崇拜的限定原則：十項論證10 Arguments for theRegulative Principle of Worship

作者：T. David Gordon  誠之編譯

http://underdogtheology.blogspot.tw/2010/05/10-arguments-for-regulative-principle.html

https://www.facebook.com/notes/%E9%A7%B1%E9%B4%BB%E9%8A%98/10-arguments-for-the-regulative-principle-of-worship/3169916649712821/

“敬拜真神的正確途徑，是由祂親手制定的，因此就受祂所指定的旨意所限制。敬拜神不可用人的想像和設計，或撒但所建議的有形象徵，或任何其他聖經所沒有指定的方法。”（西敏信仰告白，21.1）

一、因為神是忌邪的神

A. 簡短說明

聖經啟示神是一位忌邪的神，而此忌邪的屬性是顯明在敬拜神時禁止一些事情（製作偶像）的經文中。因此，禁止雕刻偶像或天上地下的百物，是根據神忌邪的屬性。作為一位忌邪的神，祂不會調整自己去適應人慣常的崇拜形式，反而堅持要人按照祂的旨意來敬拜祂。

B. 相關經文：出廿4-5，三十四14。

另參出廿五9、40，廿六30。

二、敬虔就是完全遵照上帝的旨意行

A. 簡短說明

有許多經文描述惡人所行的，並不是完全抵觸神的旨意，而是行在祂的旨意之外。同樣，經文描述敬畏神的人在神的同在中是發顫的，他們完全按照神的旨意來行。如果真的是這樣，「有創意的」敬拜；沒有按照神的啟示的敬拜，也就是神所沒有啟示說是祂所喜悅的任何其他的敬拜，都是不敬虔的。

B. 相關經文：賽六十六1-4；申十二20-32；利十1-2；撒上十三8-15；十五3-22。

三、有些經文談到有些人用神所沒有規定的來敬拜祂，結果招致嚴重懲罰的經文（傳統論證的「核心」）

A. 簡短說明

有些地方說到人獻上敬拜，明顯是出於想要討神喜悅的美好信心（心靈誠實地）來作的，然而他們是以神所沒有規定的方式來作的，而神對他們的懲罰卻非常嚴厲。這種嚴厲的懲罰說明神極為痛恨這種敬拜。

B. 相關經文 利十1-2（凡火，即耶和華沒有吩咐的）；撒上十三8-15。

四、人心有敬拜偶像的犯罪傾向

保羅在羅馬書一章19節以下指出，人類因著悖逆神，「去敬拜事奉受造之物，不敬奉那造物的主」。此外，這不是因為無知，而是道德的敗壞：「他們雖然知道上帝，卻不當作上帝榮耀祂，也不感謝祂……」

參： Thomas E.   Peck, 《雜文》，第一集，  pp. 96-97：「那麼，人就沒有能力去發明崇拜的模式，因為他不知道什麼模式最能表達真理或真理所產生出來的情感。」

五、崇拜是聖約的更新

我們已經證明，公眾崇拜是神的子民聚集在神面前和祂重新立約，如果此聖約是神的主權（完全由神自由選擇來設立的），且如果聖約的責任是我們在生活所有的領域都必須完全順服，那麼，在這個我們重新立志要委身聖約的崇拜服事中，就特別應當完全反映神對我們的主權。

六、 教會的權力是有限的

A. 簡短說明

教會是一個機構；是由復活的基督所設立的，由祂所授權；祂要求人順服祂的命令，並參與到祂的律例當中。基督沒有給教會權柄去順服教會自己的命令，也沒有給教會權柄要求人參與教會自己制定的律例。教會治理的限定原則（Regulative Principle；或譯為管制原則、規範原則）是崇拜的限定原則的基礎。

B. 相關經文：太二十八18-20；林後一24；羅十四7-9。

七、良心的自由

A. 簡短說明

聖經教導唯獨基督是個人良心的主；基督徒唯獨當完全順服基督（這種順服不需要正當的理由或證明）。唯獨神可以要求我們照祂的話做，單單因為祂這樣說過。引誘人不按照他們所相信是正確的去行動，是犯罪的行為。此外，神要求我們唯獨按照祂所啟示的來敬拜祂。因此，要求人在公眾崇拜中，去作上帝沒有要求的，或要他們作他們所不相信的神已經呼召他們作的，或參加違反了公眾敬拜原則的崇拜，是在強迫人去違反他/她的良心。這是一種犯罪。

B. 相關經文：羅十四章；林前八4-13。

八、信心

A. 簡短說明

信心的本質是信靠順服神所已經啟示的。換句話說，信心是不看自己而是看神；不依靠自己，而是倚靠神；相信祂，順服祂的審判和道路。按照定義，如果神沒有啟示自己，我們就無從順服。而沒有信心就無法取悅神。因此，不信實守約的敬拜，就不是一種對祂的啟示之順服的回應，這種敬拜是無法取悅神的。（約翰歐文強有力地論證了這點）

B. 相關經文： 羅十四23；來十一6及整章。

九、造物主和受造物之間的距離

A. 簡短說明

上帝的道路和意念高過我們的道路和意念，正如天高過地。祂的身上披著奧秘，而奧秘是祂的榮耀。隱秘的事屬於神，只有顯明的事屬於我們。我們怎能以為我們有可能揣摩出一些可以討神喜悅的事呢？

B. 相關經文：賽四十12-14；申廿九29；賽五十五9；箴廿五2。

十、教會歷史

A. 簡短說明

教會歷史給了我們足夠的證明，容讓墮落的被造物自己去發明，無可避免地會製造出不敬虔的崇拜。特別是宗教改革，作為一個歷史的運動，見證了當崇拜不再受神啟示的旨意所規限時，這種敗壞會漸漸且無可避免地潛入敬拜當中。

Source: Regulative Principle Handout

10 Arguments for the Regulative Principle of Worship 

by T. David Gordon

WCF XXI.1: "But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture."

