作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
在前一章我們提過，神學家的爭論常集中在一個共同問題上，就是人性本善，還是人性本惡？爭論的關鍵在於一個本字。沒有人是完全人，這是一個普遍的共識；我們都接受：「人孰無過？」這句至理明言。
聖經說：「世人都犯了罪，虧缺了神的榮耀。」 ( 羅3 : 2 3 ) 雖然這句話道出了人性的缺點，但在我們這個人本主義主導的文化裏，罪只被視為是人性的外在表現。事實上，我們都帶有罪的缺陷，我們的品德都有瑕疵，可是我們依然認為我們的惡行只沾染了我們品格的邊緣，而不是深透於我們品格的核心》基本上，我們假定人類生來是良善的。
多年前，一位在伊拉克被擄後獲救的美國人質， 在親身經歷過胡森的殘酷手段後，卻依然說 ： 「我雖然受到這種可怕的待遇，但我仍深信人性 本善。」也許這觀點正代表了人類善惡相對的浮動觀念 。顯然有些人比別的人更壞一點；若與胡森或希特勒相比，有成千上萬普通的罪 人，相 形之下幾乎成了聖人。但是我們若仰目注視那至高的良善標準— 性—神的聖潔本我們便會發現 ，地上所謂的良善，實際上是壞到核心了。
聖經的教導是，人性是全然敗壞的。全然敗壞乃是根本腐敗之意。我們要小心分辨全然敗壞和徹底敗壞的分別。所謂徹底敗壞，乃是說一個人已敗壞到了他所能達到的極限。希特勒極其敗壞，但他還可以更壞；我 是個罪人，但是我仍 可以犯上比真正已犯的更多、更壞的罪。雖然我不是徹底敗壞，但卻是全然敗 壞。所謂全然敗壞，乃是說我和其他每個人一樣，全人 的每一部分都是敗壞的，我們裏面沒有一部分不被罪所干擾—我們的思 想 、意志和身體都受邪惡所捆綁。我們說罪惡的話，行罪惡 的事，有不潔的思想。 我們每一個人的身體都被罪毀壞。
也許根本腐敗是比全然敗壞更恰當的用詞，更適合形容人類墮落的景 況。我用根本一詞，並不是指極限之意 ，而是偏重此字原意。英文的根 本（radical) — 字來自拉丁文的根或核心，罪的問題根植於我們全人的核 心，它滲透入我們的心中。因為罪存在於我們全人的核心，而不是單存在於我們外表的生活，所以聖經說：
沒有義人，連一 個也沒有；沒有明白的 ，沒有尋求神的 ；都是偏離正路，一同變為無用；沒有行善的，連一 個也沒有 。（羅 3:
10〜12)
因這緣故，聖經便下了這樣的判決：我們都是「死在過犯罪惡之中 」（弗 2 : 1 )， 「是已經賣給罪了」（羅 7: 14) 「而且附從 ……犯 罪的 律 」 （羅 7:2 3 ) ， 「本為可怒之子」（弗 2: 3 ) 。只有藉著聖靈復甦的能力，我們才能脫離靈性的死亡，成為使我們復活之神的傑作（弗 2 : 1-10) 。
總結
1 .人本主義視罪只存在於人類生命的邊緣或外圍，人性本為善。
2 .聖經教導說罪浸透了我們生命的核心。
3 . 全然敗壞不同於徹底敗壞。我們還沒有敗壞到真正可能壞的地步。
4 .根本腐敗指出我們內心的核心是罪惡的 。
思考經文 ：
耶 17 ：9 ；羅8 ：1-
11 ；弗2 ：1-3 ；弗4 ：17-19 ；約壹1 ：8-10
Human Depravity
As we
said in the previous chapter, a common point of debate among theologians
focuses on the question, are human beings basically good or basically evil? The
hinge upon which the argument turns is the word basically. It is a virtual
universal consensus that nobody is perfect. We accept the maxim "To err is
human."
The
Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
(Romans 3:23). Despite this verdict on human shortcomings, the idea persists in
our humanistically dominated culture that sin is something peripheral or
tangential to our nature. Indeed, we are flawed by sin. Our moral records
exhibit blemishes. But somehow we think that our evil deeds reside at the rim
or edge of our character and never penetrate to the core. Basically, it is
assumed, people are inherently good.
After
being rescued from captivity in Iraq and experiencing firsthand the corrupt
methods of Saddam Hussein, one American hostage remarked, "Despite all
that I endured I never lost my confidence in the basic goodness of
people." Perhaps this view rests in part on a sliding scale of the
relative goodness or wickedness of people. Obviously some people are far more
wicked than others. Next to Saddam Hussein or Adolf Hitler the ordinary run-of-the-mill
sinner looks like a saint. But if we lift our gaze to the ultimate standard of
goodness—the holy character of God—we realize that what appears to be a basic
goodness on an earthly level is corrupt to the core.
The
Bible teaches the total depravity of the human race. Total depravity means
radical corruption. We must be careful to note the difference between total
depravity and utter depravity. To be utterly depraved is to be as wicked as one
could possibly be. Hitler was extremely depraved, but he could have been worse
than he was. I am a sinner. Yet I could sin more often and more severely than I
actually do. I am not utterly depraved, but I am totally depraved. For total
depravity means that I and everyone else are depraved or corrupt in the totality
of our being. There is no part of us that is left untouched by sin. Our minds,
our wills, and our bodies are affected by evil. We speak sinful words, do
sinful deeds, have impure thoughts. Our very bodies suffer from the ravages of
sin.
Perhaps
radical corruption is a better term to describe our fallen condition than
"total depravity." I am using the word radical not so much to mean
"extreme," but to lean more heavily on its original meaning. Radical
comes from the Latin word for "root" or "core." Our problem
with sin is that it is rooted in the core of our being. It permeates our
hearts. It is because sin is at our core and not merely at the exterior of our
lives that the Bible says:
There
is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none
who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become
unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one. (Romans 3:10-12)
It is
because of this condition that the verdict of Scripture is heard: we are
"dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1); we are "sold
under sin" (Romans 7:14); we are in "captivity to the law of
sin" (Romans 7:23) and are "by nature children of wrath"
(Ephesians 2:3). Only by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit may we be
brought out of this state of spiritual death. It is God who makes us alive as
we become His craftsmanship (Ephesians 2:1-10).
1. Humanism sees sin at the edge or periphery
of human life. It considers human beings to be basically good.
2. Biblical Christianity teaches that sin
permeates the core of our life.
3. Total depravity is not utter depravity. We
are not as wicked as we possibly could be.
4. Radical corruption points to the core
sinfulness of our hearts.
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