何為上帝揀選的教義？What Is the Doctrine of DivineElection?

作者: Steven Lawson   譯者: Maria Marta

 http://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-doctrine-divine-election/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/106695469993489516884/posts/G6ok46ccQgL

「上帝作祂想作的事,  和祂所作的事均真實及正確，因為祂這樣作了。」 這種觀念是我們理解聖經的所有內容的基礎，包括上帝揀選的教義。

廣義上，揀選是指這一事實：上帝選擇（或揀選）按著祂認為合適的方式而作萬事。當祂行動，祂這樣作只是因為祂願意而且獨立地選擇行動。上帝根據自己的性情、預定的計劃、與良善的美意，決定做任何祂渴望做的事，沒有壓力或受制於任何外部影響。

聖經一再強調這一點。在創造的行動中，上帝恰好按著祂想創造的方式來作成祂想要的創造（參創一31）。自創造以來，祂主權命令或容許人類歷史上所發生的一切事情，目的是為了完成祂事先設計好的救贖計劃（參賽廿五1；四十六10；五十五11；羅九17；弗三8–11）。

在舊約聖經，上帝為自己揀選一個民族。祂從地上的萬族中揀選了以色列民族（申七6；十四2；詩一0五43；一三五4）。祂揀選以色列民族不是因為他們比任何其他民族更好或更符合願望，而只是因為祂決定選擇他們。用理查德沃爾夫（Richard Wolf）的話來說，那就是「上帝揀選猶太人，那是多麽奇怪啊！」還是不押韻（choose和 Jews）的好，但上帝選擇任何其他的民族也同樣是奇怪的。上帝選擇祂所選擇的民族，完全是因為祂的緣故。

以色列民族並不是聖經中上帝揀選選定的唯一領受者。在新約聖經中，耶穌基督被稱為「我所揀選的」（路九35）。聖天使也被稱為「蒙揀選的天使」（提前五21）。新約信徒被稱為「神所揀選的人」（西三12；參林前一27；帖後二13； 提後二10；提一1；彼前一1；二9；五13；啟十七14），其意思是指教會是那些蒙揀選的人的團體，或「選民」（弗一4）。

當耶穌告訴祂的門徒：「不是你們揀選了我，而是我揀選了你們」（約十五16），祂在強調這一真理。新約聖經一段接一段地重申這一點。使徒行傳十三章48節這樣描述救恩：「凡指定得永生的都信了」。以弗所書一章4–6節指出：「就如創立世界以前，他在基督裡揀選了我們，使我們因著愛，在他面前成為聖潔，沒有瑕疵。 他又按著自己旨意所喜悅的，預定我們藉著耶穌基督得兒子的名分， 好使他恩典的榮耀得著頌讚。這恩典是他在愛子裡賜給我們的。」在寫信給帖撒羅尼迦人的信中，保羅提醒他的讀者，他知道他們是蒙揀選上帝的（帖前一4），他為他們感謝上帝，「因為他從起初就揀選了你們，藉著聖靈成聖的工作，和你們對真道的信心，使你們可以得救」（帖後二13）。上帝的說話非常清晰：信徒是那些上帝在創世前揀選拯救的人。

彼得所指的預知（foreknowledge）（彼前一2）不應與簡單的預見（foresight）相混淆。有些人教導這種觀點：認為上帝在永恒的過去，俯視歷史的長廊，看看誰會回應祂的呼召，然後在回應的基礎上選擇贖回他們。這種解釋使得上帝的決定受制於人的決定，給予人一種只屬於上帝的主權。這種解釋使得上帝變成被動選擇，而不是主動揀選的那一位。它誤解彼得使用預知一詞的方式。在彼得前書一章20節，使徒用預知這個詞的動詞形式，在希臘文中是預測/預言（prognosis），指的是基督。在這個例子中，「預知」的概念當然包括早有計劃的選擇的概念。因此，我們有理由得出結論，當彼得在其他地方將預知應用於信徒時也有同樣情況（參看彼前一2）。

羅馬書第九章亦重申上帝揀選的目的。這裡，上帝揀選的特權清楚顯示在上帝以拯救之愛愛雅各（和雅各的後裔），卻惡以掃（和以掃的家系）的相關論述中。上帝選擇雅各，越過以掃，並非根據雅各或以掃所作的任何事，而是根據祂自己的自由和未受影響的主權目的。對那些可能會抗議的人來說「這是不公平的！」，保羅簡單地問道：「你是誰，竟敢跟　神頂嘴呢？」（第20節）。

更多的聖經段落可以添加到這概觀當中。然而，與上帝聖言一樣清楚的是，人們總是難以接受揀選的教義。原因同樣是，他們允許他們先入為主的觀念，即上帝將會如何行動（乃根據人類的公平定義），來推翻聖經所闡述的上帝主權的真理。

 坦白說，相信揀選的唯一理由，是因為在上帝的話語中清楚發現這項教義。沒有人和沒有人組成的委員會原創這項教義。它如永恒的懲罰的教義，與屬肉體的思维相沖突。未重生之心的情感對它深惡痛絕。因為揀選的真理，如聖三位一體教義和我們的救主神跡性誕生的事實，都是上帝所啟示的，因此我們必須以簡單、無疑的信心擁抱它。倘若你擁有一本聖經，相信它，除了接受它所教導的，你別無選擇。

上帝的聖言描述上帝為：一切受造物的支配者和處置者（但四35；賽四十五7；哀三38）；至高者（詩四十七2；八十三18）；天與地的統治者（創十四19；賽卅七16）；沒有人在祂面前站立得住的那一位（歷下廿6；伯四十一10；賽四十三13）；憑著祂自己的旨意所計劃而行萬事的大能者（弗一11；參看賽十四27；啟十九6）；根據祂自己的喜悅來塑造人的天上的陶匠（羅九18–22）。總而言之，祂是所有人的命運的決定者、斷定者；每個人生命中的每一個細節的支配者（箴十六9；十九21；廿一1；參看：出三21–22；十四8；拉一1；但一9；雅四15）-------另一種真實的表達方式為：「祂是上帝」。

本譯文的聖經經文皆引自《聖經新譯本》。

本文摘錄自《Foundations of Grace》，Steven Lawson著。

What Is the Doctrine of Divine Election?

