基督徒乃是門徒Christians Are Disciples
作者: Burk Parsons 譯者: Maria Marta
世界各地有許多人聲稱自己是基督徒。 事實上，如果我們要問我們團體裏的人是否是基督徒，他們當中的許多人都會迅速用力地回答「是」。然而，如果我們同樣問這些人他們是否是耶穌基督的門徒，他們中的許多人可能不會快速回答，而那些誠實的人不得不承認他們實際上不是耶穌基督的門徒。
區別基督徒與門徒的二分法是有問題的。 盡管許多人不願意聽，許多牧師也未能傳講，但基督徒和耶穌基督的門徒是沒有區別的。 基督徒乃是門徒。門徒是一個信靠基督，並按著這種信靠生活，在耶穌基督的恩典和知識上長進的人（彼後三18）。耶穌基督的呼召清楚明確：「若有人要跟從我，就當捨己，背起他的十字架來跟從我」（太十六24）。如果我們真的信靠基督，我們就會跟從祂，如果我們不跟從祂，我們就不是信靠祂。 同樣，如果我們知道福音，我們就會力求行事為人與基督的福音相稱（腓一27）; 如果聖靈住在我們裏面，我們就會順著聖靈行事（加五25）; 如果我們與基督聯合，我們就會在基督裏結果子（約十五1-11）; 如果我們愛基督，我們就會遵守基督的命令（約十四15）; 如果我們因信，唯獨藉著信心得稱為義，我們的信心就不會孤單無伴，就會活出信心、悔改、善行的生活，這種生活是基督預先安排要我們過的（弗二8-10）; 雅二14-26）。
耶穌在大使命中呼召我們要去使萬民作祂的門徒。使人作門徒的呼召不僅包括傳福音，看見失喪的人被聖靈重生，並唯獨依靠恩典，唯獨藉著信心與基督聯合，而且還包括要努力確保這些與基督聯合的人在基督裏作門徒。 從許多方面說來，這是教會------包括我們這些當地教會和世界各地的宣教領域-------的不忠心之處。 我們（透過聖靈的工作）使許多人歸正，使許多人成為忙碌的教會工人，但我們卻沒有忠心於使人作門徒的偉大任務。 我們這些蒙上帝主權恩典成為門徒的人，蒙呼召要依靠上帝的恩典，透過上帝福音的大能，到我們的家、我們的教會、我們的社區、世界各地使人作門徒。願一切榮耀歸給上帝。
本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌2018年六月號 。
Christians
Are Disciples
by
Burk Parsons
Throughout
the world, there are many people who claim to be Christians. In fact, if we
were to ask people in our communities if they are Christians, many of them
would respond quickly with an emphatic yes. However, if we were to ask those
same people if they are disciples of Jesus Christ, many of them would likely
not be as quick to answer, and those who are honest would have to admit that
they are in truth not disciples of Jesus Christ.
This
dichotomy is problematic. Although many people don’t want to hear it, and while
many pastors fail to preach it, there is no distinction between a Christian and
a disciple of Jesus Christ. Christians are disciples. A disciple is someone who
trusts Christ and who lives his life according to that trust, following Christ
and growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18). His call is
clear: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their
cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). If we are genuinely trusting Christ, we
will follow Him, but if we’re not following Him, it means that we don’t trust
Him. Similarly, if we know the gospel, we will strive to walk in a way that is
worthy of the gospel (Phil 1:27); if the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we will
walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25); if we are united to Christ, we will bear fruit
in Christ (John 15:1–11); if we love Christ, we will obey Christ (John 14:15);
if we are justified by faith, and faith alone, our faith will not remain alone
but will result in a life of faith, repentance, and good works, which Christ
prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:8–10; James 2:14–26).
In
the Great Commission, Jesus calls us to make disciples of all nations. His call
to make disciples includes not only evangelism and seeing the lost born again
by the Holy Spirit and united to Christ by grace alone through faith alone, but
it also includes working to ensure that those who are united to Christ are
discipled in Christ. In many ways, this is where the church has not been
faithful, both in our local churches and on the mission field around the world.
We have made many converts, and we have made many busy church workers, but we
have not been as faithful in the great task of disciple-making. We who have
been made disciples by the sovereign grace of God are called to go and make
disciples in our homes, our churches, our communities, and the nations by the
grace of God through the power of the gospel of God and all for the glory of
God.