如何從讀經中得到最多的領受

Thomas Watson 著
由 Matthew Vogan 簡略改寫成現代文體
Evergreen 譯

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1. 排除障礙。
   (a) 除去對各樣罪的眷戀
   (b) 除去對世事的思慮，特別是貪婪 [ 馬太。 13:22]
   (c) 不嘲諷聖經經文，不脫離聖經經文。
2. 準備自己的心。 [ 撒母上 7:3] 若要如此做，必須 :
   (a) 思想集中
   (b) 清除汙穢的貪愛及情欲
   (c) 不草率，輕意地對待。
3. 以敬畏的心讀經，把每一行字語都看成是神直接與你說話。
4. 依次研讀聖經的各卷書籍。
5. 要真正懂得聖經經文。 [ 詩篇 119:73] 對有關聯部分的經文作相互的比較，這樣做，最能得到造就。
6. 認真研讀聖經。 [ 申命 32:47] 要認真對待基督徒的生活，因為基督徒過活應該力爭向前， [ 路加 13:24] 不可中斷 [ 希伯 4:1] 。
7. 堅持記住所讀的經句。 [ 詩篇 119:52] 不讓它被忘懷 [ 馬太 13:4,19] 。如果你不把它記住 , 那它對你就未必有什麽益處。
8. 默想你所讀的經文。 [ 詩篇 119:15] 希伯來語的 meditate ' 是指心神專致 ' 。沒有讀經的默想是錯誤的，並且必定會出差錯 ; 而沒有默想的讀經乃是不毛之地，不結果子的。這表示激發了熱情，還有待默想的火種加溫 [ 詩篇 39:3] 。
9. 以謙卑的心讀經。應意識到你並不值得神向你顯明他自己 [ 雅各 4:6] 。
10. 相信聖經全部是神的話語。 [ 提後 3:16] 由於它對罪的描述，使我門知道沒有一個罪人能夠寫得出聖經。沒有一個聖人敢假裝自己的話語是神的話語來褻　神。沒有一個天使能夠以同樣的道理寫出聖經。 [ 希伯 4:2]
11. 對聖經有高度的評價。 [ 詩篇 119:72] 它是你的生命線 ; 你藉著它得到重生 [ 雅各 1:18] 。你需要依靠它得到成長 [ 彼前 2:2] [ 參看 雅各 23:12] 。
12. 須熱愛聖經 [ 詩篇 119:159] 。
13. 以誠實的心靈研讀。 [ 路加 8:15]
    (a) 願意知道神整個，全麵的旨意
    (b) 讀經是為了靠它來改變自己，並改變得更好 [ 約翰 17:17] 。
14. 你所讀的每一點都要應用於你自己，把每一個字都看成是跟你自己講的。 它對罪的譴責就如對你自己罪的譴責 ; 它所要求的職責就如神向你要求的職責 [ 列王下 22:11] 。
15. 如同對神的應許那樣，非常密切注意神的命令。要想到你怎樣需要指導就如你怎樣需要安慰。
16. 不要專注次要的細節，寧可確定自己密切注意的則是大事 [ 何西 8:12] 。
17. 把你自己和神的話語作比較。你怎樣作比較 ? 你的心是，或不是，寫照了神的話語 ?
18. 特別注意一些對你個人說話的章節，特殊的情況和現在的情況。如
    (a) 磨難 - [ 希伯 12:7 ，以賽 27:9 ，約翰 16:20 ，哥後 4:17] 。
    (b) 失去感受到基督的同在，失去笑容 - [ 以賽 54:8 ，以賽 57:16 ，詩篇 97:11]
    (c) 罪 - [ 加拉 5:24 ，雅各 1:15 ，彼前 2:11 ，箴言 7:10&22-23 ，箴言 22:14]
    (d) 懷疑 - [ 以賽 26:3 ，撒母下 22:31 ， 約翰 3:15 ，約壹 5:10 ，約翰 3:36]
19. 特別注意聖經中人物的例子和生命，把它們作為生動的訓誡。
    (a) 懲罰 [ 尼布撒尼加，希律，民數 25:3-4&9 ，列王上 14:9-10 使徒 5:5,10 ，哥前 10:11 ，猶大 7] 。
    (b) 憐憫和釋放 [ 但以理，耶利米，在燃燒熔爐中的三少年 ] 。
20. 在你感到你心中火熱以後才可停止讀經。 [ 詩篇 119:93] 使它不但跟你說話，而且使你極度激動 [ 耶利米 23:29 ，路加 24:32] 。
21. 你所讀的要得到實踐 [ 詩篇 119:66 ，詩篇 119:105 ，申命 17:19] 。
22. 基督對我們是先知，祭司，和君王。 要運用　作為先知的權能 [ 啟示 5:5 ，約翰 8:12 ，詩篇 119:102-103] 。要得到基督，不光是向你打開經文，還要開啟你的智力和領受能力 [ 路加 24:45] 。
23. 確定你自己真正接受神的話語，忠心，徹底詳述神的話語 [ 箴言 8:34] 誠摯，渴慕的等待它。
24. 禱告祈求你能從讀經中得利 [ 以賽亞 48:17 ，詩篇 119:18 ，尼希 9:20] 。