FROM Steven Lawson

The idea that God does what He wants, and that what He does is true and right because He does it, is foundational to our understanding of everything in Scripture, including the doctrine of election.

In the broad sense, election refers to the fact that God chooses (or elects) to do everything that He does in whatever way He sees fit. When He acts, He does so only because He willfully and independently chooses to act. According to His own nature, predetermined plan, and good pleasure, He decides to do whatever He desires, without pressure or constraint from any outside influence.

The Bible makes this point repeatedly. In the act of Creation, God made precisely what He wanted to create in the way He wanted to create it (cf. Gen. 1:31). And ever since Creation, He has sovereignly prescribed or permitted everything in human history, in order that He might accomplish the redemptive plan that He previously had designed (cf. Isa. 25:1; 46:10; 55:11; Rom. 9:17; Eph. 3:8–11).

In the Old Testament, He chose a nation for Himself. Out of all the nations in the world, He selected Israel (Deut. 7:6; 14:2; Pss. 105:43; 135:4). He chose the Israelites not because they were better or more desirable than any other people, but simply because He decided to choose them. In the words of Richard Wolf, “How odd of God to choose the Jews.” It might not have rhymed as well, but the same would have been true of any other people God might have selected. God chooses whomever He chooses for reasons that are wholly His.

The nation of Israel was not the only recipient in Scripture of God’s electing choice. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is called “‘My Chosen One’” (Luke 9:35). The holy angels also are referred to as “elect angels” (1 Tim. 5:21). And New Testament believers are called “God’s chosen ones” (Col. 3:12; cf. 1 Cor. 1:27; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:9; 5:13; Rev. 17:14), meaning that the church is a community of those who were chosen, or “elect” (Eph. 1:4).

When Jesus told His disciples, “‘You did not choose me, but I chose you’” (John 15:16), He was underscoring this truth. And the New Testament reiterates it in passage after passage. Acts 13:48b describes salvation in these words: “As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” Ephesians 1:4–6 notes that God “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” In his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul reminds his readers that he knew God’s choice of them (1 Thess. 1:4) and that he was thankful for them “because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved” (2 Thess. 2:13). The Word of God is clear: believers are those whom God chose for salvation from before the beginning.

The foreknowledge to which Peter refers (1 Peter 1:2) should not be confused with simple foresight. Some teach this view, contending that God, in eternity past, looked down the halls of history to see who would respond to His call and then elected the redeemed on the basis of their response. Such an explanation makes God’s decision subject to man’s decision, and gives man a level of sovereignty that belongs only to God. It makes God the One who is passively chosen rather than the One who actively chooses. And it misunderstands the way in which Peter uses the term foreknowledge. In 1 Peter 1:20, the apostle uses the verb form of that word, prognosis in the Greek, to refer to Christ. In that case, the concept of “foreknowledge” certainly includes the idea of a deliberate choice. It is reasonable, then, to conclude that the same is true when Peter applies prognosis to believers in other places (cf. 1 Peter 1:2).

The ninth chapter of Romans also reiterates the elective purposes of God. There, God’s electing prerogative is clearly displayed in reference to His saving love for Jacob (and Jacob’s descendants) as opposed to Esau (and Esau’s lineage). God chose Jacob over Esau, not on the basis of anything Jacob or Esau had done, but according to His own free and uninfluenced sovereign purpose. To those who might protest, “That is unfair!” Paul simply asks, “Who are you, O man, to answer back to God?” (v. 20).

Many more Scripture passages could be added to this survey. Yet as straightforward as the Word of God is, people continually have difficulty accepting the doctrine of election. The reason, again, is that they allow their preconceived notions of how God should act (based on a human definition of fairness) to override the truth of His sovereignty as laid out in the Scriptures.

Frankly, the only reason to believe in election is because it is found explicitly in God’s Word. No man and no committee of men originated this doctrine. It is like the doctrine of eternal punishment in that it conflicts with the dictates of the carnal mind. It is repugnant to the sentiments of the unregenerate heart. Like the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the miraculous birth of our Savior, the truth of election, because it has been revealed by God, must be embraced with simple and unquestioning faith. If you have a Bible and you believe it, you have no option but to accept what it teaches.

The Word of God presents God as the controller and disposer of all creatures (Dan. 4:35; Isa. 45:7; Lam. 3:38), the Most High (Pss. 47:2; 83:18), the ruler of heaven and earth (Gen. 14:19; Isa. 37:16), and the One against whom none can stand (2 Chron. 20:6; Job 41:10; Isa. 43:13). He is the Almighty who works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11; cf. Isa. 14:27; Rev. 19:6) and the heavenly Potter who shapes men according to His own good pleasure (Rom. 9:18–22). In short, He is the decider and determiner of every man’s destiny, and the controller of every detail in each individual’s life (Prov. 16:9; 19:21; 21:1; cf. Ex. 3:21–22; 14:8; Ezra 1:1; Dan. 1:9; James 4:15)—which is really just another way of saying, “He is God.”

This excerpt is adapted from Foundations of Grace by Steven Lawson.

