改革宗信仰基要：主的聖餐Basicsof the Reformed Faith: The Lord’s Supper
作者：Kim Riddlebarger 作者：誠之
改革宗思想對主的聖餐的理解，是建立在將以下的事物加以區分的基礎上的：(1) 記號與印記（sign and seal: 餅和酒），(2) 外在的記號和印記所代表的屬靈的事（the thing signified：透過基督的血——聖約的血——得著赦免），以及 (3)上述二者在聖禮上的聯合（sacramental union。主的話：「這是我的身體」）。這三重區分是直接從耶穌設立聖餐時所說的話而來的。「他們吃的時候，耶穌拿起餅來，祝福，就擘開，遞給門徒，說：『你們拿著吃，這是我的身體』； 又拿起杯來，祝謝了，遞給他們，說：『你們都喝這個；因為這是我立約的血，為多人流出來，使罪得赦。但我告訴你們，從今以後，我不再喝這葡萄汁，直到我在我父的國裏同你們喝新的那日子。』」（太廿六26-29）The Reformed understanding of the Lord’s Supper
is grounded in an important distinction between the sign and seal (bread and
wine), the thing signified (forgiveness through his blood, the “blood of the
covenant”), and a sacramental union between the two (our Lord’s words “this is
my body”). This three-fold distinction
arises directly from the words of institution spoken by Jesus himself. “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread,
and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, `Take,
eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave
it to them, saying, `Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this
fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s
kingdom” (Matthew 26:26-29).
當耶穌說餅是祂的身體，酒是祂的血的時候，我們信這話，但不可混淆記號（餅和酒）和所代表的屬靈之事（基督的身體和血）；也不插入這些話，如「這代表我的身體」，就如那些只相信主的聖餐基本上只是一個紀念性的筵席，領餅和酒並不能讓我們領受任何的東西。如同保羅所稱「那盤石就是基督」（林前十4），同樣，餅就是耶穌的身體。這不是因為記號奇跡似地變成所代表的屬靈的事（這是羅馬天主教「變質說」的錯誤主張），而是因為基督說到餅（記號）的時候，是使用聖禮的語言，把它當作是屬靈的事（祂的身體）。因為記號和所代表的屬靈的事，在聖禮上可以有真正的聯合，餅可以說成是基督的身體，如同耶穌在設立聖禮時所說的一樣（太廿六26）。When Jesus speaks of the bread
as his body and the wine as his blood, we take him at his word without
resorting to confusing the sign (bread and wine) with the thing signified
(Christ’s body and blood). Nor should we
insert words such as “this represents my body,” as in the case of those who
believe that the Lord’s Supper is essentially a memorial meal and that nothing
is received through partaking of the bread and wine. As Paul calls “Christ the rock” (1
Corinthians 10:4), so too, the bread is Jesus’ body, not because the sign is
miraculously changed into the thing signified (as the Roman Catholic church
erroneously contends in transubstantiation), but because Christ can speak of
the bread (the sign) as though it were the thing signified (his body) using the
language of sacraments. Because a true
sacramental union exists between the sign and the thing signified, the bread
can indeed be spoken of as Christ’s body as Jesus does when instituting the
sacrament (Matthew 26:26 ff).
追隨加爾文的教導，改教家試圖牢記在心的有兩點：一是基督升天是真實的景況，也就是基督真正的人性本質，現在是在天上，正等候祂的再來（徒一9-11）；二是基督在聖禮中是真實地與人同在（林前十16-17）。雖然基督真正的人性本質在天上，信徒仍然可以領受祂所有的救贖恩益，因為透過信心，聖靈已經把地上的聖徒和天上的基督聯合在一起。同樣，基督可以在天上，而信徒可以領受基督真正的身體和血，因為同一位聖靈也保證所有已經與基督聯合的人，當他們以信心領受餅和酒的時候，可以領受基督真實的身體和血（林前十16-17；十一23-29）。Following Calvin, the Reformed have tried to
keep in mind both the reality of Christ’s ascension, wherein Christ’s true
human nature is now in heaven awaiting his return (Acts 1:9-11), and the real
presence of Christ in the sacrament (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Though Christ’s true human nature is in
heaven, the believer receives all of his saving benefits, because, through
faith, the Holy Spirit has united the believer here on earth to Christ in
heaven. So too, Christ can be in heaven
and the believer can receive his true body and blood, because the same Holy
Spirit ensures that those already in union with Christ receive his true body
and blood when they take bread and wine in faith (1 Corinthians 10:16-17;
11:23-29).
