改革宗信仰基础08：行为之约Basics of the Reformed Faith:The Covenant of Works
作者: Kim Riddlebarger 译者/校对译: 蔡璐/王一
在《何西阿书》六章7节中，先知将主的话记载如下：“他们（以色列和犹大）却如亚当背约，在境内向我行事诡诈。” 根据这宣告，我们可以很清楚地看到，亚当在伊甸园与他的创造主有约的关系，而且亚当因为自己不顺服的行为确实违背了约中的条款。我们可以从先知的这段宣告里看到改革宗神学的两大的要点。第一个要点是，亚当是在与上帝的约的关系中被造（这个约不是上帝在创造亚当之后武断地强加在他身上）。第二个要点是，亚当的背约行为不仅给自己，也给整个人类带来可怕的后果，因为他代表全人类，人类是从他的血脉繁衍下来的。
行为之约的定义与特征是一个长期的争论的话题。但不论是亚当犯罪堕落之前还是之后，行为之约（也称“创造之约”）都是救赎历史平衡的核心。确实，认识到这个约在人类历史的最初期就存在很重要。这巩固了行为之约不是上帝创造亚当以后才加给人类的这一事实。亚当被造成为上帝形象的承载者，因此亚当是在与上帝的约的关系中被造的，因为有道德性和理性的受造物按其本性而言理当遵从他们的创造主。这个约的要求就是在思想、言语和行为上的完美顺服，如果亚当违背此约的要求的话，那么亚当和所有他所代表的（整个人类）将遭受约的咒诅，就是死亡。
这个约从创造伊始便存在。这意味着，如果亚当和他的后代要从他们集体反抗上帝的后果中被拯救出来，那么任何从咒诅中得的拯救都需要上帝救赎性的恩典和救赎性的行为来挪走咒诅，并使亚当堕落的族类在主面前称义。换句话说，在人类集体犯罪堕落的背景之下，当亚当反抗抵挡他的创造主、违背行为之约的条款时产生咒诅（就是死亡）的背景下，才使得恩典之约（从这里耶稣基督成为约的中保，提前2:5）讲得通。
虽然“行为之约”这个名称没有在创造记载中出现，这个约所有的元素都清晰存在于伊甸园中。第一，有双方参与（亚当和他的创造主），上帝出于自己的主权将这个约的条款加于亚当和他的后代身上。第二，上帝设立了一个条件，记在《创世记》第二章17节中：“只是分别善恶树上的果子，你不可吃，因为你吃的日子必定死。” 尽管这一条款是出现是以禁令的形式出现（如果你吃这树上的果子，你必定死），这也可以被解释为一个正面的神学原则描述约的基本核心：“如此行（遵从命令不去吃），就因此活着。” 第三，祝福是建立在完美的顺服之上（永生），同时若有任何不顺服的行为就会来咒诅（死亡）。如果亚当顺服他的造物主，没有吃树上的果子，那么他就会承受上帝应许的祝福——永生。但是如果亚当吃了这树上的果子，那么他就会受到约的咒诅——死亡。
所有这三个要点都出现在创造记载中，并且藉着《何西阿书》六章7节的宣告，我们可以得出结论认为存在这样一个约，并且此约是建立在祝福-咒诅的原则上的。当我们更细致地看着三个要点，我们看到，不仅约的要素都在伊甸园中清晰地存在，而且我们也注意到随后的救赎历史也是在祝福-咒诅这一原则之上运作：永生是应许给亚当和他的后代，条件是在他们所有的思想、行为和言语中完美地顺服上帝的命令。亚当只要完美顺服约的条款，上帝就会赐给他永生。亚当不会只像他以前那样活着，而是将会被判定为义的，并承受永生。
但是自从亚当犯罪、承受约的咒诅时，亚当以及他后代都是不可能再产生对上帝完美、完全的顺服。诚然，这需要第二位亚当，也就是耶稣基督，在恩典之约的条款之下，替代那些他代表的人呈上这完美的、个人的顺服。而且，这位救赎主不但必须要完美顺服上帝所有的律令，也必须涂抹我们在亚当中被归算的罪责以及因我们自己犯罪而来的罪责。第二位亚当不仅必须为我们，即在我们的位置上完美地顺服，他也必须走上十字架，为我们的罪替我们受苦死去，除掉临到我们所有亚当子孙的咒诅。
我们都在亚当里犯罪，违背行为之约。耶稣的工作和死亡（这是福音的好消息）只有在这个坏消息的背景之下才能被正确理解，但是我们在基督耶稣里被赐予永远的生命（参考：罗 5:12-19）。
Basics of the Reformed Faith:
The Covenant of Works
By Kim
Riddlebarger
In
Hosea 6:7, the prophet records the word of the Lord as follows: “But like Adam
they [Israel and Judah] transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly
with me.” Based upon this declaration it is clear that Adam stood in a covenant
relationship to his creator while in Eden, and that Adam had indeed violated
the terms of that covenant through a personal act of disobedience. In this
declaration from the prophet, we find two very important elements of Christian
theology as understood by Reformed Christians. The first element is that Adam
was created in covenant relationship with God (this covenant was not
arbitrarily imposed upon Adam after God created him). Second, Adam’s violation
of this covenant brought down horrible consequences upon himself, as well upon
the entirety of the human race whom he represents and which has biologically
descended from him.
