如何閱讀聖經：上帝的承諾與守約Howto Read Your Bible: God’s Promise made and Kept
作者：Le Ann Trees 譯者：駱鴻銘
一、如何閱讀聖經：上帝作出應許
How
to Read Your Bible: God’s Promises Made
聖經不是一本最容易讀的書。有些部分比起其他部分會更容易明白。要認識到聖經所有的書卷是如何整合在一起的，不是一件容易的事。有一個短語很好地總結了聖經的內容：上帝的承諾與守約（God’s promise made and kept）。
The
Bible isn’t always the easiest book to read. Some parts make more sense than
others. It can be hard to know how all the books of the Bible fit together. One
phrase that does a good job summing up the Bible is “God’s promises made and
kept.”
你是否簽過一份合同？在聖經裏我們可以發現各種的合約，但是它們通常被稱為「約」（covenants；或譯為聖約或盟約）。為了明白上帝如何作出應許，也遵守祂的承諾，我們必須查看聖經對「約」的定義，因為它們牽涉到聖經歷史所有主要的部分。我們很容易就會忽略「約」這個字，因為它聽起來既古老又過時，但是了解這個詞是明白整本聖經的關鍵。
Have
you ever signed a contract? We find various contracts throughout the Bible, but
they are usually called covenants. In order to understand how God makes and
keeps his promises, we need to look at the biblical meaning of covenants,
because they are involved in all the major parts of the biblical story. It’s
easy to overlook the word covenant since it sounds antiquated and out of date,
but understanding this word is the key to making sense of the entire Bible.
聖經中主要有兩種類型的約：有條件的和無條件的。我們今天先用一些日常的例子來說明。之後，我們可以將這些區別應用在聖經的盟約裏。There are two main
types of covenants in the Bible: conditional and unconditional. Let’s first
look at both by using examples from everyday life today. Later, we can apply
these distinctions to biblical covenants.
什麼是有條件的約？一個有條件的約是兩個或兩個以上的團體之間的協議，這個協議會要求某些必須滿足的條件。若這些條件得到滿足，就會有某種的結果（通常是有利的結果）。倘若這些條件沒有得到滿足，也會有某種結果（通常是不利的）。以下是一些有條件的約的例子：
What
is a conditional covenant? A conditional covenant is an agreement between two
or more parties that requires certain terms to be met. If the terms are met,
there will be one kind of result (usually favorable). If the terms are not met,
there will be a different result (usually unfavorable). Here are some examples
of conditional covenants:
· 一個公司僱了一個承包商，用一筆錢來蓋一棟辦公大樓。倘若這個承包商沒有按照合約裏規定的協議來完成這棟建築，這個工作就不會付錢給這個承包商。
A
company hires a contractor to construct an office building for a certain amount
of money. If the contractor fails to complete the building as laid out in the
contract agreement, the company will withhold payment to the contractor.
· 一位婦人聘僱了一位會計師幫她報稅。她準時赴約，但是會計師卻選擇花時間去照顧其他的客戶，因此爽約了。這位婦人決定開除這個會計師，另外聘僱一個更可靠的人。
A
woman hires an accountant to help her with filing a tax return. She shows up
for the appointment, but the accountant chooses to spend extra time with
another client and misses the appointment. The woman decides to fire the
accountant and hire someone else who is more reliable.
在這兩個例子裏，都期望某個人可以完成某種工作，以便得到某種結果。這些有條件的約也可以稱為「行為之約」（covenant of works）——因為這個約必須靠立約者的行為來成全。
In
both cases, some type of work was expected on the part of a certain person in
order to get a certain result. These conditional covenants are also called
covenants of works.
什麼是無條件的約？一個無條件的約是兩個或兩個以上的團體之間的協議，不會牽涉到履行這個協議的任何規定。以下是無條件的約的兩個例子：
What
is an unconditional covenant? An unconditional covenant is an agreement between
two or more parties that involves no stipulations of any kind for fulfillment
of the agreement. Here are two examples of unconditional covenants:
· 一對父母承諾要無條件地為他們的孩子付大學全部的學費。這個孩子的學業成績和一般的行為不會影響父母是否遵守這個承諾。即使這個孩子成績不好，不尊敬父母，或吸食毒品，這對父母仍然必須完成他們的承諾。
A
father and mother promise unconditionally to pay for college in full for their
child. The child’s grades and general behavior cannot affect the keeping of the
promise. Even if the child is a poor student, disrespectful, or involved with
drugs, the parents must follow through on their commitment.
