預定如何彰顯上帝的榮耀？Predestination: How Does ItReveal the Glory of God?
作者：Daniel Hyde 譯者/校對者: Maria Marta/駱鴻銘
基督徒必須談論上帝的預定，聖經為我們提供了一些談論的基本規則。此外，我們還要考慮上帝的預定和下面這件事有什麼關聯：為什麼有些人相信耶穌基督，而有些人卻不相信？Christians must talk about predestination, and the
Bible provides us with certain ground rules to do so. In addition, we’ve also considered how predestination relates
to why some believe in Jesus Christ and some don’t.
你們多常聽到教會裡的人和善意的弟兄姐妹說過，
預定就像一盆澆在基督徒的熱忱上的冷水？你們當中又有多少人聽說過：預定像乾海綿，吸盡屬靈的熱情？他們說，預定是太理性、太死氣沈沈、太哲理、太枯燥而不結果子的「教義」。But how often have you heard
from pious and well-meaning brothers and sisters that predestination is like a
cold shower on Christian enthusiasm? How many of you have heard that it is like
a dry sponge that soaks up all spiritual zeal? It’s too intellectual, too
lifeless, too philosophical, and too sterile of a “doctrine,” they say.
預定是聖經賜給我們的真理，因此，我們當為了它而懷著崇敬之心敬拜上帝，受它的安慰，也受它的啟發，好為失喪的人禱告，渴望他們得著救恩。然而，讓揀選這個真理（譯按：預定和揀選這兩個字是同一個意思 ）如此榮耀的是什麼呢？讓我們來思考保羅在以弗所書第一章說的話。這段話啟示出三一真神在預定上的榮耀的五大特征。Predestination is a
truth given to us in Scripture, therefore we are to adore God for it, be
comforted by it, and inspired by it to pray for and desire the salvation of the
lost. But what makes election so glorious? Let’s consider five characteristics
from Paul’s words in Ephesians 1 that reveal the glory of the triune God in
predestination.
1. 不變性It Is Unchangeable
是什麼使揀選的（預定）教義如此之榮耀呢？是它的不變性。我們無法從以弗所書第一章或任何其他聖經章節得出這個觀念，就是我們能改變上帝所決定的事情。揀選是「上帝不變的心意」（多特信經 1.7）。上帝永恒的計劃總是被描述為確定的、固定的、堅定不移的:「祂的旨意是不更改的」（來六17-18）。What makes the doctrine of election so glorious? It is unchangeable.
Nowhere in Ephesians 1 or any other biblical passage do we ever get the idea
that what God has determined can be changed by us. Election is “the
unchangeable purpose of God” (Canons of Dort 1.7). God’s eternal plans are
always described as certain, fixed, and immovable: “the unchangeable character
of [God’s] purpose” (Heb. 6:17–18).
但是，有誰曾經說過上帝改變了祂所計劃的事呢？在十七世紀，亞民念（James Arminius）的追隨者教導，有各種類型的揀選。看看神學家在多特大會（1618-1619）是如何描述和拒絕這樣的教導：But who would ever say that God changes what He
planned? In the seventeenth century, the followers of James Arminius taught
that there were various kinds of election. Listen to how the divines at the
Synod of Dort (1618–19) described and rejected this:
上帝有許多種不同的揀選：有些是一般的揀選（general election）、沒有特定對象（indefinite），有些是特別的揀選（particular election）、有特定對象（definite）；而即使是後者（有特定對象），又還可以分成「不完全的揀選」（incomplete election）和「完全的揀選」（complete election）。所謂「不完全的揀選」，是指「上帝對這個特定對象，也還沒有完全決定要不要一直揀選他到底」，這種揀選有條件、可反悔。所謂「完全的揀選」，則指「上帝對這個特定對象，已經決定要一直揀選他到底了」，這種揀選不講條件、不會反悔。換句話說，有一種「使人相信的揀選」（election unto faith），有一種「使人得救的揀選」（election unto salvation）。上帝可以只揀選一個人使他有信心、被稱義，但還沒有完全決定要揀選他得救。（多特信經第一項教義，錯誤教導之二）That there are various kinds of election of God unto
eternal life: the one general and indefinite, the other particular and
definite; and that the latter in turn is either incomplete, revocable,
non-decisive and conditional, or complete, irrevocable, decisive and absolute.
