圣礼The Sacraments
作者: John Samson 译者: 骆鸿铭
并且他（亚伯拉罕）受了割礼的记号，作他未受割礼的时候因信称义的印证（11节上）——罗马书4：9-12
[Abraham]
received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by
faith while he was still uncircumcised” (v. 11a). – Romans 4:9–12
上帝使用一些途径把恩典传递给祂的百姓。我们对圣礼的理解是牢牢地扎根在新约的教导上的，但是今天许多教会在布道大会所使用的“决志呼召”（the altar call）却没有圣经的根据。其实，这是教会历史上非常晚近的发展。
God
uses means to convey grace to His people. While our understanding of the
sacraments is firmly rooted in the teaching of the New Testament, the altar
call (as used in most Churches today) is not. It actually is a very recent
development in Church history.
罗马天主教教导，有七项圣礼（圣事）：
The
Roman Catholic Church teaches that there are seven sacraments:
Baptism
(Christening)
1.圣洗圣事（成为基督徒）Baptism
(Christening)
2.坚振礼 Confirmation
3.圣体圣事Holy Eucharist）
4.忏悔圣事Penance (Confession)
5. 病人傅油圣事
Anointing
of the Sick (known prior to the Second Vatican Council as Extreme Unction (or
more literally from Latin: Last Anointing), then seen as part of the “Last
Rites”)
6.圣秩圣事Holy Orders
7.婚姻圣事Matrimony (Marriage)
基督新教（抗议宗）教会教导，只有两种圣礼：洗礼和主的圣餐。
Protestant (Evangelical) Churches teach that
there are two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
许多基督新教/福音派教会因为对罗马天主教做出过度的反应，因而贬低了圣礼的重要性，但是这是违反圣经本身教导的。神清楚知道我们的软弱和需要，知道我们想确知我们在祂面前的地位。神应许我们在福音里是属祂的，也会透过洗礼和主的圣餐来确认所给予我们的恩惠。是的，神邀请相信的罪人来到祂面前——不是到布道大会的讲台前，而是到洗礼台前（洗礼的水在那里施下），和到圣餐桌之前（在这个台前，在挣扎中的罪人可以领受饼和酒，这提醒他们，神是乐意施恩惠的神，並坚固他们软弱的信心）。
In an over-reaction to Roman Catholicism, many
Protestant/Evangelical Churches downplay sacraments altogether. Yet to do so
violates Scripture itself. God is aware of our weakness and our need to be
reassured of our standing with Him. God promises that we are His in the Gospel,
and He confirms His favor toward us through baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Yes,
God invites believing sinners to come to Him — not to an altar — but to a baptistry
(where the water of baptism is applied) and to a communion table (where bread
and wine are given to struggling sinners to remind them of God’s favor and to
strengthen weak faith).
海德堡要理问答总结了圣经的教导，在问答66，把洗礼和主的圣餐这两个圣礼定义为“圣洁的有形标志和印记；是神所指定的，以至借着圣礼，祂可更完全地向我们宣布並印证福音的应许。”而什么是福音的应许呢？“即因基督一次在十字架上所完成的牺牲，神出于白白的恩典，使我们罪得赦免，承受永生”。
Summarizing
the teaching of Scripture, the Heidelberg Catechism (Question 65) defines the
two sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as: “holy signs and seals for
us to see. They were instituted by God so that by our use of them he might make
us understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and might put his seal on
that promise.” And what is the promise of the Gospel? “To forgive our sins and
give us eternal life by grace alone because of Christ’s one sacrifice finished
on the cross.”
圣礼是神无形的恩典，在福音当中向祂的百姓所作的应许，要让我们感触到的记号与印记。它们是要证实神所已经借着福音的宣讲，在选民的信心当中所领受的恩惠。正如决志呼召似乎是讲道之后必然的结果——神的话总是会要求我们作出行动，同样，福音的宣讲以及圣礼的施行也是紧密相连的。
Sacraments are tangible signs and seals of
God’s invisible grace promised to His people in the Gospel. They are given by
God to confirm that faith already given through the preaching of the Gospel.
