2019-03-18


天命Providence

作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the Christian FaithP57 ,更新傳道會出版

在美國羅得島州有個大城市名叫普羅維豋斯(Providence, 天命之意)。這是個很特別的名字,可以看出上一代美國人的思想和現代社會的區別是何等大。今天,有誰會把一個城市命名為天命呢?恐怕這個名字會令人覺得古老和不合時宜。

當我唸早期基督徒的著作時,我驚奇地發現裡面充滿了天命的思想。好像在二十世紀之前的基督徒,比我們今天更加相信有天命在自己身上。自然主義認為自然界𥚃一切事理都受獨立的自然力量所操縱;這種精神影響了我們這一代。

天命一詞的根本意義是在事前看見,或安排,但這些詞不足以說明天命教義的深層意義,這敎義比上帝觀看人類活動更加豐富,它的含義遠超過上帝的預知。

十七世紀的《西敏斯特信仰告白》為天命下了這樣的定義:

「至大的萬物創造者-------上帝,憑著自己至極的智慧和聖潔的天命,按照祂自己真確不二的預知,和自己意志中自由而不變的判斷,支持、導引、安排和管理最大到最小的所有受造者,和其中切的作為與事情,使祂的智慧、能力、公平、良善和憐憫的榮耀得著稱讚。」[1]

上帝所創造的,衪必維持。宇宙不但依賴上帝為始源,更須依賴上帝使其繼續存在。宇宙不能憑自己的能力存在和運作,上帝憑祂的能力維系萬物, 我們在祂𥚃面生活、動作和存留。上帝的天命教義重點在於上帝對宇宙的管理,上帝以絕對的主權和權柄治理祂的創造物。祂管理一切會發生的事情,從最大到最小的;沒有一件發生的事情是在祂主權的管治以外的。祂使日頭高升,使雨露降下;祂興起國度,又使國度沒落;祂數算過我們的頭發,和我們一生的年曰。

上帝的天命和運氣、命運、機緣有很大的分別。這分別的關鍵是在上帝的本性上。運氣是盲目的,但上帝看見一切;命運是冷漠的,但上帝是父;機緣是啞的,但上帝能說話。人類歷史不是被盲目和非位格的力量推動運行的,一切都在天命的無形之手管理之下。

在上帝所管治的宇宙中,沒有任何事物是偶然發生的。宇宙中沒有機遇這回事,機遇是不存在的;機遇一詞,只是用來形容在數學上的可能性而已。機遇本身是沒有能力的,因為它沒有實存,並非能影響實體的真實事物;機遇不是一件事物,它什麽也不是。

天命的另一方面是協同發生(concurrence), 它是指上帝與人類之間共同緊接的作為。人類是有自己意志的受造物,我們能使事物發生,但我們所擁有的啟動力(causal power), 只是次等的。上帝全權的天命在我們的行為之上,衪透過人類意志所發出的行為來成就祂的旨意,但上帝又不會違反那些人的自由意志。約瑟和哥哥們的經歷是聖經中有關這協同發生最明顯的例子,雖然約瑟哥哥們的惡行真的是罪,但上帝也能透過他們的罪行成就祂的工作。約瑟對哥哥們說:「從前你們的意思是要害我,但神的意思原是好的,要保全許多人的性命,成就今日的光景。」(創5020

上帝在救贖上的天命,可藉著最敗懷的作為去完成。人類所犯的最敗壞惡行,就是猶大把基督出賣了,可是基督之死在歷史上不是偶然事件,而是上帝所決定的計劃。猶大的惡行使歷史上一件最有意義的事情實現了,那就是救贖;因此,基督的受難日在英文稱為Good Friday 美好的星期五,也非偶然的事。

總結:

1. 今天有很多人不肯接受天命的概念。
2. 天命包括上帝對受造界的維持。
3. 天命主要是指上帝對受造界的管理。
4. 在天命的亮光下,世界上並沒有非位格的力量運行,如運氣、命運和機緣等。
5. 天命包括了協同發生,即上帝藉著受造之物的意志,來完成祂自己的旨意。

參考經文:
381-4134
434-35
222-24
1133-36

1. Westminster Confession of Faith ( Committee for Christian Education & Publication, Presbyterian Church in America, 1990 ),art .5.1.


