13许多圣徒以为牧养就是给圣徒某种帮助。按照他们的观念,那些牧养人的要比那些受他们牧养的高。事实上,这是错误的观念。正确的牧养不是辖管别人(彼前五3),乃是将生命供应给他们。关于长老,他们主要的职责就是供应生命。长老们必须花许多时间与主在一起,为召会祷告,为圣徒祷告,并寻求喂养他们、滋养他们、供应生命给他们的路。这事如果作成了,每一处地方召会都将是健康的。在有些地方,有些长老善于治理召会;但他们在牧养上,就是在喂养圣徒上却很弱。在这种情形下,召会就不能健康、活泼、丰富并刚强,因为圣徒们缺乏滋养。 13Many saints consider shepherding a rendering of some kind of help to the saints. According to their concept, those who shepherd are higher than those who are under their shepherding. Actually, this is a wrong concept. The proper shepherding is not to rule over others but to minister life to them (1 Pet. 5:3). Concerning the elders, their main responsibility is to minister life. The elders must spend much time with the Lord to pray for the church, to pray for the saints, and to find a way to feed them, to nourish them, to minister life to them. If this can be done, every local church will be healthy. In some places certain elders are very capable in administrating the church, but they are weak in shepherding, that is, in feeding the saints. In such a situation the church cannot be healthy, living, rich, and strong, because the saints are lacking in nourishment.