作者：Phil Colgan 譯者：駱鴻銘
若我是在20年前寫有關基督徒在基督再臨之前，在世上應該如何生活，我不認為耶利米書廿九章會出現在我的雷達螢幕上。也許我會提到耶利米書廿九章11節——「我自己知道我向你們所定的計劃......這是耶和華的宣告」（《新譯本》）——這是自古以來就一直出現在基督徒海報上的經文，海報上還會有小狗和日落，等等。If I was writing 20
years ago about how Christians should live in the world this side of Christ’s return, I don’t think Jeremiah 29 would have
been on the radar. Perhaps Jeremiah 29:11 might have got a mention —“I know the
plans I have for you, declares the Lord”—which has been on Christian posters
with puppies and sunsets since time immemorial.
然而，有趣的是，某些經文會在特定的時期捕捉到基督徒的時代精神，無論是好是壞。目前在改革宗福音派人士當中，是耶利米書廿九章獨領風騷的時刻。這大致要感謝凱勒（Tim Keller）在紐約非常著名和，以及總的來說令人驚喜的工作，以及他對耶利米書廿九章7節——「為那城求平安」——的應用。凱勒把這節經文當作基督徒與世界積極互動的使命宣言。對許多人來說，這節經文（或這個句子）已經成為理解基督徒和教會在現代世界所扮演的角色的關鍵經文；也是理解身為被擄之民在一個墮落世界中生存，究竟有什麼意義的關鍵經文。However, it’s funny
how certain passages capture the Christian zeitgeist at a particular time, for
good or for ill. Right now among Reformed evangelicals, it is Jeremiah 29’s
time. This is thanks largely to Tim Keller’s very well-known and generally
amazing work in New York, and his appropriation of Jeremiah 29:7—“seek the
welfare of the city”—as a mission statement for Christian engagement with the
world. For many people, this verse (or phrase) has become key for understanding
the role of the Christian and the church in the modern world; the key verse for
what it means to live as exiles in a fallen world.
我必須承認，每當我看到耶利米書廿九章7節被這樣來使用時，我總是感到坐立難安。為什麼呢？因為我是雪梨福音主義（Sydney
evangelicalism）的子孫，這意味著我一直是為了明白聖經神學的重要性而受到栽培的。I have to admit
that I have always felt uncomfortable when I see Jeremiah 29:7 used in that
way. Why? Because I am a child of Sydney evangelicalism, and that means I have
been raised to understand the importance of biblical theology.
摩爾大學（Moore College）——從諾克斯和羅賓森時期，一直到高偉勳（Graeme Goldsworthy）——都是因為它很注重根據整本聖經來考慮每一部分的經文，並且要透過上帝在基督裏為永世所定的宏偉計劃來理解每一部分的經文（這就是我所謂的「聖經神學」）而著稱的。因此，當舊約經文被抽離出來，直接應用到新約聖徒身上時，我總是感到如坐針氈，尤其是當它們被用來當作一個響亮的口號時。Moore College—from the days of Knox and Robinson through to
Graeme Goldsworthy—is known for its focus on considering each part of the
Scriptures in the light of the whole, and understanding each part through the
lens of God’s great plans in Christ for all of history (which is what I mean by
‘biblical theology’). So I am always uncomfortable when Old Testament verses
are taken and applied directly to the new covenant believer, especially when
they are used as a slogan.
考慮到這點，在這篇文章裏，我要按照耶利米書廿九章7節這節經文本身的背景來查考它，而不是把它當作一個使命宣言。我想知道它實際上要教導我們什麼（以及不是要教導我們），要如何活在被擄當中。With that in mind,
in this article, I want to look at Jeremiah 29:7 on its own terms, rather than
as a mission statement. I want to see what it actually has to teach us—and not
teach us—about living in exile.
審判、盼望、假先知Judgement, hope, and false
prophets
我們首先必須記得耶利米書的主題是什麼。耶利米書有三個主題：The first thing we
need to do is remember what Jeremiah as a whole is about. There are three
dominant themes in Jeremiah:
首先，最重要的是耶利米書與神審判祂的子民有關：因他們背道，因為他們有假的確據；因他們不敬虔。這是以被擄的形式所表達的審判。Firstly, more than
anything, Jeremiah is about God’s judgement on his
people: for their apostasy; for their false assurance; for their ungodliness.
It is a judgement that took the form of exile.
其次，耶利米書也和未來的盼望有關。它給我們的信息就是審判和被擄對神的百姓來說，不是事情的盡頭。Secondly, Jeremiah
is also about a future hope. It is a message that judgement and exile are not
the end of the matter for God’s people.
