基督君王和祂的國度THEKING AND HIS KINGDOM
作者：Roy Blackwood譯者：駱鴻銘
引言
「先求祂的國」，因為祂的王權和國權能維持其他一切的平衡，也因為這對於君王的王權和皇家的特權來說是「合宜的」。
基督君王和祂的國度
在馬太所記載的基督的「登山寶訓」裏，身為君王的耶穌，宣告祂自己的國度已經展開。在第三章，祂粗略地勾勒出祂國度的樣式。在第五章，祂告訴我們哪些人是有福的人，祂國度的國民具備哪些特徵。在第六章，祂解釋他們會做哪些事；例如：施捨、禱告、禁食，以及他們做這些事的理由。在第七章，祂警告我們不可「論斷」，或想要把人歸類，歸入祂的國度，或排除在祂的國度之外，而是要謹慎地去「認識」所有的人，然後把房子蓋在磐石（祂的話）上，好叫我們能祂的宣告作出五種反應：
1. 先求祂的國（太六33）。
因此，我們生命中最高的優先順序：
——不是個人（亞當）——照祂的形象被造、卻經常「好為首的」（約叁9）。
——不是家庭；家庭是祂經由人所塑造的，是第一個社會單元。
——不是教會；教會是祂的新婦、祂所愛的，「真理的柱石和根基」，屬於那位說「我要建造我的教會」的。
——不是公民政府；政府是祂委任的「人的制度」（彼前二13）。
而是要在生命中所有其他的關係裏先求祂的國，因為祂的王權和國權能維持其他一切優先順序的平衡，也因為這對君王的王權和皇家特權來說是「合宜的」。
2. 為國度禱告——求祂的國度降臨，祂的旨意「行在地上，如同行在天上」。
3. 承認、認識並明白祂的國度要如何成長，這是祂在福音書的比喻裏教導我們的，舊約和新約聖經也同樣教導，尤其是：
a. 祂國度的起源、理由、目的為何？祂為何「必須」成為君王，必須擁有祂的國度？
b. 這國度是一種怎樣的國度——這國度的本質是什麼？
c. 就時空而言，這國度的範圍如何？
4. 要「思考」國度，並認識有關國度的事實，因為祂說，「你們當以基督耶穌的心為心……」（腓二5）祂的國度遠遠不只是一個祂為祂的世界和祂的天國所作的縝密、長期的計劃而已，這是一種思維方式，會在我們的個人、家庭、教會、政治關係上影響我們一切的言行。
5. 並滿心期待，我們自己在今生就會進入祂國度的實況裏，因為這國度的君王曾說過，「你們這小群，不要懼怕，因為你們的父樂意把國賜給你們。」（路十二32）
因此，耶穌基督這位君王，吩咐我們去尋求這個國度，為它禱告，去認識、思想這個國度，並期盼成為這個國度的一份子。
第一部分
國度的定義：「因為國權是耶和華的。」（詩廿二28a）
Defining
the Kingdom“For the Kingdom is the Lord’s” (Psalm 22:28a)
什麼是國度？我們必須回答三個問題。
What
is this Kingdom? Three questions must be answered.
1. 國度的來源和起源是什麼？為什麼耶穌基督「必須」是君王才能擁有這個國度？這個國度的目的是什麼？
1.
What is the source and origin? Why did Jesus Christ “need” to be King and to
have this Kingdom? What is THE PURPOSE?
2. 這個國度是哪一類的國度？其本質為何？
2.
What kind of Kingdom is it, the nature of it?
3. 基督的國度，其範圍如何？它是從什麼時候開始的？什麼時候會結束？它位於何處？何人、何物會被包括在基督的國度裏？這個國度位在哪裏？
3.
What is the extent of Christ’s Kingdom? When did it begin?When will it end?
Where is it? Who all and what all are included in Christ’s Kingdom? And where
will this Kingdom
be?
身為上帝，神格的第二位格什麼也不「需要」。因此這不是出於法理上的必要，基督必須是個君王才能擁有一個國度。但是這是出於相對的倫理需求，是由基督的救贖工作所引發的，使基督「必須」擁有一個國度，並成為一位君王。基督的王權和基督國度的教義，必須被理解為是贖罪教義的續篇。倘若上帝從來沒有決定要拯救一些靈魂，那麼基督就從來沒有「必要」死在十字架上，也沒有必要成為一位擁有一個國度的君王。但是上帝再次出於愛的理由，出於奇妙的愛和神聖的愛，做出了這個至高主權的決定，要拯救一群人，因此，這就成為「必要」，使神格的第二位格必須離開天庭成為人，並死在十字架上，好叫人與上帝和好，也叫上帝與那些靈魂和好。As God, the second
person of the Godhead did not “need” anything. And so it is not an absolute legal necessity
that mandates that Christ be a King and have a Kingdom. But it is a relative
moral necessity rising out of Christ’s work of atonement that makes it
“necessary” for Christ to have a Kingdom and to be a King. The doctrine of the
Kingship and Kingdom of Christ must always be understood as the sequel to the
doctrine of atonement. If God had never made the decision to save a number of
souls, then there never would have been any “need”for Christ to die on the
Cross, and no need for Christ to be a King with a Kingdom. But once God,
motivated by a love, at once wondrous and divine, made that sovereign decision
to save a number of the human race, then it became “necessary” for the second
person of the Godhead to leave Heaven to become man, and to die on the Cross in
order to make man to be at one with God and God to be at one with those souls.
