免受逼迫的两种必杀技2 Surefire Ways to AvoidPersecution
作者: Tim Challies 译者: Duncan Liang
基督徒知道，我们要料到会受苦和受逼迫。这推理很简单。如果神完全和无罪的儿子受逼迫，那么跟从祂的那些不完全和有罪的人也要受逼迫。我们要作入世而不属世的人。我们应当活在不信的人当中，但以一种非常不同的方式活着。我们这样做的时候，就绝不会离某种形式的逼迫太远。
Christians
know to expect suffering and persecution. The formula is simple: If the perfect
and sinless Son of God suffered persecution, so too will his imperfect and
sinful followers. We are to be people who live in the world, but not of the
world. We are to live among unbelieving people, but to live in a very different
way. When we do this we are never far from some kind of persecution.
但还是有一些办法，让我们可以确保自己不会受苦。
Still,
there are a couple of ways we can insure ourselves against suffering.
免受逼迫的第一种办法，就是活在这世界之外，把我们与这世界隔绝开来。如果我们这样做，我们就不会受苦。我们不会受苦，因为我们绝不会接触那些会逼迫我们的人。我们的隔绝要让他们根本想不起我们。但这要付出一种高昂代价。这也会让他们根本想不到我们的信仰和我们的救主。
The
first way to avoid persecution is to live outside the world, to seclude
ourselves away from it. If we do that, we will not suffer. We will not suffer
because we will never come into contact with people who would persecute us. Our
isolation will keep us far from their thoughts. But there is a high cost: It
will also keep our faith and our Savior far from their thoughts.
第二种办法：生活在这世界当中，仍像这世界一样。如果就像身边的人一样活着，我们就不会受苦，因为我们身上没有什么东西与众不同，没有什么东西值得受逼迫。与此同时，我们的属世要与我们宣称的任何关于我们信仰和我们救主的事情相矛盾。
There
is a second way: to live in the world but to remain like the world. If we live
just like the people around us, we will not suffer because there is nothing in
us that stands out, nothing worth persecuting. And all the while our
worldliness will contradict whatever we claim to be true about our faith and
our Savior.
我很喜欢斯托得的说法。他说：“第一群人离开世界，以此脱离逼迫；第二群人变得被世界同化，以此脱离逼迫。”事情就是这样简单。但神并没有呼召我们走这两种极端的任何一种。祂而是呼召我们作盐作光，让我们自己在众目睽睽之下扎根在这世上，就在这当中活出一种非常不一样的生活。一些人要看见，要听见，要被说服。更多的人要看见，要知罪，要逼迫。但作为基督徒，我们只需料到这一点即可。逼迫要临到忠心的人身上。
I
appreciate how John Stott frames this. He says, “The first group escapes
persecution by withdrawing from the world, the second group by becoming
assimilated to the world.” It is just that simple. But God does not call us to
either of those two extremes. Instead, he calls us to be salt and light, to
plant ourselves in the midst of a watching world and, right there, to live very
different lives. Some will see, and hear, and be persuaded. Many more will see,
be convicted, and persecute. But as Christians we simply need to expect it:
Persecution comes to those who are faithful.