成為改革宗的勇氣The Courage to Be Reformed
作者: Burk Parsons
譯者: Maria Marta
我們開始領悟改革宗神學時，我們不僅改變對救恩的理解，而且也改變對萬物的理解。正因如此，在與改革宗神學之基本教義角力之後，在開始來領悟這些基本教義時，人往往感覺好像經歷了第二次歸正。事實上，正如許多人向我承認的那樣，現實是一些人已經歷了第一次歸正。正是透過對改革宗神學的考查，人才開始面對這些嚴峻的事實：他們徹底敗壞和死在罪中；上帝無條件揀選屬於祂自己的人，定罪其余的人；耶穌基督為祂的子民成就真正的救贖；聖靈施行有效的恩典；選民得蒙上帝恩典保守，以及上帝為祂自己的榮耀，在整個歷史上以盟約的方式作工。最終當人意識到不是他們揀選上帝，而是上帝揀選了他們，他們自然立刻切入正題，謙卑承認上帝對他們的奇異恩典。當我們認識到我們是多麼的可憐，只有這個時候，我們才能衷心唱出「奇異的恩典」。這些正是改革宗神學所做的：它徹底改變我們；它帶領我們歌唱-------它引領我們一生敬拜我們至高無上、三位一體、慈愛的上帝，不單在星期天，而且也在人生的每一天。在改革宗受青睞、吸引人時，改革宗神學不僅是我們佩帶的徽章，甚至在改革宗受攻擊時，改革宗神學也是我們生活、呼吸、認信、與護衛的神學。
第十六世紀的新教改教家，連同他們第十五世紀的先驅和第十七世紀的後代教導和護衛他們的教義，並不是因為這些教義吸引人或受歡迎，而是因它們合乎聖經。他們冒著生命危險來護衛這些教義。他們不僅甘願為聖經的神學而死，更甘願為它而活，為它受苦，為它被視作愚笨之人。請勿誤解：改教家們大膽、勇敢，並非因為他們的自信心和自我倚靠，而是因為福音使他們謙卑的事實。他們勇敢無畏，因為聖靈內住在他們身上，裝備他們在充滿謊言的黑暗世代傳播真理之光。他們宣講的真理並非新的，乃是古舊的。這是烈士、教父、使徒、先祖們的教義------這是上帝在聖經闡述的教義。
不是改教家們編造他們的神學，相反，是他們的神學造就了他們。聖經的神學使他們成為改革者。他們本身不是立志要成為改教家，而是立志要忠於上帝，忠於聖經。宗教改革的五個唯獨和恩典的教義（加爾文主義五要點）既不是改教家們發明的，更不是宗教改革教義的總和。相反，它們成為基本的教義前提，幫助後世教會認信和護衛她們的信仰。即使在今天，也有許多人認為他們擁抱改革宗神學，但他們的改革宗神學只達到宗教改革的五個唯獨和恩典教義的深度。此外，有許多人說他們堅持改革宗神學，但卻沒有人知道他們是改革宗。這種「隱蔽的加爾文主義者」既不承認任何第十六或第十七世紀的歷史性的改革宗信仰告白，也不使用任何明顯的改革宗神學語言。
但是，倘若我們真的根據歷史性的改革宗信仰告白來堅持改革宗神學，我們非被識別為改革宗不可。事實上，仍然是「隱蔽的加爾文主義者」是不可能的，仍然是改革宗但卻沒有人知道也是不可能的-------這身份將不可避免地顯露出來。成為歷史性的改革宗，必須堅持改革宗信仰告白，不僅要堅持，更要承認、宣揚、護衛這些信仰告白。改革宗神學從根本上說是一種認信的神學。
改革宗神學也是全面的神學。它不僅改變我們所知道的，而且還改變我們我們知道的方式；它不僅改變我們對上帝的理解，也改變我們對自己的理解；事實上，它不僅改變我們的救贖觀，而且還改變我們如何敬拜，如何傳福音，如何養育我們的孩子，如何看待教會，如何禱告，如何研讀聖經-------它改變我們如何生存、活動、與存在。改革宗神學不是我們能隱藏的神學，也不是我們只能掛在嘴邊的神學。因為這是歷史上的異端和進步派神學（theological progressives）的習慣。他們聲稱堅持改革宗信仰告白，但卻從未真正認信它們。只有在他們處於防守，即他們的進步神學（盡管是流行的）被質疑之時；假若他們是牧師，只有他們的工作受到威脅之時，他們才聲稱是改革宗。雖然自由派神學人士可能在教會和宗派裡被認為是「改革宗」，但他們對這樣的身份感到羞愧，並相信：被稱為「改革宗」對一些人來說是絆腳石，對另一些人來說是冒犯。此外，根據教會歷史性的普通標記-------宣講上帝純正的話語；根據上帝的話語禱告；正確執行聖禮，包括洗禮和聖餐；以及一貫實施教會紀律-------甚至連這樣的「改革宗」教會往往也不是真教會。今天，有許多傳統改革宗教會、新教教會、其他宗派的人，連同他們的教會和宗派一道離開他們的宗教改革的碇泊處，並拒絕他們數年前認信的信仰告白。
