新約如何引用舊約：基督的降生The New Testament's Use of the Old Testament:The Birth of Christ
作者：Jeffrey A.
Stivason 譯者：駱鴻銘
你可曾想過，馬太在他的福音書一開頭為什麼要引用以賽亞書？（註1）你也許會說，「當然不會嘍！我們知道為什麼。馬太所引用的，證實了童女懷孕和基督的降生！」是的，但是這是唯一的理由嗎？再次，你也許會說，「這理由還不夠嗎？」對此我只好認輸。但是讓我試著進一步分析我們的理解。Have you ever
wondered why Matthew quotes Isaiah in the opening chapter of his
Gospel?[1] Perhaps you would say,
"Of course not! We already know
why. The quote substantiates the virgin
conception and birth of Christ!"
Yes, but is that the only reason?
Again, you may claim, "Isn't that reason enough?" To which I might be tempted to cry,
"Uncle!" But let me take a
stab at pressing our understanding a bit further.
我們必須穿越時空，回到以賽亞的時代，他在漂布者的田間（賽七3；參《新譯本》；和合本作漂布地的大路）上和亞哈斯王對質。當那時，亞哈斯王正身陷困境。他不只拒絕加入大馬士革（亞蘭）和以色列用以對抗亞述這個新興勢力的聯軍，更糟糕的是他竟然尋求與亞述結盟！如今，大馬士革和以色列要來攻打他，給他一個教訓。但是先知以賽亞和亞哈斯王會面，告訴他還有另一條路可走。他大可不必和大馬士革和以色列聯手，也不必和亞述同盟。他是大衛的子孫。他是那位合神心意的人的後裔，和他同出一系。上帝會保護他，保守他不受這三者所害！甚者，上帝會賜給他一個記號來證實祂的話。上帝要他求一個或顯在深處或顯在高處的兆頭；什麼都可以求！但是他沒有求。亞哈斯有他自己的理由，主張自己的敬虔：他不要試探上帝。但真正的理由不完全如此。We need to travel
back in time to the day when Isaiah confronted King Ahaz on the highway to
Fuller's Field.[2] On that day, King
Ahaz was in trouble. He had not only refused
to join forces with Damascus and Israel against the rising power of Assyria, it
was worse, he had sought an alliance with Assyria! Now, Damascus and Israel were coming to teach
him a lesson. But Isaiah the prophet met
King Ahaz to tell him that there was another way. He did not have to side with Damascus and
Israel nor did he have to side with Assyria. He was the Son of David. He was in the line and lineage of the man after
God's own heart. God would protect him
and preserve him from all three! What is
more, God would give him a sign confirming His word. God invited him to ask for a sign in the
highest heavens or the depths of Sheol; ask anything! But he didn't. Ahaz claimed piety for his reason; he would
not tempt God. But the raison d'être was
a bit different.
列王紀下十六章7節記載了這個可怕的事實，經文說：「亞哈斯差遣使者去見亞述王提革拉毗列色，說：『我是你的僕人、你的兒子。現在亞蘭王和以色列王攻擊我，求你來救我脫離他們的手。』」你看到了嗎？大衛的子孫竟然低聲下氣地說自己是提革拉毗列色，亞述王的兒子！亞哈斯不需要從祂天上的父親而來的兆頭，因為他已經拋棄了上帝的家！他正在申請被收養到亞述人的家中。Second Kings 16:7
records the awful truth. Here is the
text. “So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Peleser king
of Assyria, saying, ‘I am your servant and your son; come up and deliver me
from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who
are rising up against me!” Did you see
that? The Son of David postured himself
as the son of Tiglath Pileser, king of Assyria!
Ahaz needed no sign from his heavenly Father because he had forsaken the
family of God! He was petitioning for
adoption into the family of Assyria.
因此，正如預期，以賽亞嚴厲地作出回應。他提醒亞哈斯不要忘了他的身份，以賽亞說：「大衛家啊，你們當聽！你們使人厭煩豈算小事，還要使我的神厭煩嗎？」（賽七13）除了這個斥責之外，以賽亞也宣告上帝會賜下祂自己的兆頭。倘若亞哈斯不願意當忠心的兒子，那麼祂會自己差遣一位忠心的兒子。上帝會差遣祂自己的兒子，由童女所生，作為拯救的兆頭。舞台的布幕就此拉下，而我們直到馬太福音的第一章才重新拾起這個故事的線索。And so, as you
might expect, Isaiah responded sternly.