 上帝為何創造？Why Did God Create?

作者: Steven Lawson 譯者: Maria Marta

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/why-did-god-create/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/106695469993489516884/posts/aZm2sRaDNGj

 上帝為何創造？當然不是因為祂需要（找）人去愛。縱貫永恒的過去，上帝享受祂自己存有內部的完美的愛和親密的交通。神格裏的三個位格-----聖父、聖子、聖靈-----享受完美的關系，彼此完全滿足。因此，上帝既不內心孤獨，也不獨自虛空；祂完全自我補贖（self-satifaction）、自滿自足（self-content）、自我內含（self-contained）。因此，上帝不是因為祂裏面有某些局限而需要創造。相反，祂從無創造一切，目的是彰顯祂的榮耀給祂所喜悅的受造物，好讓他們宣告祂的偉大。創世記記載了上帝的主權以非凡的方式，在祂用說話創造的存有上-----和拯救他們的過程中彰顯出來。

在創世記，摩西首先記載上帝的主權在創造上的驚人表現。上帝不是俯視著時間隧道，觀看宇宙從無中進化出來。祂沒有預見到一個大爆炸，然後采納混沌這一結果作為祂的永恒計劃。相反，上帝有目的地藉其說話從無中創造一切。祂不在任何的威壓之下創造。祂沒有受到任何外部的壓力。相反，祂創造的行動彰顯出祂偉大的帝國主權。沒有外部束縛能置于上帝至高無上的權威之上，撒旦不能，牠的墮落天使也不能，當然世人更不用說了。

平克（A. W. Pink）以引起思考的驚異來描述上帝在創造前的非凡主權：

「在創世記一章1節之前，永恒浩瀚無垠，伸展無涯，那時宇宙還未生出，創造僅存於偉大的造物主的意念之中。上帝以祂至高主權的威嚴獨自存在。我們指的是天地被造之前那段悠悠遠久的時期，那時沒有天使讚美上帝，沒有受造物占據祂的注意力，沒有叛逆者被征服。偉大的上帝單獨處於祂那浩瀚宇宙的萬籟俱寂之中。但即便在那時，倘若可以稱為那時，上帝亦是至高無上的。祂可以按著祂自己的美意創造或不創造。祂可以用這種或那種方式創造；祂可以創造一個或一百萬個世界，誰能抵擋祂的旨意呢？祂可以創造一百萬個不同的受造物，將他們放在絕對平等的位置上，賦予他們相同的才能，將他們安放在同樣的環境當中; 或者，祂可以創造一百萬個互不相同的受造物，不具保留其身份的任何共同之處，又有誰能挑戰祂的權力呢？同樣，倘若祂喜悅，祂就能創造一個無比龐大的世界，以致它的維度完全超出有限的計算範圍; 同樣，倘若祂願意，祂就能創造異常微小的有機體，以致只有用最強大的顯微鏡才能顯示出它的存在，讓肉眼能觀察得到。祂擁有至高無上的主權，一方面，創造出撒拉弗，燃燒著圍繞在祂的寶座，不停且特別地讚美祂；另一方面，微小的昆蟲在出生的同時就死去了。倘若大能的上帝選擇在祂的宇宙有一個巨大的等級，從高貴的天使到爬行的爬蟲，從旋轉的世界到流動的原子，從宏觀領域到微觀領域，而不是使萬物千篇一律，有誰能質疑祂主權的喜悅呢？」

上帝在創造上的主權的輝煌彰顯，是祂主權掌管救恩計劃的啟蒙書。上帝, 在創造的第一天命令有光，很快就命令福音之光照進靈性盲目的罪人的黑暗心中。上帝，在第二天將水分開，亦會促成一道使自己與罪人分隔的無邊鴻溝。上帝，在第三天使天下的水都聚在一處，將會把罪人聚在一起歸給自己。上帝，在第四天創造了太陽、月亮、星星，將會無所不能地創造得救的信心。上帝，在第五天了創造動物王國，將會恩慈地差遣祂的兒子去作上帝的羔羊，除去世人的罪孽。上帝，在第六天創造了亞當和夏娃，很快會在罪人裡面重新塑造祂的形象。在對失喪之人（包括男女）的拯救中，上帝白白的恩典將完成第二部創世記。

本文摘錄自《Foundations of Grace》，Steven Lawson著。

Why Did God Create?

FROM Steven Lawson

Why did God create? Certainly not because He needed someone to love. Throughout all eternity past, God enjoyed perfect love and intimate communion within His own being. The three persons of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Spirit—enjoyed perfect relationships and completely fulfilled one another. Thus, God was not inwardly lonely or personally empty; He was entirely self-satisfied, self-content, and self-contained. So God did not create because of some limitation within Himself. Instead, He created everything out of nothing in order to put His glory on display for the delight of His created beings and that they might declare His greatness. The book of Genesis records God’s extraordinary display of sovereignty in speaking creation into being—and in saving it.

In Genesis, Moses first recorded the stunning demonstration of God’s sovereignty in creation. God did not look down the tunnel of time and see the universe evolve out of nothing. He did not foresee a big bang and then adopt the chaotic results as His eternal plan. To the contrary, God intentionally spoke into being everything out of nothing. He was under no coercion to create. There was no external pressure upon Him. Rather, His act of creation magnificently displayed His imperial sovereignty. No outside restraints can be placed upon God’s supreme authority, not by Satan and his fallen angels, and certainly not by mere men.

