our lives to the very dear way in which we treated you; the labor; the hardship; the work; the upright, blameless example; the exhortation, encouragement and imploring of you; all speak of parental activity.   We lived with you.   We nurtured you.   We loved you.   We cared for you.   We set a pattern for you.   We sacrificed for you.   We worked for you.   We witnessed to you.   We exhorted, encouraged, implored you.   We wanted you to be worthy and to walk in a worthy way.

第7节提到母亲，第11节提到父亲。围绕着这两个人，是母亲和父亲的各种特征：温柔;哺乳的母亲;温柔的关怀;深情;将我们的生命献给我们对待你们的亲爱方式;劳动力;艰辛;工作;正直、无可指责的榜样;你们的劝勉、鼓励和恳求;都谈到了父母的活动。我们和你一起生活。我们培养了你。我们爱你。我们关心你。我们为您设定了一个模式。我们为你牺牲了。我们为您工作。我们向你们作见证。我们劝勉、鼓励、恳求你们。我们希望你配称，并以配称的方式行事。

There you have the image of the consummate leader in the church.   He's not like a CEO in a company, not at all.   He is like a father in a family.   He is like a mother in a family.   He is a combination of both of those in a spiritual parent.   He is tender and loving and compassionate.   He has a compulsive love which gives its life for the nurturing of others, no matter how great the toil to do so.   He is strong; he is persuasive; he is motivating, courageous.   He sets the pace for others.   He sets the model by example.   And this is a parenting kind of picture.   He lives a life to be imitated.

在那里，你看到了教会中完美领袖的形象。他不像公司的首席执行官，一点也不。他就像一个家庭中的父亲。他就像一个家庭中的母亲。他是属灵父母中这两者的结合。他温柔、充满爱心和同情心。他有一种强迫性的爱，这种爱是为了养育他人而献出生命，无论这样做有多么辛苦。他很坚强;他很有说服力;他有动力，有勇气。他为其他人设定了步伐。他以身作则。这是一种育儿的画面。他过着被模仿的生活。

The spiritual leader in the church is not primarily a producer as industry calls them, somebody who works hard.   He is not primarily a manager, that is, somebody who gets people to work.   He is a leader, that is someone who lives a life that others want to copy.   That's what leadership is.   The producer is somebody who can do a job. The manager is somebody who can mobilize people to accomplish an end.   The leader is someone that others want to be like.   That's what spiritual leadership is.   We're not just producers. I'm not just in the church to produce sermons.   We're not just managers.   I'm not here to organize and structure and mobilize the church to some accomplished goal.   All pastors and elders are here to become patterns that you desire to follow, people you want to become like because they pattern for you the very things they teach from the Word of God. And there's no better way to see that then in the analogy of parenting.   And that's why Paul chooses it there in 1 Thessalonians.

教会中的属灵领袖主要不是业界所说的生产者，即努力工作的人。他主要不是一个经理，也就是说，一个让人们工作的人。他是一个领导者，也就是说，他过着别人想要效仿的生活。这就是领导力。制片人是能胜任工作的人。经理是能够动员人们完成目标的人。领导者是别人想成为的人。这就是属灵领导。我们不仅仅是生产者。我不仅仅是在教会里讲道。我们不仅仅是经理。我来这里不是为了组织、组织和动员教会实现某种已实现的目标。所有的牧师和长老都在这里成为你渴望效仿的榜样，成为你想要成为的人，因为他们为你树立了他们从神的话语中教导的东西的榜样。没有比育儿更好的方式来理解这一点了。这就是为什么保罗在帖撒罗尼迦前书中选择了它。

Paul many times refers to those that are Christians and saints in his life as his children.   John calls them his children in the faith.   Peter calls the believers children.   Why?   Because they all understand that spiritual leadership is a kind of parenting role where you live before people, you set an example before them, as well as teaching, instructing them.   They go together.

保罗多次将他生命中的基督徒和圣徒称为他的孩子。约翰称他们为他在信仰中的孩子。彼得称信徒为孩子。 为什么？ 因为他们都明白，属灵领导是一种养育角色，你生活在人们面前，你在他们面前树立榜样，以及教导、指导他们。他们一起去。

When you have the responsibility to lead people to Christ and to lead them to sanctification and holiness and to lead them to service for the Lord Jesus Christ, you are fathering them, you are nurturing them, you are parenting them, moving them along. And your life must back up what you say if you're to have the power of integrity and credibility in that effort.

当你有责任带领人们归向基督，带领他们成圣和成圣，带领他们为主耶稣基督服务时，你就是在为他们做父亲，你是在养育他们，你是在养育他们，推动他们前进。如果你要在这项努力中拥有正直和可信的力量，你的生活必须支持你所说的话。

Now I believe that's, that’s really a very important concept to have in mind as you come to the text of Titus chapter 1.   Let's go there - Titus chapter 1.   Titus says, "For this reason,” verse 5, “I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man be above reproach, a one-woman man” - and now for this morning we look at this statement – “having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion."

现在我相信，当你阅读提多书第一章的经文时，这确实是一个非常重要的概念。让我们去那里 - 提多书第 1 章。提多说，“为此，”第5节，“我把你们留在克里特岛，是要你们按照我的指示，在各城中整理剩下的，并任命长老，就是如果有人无可指责，就是一个女人”——现在我们今天早上看看这句话——“生儿女相信，不被指为散荡或悖逆”。

Now if you are to be a leader of the Lord's church, if you are to be a father to the family of God as we read about in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, what better way to qualify yourself then by proving your spiritual leadership in your own family.   If you want to know whether a man lives an exemplary life, if you want to know whether he can lead someone to faith in Christ by the power of his own virtue, if you want to know whether he can teach the truth, if you want to know whether he can model it, whether he is consistent, whether he can lead people to salvation, lead them to holiness, lead them to serve God, then look at the most intimate relationships in his life and see if he can do it there.   See if he has integrity there.   See if the credibility is there.   Does a man have integrity and virtue?   Does a man have true godliness and righteousness in all his ways?   Are the principles that he wants to teach lived out in the most intimate way in his own life?   Is he able to lead someone to Christ by the power of his testimony and consistency?   Is he trustworthy?   Is he godly?   Is he virtuous?

现在，如果你要成为主教会的领袖，如果你要成为神家的父亲，正如我们在帖撒罗尼迦前书第2章所读到的那样，还有什么比证明你在自己家庭中的属灵领导能力更好的方法来使自己有资格呢？如果你想知道一个人是否过着榜样的生活，如果你想知道他是否能凭借自己的美德的力量引导一个人信基督，如果你想知道他是否能教导真理，如果你想知道他是否能以身作则，他是否始终如一， 他是否能带领人们走向救赎，引导他们走向圣洁，引导他们事奉上帝，然后看看他生命中最亲密的关系，看看他是否能在那里做到。看看他在那里是否有诚信。看看可信度是否存在。一个人有正直和美德吗？一个人在一切行为上都有真正的敬虔和公义吗？他想要教导的原则是否以最亲密的方式活在他自己的生活中？他是否能够通过他的见证和始终如一的力量带领某人归向基督？他值得信赖吗？他是敬虔的吗？他有德行吗？

You want to know the answer to that?   Look at his family, and you will find the people who know him best - who know him most intimately, who see him most closely, who understand every part of him.   If you want to find the answer to what kind of man he is, ask the people who know him best.

你想知道这个问题的答案吗？看看他的家人，你会发现最了解他的人——他们最了解他，他们最亲密地看到他，他们了解他的每一个部分。如果你想找到他是什么样的人的答案，请问问最了解他的人。

There are many fathers who work hard.   And some fathers who manage their households well, keep everything controlled, but do not lead their children to Christ and do not lead their children to godliness and do not lead their children to serving the Lord.   The men who do are candidates for being pastor or elder.   That's what he's saying here.   Since spiritual leadership is a kind of parenting where you don't just talk it, you live it, and where you must be able to lead people by your life as well as your precepts to certain level of understanding of the truth which leads to salvation and holiness and service, you need to look at some proving ground where you can see that happening, and Paul's simply saying here the proving ground is in the home - it's in the home.

有很多父亲努力工作。有些父亲管理好自己的家庭，控制着一切，却不带领儿女归向基督，不带领儿女敬虔，不带领儿女事奉主。这样做的人是牧师或长老的候选人。这就是他在这里所说的。既然属灵领导是一种养育方式，你不只是说说而已，你还要活出它，你必须能够通过你的生活和你的戒律来引导人们对真理有一定程度的理解，从而获得救赎、圣洁和服务，你需要看看一些试验场，在那里你可以看到这种情况正在发生， 保罗在这里只是说，试验场在家里——在家里。

Now this is, this is a somewhat provocative concept, I understand.   And you may be having all kinds of thoughts, not all of which I'll attempt to answer any more than this text does.   But the simple statement here is the man who is to be considered for leadership in the church is a man who has proven his spiritual leadership in the most intimate place - that's his own family.