I. Argument from the character of God as jealous

A. Brief description of the argument.

God is revealed to be a jealous God in scripture, and his character as a jealous God is introduced into texts which prohibit certain things (creating images) in the worship of God. Thus, the prohibition of creating graven images or any other likeness of anything in heaven or earth is grounded in God’s character as a jealous God. As a jealous God, He does not accommodate himself to the forms of worship to which humans are accustomed, but rather insists that He be worshiped as He wills.

B. Sample of relevant texts—Ex.20:4-5; 34:14

II. Argument from those passages where piety is described as doing exclusively what God wishes.

A. Brief description of the argument.

In many passages, the wicked are described not as doing what is contradictory to God’s will, but what is beside His will. Similarly, the pious are described by their trembling in God’s presence, their doing exclusively what God wishes. This being the case, "creative" worship; worship which is beside what God has revealed, which is anything other than what God has revealed to be a delight to him, is impious.

B. Sample of relevant texts—Isa.66:1-4; Dt.12:29-32; Lev. 10:1-2; 1 Sam.13:8-15; 15:3-22

III. Argument from the severity of the temporal punishments inflicted upon those who offer to God worship other than what He has prescribed (this is the "heart" of the traditional argument).

A. Brief description of the argument.

There are places where people offer worship to God, in an apparently good-faith desire to please Him, yet they do so in some manner not prescribed by God, and His punishment of them is severe. The severity of the punishment reveals that God is intensely displeased by such.

B. Sample of relevant texts—Lev. 10:1-2; 1 Sam.13:8-15

IV. Argument from the sinful tendency towards idolatry (Rom. 1).

Paul’s point in Romans 1:19ff is that the human race, in its revolt against God, has "worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator." Further, this is not due to ignorance, but to moral defilement: "Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give him thanks…"

Cf. Thomas E. Peck, Miscellanies, vol. I, pp. 96-97: "Man, then, is incompetent to devise modes of worship, because he knows not what modes are best adapted to express the truth or the emotions which the truth is suited to produce."

V. Argument from the nature of worship as covenant renewal.

If, as we have attempted to demonstrate, corporate worship is a gathering of God’s people to renew covenant with him, and if the nature of that covenant is sovereign (instituted entirely by God’s free choice), and if the duty of that covenant is our complete obedience in all areas of life, then the service in which we renew our commitment to such a covenant ought especially and explicitly to reflect the utter lordship of God over us.

VI. Argument from the Limits of Church-Power

A. Brief description of the argument.

The Church is an institution; instituted by the positive command of the risen Christ, and authorized by Him to require obedience to His commands and participation in His ordinances. The Church is given no authority to require obedience to its own commands, and is given no authority to require participation in ordinances of its own making. The Regulative Principle of Church-Government lies behind the Regulative Principle of Worship.

B. Sample of relevant texts—Mat. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 1:24; Rom. 14:7-9

VII. Argument from Liberty of Conscience (or argument from charity, cf. the following outline for a further elaboration)

A. Brief description of the argument.

The Bible teaches that Christ is the sole Lord of an individual’s conscience; that believers owe implicit obedience (obedience that needs no justification in reason or arguments) to Christ alone. God alone may require us to do something simply because He has said so. To induce someone to act contrary to what they believe is right is sinful. Further, God requires us to worship Him only as He has revealed. Therefore, to require a person, in corporate worship, to do something which God has not required, forces the person either to sin against his/her conscience, by making them do what they do not believe God has called them to do, or to not participate in portions of public worship, which offends the principle of corporate worship (John Murray and Edmund Clowney have articulated this view very clearly).

B. Sample of relevant texts—Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8:4-13

VIII. Argument from Faith

A. Brief description of the argument. By its very essence, faith is a trusting, obedient response to what God has revealed. Faith, that is, looks outside of the self to God, depending not on self but on God, relying on Him, believing Him, acquiescing in His judgments and ways. Where God has not revealed himself, no faithful response is possible, by definition. And, without faith it is impossible to please God. Therefore, God cannot be pleased by worship which is unfaithful, that is, worship which is not an obedient response to his revelation (John Owen makes this argument compellingly).

B. Sample of relevant texts—Rom.14:23; Heb. 11:6, and entire chapter.

IX. Argument from the distance between the Creator and the creature.

A. Brief description of the argument.

God’s ways and thoughts are above ours as the heavens are above the earth. He is clothed in mystery, and it is his glory to conceal a thing. The hidden things belong to him, but the revealed things belong to us. What makes us think we can possibly fathom what would please God?

B. Sample of relevant texts—Isa. 40:12-14; Deut. 29:29; Isa. 55:9; Prov.25:2

X. Argument from Church History

A. Brief description of the argument.

Church history amply demonstrates that fallen creatures, left to their own devices, inevitably produce worship which is impious. Especially the Reformation, as an historical movement, bore testimony to the corruption which creeps slowly yet inevitably into worship when worship is not regulated by the revealed will of God.