耶利米書的第三個主題是我所謂的「先知之間的戰爭」（the battle of the
prophets），這最好是當作頭兩個主題的背景來考慮。耶利米書描繪出耶利米和眾多假先知之間不斷的爭戰；前者將神的信息帶給祂的子民，後者事事都要和耶利米作對，扯他的後腿。在整卷書中，耶利米都不是對著真空說出神的話：在每一點上總是伴隨著假信息所發出的雜音。The third dominant
theme in the book is what I call ‘the battle of the
prophets’, which is probably
better thought of as the context for the first two themes. The book of Jeremiah
maps out a constant battle between Jeremiah, who is bringing God’s message to
his people, and false prophets, who want to contradict and undercut Jeremiah at
every turn. All through the book, Jeremiah isn’t speaking the word of God into
a vacuum: there are always these other voices with their false messages at
every point.
對耶路撒冷來說，耶利米主要是一個只會宣告厄運的先知，而這個厄運最後是引向被擄本身。在許多方面，這個被擄前的信息，在十五、六章得到了最好的總結。Leading up to the
exile itself, Jeremiah was primarily a prophet of doom to Jerusalem. In many
ways, this pre-exile message is best summarized in chapters 15 and 16.
第十五章的信息是神要審判猶大的罪和背道：有必至死亡的，有必遭饑荒的，有必被擄掠奪。然而，關鍵是上帝會站在所有這些事情的背後。即將到來的大災難及其一切的後果，都是上帝的作為。In chapter 15, the
message is about God’s judgement for
Judah’s sin and apostasy:
some will die, some will starve, some will be exiled. However, the key thing is
that God will be behind it all. The impending catastrophe, and all its
consequences, are God’s doing.
然而，伴隨這個厄運信息的，也有未來盼望的預言。在審判之後，會有救恩和復興：Yet alongside this
message of doom, there is also a prophecy of future hope. After the judgement,
there will be salvation and restoration:
耶和華說：「日子將到，人必不再指著那領以色列人從埃及地上來之永生的耶和華起誓，卻要指著那領以色列人從北方之地，並趕他們到的各國上來之永生的耶和華起誓，並且我要領他們再入我從前賜給他們列祖之地。」（耶十六14～15）Therefore,
behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when it shall no longer be
said, “As the Lord lives
who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,” but “As the Lord
lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of
all the countries where he had driven them.” For I will bring them back to
their own land that I gave to their fathers. (Jer 16:14-15)
耶利米所說的是一個新出埃及（脫離被擄，重回耶路撒冷），而這個新出埃及會讓第一次出埃及看似微不足道。這個應許在廿三章得到了重覆，但是這一次卻是在這個盼望上，加上了大衛或彌賽亞的視角。Jeremiah is
speaking of a new exodus (out of exile and back to Jerusalem) which will make
the first exodus seem hardly worth talking about. This promise is repeated in
chapter 23, but this time with a Davidic or Messianic edge to the hope.
因此，這兩個主題——審判和復興——貫穿在耶利米的先知信息裏。So these two themes—judgement and restoration—run through Jeremiah’s prophetic messages.
不過，耶利米所分享的每個預言幾乎都遭到他對手的駁斥和否認。當耶利米說審判即將到來時，他的對手說，「別傻了，上帝不會審判祂自己的百姓啦！」當上帝透過耶利米說：「我要徹底毀滅他們——用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫」，假先知說，「你們必不看見刀劍，也不遭遇饑荒；耶和華要在這地方賜你們長久的平安。」（十四13）However, nearly every prophecy Jeremiah shared
is refuted and denied by his opponents. When Jeremiah says judgement is coming,
his opponents say, “Don’t be stupid, God won’t judge his own people”. When God
says through Jeremiah, “I’m finishing them all off—by sword, famine and
plague”, the false prophets say, “You shall not see the sword, nor shall you
have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place” (14:13).
這些假確據持續存留到最後一刻，直到刀劍真的落下，被擄的人如浪潮般被帶離到巴比倫，而西底家被留在耶路撒冷作王，實際上只是巴比倫的傀儡。These false
assurances continue right through until the sword actually falls, the wave of
exiles are taken off to Babylon, and Zedekiah is left on the throne in
Jerusalem, effectively a puppet of Babylon.
到這裏，你或許會以為假先知終於學乖了。但是並非如此，他們一如既往：Now by this point
you would think that the false prophets would have learnt their lesson. But no,
they keep at it:
萬軍之耶和華以色列的神如此說： ......現在我將這些地都交給我僕人巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的手......無論哪一邦哪一國，不肯服事這巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒，也不把頸項放在巴比倫王的軛下，我必用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫刑罰那邦，直到我藉巴比倫王的手將他們毀滅。這是耶和華說的。至於你們，不可聽從你們的先知和占卜的、圓夢的、觀兆的，以及行邪術的；他們告訴你們說：『你們不至服事巴比倫王。』他們向你們說假預言......」（耶廿七4，6，8～10）。Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel… I have given all these
lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant… if any
nation or kingdom will not… put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon,
I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence,
declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand. So do not listen to
your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your
sorcerers, who are saying to you, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon”.