现在，这是一个有点挑衅性的概念，我理解。你可能会有各种各样的想法，但我不会像这段经文那样试图回答所有的想法。但这里简单的声明是，在教会中被考虑担任领导的人是一个在最亲密的地方——那就是他自己的家庭——证明了他的属灵领导能力的人。

Now remember, Paul is arming Titus here, as at the end of verse 5 he said, "I already directed you about this." He's simply writing down what they've already discussed, not so much for Titus' benefit but the benefit of the churches in which Titus will be having to do his work.   And it isn't an easy work.   He's on that island called Crete, and he's going from place to place to straighten up what is broken, or bent or crooked, and to ordain elders in every city where there was a church.   And just going in and saying, "Look, I'm going to pick some elders out here and have you people affirm them," was not an easy task, and the church might sort of quibble about who would be selected.   So to arm Titus effectively, the Lord inspires Paul to write down the very specific qualifications.

现在记住，保罗在这里武装提多，正如他在第5节的结尾所说的，“我已经指示你们这事了。他只是把他们已经讨论过的内容写下来，与其说是为了提多的益处，不如说是为了提多将要从事他工作的教会的益处。这不是一件容易的事。他在克里特岛的那个岛上，他要到处纠正破损、弯曲或弯曲的东西，并在每一个有教会的城市按立长老。只是进去说，“看，我要在这里挑选一些长老，让你们确认他们”并不是一件容易的事，教会可能会狡辩谁会被选中。因此，为了有效地武装提多，主启发保罗写下非常具体的资格。

Now these qualifications, starting in verse 6 down to verse 9, can be divided into four categories.   The first was sexual morality.   The second - we're looking at today - is family leadership.   The third, in verses 7 and 8, is general character.   And the fourth and final one, in verse 9, is teaching skill.   If someone is to be an elder or a pastor, they must qualify in all four categories: sexual morality, family leadership, general character, and teaching skill.   And when a man does, of course, in general he will be a man as verse 6 says, and verse 7, who “is above reproach.”   Fourfold package, if you will, and if you are not qualified in one of the four, you do not qualify.

现在，这些资格，从第6节到第9节，可以分为四类。首先是性道德。第二个——我们今天要看的是——是家庭领导力。第三个，在第7节和第8节，是一般品格。第四个也是最后一个，在第 9 节，是教导技巧。如果有人要成为长老或牧师，他们必须具备所有四个类别的资格：性道德、家庭领导、一般品格和教学技巧。当然，当一个人这样做时，他一般都会成为第6节所说的人，以及第7节所说的“无可指责的人”。四重套餐，如果你愿意的话，如果你在四者中没有资格，你就没有资格。

Now what he's saying today is - we're looking at the matter of family leadership - and he is saying “the instruction is simple, Titus” - a pastor or elder, overseer in the church, must be a man who has demonstrated his spiritual leadership ability and his integrity by leading his family to the truth he holds most precious, which is the very same thing he must do in the church.   The family then becomes the proving ground for his unique kind of leadership.   Can he lead by precept?   Can he lead by principle?   And can he support it by the virtue of a righteous life?   Look at his children.   His leadership in the family will be the most obvious place to find the answer.

现在他今天要说的是——我们正在研究家庭领导的问题——他说“提多，教训很简单”——牧师或长老，教会的监督，必须是一个通过带领他的家人走向他所认为的最宝贵的真理来展示他的属灵领导能力和正直的人， 这与他在教会中必须做的同样的事情。然后，这个家庭成为他独特领导力的试验场。他能以戒律领导吗？他能以原则领导吗？他能靠正义的生活来支撑它吗？看看他的孩子。他在家庭中的领导地位将是寻找答案的最明显的地方。

Now let me say this.   A few footnotes.   One, it may be that you as a father have made every effort, every good and righteous effort possible, to lead your children to faith in Christ and you have not seen the fruit that you would desire.   You are not responsible for your child's rejection before God, but neither would you be qualified to be an elder or a pastor in the church.   Secondly, there is nothing in the Scripture that bars a single man from being an elder.   Paul, at the writing of this, was probably single, as best we can tell.   There's nothing in Scripture that bars a single man from leadership, from being an elder in the church.   Furthermore, there is nothing in the Scripture that bars a childless man from being an elder in the church.   But where you don't have marriage, or you don't have children, you have to find other experiences than those in the home to ascertain the man's spiritual leadership.   And if indeed he has been faithful as a spiritual leader in other arenas that will be available to assess.   So I want you to understand that I don't think this is a prohibition against single people or against childless people being elders or pastors, not at all.   It's just that there are going to have to be other areas in which you look to see the impact and the virtue of that life.

现在让我说这个。几个脚注。第一，作为父亲，你可能已经尽了一切努力，尽一切可能的善良和公义的努力，来引导你的孩子相信基督，但你没有看到你所渴望的果子。你不需要为你的孩子在神面前被拒绝负责，但你也没有资格成为教会的长老或牧师。其次，圣经中没有任何内容禁止单身男子成为长老。据我们所知，在写这篇文章时，保罗可能是单身。圣经中没有任何内容禁止一个人担任领导，成为教会的长老。此外，圣经中没有任何内容禁止没有孩子的人成为教会的长老。但是，如果你没有婚姻，或者你没有孩子，你必须找到家庭以外的其他经验来确定这个男人的属灵领导力。如果他确实在其他领域作为精神领袖忠心耿耿，那将可供评估。所以我想让你明白，我不认为这是禁止单身人士或没有孩子的人担任长老或牧师，一点也不。只是你必须在其他领域看到这种生活的影响和美德。

And also, when you see this in verse 6 as flowing right behind the statement "if a man be above reproach," and right before the statement, verse 7, "the overseer must be above reproach," you're really talking here primarily about an above-reproach man. It's almost like a negative rather than a positive.   We are wanting to emphasize the positive impact of his Christianity, but there's also the point that he must “have children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion,” because they would become a reproach on him.   And obviously, if he's not married and doesn't have any, they couldn't.   So it's important for us to note those things.

而且，当你在第6节看到这句话在“人若无可责备”这句话之后，就在第7节“监督必须无可责备”这句话之前，你在这里实际上主要是在谈论一个无可责备的人。这几乎是消极的，而不是积极的。我们想强调他的基督教的积极影响，但还有一点是，他必须“有相信的孩子，而不是被指责为放荡或悖逆”，因为他们会成为对他的责备。显然，如果他没有结婚并且没有结婚，他们就不能。因此，我们注意这些事情很重要。

But the general thrust is this: the family is the proving ground where a man demonstrates his spiritual leadership. And if he has “children who believe,” who are not involved in dissipation and rebellion, they will never bring scandal upon his good name and the integrity of his spiritual leadership.   When a man stands in a pulpit and says, "This is how to live, this is how to conduct yourself, this is God's high standard, this is what God expects of you, this is how you're to raise your children, this is how you pass godliness from one generation to the next," and you look at his life and you say, "Wait a minute, you've got wild and uncontrolled children who live in rebellion and reject the gospel, why are you the guy who is telling us how to do this?"   You can see it brings reproach upon his life.   It questions the integrity of his message.   It sucks the credibility out of it and thus the impact.   It is a unique thing that preachers and elders do.   It is a unique thing that requires a very unique grace from God to qualify them to do it.   But please remember, just because someone is not married or doesn't have a child doesn't mean they're disqualified, it just means the demonstration of their spiritual leadership has to be somewhere else, and we need not worry that one of their children would bring reproach upon them.

但总体主旨是：家庭是一个人展示其精神领导力的试验场。如果他有“相信的儿女”，他们不参与消散和悖逆，他们就永远不会给他的好名声和他属灵领导的正直带来丑闻。当一个人站在讲台上说，“这就是生活方式，这就是行为方式，这是上帝的高标准，这是上帝对你的期望，这就是你如何抚养你的孩子，这就是你如何将敬虔从一代传给下一代”，你看着他的生命，你说， “等一下，你有野蛮、不受控制的孩子，他们生活在叛逆中，拒绝福音，你为什么是那个告诉我们如何做这件事的人？”你可以看到这给他的生活带来了责备。它质疑他信息的完整性。它吸走了它的可信度，从而削弱了影响。这是传道人和长老所做的一件独特的事情。这是一件独特的事情，需要来自上帝的非常独特的恩典才能使他们有资格这样做。但请记住，仅仅因为某人没有结婚或没有孩子并不意味着他们被取消资格，这只是意味着他们的属灵领导力的展示必须在其他地方，我们不必担心他们的一个孩子会给他们带来责备。

Paul is saying “you want to make sure you select men who have a good reputation,” as he says elsewhere, “outside the church as well as inside the church, who will never be discredited by some unbelieving, wayward child, one who claims to believe but is unruly and sinful.”   That kind of child would be a reproach, shattering the model of godly virtue that he is to hold up before the people on the inside of the church and the outside of the church.

保罗说，“你要确保你拣选有良好声誉的人”，正如他在其他地方所说的那样，“在教会外面和教会里面，他们永远不会被一些不信、任性的孩子所诋毁，一个声称相信但不守规矩、有罪的人。这样的孩子将是一种耻辱，粉碎了他在教会内部和教会外部的人面前所要树立的敬虔美德的典范。

So the standard is both positive.   He is to reflect the power of godly living, and he is also to be protected from embarrassing scandal by wayward children.   Both are essential perspectives for his candidacy to be an elder.