He reminded this man of his identity, “Listen now, O house of
David! Is it too slight a thing for you
to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as
well?” Along with that rebuke Isaiah
announced that God would give His own sign.
If Ahaz would not be a faithful son then He would send a faithful
son. God would send His own Son born of
a virgin as a sign of deliverance. Here
the curtain drops on history and we don’t pick up the thread of the story again
until we open up to the first chapter of Matthew’s gospel.
當我們打開馬太福音，我們發現到馬太是從一個家譜開始他的福音書的。為什麼呢？這是基於一個簡單的理由，他在聖靈的引導下，提供了這個家譜，以確立耶穌就是大衛的後裔。請讀這個家譜。都和大衛有關！大衛至少被提到五次。還有，這個家譜被分成三個段落，每個段落共十四代，以大衛為焦點。在這個家譜中到處都看得到大衛的影子，而理由是很正當的：馬太要告訴我們，耶穌是大衛的後裔。And when we turn to
Matthew's Gospel we find that he begins with a genealogy. Why?
For a very simple reason, he, under the Spirit’s superintendence,
provided the genealogy in order to establish Jesus as a son of David. Just read the genealogy. It’s all about David! He’s mentioned no less than five times. What is more, the genealogy is divided up
into three sections of fourteen generations each with David as the focal
point. David is everywhere present in
the genealogy and for good reason. Matthew
is telling us that Jesus is the son of David.
但是還不止如此。這位耶穌不只是大衛的後裔，馬太不要我們錯過這個事實，即耶穌也是上帝的兒子。路加在他的宣稱裡也同樣清楚地表示這點。在路加福音第一章32節，天使向馬利亞宣告說，她將要懷一個兒子，「他要為大，稱為至高者的兒子；主神要把他祖大衛的位給他。他要作雅各家的王，直到永遠；他的國也沒有窮盡。」耶穌是那應許之子，祂的國沒有窮盡，而且祂會坐在大衛的王位上，直到永永遠遠。But that's not
all. This Jesus is not only the Son of
David, Matthew does not want us to miss the fact that He is also the Son of
God. Luke is just as pronounced in his
claim. In Luke 1:32, the angel announced
this to Mary about her soon to be conceived Son, “He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of
His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His
kingdom will have no end.” Jesus is the
promised Son whose kingdom would have no end and He would sit on the throne of
David forever.
各位兄弟姐妹，亞哈斯未能看到上帝的慈愛和父親般的看顧。他拒絕被算為兒子。但是我有一個好消息。雖然亞哈斯早就過世，被葬在他的墓中，但是耶穌基督卻繼續坐在天上父神右邊榮耀的寶座上。祂被升到至高之處，祂的衣裳垂下，遮滿聖殿。親愛的，這位兒子，以馬內利，有充分的能力可以搭救你脫離你的罪惡，並賜給你安慰和平安。Brothers and
sisters, Ahaz failed to see the love and fatherly care of God. He refused to be counted as a son. But I have good news. Though Ahaz is long dead and buried in his
tomb, Jesus Christ, continues to sit on
the throne at the right hand of the Father in glory. He is high and lifted up and the train of His
robe fills the temple. Beloved, this
Son, Immanuel, is more than able to deliver you from your sin and give you
comfort and peace.
註：
1. 馬太福音一章23節。
2. 以賽亞書第七章。
[1]
Matthew 1:23
[2]
Isaiah 7
Jeffrey
A. Stivason 從1955年起就擔任福音執事事奉主。他曾經是個植堂者，現在是賓州匹茲堡郊區吉伯松尼亞市的恩典改革宗長老教會的牧師。他也從費城西敏神學院獲得系統神學的哲學博士。他是真理之地（Place for Truth）的執行編輯。Jeffrey A. Stivason
has been serving the Lord as a minister of the gospel since 1995. He was church planter and now pastor of Grace
Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gibsonia, PA. He also holds a Ph.D. in
systematic theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia,
PA. Jeff is the Managing Editor for
Place for Truth.