Just as the altar call seemed to be the logical outcome of a sermon — the Word
often calls us to do something — so too the preaching of the Gospel and the
administration of the sacraments are intimately connected.
神在福音里所应许的（罪得赦免），在洗礼和圣餐中会得到证实。在宣讲神的话和施行圣礼当中，人可以得到福音的应许，也让人同时“看见”福音。
What
God promises to us in the Gospel (the forgiveness of sins) is confirmed in
baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Gospel is both promised and then made
visible when the Word is preached and when the sacraments are administered.
然而，决志呼召和改革宗对圣礼的理解之间，有一个巨大的差别。在决志呼召中，条件是“如果你是真心的”，这就让罪人的主观成为关键的因素，来决定人来到台前是否真的能得到恩惠。但是在两种圣礼中，所强调的是神主权的誓言：“我要作你们的神，你们要作我的百姓”，这个誓言无异于上帝对正在挣扎的罪人说：“我是说真的！”
Yet,
there is one huge difference between the altar call and the Reformed
understanding of the sacraments. In the altar call the qualification was “if
you truly meant it,” which made the subjective state of the sinner the critical
factor in whether or not one actually benefited from going forward. In both
sacraments, however, the emphasis falls squarely upon God’s sovereign oath: “I
will be your God and you will be my people,” an oath that can be paraphrased as
God stating to struggling sinners, “I really mean it!”
在洗礼和圣餐的圣礼当中，所强调的是神在耶稣基督里，为罪人所已经成就的，而不是在罪人信心的能力。
In the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s
Supper, the emphasis falls squarely upon what God has done for sinners in the
person of His Son, Jesus Christ, and not upon the strength of a sinner’s faith.
割礼是一个记号——一个有形的作为，指向一个超越本身的无形的实相。这个无形的实相是：神借着亚伯拉罕的信心，把亚伯拉罕从世界中割裂开来，分别为圣归给神（创15：6，7）。这是个有形的提醒，提醒上帝的应许，要为祂自己从堕落的世界中，分别出一群百姓。罗马书第四章也同样启示，割礼是一个印记（seal）。在古代世界里，印记是标注出所有权——根据一件物品上的印记，就可以知道这个物品的主人是谁。如此，割礼就是标示出上帝的所有权，是可见的证明，所有带着这个标记的，就真的是属于主的，也会继承祂所有的应许——如果他们真的信靠祂。
Circumcision
was a sign — a visible act that pointed beyond itself to an invisible reality.
This invisible reality was the fact that Abraham was cut out from the world and
set apart unto God through faith alone (Gen. 15:6; 17). It was a visible
reminder of the Lord’s promise to cut out of this fallen world a people for
Himself. Circumcision, Romans 4 also reveals, was a seal. In the ancient world,
a seal marked off ownership — people knew to whom an object belonged based on
the seal affixed to it. Thus, circumcision was the mark of God’s ownership,
tangible proof that those who bore the mark actually belonged to the Lord and
would inherit all His promises if they had faith in Him.
和割礼一样，新约的圣礼也是有形、可感知的方法，提醒我们神的应许，在我们身上作出标记，作祂的百姓。洗礼和圣餐本身没有能力让我们成为神的儿女。也就是说，如果我们没有信心，光是执行这些仪式，并不会让我们受益。只有当我们相信福音，我们才能得到在它们里面的恩典。事实上，如果我们不相信却领受圣礼，会为自己招来咒诅（林前11：27-30）。
“[As
with circumcision, the new covenant sacraments are also visible and tangible
ways in which we are reminded of God’s promises and marked off as His people.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper have no inherent power to make us the children of
God. That is, the performance of these rites themselves does not benefit us if
we have no faith. We can access the grace available in them only if we believe
the gospel. In fact, if we receive the sacraments without faith, we call down
curses upon ourselves (1 Cor. 11:27–30).
