MARCH, 
Growing en route: The Mysteries Unveiled

三月，
一路成长：揭开奥秘

3月1日；
歌罗西书 1:24-29；
唱诗：赞美诗 20:1,2,4；

也要为我们祷告，求神给我们开传道的门，能以讲基督的奥秘，（我为此被捆锁）。（西 4:3）

我在年轻的时候，读了所有《哈迪男孩》（the Hardy Boys）和《神探南希》（ Nancy Drew）的书。我真的十分钦佩这些超级侦探，他们从来不会在复杂的谜团和奥秘面前失手。在这些书中的奥秘之事，是指那些秘密的罪行必须被解开，否则就无法理解的事。

当使徒保罗使用“奥秘”这个词时，他的意思却完全不同。在前面的经文中，他写到“基督的奥秘”。那是什么意思，有什么关于我们的主和救主的神秘之事吗？

在保罗的时代，有很多神秘的宗教仪式，它们是一种偶像崇拜的方式，有其秘密的规程和隐晦难懂的仪式，必须完全遵守才能与神明的世界相通。神秘宗教仪式主要针对新加入的人。

在这个意义上，基督徒的信仰并不是一个谜。基督的“奥秘”需要被公开宣讲。在圣经中，一个奥秘是指以前不为人知，现在已被揭示的事情。它通常涉及福音的核心，是至关重要的信息。圣经中的 “奥秘”，也经常意味着那些我们在今生知道，却不能完全理解的深层次的真理。

基督的奥秘，就是神差遣他的爱子道成肉身，把我们从一切的罪中拯救出来的神奇福音。我们知道并接受这一点，但我们不能完全理解这些事情。在天路之中，有些事情是我们根本无法理解的。

思考问题：使徒在这段经文中使用“奥秘”一词有什么特殊的理由吗？

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March 1
Colossians 1:24-29
Song: Hymn 20:1,2,4

THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST

And pray for us, too, that cod may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Chris..."（Colossians 4:3)

In my youth, I read all the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books. I really admired these super-sleuths who never failed to solve complex mysteries. In these books, the mystery is something that is not understood because a secret crime must be solved.

When the apostle Paul uses the word “mystery", he means something quite different. In the passage before us, he writes about "the mystery of Christ. "What does that mean? Is there anything mysterious about our Lord and Savior?

In Paul's days, there were many mystery religions. They were a form of idolatry with secret formulas and obscure rituals that had to be followed exactly in order to have contact with the world of the gods. Mystery religions were only for the initiated.

The Christian faith is not a mystery in that sense. The "mystery" of Christ needs to be publicly proclaimed. In the Bible, a mystery is something that was not known before but has now been revealed. It often concerns the very heart of the Gospel and gives vital information. The Biblical word “mystery" also often means deep truths that we know but cannot fully understand in this life.

The mystery of Christ is the amazing Gospel that God sent his Son into the flesh to deliver us from all our sins. We know and accept this, but we cannot fully understand the magnitude of these events. En route, some things simply remain beyond comprehension.

Question: Did the apostle have a special reason for using the word “mystery"in this text?

当使徒保罗使用“奥秘”这个词，他的意思却完全不同。在前面的经文中，他写到“基督的奥秘”。那是什么意思呢，关于主和救主，有什么神秘之事吗？在保罗的时代，有很多的神秘宗教，它们是一种偶像崇拜的方式，有其秘密的公式和隐晦难懂的仪式，必须完全遵守才能与神明的世界相通。神秘宗教只应于那些新加入的人。