作者：Keith Mathison 譯者: 駱鴻銘
希伯來書是對耶穌基督的絕對至高性所作的宣告。希伯來書告訴我們耶穌比天使更崇高（第一、二章），比摩西更尊貴（第三章～四13），比亞倫更尊貴（四14-7）。祂是更美的大祭司（八章～十18），更設立了一個更美的約（十9-13）。The Book of Hebrews is a declaration
of the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ. Hebrews tells us that Jesus is
superior to the angels (ch. 1–2), superior to
Moses (3–4:13), and superior to Aaron (4:14–7). His is a superior priesthood
(8–10:18), and He has inaugurated a superior covenant (10:19–13).
在整本希伯來書裏，我們都發現到這個新和更好的強調。例如，希伯來書七章12節告訴我們：「祭司的職任既已更改，律法也必須更改。」 當先前的條例被廢掉時，「就引進了更美的指望」。耶穌自己是「更美之約」的中保（七22；新譯本：保證）。希伯來書八章6節解釋說：「如今耶穌所得的職任是更美的，正如他作更美之約的中保；這約原是憑更美之應許立的。」希伯來書八章7節告訴我們：「那前約若沒有瑕疵，就無處尋求後約了。」 在引用耶利米書卅一章31-34節點新約應許之後，希伯來書作者說到：「既說新約。就以前約為舊了；但那漸舊漸衰的，就必快歸無有了。」（八13）Throughout the book of Hebrews, we find this
emphasis on that which is new and better. InHebrews 7:12, for example, we are
told that “when there is a
change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.” When the former commandment is set aside “a
better hope is introduced” (7:18–19). Jesus himself is the guarantor of the
“better covenant” (7:22). Hebrews 8:6explains, “Christ has obtained a ministry
that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is
better, since it is enacted on better promises.” In Hebrews 8:7, we are told
that “if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no
occasion to look for a second.” And after quoting the promise of a new covenant
found in Jeremiah 31:31–34, the author of Hebrews says, “In speaking of a new
covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and
growing old is ready to vanish away” (8:13).
希伯來書連同其他地方的評論，使很多人問到，神是否在舊約上犯了錯。神是否被迫放棄祂原本的計劃，然後進行到一個緊急的備份計劃？舊約被稱為「舊」，是否代表新約是「B計劃」？答案是否定的。上帝啟動一個新約的事實，並不代表祂在舊約上犯了錯。不過，其理由並不是顯而易見的。These remarks in
Hebrews, along with others elsewhere, have caused many to ask whether God made
a mistake with the old covenant. Was God forced to abandon His original plan
and move to an emergency backup plan? Does the fact that the old covenant is
the old covenant mean that the new covenant was “plan b”? The answer is no. The
fact that God inaugurated a new covenant does not mean that He made a mistake
with the old covenant. The reason for this, however, may not be immediately
evident.
當我們查考耶利米書卅一31-34節時，這個問題的答案才呼之欲出。先知之那裡預見到新約的創立。希伯來書作者在第八章引用了這個預言。為了明白他對這個預言的解釋，我們必須明白這段經文的寫作背景。我們必須記得，希伯來書是寫給歸信到基督信仰的猶太人的，他們因著他們的信仰而遭受嚴重的迫害。他們受到引誘，要回到舊約的形式和儀式，好逃避這種迫害。希伯來書作者是要告訴這些基督徒，回到舊約的儀式，比徒勞還糟糕，因為上帝從來沒有要讓舊約的施行成為永遠的施行。為了為他的論點辯護，他引導他的讀者去看耶利米書三十一章的經文。The answer to the
question becomes clearer when we examine Jeremiah 31:31–34, in which the
prophet foresees the inauguration of the new covenant. The author of Hebrews
quotes this prophecy in Hebrews 8. In order to understand his explanation of
the prophecy we have to understand something of the context in which it was
written. We have to remember that the book of Hebrews was written to Jewish
converts to Christianity who were suffering severe persecution for their faith.
They were being tempted to revert back to old covenant forms and ceremonies in
order to avoid such persecution. The author of Hebrews is telling these
Christians that to return to old covenant ceremonies would be worse than futile
because the old covenant administration was never intended by God to be
permanent. In order to defend his point, he directs his readers to the Old
Testament text of Jeremiah 31.