所以标准都是积极的。他要反映敬虔生活的力量，也要保护他免受任性孩子的尴尬丑闻。两者都是他竞选长老的重要视角。

Now some people want to make this an issue of sovereign election.   Whenever you get into this discussion, there's a lot of discussion about this statement, by the way, a lot of it.   And some people want to say, "Well, it certainly can't mean you have to have converted children, because that's all up to God's election, that's all God's sovereignty.   And if He doesn't choose to elect your children, then you're in real trouble."   Well, let me answer that by saying this: that is an unbiblical and fatalistic approach, and is not worthy of a proper consideration of the impact of a godly life or the responsibility for evangelism.   Salvation comes to people through the faithful witness and godly example of other people.   Is that not true?   Salvation comes to people through the faithful witness and godly example of other believers.   All through Scripture we are continually taught that a godly life leads people to salvation.   Election is the issue with God and the issue by which we give Him glory, but it is not the consideration to be in our minds in the process of spiritual living and witness.   All through Scripture we are taught that a godly life leads people to salvation.

现在有些人想把这当作一个主权选举的问题。每当你进入这个讨论时，都会有很多关于这个声明的讨论，顺便说一句，很多。有些人想说，“嗯，这当然不能意味着你必须有转变的孩子，因为这完全取决于神的拣选，这都是神的主权。如果他不选择选举你的孩子，那么你就有真正的麻烦了。好吧，让我这样回答：这是一种不合圣经和宿命论的方法，不值得适当考虑敬虔生活的影响或传福音的责任。救恩是通过他人忠心的见证和敬虔的榜样来临到人们的。这不是真的吗？救恩是通过其他信徒的忠心见证和敬虔的榜样来临到人们的。在整本圣经中，我们不断被教导说，敬虔的生活会引导人们得救。拣选是与神有关的问题，也是我们荣耀祂的问题，但在属灵生活和见证的过程中，这不是我们心思中要考虑的问题。在整本圣经中，我们都被教导说，敬虔的生活会引导人们得救。

Let me show you by way of reminder.   Matthew 5:16 - I'll give you a number of texts; you might want to write them down - just listen as I read them.   Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and as a result glorify your Father who is in heaven."   In other words, you can live a kind of life that leads people to glorifying God.   In Acts, chapter 2, we find that this is indeed what happened in the early church.   It says “they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching,” Acts 2:42, “to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, to prayer.”   They “had all things in common,” verse 44.   Verse 46, they were worshiping, “they were taking their meals together,” breaking bread; they had “gladness, sincerity of heart.” Verse 47, they were “praising God.”   Here are some powerful, transformed lives.   They had “favor with all the people.” The result, “the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”   Why were they being saved?   They were being saved because of the power of these transformed lives, the impact of godly example.

让我提醒一下。马太福音 5：16 - 我要给你们一些经文;你可能想把它们写下来——听我读它们。马太福音 5：16，“你们的光要照在人前，使他们看见你们的善行，从而荣耀你们在天上的父。换句话说，你可以过一种引导人们荣耀上帝的生活。在使徒行传第2章，我们发现这确实是早期教会所发生的事情。圣经说，“他们常常奉行使徒的教训”，使徒行传2：42，“相交，擘饼，祷告”。他们“凡事都有共同点”，第44节。第46节，他们敬拜，“他们一起吃饭”，擘饼;他们有“喜乐，真诚的心”。第47节，他们是在“赞美神”。这里有一些强大的、改变的生命。他们“得众民的恩惠”。结果，“主一天天增加得救的人”。他们为什么得救？他们得救是因为这些改变的生命的力量，是敬虔榜样的影响。

In Romans, chapter 11, the apostle Paul writes in verse 14, he says, "My desire in preaching to the Gentiles is to somehow move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them."   Paul is saying, “If I can minister effectively among the Gentiles, if my life and ministry is effective there, it will create a jealousy that will save some Jews.”   In other words, “what I do has a direct impact on the salvation of others.”

在罗马书第11章，使徒保罗在第14节写道，他说：“我向外邦人传道的愿望，就是要用某种方式嫉妒我的同胞，拯救他们中的一些人。保罗说：“我若能有效地服事外邦人，如果我的生活和事工在那里有效，就会产生嫉妒，拯救一些犹太人。换句话说，“我所做的事对别人的救恩有直接的影响”。

First Corinthians 9:22, Paul says, "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak.   I have become all things to all men, that I might, may by all means save some.   I do everything for the sake of the gospel."   In other words, he says, “the way I deal with people is to lead them to salvation by my life.”   He said, “I become a slave to all, that I might win the more,” verse 19.   “I become a Jew to the Jews; I become as without Law to those who are without Law; I become whatever I need to become to live a life pattern and to reach people that I might save them.”

哥林多前书 9：22 保罗说：“我向软弱的人发软弱，要得住软弱的人。我已经成为所有人的万物，以便我能够，无论如何都可以拯救一些人。我做一切都是为了福音。换句话说，他说，“我与人打交道的方式是用我的生命引导他们获得救赎。他说，“我作众人的奴隶，为要得更多的胜利”，第19节。“我成为犹太人的犹太人;我对那些没有律法的人变得像没有律法一样;我成为任何我需要成为的人，以过一种生活模式，并接触人们，以便我可以拯救他们。

In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 31, Paul says, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.   Don't give an offense to a Jew or to a Greek or to the church."   He says, "Just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of many, that they may be saved."   “I do what I need to do not to offend anybody, because how I live my life leads people to salvation” - you see that?

在哥林多前书10章31节中，保罗说：“无论你吃喝，无论你做什么，都要为荣耀神。不要冒犯犹太人、希腊人或教会。他说：“正如我在凡事上也讨众人的喜悦，不求自己的益处，只求众人的益处，使他们得救。“我做我需要做的事，不冒犯任何人，因为我的生活方式会引导人们获得救赎”——你明白了吗？

Look at Philippians, chapter 2. Here it is again; it's the same great concept.   He says in verse 15, Philippians 2, you're to “prove yourself to be blameless...innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world."   Here we are living in a world of sin and iniquity, we are to be blameless, innocent children of God, above reproach, in the middle of this crooked, perverse generation.   We are to be lights in the middle of the darkness, holding fast the Word of life.   Why?   “So that in the day of Christ” - that's in the future – “I may have cause to rejoice because I didn't run in vain or toil in vain.”   What does he mean?   “In the day of Christ I will see the impact of your life was to lead others to Christ” - that's his point.   “In the day of Christ I will rejoice when we're all gathered to Christ, and I will see the power of your living, your example.”

请看腓立比书第2章。又来了;这是同样伟大的概念。他在腓立比书第2章第15节说，你要“证明自己是无可指责的......在弯曲和反常的一代中，无可指责的上帝的儿女，你们在他们中间像世界上的光一样出现。在这里，我们生活在一个充满罪恶和罪孽的世界里，我们要成为无可指责的、无辜的上帝的儿女，无可指责，在这个弯曲、反常的世代中间。我们要成为黑暗中的光，紧紧抓住生命的话语。为什么？“这样，在基督的日子”——那是在将来——“我可能有理由欢喜，因为我没有徒劳，也没有徒劳劳苦。他是什么意思？“在基督的日子，我将看到你生命的影响是带领他人归向基督”——这就是他的观点。“在基督的日子，当我们都聚集到基督面前时，我必欢喜，我必看到你活着的大能，你的榜样。”

In 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 12, Paul says, "Don't let anyone look down on your youthfulness, in speech, conduct, love, faith, purity, show yourself an example of those who believe."   You ought to be a living illustration of what Christianity is.   That's what a Christian leader should be, a living illustration of what Christianity is.   Then in verse 13 he talks about the preaching and the teaching.

在提摩太前书第4章12节，保罗说：“不要让别人轻视你的年轻，在言语、行为、爱心、信心、纯洁上，要向自己作信人的榜样。你应该成为基督教的活生生的例证。这才是基督教领袖应该有的样子，是基督教的活生生的例证。然后在第13节，他谈到了讲道和教导。

Go down to verse 16, "Pay close attention to yourself and your teaching, persevere in both of those things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and those who hear you."   How you live, along with what you say, brings salvation to people.

请看第16节，“要留心自己和你的教训，在这两件事上持之以恒，因为你这样做，必保证你自己和听你说话的人得救。你的生活方式，以及你所说的话，都会给人们带来救赎。

Look at 1 Peter chapter 2, 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 11, "I urge you as aliens and strangers, abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the pagans, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation."   You know what “the day of visitation” is?   The day of judgment.   He says, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if in the day of judgment the pagans who watched your life glorified God?"   In other words, they weren't being judged; they were among the redeemed.   They were glorifying God in His judgment because it wasn't coming on them. They were praising God for delivering them.   And what was the impact that caused them to believe?   It was the power of your good deeds as you observed, as they observed them in your life.   So stay away from fleshly lusts, keep your behavior excellent, because it can be on account of your good deeds that people will glorify God in the day of judgment, rather than fearing Him.