A. W. Pink writes with thought-provoking wonder of the extraordinary sovereignty of God before creation:

In the great expanse of eternity, which stretches behind Genesis 1:1, the universe was unborn and creation existed only in the mind of the great Creator. In His sovereign majesty God dwelt all alone. We refer to that far distant period before the heavens and the earth were created. There were then no angels to hymn God’s praises, no creatures to occupy His notice, no rebels to be brought into subjection. The great God was all alone amid the awful silence of His own vast universe. But even at that time, if time it could be called, God was sovereign. He might create or not create according to His own good pleasure. He might create this way or that way; He might create one world or one million worlds, and who was there to resist His will? He might call into existence a million different creatures and place them on absolute equality, endowing them with the same faculties and placing them in the same environment; or, He might create a million creatures each differing from the others, and possessing nothing in common save their creaturehood, and who was there to challenge His right? If He so pleased, He might call into existence a world so immense that its dimensions were utterly beyond finite computation; and were He so disposed, He might create an organism so small that nothing but the most powerful microscope could reveal its existence to human eyes. It was His sovereign right to create, on the one hand, the exalted seraphim to burn around His throne, and on the other hand, the tiny insect which dies the same hour that it is born. If the mighty God chose to have one vast graduation in His universe, from loftiest seraph to creeping reptile, from revolving worlds to floating atoms, from macrocosm to microcosm, instead of making everything uniform, who was there to question His sovereign pleasure?

God’s dazzling display of sovereignty in creation was a primer on His right to rule in matters of salvation. God, who commanded the light to appear on day one of creation, soon would order gospel light to shine into the darkened hearts of spiritually blind sinners. God, who separated the waters on day two, would cause an infinite chasm to separate Himself from sinners. God, who gathered the waters together on day three, would gather sinners to Himself. God, who created the sun, moon, and stars on day four, would omnipotently create saving faith. God, who began to create the animal kingdom on day five, would graciously send His Son to be the Lamb of God to take away sin. God, who created Adam and Eve on day six, would soon re-create sinners into His image. His free grace would perform the second Genesis in the salvation of lost men and women.

This excerpt is taken from Foundations of Grace by Steven Lawson.

預定與上帝的榮耀Predestinationand the Glory of God

作者：Matt Perman  譯者/校對者:  Maria Marta/駱鴻銘 

https://plus.google.com/u/2/105106813742373627205/posts/AzHXFxZ1Yfv

http://www.geocities.ws/mattperman/glory.html

http://www.crtsbooks.net/blog/post/2014/07/19/Predestination_and_the_Glory_of_God.aspx

 上帝的預定是寶貴和嚴肅的事情。我們既不應該以玩遊戲的態度來討論它, 也不應該把它看作不重要而忽略掉。我們對預定的理解尤為重要, 因為它關乎到我們是否把救恩的榮耀歸於上帝。在這個問題上我們要力求樹立真正的信仰，以致我們能夠正確地把上帝拯救工作的榮耀歸於上帝，並且享受這奇妙真理所帶來的喜樂。Predestination is a precious and serious thing. We should not treat discussions about it like a game, and neither should we ignore it as something that is unimportant. At stake in our understanding of predestination is whether we are giving God full credit and glory for saving us. We should strive for a true belief in the matter so that we can rightly glorify God for what He has done to save us, and rejoice in this wonderful truth.

預定，我會使用這詞語來指上帝揀選一些人相信基督。這種揀選是根據上帝自己的旨意和計劃，而不是個人身上的任何條件。這種揀選是「無條件的」。那些最終會相信基督的人，是因為上帝先揀選他們，並賜給他們信心（他們才會以信心回應福音）。通常，這些信念稱為「無條件的揀選」和「有效的恩典」。

Predestination, as I will use the term, means that God chooses who will believe in Christ. This choice is based upon God's own will and plan, not on anything in the individual. It is "unconditional." Those who believe in Christ ultimately do so because God has first chosen them and brought them to faith. Often, these beliefs are referred to as "unconditional election" and "effectual grace."

我確信這些都是上帝榮耀的真理。正確的真理觀彰顯了上帝長闊高深的愛、威嚴與榮美，並且徹底改變我們與祂的關係。我相信若拒絕這些真理，我們會身陷險境：削弱上帝在我們心中至高無上的地位。在查考上帝在預定上是如何得榮耀之前，讓我們先查考預定的聖經證據吧。

 I am convinced that these are glorious truths about God. A proper view of them magnifies the greatness and love and majesty and excellency of God and can revolutionize our relationship with Him. A denial of these truths, I believe, involves a reduction of the supremacy of God in our hearts. Before examining the how God is glorified in predestination, let's first examine the biblical evidence for it.

聖經教導上帝揀選那些會相信基督的人嗎？

Does the Bible teach that God chooses who will believe in Christ?

耶穌在約翰福音六章37節說：「凡父所賜給我的人，必到我這裡來；到我這裡來的，我總不丟棄他。」誰會到耶穌那裡？那些父所賜給祂的人！有多少人來？所有父賜給祂的人！可能有人會說，「這答案是真的，無論如何上帝只是賜給基督那些祂預知他們會來的人。但這不意味著上帝揀選拯救他們。」這種說法不符合這節經文的意思。因為這等於耶穌說的是：「所有人會到我這裡來的，必到我這裡來。」這種說法是沒有意義的。反而耶穌似乎是說，一個人來到祂面前的原因是父上帝首先揀選人，之後再賜給耶穌。

In John 6:37 Jesus says "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." Who comes to Jesus? The ones that the Father has given Him! How many of them come? All of them! One may say, "That is true, but God has simply given to Christ the ones that He foreknew would come to Him anyway. This doesn't mean that He chooses whom to save." But that interpretation does not fit the verse. It would amount to Jesus saying, "All that will come to Me, will come to Me." That doesn't make sense. Jesus seems to be saying that the reason a person comes to Him is because the Father has first chosen to give him to Jesus.

