救贖大計
Redemption Planned
作者：Don Kistler 誠之譯自：
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/redemption-planned/
https://yimawusi.net/2021/04/17/redemption-planned/
 
在改革宗圈子裏，我們經常會聽到神的聖約。我們是投靠神恩約之信實的一群人。我們常常會聽到恩典之約和行為之約，但是我們很少聽到救贖之約。我們也常常聽到基督的救贖之工，但是很少思想這個事實，就是這個救贖工作——三一神的第二位格要拯救罪人所要作的工作——是三一神所構思的。
In Reformed circles, we hear much about the covenants. We are a people who place our trust in God’s covenant faithfulness. We hear about the covenant of grace and the covenant of works, but we hear very little about the covenant of redemption. We also hear much about the saving work of Christ, but give little thought to the fact that the triune God conceived the work that the second person of the Trinity would do that would save sinners.
 
簡而言之，救贖之約是父神與聖子在創立世界以前就立下的聖約，其內容是：若聖子獻上自己作為罪的獻祭，父神就會把所有基督為之而死的人賜給祂，作為一份愛的禮物。如此，選民就是父神賜給聖子，作祂受苦和為救贖他們而死的禮物。
Simply stated, the covenant of redemption is a covenant God the Father made with God the Son before the foundation of the world was laid, that if the Son would offer Himself up as an offering for sin, the Father would give Christ all those for whom He would die as a love gift. The elect, then, are a gift from the Father to the Son for suffering and dying to redeem them.
 
父神在永恆的過去，以其永恆和不變的諭旨，選擇要拯救一些人。聖子，在永恆的過去，同意要救贖這些人脫離墮落的境地（而他們會處在這個墮落的境地是神在永恆的過去所定旨的）。如果你要問神為什麼要定旨人的墮落，落入有罪的境地，答案是神定旨罪的目的，是要我們可以對祂的自我啟示有最豐滿的認識。如果神沒有定旨罪，我們就只會知道祂是創造主；但因為神定旨了罪，我們就可以知道祂是救贖主。因著罪，我們對神的認識會變得更加完整。
God the Father chose from all eternity past, in His eternal and unchangeable decrees, to save some people. God the Son, from all eternity past, agreed to redeem those people from the fallen state that God ordained, from all eternity past, they would be in. If you ask why God ordained the fall of man and the sinful state into which he would go, the answer is that God ordained sin so that we would know Him in the fullness of His revelation of Himself. If God had not ordained sin, we would know Him only as the Creator; because God has ordained sin we can know Him as the Redeemer. Our knowledge of God is much more complete because of sin.
 
在撒迦利亞書六章13節，救贖之約被稱為「兩職之間……和平的籌定。」（counsel of peace … between them both。譯按。呂振中譯本譯為：他們二人之間必有和諧合作的計劃。）也就是在父神和聖子，神和「名稱為『樹苗』」（12節；見呂振中譯本）的人之間。這是「萬軍之耶和華」所論及的在祂自己和「大衛苗裔」之間所定的和平籌定。當基督在約翰福音十七章說到父神要把一群百姓作為禮物賜給祂，祂向神禱告：「他們本是你的，你將他們賜給我。」（約翰福音十七6）「你」是指父神。這群百姓是父神所賜的。
In Zechariah 6:13, this is referred to as a “counsel of peace … between them both,” that is, between the Father and the Son, between God and “the man whose name is the Branch” (v. 12). It is “the Lord of Hosts” who is speaking about the counsel of peace that will be between Himself and “the Branch.” When Christ speaks in John 17 of having been given people as a gift, He is praying to God, whom, He says, gave them. “Thine they were, and thou gavest them me” (John 17:6 kjv). The “thou” and the “thine” both refer to God the Father.
 
