基督与教会奥秘的豫表
使徒在以弗所五章的劝勉里，陈明教会是基督的新妇。教会的这一面启示：教会出自基督，如同夏娃出自亚当（创二21-22）；教会与基督有同一的生命和性情，并作祂的配偶，与祂成为一，如同夏娃与亚当成为一体（创二24）。
许多基督徒知道，丈夫和妻子是基督与教会的豫表，然而，他们多半只肤浅的知道这豫表。他们对这奥秘豫表的认识，没有摸着他们全人，也没有影响他们的生活。我们需要进入这豫表的深处，好使我们全人和我们的生活能因而改变。
基督与教会的一幅完整图画
圣经的头一对夫妇，亚当和夏娃，陈明基督与教会一幅满了意义且完整的图画。按照创世记，神不是同时，也不是用同样的方式造男造女。首先，神用地上的尘土造了男人的身体。然后，祂将生命之气吹进他的鼻孔里，那人就成了活的魂（创二7）。神造了男人之后，说，“那人独居不好，我要为他造一个配偶帮助他”（创二18）。鸟兽被带到亚当面前，亚当给它们起名。但是亚当“没有遇见配偶帮助他”（创二20）。亚当里面渴望得着一个配偶，得着与他相配的人。牲畜、野兽、飞禽当中，没有亚当的配偶。为要产生这样的配偶，“耶和华神使他沉睡。”（创二21）。在亚当沉睡时，耶和华取了亚当的一条肋骨，并用这条肋骨建造成一个女人（创二22）。女人在生命、性情、和形状上都和男人一样。因此，当神把女人带到亚当面前时，亚当惊奇的说，“这是我骨中的骨，肉中的肉”（创二23）。亚当知道他终于找到了他的配偶。
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A Mysterious Type of Christ and the Church — Eph. 5:31-32
In Paul’s exhortation in chapter five, the apostle presents the church as the Bride of Christ. This aspect of the church reveals that the church comes out of Christ as Eve came out of Adam (Gen. 2:21-22), that she has the same life and nature as Christ, and that she, as His counterpart, becomes one with Him as Eve became one flesh with Adam (Gen. 2:24).
Many Christians know that husband and wife are a type of Christ and the church. However, most know this type only in a superficial way. Their knowledge of this mysterious type does not touch their being or affect their living. We need to get into the depths of this type in order that our being and our life may be changed by it.
A Complete Picture of Christ and the Church
The first couple in the Bible, Adam and Eve, present a significant and complete picture of Christ and the church. According to the book of Genesis, God did not create man and woman at the same time and in the same way. Firstly, God formed man’s body from the dust of the ground. Then He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). After God created man, He said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him” (Gen. 2:18). The animals and the fowl were brought to Adam, and Adam named them. But for Adam “there was not found a help meet for him” (Gen. 2:20). Within Adam there was the desire to have a counterpart, to have someone to match him. Among the cattle, the beasts and the fowl, there was no counterpart to Adam. In order to produce such a counterpart, “the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam” (Gen. 2:21). While Adam slept, the Lord took one of Adam’s ribs and used it for the building of a woman (Gen. 2:22, Heb.). In life, nature, and form the woman was the same as the man. Therefore, when God brought the woman to Adam, Adam exclaimed, “This time it is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23, Heb.). Adam knew that at last he had found his counterpart.