32. 基督的榮耀THE GLORY OF CHRIST
作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the Christian Faith》P84 ,更新傳道會出版http://www.crmnj.org/
談到榮耀，我們很自然會想到人在運動界、商界或其他個人方面的殊榮。但在聖經中，榮耀是指至高神所發出的光輝，在某些重要的時刻，耶穌神性的榮美越過祂人性的外衣而彰顯出來。
最能彰顯基督榮耀的，是在祂登山變像的那一刻。「變像」的希臘文是motamorphoomai, 英文的變形（metamorphosis) 一詞即由此而來，表示形象的改變，例如，毛蟲化成蝴蝶就是。「變像」一詞的英文是transfiguration, 其字首trans-, 即「越過」之意。變像即指越過一個界限或屏障，由於自然進入超自然，由人的境界進入神的境界；越過了維度的界限而進入神的領域。
耶穌登山變像時，有光從衪的身上發出來，這顯明了神與人之間的界限已被越過。這情形和摩西在西乃山領受十誡下來時，臉上發光十分相似，但最大的不同是，摩西的臉面發光是反映出神的榮耀，但基督不單反映了神性的榮光，祂本身所發出的榮光就是神的榮光。從這方面來說，基督的榮耀很明顯地遠超摩西臉上的榮耀。
基督不單反映出光，祂本身也是光的源頭。登山變像的經歷與基督徒將要在新耶路撒冷經歷相似。使徒約翰在啟示錄二十一章23節提及，天上的聖城不再需要日月光照，因有神的榮耀光照，羔羊也要成為城的燈。約翰說：「他的名字必寫在他們的額上。不再有黑夜，他們也不用燈光、日光，因為主神要光照他們。他們要做王，直到永永遠遠。」（啟22：4-5）
我們不必因基督登山變像所顯出的榮耀感到驚奇，我們該驚奇的是，祂竟願意為祂的子民之故，遮蔽自己的榮耀。
總結
1. 基督的崇耀在登山變像時顯現了出來。
2. 基督的登山變像是形象的轉變，越過自然境界，進入超自然的境界。
3. 基督的榮耀不單反映出神的榮耀，並且就是神自己的榮耀。
思考經文：
太19：1-9；可13：24-27；來1：1-3；啟22：4-5
32. THE GLORY OF
CHRIST
We tend to think of
glory as something achieved by extraordinary athletic victories, business
achievements, or personal fame. In the Bible, however, it has to do with the
radiant shining forth of the transcendent majesty of God. At crucial moments
the splendor of Jesus’ deity burst through the cloak of His humanity.
The glory of Christ
perhaps never became more evident than at His transfiguration. The Greek word
for transfiguration is metamorphoomai, from which we get the word
metamorphosis. It denotes a change in form as, for example, the transformation
that occurs when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. The prefix trans- means
literally “across.” In the transfiguration a limit or barrier is crossed. We
might call it a crossing of the line
between the natural and the supernatural, between the human and the divine. It
crosses a boundary of dimensions into the realm of God.
At the Transfiguration
a brilliant light shone from Jesus. This light was the visible manifestation
that the barrier had indeed been crossed. There are some similarities between
this manifestation of glory and the shining face of Moses when he returned from
Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. The differences, however, are
significant. Moses’ face shone with reflected glory. Christ did not merely
reflect the brightness of divine glory, but His glory is the brightness of
divine glory. In this respect, His glory clearly transcends the reflected glory
on the face of Moses.
Christ, then, did not
reflect light but was the source of light. The Transfiguration was akin to what
the Christian will experience in the New Jerusalem. In Revelation 21:23, John
explains that the heavenly city will have no need of the sun or of the moon to
shine in it. God’s glory will illumine it. The Lamb will be its light. John
writes, “They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the
Lord God gives them light” (Revelation 22:4-5).
That the glory of
Christ shone forth at the Transfiguration should not surprise us. The surprise
is that He willingly veiled His glory for the sake of His children.
Summary
1. The glory of Christ
was revealed at His transfiguration.
2. The transfiguration
of Christ was a change in form, a crossing of the
natural into the
supernatural.
3. Christ’s glory is
not merely a reflection of God’s glory but the very
glory of God Himself.
Biblical passages for
reflection:
Matthew 17:1-9
Mark 13:24-27
Hebrews 1:1-3
Revelation 22:4-5
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