请看彼得前书第2章，彼得前书第2章第11节，“我劝你们这些寄居的，寄居的，要戒除肉体的情欲，向灵魂争战。在异教徒中，你们要保持良好的行为，这样，他们就诽谤你们为作恶的人，在他们观察你们的善行时，在拜访的日子荣耀上帝。你知道什么是“探视日”吗？审判的日子。他说：“如果在审判的日子，那些注视你生命的异教徒荣耀上帝，岂不是很好吗？换句话说，他们没有受到审判;他们是被救赎的人之一。他们在神的审判中荣耀神，因为审判没有临到他们身上。他们赞美上帝拯救了他们。是什么影响让他们相信？这是你所观察到的，正如他们在你的生活中观察到的那样，你的善行的力量。所以，你们要远离肉体的私欲，保持你的行为优良，因为人们在审判的日子会因为你的善行而荣耀神，而不是敬畏他。

Look at 1 Peter 3:1, "you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word” – uncoverted – “they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior."   The power of a virtuous life, the power of a godly life, is laid out for us all through Scripture, all through Scripture.

请看彼得前书 3：1，“你们作妻子的，要顺服自己的丈夫，即使她们中有人不顺服这道”——没有被揭露——“她们可以不言而喻地被妻子的行为所赢得，因为她们观察你们贞洁和尊重的行为。美德生活的力量，敬虔生活的力量，通过圣经，通过圣经为我们所有人展示。

You can't just, you can't just go off on the concept of election and say, "Well, if they're elect they'll get saved; if they're not elect they won't get saved."   The fact of the matter is, God saves people through the means of godliness in the lives of others.   And if I in my home am committed to living a godly life and a virtuous life and the proclaiming, saving gospel truth that is lived out in integrity, there is every reason to believe God in His grace will use that to redeem my children.   It may not always happen, but for a man who stands in the pulpit to be the model and who will not be scandalized by some activity on the part of his children, it is necessary. And God in His grace makes it possible.

你不能只是，你不能只是在拣选的概念上说，“好吧，如果他们被选中了，他们就会得救;如果他们没有被选中，他们就不会得救。事实是，神通过敬虔的方式拯救了别人的生命。如果我在家里致力于过敬虔的生活和美德的生活，并正直地活出宣扬、得救的福音真理，那么我就有充分的理由相信上帝会在祂的恩典中使用它来救赎我的孩子。这可能并不总是发生，但对于一个站在讲坛上的人来说，要成为榜样，并且不会因孩子的某些活动而感到震惊，这是必要的。上帝在祂的恩典中使这一切成为可能。

Let me give you a couple of specific illustrations for the power of Christian parenting to lead children to salvation.   Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 7.

让我给你几个具体的例子来说明基督教养育子女带领孩子走向救恩的力量。请看哥林多前书第7章。

First Corinthians chapter 7, very interesting, there's a lot of issues in this chapter about marriage. None is more interesting than the one in verses 14 to 16, where you're talking about a marriage of an unbeliever to a believer.   First of all he says, you know, don't divorce them.   If you're married to an unbeliever, don't divorce them; verses 12 and 13 talk about that.   Don't-send-her-away or send-him-away thing means “don't divorce.”   Why?   Well, verse 14, "The unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy."

哥林多前书第7章，非常有趣，这一章有很多关于婚姻的问题。没有比第14节到第16节更有趣的了，你说的是一个不信的人与一个信徒的婚姻。首先，他说，你知道，不要和他们离婚。如果你嫁给了一个不信的人，不要和他们离婚;第12节和第13节谈到了这一点。Don't-send-her-away 或 send-him-away thing 的意思是“不要离婚”。为什么？第14节，“不信的丈夫因妻子成圣，不信的妻子因丈夫成圣;否则，你们的儿女是不洁净的，现在却是圣洁的。

Isn't that interesting?   What he's saying there is where you have one partner that is converted, another partner unconverted, the unconverted partner can be sanctified and the result will be holy children.   Now some would say that that sanctification is a temporal-blessing-kind-of-thing, and it may well include that.   But follow into verses 15 and 16, "Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace."   In other words, if you have an unbelieving partner, and they want to leave the marriage, they want out of the marriage, let them go; you're not in bondage.   Verse 16, "For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?" That tends to interpret for me verse 14, so that it is possible that an unsaved partner can become saved by living with a believer, and that's what he's saying.

这不是很有趣吗？他所说的是，你有一个伴侣被转变了，另一个伴侣没有得到转变，未转变的伴侣可以被圣化，结果将是圣洁的儿女。现在有些人会说，成圣是一种属世的祝福，它很可能包括这一点。但请继续读第15节和第16节，“不信的人若离开，就当他离开;在这种情况下，弟兄或姐妹没有受到奴役，但上帝呼召我们走向和平。换句话说，如果你有一个不信的伴侣，他们想离开婚姻，他们想退出婚姻，就让他们离开;你没有被束缚。第16节，“妻子啊，你怎么知道你能不能救你的丈夫呢？丈夫啊，你怎么知道你能不能拯救你的妻子呢？这倾向于解释第 14 节，因此一个未得救的伴侣可以通过与信徒一起生活而得救，这就是他所说的。

If you have a mixed marriage, stay there. It may be that God will lead you to bring that person to salvation, with the result that you both having come to Christ your children will be made holy.   Where you have godly parents, there's every reason to believe you have the opportunity, the wonderful opportunity, to raise up godly children.   He says you don't know that that's going to happen, verse 16. It doesn't always happen in a mixed marriage, but it can happen.   And when it does happen it tends to make the children not unclean but holy.   It should really be the norm.   It should be the pattern in a Christian marriage that you have holy children if that Christianity is real, and if those believing ones are faithful to live out what they say they believe.

如果你是异族婚姻，那就留在那里。也许神会带领你把那个人带到救恩中，结果是你们俩都信靠了基督，你的孩子就会成为圣洁。如果你有敬虔的父母，你有充分的理由相信你有机会，一个美妙的机会，来养育敬虔的孩子。他说你不知道这会发生，第16节。这并不总是发生在异族婚姻中，但它可能会发生。当它真的发生时，它往往会使孩子们不是不洁净，而是圣洁。这确实应该成为常态。如果基督教是真实的，并且那些信主忠心地活出他们所说的信仰，那么你就应该有圣洁的孩子，这应该是基督徒婚姻的模式。

An illustration of this further would be 1 Timothy chapter 2.   First Timothy chapter 2 looks at this whole idea of the godly life in the home.   First Timothy 2:15, this is a discussion about women and the role they play in the church, the life of the church.   He starts out in verse 9 and 10 by talking about how they dress and what they look like and they are certainly to dress modestly, properly, discreetly, not calling attention to themselves but calling attention to their godliness.   And then in verse 11, not just how they dress but how they behave in the church.   They're to receive instruction with submissiveness, to be quiet, not to teach and take authority.   And the reason for this is creative.   God made Adam first, and he was to be the head and Eve was to follow along.   And it was illustrated how important it was that she follow her husband by the Fall.   Eve was deceived and fell into transgression, led the whole human race into transgression.   Why?   Because she came out from under the leadership of Adam and acted independently.   She acted on her own; the serpent was there; she didn't go back and check with Adam – “Adam, this snake is talking to me. He's telling me bad stuff. What do I do?” She didn't lean on the strength of her husband; she didn't follow his headship.   She acted independently, led the race into sin. She produced then a cursed society.   She raised up a cursed seed because of her sin.   Adam, of course, sinned in falling in line with her, but she led the transgression.   And so there's a certain stigma on women that they led the race into sin.   Eve was first to go.   She led the race into that iniquity.

提摩太前书第2章进一步说明这一点。提摩太前书第2章着眼于家庭中敬虔生活的整个概念。提摩太前书 2：15，这是关于妇女和她们在教会中所扮演的角色，教会生活的讨论。他在第 9 节和第 10 节开始谈到他们的穿着和外表，他们当然要穿着端庄、得体、谨慎，不要引起人们的注意，而是引起人们注意他们的敬虔。然后在第11节，不仅仅是他们的穿着，还有他们在教会中的行为方式。他们要顺从地接受教导，保持安静，而不是教导和掌握权柄。这样做的原因是有创意的。上帝先造了亚当，他要做元首，夏娃要跟随。这说明了她在堕落时跟随丈夫是多么重要。夏娃被欺骗，陷入过犯，带领全人类陷入过犯。为什么？因为她是从亚当的领导下走出来的，独立行动的。她自己行动;蛇在那里;她没有回去和亚当核实——“亚当，这条蛇在和我说话。他告诉我坏话。我该怎么办？她没有依靠丈夫的力量;她没有跟随他的头职。她独立行动，引导种族犯罪。她当时产生了一个被诅咒的社会。她因自己的罪而长出一颗被咒诅的种子。当然，亚当与她结盟是有罪的，但她领导了违犯。因此，女性被污名化，认为她们将种族带入罪恶。夏娃是第一个去的。她带领种族陷入了罪孽。

Verse 15 then comes back and says this, "Women shall be preserved” - from this stigma, delivered from this stigma, relieved from this stigma – “through the bearing of children."   What is that saying?   This: women, who once raised a generation of cursed children because of a woman's sin, can now raise a generation of godly, blessed children because of a woman's righteousness - that's the point.   So the woman is preserved from the stigma, delivered from it through bearing children if - follow this - if these women continue in faith and love and purity with self-restraint.   What does that mean?   It simply means if a woman maintains her godliness, her faith in the Lord, her love for God, her holiness and purity of life, manifested in self-restraint and self-control, therefore she walks in a godly way, she will bring forth children who will bless rather than children who will curse.   There is the promise to a woman that a godly woman can raise a generation of godly children.   Godly parenting is a norm for Christians.