For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you… (Jer 27: 4, 6, 8-10)
上帝透過耶利米告訴以色列民，祂已經讓尼布甲尼撒在這個時期統治世界，而他們必須事奉巴比倫，否則就會滅亡。但是這些假先知告訴西底家，「不，你必不可事奉巴比倫王。上帝不要我們事奉一個外邦君王！」Through Jeremiah,
God has been telling them that he has put Nebuchadnezzar in place as the ruler
of the world at this time, and that they must serve Babylon or die. But the
false prophets tell Zedekiah, “No, you must not serve the King of Babylon. God
doesn’t want us serving a foreign king!”
這一切隨著一位在耶路撒冷說預言的假先知哈拿尼雅的信息，來到了一個緊要關頭。哈拿尼雅說：All this comes to a
head with the message of the false prophet Hananiah, who prophesies in
Jerusalem:
「萬軍之耶和華以色列的神如此說：我已經折斷巴比倫王的軛。二年之內，我要將巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒從這地掠到巴比倫的器皿，就是耶和華殿中的一切器皿都帶回此地。我又要將猶大王約雅敬的兒子耶哥尼雅和被擄到巴比倫去的一切猶大人帶回此地，因為我要折斷巴比倫王的軛。這是耶和華說的。」（廿八2～4）Thus says the Lord
of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s
house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and
carried to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of
Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,
declares the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. (28:2-4)
很難想像哈拿尼雅的這個「先知預言」為什麼會這麼流行，也難以想像它會造成什麼樣的傷害。當廿八章繼續往下時，耶利米詳細記錄了上帝審判哈拿尼雅的假預言。It is not hard to
imagine why this ‘prophecy’ of Hananiah might have been popular, and what
damage it might have done. As chapter 28 continues, Jeremiah chronicles God’s judgement on Hananiah for his false prophecy.
但是哈拿尼雅欺騙人的信息不是只有耶路撒冷聽到而已，它也散播到在巴比倫的被擄之人的耳中。我們也不難想像這些被擄的人會如何領受這個信息。如果你是那些被擄的人，被告知神要給他們的信息是：「你們在兩年內就會回到家中」，你們會如何回應呢？But Hananiah’s deceitful message wasn’t just heard in Jerusalem—it spread to the exiles who were in Babylon.
And it is also not hard to imagine how those exiles would have received this
message. If you were those exiles, being told that the message from God was
“You’ll all be home in two years”, what would you do in response?
你會說：「好，在巴比倫定居下來是沒有用處的。我們只需要坐在河岸上，靜觀其變。我們不必在這裏營生，因為我們在這裏不會待很久。我們要等到回耶路撒冷時再娶妻生子，再去找工作。」You would say: “Well, there’s no use settling down here in Babylon. We’ll just sit here on the banks of the river and
wait it out. We won’t make a life for
ourselves here, because we won’t be here long enough. We’ll wait till we’re
back in Jerusalem before we get married, have children, or do any work.”
更糟糕的反應或許是：「就讓我們反抗吧，讓我們挑戰尼布甲尼撒王，因為我們知道，在兩年之內，我們必然會得勝。」Or worse still, the
response might have been: “Let’s fight then—let’s take on King
Nebuchadnezzar—because we know
that our victory is assured in two years’ time”.
在面對哈拿尼雅的謊言及其可能的後果時，在巴比倫的被擄之民需要聽見真理。必須有人告訴他們：「不要相信這些胡扯；你們實際上要留在巴比倫七十年！」In the face of
Hananiah’s deception, and
its likely effects, the exiles in Babylon needed to hear the truth. They needed
to be told, “Don’t believe this rubbish; you’ve actually got 70 years in Babylon!”
這基本上就是耶利米在第廿九章寫給被擄之民的內容，是要駁斥這個虛構的、即將回到耶路撒冷的盼望。這不是給任何人或者所有人的、關於如何在被擄當中生活的信息；而是對這個一直在兜售給他們的特定的假預言的回應。This is essentially
what Jeremiah’s letter to the
exiles in chapter 29 is about. It is a refutation of the fabricated hope of an
imminent return to Jerusalem. It’s not a message to anyone and everyone about
how to live in exile; it’s a response to this particular false prophecy they
had been peddled.