在永恆的過去裏，父神決定要創造一個族類，在他們當中，祂要救贖一些人。父神是這個救恩計劃的作者。基督是我們信心的創始成終者（來十二2）。彼得前書一章20節告訴我們，基督是「世界創立以前被豫知」的（呂振中譯本）。以弗所書一章4節清楚說到，選民是「在祂裏面」被揀選的。根據提摩太後書一章9節，救恩的恩典是「萬古之先，在基督耶穌裏賜給我們的」。但這個計劃是由父神所構思，由基督所執行的。基督在這個世界所遭遇的一切，都是根據上帝永恆的定旨、預知，和確定的籌定。因此，父神的旨意是要透過神格的第二位格作為聖約的保證（Surety；譯按，見希伯來書七22，新譯本）來救贖。
From all eternity past, God the Father determined to create a race of people, of whom He would save some. It is God the Father who is the Author of the plan of salvation. Christ is indeed the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). 1 Peter 1:20 tells us that He was “foreordained before the foundation of the world.” Ephesians 1:4 is clear that the elect are chosen “in Him.” And grace has been given to them “in Christ Jesus before the world began,” according to 2 Timothy 1:9. But it is God the Father who contrived the plan that Christ would carry out. Whatever Christ encountered in this world happened to Him according to the eternal decree, foreknowledge, and determinate counsel of God. So the Father’s will is to redeem by the agency of the second person of the Godhead as a Surety.
 
上帝選擇要拯救神在基督裏所揀選的那些人。選民屬於父神，上帝把他們賜給基督。「他們本是你的，你將他們賜給我。」（約十七6）基於這點，啟示錄說他們的名字是「寫在羔羊生命冊上的」（啟廿一27）。
God chose to save those who have been elected by God in Christ. The elect belong to God the Father, and they have been given by Him to Christ. “Thine they were, and thou gavest them Me.” Because of this, they are said to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 21:27).
 
上帝以一種聖潔的方式定旨了人類祖先第一對父母，會因為他們對自由意志的運用，而有犯罪的可能，如此就有可能會被歸算為「可怒之子」（弗二3）。為了讓上帝無窮的憐憫和恩典可以賜給他們，拯救他們脫離這個境地，並帶給他們救恩，必須要有一個聖約的保證來滿足上帝的正義。
God, in a holy manner, decreed that our first parents would sin by their own free will, and thus would be reckoned as “children of wrath by nature” (Eph. 2:3). Now in order that the infinite mercy and grace of God should be bestowed upon them in delivering them from this state and bringing them into salvation, it was necessary that there be a Surety to satisfy God’s justice.
 
因此，父神把選民賜給祂的兒子，而聖子接納他們，把他們的名字記在祂的冊上（羔羊的生命冊），為他們所有的人——無一例外——成為保證，也只為他們，並應許要完成父神所喜悅的，帶給他們救恩。
The Father thus gave the elect to His Son, and the Son accepted them, recorded their names in His book (the Lamb’s Book of Life), became a Surety for all of them — none excepted — and for them alone, and promised to accomplish His Father’s good pleasure in bringing them to salvation.
 
我們在這裏也看到基督雖然是代表選民而死，祂也是為滿足父神的旨意而死的。祂是代表選民而死，但基督受死是為了上帝的旨意。
We see here also that while Christ died on behalf of the elect, He also died to fulfill the Father’s will. His death was on behalf of the elect, but it was a death that was suffered for the will of the Father.
 
這是父神為救贖恩約所定下的條件：聖子必須取得一個真正的人性，然而卻沒有罪（來四15，十5）。以馬內利必須成為他們的代替，除去他們的罪，他們的罪要算在基督的帳上，有如基督自己犯了罪一般（加三13）。作為他們的代表，基督必須承擔他們的罪所配得的一切刑罰，而祂必須受苦，受死，然後復活（約十18）。作為他們的代表，祂必須成全所有的公義，好讓他們成為義（羅五19）。祂必須藉著向他們宣告福音，重生他們，賜給他們信心，保守他們，使他們從死裏復活，並引領他們進入天堂，好讓選民能參與到這個靠功德賺得的救恩當中。
Here is what God the Father laid down as the conditions of the covenant of redemption: The Son must assume a true human nature, however, without sin (Heb. 4:15; 10:5). Emmanuel must become their Substitute, remove their sins from them, and take their sins onto His account as if He Himself had committed them (Gal. 3:13). On their behalf, He must bear all the punishment which their sins had merited, and He must suffer, die, and rise again (John 10:18). On their behalf, He must fulfill all righteousness in order to make them righteous (Rom. 5:19). He must make the elect to be partakers of this merited salvation by declaring the Gospel to them, regenerating them, granting them faith, preserving them, resurrecting them from the dead, and ushering them into heaven (John 6:39).
 