Likewise: That there is one election unto faith and another unto salvation, so
that election can be unto justifying faith, without being a decisive election
unto salvation. (Canons of Dort 1. Rejection of Errors 2)
我們必須意識到，我們很容易根據個人經驗來論斷上帝。父親會作出承諾後又打破諾言。上帝是天父，所以也會像父親那樣出爾反爾。我們可能看到有人參加教會聚會，之後就不見影蹤，因此我們會認為， 在某種程度上他們真正得救了，但隨後又失去了他們的救恩。We need to be aware
that it is easy for us to judge God on the basis of our personal experience.
Dad would make promises and dad would break promises. God is a Father,
therefore He, too, changes. We may see people in church and then not, and think
that somehow they were genuinely saved but then lost their salvation.
揀選是榮耀的真理，因為它是不變的。Election is glorious because it is unchangeable.
2. 永恒性 It Is Eternal
是什麼使到揀選教義如此之榮耀呢？是它的永恒性。預定發生在「創立世界以前」（弗一4）。我們習慣進入投票所或遞送不在籍投票（Absentee Ballot）。我們習慣擁有發言權。然而，聖經啟示我們：在萬事之先，上帝已經存在。在上帝創造之前，已經有一個計劃。因為上帝是永恒的，所以祂的計劃是永恒的。祂對我們的永恒計劃是恩慈的計劃，即是按照祂「是萬古之先，在基督耶穌裏賜給我們的」旨意拯救我們（提後一9）。What makes the
doctrine of election so glorious? It is eternal. Predestination happened
“before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). We are used to going into the
polling station or sending in an absentee ballot. We are used to having a say
in things. Yet Scripture reveals to us that before anything was, there was only
God. And before He actually made anything, He had a plan. Since He is eternal,
so are His plans. His eternal plan for us was a gracious plan, saving us according
to “his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages
began” (2 Tim. 1:9).
上帝揀選的永恒性不僅是榮耀的，而且是鼓舞人心的。你可曾意識到永恒而榮耀的上帝對你有一個明確的、從永恒到永恒的計劃？This is not only glorious but it should be inspiring.
Have you come to realize that the eternal and glorious God had a plan for you
in particular from all of eternity and for all of eternity?
3. 恩慈性It Is Gracious
是什麼使揀選教義如此之榮耀呢？是它的恩慈性。保羅說，我們讚美父上帝的核心，是祂對我們的愛。祂的愛是永恒的愛，「上帝從創立世界以前，在基督裏揀選了我們」（弗一4）。祂對我們的愛是祂揀選我們的原因（弗一5）。祂對我們永恒的愛使我們在第一時間知道祂的愛，以及祂預定的愛讓我們「藉著耶穌基督得兒子的名分」（弗一5）。祂對我們的愛是根植於祂對「愛子」的愛（弗一6）。因此多特信經說，上帝揀選了我們「只是出於祂的慈愛，按著祂主權的美意」（多特信經1.7）。What makes the
doctrine of election so glorious? It is gracious. Paul says that at the heart
of our praise to God the Father is His love for us. His love is an eternal love
“as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). His love
for us is the cause of His predestining us (Eph. 1:5). His eternal love for us
was that we would know His love in time, as His predestining love was “for
adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:5). And His love for us was
rooted in His prior love for His Son, “the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). This is why the
Canons of Dort say God elected us “out of mere grace, according to the
sovereign good pleasure of His own will” (Canons of Dort 1.7).
這永恒的恩典乃是上帝親自啟動、親自執行、親自計劃的，而不是我們。祂「揀選了我們」（弗一4），「預定我們」（弗一5），是「按著自己意旨」（弗一5）。「意旨」（purpose，eudokian）這詞也可以翻譯為「美意」（good pleasure ，NIV; NKJV）或「善意」（kind intention ，NASB)。愛是上帝揀選的緣故。這種愛不是隨意或反覆無常的，而是出於對我們深深的愛。正如摩西在申命記第七章中對以色列人的宣告：耶和華專愛你們，揀選你們，並非因你們的人數多於別民，只因耶和華愛你們（申七7-8a）。This eternal grace
was initiated, executed, and purposed in God himself, and not in us. “He chose us” (Eph. 1:4), “he
predestined” us (Eph. 1:5) and
this was “according to the
purpose of his will” (Eph. 1:5). That
word “purpose” (eudokian) can also be translated as “good
pleasure” (NIV; NKJV) or “kind intention” (NASB). The cause of election is
God’s love. It is not arbitrary or capricious, but rooted in a deep love for
us. As Moses revealed to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 7, it was not because
they were more in number or greater than anyone else that He chose them, but it
was merely because the Lord loved them.