這段經文的前後文證實了耶穌的說法。耶穌在44至45節經文中說：「若不是差我來的父吸引人，就沒有能到我這裡來的；到我這裡來的，在末日我要叫他復活。在先知書上寫著說：『他們都要蒙上帝的教訓。』凡聽見父之教訓又學習的，就到我這裡來。」讓我們來仔細查看。第44節經文很清楚說明，要來到耶穌的面前，你必須被吸引。但是是否有可能所有人都被吸引，而有許多人選擇拒絕「被吸引」並否決上帝的旨意呢？這節經文反駁了這種假設。它教導每一個被父吸引的人必要來到耶穌的面前。

This is confirmed by the context of the following verses. In verses 44-45, Jesus says "no one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me." Let's look at this closer. Verse 44 is clear that in order to come to Jesus, you must be drawn. But could it be that all humans are drawn, and many chose to reject the drawing and veto God's will? The verse argues against that interpretation. It seems to teach that everyone who is drawn by the Father will come to Jesus.

這有很多的原因：首先，耶穌在44節經文中說，蒙父吸引的人也是那些在末日要復活的人。既然不是每一個人都復活得永生（約五24）, 那麼我們必然得出結論，不是每個人都蒙吸引。因為每個蒙吸引的人都要復活得永生。「沒有能到我這裡來的；到我這裡來的，在末日我要叫他復活。」

There are many reasons for this. First, in verse 44, Jesus says that the same people who are drawn are also raised up on the last day. Since not everyone will be raised to eternal life (John 5:24), we must conclude that not everyone is drawn. For everyone who is drawn, is raised to eternal life: "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day."

接下來的經文證實了每個蒙父吸引的人都會來到耶穌面前這種解釋：「凡聽見父之教訓又學習的，就到我這裡來」。在這節經文中的「聽見又學習」（約六45），和上一節經文的「吸引」是平行的。它們是被交替使用，來指同樣的事情（見上面我所引用的經文）。所以，當耶穌說「凡聽見父之教訓又學習的，就到我這裡來」時，他基本上是說，「每個被父吸引的人就到我這裡來。」這是證據確鑿的上帝的預定——既然每個蒙父吸引的人都會來到耶穌面前，天父的吸引就始終足以使人相信基督。因此，天父的吸引就是一個人相信基督的原因。此外，由於不是每個人都到父那裡，因此上帝就沒有選擇吸引每一個人（從而得救）。

The next verse confirms this interpretation that everyone who is drawn by the Father comes to Jesus: "Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me." "Hearing and learning" from the Father in this verse are used parallel to "draw" from the previous verse. They are being used interchangeably, and thus mean the same thing (see above, where I quote the passage). So when Jesus says "Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me," He is basically saying, "everyone who is drawn by the Father, comes to Me." This seems to be an open and shut case for predestination--since all who are drawn by the Father come to Jesus, the Father's drawing is always sufficient to cause a person to believe in Christ. Thus, the Father's drawing of a person is the cause of his believing in Christ. Further, since not everyone comes to the Father, then God does not choose to draw (and thus save) everyone.

在這章稍後，耶穌清楚解釋這些真理。祂說，來到祂跟前的人是上帝所賜的，有些人不來的最終原因是他們沒有被父吸引：「只是你們中間有不信的人。」耶穌從起頭就知道誰不信他，誰要賣他。耶穌又說：「所以我對你們說過，若不是蒙我父的恩賜，沒有人能到我這裡來。」（約六64-65）耶穌為什麼說，除非蒙父吸引, 否則沒有人能來？因為有很多人不相信：「只是你們中間有不信的人......因為這個原因我已經對你說了，若不是蒙我父的恩賜，沒有人能到我這裡來。」耶穌指出反對者不相信的原因。很簡單——他們沒有蒙天父吸引。事實上如果每個人都被天父吸引，耶穌就沒有必要作出來到祂面前的人必須蒙父吸引的聲明：「告訴那些估計已經蒙天父吸引的不信者, 必須蒙吸引來到耶穌面前... ...這將無助於解釋這段話的上下文要求：為什麼祂的反對者仍然不信。」 [注1]

Later in the chapter, Jesus makes these truths crystal clear. He says that coming to Him is given by God, and that the ultimate reason some people do not come to Him is because they are not drawn: "`But there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, `For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father'" (John 6:64-65). Why did Jesus say that no one can come unless he is drawn? Because there were many who did not believe: "But there are some of you who do not believe...for this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father." Jesus is giving the reason why his opponents remained in unbelief. His reason was simple--they had not been drawn by the Father. If everyone was in fact drawn by the Father, there would have been no point to Jesus' statement that a person must be drawn in order to come: "There is no point in telling disbelieving people who supposedly already are drawn by the Father that they must be drawn in order to come...this would do nothing to explain what the context of this passage demands: why his opponents remain in their unbelief."[1]

概括起來，耶穌說，沒有人能到祂面前，除非父吸引他們（44，65節），每個被父吸引的人都會來到祂面前（37，45節），因此，那些最終拒絕祂的人是因為父沒有吸引他們（64-65節）。顯然，一個人來到基督面前的最終原因是父上帝首先揀選了他，即是揀選吸引他。如果一個人沒有來到耶穌面前，並不意味著上帝無法改變他的心；而是意味著上帝選擇——因為智慧和聖潔的原由——不吸引他，而是任憑他走罪惡的道路。現在，讓我們扼要地看其他一些有關於上帝無條件揀選人得救的經文。

In summary, Jesus is saying that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him (vv. 44, 65), that everyone who is drawn will come (vv. 37, 45), and therefore those who ultimately reject Him have not been drawn by the Father (vv. 64-65). Clearly, the ultimate reason a person comes to Christ is because the Father has first chosen him, that is chosen to draw Him. If a person does not come to Jesus it does not mean that God was unable to change that person's heart; it means that God chose--for wise and holy reasons--not to draw him but instead to leave him in his own sinful way. Now we will briefly look at some other verses concerning God's unconditional choice of whom to save.