這是父神向基督所作的應許，作為基督所完成的工作的結果：父神應許上帝喜悅的事會透過基督而亨通（賽五十三10）。父神應許要為聖子預備一個身體，好讓祂作為合適的會幕（來十5）。父神應許要賜給基督必要的恩賜和恩典以執行祂的工作，並賜給祂無可限量的聖靈（賽四十二1；參約三34）。父神應許會支援執行祂的工作，從死亡的權勢中拯救祂，而使祂有能力摧毀撒但的統治，並建立上帝的國（賽四十二1-7）。父神應許基督會成為所有選民的君王（詩二6-8）。父神應許基督擁有對所有被造物的權能（太廿八18），為了祂選民的益處來管治他們。父神應許基督會以一種極為莊嚴和奇妙的方式得榮耀，而被祂所有的造物所看到並承認（來一3）。父神應許，基督會成為天地的審判者（約五27）。父神應許要把眾多、沒有人能數得過來（詩篇廿二27）的後裔，賜給基督，作為祂救贖工作的獎賞。父神應許所有的選民都會透過基督得到恩典之約的福益：赦罪，與上帝和好，被收納作上帝的兒女，平安，成聖，和永遠的榮耀（路十二32）。
Here are the promises made by God to Christ as the result of Christ’s finished work: The Father promised that God’s good pleasure would prosper through Christ (Isa. 53:10). The Father promised to prepare the Son a body which would be a fit tabernacle for Him (Heb. 10:5). The Father promised to endow Christ with the necessary gifts and graces for the performance of His task, and to give Him the Spirit without measure (Isa. 42:1; cf. John 3:31). The Father promised to support Christ in the performance of His work, deliver Him from the power of death, and thus enable Him to destroy the dominion of Satan and establish the kingdom of God (Isa. 42:1–7). The Father promised that Christ would be King over all the elect (Ps. 2:6–8). The Father promised that Christ would have power over all creatures in order to govern them for the benefit of His elect (Matt. 28:18). The Father promised that He would be glorified in an exceedingly magnificent and wondrous manner that would be observed and acknowledged by all His creatures (Heb. 1:3). The Father promised that Christ would be Judge of heaven and earth (John 5:27). The Father promised to give Christ, as a reward for His accomplished work, a seed so numerous that it would be a multitude which no man could number (Ps. 22:27). The Father promised that all the elect would receive the benefits of the covenant of grace through Christ: forgiveness of sin, reconciliation, adoption unto children, peace, sanctification, and eternal glory (Luke 12:32).
 
這個救贖之約向我們所啟示的，是一種無可比擬的、超乎我們理解的愛。試想這是一種什麼樣的福分，在這個恩約中，上帝竟然會如此看待我們，認識我們，把我們賜給基督。試想這是一種什麼樣的福分，你我的名字可以被聖子記在祂的生命冊上。試想這是一種什麼樣的福分，你我竟然是聖父和聖子在永恆裏所共同喜悅要拯救的人！
This covenant reveals a love which is unparalleled and exceeds all comprehension. Think of what a blessing it is that you and I have been considered and known in this covenant, to have been given by the Father to the Son. Think of what a blessing it is that you and I have had our names written by the Son in His Book of Life. Think of what a blessing it is that you and I have been the objects of the eternal mutual delight of the Father and the Son to save us!
 