那麼，為什麼上帝揀選某個人，而不是另一個人呢？就個人而言，為什麼上帝揀選你而不是其他人？祂揀選你不是因為你有什麼先決條件，例如，「預先看見人會有信心，並且因信順服、聖潔，或是預先看見人裡面有任何其他美好的品格與性情」（多特信經1.9）。正如以弗所書第一章4節說：上帝「從創立世界以前，在基督裏揀選了我們」。然後，我們才讀到為什麼：「使我們在祂面前成為聖潔，無有瑕疵。」換句話說，上帝揀選我們不是因為我們聖潔，沒有瑕疵。再一次我們讀到，「又因愛我們，就按著自己意旨所喜悅的，預定我們藉著耶穌基督得兒子的名分」（弗一5–6) 。上帝的預定使我們成為祂的兒女；不是因為祂預見我們會成為祂的兒女而預定我們。（譯按：按非改革宗的觀點，也就是大多數基督徒的觀點， 認為上帝是根據祂的預知作出選擇。上帝只揀選那些祂知道會選擇衪的人得享永生，這種觀點稱為預定論的預知說。）So why did God choose one person and not
another? More personally, why did God choose you and not another? He did not do
so because there were prerequisites in you, such as “foreseen faith and the
obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality or disposition” (Canons
of Dort 1.9). As Ephesians 1:4 says, God “chose us in [Christ] before the
foundation of the world.” And then we read why: “that we should be holy and
blameless before him.” In other words, it was not because we were holy and
blameless. Again, we read that “in love [the Father] predestined us for
adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to
the praise of his glorious grace” (Eph. 1:5–6). His predestining us made us sons;
we were not predestined because He saw us becoming sons.
你聽說過牧師用遊行作例子來解說嗎? 上帝在直播控制室內觀看整場遊行，從（便於觀察的）有利位置上，上帝可以看到所有在祂面前經過的人，不管你信不信，祂以祂的揀選對此作出反應。以弗所書第一章說的剛好相反，上帝是在創立世界以前，便按著祂豐盛的恩典揀選了你們，而不是因為你們在時間當中相信，才揀選了你們。所以，當我們意識到，上帝是在「我們」還是罪人時就揀選我們，祂滿有恩典的揀選工作是特別榮耀的。而且因為在所有人中祂揀選了我們，我們發自內心大聲高唱:「我受恩惠，何其深宏，日日增加無從報！」（譯註：中文歌詞引自《聖詩》，萬福源頭，271頁）Have you ever heard
a preacher use the illustration of a parade, where God, as it were, was in the
broadcast booth watching the entire parade. From that vantage point He could
see all humanity pass before Him, believing or not, and then He reacts to this
with His choice. Ephesians 1 says otherwise, that it was according to the
riches of grace in God before time began that He chose you, not because of your
faith in time. So the graciousness of God’s electing work is particularly
glorious when we realize that He chose “us” as sinners. And because He chose us
of all people, we sing at the top of our lungs and from the bottom of our
hearts, “O to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!”
4. 確定性It Is Definite
是什麼使揀選教義如此之榮耀呢？是它的確定性。在以弗所書第一章的榮耀頌中，「我們」頌讚上帝的恩典，因為祂賜恩典給「我們」（弗一4）。這不是指不確定的一大群人，而是指你和我這樣真實的人。有些人認為，預定只屬於不確定的某種等級的人，「會相信、會持守信仰、會憑信順服的人」（多特信經第一項教義，錯誤教導之一）。但是需要註意揀選的確定性是個人的。討論預定的確定性如此重要的原因是，如果預定是不確定的，不是個人的，我們會老是懷疑我們是否參與在其中。相反，預定是確定的，而且是關乎個人的，所以約翰?加爾文說，保羅在以弗所書第一章的用意是「喚醒[我們]心中的感恩之情，點燃[我們]的熱愛之情，甚至讓這種思想充滿我們。」What makes the
doctrine of election so glorious? It is definite. The doxology of Ephesians 1
is that “we” bless God because He has blessed “us”
(Eph. 1:4). This is not an indefinite mass, but real people like you and me.
