聖約Covenant
作者: Michael S. Horton 譯者/校對者:Maria Marta/駱鴻銘
任何人只要受僱用或者擁有抵押貸款、信用卡、汽車等，一定熟悉合同，以及它們所強制附加的「祝福」和「詛咒」。當然，並非所有的法律協議都是相同的。合同與遺囑有著顯著的不同，遺囑使你成為別人遺產的受益人，你不是通過「僱佣」的安排或一個支付程序而得益，你是靠得到一份禮物而受益。
同樣地，聖經裡有各種不同的盟約。改革宗神學從聖經中識別出三個至關重要的盟約。「救贖之約」（covenant of redemption）是以聖子作為中保，聖父、聖子、聖靈在永恆裡同意要揀選、救贖、呼召一群百姓（約六39-44；十；十七1-5、9-11；羅八28-31）。亞當是人類在「行為之約」（covenant of
works）裡的頭，耶穌基督是祂新造的人在「恩典之約」（covenant of grace）裡的頭，其中包括信徒和他們的孩子們。在亞當裡，我們繼承了罪和敗壞，引致死亡，在基督裡，我們承受義和新生命，得到永生（羅5:12-21）。
聖經裡的盟約，其背景是國際政治。最明顯的類比是：一個偉大的國王（宗主）把一個較小的王（附庸王）從入侵的軍隊中解救出來，在此基礎上，國王（宗主）強行和這個較小的王（附庸王）立一個條約。顯然，附庸王沒有資格去協商條約的內容，只能接受條約的條件（約的條款），也接受宗主的承諾，如果附庸王順從就會得到宗主的支持；以及宗主的威脅，如果不服從就會被宗主毀滅（約的獎懲）。
我們在上帝與人類在亞當裡建立的關係中，清楚地看到這個模式。作為上帝形象的持有者和附庸，上帝應許亞當，如果亞當通過試煉，他和他的後裔就會享受永恆祝福（生命樹）的權利；如果他背叛，則會受到死亡的威脅。就像一個國王是他王國的盟約的頭，亞當是整個人類的盟約的頭，當他破壞了這個約，我們就與他一同在罪、敗壞和死亡的詛咒下墮落。
然而，從創世記三章15節起，上帝出人意表所宣佈的福音在歷史中展開，直到祂在耶穌基督的位格和工作中應驗了祂的應許。我們的「末後的亞當」，耶穌，祂成全了試煉的要求，並且為祂的後裔贏得了吃生命樹果子的權利。在創世記三章15節福音的應許中，上帝設立了不再是根據律法、而是根據應許的恩典之約，祂也建立了一個「開始呼求耶和華的名」（創四26）的教會。
不像原來與亞當立的約，在創世記第十五章上帝與亞伯拉罕立的約中，上帝作出了所有的應許，並且在一個令人驚訝的異象當中，穿過一些動物的肉塊。作為世俗條約的一部分，偉大的國王會迫使附庸王穿過肉塊，接受盟約的條款和獎罰條例，但是在這裡，上帝卻承擔了全部的責任。在上帝與大衛立的聖約中，很明顯地，上帝同樣單方面地應許，雖然大衛和他的繼承人會不忠心，上帝卻永遠會讓大衛的後裔坐在寶座上，直到那位比大衛更偉大的繼承人自己承擔起這個責任。
隨著恩典之約的繼續開展，在西奈山上，上帝也和作為一個國家的以色列人立約。個別的以色列人仍然是通過相信那將要來的彌賽亞而蒙恩稱義，但是以色列國家的地位是暫時的和有條件的。在西奈山上，上帝沒有作出應許，但是，作為把以色列從埃及解救出來的宗主，祂只是簡單地頒布盟約的條款和獎懲：祝福（在應許地上有長久的日子）和詛咒（從土地被「剪除」，被流放進入被擄）。以色列接受了這個條件，說：「耶和華所吩咐的，我們都必遵行。」摩西將血灑在百姓身上，說：「你看！這是立約的血，是耶和華按這一切話與你們立約的憑據。」（出廿四7-8）國家的祝福或詛咒取決於以色列的信實。
「他們卻如亞當背約」（何西阿書六7）。作為上帝的控方律師，因百姓違反了這個國家性的盟約，先知們帶來了上帝的審判。儘管上帝曾經穿過肉塊，以確保與亞伯拉罕立的恩典之約，但是祂如今傳達了不同的信息，並表示祂要讓以色列穿過肉塊，並藉著被擄（耶卅四1-22）來承擔暫時的審判。然而，在亞伯拉罕恩典之約的基礎上，上帝的應許在新約中得到了更新，上帝在赦罪的基礎上，應許一個新的創造和一個新的出埃及（耶卅一31-34）。
當耶穌在那樓房設立主的晚餐時，祂宣告，「這是我立約的血，為多人流出來，使罪得赦」（太廿六28）。這不是律法的盟約（你這樣行，就必得存活），而是白白憐憫的盟約。不像摩西，祂不是把血灑在百姓身上，來確認對他們的誓言，而是用自己的血起誓。祂獨自穿過肉塊，代替我們承受審判。這是一份禮物，就像最後的遺囑。其實，希伯來書就是這樣把舊約和新約加以對比（來九15-22）。希伯來書說到這個「永不改變的誓言」是建立在上帝的應許上，而不是人類的活動上（來六17-20）的。保羅也是如此，通過訴諸亞伯拉罕之約，來對比行為之約和恩典之約：一個是工作的獎賞，一個是信心的禮物（羅四1-5 ）。後來（西奈山）立的約不能廢止先前（亞伯拉罕之約）的應許（加三7-29；四21-31
）。
Covenant
by
Michael Horton
Anyone
who is employed or has a mortgage, credit card, or car is familiar with
contracts — and the “blessings” and “curses” that they impose. Not all legal
agreements are the same, of course. A contract differs significantly from a
last will and testament, which can make you a beneficiary of someone else’s
estate. You benefit not by a “work-for-hire” arrangement or a payment program
but by a gift.
