梦游圣经66本书

2026年9月20日

经文｜提多书 1:4–9

「现在写信给提多，就是照着我们共信之道作我真儿子的。」
——提多书 1:4

「我从前留你在克里特，是要你将那没有办完的事都办整齐了，又照我所吩咐你的，在各城设立长老。」
——提多书 1:5

灵修内容

保罗把提多留在克里特，交给他一个重要而艰难的任务：

把没有办完的事办整齐，并在各城设立长老。

克里特并不是一个容易服事的地方。当地的社会风气复杂，教会里面也面对不服约束的人、错误的教导和混乱。

提多面对的，不是一个已经成熟稳定的群体，而是一片迫切需要被建立的属灵土壤。

然而，保罗面对这些问题的方法很特别。

他没有叫提多一个人把所有事情做好，而是告诉他：

「在各城设立长老。」

因为要建立教会，首先要建立人；
要影响一个地方，首先要兴起一群生命成熟、能够承担的人。

而提多自己，就是最好的例子。

保罗称他为：

「我真儿子的提多。」

这让我们看见，提多不是突然成为一个成熟的领袖。

他先被养育，才懂得养育别人；
先被陪伴，才懂得陪伴别人；
先被建立，才有能力建立别人。

保罗把真理传给他，陪伴他成长，也一步一步把重要的服事托付给他。

如今，这个曾经被建立的属灵儿子，已经成熟到可以被留在一个艰难的地方，承担建立教会的责任。

这就是属灵生命的传承：

保罗建立提多，
提多建立长老，
长老牧养教会，
教会继续建立下一代。

神建立我们，从来不只是为了我们自己。

祂让我们被爱，是要我们学习爱人；
祂让我们被牧养，是要我们学习牧养；
祂让我们被教导，是要我们能够教导；
祂让我们被建立，是要我们起来建立别人。

然而，建立人并不只是训练一个人的能力，更重要的是建立里面的生命。

当保罗谈到长老和监督的资格时，他首先关注的不是这个人多会讲话、多有领导能力，而是他的家庭、脾气、节制、待人，以及是否坚守真理。

因为：

恩赐可以吸引人，
能力可以完成事情，
但品格才能承载托付。

神若要借着我们建立别人，往往会先建立我们自己。

有时候，我们希望神先改变环境，但神可能没有马上改变环境，因为祂正在借着环境改变我们。

提多被留在克里特提醒我们：

神不一定把被祂建立的人放在容易的地方；
祂常常把被建立的人，放在最需要被建立的地方。

所以，当环境困难的时候，不要只问：

「主啊，什么时候带我离开？」

也可以问：

「主啊，祢要在这里怎样建立我？
又要借着我建立谁？」

神不是只要建立一个提多。

祂要借着提多建立长老，
借着长老建立教会，
再借着教会建立更多的人。

真正的属灵传承，不是一个人做得越来越多，而是被建立的人越来越多。

当被建立的人开始建立别人，教会就能够一代接一代地健康成长。

今日默想

今天，我只是在努力把事情做好，还是也在用心建立人？

我是否愿意先让神建立我的内在生命，使我成为一个能够承载托付的人？

在我的身边，有没有一个人，是神要我更多陪伴、养育、鼓励和成全的？

神建立教会，先建立人；
神建立人，先建立里面的生命；
神建立了我们，是要我们再去建立别人。

祷告

主啊，感谢祢让我看见，属灵生命不是停留在自己身上，而是要一代一代地传承。

谢谢祢曾经借着不同的人养育、陪伴和建立我。求祢也使我成为一个愿意建立别人的人。

求祢先建立我里面的生命，使我的品格、信心和真理根基越来越坚固，让我能够承载祢所赐的托付。

即使祢把我放在不容易的环境中，也求祢让我不只看见困难，更看见祢要建立的生命。

让我先被祢建立，再去建立别人；
先被祢成全，再去成全别人。

愿祢借着一个生命影响另一个生命，使祢的教会一代接一代被建立起来。

奉主耶稣基督的名祷告，阿们。

Build People, and You Build the Church

20 September 2026

Scripture | Titus 1:4–9

“To Titus, my true son in our common faith.”
— Titus 1:4

“The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.”
— Titus 1:5

Devotional

Paul left Titus in Crete and entrusted him with an important and difficult mission:

To put in order what was left unfinished and to appoint elders in every town.