約翰福音第一章13節清楚聲明，我們並未選擇重生。重生是上帝以祂的主權決定賜給你新生命：「這等人不是從血氣生的，不是從情慾生的，也不是從人意生的，乃是從上帝生的。」一個人不是藉著相信才重生；一個人是因為重生才能相信。

John 1:13 is clear that we do not choose to be born again. Being born again is a result of God sovereignly deciding to give you the new birth: "...who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." One does not become born again by believing; one is enabled to believe by being born again.

保羅在羅馬書第九章15節引用上帝的說話：「我要憐憫誰，就憐憫誰；要恩待誰，就恩待誰。」保羅從中總結出一般原則：「據此看來，這不在乎那定意的，也不在乎那奔跑的，只在乎發憐憫的　神。」他在第18節中聲明，「如此看來，神要憐憫誰，就憐憫誰；要叫誰剛硬，就叫誰剛硬。」

In Romans 9:15 Paul quotes God: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." Paul then draws a general principle from this: "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." In verse 18 he states, "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires."

提摩太後書第一章9節說，「上帝救了我們，以聖召召我們，不是按我們的行為，乃是按祂的旨意和恩典。這恩典是萬古之先，在基督耶穌裡賜給我們的……」保羅明確指出，上帝揀選呼召我們，是按照祂的旨意, 從永恆裡揀選我們。

First Timothy 1:9 says, "...who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity..." Paul is clear that God's choice to call us is based upon His purposes and that the choice was made from all eternity.

耶穌在馬太福音第十一章27節說：「除了父沒有人認識子，除了子和子所願意啟示的人，沒有人認識父。」緊接著的經文清晰解釋了，耶穌並沒有把上帝的預定與福音的普世邀請看作是前後不一致的真理，因為祂繼續說道「你們所有勞苦擔重擔的人哪，到我這裡來吧！我必使你們得安息。」

In Matthew 11:27 Jesus says "...nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." The next verse makes clear that Jesus did not view predestination as inconsistent with the free offer of the gospel made to all, for He continues with "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

我們既然瞭解到預定的聖經基礎，我們就會驚嘆這奇妙真理所啟示出來的上帝榮耀。

 Now that we have seen a biblical foundation for predestination, we are in a position to be stunned by the amazing glory of God revealed in this truth.

預定是以上帝為中心，滿有盼望的真理

Predestination is God-centered and hopeful

大多數基督徒都知道，我們要以上帝為中心。也就是說，上帝是我們生活的重心，祂是我們最大的財富，我們愛祂勝過一切，我們要在所做之事上尋求榮耀祂。但我們大多數人從來沒有想到，上帝也是以自己為中心。祂重視自己高過所有，祂以自己為樂超過萬事，祂在所作之事上尋求榮耀自己。

Most Christians are aware that we are to be God-centered. That is, God is to be the focus of our life, He is to be our greatest treasure, we are to love Him above all else, and we are to seek to glorify Him in everything that we do. But to most of us it has never occurred that God is also God-centered. God places more value on Himself than anything else, God delights in Himself above all things, and God seeks to glorify Himself in everything that He does.

有時這真理受到一些人的懷疑。但你仔細想想，如果上帝命令我們無論作什麼，都要為榮耀祂而行（林前十31），而祂卻不在所作的一切事上尋求自己的榮耀（賽四十八11），這豈不是很奇怪嗎？但是在我們明白上帝在祂所作的一切事上尋求榮耀祂自己之前, 我們必須明白上帝看重自己高過一切。

 This truth is sometimes met with some skepticism. But if you think about it, wouldn't it be odd if the God who commanded us to seek His glory in all that we do (1 Corinthians 10:31) did not also seek His own glory in everything that He did (Isaiah 48:11)? But before we can understand why God seeks to glorify Himself in everything He does, we must understand that God values Himself above all things.

約翰•派博（John Piper）解釋了上帝喜悅看重自己高於一切的原因：「如果上帝把有至高價值的東西——就是祂自己——看得更重要，祂就枉失了公正（正如我們那樣）。如果上帝並不為祂至高的榮耀而快樂，祂就枉失了公義。根據一個人卓越的榮耀成正比地來喜悅一個人是正當的。」 [2]

 [2] John Piper explains why God delights in and values Himself above everything else: "God would be unrighteous (just as we would) if he valued anything more than what is supremely valuable. But he himself is supremely valuable. If he did not take infinite delight in the worth of his own glory he would be unrighteous. For it is right to take delight in a person in proportion to the excellence of that person's glory."[2]

既然上帝本身有無限的價值，祂就無限地以自己為樂（祂不這樣做就會不公正！）。但是，我們對給了我們無盡喜樂之事的自然反應是什麼呢？是傳播和宣講，並且讓人知道使我們喜悅的是什麼事情，好讓我們在與人分享時可以享受這份喜樂，也讓其他人能享受！我們透過傳遞、分享而獲得加倍的喜樂。上帝也一樣。因為上帝以自己為樂超過萬有，祂尋求展示和讓世人知道祂在道德上的卓越和祂所作之事的無限價值（祂的榮耀）。如果上帝沒有在祂所作的一切事上尋求自己的榮耀，那麼祂就是在暗示還有比祂自己更有價值的事物（這就變成了偶像崇拜）。倘若上帝在祂所行的一切事上，其目的不是要以榮耀自己為樂，祂就不是根據祂對自己無限的喜悅來行事。

Since God is infinitely valuable, he takes infinite delight in Himself (he would be unrighteous not to!). But what is the natural reaction to something that brings us great delight? We want to spread and proclaim and make known what it is that delights us so that we can have the pleasure of sharing it with others to enjoy it as well! We double our delight through the pleasure of sharing our delight. It is similar with God. Because God delights in Himself above all things, He seeks to display and make known His moral excellence and infinite worth (His glory) in everything that He does. If God did not seek His glory in everything that He does, then He would be implying that there is something more valuable than Himself (which would be idolatry). If God's goal in all that He does was not to enjoy glorifying Himself, He would not be acting in accordance with the infinite delight that He takes in Himself.

