亚他那修信经简介TheAthanasian Creed

作者: R.C. Sproul    译者:  王一

http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/athanasian-creed/

http://www.reformedbeginner.net/intro-athanasian-creed/

凡人欲得救（Quicumque vult）——这句话正是众所周知的亚他那修信经的标题。长达数世纪以来，人们一直认为其作者是亚他那修（Athanasius）本人，这份文件也因此被称为亚他那修信经。在第四世纪时，爆发了亚流主义异端（Arianism）的危机，亚他那修可谓是当时三位一体正统信仰的伟大捍卫者。那次的神学争议集中于基督的本质，直到主后325年这场辩论才以尼西亚信经的确立而告终。在尼西亚会议上，同质（homoousios）一词是最引发争议的，教会最终以这个词作为对基督位格的宣告。藉着这个词，教会宣告三位一体（Trinity）中第二位格与圣父同本质，并藉此申明圣父，圣子，圣灵在存有（being）和永恒（eternality）上是等同的。虽然亚他那修本人并没有直接参与尼西亚信经的写作过程，但他的确是当时抵抗亚流异端的中流砥柱，亚流异端声称基督虽被高举却仍旧是一个比上帝小的受造物。

Quicumque vult— this phrase is the title attributed to what is popularly known as the Athanasian Creed. It was often called the Athanasian Creed because for centuries people attributed its authorship to Athanasius, the great champion of Trinitarian orthodoxy during the crisis of the heresy of Arianism that erupted in the fourth century. That theological crisis focused on the nature of Christ and culminated in the Nicene Creed in 325. At the Council of Nicea of that year the term homoousios was the controversial word that finally was linked to the church’s confession of the person of Christ. With this word the church declared that the second person of the Trinity has the same substance or essence as the Father, thereby affirming that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equal in being and eternality. Though Athanasius did not write the Nicene Creed, he was its chief champion against the heretics who followed after Arius, who argued that Christ was an exalted creature but that He was less than God.

亚他那修卒于主后373年，在他的墓碑上刻着一段暗含嘲讽的碑铭，却准确地抓住了他一生事工的精髓，上面写着短短一句：亚他那修与全世界为敌（Athanasius contra mundum）。这位伟大的基督教领袖因其坚定不移地捍卫三位一体正统信仰，在与亚流辩论的过程中多次被驱逐，遭受患难。

Athanasius died in 373 a.d., and the epithet that appeared on his tombstone is now famous, as it captures the essence of his life and ministry. It read simply, “Athanasius contra mundum,” that is, “Athanasius against the world.” This great Christian leader suffered several exiles during the embittered Arian controversy because of the steadfast profession of faith he maintained in Trinitarian orthodoxy.

虽然长达数世纪以来，信经一直用“亚他那修”这个名称，当代学者却普遍相信，亚他那修信经是写成于他死后。诚然，亚他那修的神学根深蒂固地扎跟在这份信经中，但极有可能亚他那修并不是其作者。现在使用的标题，凡人欲得救（Quicumque Vult），是按照罗马天主教在通谕和陈述中所通用的惯例而定的。这个名字是信经开头第一句。亚他那修信经以这句开头，意思是说“不论谁愿意”。这样，也表明了信经所宣告的，就是“不论谁愿意得救，首先必须持守大公教会的信仰。”亚他那修信经用简练的语言总结了救恩中关于三位一体的核心教义。

Though the name “Athanasius” was given to the creed over the centuries, modern scholars are convinced that the Athanasian Creed was written after the death of Athanasius. Certainly, Athanasius’ theological influence is embedded in the creed, but in all likelihood he was not its author. The present title, Quicumque Vult, follows the custom in the Roman Catholic Church that is used for encyclicals and creedal statements. These ecclesiastical affirmations get their name from the first word or words of the Latin text. The Athanasian Creed begins with the words quicumque vult, which means “whoever wishes” or “whosoever wishes,” inasmuch as this phrase introduces the first assertion of the Athanasian Creed. That assertion is this: “Whosoever wishes to be saved must, above all, keep the catholic faith.” The Athanasian Creed seeks to set forth in summary version those essential doctrines for salvation affirmed by the church with specific reference to the Trinity.

至于信经是何时写成，现今的普遍观点是最早写于第五世纪，也可能是第七世纪。因为信经直到公元633年的第四次托莱多会议（the fourth council of Toledo）才正式出现的编年史当中，并且是由拉丁文写成而不是希腊文。如果它确实写于第五世纪，那其作者可能是米兰城的安布罗修（Ambrose of Milan）或希波的奥古斯丁（Augustine of Hippo）。因为他们影响深远，不过更有可能是法国列仁岛的樊尚（Vincent of Lérins）。

With respect to the history of the origins of the Athanasian Creed, it is generally thought now that the creed was first written in the fifth century — though the seventh century is also given its due, since the creed does not show up in the annals of history until 633 at the fourth council of Toledo. It was written in Latin and not in Greek. If written in the fifth century, several possible authors have been mentioned because of the influence of their thought including Ambrose of Milan and Augustine of Hippo, but it likely was the French saint, Vincent of Lérins.