The
identity and character of this covenant is a matter of long-standing debate.
But the covenant of works (or, as it is also known, the “covenant of creation”)
lies at the heart of the balance of redemptive history both before and after
Adam’s fall into sin. Indeed, it is important to acknowledge the presence of
this covenant from the very beginning of human history for a number of reasons.
This undergirds the fact that the covenant of works was not imposed upon
humanity after God created Adam. Rather, by creating Adam as a divine
image-bearer, Adam was created in a covenant relationship with God because
moral and rational creatures are by their very nature obligated to obey their
creator. If Adam should disobey the demands of this covenant–-perfect obedience
in thought, word, and deed–-then Adam and all those whom he represents (the
entire human race) are subject to the covenant curse, which is death.
The presence
of this covenant from the beginning of creation means that if Adam and his
descendants are to be delivered from the consequences of their collective
rebellion against God, then any deliverance from the curse will require God’s
saving grace and saving deeds to remove the curse and render Adam’s fallen race
righteous before the Lord, just as Adam was righteous prior to his fall into
sin. In other words, the covenant of grace (of which Jesus Christ serves as
covenant mediator – 1 Timothy 2:5) only makes sense against the backdrop of
humanity’s collective fall into sin and the resulting curse (death) when Adam
rebelled against his creator and broke the terms of the covenant of works.
Although
the term “covenant of works” does not appear in the creation account, all of
the elements of such a covenant are clearly present in Eden. First, there are
two parties involved (Adam and his creator), with God sovereignly imposing the
terms of this covenant upon Adam and his descendants. Second, there is a
condition set forth by God as spelled out in Genesis 2:17–“but of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat
of it you shall surely die.” Although this condition comes in the form of a
specific prohibition (if you eat from the tree you will die), it can also be
framed as a positive theological principle which describes the very essence of
this covenant: “Do this [i.e., obey by not eating] and live.” Third, there is a
blessing promised upon perfect obedience (eternal life) as well as a threatened
curse (death) for any act of disobedience. If Adam obeys his creator and does
not eat from the tree, then he will receive God’s promised blessing–eternal
life. But should Adam eat from the tree, then he will come under the covenant
curse–which is death.
All
three of these elements are present in the creation account, and in light of
the declaration in Hosea 6:7, there can be little question that such a covenant
exists and that it is founded upon a blessing/curse principle. When we look at
these three elements in a bit more detail, we see that not only are the
elements of a covenant clearly present in Eden, but we also take note that all
of subsequent redemptive history will operate on the blessing/curse principle
in which eternal life is promised to Adam and his descendants upon the
condition of perfect obedience to the commands of God in all their thinking,
doing, and speech. Should Adam perfectly obey the terms of the covenant, God
will reward him with eternal life. Adam would not just live on as he had been,
but Adam will be confirmed in righteousness and given eternal life.
But
once Adam sinned and came under the covenant curse, such perfect and complete
obedience was impossible for Adam or any of his descendants to render unto the
Lord. Indeed, it will take a second Adam, Jesus Christ, to render such perfect
and personal obedience on behalf of those who he presents under the terms of
the covenant of grace. And this Savior must not only perfectly obey all the
commandments of God, he must provide some means through which the guilt of our
sin in Adam, as well as the guilt which attaches to us because of our own sins,
can be removed. Not only must the second Adam be perfectly obedient for us and
in our place, he must also go to the cross where he will suffer and die for our
sins, removing from us the curse which comes upon all of us who are the
children of Adam.
And
the doing and dying of Jesus (the good news of the gospel) only makes sense
against the backdrop of the bad news–the broken covenant of works, in which we
all sinned in Adam, but we are given
eternal life through Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 5:12-19).