第廿九章Chapter 29
考慮到這點，我們現在可以翻到第廿九章。第1～3節解釋了這封信是誰寫的，收信人是誰，以及這封信是如何寄給他們的。接著是信息的開始：With that in mind,
we can now turn to chapter 29. Verses 1-3 explain who is writing, the
recipients, and how the letter reached them. Then the message gets started:
萬軍之耶和華以色列的神對一切被擄去的（就是我使他們從耶路撒冷被擄到巴比倫的人）如此說：你們要蓋造房屋，住在其中；栽種田園，吃其中所產的；娶妻生兒女，為你們的兒子娶妻，使你們的女兒嫁人，生兒養女。在那裡生養眾多，不至減少。我所使你們被擄到的那城，你們要為那城求平安，為那城禱告耶和華；因為那城得平安，你們也隨著得平安。（耶廿九4～7）Thus says the Lord
of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from
Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat
their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your
sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and
daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the
city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for
in its welfare you will find your welfare. (29:4-7)
如果不考慮我們剛才所描繪的背景，又或者我們就停在那裏，你也許會認為這段經文的重點——被擄之民的主要呼召——是尋求巴比倫城的好處。對神的子民來說，這也許是一個不受時間限制的教訓，錯誤地引用一首古老流行歌曲的話來說，就是「若你無法留在你所愛的城市，就去愛你現在所在的城市吧！」Now without the
context we have sketched, and if we just stopped there, you might think that
the main point of this passage—the exiles’ primary calling—was to seek the good
of the city of Babylon. Perhaps this could be a timeless teaching for the
people of God: to misquote an old pop song: “if you can’t be in the city you
love, love the city you’re in”.
但是這封信的內容並沒有停在那裏：But it doesn’t stop there:
萬軍之耶和華以色列的神如此說：不要被你們中間的先知和占卜的誘惑，也不要聽信自己所做的夢；因為他們託我的名對你們說假預言，我並沒有差遣他們。這是耶和華說的。（耶廿九8～9）For thus says the
Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners
who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,
for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send
them, declares the Lord. (29: 8-9)
這些經文把我們帶回到這封信的背景裏。這裏的論證是說，他們應該做這件事，而不是去做假先知吩咐他們去做的事。他們不應該試著去顛覆這個城市，也不要想去推翻尼布甲尼撒，想要折斷他的軛，也不要退縮到幼發拉底河河岸邊的一個寂靜主義的猶太街區。These verses bring
us back to the context of the letter. The argument is that they should do this
as opposed to what they would do if they listened to the false prophets. They
should not be seeking the downfall of the city, nor be trying to overthrow
Nebuchadnezzar and break off his yoke, nor be withdrawing into a quietist
Jewish ghetto on the banks of the Euphrates.
為什麼呢？因為比起巴比倫，他們還有一個更偉大的盼望：Why? Because they
have a much greater hope than the city of Babylon:
耶和華如此說：為巴比倫所定的七十年滿了以後，我要眷顧你們，向你們成就我的恩言，使你們仍回此地。耶和華說：我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。你們要呼求我，禱告我，我就應允你們。你們尋求我，若專心尋求我，就必尋見。耶和華說：我必被你們尋見，我也必使你們被擄的人歸回，將你們從各國中和我所趕你們到的各處招聚了來，又將你們帶回我使你們被擄掠離開的地方。這是耶和華說的。（耶廿九10～14）For
thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit
you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not
for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come
and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you
seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I
will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the
places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to
the place from which I sent you into exile. (29:10-14)
這才是耶利米書信的重點：這是對被擄的目的一種解釋。神在被擄的幕後掌管一切。是祂把他們放在巴比倫的，而不是尼布甲尼撒。而祂如此行事是要驅使他們回到祂那裏，去尋求祂，向祂禱告。事實上，他們是神百姓未來的盼望——因為他們在耶路撒冷的弟兄即將要遭罰，成為咒詛。This is the main
point of Jeremiah’s letter: it is an
explanation of the purpose of the exile. God is behind it. He has put them there
in Babylon, not Nebuchadnezzar. And he has done it to drive them back to him,
to seek him and pray to him. In fact, they are the hope for the future of God’s
people—because their brothers back in Jerusalem are about to be punished and
made a curse.
第廿九章提供了一個榮耀的盼望，神對祂百姓的應許會得著應驗。在七十年滿了以後，上帝會應允他們的禱告，並恢復他們，使他們回到他們真正的家鄉。上帝對他們的救恩仍然有一個長期計劃。第11節是這章的重點，而不是第7節，因為他們的盼望不是上帝會把昌盛帶到巴比倫，而是祂會使他們回到耶路撒冷。Chapter 29 holds
out the glorious hope of the fulfilment of God’s promises to his people. In 70 years’ time, God will answer their prayers and
restore them to their true home. God still has a long-term plan for their
salvation. Verse 11 is the main point of this chapter, not verse 7, because
their hope is not that God will bring prosperity to Babylon, but that he will
return them to Jerusalem.