亚他那修信经的内容主要强调三位一体，其中每个位格都应视为非受造，同永恒（co-eternal）和同质的。在三位一体教义里，基督神人二性是至关重要的。一方面，亚他那修信经再次重申了四世纪时的尼西亚信经所阐述的三位一体教义，另一方面也强调451年迦克敦会议（Council of Chalcedon）上概括的内容。教会不但在第四世纪与亚流异端斗争，也在第五世纪抵挡各样一性论（monophysitism）异端的教导。这些异端将基督位格里的两个本性削减为一个，拉丁文mono physis，指的是一个既非完全的神性也非完全的人性的单一的神人性（single theanthropic nature）。基督一性论的异端之一，犹提干派（Eutychianism）异端认为，基督位格里只有一个既非真实的神性也非真实的人性的本性。这个观点认为基督的两个本性彼此相混（confused or co-mingled）。与此同时，教会也必须与涅斯多留派（Nestorianism）异端斗争（一性论异端也否认涅斯多留派的思想），其思想并非混淆或混合两种本性，而是将它们分离。他们所得出的结论是既然耶稣有两个本性，那么他也有两个位格，一个人性的位格，一个神性的位格。一性论异端与涅斯多留派异端都在451年的迦克敦会议上被定罪。在那次会议上，教会重新确立了三位一体的正统教义，宣布了对三位一体第二位格——基督的正确信仰，基督是真实的人vere homo，真实的上帝vere Deus。并且更进一步的阐明这两个本性在如此完美的合一中共存，不混、不变、不分、不离，各性都保存其特点。这样，只藉着一个信经，便击败了涅斯多留和一性论两种异端。

The content of the Athanasian Creed stresses the affirmation of the Trinity in which all members of the Godhead are considered uncreated and co-eternal and of the same substance. In the affirmation of the Trinity the dual nature of Christ is given central importance. As the Athanasian Creed in one sense reaffirms the doctrines of the Trinity set forth in the fourth century at Nicea, in like manner the strong affirmations of the fifth-century council at Chalcedon in 451 are also recapitulated therein. As the church fought with the Arian heresy in the fourth century, the fifth century brought forth the heresies of monophysitism, which reduced the person of Christ to one nature, mono physis, a single theanthropic (God-man) nature that was neither purely divine or purely human. In the Monophysite heresy of Eutyches, the person of Christ was seen as being one person with one nature, which nature was neither truly divine nor truly human. In this view, the two natures of Christ were confused or co-mingled together. At the same time the church battled with the monophysite heresy, she also fought against the opposite view of Nestorianism, which sought not so much to blur and mix the two natures but to separate them, coming to the conclusion that Jesus had two natures and was therefore two persons, one human and one divine. Both the Monophysite heresy and the Nestorian heresy were clearly condemned at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, where the church, reaffirming its Trinitarian orthodoxy, stated their belief that Christ, or the second person of the Trinity was vere homo and vere Deus, truly human and truly God. It further declared that the two natures in their perfect unity coexisted in such a manner as to be without mixture, confusion, separation, or division, wherein each nature retained its own attributes. So with one creedal affirmation, both the heresy of Nestorianism and the heresy of Monophysitism were condemned.

亚他那修信经再次肯定了迦克敦会议上所指出的，在亚他那修信经中基督被称为全神全人（perfect God and perfect man）。三位一体中每个位格都应视为非受造，因此也同永恒。不但如此，信经也阐明圣灵是从从父“和子”所出，确立了所谓的和子说（filioque），这一点在东正教会中十分有争议，直到今天东方教会都没有接受和子说。

The Athanasian Creed reaffirms the distinctions found at Chalcedon, where in the Athanasian statement Christ is called, “perfect God and perfect man.” All three members of the Trinity are deemed to be uncreated and therefore co-eternal. Also following earlier affirmations, the Holy Spirit is declared to have proceeded both from the Father “and the Son,” affirming the so-called filioque concept that was so controversial with Eastern Orthodoxy. Eastern Orthodoxy to this day has not embraced the filioque idea.

最后，亚他那修信经深入耶稣的道成肉身，阐明在道成肉身的奥秘中，神性并没有更换或改变成为一个人性，而是不变的神性取了（take upon）一个人性。这就是说，在道成肉身中神性获得了（assumption）一个人性，而不是神性转变成人性（mutation）。（译者注：也就是说基督的人性绝不是自有永有的，因为这个属性只适用于神性。或者更直接地说，基督的人性是受造的，与我们的人性相同，只是没有罪；而基督的神性绝不是受造的，是自有永有的第二位格上帝。三位一体的第二位格神性取了一个非位格的人性。我们与基督的人性联合，敬拜三位一体的上帝。）

Finally, the Athanasian standards examined the incarnation of Jesus and affirmed that in the mystery of the incarnation the divine nature did not mutate or change into a human nature, but rather the immutable divine nature took upon itself a human nature. That is, in the incarnation there was an assumption by the divine nature of a human nature and not the mutation of the divine nature into a human nature.

亚他那修信经是罗马天主教四大权威信经之一，它用简洁的语言阐明了获得救恩所必须的相信的内容。虽然亚他那修信经在抗罗宗教会中没有那么大的名声，但是历代抗罗宗教会都坚信三位一体和道成肉身的正统教义。

The Athanasian Creed is considered one of the four authoritative creeds of the Roman Catholic Church, and again, it states in terse terms what is necessary to believe in order to be saved. Though the Athanasian Creed does not get as much publicity in Protestant churches, the orthodox doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation are affirmed by virtually every historic Protestant church.