父神和基督的行動都不是出於必要或受到強迫，而是出於永恆的愛和主動的選擇。耶利米書三十一章3節說到，「我以永遠的愛愛你」。愛推動聖父神，愛推動聖子。這是在充滿愛的位格之間的愛的恩約，而這份愛是從祂們自己裏面流瀉出來的。
Neither God nor Christ were moved by necessity or compulsion, but by eternal love and volition. Jeremiah 31:3 states, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (kjv). Love moved the Father and love moved the Son. It is a covenant of love between those whose love proceeds from within themselves.
 
靠著這個恩約，主耶穌成為拯救選民的執行者。父神把他們交在祂的手中，把我們交託給祂。聖子以愛來接納我們，並矢志不會失去任何我們當中任何一人，而要在末日時要使我們復活。基督是無所不能的，信實的，愛我們的，不變的，擁有我們的救恩所需要的一切。
By virtue of this covenant, the Lord Jesus is the Executor of the salvation of the elect. The Father has given us into His hand and entrusts us to Him. The Son, in love, has accepted us and committed Himself not to lose one of us, but to raise us up again at the last day. Christ is omnipotent, faithful, loving, immutable, and possesses everything necessary for our salvation.
 
想想我們安息在祂裏面，把我們的所是和所有完全交託給祂是多麼地安全！「耶和華是我的牧者，我必不至缺乏。」（詩篇廿三1）而詩篇第二篇12節說到，「凡投靠他的，都是有福的。」這對信徒的意涵是巨大的。如此，選民的救恩就是確定的，是無可動搖的。這是因為父神和聖子，對於選民的救恩，以及基督應驗聖約的條件所完成的工作，是完全且彼此互相滿足的。
Think of how safely we can rest in Him, surrendering everything we are and have to Him! “The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1 kjv). And, Psalm 2:12: “How blessed are all they that put their trust in Him” (kjv). The implications of this for the believer are staggering! The salvation of the elect, then, is unmoveably sure. This is because both parties, the Father and the Son, are fully and mutually satisfied concerning the salvation of the elect and the finished work of Christ in fulfilling the conditions of the covenant.
 
選民不需要靠自己保守自己，留在基督裏，因為根據這個恩約，他們乃是被保守在基督裏的；他們乃是被一隻安全的、大能的、和信實的手所保守的。此外，比起單單是我和我的救恩，穩固的救恩是一件更大的事。選民是上帝根據基督「補贖」（satisfactory；或譯為滿足）的工作（譯按：指基督在十字架上受罰替贖，平息父神的忿怒的工作）而賜給基督的禮物，而不是我自己所作的補贖的工作。如果一個人會失去他的救恩，就只能是因為父神對基督所完成的工作感到不滿足。但是祂已經一次而永遠地宣告，也無謬誤地寫在聖經的扉頁裏，父神已經得到滿足。而若父神已經滿足於基督所完成的工作，問題就定案了。
The elect do not need to keep themselves, but according to this covenant they are kept in Christ; thus they are kept by a sure, almighty, and faithful hand. Besides, the issue of a secure salvation is a much greater one than simply me and my salvation. The elect person is a gift from God to Christ based on Christ’s satisfactory work, not on my satisfactory work. If a person could lose his salvation, it could only be on the basis of God’s dissatisfaction with the finished work of Christ. But He has declared once and for all, and it is written infallibly in the pages of Scripture, that He is satisfied. And if God is satisfied with what Christ has done, the issue is settled.
 
譯後：這篇文章從救贖之約的角度來說明救恩的穩妥。選民救恩的基礎是創世以前，三一神之間的「救贖之約」。聖經雖然沒有用這個詞，但是從一些經文可以得到這個推論，就是三一神之間的確有這樣的約定存在。在路加福音廿二章29節，主耶穌說：「我將國賜給你們，正如我父賜給我一樣，」這裏的「賜」，原文是διατίθεμαι，即與你立約的意思，所以這節經文可以翻譯為：「我把國約定給你們」。其隱含的含義是：父神和聖子之間有一個永恆的約定。這是救贖之約很強的支持經文之一。
 
原載：Tabletalk雜誌，2004年2月。