Source: Regulative Principle Handout

婴儿洗礼Paedobaptism

作者：Guy M. Richard   译者/校对：Maria Marta/诚之

https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2020/04/paedobaptism/

https://www.facebook.com/peddrluo/posts/10158941017564653

身为长老会牧师，我经常被问到我为何相信婴儿洗。我收到大量此类问题，因此知道大家对这项教义有很多误解。造成这些误解的部分原因是，那些施行婴儿洗的教会有许多成员不能为他们所相信之事作出充分的、合乎圣经的解释。原因可能是这些教会未能充分装备其成员来作出回应，也可能只是因为洗礼对婴儿洗支持者来说，不是一项定义性的教义，而对其他许多人来说却恰恰是如此。比如，我们浸信会的兄弟姐妹根据他们的洗礼立场，将自己和大多数其他基督教传统区别开来，这意味着他们普通的教会成员在洗礼这一教义上受到的教导，往往比我们的成员更加彻底。

大家误解婴儿洗的另一部分原因是，他们误解了婴儿洗背后的圣约神学。最近，我在神学院讲授一门有关洗礼的课程，其间我让学生们阅读一篇浸信会兄弟写的文章，内容是他为什么认为婴儿洗不符合圣经。这位弟兄的文章最让我惊讶的地方是他频频误解圣约神学以及圣约神学对洗礼所作的推论。在我们能够在这教义上携手共进之前，我们必须尽可能以清晰的思维与优雅的态度来纠正这些误解。正是本着这种精神，我将提供本文的其余部分。

在承认这点之后，我要说的第一件事是，婴儿洗立场实际上几乎接受了信而受洗者（credobaptist）关于受洗者所说的一切立场。我们全心全意确认，当成人（从未受洗的）宣称相信基督时，应当正确给他施洗。因此，婴儿洗者（paedobaptist）一词是用词不当。我们不只给婴孩施洗；我们既给公开承认相信基督的信徒施洗，也给他们年幼的孩童施洗，从这个意义上说，我们既是婴儿洗的支持者，又是信而受洗的支持者。我们与信而受洗兄弟姐妹的不同之处仅仅在于「只」这个词。信而受洗支持者「只」给表明信仰的信徒施洗，而我们既给信徒施洗，也给他们的孩童施洗。

我指出这一点是要表明，仅仅用新约列举的为公开承认相信基督的信徒施洗的例子，来证明信而受洗的立场是不够的。婴儿洗支持者也承认要给表明信仰的信徒施洗。我们信而受洗立场的兄弟姐妹必须证明：圣经教导，公开表明信仰的信徒应当要受洗，其他人都不应当。

我要说的第二点是创世记第十七章明确指出，上帝吩咐百姓必须给他们出生第8天的孩子施行祂立约的外在记号（割礼）。鉴于这一事实, 我们只需要证明，亚伯拉罕之约本质上与新约相同，而且割礼神学反映了洗礼神学，以证明信徒儿女在新约下接受立约的记号，就如他们在亚伯拉罕之约下显然接受了立约记号那样。

罗马书二章28-29节、罗马书四章11节、申命记卅章6节、耶利米书九章25-26节（还有其他章节） 等经文都表明：上帝从未计划将割礼设计为种族身份的标记，而是设计为一种指向属灵实体（内心割礼） 的外在记号。割礼回头指出内心已经发生的事，就像亚伯拉罕的例子，他先信了，然后受了割礼；又或者是指向预期会在未来发生的事，如大多数犹太人的例子，他们在出生第八天受割礼，然后期盼在他们长大后能跟随亚伯拉罕信心的脚踪（罗四12）。借着基督徒所受的（内心的）属灵割礼和（圣灵施行的）属灵洗礼，歌罗西书二章11-12节明确了割礼和洗礼之间的神学联系。如果内心的割礼和内心的洗礼是相关联的，那么它们外在的记号，也就是身体的割礼和水的洗礼，肯定也是如此。

加拉太书三章16节和罗马书四章11-12节进一步教导我们，亚伯拉罕之约和新约在本质上是同一个约。加拉太书三章16节说，基督是亚伯拉罕的后裔，也就是说无论旧约还是新约，只有那些「在基督里」的人才是亚伯拉罕的后裔（参看加三7、14、29）。 罗马书4章11–12节对此作出肯定，因为它说亚伯拉罕是所有信主的（未受割礼的）外邦人的父，也是所有受了割礼，「并且按我们的祖宗亚伯拉罕未受割礼而信之踪迹去行」的犹太人的父。约翰福音八章56节告诉我们，这种信心是看见基督的信心。这是一种仰望上天、仰望属灵现实和祝福的信心，而不是仰望属地的应许之地和属世的现实和祝福的信心（来十一10、16）。

因此，亚伯拉罕之约不是与亚伯拉罕肉身后裔订立的物质或暂时的盟约。它是与亚伯拉罕属灵后裔订立的属灵盟约。亚伯拉罕之约与新约在本质上是相同的。基督——亚伯拉罕的后裔——确保情况确实如此。此外，割礼并非种族身份的象征，而是蒙呼召的记号，即亚伯拉罕肉生的后裔蒙召要按照亚伯拉罕信之踪迹去行，从而成为亚伯拉罕属灵后裔的记号。