創造是這些真理的極佳解說。「......壯觀宇宙的創造充滿著上帝無盡的喜樂。祂不是以創造世界來彌補自己的某些不足之處。創造是上帝喜樂充滿的自然流露。上帝將祂無限的喜樂四處散播是最自然不過了。所以上帝樂於讓宇宙成為祂對自己的榮耀所滿溢出來的喜樂的副產品。」[3]

 [3] Creation is an excellent illustration of these truths. "...the creation of this spectacular universe is the overflow of God's joyful bounty. He did not create the world to make up for some deficiency in himself. He created because it's the very nature of fullness to overflow. It's the nature of unbounded joy to spread itself around. And so God rejoiced to make the universe as a kind of spin-off of his overflowing delight in his own glory."[3]

但是上帝尋求自己的榮耀是愛嗎？是的。「當你停下來仔細想想就會知道，這是上帝所可能做的事情中，最有愛心的事；因為人類所能獲得的最大好處是認識和分享上帝的榮耀。」[4]

But is it loving for God to seek His own glory? Yes, it is. "When you stop and think about it this is the most loving thing that God could ever do; because the greatest benefit that human beings could ever receive is to know and share in the glory of God."[4]

或許我們的救恩最能清楚說明，上帝尋求自己的榮耀是愛的一種行動。為了傳播和展示祂對自己的最高價值所擁有的喜悅，上帝採取行動，好讓祂的受造物可以認識、愛慕並享受祂的榮耀。另一種說法是，上帝採取行動以顯揚自己的聖名。上帝以自己的聖名為樂，因為它反映並顯示了祂的榮耀。

Our salvation is perhaps the clearest illustration that it is loving for God to pursue His own glory. As a means of spreading and displaying the delight that He has in His own superior worth, God acts to make His glory known and admired and enjoyed by His creatures. Another way of saying this is that God acts to make a name for Himself. God takes delight in His name because it is a reflection and display of His glory.

這是上帝預定的圖畫：「上帝在全世界顯揚祂榮耀恩典之名的方法，就是為自己揀選一些人。用耶利米的話來說，『好叫他們屬我為子民，使我得名聲，得頌讚，得榮耀。（耶十三11）也就是說，上帝為了將祂對自己的名所擁有的喜樂傳遞出去，就呼召一群人出來，享受、讚美並宣揚祂的聖名。而聖經稱這些人為『選民』。」 [5] 預定是以上帝為中心的真理，因為上帝喜悅以預定作為傳播祂對自己的至高價值所擁有的喜樂的管道。「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，使祂榮耀的恩典得著稱讚；這恩典是祂在愛子裡所賜給我們的。」（弗一5-6）「不要懼怕，因為你們的父，樂意把國賜給你們。」（路十二32）。「耶和華既喜悅選你們作祂的子民，就必因祂的大名不撇棄你們。」（撒上十二22）。

This is where predestination comes into the picture: "The way God intends to make a name for his glorious grace in all the world is to choose a people for himself. And as Jeremiah says, `He will make them cling to him that they might be for him a people, and a name, and a praise, and a glory' (Jer. 13:11). In other words, to extend the pleasure that God has in his own name calls out a people to enjoy and praise and proclaim that name. And the Bible calls these people `the elect.'"[5] Predestination is God-centered because God delights in it as a means of spreading the delight that He has in His own superior worth. "In love having predestined us unto sonship through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace" (Ephesians 1:5-6). "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). "For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself"(1 Samuel 12:22).

這對我們來說是個好消息！這意味著：1. 我們有一位榮耀的上帝；2. 上帝揀選的愛是「流溢自祂無限的智慧所引導的無窮無盡的喜樂」；[6] 3. 上帝的愛是以上帝為中心的；4. 上帝以我們的救恩為樂，因為祂帶領我們享受祂那無限奇妙的價值，並藉此來榮耀祂。祂預定我們是「按著自己意旨所喜悅的」（以弗所書一5）。以上帝為中心的愛是奇異的愛。讓這些真理帶我們進入對上帝更深的愛慕。

This is great news for us! It means that we have a glorious God. It means that God's electing love is "the gracious overflow of his boundless happiness guided by his infinite wisdom."[6] It means that God's love is God-centered. It means that God takes delight in our salvation because it glorifies Him by bringing us into the amazing enjoyment of His infinite worth. He predestined us "according to the good pleasure of His will" (Ephesians 1:5). The God-centeredness of God's love is an amazing thing. Let this knowledge bring us into a greater adoration of our God.

