為了正確地解釋聖經並且理智地活出基督徒的生活，有兩個詞是每個基督徒都必須認識的，那就是律法和福音。每個基督徒的生活詞彙裏都有這兩個詞，而且它們是打開上帝的話的鑰匙。There are two words that every Christian needs
to know in order to rightly interpret the Scriptures and live the Christian
life without confusion. These two words are Law and Gospel. They belong in
everyone’s vocabulary for the Christian life and are the key to opening God’s
Word.
1. 律法1. Law
律法是從我們內心臨到我們的詞（comes to us from within），是上帝寫在每個人心上的（羅二15）。律法在以色列歷史裏，曾經被寫在石版上，而在人類歷史裏，它是被刻寫在人的良心上的。某個人都明白律法，而每個人也都會以律法來要求其他人。當你請一個朋友給你一些建議，最先出現的往往是關於「行動」（doing）的一些字。作這個；不要作那個。律法不會帶來拯救的盼望，只是告訴我們過去做錯了什麼，還有我們必須作什麼，以便矯正一些事（羅三19～20）。律法說，「人若遵行，就必因此活著」（利十八5；加三12）。
The law is a word that comes to us from within, and it is written on everyone’s heart (Rom. 2:15). It was once written on stone tablets in Israel’s history, and in the history of man it is inscribed on the conscience. Everyone gets law, and everyone prescribes law to others. When you ask a friend for some advice, the first words spoken are often words of doing. Do this. Don’t do that. The law brings no hope of relief but only tells us where we’ve gone wrong and what we need to do in order to make things right (Rom. 3:19–20). The law says, “Do this and live” (Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:12).
律法本身不是惡的。事實上，律法本身是良善的，因為律法是從神來的，也反映出祂良善的屬性。使徒保羅甚至說，「律法是屬乎靈的」（羅七14）。因此我們知道，問題不在於律法，問題在於我們。如同保羅所作的結論，儘管「律法是屬乎靈的」，但是「我是屬乎肉體的，是已經賣給罪了」（羅七14）。我們是邪惡的——律法暴露我們的罪——這就是律法對我們來說會成為壞消息的原因。It’s not that the law is bad. In fact, the law itself is good because it comes from God and is a reflection of his good character. The apostle Paul even says, the “law is spiritual” (Rom. 7:14). So we know that the problem is not with the law, but the problem is with us. As Paul concludes, although “the law is spiritual” but “I am of the flesh, sold under sin” (Rom. 7:14). We are bad—the law exposes our sin—and that’s why the law becomes bad news for us.
2.福音2. Gospel
福音這個詞是從我們的外面臨到我們的（comes to us from outside of us），是上帝在祂的基督裏啟示給我們的。這個詞必須用說的，而且這是上帝在基督裏完成的好消息，使祂自己能與我們和好——滿足律法一切的要求，並為一切罪孽贖罪。律法的一切規定，耶穌基督都完成了。律法的一切要求，耶穌都滿足了。福音說：「相信吧，這已經完成了。」耶穌在十字架上最後的一句話，適足以總結福音的好消息：「成了！」（約十九30）
The gospel is a word that comes to us from outside of us, and it has been revealed by God in his Christ. This word must be spoken, and it is the good news of what God has done in Christ to reconcile us to himself—to satisfy all of the demands of the law and to make atonement for all sins committed. What the law required, Jesus Christ has accomplished. What the law demanded, Jesus has satisfied. The gospel says, “Believe this, and it is done already.” Jesus’ final words on the cross are appropriate to summarize the good news of the gospel: “It is finished!” (John 19:30).
每當你讀一節經文，你馬上就可以分辨出這是律法還是福音，因為你只要看這是對你的要求還是給你的應許就知道了。律法要求你做一些事，或者禁止你做一些事。而福音則告訴你上帝為你做了什麼，或者祂要為你做什麼。基督教和世界其他宗教不同的地方就在於聖經向我們啟示說，律法永遠無法拯救我們，只有耶穌可以。沒有任何其他宗教告訴我們，神已經為我們完成了我們自己所無法完成對。沒有任何其他宗教給我們福音：上帝在耶穌基督裏白白的恩典。「誰能救我脫離這使我死亡的身體呢？感謝 神，借著我們的主耶穌基督就能脫離了。」（羅七24b～25a；《新譯本》）
Whenever you read a verse, you can immediately tell whether it is law or gospel by either the demands it makes upon you or the promise it offers you. The law commands you to do something, or to stop doing something. The gospel, however, tells you what God has done for you, or what he will do for you. What separates the teaching of Christianity from every other world religion is that the Bible reveals to us how the law can never save us; only Jesus can. No other religion tells us that God has done what we could not do for ourselves. No other religion offers us the gospel: the free grace of God in Jesus Christ. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:25).
