定義我們的關係Defining Our Relationship
[每日靈修] 9/20/2018,
駱鴻銘編譯
基督教的核心是信徒與基督的「奧秘聯合」。新約不僅要求我們相信基督存在，更要信靠基督。信心將我們直接連於基督。我們在祂裏面，而祂在我們裏面。這種奧秘聯合繼續存在於基督和教會之間。教會是祂的新娘，是祂買贖的，與基督進入到一個真正的、深刻的、強大的聯合。
我們通常認為教會作為基督新婦的寫照，是從人類婚姻制度中借用過來的隱喻。在這種情況下，地上就是天上的模型。這或許就是聖經的意圖，我不確定，但也很有可能是反過來。有可能地上的婚姻產業，是奠基在基督與祂的新婦奧秘聯合的天上模式之上的。婚姻是天上現實的反映，而不是天上形象的基礎。
在三位一體本身的性質中，位格的完美統一在永恆中就已經存在了。雖然父、子、聖靈不是「一個身體」（one flesh），但祂們卻是在一種完美永恆的和諧之中。在神性中，沒有分裂的可能。這是一個無法、也不會被打破的聯合。定義我們人際關係的，正是這種關係的永恆模式。我們與上帝同享的，不僅僅是存在的類比（analogy of being），更是關係的類比（analogy of relationship）。這種關係可以在婚姻的奧秘中找到。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
請用婚姻關係所闡明的奧秘聯合，來反思基督與教會的奧秘聯合。
進一步研讀：
弗五31～32 為這個緣故，人要離開父母，與妻子連合，二人成為一體。這是極大的奧秘，但我是指著基督和教會說的。
弗二10 我們原是他的工作，在基督耶穌裡造成的，為要叫我們行善，就是神所預備叫我們行的。
Defining Our Relationship
At the heart of Christianity is the doctrine of the
mystical union of the believer with Christ. The New Testament does not only
call us to believe in Christ, but to believe into Christ. Faith links us
directly into Christ. We become in Him and He in us. This mysterious union is
carried over into the relationship between Christ and the church. The church is
His bride, whom He has brought into a real, profound, and powerful union.
We normally assume that the image of the church as
the bride of Christ is a metaphor borrowed from the institution of human
marriage. In this case, the earthly serves as the model for the heavenly.
Perhaps that is the intent of Scripture. I am not sure. It may well be the
other way around. It may be that the earthly estate of marriage is based on the
heavenly model of the mystical union of Christ and His bride. Marriage is the
reflection of the heavenly reality, not the basis for a heavenly image.
The perfect unity of persons existed in eternity in
the nature of the Trinity itself. Though the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are
not “one flesh,” they are one being in perfect eternal harmony. In the Godhead,
there is no possibility of divorce. It is a union that cannot and will not be
broken. It is the eternal pattern of relationship that defines our human
relationship. We share with God not only an analogy of being, but also an
analogy of relationship. It is found in the mystery of marriage.
Coram Deo
Reflect on the mysterious union of Christ and the
church as illustrated by the marriage relationship.
Passages for Further Study
Ephesians 5:31–32
Ephesians 2:19