反映祂的形象Reflecting His Image
[每日靈修] 12/23/2018, 駱鴻銘編譯
關於基督是「神本體的真像」，我們能說什麼呢？我們難道不都是按照上帝的形象被造的嗎，而這種提法難道不僅僅是說到，耶穌是完美的人，上帝的形像在祂身上沒有玷污或敗壞嗎？我認為經文的意思還不止於此。
菲利普•休斯（Philip Hughes）說：「翻譯為『佩帶著戳記』（the very stamp bearer）的希臘詞，是指一個烙印的字符，或由模具或印章造成的印痕，例如，在硬幣上的印記；而譯為「本性」的希臘詞，則是指上帝的本質。這裏想要傳遞的主要觀念是精確的對應。這種對應不僅僅涉及聖子的本質與父的本質完全相同，而且更具體地涉及到聖子真實地、信實地代表聖父，或將父啟示出來。
我們記得腓利對耶穌的請求，他說：「求主將父顯給我們看，我們就知足了。」（約十四8）。我們必須藉由約翰福音14章9-11節來默想耶穌的回應。凡願意品嚐基督甜美的豐滿，並認識到祂卓越品質的完整程度的人，必須願意將追求知識祂作為生命最主要、罪重要的事業。這種追求不應受到多愁善感或理性所阻礙。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
請作這個禱告：「親愛的上帝，請向我揭示你兒子耶穌本性的深度和豐富。」
進一步研讀：
約十四8 腓力對他說：「求主將父顯給我們看，我們就知足了。」
約十四9 耶穌對他說：「腓力，我與你們同在這樣長久，你還不認識我嗎？人看見了我，就是看見了父；你怎麼說『將父顯給我們看』呢？我在父裡面，父在我裡面，你不信嗎？我對你們所說的話，不是憑著自己說的，乃是住在我裡面的父做他自己的事。你們當信我，我在父裡面，父在我裡面；即或不信，也當因我所做的事信我。
Reflecting
His Image
What
can be said of Christ’s being the “express image of His person”? Are not we all
created in the image of God and does not this reference merely speak of Jesus
as the perfect man, the one in whom the image of God has not been besmirched or
corrupted? I think the text means more than that.
Philip
Hughes says this: “The Greek word translated ‘the very stamp bearer’ means an
engraved character or the impress made by a die or a seal, as for example, on a
coin; and the Greek word translated ‘nature’ denotes the very essence of God.
The principal idea intended is that of exact correspondence. This
correspondence involves not only an identity of the essence of the Son with
that of the Father but more particularly a true and trustworthy revelation or
representation of the Father by the Son.”
We
remember the request made to Jesus by Philip when he said, “Lord, show us the
Father, and it is sufficient for us” (John 14:8). We need to meditate upon the
response of Jesus in John 14:9–11. He who would taste the fullness of the
sweetness of Christ and perceive the total measure of His excellence must be
willing to make the pursuit of the knowledge of Him the main and chief business
of life. Such pursuits must not be hindered by sentimentality or reason.
Coram
Deo
Pray
this prayer: “Dear God, reveal to me the depth and riches of the nature of Your
Son, Jesus.”
Passages
for Further Study
John
14:9–11