歷史：聖約與歷史History:Covenant & History
作者：David P. Smith 譯者：
上帝創世第一週的主要內容是創造了白日和黑夜。上帝創造了光，把它從黑暗中分別出來。上帝創造歷史，用祂所造、所維持、所完善的一切事物來充滿歷史。我們所謂的「歷史」，必須倚靠上帝，這包括它的存在、它的目的、它的結局。這意味著歷史必須由上帝來解釋。上帝成文的聖言（即聖經）和聖靈給了我們這些佩帶神的形象的人所應該要擁有的、對歷史的解釋。如此說來，當我們論到關於歷史的事情時，我們就是在論說關於上帝的事。
The
first day of creation consisted in God creating day and night. God created
light and distinguished it from darkness. God created history and filled it
with the objects he created, sustains and perfects. What we call “history” is
dependent on God, both for its existence, purpose and outcome. This means God
interprets history. God’s written word and Spirit provide us the interpretation
of history we should have as his image bearers. In saying things about history,
then, we are saying things about God.
按照聖經，每個人對歷史的看法都逃不掉是神學性的。換句話說，每個歷史學家都是神學家（反之亦然）。這不是歷史學家自己的選擇，而是上帝為他們作的選擇。儘管這對我們或歷史學家來說並不明顯，我們也未必承認，歷史著作（歷史學）如何是表達神學或表達對上帝的看法，然而事實就是如此。這是我們從神的聖言裏必然會得出的結論。
According
to the Bible, everyone’s view of history is unavoidably theological. Put
another way, every historian is a theologian (the reverse is also true).
Historians do not choose this; it has already been chosen for them. While it
may not be apparent to, or admitted by us, or many historians, how history
writing (historiography) is expressing a theology or a view of God, nonetheless
it is. This is the unavoidable conclusion forced upon us by God’s word.
論到耶穌，使徒保羅告訴我們，萬有「都是藉著祂造的，又是為祂造的」（西一16）。所有的歷史都有其目的和目標，這目的、目標就是耶穌和祂永恆、榮耀的國度，公義和公平要永遠掌權的國度。保羅接著寫到，耶穌是「在萬有之先；萬有也靠祂而立。」（西一17）威斯敏斯特信仰告白正確地確認到，上帝所有的工作，此包括我們所有關於上帝的思想和我們在上帝所造的宇宙萬物裏的行動，都必須從「創造」和「護理」（providence；即上帝對所造萬物的照護管理）這兩個教義類別來理解。那些信靠三一真神為自己的榮耀，按照自己旨意的計劃行、做萬事的人，就會享受到喜樂和平安，並且認識到在被造界裏沒有任何東西可以使他與上帝在耶穌基督裏的愛隔絕（參：弗一3～14；羅八31～39）。
Speaking
of Jesus, the Apostle Paul tells us that, “all things were created through him
and for him” (Col. 1:16). All history has a purpose, a goal, and Jesus, and his
eternal and glorious kingdom where righteousness and justice will reign
forevermore, is it. Paul went on to write that Jesus is “before all things, and
in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). The Westminster Confession of
Faith rightly affirms that all God’s works, and therefore all our thoughts
about God and our actions in God’s creation, should be understood from the two
doctrinal categories of “creation” and “providence.” Great joy and peace
belongs to the one who trusts in the Triune God’s ordering all things in
creation after the counsel of his will for his glory, and knows that there is
nothing in all creation that can separate him or her from the love of God in
Christ Jesus (cf. Eph. 1:3-14; Rom. 8:31-39).
藉著創造與護理的工作，上帝引導我們要從兩個角度來思考歷史的整個過程：1)
上帝與人立的舊約和新約；2) 這個過去被造、也正在過去的世代，正在產生一個新創造的世代，這個新世代已經到來，也正在到來，並且在未來會完全到來。這兩個視角所指的兩個現實是有機相連的，兩者之間有非常緊密的關聯。
By
God’s works of creation and providence, we are directed to think of the entire
span of history from two perspectives—1) God’s Old and New covenant, and 2)
this created age that is passing away and yielding to the New creation age that
has come, is coming and will come. The two realities to which the perspectives
refer are organically joined.
聖經確認上帝的盟約是與所有的被造物立的。上帝告訴挪亞，祂要與挪亞「立」約的時候（創六18），那裏的希伯來文動詞形式要求我們確認上帝是與挪亞「繼續」一個已經存在的盟約關係。這會產生一個問題：這個盟約關係是什麼時候開始的？是從上帝創造萬物時就開始的；是從上帝創造時間的時候就開始了！
The Scripture’s affirm that God’s
covenant is with all creation. When God told Noah that he would establish his
covenant with Noah (Gen. 6:18) the Hebrew verb form requires us to affirm that
God was continuing with Noah an already existing covenant relationship. It
raises the question: When did this covenant relationship begin? It began with
creation at the time of God creating; of God creating time!