當我們明白這點，我們就會看到第3～7節是出自這個主要期盼的一個糾正。被擄之民被告知要抓住未來的盼望，不要被這個期盼所左右，使他們從他們目前的處境裏撤退出來。重要的是，這個糾正是根據以色列人的自我利益，而不是根據對巴比倫的關切。上帝要以色列民為這城的興旺禱告的一個理由，是要叫以色列人得以昌盛。When we understand
that, we see that verses 3-7 are a corrective that flows from that main
expectation. The exiles are being told to take hold of a future hope without
letting that anticipation lead to a withdrawal from their current situation.
Importantly, it is also a corrective based on self-interest for Israel, not
based on concern for Babylon. The one reason that God explicitly gives to pray
for the prosperity of the city is so that the Israelites will prosper.
我仔細查了耶利米書的一些註釋書，也聽了一些講道，我很驚訝人們絞盡腦汁，想方設法地去忽略上帝為什麼要被擄之民去求這個城市的平安的理由。上帝並沒有說，「因為我要你們去愛你們的仇敵，所以要求這城的平安。」上帝也沒有說，「因為我在這裏也和你們同在，如同我在耶路撒冷和你們同在一樣，所以你們要求他們的平安。」甚至不是說，「求他們的平安，好叫你們可以贏得他們，使他們敬拜耶和華。」As I have worked
through commentaries on Jeremiah and listened to sermons, I have been amazed at
how hard people will work to explain away this reason God gives for the exiles
to seek the welfare of the city. God does not say, “Seek the welfare of the
city because I want you to love your enemies”. God does not say, “Seek their
welfare because I am just as much with you here as I am in Jerusalem”. It’s not
even, “Seek their welfare so that you might win them to the worship of the
Lord”.
所有這些說法對神和祂的性格來說也許是適宜的，但是它們通常是把新約聖經讀回到舊約的一個例子。上帝在耶利米書中所說的，會讓我們感到坐立難安。「為你們自己的好處，求這個城市的平安」，聽起來實在缺乏耶穌的風範。All those things
might be true of God and his character, but they are generally an example of
reading the New Testament back into the Old. What God says here in Jeremiah
makes us uncomfortable. It just doesn’t sound very like Jesus to say “Seek the
welfare of the city—for your own good”.
或許是出於我們太急於為上帝說抱歉，也太急於掩飾這裏所出現的看似是自私的動機，而沒有認真地問，上帝為什麼要他們為他們自己的好處來為這個城的平安禱告？我不認為耶利米的意思是要鼓勵他們內心的自私。答案在聖經神學；這和上帝盟約的應驗是結合在一起的。Perhaps because we’re too quick to apologize for God and to gloss
over the seemingly selfish motivation that is given, we don’t do the hard work of asking why God wants them
to do this for their own benefit. I don’t think he is meaning to encourage
selfishness in them. The answer is in biblical theology; it’s all tied to the
fulfilment of God’s covenant promises.
這是第3～7節的關鍵要點：Here is the key
point in verses 3-7:
娶妻生兒女，為你們的兒子娶妻，使你們的女兒嫁人，生兒養女。在那裡生養眾多，不至減少。（第6節）Take wives and have sons and
daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that
they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. (v. 6)
在上帝帶領被擄之民回到耶路撒冷之前，上帝要他們生養眾多，因為他們是祂聖約應許的應驗的核心，而不是那些沒有被擄的人。祂要他們生養兒女，健康成長——無論是身體上還是信仰上——當祂結束這個被擄時就要帶他們回去。巴比倫的平安或昌盛，只是為達到保守上帝子民的方法。God wants the
exiles to have grown in number by the time he takes them back to Jerusalem,
because they are the centre of the fulfilment of his covenant promises, not
those who did not go into exile. He wants them to have had children who grow up
strong—physically and in faith—to take back with them when he ends this exile.
The welfare or prosperity of Babylon is a means to an end of preserving God’s
people.
當我們把耶利米書從頭讀到尾，我們就會把這點看得更清楚，而不是脫離上下文直接跳到這章。回到第十六章，上帝在耶路撒冷已經對耶利米說：「不可娶妻，生兒育女，因為他們都要滅亡。我的審判就要降臨了。」但是如今上帝說：「再次娶妻生兒育女，因為他們有一個未來。而且這未來是在耶路撒冷，不是在巴比倫。」We see this even
more clearly when we read Jeremiah from beginning to end, rather than just
jumping in at this chapter out of context. Back in chapter 16, God had said to
Jeremiah in Jerusalem, “Don’t get married, and don’t have children, because
they’re all just going to die. My judgement is coming.” But now God is saying,
“Get married, and have children again, because there is a future for them. And
that future is in Jerusalem, not Babylon.”
耶利米書第廿九章的主要信息是第11節這幅有小狗和日落的古老圖畫：「耶和華說：我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。」這信息是說，他們沒有被遺忘，他們會得到復興，但是他們必須等候七十年，歸回才會發生，所以他們應當用這段時間做好準備。The main message of
Jeremiah 29 is in fact the old puppies-and-sunsets verse 11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares
the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope”.