Providence

In Rhode Island there is a major city named Providence. There is something extraordinary about its name. The name of the city calls attention to the wide gap in thinking that exists between former generations and our present society. Who would name a city "Providence" today? The word itself sounds old-fashioned and archaic.

When I read the writings of Christians from earlier centuries I am struck by the multitude of references to God's providence. It seems as though prior to the twentieth century, Christians were more keenly in tune with the providence of God in their lives than we are. The spirit of naturalism that views all events in nature to be ruled by independent natural forces has made its impact on our generation.

The root meaning of the word providence is "to see in advance or beforehand," or "to provide for." As such, the word fails to convey the deep meaning of the doctrine of providence. The doctrine signifies far more than that God is a spectator of human events. It contains far more than a mere reference to His foreknowledge.
The Westminster divines in the seventeenth century defined providence in this manner:

God, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct, dispose and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.

What God creates, He also sustains. The universe is not only dependent upon God for its origin, it depends upon God for its continuity of existence. The universe can neither exist nor operate by its own power. God upholds all things by His power. It is in Him that we live, and move, and have our being.

The central point of the doctrine of providence is the stress on God's government of the universe. He rules His creation with absolute sovereignty and authority. He governs everything that comes to pass, from the greatest to the least. Nothing ever happens beyond the scope of His sovereign providential government. He makes the rain to fall and the sun to shine. He raises up kingdoms and brings them down. He numbers the hairs on our head and the days of our life.
There is a crucial difference between the providence of God and fortune, fate, or luck. The key to this difference is found in the personal character of God. Fortune is blind while God is all-seeing. Fate is impersonal while God is a Father. Luck is dumb while God can speak. There are no blind, impersonal forces at work in human history. All is brought to pass by the invisible hand of Providence.
In a universe governed by God there are no chance events. Indeed, there is no such thing as chance. Chance does not exist. It is merely a word we use to describe mathematical possibilities. But chance itself has no power because it has no being. Chance is not an entity that can influence reality. Chance is not a thing. It is nothing.

Another aspect of providence is called concurrence. Concurrence refers to the coterminous actions of God and human beings. We are creatures with a will of our own. We make things happen. Yet the causal power we exert is secondary. God's sovereign providence stands over and above our actions. He works out His will through the actions of human wills, without violating the freedom of those human wills. The clearest example of concurrence that we find in Scripture is in the case of Joseph and his brothers. Though Joseph's brothers incurred true guilt through their treachery against him, the providence of God was working even through their sin. Joseph said to his brothers, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).

God's redemptive providence can work through the most diabolical actions. The worst offense ever committed by a human being was the betrayal of Christ by Judas. Yet the death of Christ was no accident of history. It was according to the determinate counsel of God. Judas's act of wickedness helped to bring about the best thing that ever happened in history, the Atonement. It is not fortuitous that we refer to that day in history as "Good" Friday.

1.         The concept of divine providence is not generally believed in our day.
2.         Providence includes God's work of sustaining His creation.
3.         Providence refers chiefly to God's government of creation.
4.         In light of divine providence there are no impersonal forces such as fortune, fate, or chance.
5.         Providence includes concurrence by which God works His divine will through the wills of His creatures.