1. 律法1. Law
律法是從我們內心臨到我們的詞（comes to us from within），是上帝寫在每個人心上的（羅二15）。律法在以色列歷史裏，曾經被寫在石版上，而在人類歷史裏，它是被刻寫在人的良心上的。某個人都明白律法，而每個人也都會以律法來要求其他人。當你請一個朋友給你一些建議，最先出現的往往是關於「行動」（doing）的一些字。作這個；不要作那個。律法不會帶來拯救的盼望，只是告訴我們過去做錯了什麼，還有我們必須作什麼，以便矯正一些事（羅三19～20）。律法說，「人若遵行，就必因此活著」（利十八5；加三12）。
The law is a word that comes to us from within, and it is written on everyone’s heart (Rom. 2:15). It was once written on stone tablets in Israel’s history, and in the history of man it is inscribed on the conscience. Everyone gets law, and everyone prescribes law to others. When you ask a friend for some advice, the first words spoken are often words of doing. Do this. Don’t do that. The law brings no hope of relief but only tells us where we’ve gone wrong and what we need to do in order to make things right (Rom. 3:19–20). The law says, “Do this and live” (Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:12).
律法本身不是惡的。事實上，律法本身是良善的，因為律法是從神來的，也反映出祂良善的屬性。使徒保羅甚至說，「律法是屬乎靈的」（羅七14）。因此我們知道，問題不在於律法，問題在於我們。如同保羅所作的結論，儘管「律法是屬乎靈的」，但是「我是屬乎肉體的，是已經賣給罪了」（羅七14）。我們是邪惡的——律法暴露我們的罪——這就是律法對我們來說會成為壞消息的原因。It’s not that the law is bad. In fact, the law itself is good because it comes from God and is a reflection of his good character. The apostle Paul even says, the “law is spiritual” (Rom. 7:14). So we know that the problem is not with the law, but the problem is with us. As Paul concludes, although “the law is spiritual” but “I am of the flesh, sold under sin” (Rom. 7:14). We are bad—the law exposes our sin—and that’s why the law becomes bad news for us.
2.福音2. Gospel
福音這個詞是從我們的外面臨到我們的（comes to us from outside of us），是上帝在祂的基督裏啟示給我們的。這個詞必須用說的，而且這是上帝在基督裏完成的好消息，使祂自己能與我們和好——滿足律法一切的要求，並為一切罪孽贖罪。律法的一切規定，耶穌基督都完成了。律法的一切要求，耶穌都滿足了。福音說：「相信吧，這已經完成了。」耶穌在十字架上最後的一句話，適足以總結福音的好消息：「成了！」（約十九30）
The gospel is a word that comes to us from outside of us, and it has been revealed by God in his Christ. This word must be spoken, and it is the good news of what God has done in Christ to reconcile us to himself—to satisfy all of the demands of the law and to make atonement for all sins committed. What the law required, Jesus Christ has accomplished. What the law demanded, Jesus has satisfied. The gospel says, “Believe this, and it is done already.” Jesus’ final words on the cross are appropriate to summarize the good news of the gospel: “It is finished!” (John 19:30).
每當你讀一節經文，你馬上就可以分辨出這是律法還是福音，因為你只要看這是對你的要求還是給你的應許就知道了。律法要求你做一些事，或者禁止你做一些事。而福音則告訴你上帝為你做了什麼，或者祂要為你做什麼。基督教和世界其他宗教不同的地方就在於聖經向我們啟示說，律法永遠無法拯救我們，只有耶穌可以。沒有任何其他宗教告訴我們，神已經為我們完成了我們自己所無法完成對。沒有任何其他宗教給我們福音：上帝在耶穌基督裏白白的恩典。「誰能救我脫離這使我死亡的身體呢？感謝 神，借著我們的主耶穌基督就能脫離了。」（羅七24b～25a；《新譯本》）
Whenever you read a verse, you can immediately tell whether it is law or gospel by either the demands it makes upon you or the promise it offers you. The law commands you to do something, or to stop doing something. The gospel, however, tells you what God has done for you, or what he will do for you. What separates the teaching of Christianity from every other world religion is that the Bible reveals to us how the law can never save us; only Jesus can. No other religion tells us that God has done what we could not do for ourselves. No other religion offers us the gospel: the free grace of God in Jesus Christ. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:25).