改革宗信仰基础13：上帝的属性Basics of the Reformed Faith:God’s Attributes

作者: Kim Riddlebarger   译者: 牛泓

http://wscal.edu/blog/basics-of-the-reformed-faith-gods-attributes

http://www.reformedbeginner.net/basics13-attributes-of-god/

我们能从被造物中知道很多关于上帝的知识。我们知道上帝是永恒、全能和良善的（罗1:20）。然而，不论我们从自然中（一般启示）得到何种有关上帝的知识，都会受到这种启示（有限的被造物）的本质的限制。另外，这种启示也被人类的罪所污染了（罗1:21-25）。因此，罪人通过自然所了解的有关上帝的知识都是非常扭曲的。更具讽刺的是，这些知识都成了所有假宗教与偶像崇拜的基础，保罗在罗1:18-32就是谈论的这个主题。约翰•加尔文说罪人的心就是“偶像工厂”（基督教要义I.11.8）是完全正确的。

既然罪人的好奇心总是引导他去揣测上帝的本质，那么，提醒我们自己上帝在祂的话语（圣经）里以及在耶稣基督的位格和工作里，也藉着耶稣基督的位格和工作俯就我们，向我们启示祂自己就是非常重要的。在圣经里，我们会发现很多神圣的“属性”（或完全）被算在上帝身上。因此，与其猜测上帝隐藏的本质，我们应该敬拜和服侍这位通过祂的话语向我们启示祂自己的上帝。

长期以来，基督教神学家一直在努力解释一些神的属性如何唯独属于神，另外一些属性又如何因为我们是神的形象可以归给人性。前者我们通常称之为“不可传递的”属性，因为这些专有的属性不可由上帝传递给被造物，恰恰是因为我们是有限的。后者我们称之为“可传递的”属性，因为它们可传递给人性，尽管由于被造物的限制这样的传递是有限的，也仅仅是类比性的。当我们开始讨论神的属性时，我们必须谨记唯独上帝拥有这些属性一切的丰盛，并且这些属性也向我们启示出大量有关上帝神圣存有的知识。

当我们谈论神的属性之时，我们可能会想到诸如神的单一性（神是无限的灵，并非由诸多不同部分组成，约4:24）之类的事情。因为上帝是“单一的”，因此可以说，上帝的属性与上帝的存有是相同的。上帝也是自存的（自存性），祂的存有、荣耀和目的，在任何意义上都不依赖于祂以外的其他事物。我们也可以说上帝是“永恒的”，唯独祂没有开始也没有结束。祂现在是，一直是，并且永远都是上帝。

基督徒用来谈论这些属性的一个方法就是“否定法”。这就是说，既然我们是依赖于上帝的启示才能真正认识祂的有限又有罪的受造物，那么，谈论上帝不是什么，要远比努力去陈述一个无限永恒的上帝真得“是什么”要容易和安全得多。这些属性是每一个基督徒都非常熟悉的。

上帝被认为是“不朽的”，因为祂不像我们是“可朽坏的”。这是另一种描述上帝是永恒的的方式。祂不像我们那样会生或会死，祂就是生命本身。我们也会说上帝是“不可见的”，因为不像我们是，上帝是纯灵，我们的肉眼是看不见祂的。但这也是说上帝以祂的完全充满万有。我们说上帝是“不变的”，因为不论是祂的本质还是目的都不改变。上帝还是“不动情的”。不像祂的创造，上帝是独立于祂所创造的世界的，祂的神圣本质不受外界环境的制约（比如祂不会受苦，也没有激情），尽管神性的位格确实会受到被造物的影响。比如，我们知道上帝爱我们这个事实是因为祂的爱子耶稣为我们受苦，并为我们的罪而死（约一4:10）。

所谓可传递的也是很重要的。这些完全包括那些以“全”作前缀的属性，以使上帝对这些属性绝对丰盛的拥有区别于我们受造物对这些属性的拥有。这些属性包括全知、全能、全在，也包括那些特指的没有“全”作前缀的属性，比如良善、慈爱、怜悯、圣洁、公义和嫉妒。

尽管我们的知识是有限的（因为我们作为受造物是有限的），但上帝却是全知的，祂知晓一切。尽管我们可以行使受造物的权力和自由，然而，唯独上帝是全能并且主权掌管一切。尽管我们占有时间和空间，但是，上帝却超越时空的限制，唯独祂是全在的。作为按照上帝形象被造的人，我们可以表现出良善、慈爱和怜悯等属性，但是，与我们表现出这些属性不同，上帝则是无限无量的拥有这些属性。