Similarly,
there are different kinds of covenants in the Bible. Reformed theology has
discerned in Scripture three overarching covenants. The covenant of redemption
is the agreement of the Father, Son, and Spirit from all eternity to elect,
redeem, and call a people, with the Son as the Mediator (John 6:39–44; 10;
17:1–5, 9–11; Rom. 8:28–31). Adam was made the federal head of the human race
in the covenant of works, and Jesus Christ is the federal head of His new
humanity in the covenant of grace, which includes believers and their children.
In Adam, we inherit guilt and corruption, leading to death, and in Christ, we
inherit justification and new birth, leading to everlasting life (Rom.
5:12–21).
The
background of biblical covenants is international politics. The most obvious
parallel was the treaty that a great king (suzerain) would impose upon a lesser
king (vassal) on the basis of having liberated him from an invading army.
Obviously, the vassal was in no position to negotiate the treaty but simply
accepted its terms (stipulations), as well as the suzerain’s pledge of support
for obedience and threat of destruction for disobedience (sanctions).
We
see this pattern clearly in the relationship God established with the human
race in Adam. As God’s image-bearer and vassal, Adam was promised the right to
everlasting blessing (the Tree of Life) for himself and his posterity if he
fulfilled his trial and was threatened with death for treason. Just as a king
is the federal head of his kingdom, Adam was the federal head of the whole
human race, and when he broke this covenant, we fell with him under the curse
of guilt, corruption, and death.
However,
from Genesis 3:15 on, God’s surprising announcement of the gospel unfolds in
history until He fulfills His promise in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Our “last Adam,” Jesus fulfills the trial and wins for His posterity the right
to eat from the Tree of Life. With His evangelical promise in Genesis 3:15, God
established a covenant of grace no longer on the basis of law but of promise,
and He established a church that “began to call upon the name of the LORD”
(Gen. 4:26).
Unlike
the original covenant with Adam, in the covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, God
makes all the promises and, in a surprising vision, passes through pieces of
several animals. As part of the secular treaties, the great king made the
vassal pass through the pieces, accepting the stipulations and sanctions, but
here God assumes full responsibility. The same unilateral promise is evident in
the covenant that God makes with David: although he and his heirs will be
unfaithful, God will never fail to keep a Davidic heir on the throne until the
heir greater than David himself assumes it.
While
the gracious covenant continues, at Sinai God also makes a covenant with Israel
as a nation. Individual Israelites are still justified by grace through faith
in the coming Messiah, but the nation’s status in the land is temporal and
conditional. At Sinai, God made no promises, but, as the suzerain who had
liberated Israel from Egypt, He simply delivered the terms and sanctions:
blessing (long life in the land) and curse (being “cut off” from the land, sent
off into exile). Israel accepted the terms, saying, “‘All that the LORD has
spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.’ And Moses took the blood and threw
it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has
made with you in accordance with all these words’” (Ex. 24:7–8). The blessing
or cursing of the nation depended on Israel’s faithfulness.
“But
like Adam they transgressed the covenant” (Hos. 6:7). As God’s attorneys, the
prophets brought God’s case against the people for violating this national
covenant. Whereas God passed through the pieces to secure the Abrahamic
covenant of grace, He delivered a different message and said that He would make
Israel pass through the pieces and bear its temporal judgment through exile
(Jer. 34:1–22). Nevertheless, on the basis of the Abrahamic covenant of grace,
renewed in the new covenant, God promised a new creation and a new exodus based
on the forgiveness of sin (Jer. 31:31–34).
When
Jesus inaugurated the Lord’s Supper in the upper room, He declared, “This is my
blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of
sins.” (Matt. 26:28). Instead of a covenant of law (“Do this and you shall
live”), it is a covenant of free mercy. Unlike Moses, He did not dash the blood
on the people, confirming their oath, but pledged His oath in His own blood. He
alone passed between the pieces, bearing the judgment in our place. It’s a
gift, just like a last will and testament. In fact, this is just how the book
of Hebrews contrasts the old covenant with the new (Heb. 9:15–22). Hebrews
speaks of the “unchangeable oath” that rests on God’s promise rather than on
human activity (Heb. 6:17–20). Paul, too, contrasts the covenant of works and
the covenant of grace by appealing to the Abrahamic covenant: work-reward
versus faith-gift (Rom. 4:1–5). The later (Sinaitic) covenant could not annul
the earlier (Abrahamic) promise (Gal. 3:7–29; 4:21–31).