Some believe that predestination is of an indefinite class of people, “those
who would believe and would persevere in faith and in the obedience of faith”
(Canons of Dort 1.Rejection of Errors 1). But note well that the definitiveness
of predestination is personal. Why is this so important to debate over? If
predestination were indefinite and impersonal we would ever be in doubt as to
our participation in it. On the contrary, because it is definitely of particular
persons, John Calvin said Paul’s intention in Ephesians 1 was “to rouse [our]
hearts to gratitude, to set [us] all on flame, to fill [us] even to overflowing
with this thought.”
5. 以基督為中心 It Is Christ-centered
是什麼使揀選教義如此之榮耀呢？因為它是以基督為中心的教義。這是改革宗信徒需要有更深理解的領域之一。我們如此頻繁從抽象的角度講到「預定」，以致忘記了這教義是以基督為中心的。在以弗所書第一章，保羅甚至在說有關預定的詞之前；在第一至三章，保羅甚至在說到關於我們的教義的字眼之前；在第四至六章， 保羅甚至在說到關於我們應該如何生活的話之前，他把萬事的根源都歸於耶穌基督。為什麼? 我們頌讚「我們主耶穌基督的父上帝」，祂「在基督裏曾賜給我們天上各樣屬靈的福氣」（第3節）。他繼續說到，上帝「在祂裏面揀選了我們」，那就是在「在耶穌基督裏」（第4節）和「在愛子裏」（第6節）。Finally, what makes
the doctrine of election so glorious? It is Christ-centered. This is one of the
areas we as Reformed believers need to grow in appreciation for. We can so
often speak abstractly of “predestination,” forgetting that this doctrine is
Christ-centered. In Ephesians 1, before he even says a word about
predestination, in chapters 1–3 before he even says a word about our doctrine,
in chapters 4–6 before he even says a word about how we are live, Paul roots
everything in Jesus Christ. How so? We bless “the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ,” who has “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing” (v.
3). He continues, God “chose us in him,” that is, Jesus Christ (v. 4) and
“blessed us in the Beloved” (v. 6).
多特信經總結上述所言時說，「上帝預定他們歸給基督，被祂救贖；用祂的話、祂的靈呼召他們，並且這呼召必要產生果效，使他們回應這呼召，吸引他們與基督相交；賜他們真實的信心，使他們被稱為義，得以成聖；以大能保守他們與基督相交，使他們至終得榮耀，以彰顯祂的憐憫，使祂榮耀的恩典得著稱讚。」（多特信經1.7 ）。The Canons of Dort summarize the above when it says, God hath decreed to give to Christ to be
saved by Him, and effectually to call and draw them to His communion by His
Word and Spirit; to bestow upon them true faith, justification and
sanctification; and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of His
Son” (Canons of Dort 1.7).
就實際情況而言，這意味著耶穌基督是我們蒙揀選的鏡子。如果在創世之前上帝所喜悅的旨意和偉大的愛仍然讓你有疑問的話，唯一的補救辦法是註視基督，仿彿對著鏡子觀看。註視祂，你會看到反射出來的自己，有更新和蒙揀選的形象。In practical terms,
this means that Jesus Christ is like the mirror of our election. If the
knowledge of God’s good pleasure and
powerful love before the foundation of the world still leaves you in doubt,
then the only remedy is to gaze upon Christ, as in a mirror. Look at Him and
you will see reflected back yourself, being renewed in His image and chosen to
be so.
多麼榮耀的教義啊，因它彰顯了我們奇妙真神的榮耀。它引領我們以讚美和聖潔作回應。當我們默想祂的榮耀時禁不住讚美：「我們主耶穌基督的父上帝是應當稱頌的」（弗一3）和「祂恩典的榮耀得著頌讚」！（弗一6）當我們默想祂的榮耀時，我們以追求聖潔來回應。由於罪人配得到上帝的懲罰，我們被呼召去「在祂面前成為聖潔，無有瑕疵」（弗一4）。What a glorious
doctrine, for it reveals the glory of our wonderful God. As it does, it leads
us to respond in praise and in holiness. When we mediate on His glory we burst
forth in praise: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph.
1:3) and “to the praise of his glorious grace!” (Eph. 1:6) When we meditate on
His glory we respond in seeking to be holy. Out of the mass of sinners
deserving punishment we were called forth “that we should be holy and blameless
before him” (Eph. 1:4). What a God, and what a life He has called us to.