後來我們從創世記第九章；申命記四章25～31節，三十章11～20節；耶利米書卅三章19～26節，羅馬書八章18～25節諸如此類的經文中學到，上帝與祂百姓所立的約，與祂和所有被造物立的約是結合在一起、無法分割的。誠然，上帝與祂百姓立的約是祂與被造界立的約的一個延伸——因為我們也都是被造物。儘管在許多人當中，甚至在改革宗圈子裏，對這些問題有許多的混淆，但是聖經卻毫不含糊。
Later
we learn from such passages as Genesis 9; Deuteronomy 4:25-31; 30:11-20;
Jeremiah 33:19-26, and Romans 8:18-25, among others, that God’s covenant with
his people is inseparably joined to his covenant with all creation. Indeed,
God’s covenant with his people is an extension of his covenant with creation—we
are creatures. While there is plenty of confusion among some, even in reformed
circles on these matters, Scripture is not so confusing.
上帝與白日和黑夜立了一個約。上帝在給祂得救的子民一個盟約記號（創十七）之前，已經給一切被造物一個盟約的記號（創九）。耶穌，即造物主、末後的亞當（約一1～5；林前十五45；參：羅五12～21）所完成的工作，將上帝應許亞伯拉罕的盟約祝福，既帶給了猶太人，也帶給了外邦人，這是在教會裏所作的，也是藉著教會所作的。
God
has a covenant with the day and the night. God gave a covenant sign to all
creation (Gen. 9) prior to giving a covenant sign to his redeemed people (Gen.
17). The accomplished work of Jesus, the Creator, who is the Last Adam (John
1:1-5; 1Cor. 15:45; cf. Rom. 5:12-21) brings the covenant blessing promised to
Abraham (Gal. 3:6-14) to both Jew & Gentile in and through the Church.
儘管有許多人爭論如何為上帝的盟約命名（例如：行為之約，律法之約，恩典之約，創造之約，生命之約，救贖之約，等等），以及舊約與新約之間究竟有什麼關連，我們都應該承認，歷史只能按照上帝的立約與守約來正確地理解。因此，無論是聖經還是歷史，都是按照舊約（Old Covenant）和新約（New Covenant）來架構的。請注意我沒有使用複數形式來形容這兩個約。正如威斯敏斯特聖徒所確認的，「這並不是兩個本質不同的恩典之約，而是一個相同的約，但執行方式不同。」（WCF，第七章第6條）只有一個約，因為只有一位上帝。但是祂的盟約有好幾種施行方式。
While
many debate which terms are best to use in naming God’s covenant (works, law,
grace, creation, life and redemption etc.) and which ways the Old and New
Covenant relate, we should recognize that history can only rightly be
understood according to God’s making and keeping his covenant. Thus, the Bible
as well as history, is structured according to the Old Covenant and New
Covenant. Notice I did not write covenants. As the Westminster Divines
affirmed: “There are not therefore two covenants of grace, differing in
substance, but one and the same, under various dispensations” (WCF VII, 6). One
covenant, because there is only one God. But there are various administrations
of his covenant.
西方許多基督徒似乎應該考慮一個範式轉移。與其順著西方文化來思考，以至於基督徒信仰被認為最主要是（如果不全部是的話）人的信仰和行為，生命被簡化為、也隸屬於人的理性和人的計劃，我們應該從聖經的角度來思考——「神是」（God IS）。神就是生命。在整個歷史過程中，所有的人類信仰和行為都是神的生命的延伸。歷史是一個有機體的一部分，這個有機體就是上帝的生命。有一天，關於上帝的知識要充滿遍地，好像水充滿洋海一般。永生必要掌權，不受任何的挑戰。
It
seems that many Christians in the West should consider a paradigm shift. Rather
than thinking right along with Western culture so that the Christian faith is
considered foremost, if not exclusively, in terms of human beliefs and
behaviors, so that life is reduced and subordinated to human rationality and
projects, we should consider the biblical perspective—God IS. God IS Life. All
human beliefs and behaviors throughout all history are an extension of God’s
life. History is part of an organism, the organism that is God’s life. One day
the knowledge of God will cover the earth like the water covers the sea.
Eternal life will reign unchallenged.
因此，不只是歷史是由上帝的舊約和新約所組成的，而是歷史就是上帝如何應驗祂榮耀的目的的過程，祂要帶來生命，征服罪和死亡。這個罪惡和死亡的世紀正在過去，來世已經降臨，也正在降臨，並且必定會降臨（林前十11；來九23～28；啟一1～8）！因為歷史是上帝的創造，我們必須用符合上帝永遠長存的盟約性質的角度來看歷史。上帝的盟約必要戰勝死亡，帶來祂的國度。
Thus,
it is not merely that history consists of God’s Old and New Covenant, but that
history is God fulfilling his glorious purpose to bring life and conquer sin
and death. This age of Sin and Death is passing away and the age to come has
come, is coming, and will come (1Cor. 10:11; Heb. 9:23-28; Rev. 1:1-8)! Because
history is God’s creation, we must have a view of history that conforms to
God’s living covenantal character that conquers death by bringing his kingdom.
David P. Smith (Ph.D.) is the author of B. B.
Warfield's Scientifically Constructive Theological Scholarship (Wipf &
Stock) and co author with Ronald Hoch of Old School, New Clothes: The Cultural
Blindness of Christian Education Wipf & Stock). David is Pastor of Covenant
Fellowship A.R.P. Church in Greensboro, North Carolina.