與這一趨勢相反，我們最需要的講台上的人，是那些有勇氣成為改革宗的人---------他們不以從前一次就全交給了聖徒的信仰為恥，反而作好準備，竭力護衛，不是口頭上，而是用他們畢生的精力，竭盡所能地護衛。我們需要講台上的人能夠大膽、堅定地宣講真理，同時又和藹可親、富有同情心。我們需要講台上的人無論何時都要宣講原樣的改革宗神學真理，不是指手畫腳指責別人，而是手挽手，肩並肩邁步向前。我們需要那些熱愛改革宗信仰告白的人，正是因為他們是熱愛耶和華我們的上帝，和祂那不變、默示、權威的話語的人。只有當我們講台上的人擁有成為改革宗的勇氣，我們座位上的人才會領悟改革神學，和它對人畢生的影響，以致我們能盡心、盡性、盡力、盡意愛上帝，並愛鄰舍如同自己。這是第十六世紀改革教會的神學，也是二十一世紀唯一能夠帶來宗教改革和復興的神學。因為在今天這個被激進進步派自由主義神學（progressive
theological liberalism）充斥的時代，為教會和為所有失落的人；為榮耀上帝，唯獨為了上帝的榮耀，我們能夠做到的最切底的事，就是根據我們的改革宗信仰告白回歸正統，但不是以傲慢的態度，而是具備勇氣和同情心。
本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌。
（修正1版2018.5，原譯版2017.5. Reformed and Always Reforming.）
The Courage to Be Reformed
by Burk Parsons
When we come to grasp Reformed
theology, it’s not only our understanding of salvation that changes, but our
understanding of everything. It’s for this reason that when people wrestle
through the rudimentary doctrines of Reformed theology and come to comprehend
them, they often feel like they have been converted a second time. In fact, as
many have admitted to me, the reality is that some have been converted for the
very first time. It was through their examination of Reformed theology that
they came face-to-face with the stark reality of their radical corruption and
deadness in sin, God’s unconditional election of His own and condemnation of
others, Christ’s actual accomplishment of redemption for His people, the Holy
Spirit’s effectual grace, the reason they persevere by God’s preserving grace,
and God’s covenantal way of working in all of history for His glory. When
people realize that ultimately, they didn’t choose God, but He chose them, they
naturally come to a point of humble admission of the amazing grace of God
toward them. It’s only then, when we recognize what wretches we really are,
that we can truly sing “Amazing Grace.” And that is precisely what Reformed
theology does: it transforms us from the inside out and leads us to sing—it
leads us to worship our sovereign and triune, gracious, and loving God in all
of life, not just on Sundays but every day and in all of life. Reformed
theology isn’t just a badge we wear when being Reformed is popular and cool,
it’s a theology that we live and breathe, confess, and defend even when it’s
under attack.