· 婚姻在過去一直是一個無條件的約的好例子。如果你去看傳統的婚姻誓詞，裏面沒有任何的規定，只有承諾。今天許多人已經不再像過去一樣認真地看待婚姻誓言了。
Marriage
used to be a good example of an unconditional covenant. If you look at the
traditional marriage vows, there are no stipulations of any kind—just promises.
Many people today no longer view marriage vows with the seriousness they once
were given in society.
一個無條件的約也被稱為「恩典之約」（covenant
of grace）或是一個「贈與」（a
grant）。在無條件的約裏，立約雙方的協議是不必要的。一方可以選擇向另外一方誓守一個誓言/承諾，並堅守到底，無論另一方的看法是什麼，或需要什麼。當有人立遺囑，要在過世時分配他或她的財產時，我們就可以看到這類單方面的協議。
An unconditional covenant is also known as a covenant
of grace or a grant. In unconditional covenants, agreement by both parties is
not necessary. One party can choose to commit to an oath/promise to another and
keep it, regardless of the opinion/wants of the other party. We see this kind
of one-sided agreement when someone makes a last will and testament to direct the
distribution of his or her property upon death.
二、如何閱讀聖經：上帝信守應許
How
to Read Your Bible: God’s Promises Kept
在〈如何閱讀聖經：上帝作出應許〉一文裏，我們看了聖經裏兩種主要類型的應許：有條件的和無條件的約。乍看之下，這些盟約似乎是很早以前的奇怪風俗，和我們今天沒有什麼關聯，但是事實遠非如此。在這篇文章中，我們會用兩個部分來探索聖經裏的八個意義重大的盟約，以及這些盟約對你個人來說有什麼意義。In “How to Read
Your Bible: God’s Promises Made,” we looked at the two main kinds of promises
in the Bible: conditional and unconditional covenants. At first glance, these
covenants can seem like strange practices from the long-ago past that have no
relevance for us today, but nothing could be further from the truth. Here in
part two, we will explore the eight significant covenants of the Bible—and what
each one means for you personally.
1. 行為之約（有條件的約）
1.
The Covenant of Works (Conditional)
上帝與亞當在伊甸園裏立了「行為之約」。亞當應當服從上帝一切的吩咐，來贏得吃生命樹上果子的權利，並配得到永生。但是亞當卻悖逆上帝，他為自己和他一切的後裔獲得的不是永生而是死亡和咒詛。
God
made a conditional covenant with Adam in the garden of Eden. Adam was supposed
to obey all God’s commands to earn the right to eat from the tree of life and
merit eternal life. Adam rebelled
against God and earned instead death and condemnation for himself and all his
descendants (Gen. 2:17–18; Gen. 3).
這個約對你個人的意義是什麼？
What
does this covenant mean for you personally?
因為所有的人都出自亞當，亞當也是全人類的代表，他們都在這個同樣的盟約底下，受這個盟約的約束；亞當沒有遵守這個約所帶來的罪名和罪咎也落在所有的人的頭上（羅馬書五12；哥林多前書十五21～22）。因為上帝是聖潔的，根據你自己不完全的行為，你就是與上帝為敵的。此外，因為從亞當的墮落而來的敗壞，所有的人都有一個犯罪的本性。我們也因此會犯更多的罪，在自己身上堆積更多的罪咎/罪名。
Because
all humans come from Adam and were represented by him, they are all under this
same covenant and guilty of failing to keep it (Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21–22).
Because God is holy, you are at enmity with God based on your own imperfect
works. Furthermore, because you have a sinful nature due to the corruption
resulting from Adam’s fall, you commit more sins that heap more guilt upon you.
2. 恩典之約（無條件的）
2.
The Covenant of Grace (Unconditional)
我們首先在創世記三章15節發現到這個無條件的約。在這個約裏，上帝應許一位救主要來，祂會打破蛇（也就是撒但）的頭。在恩典之約裏，人是靠著上帝的恩典，唯獨藉著信靠基督而得救，因為基督代表祂的選民完美地遵行了律法，也為罪獻上了一次而永遠的、完美的、完整的祭（羅馬書五12～21；希伯來書七27，十14）。
We
first find the unconditional covenant of grace in Genesis 3:15 where God
promises that a savior will come who will crush the head of the serpent (i.e.