附錄


天命 Providence
作者:巴刻(J. I. Packer 譯者:張麟至
摘錄自《簡明神學》Concise Theology P. 46-48,更新傳道會2007

上帝管治這個世界

「籤放在懷裡,定事由耶和華。」(箴1633

「上帝的天命[1]之工就是衪用至極的聖潔、智慧、權能,保護並管治祂所造的萬物及其中一切的作為。」《西敏斯特小要理問答》第十一問。如果說創造是上帝能力獨特的運作,使世界存在,那麽天命則是同一能力繼續的運作,藉著它造物主按著祂的旨意,得以:
1)保守所有的受造之物的存在;
2)使祂自己涉身在所有的事件中;以及
3)導引所有的事件,走向衪指定的終局。

上帝管理的模式是有目標的,親身參與的,衪全程親手管制,祂完全在管理這個世界。祂的手或許是隱藏的,但是衪的掌權是絕對的。

有些人將上帝的天命局限為沒有控制力的先見而已,或為不加幹涉式的支持,或為不過問細節的大局監督而已;但是上段所陳述天命的定義卻是見證如山。

聖經的教訓很清楚地說道,上帝的天命管治

1)是淩駕在全宇宙之上(詩10319;但435;弗111);
2)是淩駕在物質的宇宙之上(伯37章;詩104141356;太545);
3)是淩駕在動物之上(詩1042128;太6261029);
4)是淩駕在國際事務之上(伯1223;詩2228667;徒1726);
5)淩駕在人的出生與一生命運之上(撤上161;詩13916;賽455;加115-16);
6)淩駕在人生外在的得失之上(詩756-7;路152);
7)淩駕在有似意外或無意義的事情之上(箴1633;太1030);
8)是在於保護義者(詩485126381213;羅828);
9)是在於供應上帝百姓的需要(創22814;申83;腓419);
10)是在於答應禱告(撒上119;賽205-6;代下3313;詩652;太77;路1878);以及
11)是在於暴露惡者並懲罰他們(詩712-13116)。[2]

清晣地思考上帝在今世過程中,以及在有理性的受造之物的行為中的參與,需要以下互補的敘述:人所採取的行動或一椿事件,有由自然原因觸發的,或有撤但的手在其中,可是上帝的管制超越其上。以斯帖記雖然通篇未見上帝的名字,卻正表達出這個信息。聖經又使人看見:事情就算違反上帝的命令、意旨而行,仍能成就上帝對萬事所定的旨意(弗111)。還有,人出於惡念而做的事,超越管治的上帝仍能使用他們的作為,以成就善(創5020;徒223)。聖經還使人看見:人在上帝的超越管治之下犯罪---------但上帝不是罪的始作俑者(雅113-17),上帝乃是審判罪的法官。

上帝「協同」或「合流」參與所有發生的世事之中,上帝不違反事物的本性、因果進行的程序,和人的自由,卻使事情按祂旨意而發生---------這種作為的本質對我們來說,是個奧祕;但是聖經仍一致地教導,我們上帝的參與的確一如上述。

論及影響上帝所造之世界的邪惡(道德的和屬靈的乖僻、棄置良善、物質的混亂和被破壞宇宙的分崩),我們可以總結地說:上帝允許罪惡的存在(徒1416);祂懲罰邪惡(詩8111-12:羅126-32);祂從惡中成就善(創5020;徒223427-281327;林前27-8);祂藉邪惡來試煉、管教祂所愛的(太41-11;來124-14);而且有一天衪要救贖祂的百姓,完全脫離邪惡的權勢和存在(啟21272214-15)。

天命的教義教導基督徒:他們絕非在盲目力量(運氣、機會、好運 、厄運)的掌握之中,所有臨到他們的事都是上帝計劃過的;既然知道所有的事件都是為著他屬靈的和永遠的益處(羅828),每一事件的臨到,不外就是呼召他有新的信靠、順服與喜樂。

1. 譯者註:Providence 一詞,中譯多譯作攝護或護理。其實在中國古代思想𥚃,已有極強烈的天命觀,而天命正是Providence一詞所要表達的,所以我們用天命一詞來譯Providence
2. 譯者註:Louis Berkhol,Systematic Theology,4th ec.p.168.