68  盼望——盼望是基督徒的基本观点Hope- Hoping is basic to the Christian outlook

《简明神学》Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs，巴刻（J. I. Packer）著/張麟至译，更新传道会，2007年。

https://yibaniba.blogspot.com/2020/01/blog-post_98.html
http://www.geocities.ws/gary_bee_za/packer/hope.htm

68  盼望——盼望是基督徒的基本观点

Hope - Hoping is basic to the Christian outlook

“盼望是基督徒的基本观点”从前所写的圣经都是为教训我们写的，叫我们因圣经所生的忍耐和安慰可以得着盼望。（罗15:4）

基督徒既是生活在基督的两度降临之间，就要学会回头看与向前看；回头看主降生的马槽、十架和空墓，因籍着这些，救恩才临到他们身上；向前看，是思想有一日，他们将与基督基督在这世界之外相遇、个人要复活，并得享与救主在荣耀中永远同在的喜乐、新约圣经对此盼望的执着毫不松懈：基督是[我们的盼望]（提前1:1），我们所侍奉的乃是一位[使人有盼望的神]（罗15:13）。信心本身被定义为[所望之事的实底]（来11:1），而基督徒的委身被定义为[我们这逃往避难所，持定摆在我们前头指望的人......有这指望如同灵魂的锚......]（来6:21）。因为[你的财宝在那里，你的心也在那里]（太6:21），故此耶稣指教祂的门徒要积财宝在天上，祂说的实际上是与日后彼得所说的话一样；[专心盼望耶稣基督显现的时候所带来给你们的恩。]（彼前1:13）

由这盼望而生的伦理弥漫在新约圣经里、这是一种走天路的伦理；基督徒在这世上当视自己像是一个正在往天家走的客旅（彼前2:11；来11:13）。这也是一种追求纯洁的伦理；每一个基督徒若真的希望在耶稣显现时能够像祂，就要洁净自己，像祂洁净一样（约一3:3）。这还是一种准备见主的伦理：任何时候当那宠召来临时，我们就当预备好，随时可离开这个世界，好和我们的主基督进入更亲密的关系中（林后5:6-8；腓1:21-24；另参路12:15-21）。这又是一种忍耐的伦理:[但我们若盼望那所看不见的，就必忍耐等候]（罗8:25；另参5:1-5。有的英译本将[忍耐]这个希腊字译成[坚忍]，是为带出面对压力时能坚守到底之意）。这也是一种属灵能力的伦理：这盼望会带来力量与信心，世人努力奔走天路，打美好的仗，并忍受我们回天家之前（罗8:18；15:13；提后4:7-8）仍需经历至暂至轻的苦楚（林后4:17）。

尽管基督徒生活的特色往往是苦难多于胜利（林前4:8-13；林后4:7-18；徒14:22），但我们知道所盼望的是确定的，我们该拥有那扑灭不了的把握；我们的确是在得胜的行列里。

HOPE

HOPING IS BASIC TO THE CHRISTIAN OUTLOOK

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ROMANS 15:4

Living between the two comings of Christ, Christians are to look backward and forward: back to the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb, whereby salvation was won for them; forward to their meeting with Christ beyond this world, their personal resurrection, and the joy of being with their Savior in glory forever. New Testament devotion is consistently oriented to this hope; Christ is “our hope” (1 Tim. 1:1) and we serve “the God of hope” (Rom. 15:13). Faith itself is defined as “being sure of what we hope for” (Heb. 11:1), and Christian commitment is defined as having “fled to take hold of... this hope as an anchor for the soul” (Heb. 6:18-19). When Jesus directed his disciples to lay up treasure in heaven, because “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21), he was saying in effect, as Peter was later to say, “set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet. 1:13).

An ethic of hope pervades the New Testament. It is an ethic of pilgrimage: one should see oneself in this world as a stranger traveling home (1 Pet. 2:11; Heb. 11:13). It is an ethic of purity: everyone who really hopes to be like Jesus when he appears “purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). It is an ethic of preparedness: we should be ready to leave this world for a closer relationship with Christ our Lord at any time when the summons comes (2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:21-24; cf. Luke 12:15-21). It is an ethic of patience: “if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Rom. 8:25; cf. 5:1-5, where the Greek word for “patience” is translated “perseverance” to bring out its nuance of stubborn persistence in face of pressures). And it is an ethic of power: the hope gives strength and confidence, energizing effort for running the race, fighting the good fight, and enduring the “light and momentary troubles” (2 Cor. 4:17) that still remain before we go home (Rom. 8:18; 15:13; 2 Tim. 4:7-8).

Though the Christian life is regularly marked more by suffering than by triumph (1 Cor. 4:8-13; 2 Cor. 4:7-18; Acts 14:22), our hope is sure and our mood should be one of unquenchable confidence: we are on the victory side.