圣经说耶稣是葡萄树，他的追随者是葡萄树上的枝子。
The Bible describes Jesus as the vine and his followers as the branches.
“我是葡萄树，你们是枝子。”—— 约翰书12:5
“I am the vine, ye are the branches.”— Joh 12:5
圣经又说耶稣是头，教会是他的身体。
The Bible also describes Jesus as the head and the church as his body.
“他是教会这身体的头。”—— 歌罗西书1:18
“And he is the head of the body, the church.”— Col 1:18
两个比喻都在说信徒长在基督里，因为救恩在基督里呀。但“枝子”和“肢体”的比喻是在表述同一种与基督的关系吗？它们形容的是当今的教会和基督的关系吗？
Salvation is in Christ, so it makes sense that both illustrations talk about being in Christ. However, do the vine and the body of Christ describe the same relationship with Christ? Are they both talking about the relationship the church today has with Christ?
我们可以对比一下圣经如何形容作“枝子”和“肢体”的。
Let’s compare the verses about being a branch and being a body member in the Bible
主耶稣要求枝子必须结果子，否则就从主身上剪掉。
The Lord Jesus requires the branches to bear fruit, otherwise, they will be cut off from him.
“我是真葡萄树，我父是栽培的人。凡在我里面不结果子的枝子，他就剪去；凡结果子的，他就修理干净，使枝子结果子更多。”—— 约翰书15:1-2
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”— Joh 15:1-2
顺着约翰书读下去，可知，这“果子”的比喻是指遵行主的话和诫命而表现出来的好行为。
The book of John also explains that the fruits are good works coming from obeying the Lord’s commandments.
“你们要住在我里面……枝子若不住在葡萄树里面，自己就不能结果子……你们若遵守我的诫命，就住在我的爱里，正如我遵守了我父的诫命，就住在他的爱里。”—— 约翰书15:4-10
“Abide in me…As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine…If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”— John 15:4-10
当枝子没有好行为/好果子的时候，就不在耶稣里了。约翰书也提到了被砍掉的枝子会如何：
When the branches don’t bear good works/good fruits, they will not be in Christ. The book of John also mentioned what it means to be cut off:
“人若不住在我里面，就像枝子丢在外面枯干，人拾起来，扔在火里烧了。”—— 约翰书15:6
“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”— John 15:6
而”肢体”的作法却有天壤之别。坏的枝子被砍掉，不会拖累好的枝子，反而让好枝子成长地更好。但人的肢体若因坏掉被砍掉，身体就残缺了。
However, to be a member of the body is quite different. Though bad branches are cut off so that the good branches can grow better. But if a weak member of the body gets cut off, the body will not be complete.
“眼睛不能对手说，我用不着你。头也不能对脚说，我用不着你。”—— 哥林多前书12:21
“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.”— 1 Cor 12:21
若人崴了左脚，不会想把左脚砍掉，而是让右脚负重更多，让右脚照顾左脚，仿佛左脚更尊贵一样。基督的肢体中，有的信徒更弱软；有的信徒更坚固。那信心强的信徒就会照顾信心软弱的信徒，而不是把弱软的信徒排挤掉。
If someone hurts his left foot, he would not want to cut it off. Instead, he will move the body weight to the right foot. The left foot will have cared as if it is more honored. In the body of Christ, some members are weaker; some are stronger. Instead of cutting off the weaker members, they are cared for by the stronger ones.
“神把这身体搭配到一起，把加倍的尊贵给那有缺乏的肢体，免得身体中有分裂，总要肢体彼此照顾。”—— 哥林多前书12:24-25
“God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” — 1 Cor 12:24-25
“我们坚固的人应该担代不坚固人的软弱，不求自己的喜悦。”—— 罗马书15:1
“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”— Rom 15:1
作枝子的可以撇开坏枝子，一枝独秀，开花结果。但肢体却要背负彼此的负担，一荣俱荣，一损俱损。
A branch can bear its own fruit and not bear the burden of the bad branches cut off. But the members of the body bear each other’s burden. All members of the body have to share the same glory and the same suffering.
“若一个肢体受苦，所有的肢体就与它一起受苦；若一个肢体尊贵，所有的肢体就与它一起快乐。现在，你们就是基督的身体，并且各自作肢体。”—— 哥林多前书12:26-27
“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”— 1 Cor 12:26-27
若左脚崴了，左脚痛苦之时，右脚也要一起受苦，因为右脚要代左脚承担更多的的重量；若左脚健壮了，两脚都健步如飞，两脚一起欢快了。在基督的身体里也如此，坚固的信徒要担当软弱的信徒的负担；试想若所有信徒都是坚固的，强强联合，那事奉的工作该多有效率，信徒之间的鼓励又多有果效。
If the left foot hurts, the right foot will suffer, too. Because the right foot has to bear more burden; when the left foot recovers, both of them have less burden and are faster. The stronger members will take the burdens of the weaker ones, but when all members are strong, their ministry work will be much more effective, and the encouragement between the members will be much more edifying.
“枝子”会因不结果而被砍掉，而“肢体”无论软弱或坚固都是身体不可分割的一部分。可见，葡萄树和基督的肢体两个比喻是与基督牵连的两种不同关系。
A branch could be cut off by not bearing fruit, but the member can’t be separated from the body, whether strong or weak. For this reason, the illustrations of the vine and the body of Christ describe two different relationships with Christ.
在约翰书里，耶稣用了葡萄树的比喻来教导祂与以色列之间的圣约关系，那时，关于基督肢体的奥秘还未揭示开来。神创造了两种不同的关系，可只有肢体在基督里的关系，才是给当今的教会的。当教会不能按照正义分解两种关系，糊涂拉扯错的关系，会造成信徒学而终不明其真理。
In the book of John, Jesus used the illustration of the vine to teach the relationship under his covenant with Israel, while the mystery of the body of Christ had not been revealed yet. God created the two different relationships, but only the body of Christ is for the church today. When the church can’t rightly divide the two relationships and try to apply the wrong one, it will lead to confusion.
“总是学习，却永远不能得到真理的知识。”—— 提摩太后书3:7
“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”— 2 Tim 3:7
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