约翰加尔文在他著名的《基督教要义》中写到，圣礼是“外在的记号（sign），借着圣礼，主把祂对我们的良善旨意的应许，印在我们的良心上，以支持我们软弱的信心；而我们则在神、众天使和人的面前，证明我们对祂所存的敬虔之心。”（4.14.1）使用这些我们能口尝、眼见、触摸的元素，圣礼帮助我们这些有实体的造物明白属灵的实相。反过来说，当我们参与圣礼，我们是在一个观察我们的世界中，在上帝的应许中证明我们的信心。
John
Calvin writes in his famous Institutes that a sacrament “is an external sign,
by which the Lord seals on our consciences his promises of good-will toward us,
in order to sustain the weakness of our faith, and we in turn testify our piety
towards him, both before himself and before angels as well as men” (4.14.1).
Using elements that we can taste, see, and touch, the sacraments help us, as
embodied creatures, to understand spiritual realities. In turn, when we
participate in the sacraments, we testify to our faith in God’s promises before
a watching world.
圣经如何把教会的圣礼和其他的仪式分别开来的，例如阅读圣经或祷告这些不具有圣礼意义的行动？构成圣礼的要素是什么？有四项（根据Boice的说法）：
In
what way do the Scriptures represent the sacraments of the church as being
different from other practices, such as the reading of Scripture or prayers,
which are not sacramental? What constitutes a sacrament? There are four
elements (Boice):
1. 圣礼是基督自己所设立的神圣礼仪
2. 圣礼的礼仪是物质的元素被用来作为神的祝福的有形的记号。
3. 圣礼是恩典的管道，要赐给正确参与这些圣礼的人
4. 圣礼是印记、证书或确认，向我们证明它们所代表的恩典。圣礼是神在我们身上打上印记，证明我们是祂的儿女，我们与祂相交。
对圣礼的一些注解和反思：
1.
The sacraments are divine ordinances instituted by Christ himself.
2.
The sacraments are ordinances in which material elements are used as visible
signs of God’s blessing.
3.
The sacraments are means of grace to the one who rightly partakes of them.
4. The
sacraments are seals, certifications or confirmations to us of the grace they
signify. The sacraments are God’s seal on the attestation that we are his
children and are in fellowship with him.
16世纪想要改革罗马天主教会的人（即我们今天所称的基督新教的宗教改革Protestant Reformation）所抗议的，突出了两件中心的议题：首要的议题（形式上的议题the formal issue）是唯有神所呼出的，即圣经，是神的百姓无误的信仰准则（即所谓的“唯独圣经”）；第二个议题是内容的议题（the material issue）是，在神面前，称义（神宣告，人在神面前有正确的地位）唯独靠信心（即“唯独信心”）。
The
protests of those wishing to bring reform to the Roman Catholic Church in the
16th Century (in what we now call the Protestant Reformation) highlighted two
central issues: firstly (the formal issue), that which is God breathed, namely
holy Scripture alone, is the sole infallible rule of faith for the people of
God (Sola Scriptura); secondly, (the material issue), that justification before
God (to be declared in right standing with God by God) is by faith alone (sola
fide).
比较两种看法：
The
Two Views Contrasted:
罗马天主教的看法：神的话是教会给我们的，教会有权柄来知会/教导我们关于圣经所教导的。
Roman
Catholic View: The Church gives us the word of God and she is the authority to
inform/instruct us as to what it teaches
基督新教的看法：神的话创造了教会，教会领受神的话，并伏在神的话以下。
Protestant
View: The word of God creates the Church and the Church receives and submits
herself to it.
耶稣基督曾说：“论到死人复活，神在经上向你们所说的，你们没有念过吗？”(太22：31)
“…have
you not read what was spoken to you by God…” – Jesus Christ (Matt. 22:31)
“在教会的王国中，神的话是君王” ——马丁路德作品全集，第41册，p. 134
“In
the empire of the church, the ruler is God’s Word.” – Martin Luther – Works,
Vol. 41, p. 134.