The message is that they are not forgotten and will be restored, that they will
have to wait for 70 years for that restoration to occur, and so they should be
using that time to get ready.
如此，第7節這節目前非常流行的經文，就不是一個普遍性的勸勉，要上帝的子民求我們所在城市的平安，無論這個城市在哪裏。這是一個特定的對一個虛假和過度實現的盼望的糾正，這個假盼望是像哈拿尼雅這樣的假先知所兜售的。The currently very
popular verse 7, then, is not a general exhortation to seek the welfare of
whatever city we might find ourselves in. It is a specific corrective to a
false and over-realized hope, peddled by the false prophets like Hananiah.
第廿九章在今天的應用Chapter 29 today
基督再臨之前，我們要怎樣把這些真理應用到基督徒的生活裏呢？正如所有的舊約經文，我們必須謹慎，看這段經文如何在基督裏得到應驗，並且不止考慮到這段經文和我們在救恩歷史裏的地位的相似性，也要考慮到它們之間真正的差異。How do we apply all
this to ourselves, to Christians living this side of Christ? As with all Old
Testament texts, we should do it carefully, looking to how this passage finds
its fulfilment in Christ, and taking into account not only the similarities to
our place in salvation history but also the very real differences.
在我提出三個建議，說明如何把這段經文用在我們身上之前，請容我先離題到一個次要的、有點爭議的要點，是關於如何不要應用這節經文。Before I make three
suggestions about how to apply this passage to us, let me first get out of the
way a secondary, slightly polemical, point about how not to apply this verse.
和今天有些人應用這節經文的方法相反的，這節經文和到城市裏傳福音，是否要比到其他地方傳福音更優先的問題，一點關係都沒有。這節經文沒有說「為眾城市求平安」，而是說「我使你們被擄到的那城，你們要為那城求平安」。他們為這個城市禱告的唯一理由是這是上帝使他們被擄所到的城市。事實上，《七十士譯本》根本沒有用「城市」這個字。它的翻譯是「地」或「國家」；要尋求我驅逐你們去的「地方」的平安。Contrary to the way
it is used by some today, this verse has no relevance at all to the question of
the priority of reaching cities over other places. It does not say “seek the
welfare of cities”; it says “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you
into exile”. The only reason they pray for this city is that it is where God
has sent them into exile. In fact, the LXX doesn’t use the word city at all.
Its translation is ‘land’ or ‘country’; perhaps seek the welfare of the ‘place’
I have deported you to.
好，也許聖經其他地方有一些論證，是關於我們應該把福音使命集中在城市的經文（雖然我還沒有找到）。或許存在當代社會或策略上的理由，讓我們要把焦點放在對城市傳福音。但是用這節經文來支持或證明我們為什麼要在雪梨，而不是在「傷心嶺」（Broken Hill；譯按：澳洲南威爾斯的一座孤立的採礦城）植立一間教堂，或基督徒為什麼應該搬到城市，而不是搬到鄉間或農村——這其實是解經錯謬其中的一種，就是我們看到一個字詞，就馬上照搬到我們的工作事項裏。Now there may well
be arguments in other parts of Scripture as to why we should focus on mission
to cities (though I haven’t found them). There may be current sociological or
strategic reasons for focusing on reaching cities. But using this verse as a
support or proof text for why we should plant a church in Sydney rather than in
Broken Hill, or why Christians should move to the city rather than the suburbs
or rural locations—that’s really one of those exegetical fallacies where we see
a word and then import our agenda.
說完了這點，讓我說明這章會如何和我們發生關聯，因為我們也同樣是生活在被擄當中的。我們在這個世上是「客旅、是寄居的」（彼前二11），我們是「天上的國民」（腓三20）。但是在評估耶利米書廿九章和今日的關聯性時，我們必須小心，要看到在我們處境中的相異點和類同處。Having said that,
let me make some comments about how this chapter is relevant to us, because we
too are living in exile. We are “sojourners and exiles” in this world (1 Pet
2:11), and “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20). But in assessing the
relevance of Jeremiah 29, we need to carefully see the differences as well as
the similarities in our situation.
1. 我們的被擄不是對我們的審判。
1) Our exile is not a judgement on us.
上帝沒有把我們從耶路撒冷遷到巴比倫，作為對我們背道的審判。祂是把我們從巴比倫——我們出生之地——拯救出來，我們今天乃是一腳踩在兩個城市裏生活的。God has not moved
us from Jerusalem to Babylon as judgement for our apostasy. He has rescued us
from within Babylon—where we were born—and where we now live with a foot in two
cities.