這就是為何基督成為一位真正的君王、擁有一個國度，在道德上是相對必要的原因。沒有君王的能力和權柄，基督在十字架上所完成的一切，就會成為徒勞。倘若祂就這樣回到天堂，並就此「退休」，不再具有積極的責任，就不會有一個靈魂得救。祂流出的寶血就會完全浪費。祂「需要」擁有一個國度的君王的能力和權柄，以施行祂在十字架上為我們賺得的好處。在這個意義上，祂「需要」聖父所指派給祂的能力和權柄，這也是祂甘心樂意所接受的，並且是在這個令人驚奇的指派聲明中所宣告的（這個聲明在詩篇二6-9，約十七1-3，和來五5被生動地陳述出來）。基督身為「創世以前被殺的羔羊」（譯按：啟十三8），創造了祂的世界，作為在空間中的舞台，以執行祂的救贖大工。人類墮落之後，撒但和罪所具有的破壞性的影響，有可能會摧毀這個世界，但是基督如今挺身而出，牢牢地掌握住宇宙的支柱，並終止這些可怕的、具有破壞性的影響力，直到那些祂「長遠活著、替他們祈求」（來七25）的人，都有時間悔改並歸向祂。That is also why it was a
relative moral necessity for Christ to be a real king with a kingdom. Without
the power and authority of a King with a Kingdom, everything Christ had done on
the Cross would have been in vain. If He had simply returned to Heaven and
“retired” from active duty, not one soul would have been saved. His blood would
have been wasted. He “needed” the power and authority of a king with a kingdom
to apply the benefits which He had purchased for us on the Cross. It is in this
sense that He “needed” the power and authority that the Father appointed to Him
and that He willingly accepted and proclaimed in that remarkable appointment
statement which His dialogue stated so vividly in Psalm 2:6=9; John 17:1=3; and
Hebrews 5:5. Armed with all power and authority, Christ, as “the lamb slain
before the foundation of the world,” created His world as a platform in space
to carry out His work ofredemption. After the fall of man, the destructive
influences of Satan and sin would have destroyed His world, but now Christ
stepped forward to grasp the very pillars of the universe to hold these awful
destructive influences in abeyance until those souls for whom He “ever liveth
to make intercession”, shall have had time to repent and turn to Him.
在一個更個人性的主觀意義上，基督彌賽亞「需要」擁有一個國度的君王的能力和權柄，以制服你自己的意志，然後在十字架上施行祂為你所賺得的好處，以接納你而歸給祂自己；好叫你得以信靠祂；把祂同樣的生命放在你心中；然後滋養你、建造你，在祂的國度中實現祂為你捨命的目的，然後完成祂在永恆裏就為你計劃好的目的。這些都是和祂擊敗祂和你的敵人的同時完成的。父神指派祂作這個國度的君王的目的，就是為了滿足這個需要。祂國度的目的可以用一個形容詞來總結：救贖性的。In a more personal
subjective sense, Christ the Messiah “needed” the power and authority of a King
with a Kingdom to subdue your own will and then to apply the benefits He had
purchased for you on the Cross in order to receive you to Himself; to make you
able to trust in Him; to put His kind of life into your heart; and then to
nourish and build you up into the accomplishments of His life’s purpose for you
in His Kingdom today, and then on into those purposes which He has planned for
you in eternity. All this is accomplished while defeating all His and your
enemies. So it was for this purpose, to meet this need, that the Father
appointed Him to this Kingship and Kingdom. The purpose of His kingdom can all
be summarized by the one word–REDEMPTIVE.
但是基督國度的本質是什麼呢？基督擁有的王權和國權是哪一種呢？當凱撒的代表彼拉多問耶穌有關祂國度的事，耶穌小心地回答說：「我的國不屬這世界；我的國若屬這世界，我的臣僕必要爭戰，使我不至於被交給猶太人。只是我的國不屬這世界。」（約十八36）當彼拉多進一步問他自己的問題，問道：「這樣，你是王麼？」耶穌更完整地回答說：「你說我是王。我為此而生，也為此來到世間……」也許這就是為什麼彼拉多後來堅持要把這個題獻刻在祂的十字架的原因：「基督，猶太人的王。」But what is the
NATURE of Christ’s Kingdom? What
kind ofKingship and Kingdom does Christ have today? When Pilate, representing
Caesar, asked Jesus about His Kingdom, Jesus answered guardedly, “My Kingdom is
not of this world, else would my servants fight that I should not be delivered,
but now is my Kingdom not from here”. When Pilate pursued his own question
further by asking, “Art thou a King then?” Jesus answered more fully, “Thou
sayest that I am a King. To this end was I born and for this cause came I into
the world. . .” This may have been why Pilate later insisted on putting the
inscription on His cross, “Christ, the King of the Jews”.