“我已经学会，只把无误的荣耀归给被接受为正典的书卷。我深深地相信，这些作者都没有犯错。所有其他的作者，无论他们在圣洁或教义上如何出名，我只会这样来阅读：我评估他们所说的，不是根据他们自己相信一件事是真的，而是根据他们能本着正典书卷的权威或靠明白的理由来说服我。”——马丁路德
“I
have learned to ascribe the honor of infallibility only to those books that are
accepted as canonical. I am profoundly convinced that none of these writers has
erred. All other writers, however they may have distinguished themselves in
holiness or in doctrine, I read in this way. I evaluate what they say, not on
the basis that they themselves believe that a thing is true, but only insofar
as they are able to convince me by the authority of the canonical books or by
clear reason.” – Martin Luther
“既然教会是基督的国度，且祂唯独靠着祂的话来统治，对任何人来说，这难道还不够清楚吗，就是以为「基督的国度能离开祂的权杖（即祂至为圣洁的话语）而存在」这样的话，不是明显的谎言吗？”——约翰·加尔文，基督教要义（4.2.4）
“Since
the church is Christ’s Kingdom, and he reigns by his Word alone, will it not be
clear to any man that those are lying words by which the Kingdom of Christ is
imagined to exist apart from his scepter (that is, his most holy Word)?” – John
Calvin, Institutes
因此，我们必须根据神的话来讨论圣礼：圣礼（可见的道）是圣道的印记和证明（seals and
confirmations）。
On
the basis of the word of God then we discuss the sacraments which are seals and
confirmations of the Word (visible Word).
如此看来，这福是单加给那受割礼的人吗？不也是加给那未受割礼的人吗？因我们所说，亚伯拉罕的信，就算为他的义，是怎么算的呢？是在他受割礼的时候呢？是在他未受割礼的时候呢？不是在受割礼的时候，乃是在未受割礼的时候。并且他受了割礼的记号，作他未受割礼的时候因信称义的印证，叫他作一切未受割礼而信之人的父，使他们也算为义；（罗4：9-11）
Rom
4:9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the
uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been
circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received
the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith
while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all
who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted
to them as well…
该隐和亚伯——一个人的献祭得到悦纳，另一个则否（创4）——表明上帝的赞许和否定（透过视觉还是听觉，我们不知道；但这表明了上帝对所献的每一种祭会分开对待。）
Cain
and Abel – one sacrifice accepted, the other not (Gen 4) – something indicated
God’s approval and disapproval, whether it was visual or audible, we do not
know, but something attested to God’s attitude toward each of the offerings.
彩虹：一个可见的记号，让我们知道上帝应许不会用洪水来毁灭全地
会幕，云柱（日间），火柱（夜间）：上帝同在的记号
Rainbow
– a visible sign and reminder of God’s promise not to destroy the earth by a
flood Tabernacle – Pillar of Cloud (by
day) and Fire (by night) – sign of God’s presence
这些虽然不是旧约的圣礼，但确实是给神的百姓的有形见证。
These
were NOT sacraments as such but were certainly a visible testimony for the
people of God.
新约并没有对焦在记号本身的转变，而是神的位格（persons）在透过记号后的变化——焦点不是基督到底如何在圣礼中与人同在，而是在祂的确是在祂作为祂百姓的救主这个职分中，与百姓同在。
New
Testament not so much focused on what happens TO THE SIGNS but in what happens
BETWEEN THE PERSONS through them – New Testament not so much focused on what
happens TO THE SIGNS but in what happens BETWEEN THE PERSONS through them – NOT
in how exactly Christ is present in the sacraments but THAT HE IS PRESENT in
His office as Savior of His people.
西敏小要理问答（88）说：圣礼是“基督为叫救赎的益处归于我们，所设立那明显而常用的蒙恩之法”之一。
Westminster
Shorter Catechism – “the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates
to us the benefits of redemption.”
霍顿（Michael Horton）说：每当神的话被宣讲，而作为记号和印记的圣礼被附加在神的话上的时候，我们就领受神给亚伯拉罕的问题“我怎能知道这必将实现呢？”同样的回答。因为神有时是以审判来表明祂的同在，我们需要这个确据，就是祂今天是以平安临到我们。
Michael
Horton – Each time the word is preached and the sacraments attached as signs
and seals, we receive our own answer to Abram’s query, “how can I know that
this will happen?” Since God’s presence sometimes comes in judgment, we need
assurance that He comes to us now in peace.”
