效法最高的榜樣Emulating the Supreme Model
[每日靈修] 2/2/2019, 駱鴻銘編譯
上帝將男性和女性的偉人賜給了教會。儘管仍有不完美之處，但聖經裏的偉人仍然是有價值的榜樣。要是我們將保羅，亞伯拉罕或大衛提升到基督之上，我們就會犯了偶像崇拜的罪。同樣，要是我們高舉馬丁路德，約翰•加爾文，托馬斯•阿奎那和其他人到基督之上，也是如此。我們尊敬這些聖徒，但只是因為他們忠於基督，並超越自己而指向基督。這當然是使徒保羅的風格，他為基督的聖工孜孜不倦地勞苦。我們因為這樣的勞苦而愛他且尊敬他。同樣，我們敬重教會歷史裏的巨人。但即使是神學的「巨人」，也是次於使徒的，他們所說、所寫，其權威從來無法與使徒匹敵。
與此同時，我們認識到奧古斯丁與吉姆•瓊斯（Jim Jones；譯按：美國二十世紀中葉的宗教異端領袖）之間存在著巨大的鴻溝。像奧古斯丁和路德這樣的人，為教會提供了如此重要的神學見解，以至於他們的名字代表著關鍵的思想。教會歷史中很少有人值得這樣的認可。像「ian」，「ist」或「ite」（可以翻譯為「……派」、「……者」）這些後綴（例如，「calvinist」，譯作「加爾文主義者」）對於識別真理是有價值的，但是在應用到個性、性格時，則幾乎沒有正面的價值，反而是非常負面的。我們知道奧古斯丁、路德、加爾文都沒有為我們釘死在十字架上。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
為上帝賜下榜樣影響你的一生而感謝祂；然後為那位替你而死的最高榜樣而感謝祂。
進一步研讀：
帖後三9 這並不是因我們沒有權柄，乃是要給你們作榜樣，叫你們效法我們。
林前十11 他們遭遇這些事，都要作為鑑戒；並且寫在經上，正是警戒我們這末世的人。
帖前一7 甚至你們作了馬其頓和亞該亞所有信主之人的榜樣。
Emulating
the Supreme Model
God
has given great men and women to the church. The biblical giants serve as
valuable models—despite their imperfections. Were we to elevate Paul, Abraham,
or David above Christ, we would be guilty of idolatry. The same would be true
if we exalted Martin Luther, John Calvin, Thomas Aquinas, and others above
Christ. We respect these saints, but only insofar as they are faithful to
Christ and point beyond themselves to Christ. This was certainly the style of
the apostle Paul, who labored tirelessly for the cause of Christ. We love and
honor him for that labor. Likewise, we honor the giants of church history. But
even the theological “giants” are sub-apostolic, never speaking or writing with
an authority equal to an apostle.
At
the same time, we recognize that a vast gulf separates Augustine from Jim
Jones. People like Augustine and Luther have contributed theological insights
of such magnitude that their names are representative of key thoughts. Few in
church history are worthy of such recognition. The suffixes “ian,” “ist,” or
“ite,” (e.g., “Calvinist”) are valuable to identify truth but have little positive
and much negative value when applied to personalities. We know that Augustine,
Luther, and Calvin were not crucified for us.
Coram
Deo
Thank
God for role models who have influenced your life; then thank Him for the
Supreme Model who died for you.
Passages
for Further Study
2
Thessalonians 3:9
1
Corinthians 10:11
1 Thessalonians 1:7