金主立教授解釋道德行為式的講道與福音的信息之間的差異
Julius
Kim talks about and explains the difference between moralistic preaching and
gospel preaching.
我们在西敏斯特神学院常常谈论道德行为式的讲道。首先应该要说明的是，传讲要有好的道德行为事实上是一件好事。神要我们成为有道德和聖洁的人，但同时，作为一个传道人，我们不能仅仅传讲道德行为的信息。我们必须清楚地分辨，大家常常听到的某种讲台的讯息，（举例来说）主要在传讲和描述旧约中的许多人物。这些人物都具有良好的道德行为，所以要以这些人的道德行为为榜样。传讲和描述道德行为和道德人物，並且以他们为模范，并非不好，或是有罪。但是，从本质而言，难道这就是基督教吗？因为，若是观察世上所有的宗教，它们基本上都教导：要作一个好人。这些宗教都具有关于其创始人的历史传统和故事。他们说：菩萨是好人，莫罕默德是好人。但是，基督教基本上是关于作一个好人吗？事实上，基督教告诉我们：我们不够好。因为神是如此的聖洁，以致于无论如何努力行善，我们都永远无法达到神的道德标准。所以，福音根本上的信息就是：我们无法作一个好人，但是有一个人替我们做成了。藉着信心，那个人的完美道德就归算给我们了，我们基于对那个人的感恩而爱祂；在此基础上，我们乃是要按照神的标准作一个好人。
Here
in Westminster Seminary we often talk about moralistic preaching, and we ought
to say out front that preaching moral is actually a good thing. God wants us to
be moral, holy creatures, yet at the same time, what we do as preachers is more
than just preaching morals. I think that we need to make that distinction. That
is, oftentimes we hear in our pulpits preaching that basically says this, for
examples, you have character examples in the Old Testament. They are good
characters and do good moral things so we preach and describe these characters
in the Old Testament, we say, ultimately, moral is be like this person. Again,
that is not bad or sinful to describe a moral act or moral person and say try
to be like that person. But essentially, is that Christianity? Because if you
look all the religions of the world, every religion says essentially: be a good
person. They can come up with illustrations and stories of their own traditions
of their own past of their own founder. They talk about how Buddha was good,
how Mohammad was good. But essentially is Christianity just about being good?
Actually, Christianity tells us : we are not good enough that God is so holy
that no matter how hard we tried to be good will never be good enough. So the
essential message of the gospel is that you are not good but someone was good
for you. And is because of someonelse’s
goodness is credited to you by faith that we out of gratitude love for
that other who is good for us perfectly; we can then be good.
所以，道德行为和道德主义的本身并非一件坏事，但是必须被放在正确的观点下，或是正确的範围内，也就是福音的范围。所以，我们必须传讲福音的信息；我们必须传讲以基督为中心的信息；我们必须传讲基督教的信息，福音主要是说：我们不够好，我们永远无法达到好的标准，但是感谢神，基督为我们成就了完全的好，所以，我们要行善，要以基督为榜样。因为我们现在已经藉着信心与基督联合了，我们会越来越像祂。
所以，道德行为式的讲道是一件坏事吗？若是离开福音的范围，就是不好的了。但是，在讲道中我们就不讲关于道德行为的事吗？不是的，我们要讲，但是道德行为必须被放在正确的观点和范围中。
So, is
moralistic preaching bad? Well, in and out itself, yes. But, should we not to
have morals in our sermons? No, we want to have morals in our sermons, but it
needs to be placed in the right paradigm or in the right perspective.
