避免虛假的苦難神學Avoiding a False Theology ofSuffering
[每日靈修] 12/6/2018, 誠之駱鴻銘編譯
馬丁路德在修道院的期間是靈性絕望的時期。他被持續不斷的罪咎感和對上帝忿怒的恐懼感所折磨。為什麼一個飽讀詩書的人會退回到一個空空如也的牢房，並以自身的體罰來虐待自己呢？為什麼信徒會不遺餘力地尋找個人性的苦難呢？
答案可以部分地，儘管不是完全地，在教會歷史中出現的觀念中找到，這種觀念是將受苦等同於功德。僧侶逃到沙漠去尋求嚴格形式的禁慾主義和克己，不僅是作為屬靈操練的一種形式，以保持對上帝恩典的健康依賴，更是為了追求成聖的功德。
歌羅西書一章24節經常被引用作為這種活動的經文證明。保羅寫道：「現在我為你們受苦，倒覺歡樂；並且為基督的身體，就是為教會，要在我肉身上補滿基督患難的缺欠。」這節經文的關鍵詞是「在我肉身上補滿基督患難的缺欠」。
有一種虛假的苦難神學是建立在這樣一種假設之上的，即耶穌那滿有功勞的苦難雖然對於救贖上帝的子民是必要的，卻是不完整的——聖徒的苦難可以添加額外的功德。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
反思這個真理：基督的苦難不能因你的功勞而增強。它是完整的。
進一步研讀：
西一24 現在我為你們受苦，倒覺歡樂；並且為基督的身體，就是為教會，要在我肉身上補滿基督患難的缺欠。
彼前二21 你們蒙召原是為此；因基督也為你們受過苦，給你們留下榜樣，叫你們跟隨祂的腳蹤行。
彼前三18 因基督也曾一次為罪受苦（有古卷：受死），就是義的代替不義的，為要引我們到神面前。按著肉體說，祂被治死；按著靈性說，祂復活了。
Avoiding
a False Theology of Suffering
Martin
Luther’s tenure in the monastery was a time of spiritual desperation. He was
tormented by unrelieved guilt coupled with a gripping fear of the wrath of God.
Why would an educated man retreat to a barren cell and abuse himself with
self-inflicted physical punishment? Why would a believer go out of his way to
find personal suffering?
The
answer may be found partially, though not totally, in a concept that emerged in
church history that equated suffering with merit. Monks fled to the desert to
seek rigorous forms of asceticism and self-denial, not only as a form of
spiritual discipline to maintain a healthy dependence on the grace of God, but
also in quest of sanctifying merit.
A
biblical text that was often cited as scriptural warrant for such activity is
Colossians 1:24. Paul writes, “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill
up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of
His body, which is the church.” The key words of this verse are “fill up … what
is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.”
A
false theology of suffering emerged that was built on the hypothesis that the
meritorious suffering of Jesus, though necessary for the redemption of God’s
people, is not complete—there is additional merit that can be added to it by
the suffering of the saints.
Coram
Deo
Reflect
on this truth: The suffering of Christ cannot be augmented by your merit. It is
complete.
Passages
for Further Study
Colossians
1:24
1
Peter 2:21
1
Peter 3:18