然后第 15 节回来说：“妇女必得保护”——脱离这种耻辱，从这种耻辱中解脱出来，从这种耻辱中解脱出来——“通过生育”。这句话是什么意思？这是：曾经因为女人的罪而抚养了一代被咒诅的孩子，现在由于女人的公义，可以抚养一代敬虔、有福的孩子——这就是重点。因此，如果这些妇女继续保持信心、爱心和纯洁，克制自己，那么女人就从耻辱中得救，通过生育而摆脱污名。 那是什么意思？这只是意味着，如果一个女人保持她的敬虔，她对主的信心，她对上帝的爱，她的圣洁和纯洁的生活，表现在自我克制和节制上，因此她以敬虔的方式行事，她将生出祝福的孩子，而不是咒诅的孩子。对一个女人的应许是，一个敬虔的女人可以养育一代敬虔的孩子。敬虔的养育方式是基督徒的常态。

This certainly is illustrated personally in the life of Timothy.   Look at 2 Timothy 3:15.   Paul says to Timothy, "From childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."   “From the time you were a little child, you were taught the Scripture which leads to salvation.”

这在提摩太的生平中确实得到了体现。请看提摩太后书 3：15。保罗对提摩太说：“你们从小就知道神圣的书，能赐给你们智慧，因信基督耶稣而得救。“从你还是个小孩子的时候起，你就被教导了通往救恩的圣经。”

Go back to chapter 1, verse 5, "I am reminded, I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I'm sure it's in you as well."    There you have it.   Grandmother Lois was a godly woman; she raised a godly daughter.   Godly Eunice was a godly woman; she raised a godly son, Timothy. This is the pattern.   Godliness passed from one generation to the next. It's a wonderful and magnificent pattern.   God has designed that the primary unit of human society for which - from which, I should say - righteousness is passed generation to generation to generation is the family, the family.

回到第一章第五节，“我被提醒，我记念你里面真诚的信心，这信心最初住在你祖母露易丝和你母亲尤妮可身上，我确信它也在你里面。你有它。露易丝祖母是一位敬虔的女人;她养育了一个敬虔的女儿。敬虔的尤妮丝是一个敬虔的女人;她养育了一个敬虔的儿子提摩太。这就是模式。敬虔从一代传到下一代。这是一个美妙而宏伟的图案。上帝已经设计了人类社会的主要单位，我应该说，正义是代代相传的，就是家庭，家庭。

Now all of that simply to say this: to simply pass this whole thing off as an election issue is not legitimate; it is not biblical; it is fatalistic.   The Scripture says people are converted as a result of how we live and what we preach.   And a godly life, proclaiming truth, living with integrity, is going to have a tremendous impact on the conversion of other people, and you're going to see it in the family, in the home.

现在，所有这些只是简单地说：简单地将整件事当作选举问题是不合法的;它不是圣经的;它是宿命论的。圣经说，人们的转变是由于我们的生活方式和我们所宣讲的。敬虔的生活，宣扬真理，正直地生活，将对其他人的转变产生巨大的影响，你会在家庭、家庭中看到它。

By the way, as another footnote, it is somewhat of a curiosity that there is no mention of the wife here.   It says he must have children who believe but it doesn't say anything about his wife.   I think it is fair to say that the assumption is that she is also a believer. It's a moot point because it would be assumed.   In 1 Corinthians chapter 9 the apostle Paul, talking about his own apostleship and his own leadership and the rest of the apostles and all the brothers of the Lord and Peter and all of that, says this, "Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife?"   And there is an emphatic statement.   Anyone in Christian ministry has a right to have a believing wife. He is simply saying, “We have a right to be married,” but he makes it very clear that she's a believing wife.   I think that was an assumed reality.

顺便说一句，作为另一个脚注，这里没有提到妻子，这有点奇怪。它说他一定有相信的孩子，但没有提到他妻子的任何内容。我认为可以公平地说，假设她也是一个信徒。这是一个有争议的问题，因为它会被假设。在哥林多前书第9章，使徒保罗谈到他自己的使徒身份、他自己的领导、其余的使徒、主和彼得的所有兄弟，以及所有这些，他说：“我们难道没有权利娶一个信的妻子吗？还有一个强调的声明。任何从事基督教事工的人都有权拥有一个信主的妻子。他只是在说，“我们有结婚的权利”，但他非常清楚地表明她是一个相信的妻子。我认为这是一个假设的现实。

Another thing that leads to that conclusion, or that assumed reality, would be 2 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 14, "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness?...what fellowship has light with darkness?...what harmony has Christ with Belial?...what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?...what agreement has the temple of God with idols?"   The point being, if you are in that kind of marriage where there's a believer and an unbeliever, there is not in existence the kind of harmony that can create the spiritual power and energy of a godly family.   It isn't there.   It isn't there.

导致这个结论或假设的现实的另一件事是哥林多后书第 6 章 14 节，“不要与不信的人捆绑在一起;什么伙伴关系有公义和不法?...什么交通有光明与黑暗呢?...基督与比利亚有什么和谐呢?...信徒与非信徒有什么共同点?...上帝的殿与偶像有什么协议呢？关键是，如果你处于那种有信徒和非信徒的婚姻中，就不存在那种可以创造敬虔家庭的属灵力量和能量的和谐。它不存在。它不存在。

And so, we assume that the wife was a believer, to which the man was totally devoted in faithfulness, and the children also followed along in the faith.   A truly godly life is the most powerful tool God has in saving sinners - the power of a godly life that speaks the truth.   How can we lead people to conversion? How can we lead people to holiness unless we can show them the power of it in a life?   And what are we to do in the church?   We're to teach you how to raise a godly generation.   How can we teach you how to raise a godly generation if we can't do it?

因此，我们假设妻子是一个信徒，男人完全忠心于信徒，孩子们也跟随信仰。真正敬虔的生活是神拯救罪人最有力的工具——说真理的敬虔生活的力量。我们如何引导人们获得转变？除非我们能在生活中向他们展示圣洁的力量，否则我们怎么能带领人们走向圣洁呢？我们在教会里该怎么做呢？我们要教你如何培养敬虔的一代。如果我们做不到，我们怎么能教你如何养育敬虔的一代呢？

So a pastor, an elder, must be this kind of man, “above reproach” - back to Titus 1 – “a one-woman man and having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.”   Let's look at that text now more specifically.   “Having children who believe” - that is literally what the Greek says, teckna echōn pista, “having children who believe.”   “Having” is present tense; “children” has no regard for age at all. In fact, it's the same word used back in verse 4 to speak of Titus, “my true child,” who was a grown man.   It simply means “sons and daughters, offspring.”   And generally speaking the tone of this text assumes them to be adult.   You say, "Why do you say that?"   I'll show you in a moment.   But primarily it's associated with “not accused of dissipation or rebellion.”   That hardly refers to little children.   There aren't too many dissipated, debauched little kids.   That is a term which would more accurately be reflective of an adult life.

因此，牧师、长老必须是这样的人，“无可非议”——回到提多书 1 章——“一个只有一个女人的男人，有孩子相信，而不是被指责为放荡或悖逆”。现在让我们更具体地看看这段经文。“生信的孩子”——这就是希腊语的字面意思，teckna echōn pista，“生信的孩子”。“拥有”是现在时;“孩子”根本不考虑年龄。事实上，这与第4节用来指提多，“我真正的孩子”，他是一个成年人。它的意思是“儿女，后代”。一般来说，这段文字的语气假设他们是成年人。你说，“你为什么这么说？我稍后会告诉你。但主要是它与“不被指控消散或叛逆”有关。这几乎不是指小孩子。没有太多散漫、放荡的小孩子。这个词更准确地反映了成年人的生活。

Further, elders by definition were older men who tended to have older children.   Some of them did have young children and that, I think, referred to in 1 Timothy as I'll mention in a moment.   But the word "children" here has no regard for age.   Whatever age they are, if they wanted to talk about little children he could have used teknon.   If he wanted to talk about babies he could have used brephos, that means “infants.” But he just uses a general word for sons and daughters.

