羅馬書八章29的「預先知道」是什麼意思？ WhatDoes “Foreknew” Mean In Romans 8:29?
作者：James Faris 翻譯: 駱鴻銘
因為祂預先所知道的人，就預先定下效法祂兒子的模樣，使祂兒子在許多弟兄中作長子。“For those whom he foreknew he
also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he
might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 (ESV)
羅馬書八章29的「預先知道」是什麼意思呢？這節經文的意思是上帝看透時間，事先知道誰會相信基督，並因此預定他們會效法耶穌的模樣嗎（譯按：指亞米念主義）？還是它告訴我們，當上帝衡量各種變數和祂的被造物可能的決定時，所得到的某種「中間知識」（譯按：指莫連那主義[Molinism]）？這些與歷史上的改革宗對預知的理解相反的說法，試圖要保留的是人不受限制的意志。What does
“foreknew” mean in Romans 8:29? Does it mean God looked ahead through time and
knew in advance who would believe in Christ and thus predestined them to be
conformed to the image of Jesus? Perhaps it reveals some kind of “middle
knowledge” of God as he weighed various contingencies and possible decisions of
his creatures? These options, which stand opposed to the historic reformed
understanding of foreknowledge, seek to preserve unrestricted freedom of man’s
will. It’s helpful to ask two questions of the text at this point. First, to
get the context, what is the object of God’s foreknowledge? Second, what is the
meaning of the word?
在羅馬書八章29節裏，上帝的預知，其預知的對象是人。上帝在這裏所說的不是祂預知人的傾向、選擇、或是行動。上帝所預知的不是人的信心，而是預知人。上帝選擇要拯救人，不是根據祂預見人的工作或決定。聖經很清楚說明，我們是靠著上帝主權的恩典、藉著信心得救的（如：羅九11-13；弗二8-9）。Robert
Raymond 在他的系統神學著作（A
New Systemic Theology of the Christian Faith）裏，註解以弗所書一章4節這節平行經文時寫到：「上帝在創世以前揀選我們，使我們成為聖潔，而不是因為祂看到我們會成為聖潔而揀選我們。」The object of God’s
foreknowledge in Romans 8:29 is people. God does not say here that he foreknew
inclinations, choices, or actions. It is not faith God foreknew; he foreknew
people. God did not choose to save based on foreseen human works or decisions;
Scripture is clear that we are sovereignly saved by grace through faith (e.g.
Romans 9:11-13, Ephesians 2:8-9). Commenting on the parallel passage in
Ephesians 1:4, Robert Reymond writes in his A New Systematic Theology of the
Christian Faith, “God chose us before the creation of the world that we should
be holy, not because he saw that we would be holy.”
這個字是什麼意思呢？在聖經裏，它的意思可以是「先見」（prescience），或僅僅是事先知道（如：徒廿六5；彼後三17）。威斯敏斯特大要理問答問答14是按這個意思來使用這個詞的：「上帝按照祂毫無錯謬的預知，以及祂自由的、永不改變的旨意計畫，以創造並護理之工，來執行祂的旨意。」What does the word
mean? In Scripture, It can mean “prescience” or merely to know in advance (e.g.
Acts 26:5, 2 Peter 3:17). The Westminster Larger Catechism Answer 14 uses the
English word in that sense: “God executeth his decrees in the works of creation
and providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and
immutable counsel of his own will.”