上帝的預定也是滿有盼望和令人鼓舞的真理。明白上帝的預定會給予我們深刻自信的安全感，並且確信上帝會完滿完成對我們每個人的計劃。上帝不會否認祂喜悅帶領蒙揀選的兒女共享祂的榮耀（撒上十二22，羅八28-30）。如果你是上帝的兒女，你不但永遠不會失落，而且一定能勝過世界（約壹五4）。我們不必絕望！這會讓我們得著釋放，以熱忱和自信的態度服從，並在試驗和誘惑中堅忍到底。當我們跌倒時, 上帝預定的真理能鼓舞我們重新振作。

Predestination is also a very hopeful and encouraging truth. Understanding that God predestined us gives us deep, confident security and trust that God will fully accomplish His plan for each of us. God will not deny Himself the pleasure of bringing His chosen sons and daughters into the enjoyment of His glory (see 1 Samuel 12:22 and Romans 8:28-30). If you are a child of God, you will not fall away but willovercome the world (1 John 5:4). We need not despair! This frees us to zealously and confidently obey and persevere through trial and temptation. And it encourages us to pick ourselves back up when we fall.

但是如果預定是如此榮耀上帝，為何祂不揀選拯救所有的人呢？其中部分的答案似乎是，比起假設祂拯救了所有的人，上帝任憑一些人死在他們的罪中，祂的憐憫和恩典更能得著榮耀。這是因為當我們把上帝的怒氣拿來對照，憐憫和恩典最能被突顯出來，也最能讓我們明白。「如果上帝有意要顯明他的忿怒，彰顯祂的大能，而多多容忍那可怒、預備遭毀滅的器皿，為了要使祂豐盛的榮耀，彰顯在那蒙恩、早已預備要得榮耀的器皿上，這又有什麼不可呢？」（羅九22-23新譯本）。我們要認真對待這真理，決不能掉以輕心。

 But if predestination is so glorifying to God, why does He not choose to save everyone? Part of the answer seems to be that by letting some people perish in their sins, God's mercy and grace is more glorified than if He had saved everyone. This is because mercy and grace are best highlighted and understood by us when seen in relation to their contrast--wrath. "What if God, in order to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His gory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory" (Romans 9:22-23). This truth is not to be taken lightly.

如果不接受上帝預定的真理，那麼我們就似乎無法把救恩的榮耀完全歸於上帝。因為如果不是上帝吸引我們歸向基督，而是需要我們提供方法，即出於我們自己的自由意志，上帝需要我們與恩典合作，才可以拯救我們，那麼，上帝就沒得著救贖我們的所有功勞。救恩的功勞（從而是榮耀）就被我們和上帝分占了，因為上帝只完成了使我們得救成為可能的必要工作，但是現在我們必須完成讓這種可能性實現的必要工作。如果我們否認上帝揀選人相信基督，反而認為上帝留待我們自己去選擇，那麼「上帝和基督所成就的工作，沒有一樣可以拯救我們，除非我們在這些工作上添加些什麼；實際拯救我們的決定性因素，乃是我們自己相信。」[7]

 [7] If we do not accept predestination, it does not seem that we can give God all of the glory for our salvation. For if He does not cause us to come to Christ, but instead we provide, out of our own free will, the co-operation with grace that God needs before He can save us, then God does not get all of the credit for our salvation. Credit (and thus the glory) would be divided between us and God, because God only does what is necessary to make our salvation possible, but we must do what is necessary to make this possibility actual. If we deny that God chooses who will believe in Christ, and instead think that God leaves it up to us to choose for ourselves, then "nothing that God and Christ have done can save us unless we add something to it; the decisive factor which actually saves us is our own believing."[7]

巴刻講解了相信我們救恩的最終決定性因素，在於我們自己的意志（阿民念主義是這種信念的名稱）和拒絕上帝預定所帶來的全面影響，他一語道破地說到：「 [阿民念所說的]可以歸結到這一點——基督透過我們的幫助來救我們；當我們把這個想通了，我們的意思就是說：我們透過基督的幫助來拯救自己。」 [8] 巴刻繼續深入透徹地剖明：「或許就是因為這樣，難怪我們的宣講生出如此稀少的敬畏和謙卑，我們這些自我宣認的歸信者是如此的自信，對自我的認識是如此的不充分，而被聖經視為真正悔改果子的好行為竟是如此缺乏。」[9]

 [9] J.I. Packer brings out the full implications of denying predestination and believing that the ultimate deciding factor for our salvation lies in our own will (Arminianism is the name for this belief): "What [Arminianism says] comes to this--that Christ saves us with our help; and what that means, when one thinks it out, is this--that we save ourselves with Christ's help."[8] Packer continues with a penetrating observation: "It is perhaps, no wonder that our preaching begets so little reverence and humility, and that our professed converts are so self-confident and so deficient in self-knowledge and in the good works which Scripture regards as fruit of true repentance."[9]

讓我以以下的懇求來總結：把你救恩的榮耀歸於上帝。把尊榮歸給祂，並承認祂對你擁有創造者的主權。喜樂於這個事實：上帝的旨意一定會成全，萬事都在上帝的掌控之中。喜樂於以上帝為中心的恩典，喜樂於祂的尊榮威嚴。為上帝的至高至上而敬拜祂。

Let me close with a plea: give God all the glory for saving you. Give Him the honor of acknowledging His sovereign rights over you as Creator. Rejoice in the fact that God's purposes cannot fail, and that everything is under His control. Take delight in the God-centeredness of His grace. Rejoice in His excellency. And worship Him for His supremacy.

注脚：

1. Thomas Schreiner and Bruce Ware, The Grace of God, the Bondage of the Will (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995), p. 356.

2. John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Multnomah Books, 1996), p. 43.

3. John Piper, The Pleasure of God in Election.

4. Piper, "The Pleasure of God in Election."

5. Piper, "The Pleasure of God in Election."

6. John Piper.

7. J.I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1990), p. 137.

8. Packer, p. 137.

9. Packer, p. 138

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