1. 神的啟示DivineRevelation
作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 译者: 姚錦榮
摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the Christian Faith》P3 ,更新傳道會出版。
我們所認識的一切基督教真理，都是來自神的啟示。啟示(reveal)是「揭示」(unveil)之意，就是移開隱藏東西的蓋子。
當我的兒子漸漸長大時，我們每年都為他慶祝生日。我們從電視節目中得到靈感，決定與其墨守成規每年送他一份禮物，不如自創一個家庭的送禮方式：我把禮物藏在秘密的地方，例如抽屜內、沙發下，或椅子背後，然後問孩子說：「你可以選擇要我口袋中所有的，或是藏在抽屜內的東西。」等他決定好之後，送禮遊戲的高潮就開始了。我會把三樣大小不同的東西放在三張椅子上，每張椅子上都蓋著毛氈——一張椅子上放了一份小禮物，另一張上放了那份特別為他預備的大禮物，第三張椅子上則放了一根拐杖，是他在七歲那年斷了腿時用過的。
連續三年，兒子選的都是放拐杖的那張椅子! (但我也總是讓他用拐杖換取生日禮物。)第四年，孩子立定心志不要一不小心又選到拐杖，；但這一年，我卻出了一個新花招，把大禮物與拐杖放在同一張椅子上，並且故意讓拐杖的頂端露在毛氈之外。孩子看見拐杖，自然不選那張椅子，但這一回，他又輸了!
這遊戲最有趣的地方是讓你猜藏寶地點，但那全是憑空臆測，是毫無根據地揣摩。如果不拿開毛氈，禮物就是隱藏著的，無從揭曉寶物是甚麽!
我們對神的認識也是如此，憑空臆測神是愚不可及的。我們若想按真理認識神，就必須仰賴於神向我們啟示祂自己。
聖經指出，神用不同的方法來啟示祂自己：祂在自然界中，或透過自然界來展示祂的榮耀；祂在古時借著異夢和異象啟示自己；祂的天命在歷史中顯明：又透過所默示的聖經啟示自己。神啟示的頂峰，顯示在耶穌基督降世為人——也就是神學上所謂的道成肉身上。
希伯來書的作者說：「神既在古時借著眾先知多次多方的曉諭列祖，就在這末世，借著他兒子曉諭我們，又早已立他為承受萬有的，也曾借著他創造諸世界。」(來1：l-2)
雖然聖經說，神多次多方啟示祂自己，但我們必須了解，神主要的啟示可分兩種——一般性的啟示和特殊性的啟示。
一般性的啟示之所以稱作「一般」，有兩個原因：(1)內容是一般性的； (2)對象是一般性的：
—般性的內容
一般性的啟示讓我們知道神的存在。 詩人說：「諸天述說神的榮耀。」神的榮耀透過祂手中的作為顯明出來，既清楚又明確，是受造之物不可能看不出來的，這種啟示顯明了神的永能和神性(羅1：18-23)。但是自然界的啟示並不是神全部的啟示，它並沒有將聖經中關於神是救贖之神的啟示，向我們展示出來，不過自然界所顯示的神，正是聖經中所啟示的神。
一般性的對象
雖然不是世界上每一個人都讀過聖經，或聽過聖經所宣講的福音，但來自自然界的啟示，卻在每時每地照耀著每一個人；神一般性的啟示是天天可見的，神從來不缺乏見證，這個肉眼可見的世界有如一面鏡子，反映出造物者的榮耀。
世界是神的舞臺，神是臺前的主角，幕簾從來不落下，不會把祂遮蔽。我們只要一瞥自然界，便知道它不是從自己生的。世間並沒有所謂的「大自然之母」這回事，因為大自然沒有任何創造生命的能力，大自然本身是沒有創造力的，創造生命的能力來自大自然的主宰——神。把大自然視作生命的始源，是混淆了受造物和創造主的角色。膜拜自然界，就等於膜拜偶像，是神所憎惡的。
因著一般性啟示之功，人人都知道神的存在。無神論者是把明明可知道的真理全然否定了，所以聖經說：「愚頑人心裏說：沒有神。」(詩14：1)當聖經稱沒有神的人為愚頑人時，就是對無神論者作出道德的審判。聖經所謂的愚頑，不是指智能低或缺乏智慧，而是指人的不道德。既然敬畏耶和華是智慧的開端，那麽否認神便是愚昧至極。
不可知論者與無神論者一樣，也不肯接受一般性的啟示，但他們的態度沒有無神論者那麽尖銳。他們沒有直接否定神的存在，只是認為判斷神存在與否的證據不足，於是把問題擱置一邊，不去下判斷，也不下定論。但是按照一般性啟示的清楚亮光，不可知論的立場和無神論者的敵對態度比較起來，同樣均是神所憎惡的。
然而對於任何一個願意開放心靈和思想的人來說，神的榮耀——從諸天中無數的宇宙，到構成最小分子的次原子粒子——都是極為奇妙，令人嘆為觀止。我們所事奉的，是一位何等奇妙的神!