這為什麼很重要？這意味著對我們來說，我們最需要的提醒是這個城不是我們的故鄉。我們仍然缺伐對耶路撒冷的經歷，以至於不會去盼望耶路撒冷。在巴比倫我們會很自然地感到自在。我們不太需要有人鼓勵我們去蓋造房屋，變得有錢，結婚生子。Why is that
important? It means that for us the biggest reminder we need is that this city
is not our home. We haven’t had an experience
of Jerusalem to pine for. We naturally feel very much at home in Babylon. We
don’t need much encouragement to build houses, grow wealthy, get married and
have children.
這就是為什麼當耶穌說要積財寶在天上時，祂沒有要我們平衡或要我們不要矯枉過正；因為祂知道我們的本性會把財寶積存在哪裏。我們不需要人鼓勵讓我們在巴比倫感到更自在。我們更需要的提醒是我們的家是在新耶路撒冷。That’s why Jesus gives no balance or corrective when
he says to store up treasure in heaven; he knows where we naturally store our
treasures. We don’t need any
encouragement to make ourselves more at home in Babylon. We have a far greater
need to be reminded that our home is in the new Jerusalem.
2. 上帝並沒有具體告訴我們，我們的被擄會持續多久。
2) We have not had a specific word on how long our
exile will last.
耶利米書廿九章7節對猶太人的呼召是根據這個事實，即上帝已經啟示出一個非常具體的長期時間表，告訴他們被擄何時會結束。但是我們卻沒有那種確據。事實上——要冒著聽起來像哈拿尼雅和假先知的口吻——新約聖經給我們的鼓勵是看這些日子是短暫的。我們應當準備好，等候基督隨時會再來；不要被基督發現我們睡著了。彼得告訴我們，主的耽延唯一的理由是要讓更多人能夠認識耶穌，不至於滅亡（彼後三9）。The call to the Jews in
Jeremiah 29:7 was in light of the fact that God had revealed a very specific
long-term timeframe for the end of their exile. We don’t have that certainty. In
fact—at risk of sounding like Hananiah and the false prophets—the encouragement
of the New Testament is to see the days as short. We should stand ready for
Christ’s return at any moment; we should not be found sleeping. Peter tells us
that the only reason for delay is so that more people can come to know Jesus
and therefore not perish (2 Pet 3:9).
再次說，這為什麼很重要呢？因為這意味著我們實際上應該不要太快將耶利米書廿九章的糾正直接應用在我們身上。這個糾正是給那些退縮到世界之外的人的，因為他們認為耶穌會提早來，比祂所應許的更早；也是給那些正在與世界爭戰的人，因為他們相信末世比實際上更接近。Now again, why is
this important? It is important because it means that we should actually be
slow to apply the corrective of Jeremiah 29 to us. This corrective is aimed at
people who are withdrawing from the world because they think Jesus is coming
sooner than he promised, and those who are fighting with the world because they
believe the eschaton is more imminent than it is.
有些基督徒也許必須聽聞耶利米書廿九章3～7節提出的新盟約的版本，若他們過於專注在基督的再來，以至於他們已經從世界撤退，進入寧靜主義裏。有些千禧年的觀點會帶領基督徒朝這個方向走。也有些基督徒會像帖撒羅尼迦人（保羅寫信給他們）一樣，似乎已經停止工作，而向其他人乞討，因為他們以為主的日子是如此第迫近（帖前五）。There may be some
Christians who do need to hear a new covenant version of Jeremiah 29:3-7, if
they are so focused on the return of Christ that they have stepped back from
the world into quietism. Some millennial views lead Christians in this
direction. There could be Christians like the Thessalonians who Paul wrote to,
who seemed to have stopped working and were scrounging off others because they
thought the Day of the Lord was so imminent (1 Thess 5).
若我們是這種情形，就需要得到耶利米書廿九章7節的糾正。但是我和我的教會並不是這樣，就我所遇見的西方福音派也不是如此，並且新約也暗示，這不是大多數基督徒的情況。If that is us, then
we might need a corrective like Jeremiah 29:7. But that’s not me and my church, it’s no Western evangelical I’ve met, and the New Testament suggests it’s not most Christians.
我們真的需要面對哥林多前書第七章的挑戰，為了福音的緣故保持單身，而不是結婚生子。我們有必要接受這個挑戰，不要在這裏找到我們的家，反而去蓋造房屋，安居樂業。新約和我的經驗都暗示，我們大部分人的本性是會這樣生活，彷彿耶穌永遠不會再來一樣，而不是好像祂在你讀完這頁之前就會再來。We really need
challenges like 1 Corinthians 7, to consider remaining single for the sake of
the gospel rather than marrying and having children. We need to be challenged
not to find our home here, rather than to build homes and settle. The New
Testament and my experience suggests that most of us more naturally live as if
Jesus will never return, rather than like he could come before you finish
reading this page.