此外，根据定义，长者是倾向于生育大孩子年龄较大的年长男性。他们中的一些人确实有年幼的孩子，我想，正如我稍后会提到的，在提摩太前书中提到了这一点。但这里的“孩子”这个词不分年龄。无论他们多大年纪，如果他们想谈论小孩子，他都可以使用 teknon。如果他想谈论婴儿，他可以使用 brephos，意思是“婴儿”。但他只是用一个笼统的词来形容儿子和女儿。

Now we know that elders could have had young children. He could have had older children. Probably the norm was older children, since by definition they were older men.   But many of them surely did have young children as well.   It's not an issue of his age. It's an issue that his children believe, and they're not dissipating, and they're not in rebellion, whatever age they are in life.

现在我们知道，长辈可以生年幼的孩子。他可以生大一点的孩子。可能是大孩子，因为根据定义，他们是年长的男人。但他们中的许多人肯定也有年幼的孩子。这不是他年龄的问题。这是他的孩子们相信的问题，他们没有消散，也没有叛逆，无论他们在多大年纪。

Now let's take that word "children who believe, who believe."   Now if you have an Authorized or King James, it may say "faithful."   This has been much debated over and over through the years.   It's a very debated issue.   In order to try to help bring some clarity to that debate, I'm going to beg the issue a little bit this morning, so indulge me.

现在让我们以“相信的儿女，相信的儿女”这个词为例。现在，如果你有一位授权的或钦定本国王，它可能会说“忠心”。多年来，这个问题已经被反复争论。这是一个非常有争议的问题。为了帮助澄清这场辩论，我今天早上要稍微恳求一下这个问题，所以请放纵我。

Some people say it means “faithful children.”   And all “faithful children” means is they're just “obedient to their parents,” okay?   They don't have to be Christians.   This is a big point people make. They don't have to be Christians. They just have to be obedient to their parents.   Well that would assume, then, that they were little children, wouldn't it?   Because do adult children have to be obedient to their parents?   No.   And I don't think this text could be related to little children since it says they're “not to be accused of dissipation or rebellion.”   And those terms are very graphic descriptions of wild, unruly, sordid, lascivious living, which would be much more characteristic of older children than little kids.   I think here then it's safe to say that he's talking here about “faithful adult children,” for the most part, who are not going to scandalize the ministry by their unruly, wild living.

有人说它的意思是“忠心的孩子”。所有“忠心的孩子”意味着他们只是“顺服父母”，好吗？他们不一定是基督徒。这是人们提出的一个重要观点。他们不一定是基督徒。他们只需要听话父母。那么，这就假设他们是小孩子，不是吗？因为成年子女一定要听从父母吗？不。我不认为这段经文可能与小孩子有关，因为它说他们“不应该被指责为消散或叛逆”。这些术语非常生动地描述了狂野、不守规矩、肮脏、的生活，这比小孩子更具有年龄较大的孩子。我认为在这里可以肯定地说，他在这里谈论的是“忠心的成年子女”，在大多数情况下，他们不会因为不守规矩、狂野的生活而丑化事工。

Now others are willing to say it does mean, as it's translated properly here in the New American Standard, it means “children who believe.”   But that's the battleground.   Some say “no, it just means faithful obedient children, they don't have to be converted.”   Others say they do have to be converted.

现在其他人愿意说，这确实意味着，正如《新美国标准》中正确翻译的那样，它的意思是“相信的孩子”。但这就是战场。有些人说，“不，这只是意味着忠心顺服的孩子，他们不必得到转变。其他人则说他们确实必须皈依。

You say, "Well now wait a minute.   What if your children don't fit into this category because they're not old enough to believe?   They're not at that age yet; they're still little children.   Elders could have small children, right?"   I think 1 Timothy 3 covers that - Paul giving requirements there for one who is an elder, in verse 4, 1 Timothy 3, says “he must be one who manages his own household well, keeps his children under control with all dignity.”   That clearly must refer to younger children, because you don't keep your adult children under control; you're not in the same role with them that you maybe once were.   And so I think really you have the emphasis of 1 Timothy 3 on the controlling of the household, the controlling of the children “with all dignity,” and I'll say more about that in a moment.   And in Titus you tend to see the older child who now believes and whose life follows that belief, not being accused of anything that would scandalize the ministry.

你说，“好吧，现在等一下。如果您的孩子因为年龄不足以相信而不属于这一类怎么办？他们还没有到那个年龄;他们还是个小孩子。长辈可以生小孩，对吧？我认为提摩太前书 3 章涵盖了这一点——保罗在提摩太前书第 4 节第 4 节中对长老提出了要求，提摩太前书 3 章说：“他必须善于管理自己的家庭，有尊严地控制他的儿女。这显然必须指年幼的孩子，因为你没有控制你的成年子女;你和他们扮演的角色可能不像你曾经那样。因此，我认为你确实在提摩太前书第3章中强调控制家庭，“有尊严地”控制孩子，我稍后会详细介绍这一点。在提多书中，你往往会看到一个大孩子现在相信了，并且他们的生活遵循了这个信仰，而不是被指控做任何会丑化事工的事情。

Having said all of that, the word itself, pista - very important word, you need to understand - simply means “believe,” “believe.”   The opposite of it, apistos, means “to not believe, disbelief, unbelief.”   So it is best to see this as “believing,” just in the simplicity of the word.   You say, "Well, can't it be translated ‘faithful’ in the sense of ‘loyal’ or ‘trustworthy?’"   Yes, and let me explain that to you. It has what commentators will call an active and a passive sense.   The active idea is “one who believes.”   The passive idea is “one who is to be believed,” or to put it another way, “one who trusts” or “one who is to be trusted.”   Some people say, "Well it just means ‘somebody who can be trusted,’ ‘somebody who can be believed,’ ‘somebody who is loyal to his father, who is an obedient child.’"   The problem with that is never is this term “faithful” used to apply to anyone other than a believer.   It can emphasize the loyal side of it.   It can emphasize the trustworthy side of it.   It can emphasize the passive side, “to be believed,” but never without the active side; it's two sides of the same coin.   In other words, if it said “having children who are faithful,” we would immediately ask the question, “Faithful to what?”   Well, the answer would have to be “faithful to what their father taught them,” and the most precious and priority thing he ever would have taught them would have been - What? - the gospel, the truth.

说了这么多，这个词本身，pista——非常重要的词，你需要理解——只是意思是“相信”、“相信”。它的反义词是 apistos，意思是“不相信、不信、不信”。因此，最好将其视为“相信”，只是这个词的简单性。你说，“嗯，难道不能把它翻译成'忠诚'或'值得信赖'的意思吗？是的，让我向你解释一下。它具有评论员所说的主动和被动意义。积极的想法是“相信的人”。被动的想法是“一个被相信的人”，或者换句话说，“一个信任的人”或“一个应该被信任的人”。有些人说，“嗯，它只是意味着'一个可以信任的人'，'一个可以相信的人'，'一个忠于父亲的人，一个听话的孩子'。问题在于，“忠心”这个词从来都不适用于信徒以外的任何人。它可以强调它忠诚的一面。它可以强调它值得信赖的一面。它可以强调被动的一面，“相信的”，但绝不能没有主动的一面;这是同一枚硬币的两面。换句话说，如果它说“有忠心的儿女”，我们会立即问这个问题：“忠于什么？好吧，答案必须是“忠实于他们父亲教给他们的”，而他教给他们的最宝贵和最优先的事情就是——什么？- 福音，真理。

Although the word "faithful" is used several times in the New Testament of inanimate objects - like faithful sayings, five times in the epistles; like the faithful “word” - it is used most always of individuals, people.   It is used of the faithful Creator-God who is faithful to what He knows to be true, and the faithful high priest, Jesus Christ, who is faithful to what He knows to be true.   You have to be faithful to something.   But most of the time it is used of individuals, and it describes someone who is trustworthy and loyal to what they believe, to what is true.

虽然“忠心”这个词在新约中多次被用来形容无生命的物体——就像忠心的谚语一样，在书信中被使用了五次;就像忠实的 “话语 ”一样，它最常用于个人，人。它用于信实的造物主——上帝，他忠于他所知道的真理，以及忠心的大祭司耶稣基督，他忠于他所知道的真理。你必须忠于某件事。但大多数时候，它用于个人，它描述了一个值得信赖并忠于他们所相信的、忠于真实的人。

To see it in contrast, compare it with the negative, apistos. You put the little "a" at the front, it negates the word.   John 20:27 says this, "Be not apistos but pistos."   In other words, “be not unbelieving but believing.”   There's the opposite - the opposite of belief is unbelief.   And it could be the opposite of faithfulness as unfaithfulness, which would mean rejection of the truth.   Second Corinthians 6:15 says, "What part has pistō with apistou,” or “What part has a believer with an unbeliever?”   So the word in its negative form always means unbelief.