Crete was not an easy place to serve. Its social environment was challenging, and the churches were also facing rebellious people, false teachings, and disorder.

Titus was not dealing with a mature and stable community. He was standing in a spiritual field that urgently needed to be strengthened and built up.

Yet Paul’s approach to these problems was very significant.

He did not tell Titus to do everything by himself. Instead, he instructed him:

“Appoint elders in every town.”

Because if you want to build the church, you must first build people.

If you want to influence a place, you must first raise up people who are spiritually mature and able to carry responsibility.

And Titus himself was one of the best examples of this.

Paul called him:

“My true son.”

This shows us that Titus did not suddenly become a mature leader.

He was first nurtured before he learned to nurture others.
He was first accompanied before he learned to walk alongside others.
He was first built up before he became able to build up others.

Paul taught him the truth, walked with him as he grew, and gradually entrusted him with greater responsibilities in ministry.

Now this spiritual son, who had once been built up by Paul, had matured to the point where he could be left in a difficult place and entrusted with the responsibility of building up the church.

This is how spiritual legacy is passed on:

Paul built up Titus.
Titus raised up elders.
The elders shepherded the church.
And the church continued to build up the next generation.

God never builds us up only for ourselves.

He allows us to be loved so that we can learn to love others.
He allows us to be shepherded so that we can learn to shepherd others.
He allows us to be taught so that we can teach others.
He builds us up so that we can rise up and build others.

Yet building people is not merely about developing their abilities. More importantly, it is about building their inner lives.

When Paul described the qualifications of elders and overseers, his first concern was not how well they could speak or how strong their leadership abilities were. Instead, he focused on their family life, temperament, self-control, relationships with others, and faithfulness to the truth.

Because:

Gifts may attract people.
Abilities may accomplish tasks.
But character is what enables us to carry God’s entrusted responsibility.

If God wants to use us to build others, He will often begin by building us first.

Sometimes we want God to change our circumstances first. But God may not immediately change the circumstances because He is using those very circumstances to change us.

Titus being left in Crete reminds us:

God does not always place those He has built up in easy places.

Very often, He places those who have been built up in the places that most need to be built up.

So when circumstances are difficult, instead of only asking:

“Lord, when will You take me out of here?”

We can also ask:

“Lord, how do You want to build me here?
And whom do You want to build through me?”

God did not want to build only one Titus.

Through Titus, He wanted to build up elders.
Through the elders, He wanted to build up the church.
And through the church, He wanted to build up even more people.

True spiritual legacy is not about one person doing more and more.

It is about more and more people being built up.

When those who have been built up begin to build others, the church can grow strong and healthy from one generation to the next.

Today’s Reflection

Am I simply trying to get things done, or am I also intentionally building people?

Am I willing to let God first build my inner life so that I can become someone capable of carrying what He entrusts to me?

Is there someone around me whom God is calling me to spend more time nurturing, encouraging, walking alongside, and equipping?

God builds the church by first building people.
God builds people by first building their inner lives.
And God builds us so that we can go and build others.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for showing me that spiritual life is not meant to stop with me, but to be passed on from one generation to another.

Thank You for the different people You have used to nurture me, walk with me, and build me up. Please make me someone who is also willing to build others.

First build my inner life. Strengthen my character, my faith, and my foundation in Your truth, so that I may faithfully carry whatever You entrust to me.

Even when You place me in difficult circumstances, help me not to see only the difficulties, but also the lives You desire to build.

Let me first be built by You, and then build others.
Let me first be equipped by You, and then equip others.

May You use one life to influence another, so that Your church may continue to be built up from generation to generation.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.