Satan). In the covenant of grace, people are saved by God’s grace through faith
in Christ alone because of Christ’s perfect keeping of the law and his perfect
and complete sacrifice once and for all for sin (Rom. 5:12–21; Heb. 7:27;
10:14).
這個約對你個人的意義是什麼？
What
does this covenant mean for you personally?
因為你是有罪的，你絕對無法完美地遵行上帝的律法，成為聖潔，以至於能夠站立在祂面前。藉著唯獨信靠基督，你在上帝的眼中被宣告是義人，一切的罪過得到赦免，得以與你的造物主和好，也被賜予一切的權利和特權，永遠成為上帝的兒女（以弗所書二8～9；羅馬書五1，八15）。
Because
you are sinful, you can never keep God’s law perfectly and be pure in order to
stand in his presence. Through faith in Christ alone, you are declared
righteous in God’s sight, are forgiven of your sins, have peace with your
Creator, and have been gifted all the rights and privileges as God’s child for
eternity (Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 5:1; 8:15).
3. 挪亞之約（無條件的）
3.
The Noahic Covenant (Unconditional)
在無條件的挪亞之約裏，上帝對挪亞作了一個承諾/應許，就是永遠不會再用洪水來消滅全地（創九1～17）。上帝設立了挪亞之約是為了保存全地，好叫人不會彼此毀滅，好叫救主耶穌基督，可以在上帝救贖計劃所指定的時間到來。
In
the unconditional Noahic covenant, God made a promise to Noah to never again
bring a flood to destroy the earth (Gen. 9:1–17). God instituted the Noahic
covenant to preserve the earth so that humans would not destroy each other, in
order that the savior, Jesus Christ, could come at the appointed time in God’s
redemptive plan.
這個約對你個人的意義是什麼？
What
does this covenant mean for you personally?
因為基督已經降生，並且完成祂的救贖大工，上帝就「寬容你們，不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改」（彼得後書三9）。耶穌耶穌有一天會回來，完整地建立祂的國度（啟示錄廿一章）。如果你還沒有接受基督作你的救主，最好快快接受，因為現在正是拯救的日子（哥林多後書六2）
Since
Christ has come and done his saving work, God “is patient toward you, not
wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet.
2:9). Jesus will return one day to fully establish his kingdom (Rev. 21). If
you have not received Christ as your Savior, do so right away, for now is the
day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2).
4. 亞伯拉罕之約（無條件的約）
4.
The Covenant of Abraham (Unconditional)
恩典之約在亞伯拉罕之約裏更完整地被啟示出來。上帝與亞伯拉罕立了一個無條件的、永遠的約：「為你祝福的，我必賜福與他；那咒詛你的，我必咒詛他。地上的萬族都要因你得福。」（創世記十二3，十五5～6）上帝通過差遣祂的獨生愛子耶穌，來到世上，以肉身的樣式從亞伯拉罕的一個後裔出生，成為世人的救主，因而應驗了上帝向亞伯拉罕所作的應許（馬太福音一1～17；路加福音三23～38；加三16）。
The
covenant of grace is more fully revealed in the covenant of Abraham. God made
an unconditional, permanent covenant with Abraham: “‘I will bless those who
bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families
of the earth shall be blessed’” (Gen. 12:3; 15:5–6). God fulfilled his promise
to Abraham by sending his only begotten son Jesus to the earth as the Savior of
the world to be born in the flesh from a descendant of Abraham (Matt. 1:1–17;
Luke 3:23–38; Gal. 3:16).
這個約對你個人的意義是什麼？
What
does this covenant mean for you personally?
所有接待基督作救主的人，都是亞伯拉罕真正的後嗣，都會因此擁有一切的權利與特權。亞伯拉罕信上帝會信守祂的應許，「你們既屬乎基督，就是亞伯拉罕的後裔，是照著應許承受產業的了。」（加拉太書三29）
All
who receive Christ as Savior are the true heirs of Abraham and have all rights
and privileges thereof. Abraham believed God would keep his promise, “and if
you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise”
(Gal. 3:29).
5. 摩西之約（有條件的）
5.