鉴于这些事实，新约讲述「全家」受洗也就不足为奇了。诸约之间以及圣约的各个记号之间的连续性表明，这正合乎我们的期待。从创世记第十七章开始，上帝的子民就一直在实践「全家」割礼，将上帝内在盟约的外在记号施行在公开表明信仰的成年信徒（他们以前从未受过割礼）和他们的孩童身上。事实上，经过几千年，儿童作为盟约记号的领受者，一直都被纳入到圣约团体当中，如果在新约时代事情照信而受洗者的看法，已经发生翻天覆地的改变，那么我们就会期望新约多少会提到这点。难道我们真的要相信孩子们现在已经被排除在圣约之外了吗？并因此认为，旧的盟约比新的盟约更伟大、更包容吗？这种说法的根据是什么？它违背了我们从旧约到新约随处可见的扩张原则。婴儿洗不仅符合我们所看到的圣约和圣约记号之间的连续性，而且也符合这种扩张原则，因为它将圣约记号同时施行在男女身上，也施行在他们所有的孩童身上，不分男女。

Dr. Guy M. Richard is executive director and assistant professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta. He is author of several books, including Baptism: Answers to Common Questions.

Are we really to believe that children are now cut out of the covenant community?

Paedobaptism

by Guy M. Richard

As a Presbyterian minister, I often get asked about why I believe in baptizing infants. The sheer number of questions that I get tells me that there is a great deal of misunderstanding about this doctrine. Part of the reason for this misunderstanding is that many members of paedobaptist churches have not been able to give good biblical justification for what they believe. This may be because paedobaptist churches are not adequately preparing their members to do so, or it may simply be because baptism is not a defining doctrine for paedobaptists in precisely the same way that it is for many others. Our Baptist brothers and sisters, for instance, distinguish themselves from most other Christian traditions by their position on baptism, which means that their average church member often receives more thoroughgoing teaching on this doctrine than ours will.

Another part of the reason why people misunderstand paedobaptism is that they misunderstand the covenant theology that lies behind it. I recently taught a seminary class on baptism in which I asked my students to read an article written by a Baptist brother on why he believed paedobaptism is unbiblical. What surprised me most about this brother’s article was how frequently he misunderstood covenant theology and its implications for baptism. Before we can ever move forward together on this doctrine, we need to correct these kinds of misunderstandings with as much clarity and grace as possible. And it is in that spirit that I offer the rest of this article.

Having acknowledged this, the first thing I would say is that the paedobaptist position embraces virtually everything that the credobaptist position does about the recipients of baptism. We wholeheartedly affirm that baptism is rightly administered to adults (never before baptized) when they profess faith in Christ. The term paedobaptist is thus something of a misnomer. We don’t merely baptize young children; we baptize both professing believers and their young children, and, in that sense, we are both credobaptist and paedobaptist. What distinguishes us from our credobaptist brothers and sisters is the word only. Credobaptists baptize professing believers only, whereas we baptize professing believers and their children.

I mention this to indicate that it takes more than simply pointing to the examples of professing believers being baptized in the New Testament to prove the credobaptist position. Paedobaptists acknowledge the baptism of professing believers too. Our credobaptist brothers and sisters have to demonstrate that the Bible teaches that professing believers, and no one else, are to be baptized.

The second thing I would say is that Genesis 17 explicitly states that God commanded the outward sign of His covenant (circumcision) to be applied to their infant sons at eight days old. Given that fact, we need only show that the Abrahamic covenant is substantially the same as the new covenant and that the theology of circumcision mirrors the theology of baptism in order to validate the children of believers’ receiving the covenant sign under the new covenant as they obviously did under the Abrahamic covenant.

Romans 2:28–29 and 4:11, together with Deuteronomy 30:6 and Jeremiah 9:25–26 (among others), indicate that circumcision was never intended by God as a badge of ethnic identity but was intended as an outward sign pointing to an inward spiritual reality (a circumcision of the heart). It pointed backward to what had already happened on the inside—as in the case of Abraham, who believed and then was circumcised—or to what was expected to happen in the future—as in the case of most Jews who were circumcised at eight days old and then were expected to follow in the footsteps of Abraham’s faith when they were older (Rom. 4:12). Colossians 2:11–12 makes the theological connection between circumcision and baptism explicit by applying both spiritual circumcision (of the heart) and spiritual baptism (of the Holy Spirit) to the Christian. If inward circumcision and inward baptism are linked, then surely their outward signs—that is, physical circumcision and water baptism—are as well.

Galatians 3:16 and Romans 4:11–12, furthermore, teach us that the Abrahamic covenant is essentially the same as the new covenant. Galatians 3:16 states that Christ is the offspring of Abraham, which means that only those who are “in Christ” are children of Abraham—whether in the Old Testament or in the New (see Gal. 3:7, 14, 29). Romans 4:11–12 confirms this when it says that Abraham is the father of every (uncircumcised) gentile who believes and the father of every circumcised Jew who “walk[s] in the footsteps of the faith . . . that Abraham had before he was circumcised.” This faith, as John 8:56 tells us, is a faith that looks to Christ. It is a faith that looks to heaven and to spiritual realities and blessings rather than to an earthly promised land and temporal realities and blessings (Heb. 11:10, 16).

