聖誕節合乎聖經嗎？IsChristmas Scriptural?

作者：G. I. Williamson（《基督教要道初階》的作者，OPC牧師）

譯者：駱鴻銘

https://www.facebook.com/peddrluo/posts/10156205742324653?pnref=story

http://www.opc.org/new_horizons/Christmas_scriptural.html

我要感謝OPC的基督徒教育委員會仍然忠於OPC的傳統，尊重一些深植於長老會和改革宗歷史的少數觀點。因此，我利用這個特權，表達我對聖誕節這個主題的意見。

I want to thank the Committee on Christian Education for remaining faithful to the Orthodox Presbyterian tradition of respecting minority views that are firmly rooted in Presbyterian and Reformed history. I therefore gladly avail myself of the privilege to express myself on the subject of Christmas.

今天很少有人會明白，曾經有一段時候，聖誕節通常被視為是缺乏聖經根據的。但是請聆聽戴倫（Idzerd Van Dellen）和孟思瑪（Martin Monsma）在《教會章程解說》（Zondervan, 1941）裏所作的詳細聲明。在「改革宗關於特殊節日的原始立場」這個標題下，他們在第273頁中說到：

It is seldom understood today that there was a time when such days as Christmas were generally regarded as lacking any warrant from Scripture. But listen to the careful statement of Idzerd Van Dellen and Martin Monsma in The Church Order Commentary (Zondervan, 1941). Under the heading of "The Original Position of the Reformed Churches regarding Special Days," they say this on page 273:

宗教改革的早期，一些改革宗地區只守主日。羅馬教會所規定和尊敬的特殊節日都被棄置。慈運理和加爾文都鼓勵人拒絕羅馬教會的一切節期。當宗教改革在日內瓦站穩腳步後，一切特殊的節日在那個城市裏就不再繼續了。加爾文到達日內瓦之前，這件事已經在法銳勒（Farel）和富瑞（Viret）的領導下完成了，而加爾文滿心同意這個決定。蘇格蘭的改教家諾克斯與他們懷抱相同的信念，他在日內瓦是加爾文的學生，因此，蘇格蘭教會也禁止羅馬教會的神聖節期。」

"During the early days of the Reformation some Reformed localities observed only Sunday. All special days sanctioned and revered by Rome were set aside. Zwingli and Calvin both encouraged the rejection of all ecclesiastical festive days. In Geneva all special days were discontinued as soon as the Reformation took a firm hold in that city. Already before the arrival of Calvin in Geneva this had been accomplished under the leadership of Farel and Viret. But Calvin agreed heartily. And Knox, the Reformer of Scotland, shared these same convictions, he being a disciple of Calvin in Geneva. Consequently the Scottish Churches also banned the Roman sacred days."

基督對聖誕節的看法

Christ on Christmas

我相信這個看法是完全合乎聖經的，也合乎改革宗的信仰認信。我是基於以下的理由這樣說的：

It is my conviction that this view alone is fully consistent with Scripture and the Reformed Confessions. I say this for the following reasons:

1. 當耶穌差遣祂的使徒出去時，祂命令他們要遵守祂所吩咐的一切（太廿八20）。祂並沒有授權給他們可以添加或刪減祂所吩咐過的。我相信他們忠心地完成了耶穌所吩咐他們要做的。

1. When Jesus sent his apostles forth, he commanded them to teach converts to observe all things that he had commanded (Matt. 28:20). He did not authorize them to add to or to take from what he had commanded. And I believe that they faithfully did what Jesus told them to do.

2. 從使徒的著作中，我們很明顯可以看到，在使徒建立的教會裏沒有聖誕節這樣的節日。他們不慶祝聖誕節單純是為了這個理由，即這不是耶穌吩咐他們該做的事。

2. It is quite evident from the apostolic writings that there was no such day as Christmas in the apostolic churches. They did not have it for the simple reason that this was not one of the things that Jesus had commanded.

3. 因此，這個問題可以歸結到這點：使徒的教導和做法是否足以建立起基督親自授權給祂教會的習慣？現代教會很明顯會說不夠。但是像慈運理、諾克斯、加爾文這樣的人會說：是的。我相信這些人是對的。

3. The question, therefore, comes down to this: were the teachings and practices of the apostles sufficient to establish the practices that Christ himself authorized for his churches? The modern church quite obviously says no. But men such as Zwingli, Knox, and Calvin said yes. I believe these men were right.

