五旬节如何反转巴别塔的失败The Undoing of Babel
作者： Derek Thomas 译者/校对者：蔡璐/骆鸿铭
加尔文在《基督教要义》中写道：“人的本性是一个源源不断制造偶像的工厂”（1.11.8）。巴别塔事件最清楚地显明了这个道理（创11:1-9）。到了一定的时候，巴比伦就成为美索不达米亚最重要的城市，在圣经历史上也成了世俗与神对立的代名词。因此，在仇敌的势力被相继摧毁后，圣经的结尾就是巴比伦的覆灭。“巴比伦大城倾倒了！倾倒了！”（启18: 2）。蛇的后裔（创3:15）充斥着圣经历史，他们常常一同聚集在城市里，发出仇视上帝旨意的声响。如此说来，巴别就是上帝之城耶路撒冷的反面。奥古斯丁的 《上帝之城》就是基于对这“两座城”（twin cities）的对比描述。
“Man’s
nature,” Calvin wrote in the Institutes of the Christian Religion, “is a
perpetual factory of idols” (1.11.8). Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in
the Babel episode (Gen. 11:1–9). Babylon becomes in time the most important
city in Mesopotamia, and in Bible history a synonym for worldly opposition to
God. Thus, at the close of the Scriptures, in the successive destruction of the
enemy’s powers, is the downfall of Babylon: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the
great!” (Rev. 18:2). The progeny of the serpent (Gen. 3:15) populate history,
often gathering collectively in cities to sound the notes of implacable
hostility against the purposes of God. Babel, then, is the converse of
Jerusalem, the city of God. Augustine’s City of God is based on the contrasting
description of the “twin cities.”
在流行的词源学中，巴别的意思是 “上帝之门”，但摆在我们面前的经文却驳斥了这种说法。巴别代表了人类齐心合力地想要通到天上却徒劳无果，但它成了神降下审判、混乱（分裂）他们语言的裂缝（巴别是希伯来文的 “混乱”的意思[创11:7；和合本作：“变乱”]）。巴别塔是一个城市摩天大楼般的地标（它在示拿平原上的可识别度如巴黎的埃菲尔铁塔、西雅图的太空针塔，或者是伦敦的大本钟一样）。
Babel,
in popular etymology, came to mean “Gate of God.” But the passage before us
refutes this claim. Babel represents man’s unified futile attempt to reach up
to heaven, but it became a fissure through which the judgment of God came down
and confused (disunited) their language into babbling (Hebrew for “confusion”
is babel [Gen. 11:7]). The ziggurat of Babel was a city’s skyscraper mark of
identity (as recognizable in the plain of Shinar as the Eiffel Tower in Paris,
the Space Needle in Seattle, or Big Ben in London).
当摩西在《创世记》中插入巴别的故事时，就产生了一个有趣而惊人的对比。城市、自主（“让我们…… ” 创11:3）、凝聚力、藉着自我标榜来传扬自己的名（创11:4），以及高塔的模式，在下一章对亚伯兰的呼召中也得到了模仿：帐篷、神圣主权（上帝说：“我要…… ” 创12:2-3）、离开父家、赐名、敬拜的祭坛。这一整套通过人的努力自我称义的神学，与通过信心蒙神称义，形成了鲜明的对比！
An
interesting and alarming contrast develops as Moses inserts this story here in
Genesis. The pattern: city, autonomy (“Let us…,”11:3), cohesion, making a name
by self aggrandizement (11:4), and tower is mimicked in the very next chapter
with the call of Abram: tent, sovereignty (God says, “I will…” 12:2–3),
separation, given a name, altar of worship. An entire theology of
self-justification by human effort in contrast to divine justification through
faith is apparent in this contrast!
巴别塔代表了“家得宝”（“Home Depot”，译者注：北美一家大型连锁家居建材店）式的宗教——自己动手获取属灵祝福的方式：对权力的渴望，对顺服的厌恶，骄傲地追逐知名度，随时可以妥协道德标准，不惜一切代价冒险的愚蠢，对一切后果视而不见（用次等的材料来盖造这样的工程，创11:3）。特别是，堕落人性的核心是病态和充满焦虑的不知满足，这促使了金融大亨洛克菲勒在被问及他还想从生活中得到什么时，如此回答说：“只要比现在再多一点就好了”。
The
Tower of Babel represents “Home Depot” religion — the do-it-yourself approach
to spirituality: the passion for power, the distaste for submission and
obedience, the prideful drive for popularity, the readiness to compromise
ethical standards, the stupidity that takes risks “come hell or high water,” blind
to all consequences (using inadequate materials for such a project, 11:3). And
more especially, the disease and angst-ridden discontentment that lies at the
heart of fallen humanity, which drove Rockefeller, the financial tycoon, when
asked what else he wanted from life, to reply, “Just a little bit more.”
当你登上巴别塔时，你会发现什么？孤独、绝望和不满——这是一种凶残忍的存在方式，只要求忠诚，却毫无怜悯。这正是《传道书》中传来的钟声：“日光之下 ”没有任何什么能带来真正持久的满足；一切都是 “虚空”，是 “捕风”（传1:2-3，17）。
When
you ascend the Babel ziggurat, what is it that you find? Loneliness, despair,
and dissatisfaction — a cut-throat existence that demands loyalty without pity.
