挪亚一家藉着进入方舟，而蒙拯救脱离神的审判，与撒但败坏的权势。那么，方舟究竟是什么？照圣经来看，整个方舟乃是基督的预表（彼前三20-21）。圣经告诉我们，方舟是用歌斐木造的。歌斐木是一种饱含树脂的柏树，能够耐水。而在雅歌中，香柏树正预表钉十字架并复活的基督。钉十字架的基督能抵挡死水。祂尝了死味，死对祂毫无办法。方舟的里外抹上松香，在希伯来文中，松香与赎罪是同一字根，意思是遮盖。这说出我们在基督里有完全的遮盖，如同挪亚在方舟里得到遮盖与保护。整个方舟，乃是基督的预表。在方舟里，不论外面的风浪多大，我们都能安全。这就是挪亚进入方舟积极的意义。
就实行来说，今天我们一面传福音，一面建造方舟。我们所传的就是我们所建造的。藉着我们的生活和工作，我们把向别人所传的建造起来。至终，我们要进入我们所正在建造的，别人也可以进入这建造。建造的方舟要拯救我们脱离这被定罪的世代。我们需要向人传讲基督，我们的传讲就是建造基督。这就是说，我们凭基督活着并与基督同活。我们是活出基督。这就是我们建造的工作。同时，我们也在建造教会。教会就是团体的基督（林前十二12），而基督就是今天的方舟。只要我们正常的过教会生活，每日持续的享受主，参加小排及主日聚会，经过一段时日，不需要别人的要求或规劝，许多属于这世代潮流的口味和爱好，自然而然会从我们身上脱落。什么能救我们脱离这悖谬的世代？过教会生活能救我们。
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The Ark – A Type of Corporate Christ – 1 Pet. 3:20b-21a
Noah and his household were saved from God’s judgment and from the corrupt power of Satan by entering the ark. But what exactly is the ark? According to the Bible, the entire ark is a type of Christ (1 Peter 3:20–21). The Scriptures tell us that the ark was made of gopher wood. Gopher wood is a kind of cypress rich in resin and resistant to water. In the Song of Songs, the cedar tree typifies Christ in His crucifixion and resurrection. The crucified Christ can withstand the waters of death –He tasted death, yet death could not hold Him. The ark was covered inside and out with pitch; in Hebrew, the word for “pitch” shares the same root as “atonement,” meaning “to cover.” This signifies that in Christ we have full covering, just as Noah was covered and protected inside the ark. The entire ark represents Christ. Within the ark, no matter how fierce the storms outside may be, we are safe. This is the positive meaning of Noah’s entering into the ark.
In practice, today we are both preaching the gospel and building the ark. What we preach is what we are building. Through our daily living and our work, we build up what we proclaim to others. Eventually, we will enter into what we are building, and others may enter into it as well. The ark we are building will save us from this condemned generation. We need to preach Christ to others — our preaching is the building up of Christ. This means that we live by Christ and live with Christ; we express Christ in our living. This is the work of our building. At the same time, we are also building up the church. The church is the corporate Christ (1 Cor. 12:12), and Christ is today’s ark. As long as we live a normal church life — daily enjoying the Lord, participating in small group gatherings and Lord’s Day meetings — after some time, without external pressure or correction, many worldly tastes and preferences tied to this age will naturally fall away from us. What can save us from this crooked and perverse generation? Living the church life can.