The Abrahamic covenant was, therefore, not a physical or temporal covenant enacted with the biological descendants of Abraham. It was a spiritual covenant enacted with the spiritual descendants of Abraham. It was a covenant that was substantially the same as the new covenant. Christ—the seed of Abraham—ensures that this is the case. Circumcision, moreover, was not a sign of ethnic identity but a sign that called the biological descendants of Abraham to become his spiritual descendants by following him in the same faith that he had.

Given these realities, it should be no surprise that the New Testament speaks of “household” baptisms. The continuity between the covenants—and between the covenant signs—indicates that this is exactly what we would expect. Ever since Genesis 17, God’s people had been practicing “household” circumcision, applying the outward sign of God’s inward covenant to professing adult believers (who never received it before) and to their children. Indeed, we would expect to find some mention in the New Testament if, after thousands of years of including children in the covenant community as recipients of the covenant sign, things were supposed to be so radically different in the new covenant era. Are we really to believe that children are now cut out of the covenant community and that the old covenant is, for that reason, greater and more inclusive than the new? What is the basis for this? It runs counter to the principle of expansion that we see at work everywhere else when we move from Old to New Testament. Not only is paedobaptism consistent with the continuity that we see between the covenants and between the covenant signs, but it is also consistent with this principle of expansion because it applies the covenant sign to both men and women and to their male and female children.

你所属的堂会是绿洲还是海市蜃楼？Is Your Congregation An Oasis Or A Mirage?

作者：Scott Clark   译者/校对：基甸/诚之

 https://heidelblog.net/2020/05/is-your-congregation-an-oasis-or-a-mirage/

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5oolbqsPp4B3JSLJ6WvIkA

小时候，我经常跟着大人去堪萨斯西南部祖父母的农场。我在那里学会了开车、搭栅栏、打捆乾草、嚼烟草。最后一项不建议大家学。在旅途中，赶上一个十分酷热的日子，远处就会出现海市蜃楼的景象。只见热浪在柏油路面不停的翻腾，看上去仿佛眼前的道路已经融化了一样。

When I was boy we made frequent pilgrimages to my grandparent’s farm in Southwestern Kansas. That is where I learned to drive, put up fence, buck bales of hay, and chew tobacco. I do not recommend the latter. On the trip, on a really hot day, a mirage would appear in the distance. The road seemed to melt ahead of us as heat waves rose from the asphalt.

沙漠中的旅行者渴望两样东西：水和绿荫，而这两样东西只有在绿洲里才能找到。旅行者心中渴慕绿洲，因为沙漠中的温度可以达到48.9摄氏度（120华氏度），非常的危险。所以看到远方的绿洲，可以给人盼望。但如果绿洲变成了海市蜃楼，就会让人非常失望，非常痛苦。

Travelers in the desert long for two things: water and shade, two things offered by an oasis. An oasis is desirable because traveling in the desert, where temperatures can reach 120F can be dangerous. To see an oasis in the distance offers hope. An oasis turn out to be a mirage is a bitter disappointment.

基督徒生活也是如此。圣经把基督徒生活描绘成一段旅程、一段朝圣之旅，而把基督徒描绘成客旅和天路客。在《利未记》25章23节，耶和华称我们为“寄居的”。在《诗篇》39篇12节中，大卫称自己是寄居的。《希伯来书》11章13节说道：“这些人都是存着信心死的，并没有得着所应许的，却从远处望见，且欢喜迎接，又承认自己在世上是客旅，是寄居的。”在《彼得前书》2章11节，使徒劝勉信徒说：“亲爱的弟兄啊，你们是客旅，是寄居的。我劝你们要禁戒肉体的私欲；这私欲是与灵魂争战的。”

So it is in the Christian life. The Scriptures picture the Christian life as a journey, a pilgrimage and believers as sojourners or pilgrims. In Leviticus 25:23 the Lord called us “sojourners.” In Psalm 39:12 David described himself as a sojourner. Hebrews 11:13 says, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (NASB). In 1 Peter 2:11, the Apostle exhorts believers, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (NASB).

虽然现在已经不流行再说这个世界非我家，但这世界确实并非我的家。使徒保罗提醒腓立比人，他们的国籍在天上（腓3:20）。我们的主耶稣向彼拉多承认他的国“不属这世界”（约18:36）。祂说如果祂的国属这世界，祂就会召成群的天使为祂的国而战，但祂的国并不属这世界。可以肯定的是，三位一体的上帝创造了这个世界，所以从本质上来说这个世界是好的。针对诺斯底主义，我们承认这点。针对摩尼教，我们不承认这世上存在善恶对立的两套原则。我们认为因果报应是一种谎言。这个世界是属上帝的，祂把它借给我们，让我们在目前的居间状态下，对这个世界进行治理。因此，我的建议不是逃离这个世界，而是设定这个世界的优先次序，并承认我们的双重公民身份。我们基督徒是肯定受造万物的，但是我们也否定这个世界（《约翰福音》意义上的世界）。我们不是在改造这个世界，但也不只是“一个过客”。我们这些朝圣者是在一个背叛上帝的世界里建立天国的大使馆。每一寸土地都是属基督的，但祂现在是以双重方式在治理这片土地，而且只有在新天新地里，才会最终成全祂的统治。

It is not fashionable now to confess that this world is not our home, it is still true. The Apostle Paul reminded the Philippians that their citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). Our Lord Jesus confessed to Pilate that his kingdom is “not of this world” (John 18:36). He said that were his kingdom of this world he would call down legions of angels and fight for it, but it is not. To be sure, our triune God created this world and made it essentially good. We confess this against the Gnostics. Against the Manichaeans we confess that there are not two dueling principles in the world, good and evil. Karma is a lie. This world belongs to God and he has loaned it to us to manage, as it were, in the interim. So, mine is not the counsel of world flight but one of setting priorities and recognizing our twofold citizenship. We Christians are creation affirming and world (in the Johannine sense of word) denying. We are not transforming the world but neither are we “just a passin’ through.” We pilgrims are establishing kingdom embassies in a rebellious world. Every square inch does belong to Christ but he governs those inches in a twofold way and will only consummate his dominion in the new heavens and the new earth.