天然發生的障礙 你仍能通過讀經得到好處，即使 :

1. 你看來得到的好處不像別人那樣多。請記住，各人有不同的收獲 [ 馬太 13:8] ，雖然你的收獲沒有別人那樣多，然而這仍是真實和豐盛的收獲。
2. 你可能感到你的理解力遲鈍 [ 路加 9:45 ，希伯 5:11] 。
3. 你的積憶力很差， (a) 但記住，盡管如此，你還是能夠有一個良善的心， (b) 即使你不能記住每一件事，你仍能記住最重要的地方，約翰 14:26 能給予你鼓勵。

How to Get the Most from Reading your Bible
by Thomas Watson
Abridged and Modernised by Matthew Vogan

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1. Remove hindrances. (a) remove the love of every sin (b) remove the distracting concerns of this world, especially covetousness [Matt. 13:22] (c) Don't make jokes with and out of Scripture.
2. Prepare your heart. [1 Sam. 7:3] Do this by: (a) collecting your thoughts (b) purging unclean affections and desires (c) not coming to it rashly or carelessly.
3. Read it with reverence, considering that each line is God speaking directly to you.
4. Read the books of the Bible in order.
5. Get a true understanding of Scripture. [Ps. 119:73] This is best achieved by comparing relevant parts of Scripture with each other.
6. Read with seriousness. [Deut. 32:47] The Christian life is to be taken seriously since it requires striving [Luke 13:24] and not falling short [Heb. 4:1].
7. Persevere in remembering what you read. [Ps. 119:52] Don't let it be stolen from you [Matt. 13:4,19]. If it doesn't stay in your memory it is unlikely to be much benefit to you.
8. Meditate on what you read. [Ps. 119:15] The Hebrew word for meditate' means to be intense in the mind'. Meditation without reading is wrong and bound to err; reading without meditation is barren and fruitless. It means to stir the affections, to be warmed by the fire of meditation [Ps. 39:3].
9. Read with a humble heart. Acknowledge that you are unworthy that God should reveal himself to you [James 4:6]
10. Believe it all to be God's Holy Word. [2 Tim 3:16] We know that no sinner could have written it because of the way it describes sin. No saint could blaspheme God by pretending his own Word was God's. No angel could have written it for the same reason. [Heb 4:2]
11. Prize the Bible highly. [Ps. 119:72] It is your lifeline; you were born by it [James 1:18] you need to grow by it [1 Pet 2:2] [cf. Job 23:12].
12. Love the Bible ardently [Ps. 119:159].
13. Come to read it with an honest heart. [Luke 8:15] (a) Willing to know the entire and complete will of God (b) reading in order to be changed and made better by it [John 17:17].
14. Apply to yourself everything that you read, take every word as spoken to yourself. Its condemnation of sins as the condemnation of your own sin; the duty that it requires as the duty God would require from you [2 Kings 22:11].
15. Pay close attention to the commands of the Word as much as the promises. Think of how you need direction just as much as you need comfort.
16. Don't get carried away with the minor details, rather make sure to pay closest attention to the great things [Hosea 8:12].
17. Compare yourself with the Word. How do you compare? Is your heart something of a transcript of it, or not?
18. Pay special attention to those passages that speak to your individual, particular and present situation. e.g. (a) Affliction -- [Heb. 12:7, Isaiah 27:9, John 16:20, 2 Cor 4:17. (b) Sense of Christ's presence and smile withdrawn -- [Isaiah 54:8, Isaiah 57:16, Ps. 97:11] (c) Sin -- [Gal 5:24, James 1:15, 1 Peter 2:11, Prov 7:10&22-23, Prov 22:14] (d) Unbelief -- [Isaiah 26:3, 2 Sam 22:31, John 3:15, 1 John 5:10, John 3:36]
19. Pay special attention to the examples and lives of people in the Bible as living sermons. (a) Punishments [Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, Num 25:3-4&9, 1 Kings 14:9-10, Acts 5:5,10, 1 Cor 10:11, Jude 7] (b) mercies and deliverances [Daniel, Jeremiah, the 3 youths in the fiery furnace]
20. Don't stop reading the Bible until you find your heart warmed. [Ps 119:93] Let it not only inform you but also inflame you [Jer 23:29, Luke 24:32].
21. Put into practice what you read [Ps 119:66, Ps 119:105, Deut 17:19].
22. Christ is for us Prophet, Priest and King. Make use of His office as a Prophet [Rev 5:5, John 8:12, Ps 119:102-103]. Get Christ not only to open the Scriptures up to you, but to open up your mind and understanding [Luke 24:45]
23. Make sure to put yourself under a true ministry of the Word, faithfully and thoroughly expounding the Word [Prov 8:34] be earnest and eager in waiting on it.
24. Pray that you will profit from reading [Isaiah 48:17, Ps 119:18, Nehemiah 9:20].

Natural obstacles You may still be able to profit from reading even though:

1. You don't seem to profit as much as others do. Remember the different yields [Matt 13:8] though the yield isn't as much as others it is still a true and fruitful yield.
2. You may feel slow of understanding [Luke 9:45, Heb 5:11].
3. Your memory is bad (a) remember you are still able to have a good heart despite this (b) you may still remember the most important things even if you cannot remember everything, be encouraged by John 14:26.