聖經的教義：給我們的術語下定義TheDoctrine of Scripture: Defining Our Terms
作者: Kevin Gardner 翻譯: Maria Marta
聖經的教義是基督信仰的基礎。關於聖經, 比這句簡單口號「聖經說的,我相信,事情就穩定了」 還有更多的話要說。如果你不理解聖經是什麽，和它是怎麽形成的，那麽你永遠無法完全領悟它的意義。既然聖經的整體意義對我們的信仰和生活至關重要，為了學習上帝成文的話語, 以下我們對與聖經教義有關的幾個關鍵術語作簡要的定義。
權威性（Authority）：聖經擁有的權柄是從上帝而來的，因此我們「應信服」聖經的權威。（威斯敏斯特信條一4） 因為上帝是聖經的作者，聖經是「信仰、行為和我們對上帝的經歷等元素的根源和規範」。（《威斯敏斯特神學術語詞典》）
原稿（Autographs）：聖經書卷原本的文本是藉著人類作者之手編寫的。
正典（Canon）：列在聖經中的權威的默示書卷。耶穌死後的短時間之內，新約正典通過使徒的評估, 得到確認、接納并定為教導所使用的書卷，但最終正典是自明自證的，因為教會能從正典中認出基督的聲音。（約翰十27；威斯敏斯特信條 一5）
無誤性（Inerrancy）：確認聖經沒有任何虛假的立場；即是，聖經在歷史、科學以及信仰問題上的「所有教導都沒有虛偽或錯誤」（《芝加哥聖經無誤聲明》）。 聖經無誤性允許使用諸如比喻、誇張、約整數，和口語表達等文學手法。
無謬性（Infallibility）：聖經不能犯錯或出錯的立場，它「作為救恩和信仰生活的指引完全可信, 它不能不實現它的目的」（《威斯敏斯特詞典》）。正如基督教教會傳統上教導，這個教義建立在完美的, 不能說錯誤說話的神聖作者的基礎之上。
默示（Inspiration）：上帝通過聖經的人類作者來傳遞祂的啟示的過程。默示這個字源自希臘文中的theopneustos一字，意思是「上帝所呼出來的氣」（提後三16），並指出帝是聖經的終極源頭。]
有機默示（Organic inspiration）：上帝指引聖經的人類作者作寫的過程，上帝透過他們獨特的風格和生活經驗，促使他們準確地寫出祂想要他們寫的子句。文本是人類真正的作品------上帝沒有向他們特別口授, 如向速記員口授那樣, 然而上帝是聖經終極來源的後盾。
必要性（Necessity）：指的是人類需要上帝在聖經中賜下的特殊啟示，以獲得福音知識和救恩計劃，而特殊啟示是無法通過自然界和良心的普遍啟示得知的。
聖經的足明性：聖經的清晰性（Perspicuity: The clarity of
the Bible）；即是，凡是關於生命和得救所必須知道、相信的「總能在聖經中找到，而且解釋得非常清楚明白」, 任何人都能明白（威斯敏斯德信條一7）。
聖經（Scripture）：聖經這詞來自拉丁語scriptura，意思是「作品集」；指的是神聖的文本，更具體地說，聖經是上帝成文的話語。
特殊啟示（Special revelation）：除了在自然界和良心的自我啟示之外（普遍啟示；參見羅一19–21）, 上帝還以其它方式所賜下的啟示。這些啟示與基督和拯救計劃有關，只能在聖經裡找到。
充分性（Sufficiency）：關於救恩所需要並相信的事以及上帝所喜悅的事都能在聖經裡找到。
聖經的字句默示，聖經的全面默示（Verbal, plenary inspiration）：上帝對聖經寫作的監督延伸到逐字逐句, 而不只是主題或概念而已；即是「全部和其中每一部分，包括原稿的每一個字，都是神所默示的。」（《芝加哥聖經無誤宣言》）。
本文原刊于Tabletalk雜誌。
The
Doctrine of Scripture: Defining Our Terms
FROM
Kevin Gardner
The
doctrine of Scripture is foundational to the Christain faith. But there is more
to say about Scripture than simply, “The Bible says it. I believe it. That
settles it.” If you don’t grasp what the Bible is and how it came to be, you’ll
never fully grasp its meaning. Since the meaning of the Bible is vitally
important to our faith and life, we will here briefly define a few key terms
that relate to the doctrine of Scripture as the study of God’s Word written.
Authority:
The power the Bible possesses, having been issued from God, for which it “ought
to be believed and obeyed” (Westminster Confession 1:4). Because of its divine
author, the Bible is “the source and norm for such elements as belief, conduct,
and the experience of God” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms).
Autographs:
The original texts of the biblical books as they issued from the hands of the
human authors.
Canon:
The authoritative list of inspired biblical books. Within a short time after
Jesus’ death, the New Testament canon was affirmed by evaluating the
Apostolicity, reception, and teachings of books, but ultimately, the canon is
self-authenticating, as the voice of Christ is heard in it (John 10:27; WCF
1:5).
Inerrancy:
The position that the Bible affirms no falsehood of any sort; that is, “it is
without fault or error in all that it teaches,” in matters of history and
science as well as faith (Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy). Inerrancy
allows for literary devices, such as metaphors, hyperbole, round numbers, and
colloquial expressions.
Infallibility:
The position that the Bible cannot err or make mistakes, and that it “is
completely trustworthy as a guide to salvation and the life of faith and will
not fail to accomplish its purpose” (Westminster Dictionary). As the Christian
church has traditionally taught, this doctrine is based on the perfection of
the divine author, who cannot speak error.
Inspiration:
The process by which God worked through the human authors of the Bible to
communicate His revelation. The term derives from the Greek theopneustos,
meaning “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16), and refers to God as the ultimate source
of the Scriptures.
Organic
inspiration: The process by which God guided the human authors of Scripture,
working in and through their particular styles and life experiences, so that
what they produced was exactly what He wanted them to produce. The text is
truly the work of the human authors—God did not typically dictate to them as to
a stenographer—and yet the Lord stands behind it as the ultimate source.
Necessity:
Refers to mankind’s need for God’s special revelation in the Scriptures in
order to obtain knowledge of the gospel and the plan of salvation, which cannot
be learned through the general revelation of nature and conscience.
Perspicuity:
The clarity of the Bible; that is, that which is necessary to know and believe
regarding life and salvation is “so clearly propounded, and opened in some
place of Scripture or the other,” that anyone may understand them (WCF 1:7).
Scripture:
From the Latin scriptura, meaning “writings”; refers to sacred texts, but more
specifically, the Bible as the Word of God written.
Special
revelation: The things that God makes known about Himself apart from nature and
conscience (general revelation; cf. Rom. 1:19–21). These things, having to do
with Christ and the plan of salvation, are found only in the Bible.
Sufficiency:
All that is needed to know and believe regarding salvation and what pleases God
is found in the Bible.
Verbal,
plenary inspiration: The extending of God’s superintendence of the writing of
Scripture down to the very choice of words, not merely to overarching themes or
concepts; that is, “the whole of Scripture and all of its parts, down to the
very words of the original,” were inspired (Chicago Statement).
This
post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.