因此，聖餐的飲食方式是屬靈的，不是身體（實體）上的。我們是靠信心領受基督，而不是靠嘴巴（約六63可以用在這裏）。用設立聖餐的語言來說，神沒有把基督的身體從天上帶到地上給我們，有如路德宗所說的，基督的身體是充滿在地上的祭台中（in, with, and under）。反而，信徒是透過聖靈的能力，吃喝基督，祂今天坐在上帝的右邊；聖靈並保證我們真的領受神所應許的；我們是以信心的方式領受，因為是靈魂領受神所應許的實際，而不是身體；嘴巴所領受的，只是被分別為聖的餅和酒。無論如何，當我們借著信心吃餅喝酒的時候，聖靈就保證我們會領受基督真正的身體和血；這身體和血如今在天上，但我們已經與祂聯合。奧古斯丁明白這點，他說，「相信，你就已經吃喝。」（believe, and thou hast eaten）Therefore, the manner of eating is spiritual,
not physical. We truly receive Christ by
faith and not by the mouth (John 6:63 may apply here). In the words of institution, the body of
Christ is not brought down to us, i.e., localized on an altar “in, with, and
under” as Lutherans argue. Rather, the
believer is able to feed upon Christ who sits at God’s right hand through the power
of the Holy Spirit who ensures that we truly receive what is promised. The manner of reception is faith, since it is
the soul, not the body, which receives the reality of what is promised, while
the mouth receives only the consecrated bread and wine. Nevertheless, when we eat the consecrated
bread and drink the wine, through faith, the Holy Spirit ensures that we
receive the true body and blood of Christ which is in heaven because we are in
union with him. Augustine had it right
when he said “believe, and thou hast eaten.”
基督在聖禮中與祂的百姓真實同在——以信心透過聖餐吃喝基督，是聖經教導的核心，也是改革宗有關主的聖餐之教導的核心。但是這也牽涉到末世論的層面（啟示錄十九6-9），因為在地上慶祝主的聖餐是在期盼等候那將要來的偉大婚禮的宴饗。這裏也有聖約的層面，每當我們慶祝主的聖餐，神自己就重新確認祂聖約的誓言：祂要拯救罪人，為他們擔當聖約的咒詛。耶穌基督今天仍然與罪人一同在聖餐桌前享受彼此的團契交通，正如出埃及記廿四章所預表的，而這在整個使徒時代所設立的教會中已經得到實現。這是我們在林前十一23-32這類的經文中所看到的。That Christ is sacramentally present with his people
through the Supper as they feed upon him in faith then is the heart of the
biblical teaching and Reformed doctrine regarding the Lord’s Supper. But there is also an eschatological dimension
here (Revelation 19:6-9), as the earthly celebration of the Supper anticipates
the great marriage supper yet to come.
There is a covenantal dimension here as well, as each time the Lord’s
Supper is celebrated, God himself re-affirms his covenant oath to save sinners
by bearing the curse for them. Jesus
Christ still enjoys table fellowship with sinners as was typologically set
forth in Exodus 24, and then realized in those churches established throughout
the apostolic era, as we see in a passage such as 1 Corinthians 11:23-32.
既然我們有聖經「真實同在」的說法，再加上聖經把神的話和聖禮聯系起來的做法（徒二42；林前十一章；徒廿7），我們很難做出純粹人為的評估，看我們是否有這個價值來領受聖餐。有些問題會讓我們提心吊膽。「我有足夠的信心嗎？」「我是否充分地認自己的罪，潔凈我的心了呢？」無可避免地，這個內省的過程，會貶低這個事實，就是聖餐的本質是屬靈的飲食和聖約的筵席，神在其中重新確認祂的聖約誓言。在神的話當中動工的是聖靈，而不是神父或牧師，讓聖禮對信徒有功效。上帝是主動的一方（祂甚至不是「記念的人」），這正是我們為什麽必須把聖餐和餅、酒這些元素當作是從神而來的恩典的禮物，是天上來的嗎哪，是神給我們的，透過神所設立的記號，要向我們傳遞恩典之約實際的祝福。因此，聖餐不是基督徒生活中附帶的雜事，而必須被視為是我們成聖、在聖潔中成長的重要部分。 Given the biblical
language of “real presence” in the words of institution, in addition to the
biblical practice of connecting the Word and sacrament (Acts 2:42; 1
Corinthians 11; Acts 20:7), it is hard to make a purely human assessment of our
own worthiness to partake as the basis for receiving the Supper. Certain questions haunt us. “Do I have enough faith?” “Have I sufficiently confessed my sins and purified
my heart?” Inevitably, the nature of
this introspective process depreciates the fact that the essence of the Supper
is a spiritual feeding and a covenant meal, in which God re-affirms his
covenant oath. It is the Holy Spirit
working through the Word, and not a priest or minister that makes the sacrament
efficacious for believers. God is the
active party (not even the “rememberer”), and this is why we must see the
Supper and the elements of bread and wine as gracious gifts from God–manna from
heaven, as it were–given to us by God to communicate to us the realities of the
blessings of the covenant of grace, through the signs instituted by God. The Supper is, therefore, not incidental to
the Christian life, but must be seen as a vital part of our sanctification and
growth in godliness.
漏譯最後一段：
In this meal, Jesus still
invites repentant tax collectors and sinners to join him. At the table of the Lord, our gracious God
confirms the promise of the gospel, and through partaking of the consecrated
bread and wine, God will strengthen and nourish our faith, renew his covenant,
and remind us that we are his. Jesus
does this because he is our living bread, who came down from heaven.
