基督的無罪   The Sinlessness of Christ

作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮

摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the Christian Faith》P77 ,更新傳道會出版http://www.crmnj.org/

論到基督的無罪，我們其實是針對基督的人性說的，因我們沒有必要證明基督的神性是無罪的，因為按定義說，神性是不可能犯罪，也是不會犯罪的。基督無罪的教義從來也沒有引起過任何基本性的爭論，甚至連歷史上最愚蠢的異端，也不會否定基督的無罪。

基督的無罪並不單是為了要成為我們的榜樣；對我們的救恩而言，這一點也是基要和必須的。基督若不是「無瑕疵的羔羊」，祂不但不能為任何人取得救恩，連祂本身也需要一位救主。基督在十字架上所擔當多重的罪，需要一個完全的祭物，此祭物須由一位無罪的人來成就。

基督的無罪有消極和積極兩方面的意義。消極方面來說，是指基督全然不犯罪：祂沒有違背任何神聖的律法，祂一絲不茍地遵守神所吩咐的一切話。祂雖然無罪，卻遵守猶太的律法，受割禮、受洗禮、甚至獻上祭物。積極方面來說，則是指基督非常樂意順從律法：祂戮力遵行父神的旨意，聖經記載，祂為父的殿心裏焦急，如同火燒（約2：17），並且祂的食物就是遵行父神的旨意（約4：34）。

有一段有關基督無罪的經文很難解釋，那就是希伯來書四章15節：「因為我們的大祭司並不是不能同情我們的軟弱，他像我們一樣，也曾在各方面受過試探，只是他沒有犯罪。」如果基督與我們一樣，也受過試探，祂怎麽能夠算是無罪的呢？尤其當我們讀到雅各書一章14至15節：「各人被試探，乃是被自己的私慾牽引、誘惑的。私慾既懷了胎，就生出罪來；罪既長成，就生出死來。」這個問題就變得更大了。

雅各形容有一種試探是由我們裏面罪的私欲引起的，這私欲的本質就是罪。如果耶穌也像我們一樣地受試探，這好像是說，耶穌也有罪欲，但這也正是希伯來書論及衪有資格赦罪的原因------「只是他沒有犯罪」。不錯耶穌有欲望，但不是犯罪的欲望。當祂受撒旦試探的時候，引誘是從外面來的，是撒旦誘惑耶穌在禁食時吃東西。耶穌確實有肉身的饑餓，祂想吃食物，但饑餓本身並不是罪。耶穌與人人相同的一奌是，耶穌也會想吃，但耶穌與人人不同的是，祂一心一意順服父神，祂沒有犯罪的欲望。

因為耶穌沒有罪，所以祂有資格成為我們的罪成為完美的祭物。但我們的救恩需要救贖的兩面：耶穌不單必須作我們的代替者，為我們的罪接受刑罰；同時祂也必須完全地滿足神的律法要求，為我們得著領受聖約下祝福所必須有的功德。耶穌不單死了：完美的代替不完美的，無罪的代替有罪的；同時，祂也活出了我們的救恩所需要的完美順服的生活。

總結

1. 基督的無罪是我們救恩所不可少的必要條件。

2. 耶穌以無瑕疵之羔羊的身分完成了救贖。

3. 基督所受的試探，不是因罪欲引起的。

4. 耶穌藉著完全順服，使我們得著得救所需的義。

思考經文：

太3：15；羅5：18-21；林後5：21；來7：26；彼前3：18

The Sinlessness of Christ

When we speak of Christ's sinlessness we generally refer to His humanity. It is unnecessary to plead the sinlessness of Christ's deity, as deity by our definition cannot and does not sin. The doctrine of Christ's sinlessness has been free of any fundamental controversy. Even the most crass heretics in history have not denied this of Christ.

The sinlessness of Christ does not merely serve as an example to us. It is fundamental and necessary for our salvation. Had Christ not been the "lamb without blemish" He not only could not have secured anyone's salvation, but would have needed a savior Himself. The multiple sins Christ bore on the cross required a perfect sacrifice. That sacrifice had to be made by one who was sinless.

Christ's sinlessness had negative and positive aspects to it. Negatively, Christ was completely free of any transgression. He broke none of God's holy law. He scrupulously obeyed whatsoever God commanded. Despite His sinlessness, Christ even obeyed Jewish law, submitting to circumcision, baptism, and perhaps even the system of animal sacrifice. Positively, Christ was eager to obey the law; He was committed to doing the will of His Father. It was said of Him that zeal for His Father's house consumed Him (John 2:17) and that His meat was to do the will of His Father (John 4:34).

One difficulty concerning the sinlessness of Christ is related to Hebrews 4:15: "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." If Christ was tempted as we are, how could He have been sinless? The problem becomes even greater when we read James 1:14-15: "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."

James describes a kind of temptation that arises from sinful desires within us. These desires are already sinful in nature. If Jesus was tempted as we are tempted it would seem to suggest that He had sinful desires. Yet this is precisely the point of the qualifier "yet without sin" in the book of Hebrews. Jesus had desires. But he had no sinful desires. When He was tempted by Satan the assault came from the outside. It was an external temptation. Satan tried to entice Jesus to eat during His period of fasting. Jesus surely had physical hunger; He had a desire for food. Yet there was no sin in being hungry. All things being equal, Jesus wanted to eat. But all things were not equal. Jesus was committed to obeying the will of the Father. He had no desire to sin.

It was by His sinlessness that Jesus qualified Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. However, our salvation requires two aspects of redemption. It was not only necessary for Jesus to be our substitute and receive the punishment due for our sins; He also had to fulfill the law of God perfectly to secure the merit necessary for us to receive the blessings of God's covenant. Jesus not only died as the perfect for the imperfect, the sinless for the sinful, but He lived the life of perfect obedience required for our salvation.

1.         The sinlessness of Christ is necessary for our salvation.

2.         Jesus made atonement as the Lamb without blemish.

3.         Christ was not tempted by sinful desires.

4.         By His perfect obedience Jesus supplied the righteousness (merit) we require to be saved.