主的圣餐：在古代的条约中，圣约的筵席同时是庆祝，也是批准所立的约。在创世记14：17-20，那神秘的人物麦基洗德，撒冷王和至高上帝的祭司，“带着饼和酒出来”，然后宣告给亚伯兰的祝福。
THE
LORD’S SUPPER – In ancient treaties, covenant meals both CELEBRATED and
RATIFIED the covenants being made. Gen 14:17-20 the mysterious figure of
Melchizadek, King of Salem and priest of God Most High, “brought out bread and
wine” and then pronounced blessing on Abram.
林前11：26 基督为罪一劳永逸地死了。在新约的治理中，主的圣餐代表过去的献祭有现在的参与。但这不是重新献祭（re-offering）或献祭的重现（re-presentation）。
1 Cor
11:26 – Christ died once and for all for sin. In this New Covenant
dispensation, the Lord’s Supper is a present participation of a past sacrifice.
It is NOT a re-offering or re-presentation of the sacrifice.
我们凭这旨意，靠耶稣基督，只一次献上他的身体，就得以成圣。凡祭司天天站着事奉神，屡次献上一样的祭物，这祭物永不能除罪。但基督献了一次永远的赎罪祭，就在神的右边坐下了。 从此，等候他仇敌成了他的脚凳。因为他一次献祭，便叫那得以成圣的人永远完全。（来10：10-14）
Hebrews
10: 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all.11 And every priest stands daily at his
service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away
sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his
enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he
has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
基督自己就是圣餐本身。当祂回来时，要以同伴的身份与我们一同享用羔羊的婚宴。
CHRIST
HIMSELF IS THE MEAL. When He returns He will join us as a fellow diner in the
Marriage supper of the Lamb.
“[使徒]在圣餐的饼和杯中所领受的是‘新约’所献的食物和饮料，是新约圣经中所献的血[即基督在十字架上所献的祭]的果实。……主的圣餐把整个福音的讲道聚焦在基督的献祭上，并以此设立了圣餐桌。”（Ridderbos，The Coming of the Kingdom, p.427）
“that
which is received in the bread and cup is the sacrificial food and drink of the
new covenant, the fruits of the New Testament sacrificial blood. In one supreme
concentration… the Lord’s Supper focuses the whole preaching of the gospel upon
Christ’s sacrifice and sets the table with it.” – Ridderbos
因此，我们是受邀来到圣餐桌，而不是来到祭坛。这不是重新的献祭，而是献祭的筵席；在此筵席中，我们领受基督的身体——那被钉在十字架上的身体，以及代替我们所流出的血。基督在这个筵席中不是客人（我们与祂一同吃喝），而是那位把自己给我们作为筵席的至高者。
Therefore
we are invited to a table, not an altar. It is not a sacrifice to be re-offered
– it is a sacrificial meal, receiving Christ’s body that was crucified and His
blood that was shed on our behalf. Christ is not a fellow guest at this meal
(with whom we eat and drink) but rather the One who gives Himself as the meal.
圣餐垂直地使我们与基督绑在一起，水平地与我们在基督里的弟兄和姐妹绑在一起。
我们所祝福的杯，岂不是同领基督的血吗？我们所擘开的饼，岂不是同领基督的身体吗？我们虽多，仍是一个饼，一个身体，因为我们都是分受这一个饼。（林前10：16-17）
Binds
us vertically to Christ – horizontally to our brothers and sisters in Christ. 1
Cor 10: 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the
blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body
of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we
all partake of the one bread.
为你们舍的......为你们流出来的
又拿起饼来，祝谢了，就擘开，递给他们，说：「这是我的身体，为你们舍的，你们也应当如此行，为的是记念我。」 饭后也照样拿起杯来，说：「这杯是用我血所立的新约，是为你们流出来的。（路22：19-20）
GIVEN
FOR YOU.. POURED OUT FOR YOU – Luke 22:19, 20