對傳道人的懇求 A Plea to Preachers
作者: Sinclair Ferguson 譯者: Maria Marta
聖經與其恩典信息有一個中心。這個中心在耶穌基督被釘十字架、復活的事件中找到。因此，恩典必須以這種方式宣講：以基督耶穌為焦點，以基督耶穌為中心。沒有施恩的主，我們決不能提供福音的恩福。然而，對許多傳道人來說，與恰當地解釋我們所需要的赦免、接納與能力之源頭相比起來，處理實際事務，解答「如何」之問題，甚至揭露和譴責罪惡要容易得多。
這是一個令人沮喪的事實，寫了大量的基督教書籍，作過無數次的證道，主辦過眾多的會議、研討會，播放過數之不盡的電視、廣播節目的福音派基督徒，實際上他們所寫的基督教書籍，所作的證道，所主辦過的會議和、研討會，所播放的電視、廣播節目，很少是關於基督耶穌並祂釘十字架這一主題的。我們以最充沛的精力，最具創造性的活力，教導上帝子民幾乎所有的事情，除了我們的主和救主的位格和工作之外。這應該引起我們相當大的恐慌，因為我們有理由擔心我們的失敗已達到了泛濫的程度。我們需要回到真正的心靈宣講，紮根於恩典的原則，以主耶穌基督的位格為焦點。
本文摘錄自《Feed My Sheep: A Passionate
Plea for Preaching》，作者有: Albert Mohler
Jr., James Montgomery Boice, Derek W. H. Thomas,Joel R. Beeke, R. C. Sproul ,
R. C. Sproul Jr. , Sinclair B. Ferguson, Don Kistler , Eric J. Alexander , John
Piper , John MacArthur 等。已翻譯的文章在此。
A Plea to Preachers
FROM
Sinclair Ferguson
There
is a center to the Bible and its message of grace. It is found in Jesus Christ
crucified and resurrected. Grace, therefore, must be preached in a way that is
centered and focused on Jesus Christ Himself. We must never offer the benefits
of the gospel without the Benefactor Himself. For many preachers, however, it
is much easier to deal with the pragmatic things, to answer “how to” questions,
and even to expose and denounce sin than it is to give an adequate explanation
of the source of the forgiveness, acceptance, and power we need.
It is
a disheartening fact that evangelical Christians, who write vast numbers of
Christian books, preach abundant sermons, sponsor numerous conferences and
seminars, and broadcast myriad TV and radio programs actually write few books,
preach few sermons, sponsor few conferences or seminars, and devote few
programs to the theme of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We give our best and
most creative energies to teaching God’s people almost everything except the
person and work of our Lord and Savior. This should cause us considerable
alarm, for there is reason to fear that our failure here has reached epidemic
proportions. We need to return to a true preaching to the heart, rooted in the
principle of grace and focused on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This
excerpt is taken from Sinclair Ferguson’s contribution in Feed My Sheep: A
Passionate Plea for Preaching.