2018-12-26


聖誕真意:神的兒子由女子所生Christmas is God’s Son Born ofA Woman

作者:Denny Prutow  譯者: 駱鴻銘

及至時候滿足,神就差遣他的兒子,為女子所生,且生在律法以下, 要把律法以下的人贖出來,叫我們得著兒子的名分。 (加拉太書四章5節)

這是什麼意思呢?首先,上帝差遣祂的兒子來到這個世界,是通過生產。雖然生產這件事不算什麼稀奇的事,但如果誕生的是神的兒子,這事就有點蹊蹺了。

其次,上帝差遣祂的兒子來到這個世上,是通過「為女子所生」。上帝的兒子藉著由一位婦人的肚腹降生在這個世界,就為自己取了人的本質。就像每個孩子在他母親的肚子裏領受了他的人性本質一樣,這件再平凡不過的事也發生在上帝的兒子身上。但是不平凡的事情也同時發生了。這個孩子的人性本質不是從一個男人和一個女人來的,而是只從一個女子而來。

因此耶穌基督是絕對獨一無二的,過去如此,也永遠是如此。這位耶穌擁有真正的人性,但祂也擁有真正的神性。祂過去是,也將繼續既是神又是人,在一個位格裏擁有兩個本性,直到永遠。

這就是聖誕節的意義。我們是否忘了這榮耀的真理?我們是否忘記了這個美妙的故事?聖誕節真正的定義就是慶祝上帝的兒子由一位女子所生。


Christmas is God’s Son Born of A Woman

“When the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). What does this mean? First, God sent His Son into the world by way of being born. The common thing which took place was the birth of a child. But something uncommon also took place. The child who was born was the divine Son of God.

Second, God sent His Son into the world by way of being “born of a woman.” By coming into the world through the womb of a woman, the Son of God took to Himself a human nature. The common thing which took place was that the Son of God, like every other child, received His human nature in His mother’s womb. But something uncommon also took place. His human nature was not derived from both a man and a woman. It was derived only from a woman.

Therefore, Jesus Christ was and is absolutely unique. This Jesus had a true human nature. But He also had a true divine nature. He was, and continues to be, both God and man in two distinct natures in one person forever.

This is what Christmas is all about. Have we forgotten this glorious truth? Have we forgotten the wonderful story? By definition, Christmas is the celebration of God’s Son who was born of a woman.