朝圣客和寄居者都需要一个歇脚的地方。他们需要一片绿洲。凡是作过长途旅行的人都知道，如果中途能够下车伸伸懒腰，提提神，就会觉得无比的舒畅。如果沿途没有休息站和咖啡馆，还会有旅客吗？基督徒也是如此，他们需要沙漠中的绿洲。圣经称我们为客旅（朝圣者），就仿佛把我们放在了出埃及的路途中。我们已经通过红海（《比利时信条》第34条说基督就是我们的红海），走在旱地上，藉着洗礼与基督同死同活（林前10:1-4；罗6章[一整章];西2:11-12）。

 Pilgrims and sojourners need a place to rest. They need an oasis. Anyone who has ever taken a long road trip knows how pleasant it is to get out of the car for a bit to stretch one’s legs and to refresh one’s self. Where would the traveler be without truck stops and cafes? So it is for Christians, who need an oasis in a desert. By calling us pilgrims, the Scriptures are placing us, as it were, in the Exodus. We have come through the Red Sea, which our Belgic Confession says is Christ (Art. 34), on dry ground, identified with Christ in our baptism (1 Cor 10:1–4; Rom 6 [all]; Col 2:11–12).

然而，很多时候，朝圣客所找到的并不他们所需要、所渴望的绿洲，而是海市蜃楼。它看起来很像是可供人歇脚、让人得到更新的地方，但其实不然。我的意思是基督已将几件事托付祂的教会，要她忠心地去执行，其中最重要的就是宣讲律法和福音。通过律法，我们知道了我们的罪和愁苦是何等的大（《海德堡要理问答》第2和第3条），而通过律法的第三重功用，得赎的人明白了他们对上帝和邻舍的责任，但只有通过福音，我们才能找到绿洲。福音是一个独特的措词。我们承认圣灵上帝正是借着这个词，将新生命（重生）和真信心赐给人。

Too often, however, what pilgrims find is not the needed and desired oasis of refreshment but a mirage, something that looked like a place of rest and renewal but turned out to be more of the same. What I mean is that Christ has commissioned his church to do a few things faithfully and chief among them is to preach the law and the gospel. Through the law we learn the greatness of our sin and misery (Heidelberg Catechism 2 and 3) and through the third use of the law the redeemed learn their duty to God and neighbor but only through the gospel do we find an oasis. The gospel is a unique word. We confess that it is the only word through which the God the Spirit operates to bring new life (regeneration) and true faith. In Heidelberg 65 we confess:

在《海德堡要理问答》65条，我们认信到：我们既然是单单因着信而与基督和祂一切恩惠有份，那么，这信心又是从何而来的呢？

 Since then we are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits by faith only, whence does this faith proceed?

答：是圣灵藉着福音的宣讲，在我们心里生发信心，又藉着圣礼的施行，确认并坚固这信心。

 From the Holy Spirit, who works faith in our hearts by the preaching of the gospel, and confirms it by the use of the sacraments.

正是通过福音的宣讲，圣灵在我们心中生发信心；也正是通过原本算不得什么而只能显明福音的圣礼（加尔文），即洗礼和圣餐，福音的应许才得到证实。

It is through the preaching of the gospel that the Spirit works faith in our hearts and it is through the use of the holy sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), which are nothing but the gospel made visible (Calvin) that the promises of the gospel are confirmed.

正如我的朋友、老师兼同事鲍勃·戈弗雷（Bob Godfrey）常说的那样，如果我们不给穷人提供食物，就会有别人提供；如果我们不去教育无学问的人，别人会去教育；但如果我们教会不去宣讲福音，就不会有其他人去宣讲。

 As my friend, teacher, and colleague Bob Godfrey has often said, if we do not feed the poor, someone else will do it. If we do not educate the ignorant, someone else will do it but if we, the church, do not preach the gospel, no one else will do it.

基督唯独将宣讲福音的使命托付给了有形的建制教会，除此之外并无其他实体（太28:18-20）。宣讲福音对有形教会的使命和身份来说如此重要，以至于改革宗教会认信说，一个教会的福音宣讲若不“纯正”（pure preching of the gospel），就算不上真教会。同样，他们也认为，圣礼的施行，以及使用教会纪律来纠正圣徒若不纯正，也算不上真教会。

The visible, institutional church is the only entity to which Christ entrusted the official proclamation of the gospel (Matt 28:18—20). The preaching of the gospel is so central to the mission and identity of the visible church that the Reformed Churches confess that where the “pure preaching” of the gospel is absent, there is not a true church. They say the same about the “pure administration” of the sacraments and the use of church discipline for correcting the saints.