希伯來書的作者在他對耶利米書卅一章的解釋的前言，提醒他的讀者：「那前約若沒有瑕疵，就無處尋求後約了」（八7）。他在這裡的意思是說，就因為舊約聖經應許了一個「新」約，就代表舊約聖經本身預先看見了「舊」約本身暫時性的本質。若上帝的意圖一直是舊盟約是永遠的，就不會有「新」約的必要了。希伯來書作者甚至在八章13節把這點說得更清楚，他說到耶利米「既說新約，就以前約為舊了」。當耶利米應許一個「新」約時，他自動暗示了，第一個盟約施行是「舊」的，也是暫時的。換句話說，上帝的計劃從一開始就是要創立這兩個約。上帝不是先犯了錯，然後用「B計劃」來補救。每個盟約都是適合救贖歷史裡的一段特定時間的。The author of
Hebrews prefaces his explanation of Jeremiah 31 by reminding his readers that “if that first covenant had been faultless,
there would have been no occasion to look for a second” (8:7). What he is saying here is that the very fact
that the Old Testament promises a “new” covenant means that the Old Testament
itself foresaw the temporary nature of the “old” covenant. There would never be
any need for a “new” covenant if God had always intended the old covenant to be
permanent. The author of Hebrews makes this point even more clearly in 8:13
when he says of Jeremiah: “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first
one obsolete.” When Jeremiah promises a “new” covenant, he automatically
implies that the first covenant administration is “old” and temporary. In other
words, it was always part of God’s plan from the beginning to inaugurate both
covenants. God did not make a mistake or have to resort to “plan b.” Each
covenant was suited to a particular time in redemptive history.
創立一個新盟約是上帝一直以來的計劃。這會讓人提出延續性的問題。倘若上帝在基督裡創立了一個新約，那麼，舊約和新約之間在什麼事情上是延續的呢？教會歷史上，有人主張舊約和新約之間沒有什麼延續。這種論證說，舊約所有的事情都完全被新約取代了。在此光譜的這一頭的人提出，舊約聖經基本上所有的事情都與今天的基督徒無關，或無法直接應用。The fact that God
always planned to inaugurate a new covenant raises the question of continuity.
If God has inaugurated a new covenant in Christ, is there any continuity
between the old covenant and the new? There have been those in the history of
the church who have argued that there is little or no continuity between the
old covenant and the new. Everything about the old covenant, it is argued, has
been completely replaced by the new. Those on this end of the spectrum would
argue that virtually nothing in the Old Testament is relevant or directly
applicable to Christians today.
教會歷史上也有一些人主張，舊約和新約之間沒有什麼斷層，新約的創立所造成的變化，基本上是「外表」的變化而已。在光譜這一頭的人提出，舊約聖經大部分都可以直接應用到今天的基督徒身上。持這種看法的人當中有些人主張，基督徒必須繼續在第七日受安息日，或者基督徒必須繼續遵守舊約的節期。我們應該避免這兩個極端。舊約和新約之間同時有延續性和中斷性。There have been
others in the history of the church who have argued that there is little discontinuity
between the covenants and that the changes made by the inauguration of the new
covenant were essentially “cosmetic” changes. Those on this end of the spectrum
would argue that much of the Old Testament is directly applicable to Christians
today. Some who hold this view would argue that Christians must continue to
observe the Sabbath on the seventh day or that Christians must continue to
observe the Old Testament feast days. Both extremes should be avoided. There is
both continuity and discontinuity between the old and new covenants.
今天有許多人讀聖經的經文，例如希伯來書八章7節或13節，會下這樣的結論說，這兩個約之間是沒有延續性的。但是更仔細查看希伯來書第八章，以及新約在救贖歷史中的地位，會顯明這是一種不成熟的結論。While there are
many today who read passages of Scripture, such as those found in Hebrews 8:7
or8:13, and conclude that there is no continuity between the two covenants, a
closer examination of Hebrews 8 and the place of the new covenant in redemptive
history reveals that such a conclusion is premature.
舊約和新約之間的延續性最明顯的要點，可以在新約本身的應許裡找到。希伯來書作者在希伯來書八章8-12節引用了耶利米的新約預言。在第10節，我們讀到：「主又說：那些日子以後，我與以色列家所立的約乃是這樣：我要將我的律法放在他們裡面，寫在他們心上；我要作他們的神；他們要作我的子民。」在「我的律法」上，我們找到了一個延續點。在舊約底下，上帝把祂的律法寫在石版上（出廿四12）。在新約底下，上帝會把祂的律法寫在祂子民的心上，來代替寫在那裡的罪（耶十七1）。但是上帝寫在祂百姓心版上帝，和寫在石版上帝，基本上仍然是一樣的。律法的這個層面，即基本上反映了上帝自己公義的屬性的層面，一直是相同的。One of the most
obvious points of continuity between the old and new covenants is found within
the very promise of the new covenant itself. The author of Hebrews quotes
Jeremiah’s new covenant
prophecy in Hebrews 8:8–12. In verse 10, we
read, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after
those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write
them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” We
find a point of continuity in the words “my laws.” Under the old covenant, God
wrote His laws on tablets of stone (Ex. 24:12). Under the new covenant, God
will write His laws on the hearts of His people to replace the sin that is
presently written there (Jer. 17:1), but that which is written by God on the
hearts of His people remains essentially the same as that which was written on
tablets of stone. That aspect of the law that most fundamentally reflects God’s
own righteous character always remains the same.