The Mosaic Covenant (Conditional)
和亞伯拉罕之約一樣，摩西之約（舊約）也是恩典之約的一部分，但是它在本質上是暫時的。摩西之約是上帝與以色列百姓之間一個有條件的協議，摩西是中保（出埃及記十九～廿四章）。以色列民必須履行上帝在這個約中的規定，才能留在上帝賜給他們的應許地上，並且繁茂昌盛。任何以色列人不是因為遵守這個盟約而在上帝面前成為聖潔，因為任何人要完美地遵守這個約都是不可能的。他們唯獨是因著信心被宣告為義，正如他們的始祖亞伯拉罕一樣（創世記十五6）。
Like
the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic (old) covenant was part of the covenant of
grace but it was temporary in nature. The Mosaic covenant was a conditional
agreement between God and the people of Israel that was mediated by Moses
(Exod. 19–24). The people of Israel had to fulfill God’s stipulations in this
covenant to stay and prosper in the land God had given them. None of the
Israelites were ever pure before God through the keeping of this covenant,
because it was impossible for anyone to obey it perfectly. They were only
declared righteous by faith alone, just as their father Abraham was (Gen.
15:6).
基於兩個理由，這個約是極為重要的：1) 它說明以色列國（和我們）不可能完美地遵行上帝的律法，因此需要一位救主，並且，2) 它提供了基督降生的一個平台，祂要成為完美的以色列之子，在萬事上遵行上帝的律法，並成為一次而永遠的贖罪祭。
This
covenant was extremely important for two reasons: 1) it showed the nation of
Israel (and us) the impossibility of keeping God’s law perfectly and the need
for a savior and 2) it provided a forum for Christ to come and be the perfect
Son of Israel who would obey God’s law in all things and be the once-for-all
sacrifice for sin.
這個約對你個人的意義是什麼？
What
does this covenant mean for you personally?
摩西之約向我們顯明，因為內住的罪，律法成為人永遠無法取悅的工頭（羅馬書三19～20）。然而，你毋須絕望：藉著信靠基督，你在上帝面前就會得稱為義，因為基督完美的順服如今被算在你身上，而你的罪被算在基督的身上（羅馬書五12～21；希伯來書七27，十14）。
The
Mosaic covenant shows us that, because of indwelling sin, the law is a
taskmaster that humans can never appease (Rom. 3:19–20). Yet, there is no need
for you to despair: Through faith in Christ, you are declared righteous before
God, since Christ’s perfect obedience is counted to you and your sin is counted
to Christ (Rom. 5:12–21; Heb. 7:27; 10:14).
6. 大衛之約（無條件的）
6.
The Davidic Covenant (Unconditional)
在撒母耳記下第七章，上帝作了一個應許，祂會興起大衛的後裔，並且要「堅定他的國位，直到永遠」（七12～13）。上帝無條件地應許，要把大衛的一個子孫放在王位上，但是只有公義的兒子會永遠掌權。儘管大衛的兒子所羅門統治了全以色列，但是他沒有遵守上帝的命令（列王紀上九4～9，十一4～8）。唯有大衛的後裔耶穌是那真正的、忠心的兒子，配坐在大衛永遠的國位上（詩篇第二、十六、一一〇篇）。
In 2
Samuel 7, God made a promise that he would raise up David’s offspring and
“establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (7:12–13). God promised
unconditionally to put a son of David on the throne, but only the righteous son
would reign for eternity. While David’s son Solomon ruled over Israel, he
failed to keep God’s commands (1 Kings 9:4–9; 11:4–8). Only David’s descendant
Jesus was the true and faithful Son deserving of the everlasting throne of
David (Ps. 2; 16; 110).
這個約對你個人的意義是什麼？
What
does this covenant mean for you personally?
不像人間的統治者會讓我們失望，無法公義地治理國家，耶穌卻在萬事上順服上帝——甚至出於祂對世人的愛而獻上祂自己的生命——並且贏得了永遠在榮耀裏統治的權利（約翰福音三16；列王紀上二25；啟示錄十一15）。認識到復活的基督是唯一公義的君王，祂不僅為一切信祂的人確保了永生，有一天更會結束世上一切都不公不義和邪惡，你可以因此感到安慰。
Unlike
mere human rulers who disappoint us with their failure to rule justly, Jesus
obeyed God in all things—even giving his own life out of his love for the
world—and earned the right to rule in glory forever (John 3:16; 1 Kings 2:35;
Rev. 11:15). You can take comfort in knowing that the resurrected Christ is the
one truly righteous King who has not only secured eternal life for all
believers but will also put an end to all injustice and evil one day (Rev.