要对比它，请将其与负面的 apistos 进行比较。你把小“a”放在前面，它否定了这个词。约翰福音 20：27 说：“不要做 apistos，要做 pistos。换句话说，“不要不信，只要相信”。还有相反的情况——相信的反面是不信。这可能是忠心的反面，就像不忠一样，这意味着拒绝真理。哥林多后书 6：15 说，“pistō 与 apistou 有哪一部分”，或者“信者与不信的人有哪一部分？因此，这个词的否定形式总是意味着不信。

I would conclude the word in its positive form can mean “trustworthy” or “faithful,” but never disconnected from believing.   “He is faithful to what he believes.”   That's the idea. For example, let me illustrate that.   Ephesians 1:1, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus."   The only way to be faithful is to be in Christ Jesus.   They're faithful saints who are in Christ Jesus.   The active and passive unite there.   Colossians 1:2, you have the same thing.   He's addressing the people, “To the saints” - the holy ones – “and faithful brethren in Christ.”   You always see “faithful” associated with believers, faithful believers.

我得出结论，这个词的积极形式可以表示“值得信赖”或“忠心”，但永远不会与信仰脱节。“他忠于他的信仰。”这就是这个想法。例如，让我来说明这一点。以弗所书 1：1，“保罗，奉神旨意，作基督耶稣的使徒，写给在以弗所，在基督耶稣里忠心的圣徒。忠心的唯一方法就是在基督耶稣里。他们是忠心的圣徒，在基督耶稣里。主动和被动在那里联合起来。歌罗西书 1：2，你也有同样的事情。他对百姓说，“对圣徒”——圣洁者——“和在基督里忠心的弟兄”。你总是看到“忠心”与信徒、忠心信徒联系在一起。

Look at 1 Timothy. Let's just look in the pastorals and see how “faithful” is used.   First Timothy 1:12, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service." What does he mean “faithful”?   He means “loyal to what he believed,” “loyal to the truth.”   You can't divorce “faithfulness” from “belief.”   Chapter 3 of 1 Timothy, verse 11, "Women” - women who are to serve in the church – “are to be dignified, not malicious gossips,...temperate” - there it is – “faithful in all things." What does that mean?   Simply “obedient”?   No. Believers who are living obediently, faithful to what they know to be true.

请看提摩太前书。让我们看看牧灵，看看“忠心”是如何使用的。提摩太前书 1：12，“我感谢我们的主基督耶稣，他加添我力量，因为他看我忠心，派我去服事。他所说的“忠心”是什么意思？他的意思是“忠于他所相信的”、“忠于真理”。你不能将“信心”与“信”分开。提摩太前书第3章第11节，“妇女”——在教会里服事的妇女——“要有尊严，不要说恶意的闲话,...节制的“——就在那里——”凡事忠心“。那是什么意思？单纯的“听话”？不。顺服生活的信徒，忠于他们所知道的真理。

Look at chapter 4, verse 3, beware of these men, these people who teach that you're to avoid marriage, and they advocate “abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who are faithful, who believe, and know the truth."   The words are so interchangeable that the translators go back and forth, but “the faithful always believe,” and “the believing are always to be faithful.”

请看第4章第3节，要提防这些人，这些人教导你要避免婚姻，他们主张“戒掉神所创造的食物，让忠心、相信、知道真理的人感恩地分享”。这些词是如此可互换，以至于翻译者来回，但“忠心的人总是相信”和“相信的人永远要忠心”。

Down in verse 10, "It is for this we labor and strive, because we fixed our hope on the living God, who was the Savior of all men, especially of believers” - or “the faithful."   Verse 12, he says you are to be an example in all these areas of those who are faithful, “those who believe,” in verse 12.   Down in chapter 5, verse 16, the word appears again, "If any man, any woman who is a believer,” or “any woman who is faithful has dependent widows," etc., etc.   Down in chapter 6, verse 2, again, "Let those who have believers as their masters not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but let them serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are faithful and beloved” – “believers and beloved."   So you see, once in a while it's “believers,” once in a while it's “faithful.” They go back and forth, but always the “faithful” are “believers” and the “believers” are “faithful.”   They're interchangeable.

在第10节，“我们为此劳苦努力，因为我们把盼望定在永生的神身上，他是众人的救主，尤其是信徒的救主”——或“忠心的人”。在第12节，他说你要在所有这些方面成为忠心的人的榜样，即第12节中“信的人”。在第5章第16节，这个词再次出现，“若有男人，凡是信徒的妇人”，或“凡忠心的妇人有依附的寡妇”，等等。在第 6 章第 2 节中，再次说：“那些以信徒为主人的人，不要因为他们是弟兄而不敬他们，而是要更加事奉他们，因为有分于这益处的人是忠心的，是被爱的”——“信的人，是被爱的”。所以你看，偶尔是“信徒”，偶尔是“忠心”。他们来来回回，但“信徒”总是“信徒”，“信徒”是“忠心”。它们是可以互换的。

To take the word "faithful," pull it out of the believing context, isolate it as if it only meant “submissive to the father's leadership,” without “believing what the father taught,” would be to distort the word.   If you look at the Scripture, every scripture in the New Testament I looked at - I got them all where the word is used - it always refers to believers, unless it's referring to an inanimate object, or God, or Christ.   For example, the “faithful servant” of Matthew 24 and Luke 12 is a believer.   The “good and faithful servant” of Matthew 25 and Luke 19 is a believer.   The “faithful person” of Luke 16 is a believer.   The “faithful mother” of Timothy, Acts 16:1, is a believer.   The “faithful stewards” of 1 Corinthians 4 are believers.   The “faithful Timothy” of 1 Corinthians 4:17 is a believer.   The “faithful ministers” of Colossians 1:7 and 4:7 are believers.   The “faithful Onesimus” of Colossians 4:9 is a believer.   The “faithful Moses” of Hebrews 3:5 was a believer.   The “faithful Silvanus” was a believer, 1 Peter 5:12.   And the “faithful martyrs,” including “Antipas,” of Revelation 2 were believers.   Always they're called “faithful” because they are believers.   It is never used in the New Testament of somebody who is not a believer.   So the word then describes both active and passive sides.

把“忠心”这个词从信仰的语境中拉出来，把它孤立起来，好像它只意味着“顺服父亲的领导”，而不“相信父亲的教导”，那就是歪曲这个词。如果你看看圣经，我看过的新约中的每一节经文——我都得到了这个词的使用——它总是指信徒，除非它指的是无生命的物体，或者上帝，或者基督。例如，马太福音 24 章和路加福音 12 章的“忠仆”就是信徒。马太福音 25 章和路加福音 19 章中的“良善忠心的仆人”是一位信徒。路加福音 16 章中的“忠心的人”是信徒。使徒行传 16：1 提摩太的“忠实母亲”是一位信徒。哥林多前书第4章的“忠心管家”是信徒。哥林多前书 4：17 中的“忠心的提摩太”是一位信徒。歌罗西书 1：7 和 4：7 中的“忠心的传道人”是信徒。歌罗西书 4：9 中的“忠心的阿尼西母”是一位信徒。希伯来书3：5中的“忠心的摩西”是一位信徒。“忠心的西尔瓦努斯”是一位信徒，彼得前书 5：12。启示录第2章中的“忠心的殉道者”，包括“安提帕斯”，都是信徒。他们总是被称为“忠心”，因为他们是信徒。在新约中，它从未被用到非信徒的人身上。因此，这个词描述了主动和被动的两面。

So what is Paul saying?   He's saying not only is this man “to have children who believe,” but children who also are - What? – “faithful to what they believe.” That's what's implied in the rest of the statement, “not accused of dissipation or rebellion” - they believe it and they live it; they believe it and they live it.

那么保罗在说什么呢？他说这个人不仅“要有相信的孩子”，而且孩子也相信——什么？– “忠于他们所相信的。”这就是声明其余部分所暗示的，“没有被指责为消散或叛逆”——他们相信它，他们活出它;他们相信它，并活出它。

So many people want to leave this matter of salvation out and say he doesn't have to have saved children as long as they just submit.   Well, what are you going to do right here when you get to this point?   How can they be called “faithful” if they don't believe what they must be faithful to?   And if they're adult children here, they certainly wouldn't be obeying their father – “faithful” would mean nothing.

很多人想把这个救恩的问题排除在外，并说他不必拯救孩子，只要他们顺服。好吧，当你走到这一步时，你打算在这里做什么？如果他们不相信他们必须忠心的东西，他们怎么能被称为“忠心”呢？如果他们是这里的成年子女，他们肯定不会服从他们的父亲——“忠心”毫无意义。

In 1 Timothy it says, "Keeping his children under control with all dignity."   I believe that looks at them when they're young, and when he has young children they are obedient, they're under control.   “With all dignity” - What does that mean?   It means the father maintains his class and his humility and his respect and his admiration and his stateliness and his gentleness.   In other words, it's not an overbearing control, a domineering control, an abusive control; but he controls them with respect and admiration, so that they look to him and they admire him and they want to be like him and they aspire to be what he is and they love him. And they obey out of delight and joy and respect.   And verse 5 of 1 Timothy 3 said if he can't control his family in that way, how is he going to manage the church?   So I believe that when they are little they follow their father's example.