3. 若我們要把這點應用到自己身上，我們的應用方式就必須讓新約聖經來塑造。
3) If we apply this to
ourselves, we must let the application be shaped by the New Testament.
我聽說有些人是從耶利米書廿九章7節作出這種論證的，讓我非常震驚：I’ve been astonished by people I’ve heard who make an argument from Jeremiah 29:7 like
this:
1) 他們提到「平安」這個詞就是希伯來文的「沙龍」（shalom），它具有非常廣泛的意思，包括身體上、情感上、靈性上、經濟上的平安和昌盛。They note that that
word ‘welfare’ is the Hebrew word shalom, which has a wide
possible range of meanings—it covers physical,
emotional, spiritual and financial peace and prosperity.
2) 他們接著假定，這個詞具有這裏所說的全部的意思，就把它擴張到各種關於工作和金錢的應用上，甚至包括參與公民事務，並且強調為了我們所在城市的好處，去幫助公共運輸能準時的重要性。They then assume
that it has all those meanings here, and so expand it into various applications
about work and money and involvement in civic affairs and the importance of
helping buses run on time for the good of our city.
3) 然後他們展望一種全面性的、遍及整個城市的「平安」，作為一種更大膽投入公民活動的呼召，遠遠超過耶穌和新約聖經曾經要求新約信徒的。They then cast this
vision for comprehensive, city-wide shalom as a bolder call for civic
engagement than Jesus or the New Testament ever makes on new covenant
believers.
4) 因此這節經文就變成基督徒事工計劃的一份特許狀，這不僅忽略耶利米書中的上下文（如同我們所見），更涉足到新約聖經從來沒有涉足的領域。And so this one
verse becomes a charter for a program of Christian ministry that not only
ignores its context in Jeremiah (as we’ve
seen) but goes places where the New Testament simply does not go.
我們必須讓新約聖經成為我們的指引，來看為我們所在的世界求平安是什麼意思，因為我們是作為寄居者活在這個世界當中的，而不是讓一種對耶利米書廿九章脫離上下文的擴張的應用，來左右我們對新約聖經的理解。We need to let the
New Testament be our guide to what it means to seek the shalom of our world as
we live as sojourners in it, rather than let an expansive out-of-context
application of Jeremiah 29 drive our understanding of the New Testament.
耶利米書廿九章給我們的主要信息是要我們根據未來的盼望而活——作為明日世界的國民活在這個世界裏，不要停止向眾人行善，特別是信徒（加六10），或者對世界友善到一個程度，變成與神為敵（雅四4）。The primary message of
Jeremiah 29 to us is to live in the light of our future hope—to live now in this world as citizens of the
next world, neither ceasing to do good to all those around us now (Gal 6:10),
nor becoming so friendly with our world that we find ourselves enemies of God
(Jas 4:4).
我們應該容讓新約聖經給予我們所需要的矯正：不要從這個世界退縮出去，而是以善勝惡。不要恨你們的仇敵，反而要給他們飯吃。不要躲起來，而是在最廣泛的意義上去愛你們的鄰舍。不要遊手好閒等候耶穌再來，依賴他人為生，而是努力工作，好像是為主作的。We should let the
New Testament give us the correctives we need: don’t withdraw from the world, but overcome evil with
good. Don’t hate your enemy;
feed him instead. Don’t hide away, but love your neighbour in the broadest
sense of that word. Don’t stand around waiting for Jesus to return while
sponging off others, but work hard as if for the Lord.
或許新約聖經中最接近耶利米書廿九章7節的信息是呼召我們不要抵擋世俗政府，而是順服掌權者，為他們禱告，好叫我們可以安靜地過敬虔的生活（羅十三1～7；提前二1～2）。不要保留你的財富不給世界：要交稅。在異教徒當中要過正直的生活，以至於他們雖然控告我們行惡，卻有一天會歸榮耀給上帝（彼前二12）。Perhaps the closest message to
Jeremiah 29:7 in the New Testament is the call to not fight the secular
government, but to submit and pray for those in authority so that we can
quietly get on with living godly lives (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Tim 2:1-2). Don’t
withhold your wealth from the world: pay your taxes. Live such good lives
amongst the pagans that, though they accuse us of doing wrong, they will one
day glorify God (1 Pet 2:12).
但是，最重要的是我們必須容讓我們在新盟約裏的處境強迫我們看到，我們能為這個墮落的世界所能做的最根本的事情，不是促進我們所在城市的繁榮，而是分享我們心中盼望的緣由，邀請其他罪人接受我們在耶穌基督裏所尋得的救恩。But, more than
anything, we should let our new covenant situation drive us to see that the
most fundamental thing we can do for the welfare of our fallen world is not to
contribute to the prosperity of our cities—it’s to share the reason for our
hope, to offer other sinners the salvation we have found in Christ Jesus.
