聖約如何成為救贖歷史的架構？
How do covenants structure redemptive history?
作者：貝爾徹（Richard Belcher）  譯者：誠之
https://rts.edu/resources/how-do-covenants-structure-redemptive-history/
https://www.h-land.us/blog/40e78c20-0a75-11eb-bbb3-c773907a43b5?fbclid=IwAR2y1ENDOYbf3pKvUWrxhlfsWpdUVaf1ozsdlQ06xRIlVSDiKi9ybFCuRHs
短片： https://youtu.be/Bk7kmj7bIBo
 
聖約如何架構救贖歷史？貝爾徹（Richard Belcher）博士解釋了聖約如何幫助我們理解上帝的救贖計劃。
How do covenants structure redemptive history? Dr. Richard Belcher unpacks how the covenants help us understand God’s plan for salvation.
 
聖約是一個複雜的話題，關於聖約神學，我們可以說的有很多，但我認為瞭解聖約如何使聖經信息具有結構上的統一是有幫助的。盟約就像建築物的結構圖，為救贖歷史提供了結構框架。在解釋聖約神學時，理解聖經中有兩個主要的聖約是有益處的：行為之約和恩典之約。這兩個聖約彼此之間有很大的不同，但是它們共同提供了一個雙重聖約框架，這是福音的基礎。
Covenants are a complex topic, and there’s a lot we could say about covenant theology, but I think it’s helpful to understand how covenants give a structural unity to the message of Scripture. Covenants are like the architecture of a building, giving a structural framework for redemptive history. Now in explaining covenant theology, it’s helpful to understand that there are two overarching covenants in Scripture: there’s the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. These two covenants are very different from each other, but together they give a bi-covenantal framework that is foundational to the gospel.
 
行為之約
The Covenant of Works
 
我們將從行為之約開始。當亞當背叛了上帝時，行為之約就正式結束了。但是，重要的是要認識到，人必須完全遵守上帝律法的要求並未就此結束。它不會被刪除。我們所有人都有義務完全遵守上帝的律法。問題是我們不能遵守上帝的律法，因此我們受到律法的定罪。如今，末後的亞當基督來了，完全遵行了上帝的律法，通過祂在十字架上受死，祂擔當了罪的刑罰，也就是背約的咒詛，這是我們所有的人都必須承擔的這咒詛。
We’ll start with the covenant of works. When Adam disobeys God, the covenant of works formally comes to an end. However, it’s important to recognize that the requirement to perfectly keep the law of God does not come to an end. It is not removed. All of us are under the obligation to perfectly keep the law of God. The problem is we are not able to keep the law of God, and therefore we stand condemned by the law. Now Christ, the second Adam, came and perfectly kept the law of God, and through his death on the cross, he bore the condemnation, the covenant curse, that all of us stand under.
 
基督把這咒詛擔在自己肩上，好叫神可以藉著這歸算的義，稱凡信基督的罪人為義。因此，我們可以說，救恩在某種意義上是通過行為——不是通過我們的行為，而是通過由信心所接受的基督的行為。
He took that upon himself so that God justifies sinners through the imputed righteousness of Christ for those who believe in him. So we could say that salvation in one sense is by works, not our works, but the works of Christ received by faith.
 
恩典之約
The Covenant of Grace
 
恩典之約是上帝對亞當未能守約的回應。為了開始這個救贖的過程，在伊甸園裏的上帝以一種滿有恩典的方式對亞當做出了回應，為他披上了動物皮，以遮蓋他的裸體，遮掩他的羞愧和罪惡感。上帝還應許會有一位即將來臨的救贖主，將與那蛇爭戰，並戰勝蛇。許多人把創世記三章15節中的這個應許稱為第一個福音。儘管盟約的詛咒使上帝賦予亞當的任務更加難以實現，但亞當仍以信心回應，稱呼他的妻子為「夏娃」，意思是眾生之母。
The covenant of grace is God’s response to the failure of Adam. To begin that process of salvation, God right there in the garden responded in a gracious way to Adam by providing him animal skins to clothe his nakedness, to cover up his shame and guilt. God also promised that there would be a coming redeemer who would do battle with the serpent and would have victory over the serpent. Many call this the first gospel there in Genesis 3:15. And even though the covenant curse made the mandate that God had given to Adam more difficult to fulfill, Adam responds in faith by naming his wife Eve. Eve means the mother of all living.
 
救贖歷史在諸約中展開
Redemptive History Unfolds in Covenants
 
救贖歷史和上帝救恩的發展與推進是藉由舊約聖經中的各個盟約中實現的：挪亞之約，亞伯拉罕之約，摩西之約，大衛之約。這些盟約都由耶穌基督應驗了。我提到的每一個盟約都有各自獨特的重點，但它們共同代表了基督在祂第一次降臨時帶給我們的救恩的豐滿，而且在祂第二次降臨時會完全應驗。這些盟約中的每一個都不是通過取代早期盟約的承諾而取得進展，而是藉著擴充這些承諾，並在這些承諾的基礎上得到發展。這些聖約代表了耶穌基督所成全的我們救贖的盛豐。當神在救贖歷史中、在新天新地裏完成我們的救贖，並最終復興所有受造物的工作時，在這個涵括一切的恩典之約裏有極大的統一性。盟約是救贖歷史的結構框架，而救贖歷史則是上帝實現我們完整救恩的方法。
The development and progress of redemptive history and God’s salvation is worked out in the various covenants of the Old Testament: the covenant with Noah, the covenant with Abraham, the covenant with Moses, the covenant with David. All of these are fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Each of these covenants that I’ve mentioned have their own distinctive emphasis, but together they represent the fullness of salvation that Christ initially brings to us in his first coming and completely fulfills in his second coming. Each of these covenants progress not by replacing the promises of the earlier covenants but by expanding upon those promises and building upon those promises. These covenants represent the fullness of our salvation fulfilled by Jesus Christ. There’s great unity in the overarching covenant of grace as God in redemptive history works out our salvation and ultimately the restoration of all creation in the new heavens and the new earth. Covenants are the structural framework for redemptive history, God’s method to bring about our full and complete salvation.
 
貝爾徹（Richard P. Belcher）
 
Richard Belcher (Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary) is the John D. and Frances M. Gwin Professor of Old Testament at RTS Charlotte and the Academic Dean at both the Charlotte and Atlanta campuses. He is an ordained minister in the PCA and pastored an urban nondenominational church in Rochester, NY for ten years before pursuing the Ph.D.
貝爾徹（威斯敏斯特神學院博士）是夏洛特改革宗神學院（RTS Charlotte）的舊約教授（the John D. and Frances M. Gwin Professor of Old Testament），以及夏洛特和亞特蘭大校區的院長（Academic Dean）。他是PCA按立的牧師，在取得博士學位之前曾在紐約州羅切斯特市的一間無宗派城市教會牧會十年。