在提摩太前书中说，“要有尊严地控制他的儿女。我相信，当他们年轻时，他们就会听话，他们就会得到控制。“有尊严地”——这是什么意思？这意味着父亲保持他的品位、谦卑、尊重、钦佩、庄严和温柔。换句话说，它不是一种霸道的控制，一种霸道的控制，一种滥用的控制;但他以尊重和钦佩来控制他们，这样他们就仰望他，钦佩他，他们想成为像他一样的人，他们渴望成为他本来的样子，他们爱他。他们出于喜乐、喜乐和尊重而顺服。提摩太前书第3章第5节说，如果他不能用这种方式控制他的家庭，他将如何管理教会呢？所以我相信，当他们小的时候，他们会效仿父亲的榜样。

You say, "Are you saying if your children aren't old enough to be saved you can't be an elder?"   No.   When they're young, they're under control, and they believe whatever their little hearts can believe, and they affirm whatever they can understand, and they live by those principles being taught to them by the parents.   And some day that blooms into saving faith.   The church ought to be able to look at that man's life and see that process taking place, see those little children affirming, believing as much as their simple hearts can believe - we could say, “believing with a simple faith, progressing toward a saving faith.”   But when it comes to the point that they're old enough to believe, they are to be faithful to the truth they have been taught.

你说，“你是说，如果你的孩子还没有大到得救的年龄，你就不能成为长老吗？不。当他们年轻的时候，他们受到控制，他们相信他们小心脏能相信的任何东西，他们肯定他们能理解的一切，他们按照父母教给他们的那些原则生活。有一天，这会绽放成得救的信心。教会应该能够看到那个人的生命，看到那个过程正在发生，看到那些小孩子肯定，相信他们单纯的心所能相信的——我们可以说，“凭着简单的信心相信，朝着得救的信心进步”。但是，当他们到了可以相信的年龄时，他们就要忠于他们所教导的真理。

As I have said, then, the home is God's basic unit of society for passing righteousness from one generation to the next, and it therefore becomes the proving ground for spiritual leaders. And we are to have children who are faithful to what is most precious to us.

正如我所说的，家庭是上帝将公义代代相传的社会基本单位，因此它成为属灵领袖的试验场。我们要有忠于我们最宝贵的东西的孩子。

Now, not just believers, let me just tap this point one more time by looking at those words, “dissipation” and “rebellion.”   “But faithful believers” - I think they're both there – “not accused of dissipation or rebellion.”   “Dissipation” is asōtia.   It means just what it says.   It's used in Ephesians 5:18 associated with drunkenness and wild revelry and pagan festivals.   It means “wild, wasteful.”   Literally “without saving, saving nothing,” just “throwing yourself away, indulgent.”   And the second term is “rebellion,” “out of control, wild, unruly.”   His children are to be believers who are faithful, who live obediently, under control when they're small, following their father’s faith until it emerges into their own faith, and at that point they don't live a wild and rebellious out-of-control, unruly, wasteful life, but they live a faithful Christian life.

现在，不仅仅是信徒，让我再看看“消散”和“悖逆”这两个词来再次强调这一点。“但忠心的信徒”——我想他们都在那里——“没有被指控为消散或悖逆”。“消散”是 asōtia。它的意思就是它所说的。它在以弗所书 5：18 中与酗酒、狂欢和异教节日有关。它的意思是“狂野的、浪费的”。字面意思是“不储蓄，一无所存”，只是“抛弃自己，放纵”。第二个词是“悖逆”，“失控、狂野、不守规矩”。他的儿女要成为忠心的信徒，顺服地生活，在他们很小的时候就受到控制，跟随父亲的信仰，直到它出现在他们自己的信仰中，到那时，他们不会过着狂野、悖逆、失控、不守规矩、浪费的生活，而是过着忠心的基督徒生活。

A pastor who has children who are wild, self-indulgent, disobedient and rebellious, even if they claim to be Christians, is not suited to be an elder or a pastor.   What a standard this is.   The man who is selected to be an elder or a pastor has exhibited the leadership and life-integrity to lead people to salvation and sanctification and service to God, because he has done it or is doing it in the proving ground of his own family.   He is known as one who has obedient, controlled children who believe, as they are able, the truth of the Christian gospel and live according to its principle, and their simple faith when they're young is emerging into a saving faith at some point. Those children become the proof of his spiritual leadership.

一个牧师如果的孩子是狂野的、自我放纵的、不顺服的和悖逆的，即使他们自称是基督徒，也不适合做长老或牧师。这是多么标准啊。被拣选为长老或牧师的人已经表现出领导力和生活正直，带领人们走向救恩、成圣和事奉上帝，因为他已经或正在自己家庭的试验场上这样做。他被称为有顺服、受控制的孩子，他们尽其所能地相信基督教福音的真理并按照其原则生活，他们年轻时的简单信仰在某个时候正在形成一种得救的信仰。这些孩子成为他精神领导的证明。

Even the little ones believe.   I look back on our little ones as they were growing up and continue to affirm their faith in Christ, affirm their love for Christ.   Even though it wasn't a saving faith, it was a simple affirmation of the things precious to father and mother, and it became a saving faith.   This is the proving ground.   This is where the man is tested.   He's not a better man.   He's not a more virtuous man.   He's not a more godly man.   But he is a man who uniquely suits the ministry.   Other men may be godly men, faithful men, loyal men, and perhaps have children that are wayward. That does not hinder his relationship to the Lord Himself, because he's not ultimately responsible for what his children choose to do. But it does not either qualify him for this unique role of leadership.   You might put it this way: we who do this need a special, abundant apportionment of God's grace - Don't we? - because of the uniqueness of our task.   And whatever has happened in any of our lives who lead the church, whatever has happened in our lives to qualify us in any measure is purely and simply and only because of the grace of God, the grace of God.

即使是小孩子也相信。我回顾我们的孩子成长过程中，继续肯定他们对基督的信仰，肯定他们对基督的爱。虽然不是得救的信仰，但却是对父母所珍视的事物的简单肯定，就成了得救的信心。这是试验场。这是考验这个人的地方。他不是一个更好的人。他不是一个更有道德的人。他不是一个更敬虔的人。但他是一个特别适合事工的人。其他人可能是敬虔的人、忠心的人、忠诚的人，也许还有任性的孩子。这并不妨碍他与主本人的关系，因为他最终不对他的孩子选择做的事情负责。但这也没有使他有资格担任这一独特的领导角色。你可以这样说：我们这样做的人需要神恩典的特别、丰盛的分配——不是吗？- 因为我们任务的独特性。无论我们生活中发生什么，领导教会的人，无论我们生活中发生什么，无论我们有资格，无论在某种程度上使我们有资格，都是纯粹而简单，并且只是因为神的恩典，神的恩典。

Thus does the apostle arm Titus with both a moral qualification for leadership and a leadership qualification. They are absolutely foundational to the ministry.   And where they don't exist, the church will remain at a low level because the pattern isn't there to lift the church.   We need to pray for our leaders, pray for all of us, all those who lead the church - any place, any time - that they might be these kind of men who know this kind of grace, that the Lord's church may be what would please Him most.

因此，使徒为提多提供了领导的道德资格和领导资格。它们绝对是事工的基础。在它们不存在的地方，教会将保持在较低的水平，因为没有模式来提升教会。我们需要为我们的领袖祷告，为我们所有人祷告，为所有领导教会的人祷告——无论何时何地——使他们成为知道这种恩典的人，使主的教会成为他最喜悦的教会。

Father, we thank You again this morning that this Word is clear.   It is penetrating; it is provocative; it is not easy to receive. It is hard to hear because it is so demanding, and it, it somehow makes us feel like some men are better than others, elevated above others.   Lord, let it not be so.   May we remember that he who is suited to leadership is the one who is most humble. And even Jesus came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give His life.   But may we also understand that out of the humility of such a life there are unique qualifications that must be met, and when met can set a man in a place of leadership where he can live and teach as a pattern that others can follow - not a perfect one, for none is that, but at least a reflection, at least some kind of representation of that kind of godliness that You want passed from generation to generation through all the families in Your church.   Thank You, Lord, in this church for leaders who have been blessed and graced with such families as can be followed.   Keep them that way, keep them faithful, keep the children faithful that they might never be a rebuke to the one who serves in Your name.   Amen.

天父，我们今天早上再次感谢你，因为这话是清楚的。它是穿透性的;它是挑衅性的;收到并不容易。很难听到，因为它要求很高，而且不知何故，它让我们觉得有些人比其他人更好，高于其他人。主啊，不要这样。愿我们记住，适合领导的人是最谦卑的人。耶稣来也不是要受人服事，乃是要服事并献出自己的生命。但愿我们也能明白，在这种生活的谦卑中，必须满足一些独特的资格，当满足时，可以使一个人处于领导地位，在那里他可以生活和教导，作为其他人可以遵循的模式——不是一个完美的，因为没有一个，但至少是一种反思， 至少是某种代表，你希望通过你教会中的所有家庭代代相传的那种敬虔。主啊，感谢你在这个教会里，为那些蒙福和恩典的领袖拥有这样的家庭。保守他们，让他们忠心，让他们忠心，使他们永远不会责备奉你名事奉的人。阿门。