聖誕節帶來的傷害

The Detriments of Christmas

我也相信，改革宗教會大肆歸回這個終究屬於羅馬教會的發明和傳統的節日，對教會來說是絕對沒有真正好處的。人們以為這對教會有好處。但是未必真是如此。我在這裏只想提一項重要的考量。甚至連我們自己的《大使命出版社》（Great Commission Publications）所出版的主日學教材，也受到一般被稱為「教會行事曆」的主宰。這意味著每一年，在主日學教材的循環中，花了超出合理限度的時間，用來重覆講述基督降生的故事。我盼望沒有任何一位讀者，有一剎那會認為我是在漠視基督的童貞女降生。不是的，絕對不是。我當然希望聖經在馬太福音和路加福音裏的記載獲得適當的強調。但是當救贖歷史的一小部分，不成比例地被放大，超過了聖經本身對它的強調時，這就不是正當的強調了。然而這正是所發生的事。

It is also my conviction that the widespread return of the Reformed churches to what is, after all, a Romish invention and tradition, is not in any way truly beneficial to the church. People think it is. But that does not make it so. And here I only want to mention one important consideration. Sunday school material even such as is produced by our own Great Commission Publications suffers under the dominion of what is commonly called "the church calendar." This means that every year, in the cycle of materials, an inordinate amount of time is spent repeating the story of Christ's birth. I hope no reader thinks for one moment that I discount the importance of the virgin birth of Christ. No, not at all. I certainly want the scriptural accounts in Matthew and Luke to receive due emphasis. But it is not due emphasis when a small portion of the history of salvation is magnified all out of proportion to the emphasis it receives in the Bible itself. Yet that is what has happened.

這是我的盼望，儘管我大概活不到那個時候可以看見，就是主會再次差來一個比祂在十六世紀差來的更大的宗教改革。我相信，到那個時候，教會必定會從一個完全是人為的傳統中再次被解放出來。

It is my hope, though I will probably not live to see it, that the Lord will send a new and even greater Reformation than the one he sent in the sixteenth century. When that happens, I believe, the church will again be emancipated from what is, after all, nothing more than a man-made tradition.

私下的慶祝

Private Celebrations

現在再容我補充一個重要的警告。我不認為最嚴格的改教家曾經質疑個人有權利，偶爾以敬虔的方式，隨自己的選擇來慶祝基督的降生。我當然不會質疑這個權利。如果你們要交換禮物，或誦讀路加福音第二章，或者在十二月25日當天唱「平安夜」，我完全不會與你們爭辯。我所要求於你們的回報是，當我與上述的偉大改教家站在同一個立場上的時候，你們不會和我爭吵。我所質疑的不是你們從基督徒的自由而來的個人權利，而是教會以團體的資格來決定，是否在一個宗派或教會的層面上，每年指定一個日期來紀念基督的降生的權利。

And now let me add one important caveat. I do not think that the strictest Reformer ever questioned the right of an individual to celebrate the birth of Christ at a time and in a godly manner of his own choosing. I certainly do not question this right. If you want to exchange gifts, or read Luke 2, or sing "Silent Night" on December 25, then I have no quarrel with you at all. What I ask in return is that you will not quarrel with me when I stand with the great Reformers mentioned above. What I question is not your personal right of Christian liberty, but the right of the church in its corporate capacity whether on a denominational or congregational level to designate an annual date to commemorate the birth of Christ.

既然沒有人確切知道基督究竟是在一年中的哪一天降生的，上帝也刻意不告訴我們究竟是哪一天，就沒有人有這個權利發明一個日子來代替上帝所沒有賜下的。當然，羅馬教皇宣稱有這樣的權力，這就是十二月25日被分別出來時所發生的。但是對我和我家來說，我們無法用正當的良心順服這種人為強加的負擔。

Since no one knows the day of the year on which Christ was born, and God has deliberately not told us the day, no one has the right to invent a date to substitute for what God has not given. The popes of Rome, of course, have claimed this authority that s how it came about that December 25 was set aside. But as for me and my house, we cannot in good conscience submit to such man-made impositions.