It is the tolling bell of Ecclesiastes that nothing brings true and lasting
satisfaction “under the sun”; all is “vanity” and a “a striving after wind”
(Eccl. 1:2–3, 17).
对于人心的这种弊病，上帝宣布了审判——这审判只有末后亚当的顺服才能消除。在五旬节（Pentecost），门徒们开始说起别国的话来，使来到耶路撒冷的人能听懂用他们母语所传达的和解信息。值得注意的是，正如《创世记》第十章包括了“万国列表”（table of nations；1-32节），在五旬节路加也包含了这样的列表（徒2:8-11），标志着通过对中保的信心，巴别的咒诅得到了反转。彼得稍后写作的第一封书信反映了这一点，他记录神救赎的目的是在耶稣基督里创造一个 “圣洁的国度”（2：9）。在五旬节，末世性的逆转发生了，使巴别的影响暂时停止，门徒们能够向 “万国万民”作基督的见证，期待有一天必要出现的现实。
To
this malady of the human heart God pronounces a judgment — one that is only
undone in the obedience of the last Adam. At Pentecost, the disciples began to
speak in foreign human languages so that visitors to Jerusalem could hear the
message of reconciliation in their own tongue. It is noteworthy that just as
Genesis 10 includes a “table of nations” (vv. 1–32), Luke also includes one at
Pentecost (Acts 2:8–11), signaling a reversal of the Babel curse through faith
in the Mediator. Peter will reflect on this later when he writes his first
epistle, recording that God’s redemptive purpose is created in Jesus Christ one
“holy nation” (2:9). At Pentecost, an eschatological reversal takes place,
arresting the effects of Babel for a season, enabling the disciples to be
witnesses to Christ to the “nations” in anticipation of a reality that will one
day emerge.
期待着那个新的现实的来临，教会蒙召去爱，在基督里实现人性的恢复，表明上帝在圣约里的祝福。早期教会的生活，反映出顺服上帝的护理和彼此相交的生命。很遗憾，我们经常遇到控制欲强、追求自我、贪恋权力的 “教会 ”，与之相比，基督的身体应该反映出巴别的影响已失去效用：一个从世界里被呼召出来的团契，蒙召与基督联合，也蒙召进入团契，彼此相交。
The
church is called to love in anticipation of that new existence, demonstrating
God’s covenantal blessing of a restored humanity in Christ. What arises in the
early church is a reflection of life lived in submission to God’s providence
and in fellowship with one another. In contrast to the manipulative,
self-seeking, power-hungry parody of “church” as we often so sadly encounter
it, the body of Christ should reflect the undoing of Babel: a fellowship called
out of the world, called into union with Christ and into fellowship with one
another.
这两种爱——爱自己和爱别人——之间的对比，是理解巴别和其对立面的关键。奥古斯丁在评论《诗篇》第65篇时总结道：“这两种爱创造了这两座城，即爱自己，到了轻视上帝的程度，这是地上的城；以及爱上帝，到了轻视自己的程度，这是天上的城。前者以自己为荣耀，后者以神为荣耀。前者追求的是人的荣耀，而对后者来说，以神作为结果的见证是最大的荣耀……一个是圣洁的，另一个是玷污的；一个是群体的，另一个是自私的……因此，各人要问自己所爱的是什么，他就会发现自己是属于哪一座城的公民。如果他发现自己是巴比伦的公民， 就让他根除贪婪，植入仁爱。但如果他发现自己是耶路撒冷的公民，就让他忍受这奴役并盼望获得自由。”
The
contrast between these two loves — love of self and love of others is the key
to understanding both Babel and its reverse. Commenting on Psalm 65, Augustine
concludes: “The two loves which have created these two cities, namely,
self-love to the extent of despising God, the earthly; love of God to the
extent of despising one’s self, the heavenly city. The former glories in
itself, the latter in God. The former seeks the glory of men while to the
latter God as the testimony of the consequence is the greatest glory. …the one
is holy, the other impure; the one is social, the other is selfish…. Wherefore
let each one question himself as to what he loveth; and he shall find of which
he is a citizen. And if he shall have found himself a citizen of Babylon, let
him root out cupidity and implant charity. But if he shall have found himself a
citizen of Jerusalem, let him endure captivity and hope for liberty.”
“耶路撒冷的公民……” 这是耶稣来要赐予人的——一条离开巴别进入新城的道路，在那里可以找到平安和真正的团契相交。 这不是幻想，而是现实，要给予凡因信来到耶稣面前，承认祂既是主、又是救主的人。
“A
citizen of Jerusalem….” This is what Jesus Christ came to provide — a way out
of Babel and into the new city where peace and safety and true communion is
found. It is no chimera but a reality offered to all who come to Jesus by faith
and confess him to be both Lord and Savior.
巴别塔与五旬节经文对比
巴别塔与五旬节经文对比