總結
1.基督教是一種啟示性的宗教。
2.神的啟示是一種自我顯現(self－disclosure)。神主動除去了妨礙我們認識祂的帕子。
3.我們不能憑自己的測度去認識神。
4.神在歷史上曾透過各種方法顯明祂自己。
5.一般性的啟示是賜給全人類的。
6.無神論和不可知論，都是建立在否定人所共知的真理上。
7.人的愚昧來自對神的否定。
8.人的智慧來自對神的敬畏之心。
思考經文：
詩十九；1-14 弗三：1-13；提後三：14-17；來一：1-4
Divine
Revelation
Everything we
know about Christianity has been revealed to us by God. To reveal means
"to unveil." It involves removing a cover from something that is
concealed.
When my son was
growing up, we developed an annual tradition for the celebration of his
birthday. Instead of the normal pattern of distributing presents, we did it by
way of our homemade version of the television game show "Let's Make a
Deal." I hid his presents in secret places such as in a drawer, under the
sofa, or behind a chair. Then I gave him options: "You can have what's in
the desk drawer or what's in my pocket." The climax of the game focused on
the "big deal of the day." I arranged three chairs that were covered
with blankets. Each blanket concealed a gift. One chair had a small gift, a
second chair had his big present, and a third chair had a crutch he had used
after breaking his leg at age seven.
For three years
in a row my son selected the chair containing the crutch! (I always ended up
letting him exchange the crutch for his real gift.) The fourth year he was
determined not to choose the chair with the crutch under the blanket. This time
I concealed his big present alongside the crutch and allowed the top of the
crutch to peek out beneath the blanket. Spying the crutch tip he studiously
avoided choosing that chair. I got him again!
The fun part of
the game was in trying to guess where the treasure was hidden. But it was sheer
guesswork, pure speculation. Discovery of the real treasure could not be made
until the blanket was removed and the gift lay unveiled.
So it is with
our knowledge of God. Idle speculation about God is a fool's errand. If we wish
to know Him in truth, we must rely on what He tells us about Himself.
The Bible
indicates that God reveals Himself in various ways. He displays His glory in
and through nature. He revealed Himself in ancient times via dreams and
visions. The mark of His providence is shown in the pages of history. He
reveals Himself in the inspired Scripture. The zenith of His revelation is seen
in Jesus Christ becoming a human being—what theologians call "the
incarnation."
The author of
Hebrews writes:
God, who at
various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the
prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed
heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds. (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Although the Bible
speaks of the "various ways" that God reveals Himself, we distinguish
between two chief types of revelation—general and special.
General
revelation is called "general" for two reasons: (1) it is general in
content, and (2) it is revealed to a general audience.
General Content
General
revelation provides us with the knowledge that God exists. "The heavens
declare the glory of God," says the psalmist. God's glory is displayed in
the works of His hands. This display is so clear and manifest that no creature
can possibly miss it. It unveils God's eternal power and deity (Romans
1:18-23). Revelation in nature does not give a full revelation of God. It does
not give us the information about God the Redeemer that we find in the Bible.
But the God who is revealed in nature is the same God who is revealed in
Scripture.
General
Audience
Not everyone in
the world has read the Bible or heard the gospel proclaimed. But the light of
nature shines upon everyone in every place, in every time. God's general
revelation takes place every day. He is never without a witness to Himself. The
visible world is like a mirror that reflects the glory of its Maker.
The world is a
stage for God. He is the chief actor who appears front and center. No curtain
can fall and obscure His presence. We know from one glimpse of creation that
nature is not its own mother. There is no such "mother" as Mother
Nature. Nature itself is powerless to produce life of any kind. In itself,
nature is barren. The power to produce life resides in the Author of
nature—God. To substitute nature as the source of life is to confuse the
creature with the Creator. All forms of nature worship are acts of idolatry
that are detestable to God.
Because of the
force of general revelation, every human being knows that God exists. Atheism
involves the utter denial of something that is known to be true. This is why
the Bible says, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'"
(Psalm 14:1). When the Scripture so chastens the atheist by calling him a "fool,"
it is making a moral judgment upon him. To be a fool in biblical terms is not
to be dim-witted or lacking in intelligence; it is to be immoral. As the fear
of God is the beginning of wisdom, so the denial of God is the height of
foolishness.
The agnostic,
likewise, denies the force of general revelation. The agnostic is less strident
than the atheist; he does not flatly deny the existence of God. Rather, the
agnostic declares that there is insufficient evidence to decide one way or the
other about God's existence. He prefers to suspend his judgment, to leave the
issue of God's existence as an open question. However, in light of the clarity
of general revelation, the stance of agnosticism is no less detestable to God
than that of the militant atheist.
But for anyone
whose mind and heart are open, the glory of God is wonderful to see—from the
billions of universes in the heavens to the subatomic particles that make up
the tiniest of molecules. What an incredible God we serve!
1.Christianity
is a revealed religion.
2.God's
revelation is a self-disclosure. He removes the veil that keeps us from knowing
Him.
3.We do not
come to know God through speculation.
4.God revealed
Himself in various ways throughout history.
5.General
revelation is given to all human beings.
6.Atheism and
agnosticism are based on a denial of what people know to be true.
7.Foolishness
is founded on the denial of God.
8.Wisdom is
founded on the fear of God.
