救赎的蓝图（救赎之约）TheBlueprint of Redemption
作者: R. C. Sproul 譯者: 駱鴻銘
这篇文章中， R. C. Sproul 谈到所谓的“救赎之约”（圣父和圣子在创造世界以先所立的圣约）：
“救赎之约”和神永恒的计划有非常紧密的关联。它之所以被称为“约”，是因为它牵涉到两个或两个以上的团体。这不是神与人类所立的约，而是三一神之间的圣约，特别是圣父和圣子之间的约。神不是在创造或在道成肉身时，才成为三一神的。祂的三一神性和祂的本体同样都是永恒的。从永恒以来，祂在本质上是一位，而在位格上是三位。
The
covenant of redemption is intimately concerned with God’s eternal plan. It is
called a “covenant” inasmuch as the plan involves two or more parties. This is
not a covenant between God and humans. It is a covenant among the persons of
the Godhead, specifically between the Father and the Son. God did not become
triune at creation or at the Incarnation. His triunity is as eternal as His
being. He is one in essence and three in person from all eternity.
“救赎之约”（covenant of redemption）是三一神论必然的推论。这个词和“三位一体”（Trinity）一样，圣经中并没有明确地提到。“三位一体”这个字并没有出现在圣经当中，但是“三位一体”这个观念却是整本圣经所肯定的。同样，“救赎之约”这个词也没有明确地出现在圣经中，但整本圣经都在宣告这个观念。
The
covenant of redemption is a corollary to the doctrine of the Trinity. Like the
word trinity, the Bible nowhere explicitly mentions it. The word trinity does
not appear in the Bible, but the concept of the Trinity is affirmed throughout
Scripture. Likewise, the phrase “covenant of redemption” does not occur
explicitly in Scripture but the concept is heralded throughout.
耶稣信息的中心是宣告祂是父神所差来这个世界的。神不是在耶稣受洗时或在马槽中，把这个使命赐给祂的。祂在道成肉身之前，就领受了这个使命。
Central
to the message of Jesus is the declaration that He was sent into the world by
the Father. His mission was not given to Him at His baptism or in the manger.
He had it before His incarnation.
我们在腓利比书第二章中可以略窥到这点：
Php
2:5-11 你们当以基督耶稣的心为心： 6 他本有神的形像，不以自己与神同等为强夺的； 7 反倒虚己，取了奴仆的形像，成为人的样式； 8 既有人的样子，就自己卑微，存心顺服，以至于死，且死在十字架上。 9 所以，神将他升为至高，又赐给他那超乎万名之上的名， 10 叫一切在天上的、地上的，和地底下的，因耶稣的名无不屈膝， 11 无不口称「耶稣基督为主」，使荣耀归与父神。
In
the great “Kenotic Hymn” of Philippians 2, we get a glimpse of this: “Let this
mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God,
did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no
reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of
men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also
has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on
earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vv. 5–11 NKJV).
这段经文启示出许多事情。它说到圣子在圣父的吩咐下，自愿地承担救赎的使命。耶稣的一生见证祂来是要遵行父神的旨意。在祂少年时期，在圣殿中，祂提醒祂地上的父亲，祂必须顾念天父的事。祂为父神的殿感到心焦如焚。祂一再宣称，祂不是以自己的权柄说话，而是以那位差祂来者的权柄说话。
This
passage reveals many things. It speaks of the willingness of the Son to
undertake a mission of redemption at the behest of the Father. That Jesus was
about doing the will of the Father is testified throughout His life. As a young
boy in the temple He reminded His earthly parents that He must be about His
Father’s business. His meat and drink was to do the will of His Father. It was
zeal for His Father’s house that consumed Him. Repeatedly He declared that He
spoke not on His own authority but on the authority of the One who sent Him.
耶稣是首要的宣教士。宣教士的意思就是“被差派的”。永恒的圣言不是自己决定要来到此地，拯救这个星球，祂是被差来的。在拯救的计划里，圣子是来执行圣父的命令。
Jesus
is the primary missionary. As the word suggests, a missionary is one who is
“sent.” The eternal Word did not decide on His own to come to this planet for
its redemption. He was sent here. In the plan of salvation the Son comes to do
the Father’s bidding.
救赎之约的重点是圣子是自愿而来的。祂不是受圣父的胁迫，交出祂的荣耀，来受羞辱。不，祂是自愿“虚己”（让自己籍籍无名）。父神并没有剥夺圣子永恒的荣耀，而是圣子同意要暂时把这个荣耀搁置一旁，好完成我们的救恩。
The
point of the covenant of redemption is that the Son comes willingly. He is not
coerced by the Father to relinquish His glory and be subjected to humiliation.
Rather, He willingly “made Himself of no reputation.” The Father did not strip
the Son of His eternal glory but the Son agreed to lay it aside temporarily for
the sake of our salvation.
注意耶稣所说的话，祂在祂事工的末了向父神的祷告中说：“父啊，时候到了，愿你荣耀你的儿子，使儿子也荣耀你；……父啊，现在求你使我同你享荣耀，就是未有世界以先，我同你所有的荣耀。”（约翰福音17：1-5）。救赎之约是一个牵涉到责任和奖赏的交易。圣子与圣父订立一个神圣的协议。祂让自己承担这个圣约协议的责任。父神也同样担起责任，就是要因圣子完成救赎工作而赐给祂奖赏。
Listen
to Jesus as He prays to the Father at the end of His ministry: “Father, the
hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You… And now, O
Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You
before the world was” (John 17:1–5 NKJV). The covenant of redemption was a
transaction that involved both obligation and reward. The Son entered into a
sacred agreement with the Father. He submitted Himself to the obligations of
that covenantal agreement. An obligation was likewise assumed by the Father —
to give His Son a reward for doing the work of redemption.
在他所著的系统神学中，贺治（Charles Hodge）列出父神对圣子，在永恒的救赎之约中的八项应许：(1) 父神会为祂的儿子建造一个炼净的教会；(2) 圣子会领受无限量的圣灵；(3) 祂会永远与圣子同在，支持祂；(4) 祂会拯救祂脱离死亡，并高举圣子，坐在祂的右边；(5) 祂会差派圣灵到祂所乐意的人身上；(6) 所有父神赐给圣子的人都会来到父神面前，没有一个会失落；(7)
有许多人会分享祂的救赎和祂的弥赛亚国度；(8) 祂会明白祂灵魂的煎熬并感到满足。
In
his systematic theology, Charles Hodge lists eight promises the Father gave to
the Son in this pact made in eternity. Briefly they are: that God would form a
purified Church for His Son; that the Son would receive the Spirit without
measure; that He would be ever-present to support Him; that He would deliver Him
from death and exalt Him to His right hand; that He would have the Holy Spirit
to send to whom He willed; that all the Father gave to Him would come to Him
and none of these be lost; that multitudes would partake of His redemption and
His messianic kingdom; that He would see the travail of His soul and be
satisfied.
因为神尊崇永恒的救赎之约，基督才能承继父神的应许。因为这个圣约从来没有遭到破坏，我们也能收割其好处——作为神的嗣子，和基督一同领受丰富的产业。
Because
God honored the eternal covenant of redemption, Christ became the heir of His
Father’s promises. Because this covenant was never violated, we reap its
benefits as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.