另一種解釋舊約和新約之間的延續性的方法是應用保羅在加拉太書三章24-25節的說明。保羅寫到：「這樣，律法是我們訓蒙的師傅，引我們到基督那裡，使我們因信稱義。 但這因信得救的理既然來到，我們從此就不在師傅的手下了。」這個「訓蒙的師傅」（希臘文：paidagogos）是當時的奴隸，他的工作是帶領小男孩到學校，回家裡，並且監督他的行為。當這男孩長大了，這個「訓蒙師傅」就沒有必要的。這個類比可以幫助我們更明白這兩個盟約之間的延續性的元素。Another way to
explain the continuity between the old and new covenants is to apply the
illustration Paul uses in Galatians 3:24–25. Paul writes, “So then, the law was
our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” The “guardian”
(Greek paidagogos), was a slave whose job it was to conduct a young boy to and
from school and to supervise his conduct. When the boy grew up, the “guardian”
was no longer needed. This analogy can help us understand better the elements
of continuity between the covenants.
延續性這個議題的應用要點是：孩童一旦長大為成人，訓蒙師傅就廢掉了，但訓蒙師傅教導小孩的內容則並沒有被廢掉。保羅用這個從孩童長大到成人的類比，作為看待救贖歷史中上帝的百姓的一種方式。舊約的施行是給上帝的百姓，在他們的「童年」使用的。當神的百姓到達「成年期」，這個孩童時期的「訓蒙師傅」就不再有必要了。它如今就「廢掉」了。但是訓蒙師傅教給小孩的（「我的律法」），即使在小孩變成成人後，仍然是相同的。The point of
application to the issue of continuity is this: Once the child has grown to
adulthood the guardian is obsolete, but that which the guardian taught the
child is not. Paul uses this analogy of growth from childhood to adulthood as a
way of viewing the people of God throughout redemptive history. The old
covenant administration was intended for the people of God in their
“childhood.” When the people of God reach “adulthood,” this childhood
“guardian” is no longer needed. It is now “obsolete.” But that which the
guardian taught the child (“my laws”) remains the same even after he becomes an
adult.
舊約和新約的交會點是在耶穌基督身上。舊約作為一個訓蒙師傅，為基督預備了道路，並為祂預備祂的百姓。舊約包括了傳統上被稱為「道德律」的，也包括了所謂的預表。當預表所指向的實體到來時，預表就發生了改變。當黎明來到，影子就消失了（參：來十1）。神的百姓如今是由他們與耶穌關係來界定（參：加三16、29），而不是由他們與雅各/以色列的關係來界定。應許之地如今是由整個被造界來界定（參：太五5；羅四13），而不是由地中海東岸的一塊真實的地業來界定。聖殿如今是由耶穌基督和祂的百姓來界定（參：約二21；林前三16；弗二21），而不是由一座由石頭和泥漿所建造的建築來界定。禮儀律如今是由基督贖罪的四來界定（參：來九11～十11），而不是有公牛和公羊的血來界定。The focal point where the old and new covenants meet
is found in Jesus Christ. The old covenant, as a guardian, prepares the way for
Him and prepares His people for Him. The old covenant included that which has
been traditionally described as “moral law” as well as that which was typical.
That which was typical underwent change when the reality to which it pointed
arrived. When the dawn came, the shadows disappeared (cf. Heb. 10:1). The
people of God are now defined in terms of their relation to Jesus (cf. Gal
3:16, 29) rather than their relation to Jacob/Israel. The Promised Land is now
defined in terms of the entire creation (cf. Matt. 5:5; Rom. 4:13) rather than
a piece of real estate on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The
temple is now defined in terms of Jesus Christ and His people (cf. John 2:21; 1
Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21) rather than a building of stone and mortar. The
ceremonial laws are now defined in terms of the atoning death of Christ (cf.
Heb. 9:11–10:11) rather than the blood of bulls and goats.
不過，道德律——即陳述普世和永恆公義的標準的——仍然是不變的。雖然它如今是寫在神的百姓的心上，而不是寫在石板上，但這個律法仍然是同樣的律法。The moral law,
however, — that which sets
forth the universal and eternal standards of righteousness — is unchanged. Although it is now written on
the hearts of God’s people rather
than on tablets of stone, this law remains the same.