若没有纯正的福音宣讲，堂会就不算是一片绿洲，而是一种海市蜃楼。这只会让朝圣者承受更严重的酷热和更多的风沙，根本无法为客旅们减轻难耐的酷热，也无法为他们带来生命的泉水。这一点虽然非常基本，也很明显，却经常发生，因为纵观整个教会史，我们可以看到教会常常忽略了她的首要使命。在我们现今这个时代，堂会利用成打的不同方式来吸引人，却忘了使他们成为真教会所必不可少的那一件事，就是福音。在沙漠中一个没有绿荫、没有水泉的地方，无论它看起来多么吸引人，都不会给沿途的客旅带来真正的帮助。

 Without the pure preaching of the gospel a congregation is not an oasis. It is only a mirage, which has nothing to offer the pilgrim but more heat and sand when what the sojourner needs is relief from the heat and the water of life. This is a basic point and obvious but it bears repeating because throughout the history of the church she has often lost sight of her prime mission. In our age congregations busily make themselves attractive in a dozen different ways but forget the one thing that makes them a true church: the gospel. A place in the desert without shade and water, however attractive, is no real help.

作为一个代表所有困苦的基督徒写信的朝圣者，我请求牧师、长老和会员们，你们一定要确保自己的堂会不是海市蜃楼，不只是外表看起来像教会，却缺乏唯有福音才能带给人安慰和生命的地方。请务必确保你们的教会是能够给身为客旅的基督徒带来盼望、帮助和生命的真正绿洲。

 As a pilgrim writing in behalf of needy Christians, I am asking pastors, elders, and members to make sure that their congregations are not mirages, places  that look like churches but that lack the relief and life that only the gospel gives. Please be sure that yours are real oases of hope, help, and life for pilgrims.

基督徒啊，请问你的堂会是否通过了这个基本考验？我知道，你的堂会可能有耀眼的灯光、婆娑的影像，但它有福音吗，有每周宣讲上帝的话语，宣告人子上帝为拯救罪人道成肉身，并为罪人的缘故主动顺服，为他们受苦、受死、埋葬，又从死里复活，为要叫他们称义，现在又坐在全能父的右边作他们的中保吗？

 Christian, does your congregation pass this basic test? Does your congregation may  have flashing lights and whirling sights but does it have the gospel, the weekly announcement from God’s Word that God the Son became incarnate for sinners, that he obeyed on their behalf, suffered for them, died, was buried, and was raised for their justification and no mediates for them at the right hand of the Father.

这是你们堂会事工的主要内容吗，还是你们仅仅假设了福音的内容，却很少（如果有的话）详细加以阐述？试问，如果你邀请慕道友到教会，教会的讲道能清楚地将他引向恩慈的救主耶稣吗，还是他不过听到了一些让他感觉更加良好的“医治”信息？他会听到基督是谁、基督做了什么，这类的信息吗，还是只会听到关于社会弊病的说教？当然，你的非基督徒朋友需要听到律法，但最不可少的是他必须听见福音，他要亲耳听到清晰、直白、大有荣耀的福音。愿今天及以后的每个主日，我们的教会都能成为福音的绿洲。

Is that the staple of the ministry of your congregation or is the gospel assumed but rarely, if ever, articulated? If you brought a non-Christian friend to church would he be pointed clearly and graciously to Jesus the Savior or would he only hear a therapeutic message about how to feel better about himself? Is he likely to hear about who Christ is and what Christ has done or a lecture about the evils of society? Your non-Christian friend needs to hear the law but it is essential that he hear the gospel, the clear, plain, glorious sound of the gospel, in his ears. May our churches be gospel oases today and every Lord’s Day.

用「心靈和誠實」拜祂是什麼意思？

文/誠之

https://www.facebook.com/peddrluo/posts/10158927230854653

約翰福音四23-24

時候將到，如今就是了，那真正拜父的，要用心靈和誠實拜祂，因為父要這樣的人拜祂。神是個靈（或無個字），所以拜祂的必須用心靈和誠實拜祂。

用心靈和誠實，更好的譯法是：用靈和真理；或者：在（聖）靈裏、在真理裏；或者：在真理的聖靈裏。無論哪個，都比「用心靈和誠實」好得多。

和合本的翻譯很容易讓人以為，只要是發自內心的、真誠的（用心靈和誠實，最直接的呈現的就是這個意思）敬拜，就是上帝悅納的。但這節經文的意思遠遠不是這樣。

現代教會的敬拜形式，訴諸的是人的「誠心」，而不是訴諸上帝啟示的真理，恐怕與這節經文的錯誤（至少是不當）翻譯脫不了干係。

以下摘錄幾個聖經注釋，說明這裏的「靈」最好翻譯為「聖靈」，這裏的「誠實」應該翻譯為「真理」。

一、Carson 約翰福音注釋：

耶穌的受難與高升構成了賜下聖靈的轉捩點（時候將到，現在就是了）；但救恩歷史的轉捩點之所以可以出現，完全單單是因為耶穌的位格。（注意，卡森在解釋這節經文時，正確地訴諸了救贖歷史解經法，這節經文牽涉到救贖歷史的一個新時期，一個轉捩點。）