21:4).
7. 新約（無條件的）
7.
The New Covenant (Unconditional)
新約引進了新創造。這個約相對於舊約（摩西之約）來說是新的約，但是它們都是亞伯拉罕之約的一部分。在舊約中，摩西是上帝和以色列國民之間的中保；而在新約中，上帝和信徒之間的中保是基督，他們是藉著基督在祂的一生、受死、復活中所完成的救贖大工而成為信徒的。舊約要求的是國家性的順服，而新約則是要求人信靠基督，祂是完美順服的以色列之子（耶利米書卅一31～34；馬太福音廿六28；加拉太書三16～18）。
The
new covenant ushered in the new creation. This covenant is new in relationship
to the old (Mosaic) covenant, but both are part of the Abrahamic covenant.
While Moses was the mediator of the old covenant between God and the nation of
Israel, Christ is the mediator of the new covenant between God and believers
through his finished work of redemption in his life, death, and resurrection.
While the old covenant required national obedience, the new covenant requires
faith in Christ, the perfectly obedient Son of Israel (Jer. 31:31–34; Matt.
26:28; Gal. 3:16–18).
這個約對你個人的意義是什麼？
What
does this covenant mean for you personally?
儘管新約要求人信靠基督，但是這個信心本身是從上帝而來的禮物，要賜給一切信靠基督作他們救主的人（約翰福音一12；以弗所書二8～9）。身為基督徒，你可以歡喜快樂，因為你已經與上帝和好（羅馬書五1），得到永生（羅馬書六23），有聖靈內住（哥林多前書三16），也正在被轉變成為耶穌的模樣（羅馬書八29）。
While
the new covenant requires faith in Christ, this faith itself is a gift from
God, given to all who trust in Christ as their Savior (John 1:12; Eph. 2:8–9).
As a Christian, you can rejoice that you have peace with God (Rom. 5:1),
eternal life (Rom. 6:23), are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16), and are
being conformed to the image of Jesus (Rom. 8:29).
8. 救贖之約
8.
The Covenant of Redemption (Conditional)
少了救贖之約，在這個清單中還會存在的只有第一個約：行為之約。救贖之約是在創世之前就成立的。這個約是三位一體的三個位格之間訂定的協議。在這個約中，聖父答應要差遣聖子執行救贖之工，聖子要順服父神的旨意，而聖靈要將聖子所完成的工作的益處施行到信徒身上（詩四十6～8）。作為基督順服的獎賞，聖父會將榮耀和一個永遠的國度賞賜給聖子（詩篇一一〇；以賽亞書五十三章；撒迦利亞書六12～13；約翰福音十七1～5）。
Without
the covenant of redemption, the only other covenant in this list that could
exist is the first one: the covenant of works. The covenant of redemption was
established before creation and is the pact between the persons of the Trinity
in which the Father sends the Son to do the work of redemption, the Son submits
to the Father’s will, and the Holy Spirit applies the benefits of the Son’s
accomplished work to believers (Ps. 40:6–8). As a reward for his obedience, the
Father gifts the Son with glory and an everlasting kingdom (Ps. 110; Isa. 53;
Zech. 6:12–13; John 17:1–5).
這個約對你個人的意義是什麼？
What
does this covenant mean for you personally?
假若三位一體的三個位格之間沒有訂立這個協約，並且遵守此約，我們就都會落在上帝的咒詛之下，毫無盼望可以達到祂聖潔的標準。上帝沒有必要把任何人從我們罪孽的後果中拯救出來，但是祂出於那無法想像的愛卻施行了拯救（羅馬書三23～26）。不要倚靠自己不完美的行為想要與上帝相和；反而，今日就要信靠並接待耶穌基督作你的救主。
If
the persons of the Trinity didn’t make this pact—and keep it—we would all be
under God’s condemnation without any hope for meeting his holy standards. God
did not have to save any of us from the consequences of our sin, but he did so
out of his unfathomable love (Rom. 3:23–26). Don’t depend on your own imperfect
works to be right before God; instead, believe in and receive Jesus Christ as
your savior today.
