創世記中的福音
The Gospel in Genesis
作者：Willem A. VanGemeren  誠之譯自：
https://www.crossway.org/articles/the-gospel-in-genesis/
https://yimawusi.net/2021/04/15/the-gospel-in-genesis/
 
為整本聖經設定舞台
Setting the Stage
 
構成創世記基礎的故事以多種方式為聖經劇碼設定了舞台。首先，造物主是受造萬物的君王。祂所造的一切都甚好，並揀選人類成為在地上佩帶祂形象的人。人類受造是為了與他們的天父上帝以一種喜樂的關係同住。
The foundation stories of Genesis set the stage of the drama of Scripture in many ways. First, the Creator is the King over all of his creation. He has made everything well and has chosen humans to be his image-bearers on earth. They were created to live in glad relationship with their heavenly Father.
 
其次，罪進入世界，並通過罪惡所帶來的後果與統治，奪去了人的自由。人類的生存狀態如今以犯罪、疏離、死亡為特徵。
Second, sin entered the world and took away human freedom—through the consequences and dominion of evil. Sin, alienation, and death now mark human existence.
 
第三，與人類的不斷悖逆相比，上帝啟示出祂恩典與慈愛的長闊高深。儘管所有的人都背負著亞當和夏娃犯罪的傷痕，耶和華神卻不斷地以祂永遠長存的恩典執行祂的計劃。祂是那位永不放棄祂地上兒女的天父上帝。祂差來大洪水，以懲罰普世的邪惡，幾乎並毀滅了所有的生命。洪水過後，祂應許要向一切活物維持祂的恩典，包括動物、人類。
Third, in contrast to the continual disobedience of humanity, God reveals the depth of his grace and love. Though all human beings bear the scars of the sin of Adam and Eve, the Lord continues in his everlasting grace to work out his purposes. He is the heavenly Father who does not give up on his earthly children. In the wake of the flood that came to punish pervasive evil and destroyed almost all life, God promised to maintain his grace to all created life, both animal and human.
 
第四，上帝召喚軟弱的人來代表祂，包括挪亞、亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各、約瑟等人。在這些人身上，雖然個個都有極大的瑕疵，聖經卻對此提供了充分的見證，但上帝卻恩上加恩，信守祂的應許，無論付出任何代價都要賜福給他們，並且要透過他們賜福給全人類。
Fourth, God called frail humans to represent him: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Each of these men was profoundly flawed, a point to which the Bible gives ample testimony. Yet God gave them grace upon grace, keeping his promise, at whatever cost, to bless them and through them to bless all humanity.
 
第五，這些有信心的偉人學會愛神超過愛戀今生的任何好處。他們事奉上帝，而儘管他們充滿瑕疵，上帝仍然使他們成為黑暗時代的明光。他們靠著上帝的恩典與祂同行，並從祂那裏學習智慧。通過這些故事，摩西教導以色列人，人必須在兩條路當中選擇一條：一是愚昧與死亡的道路，一是智慧與生命的道路。
Fifth, these giants of faith learned to love God more than the goods of this life. They served God, and despite their flawed humanity, God made them lights in their dark generations. They walked with God by his grace and learned wisdom from him. Through these stories, Moses taught Israel that there are one of two paths people must choose: folly and death, or wisdom and life.
 
給全人類的恩典
Grace to All Humanity
 
第六，創世記讓人看見，上帝的恩典何等豐盛，使人無可推諉。在以諾、挪亞、亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各、約瑟時代的人都領受了上帝的恩典，並且與祂同行。其他人（例如：該隱，洪水的世代，以掃）雖然得到了這些恩典的信息，卻選擇唾棄它們，其結果是顯而易見的。
Sixth, Genesis reveals that the riches of God’s grace render people without excuse. People at the time of Enosh, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph received God’s grace and walked with him. Others received messages of grace and spurned them—with evident consequences (e.g., Cain, the generation of the flood, and Esau).
 
第七，宇宙之主藉著啟示把自己交託給一個人，亞伯拉罕。然後，上帝應許要將祂的恩典通過亞伯拉罕的「後裔」擴展到全人類身上。儘管以色列人被計入亞伯拉罕的後裔裏，但是這個民族的悲慘故事顯明他們是缺乏信心的，她沒有能力完成上帝所要求的，也顯明出她需要神的供應。這種供應是透過那位從以色列的家系而來、並最終降臨的耶穌基督所提供的。我們只能透過祂學習到上帝的應許是如何成真的（林後一20）。祂是那真正的好消息、最終的福音，上帝所有的應許都要在祂身上得著關鍵的應驗。祂是亞伯拉罕應許的「後裔」，要完成上帝的聖約計劃（創三15，十二7；加三16）。從祂第一次降臨開始，直到祂在第二次降臨時完成，耶穌打開了通往新創造和新人類的大門，到一個無罪、無死亡、無邪惡的世界。罪、死亡、邪惡都是在創世記裏最先被描述出來的。耶穌最後的凱旋，要勝過所有的邪惡，也是這卷書首先描繪的（創三15）。
Seventh, the Lord of the universe committed himself by oath to one man, Abraham. Then, God promised to extend his grace to all humanity through that one man’s “offspring.” Though Israel was numbered among Abraham’s offspring, the sad stories of that nation evidence her lack of faith, her inability to accomplish what God required, and her need of God’s provision. That provision was ultimately made through the eventual coming of Jesus Christ from the lineage of Israel. Only in him do we learn how the promises of God are made true (2 Cor. 1:20). He is the true and final Good News in which all of God’s promises find decisive fulfillment. He is the promised “offspring” of Abraham who will accomplish God’s covenant purposes (Gen. 3:15; 12:7; Gal. 3:16). Beginning with his first coming and to be completed at his second coming, Jesus opens the doors to the new creation and the new humanity—to a world without the sin, death, and evil that found their entry as first described in Genesis. The final triumph of Jesus over all evil is first described in this Bible book as well (Gen. 3:15).
 
This article is adapted from the ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible. Browse other articles in this series via the links below.