真正的敬拜者之所以是真正的，並不是依附於特定的聖殿，而是因為用「靈和真理」拜父。這個片語的力道，顯然取決於「神是靈」這個簡單子句的意義……在這裏的上下文中，「靈」描繪了神的特性，就像肉體、地點，與形體存在描繪了人類與其世界的特性一樣……。「神是靈」意味著神是人所不能見的，是與人相對而有神性的、賜生命的，祂若不降自己啟示給人，人就不能認識祂……。那位成為肉身的道，就是那在聖靈裏為祂百姓施洗的，因為除非他們從上頭而生，他們就不能看見神的國，就不能真正地敬拜神。這樣賜下聖靈，是藉著祂——祂就是真理——的工作才有可能的，而祂藉著十字架得著榮耀，從而將聖靈澆灌下來，這聖靈又叫「真理的靈」（十四17，十五26，十六13）。

這位就是靈的神，人只能用「靈和真理」（或譯為「在靈與真理裏」）來敬拜祂。在23節與24節，「用」（en）這個介係詞同時支配了兩個名詞（靈和真理），必須獻上的敬拜並不是兩個分開的特性：它必須是「用靈與真理」獻上的敬拜，也就是說，其本質是以神為中心的（誠之按：因此就不是本著人的誠心，這是以人為中心的敬拜），是借著所賜下的聖靈才有可能的，是必須親自認識並效法神的這位成為肉身的道，那位就是神的「真理」的，是神和祂拯救計劃忠實可靠的詮釋與實現……。舊約聖經許多地方將神的「話」和聖靈連在一起（如：尼九20、30；詩卅三6，一四七18；賽五十九21）。本福音書作者心目中也可能聯想到這個關聯，因為耶穌就是「成為肉身的道」與「真理」，上帝也將聖靈賜給祂，是沒有限量的（三24）。

二、（環聖）《聖經研讀版——新譯本》

4:23 時候將到，現在就是了：見5:25。耶穌地上事奉期間，和受死和復活之前，神的國和它的福分已部分臨到的事實，以及這些福分還未完全彰顯的事實，兩者形成了一股張力。在耶穌再來以前，神的國度在某些方面確實是還沒有，也不會實現。不過，把神的國度帶到世間來的那一位，已經親自臨在地上，並且已經在地上開展了祂的國度。見太4章〈神的國》一文。

4:24必須借著靈按真理敬拜：「按真理」，意思是「按實體」，即按照天上的敬拜，而地上的敬拜只是預表而已。耶穌所用的「真理」一詞語，有如在來8:2和9:24的用法。在來8:2，與天上的「真帳幕」作比對的，不是假帳幕，而是照著它的樣式在地上建造的帳幕。地上的耶路撒冷不是假的敬拜場所，而是一個地上的敬拜場所。它只是天上實體和屬天敬拜的一個影子、一個預表、一個副本而已。既然耶穌不但把神和祂的子民重新結合在一起，也把天和地重新結合起來；所以時候來到了，一切關於地上敬拜場所的問題都無關緊要了。對神的子民來說，地上聖殿敬拜所指向的，已經成為事實了（見太27:51注）。靈：是指三位一體的第三位聖靈，即舊約所應許要在末後的日子賜下的（珥2:28~29）。因此，基督教的敬拜不受任何地上的場所限制，而是直接指向天上，且是借著聖靈的豐富而獻上。見《西敏宣言》2.1；《大問答》7；《小問答》4；《比利時宣言》。

三、Reformation KJV Study Bible

4:23 worship the Father in spirit and truth. True worship takes place when the Holy Spirit engages the human spirit with God’s Word. The outward worship that largely characterized the temple of the old covenant was being replaced by the simplicity and privilege of access to the Father in the Spirit through faith in the Son (Eph. 2:18,21–22). 4:24 God is a Spirit. Or “God is spirit” (cf. 1 John 1:5; 4:8,16). God’s being is not material or bound by physical location but is infinite, eternal, and personal life (Isa. 31:3).

4:23 用靈和真理敬拜天父。當聖靈用神的話語吸引人的靈時，才會有真正的敬拜。舊約的聖殿所特有的外在敬拜，正在被在聖靈裏借著對子的信心，從而來到父面前所得到的純一和特權所取代（弗二18、21-22）。

4:24 神是個靈。或「神就是靈」（參約一5，四8、16）。神的存在不是物質的，也不受物理位置的約束，而是無限的、永恆的、位格的生命（賽卅一3）。

四、NIV Zondervan Study Bible

4: 23 time. “Hour” (see note on 2: 4). has now come. Before the cross, this period of true worship is already present in the person and ministry of Jesus. See Introduction: Characteristics and Themes, 4. true worshipers. Identified not by where they worship but whom and how they worship. in the Spirit and in truth. Or “in spirit and truth.” True worship is empowered by “the Spirit of truth” (14: 17; 15: 26; 16: 13) and is in accordance with truth. It can occur only in and through Jesus, who is “the truth” (14: 6; see 1: 14) and the true temple (see note on 2: 19– 22).

4:23 時候。「時刻」（見二4注釋）。 如今就是了。在十字架以前，這個真正敬拜的時期已經存在於耶穌的身上和事奉中。真正拜父的。不是以他們在哪裏敬拜，而是以他們敬拜的對象和方式來確定。在靈裏和真理裏（in the Spirit and in truth）。或「在真理的聖靈中」（in spirit of truth）。真正的敬拜是由「真理的靈」所賜予的能力（約十四17，十五26，十六13），是符合真理的。這只有在耶穌裏面並通過耶穌才能發生，耶穌是「真理」（十四6；見一14），是真正的聖殿（見二19- 22注釋）。