The Protestant Reformers of the
sixteenth century, along with their fifteenth-century forerunners and their
seventeenth-century descendants, did not teach and defend their doctrine
because it was cool or popular, but because it was biblical, and they put their
lives on the line for it. They were not only willing to die for the theology of
Scripture, they were willing to live for it, to suffer for it, and to be
considered fools for it. Make no mistake: the Reformers were bold and
courageous not on account of their self-confidence and self-reliance but on
account of the fact that they had been humbled by the gospel. They were
courageous because they had been indwelled by the Holy Spirit and equipped to
proclaim the light of truth in a dark age of lies. The truth they preached was
not new; it was ancient. It was the doctrine of the martyrs, the fathers, the
Apostles, and the patriarchs—it was the doctrine of God set forth in sacred
Scripture.
The Reformers didn’t make up their
theology; rather, their theology made them who they were. The theology of
Scripture made them Reformers. For they did not set out to be Reformers, per
se—they set out to be faithful to God and faithful to Scripture. Neither the
solas of the Reformation nor the doctrines of grace (the five points of
Calvinism) were invented by the Reformers, nor were they by any means the sum
total of Reformation doctrine. Rather, they became underlying doctrinal
premises that served to help the church of subsequent eras confess and defend
what she believes. Even today there are many who think they embrace Reformed
theology, but their Reformed theology only runs as deep as the solas of the
Reformation and the doctrines of grace. What’s more, there are many who say
they adhere to Reformed theology but do so without anyone knowing they are
Reformed. Such “closet Calvinists” neither confess any of the historic Reformed
confessions of the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries nor employ any distinctly
Reformed theological language.
However, if we truly adhere to
Reformed theology according to the historic Reformed confessions, we cannot
help but be identified as Reformed. In truth, it’s impossible to remain a
“closet Calvinist,” and it’s impossible to remain Reformed without anyone
knowing it—it will inevitably come out. To be historically Reformed, one must
adhere to a Reformed confession, and not only adhere to it but confess it,
proclaim it, and defend it. Reformed theology is fundamentally a confessional
theology.
Reformed theology is also an
all-encompassing theology. It changes not only what we know, it changes how we
know what we know. It not only changes our understanding of God, it changes our
understanding of ourselves. Indeed, it not only changes our view of salvation,
it changes how we worship, how we evangelize, how we raise our children, how we
treat the church, how we pray, how we study Scripture—it changes how we live,
move, and have our being. Reformed theology is not a theology that we can hide,
and it is not a theology to which we can merely pay lip service. For that has been
the habit of heretics and theological progressives throughout history. They
claim to adhere to their Reformed confessions, but they never actually confess
them. They claim to be Reformed only when they are on the defensive—when their
progressive (albeit popular) theology is called into question, and, if they are
pastors, only when their jobs are on the line. While theological liberals might
be in churches and denominations that identify as “Reformed,” they are ashamed
of such an identity and have come to believe that being known as “Reformed” is
a stumbling block to some and an offense to others. Moreover, according to the
historic, ordinary marks of the church—the pure preaching of the Word of God,
prayer according to the Word of God, the right use of the sacraments of baptism
and the Lord’s Supper, and the consistent practice of church discipline—such
“Reformed” churches are often not even true churches. Today, there are many
laypeople and pastors who are in traditionally Reformed and Protestant churches
and denominations who, along with their churches and denominations, left their
Reformed moorings and rejected their confessions years ago.
Contrary to this trend, what we most
need are men in the pulpit who have the courage to be Reformed—men who aren’t ashamed
of the faith once delivered to the saints but who are ready to contend for it,
not with lip service but with all their life and all their might. We need men
in the pulpit who are bold and unwavering in their proclamation of the truth
and who are at the same time gracious and compassionate. We need men who will
preach the unvarnished truth of Reformed theology in season and out of season,
not with a finger pointing in the face but with an arm around the shoulder. We
need men who love the Reformed confessions precisely because they love the Lord
our God and His unchanging, inspired, and authoritative Word. It’s only when we
have men in the pulpit who have the courage to be Reformed that we will have
people in the pew who grasp Reformed theology and its effects in all of life,
so that we might love God more with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and
love our neighbor as ourselves. That is the theology that reformed the church
in the sixteenth century, and that is the only theology that will bring reformation
and revival in the twenty-first century. For in our day of radical progressive
theological liberalism, the most radical thing we can be is orthodox according
to our Reformed confessions, yet not with arrogance but with courage and
compassion for the church and for the lost, all for the glory of God, and His
glory alone.