既然上帝在祂的话语里向我们如此启示祂，那么，不去猜测这些神的完全并且当我们受造物的有限被显露在这些完全面前时不去无视它们就是非常重要的。相反，我们当敬拜和尊崇这位藉着这些完全启示祂自己的上帝。

Basics of the Reformed Faith: God’s Attributes

Kim Riddlebarger

Much indeed can be known about God from creation. We know that God is eternal, all-powerful, and good (cf. Romans 1:20). Yet, whatever we learn about God through nature (general revelation), will always be limited by the very nature of revelation through finite created things. In addition, such revelation is inevitably corrupted by human sinfulness (Romans 1:21-25). Therefore, whatever sinful people learn about God through nature will be grossly distorted, and ironically, ends up serving as the basis for all forms of false religion and idolatry–a theme developed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:18-32. John Calvin was absolutely right when he spoke of the minds of sinful men and women as “idol factories” (Institutes, I.11.8).

Since sinful human curiosity often leads finite men and women to speculate about God’s hidden essence, it is important to remind ourselves that God condescends to reveal himself to us in his word (i.e., Scripture), in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ. In the word of God, we find a number of divine “attributes” (or perfections) ascribed to God. So, rather than speculate about God’s hidden essence, we must worship and serve the God who reveals himself to us through his word.

Christian theologians have long struggled to explain how it is that certain of these divine perfections belong to God alone, while others are also ascribed to humanity since we are created in God’s image. The former attributes are most often identified as “incommunicable” attributes because these particular attributes cannot be “communicated” by God to his creatures, precisely because we are finite creatures. The latter are called “communicable” attributes because they are in fact communicated to humanity, though in finite measure due to creaturely limitations, and only by analogy. As we take up these divine attributes, we must keep in mind that these are perfections which God alone possesses in all their fulness, and they reveal a great deal to us about God’s divine being.

When we speak of God’s incommunicable attributes we may think of things such as divine simplicity (God is an infinite spirit and not the sum of different parts–cf. John 4:24). Because God is “simple,” his attributes can be said to be identical with his being. God is also self-existent (aseity). He is in no sense dependent upon anything outside himself for his existence, his glory, or his purposes. We can also speak of God as “eternal.” He alone is without beginning nor end. God now is. God always was. God forever will be.

One way Christians have spoken of a number of these attributes is to use the “way of negation.” That is, since we are finite and sinful creatures who depend upon God’s revelation of himself to truly know anything about him, it is much easier (and safer) for us to say what God is not, rather than struggle to state what an infinite and eternal God truly “is.” These are attributes with which every Christian is familiar.

God is said to be “immortal,” because he, unlike us, is not “mortal.” This is but another way to say that God is eternal. He does not live or die as we do–he is life itself. We may also speak of God as “invisible” because he (unlike us) is pure spirit and not visible to the human eye. But this also means that God fills all creation with his perfections. We speak of God as “immutable” because he does not change–as to his essence, or as to his purposes. And then we may speak of God as “impassable.” Unlike his creatures, God is independent from the world he has made, and his divine essence is not subject to external influences (like suffering or passions), although the persons of the Godhead are indeed affected by the actions of his creatures. Take, for example, the fact that we know that God loves us because his Son Jesus suffered and died for our sins (1 John 4:10).

The so-called communicable attributes are important to mention as well. These perfections include those attributes which begin with the prefix “omni” to distinguish the way in which we as creatures possess these attributes from the absolute fulness in which God possesses them. These include omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, as well as other attributes designated without the “omni” prefix, such as goodness, love, mercy, holiness, righteousness and jealousy.

Although our knowledge is finite and limited (because we are finite and limited creatures), God is said to be omniscient–he knows all things. Although we exercise creaturely power and freedom, God alone is properly said to be all-powerful and therefore sovereign over all things. Although we occupy both time and space, God transcends all such spatial and temporal limitations. He alone is omnipresent. Men and women can demonstrate goodness, love, mercy, etc., as a reflection of being created in the image of God, who possesses these same attributes without limits or measure, unlike the way these attributes are manifest in us.

Since this is how God has revealed himself to us in his word, it is vital that we not speculate about these divine perfections, nor attempt to ignore them when they expose our creaturely limitations. Rather, we worship and adore the God who reveals himself through such wonderful perfections.