但是，既然上帝的預知，尤其在羅馬書八章29節，其對象是人，我們就必須看到舊約裏與「認識」平行的詞，它們的用法與這個詞之間的關聯。在舊約聖經裏，「認識」的意思是指有親密的知識，正如亞當「認識」夏娃，因而懷了他們的兒子（創四1；和合本譯為：亞當和夏娃「同房」）。這個詞常常被用來描述上帝揀選祂的子民。創十八19論到亞伯拉罕，說：「我眷顧他（按：《新譯本》作「我揀選了他」；希伯來文原文就是「認識」），為要叫他吩咐他的眾子和他的眷屬遵守我的道，秉公行義，使我所應許亞伯拉罕的話都成就了。」主在每個孩子誕生前就認識他們，因此當祂在耶利米書說到這點，祂頭腦裏對耶利米必定有更密切的認識：「我未將你造在腹中，我已曉得你；你未出母胎，我已分別你為聖；我已派你作列國的先知。」（耶一5）。類似的用法充斥在舊約聖經裏（參：詩一6，一四四3；何十三4-5；摩三2）But especially since the object of God’s
foreknowledge in Romans 8:29 is people, we must see the connection to the use
of the parallel word for knowing in the Old Testament. To know in the Hebrew
Scriptures is to know intimately, as Adam did Eve when they conceived their son
(Genesis 4:1). The word is frequently used to describe God’s election of his
people. Genesis 18:19 says of Abraham, “For I have chosen [known] him, that he
may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the
LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham
what he has promised him.” The Lord knew of every child before he or she was
born, so he must have something more intimate in mind when in speaking to
Jeremiah when he said, “Before I formed you in the womb Iknew you, and before
you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations”
(Jeremiah 1:5). Similar uses abound in the Old Testament (c.f. Psalm 1:6,
144:3; Hosea 13:4-5, Amos 3:2).
上帝對祂百姓親密的、充滿愛意的知識的這個主題，延續到新約聖經：「然而，上帝堅固的根基立住了；上面有這印記說：『主認識誰是祂的人』；又說：『凡稱呼主名的人總要離開不義』。」（提後二19；參：林前八3 若有人愛神，這人乃是神所知道的。）當然，從一個純粹知識的角度，主認識世上的每一個人，因此在這些例子裏，經文明顯是說到一個更親密的個人關係。The theme of God’s
intimate, loving knowledge of his people carries into the New Testament, “But
God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are
his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’”
(2 Timothy 2:19, c.f. 1 Corinthians 8:3). Certainly, the Lord knows every
person on earth from a standpoint of bare knowledge, so the text is clearly
speaking of something more personal in these cases.
在天父對祂愛子的預知上，最能看到這個愛的關係：「基督在創世以前是預先被神知道的，卻在這末世才為你們顯現。」（彼前一20）Love is seen most
of all in the Father’s foreknowledge of his own Son, “He was foreknown before
the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your
sake” (1 Peter 1:20).
相對於此種對人的靈魂充滿愛意的認識，上帝對這些悖逆者宣告說：「我從來不認識你們」（太七23；參：太廿五11-12）In contrast to this
loving knowledge of souls, God will declare to rebels “‘I never knew you”
(Matthew 7:22, c.f. Matthew 25:11-12).
因此，慕理（John Murray）在他為羅馬書所作的注釋書裏，為「預知」這個詞所作的結論是，「它的意思是『祂所關心的人』，或『祂從永恆就以有區別的愛和喜悅所認識的人』」。Thus, in his
commentary on Romans, John Murray concludes of the word “foreknew”, “It means
‘whom he set regard upon’ or ‘whom he knew from eternity with distinguishing
affection and delight’ and is virtually equivalent to ‘whom he foreloved.’”
在下一節經文裏，上帝也預定這些人直到末了。這個預定的行動，從邏輯來說，是根植於祂對祂子民親密的預知。God also predestines these people to the end described
in the next verse. That predestinating act is logically rooted in his intimate
foreknowledge of his people.
因此，「預知」這個詞的意思是上帝「預愛」（forelove）祂的百姓。它是在描述這樣的一種愛：上帝出於祂單純的美意，在永恆裏愛祂的百姓。這對上帝的子民來說是個好消息，即既然我們救恩的確據是根植於上帝永恆的愛，我們就相信祂會叫萬事互相效力——即使我們現在有艱難的處境——使我們得著益處（羅八28），而且沒有任何事可以叫我們與上帝在我們主耶穌基督裏的愛隔絕（羅八39）。讚美主！So, the word “foreknew” means that God foreloved his
people. It describes love with which he loved his people his people in eternity
past out of his mere good pleasure. The good news for the people of God is that
since our assurance of salvation is rooted in God’s eternal love we can trust
that he is working all things – even difficult circumstances in our lives at
present – for our good (Romans 8:28) and that nothing will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39). Praise the
Lord!
James
Faris是印城第二改革宗長老教會的牧師。這篇文章首刊於Gentle Reformation，蒙授權使用。James Faris is a
pastor of the Second Reformed Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. This article
first appeared at Gentle Reformation and is used with permission.