基督的國度是一個屬靈的國度，一系列與公民政治的君王和國度的比較，可以幫助我們解釋並定義一個屬靈的國度和王權究竟是什麼意思。Christ’s Kingdom is a spiritual kingdom and a series
of comparisons or contrasts with civil=political kings and kingdoms may help to
explain and define what it means for a kingdom and kingship to be spiritual.
1. 父神將王權和國權委任給基督。祂不是藉著一個王室單單被「生」到這個國度裏，或經由一群人投票，選舉祂進入到這個國度；祂也不是藉著流別人的血，靠著征服進入到這個國度。父神指派基督成為一個真正的君王，擁有一個真實的國度，而這個王權和國權如今與我們同在。君王可以靠以下四種方法成為君王：1) 靠武力奪取；2) 靠自然的出生；3) 被揀選或選舉；4) 被指派。基督在路加福音二十二章29節說得很清楚：「我將國賜給你們，正如我父賜給我一樣」。這正是先知預言所應許的（即詩二6-7），從永恆以來就是真理。當三位一體的會議指派第二位格承擔起這個特殊的責任時，就意味著基督從此要永遠作王，祂無一時刻不是王。但是這個委派的宣布是在祂受洗時，然後祂正式被授予這個頭銜，而實際就職是在祂高升時才實現的。1. Christ was
appointed to this Kingship and Kingdom by the Father, not just “born”
into it through a royal family or elected to it by a willing people, nor did He
conquer His way into it by spilling the blood of other people. The Father
appointed Christ to be a real King with a real Kingdom and that Kingship and
kingdom is here with us now. Of the four ways by which kings come to be kings;
1) taking it by force, 2) being born into it, 3) being chosen or elected, 4)
being appointed; Christ Himself made it very clear when He said to us in Luke
22:29, “I appoint unto you a kingdom as My Father hath appointed unto Me”. That
is what the prophecies had promised (i.e. Psalm 2:6=7). And this was true from
all eternity. When the Council of the Trinity appointed Him the second person
of the Godhead to this particular responsibility, it meant there never was a
time when He was not King. But the announcement of that appointment came at His
baptism and then His official investiture or actual induction came at the time
of His Ascension.
2. 基督屬靈的國權和王權，其宏遠的目的是要拯救靈魂，而不只是為了施行公義、保守和平，增進人類道德和確立社會秩序。2. The grand purpose
of Christ’s spiritual
Kingship and Kingdom is to save souls, and not just to administer public
justice, preserve peace, develop the morals of men and establish social order.
3. 治理基督屬靈國度的媒介，包括教導聖經、宣告十字架，以及這位君王的榜樣（預表或最確實的榜樣），祂的降生是為了與人類的良心本身爭戰。所有這些媒介都和其他君王和國度所唯獨使用的媒介（例如，火、刀劍和實質的暴力）形成強烈的對比。3. The means of
administration in Christ’s spiritual Kingdom
includes the teaching of the Bible, the proclamation of the Cross, and the
example (the tupos or definitive example) of the King who came to wrestle with
the very consciences of men. All these means are in contrast to the other means
used exclusively by other kings and kingdoms (i.e. fire, sword and physical
violence).
4. 基督的國權與王權運行的原則是聖經和公義，也包括道德和法理的原則。4. The principles of operation
in Christ’s Kingdom and
Kingship are scriptural and righteous as well as ethical and legal.
5. 幾乎所有與基督國度有關的事都是屬靈的。這個國度的君王來自天上，而其國民是「重生」的人，「屬靈」的人。它的崇敬是屬於靈魂的崇敬，而其服事乃是根據上帝的旨意。5. Almost
everything related to Christ’s Kingdom is
spiritual. Its King is from Heaven and its citizens are “born=again”, “spiritual” people. Its homage is of the soul and its
service is according to the will of God.
基督的國度（the regnum Christi）和世上的國度（the regna mundi）之間的對比，可以幫助我們定義基督國度基本上是「屬靈」的本質。它們（我們以後會看到）提供了一個基礎，讓我們看到教會-公民政府之間的關係之發展的基礎。這些區分或差異，不表示它們必須要分開。倘若有人誤解這種對比的意思是「因為它們有差異，就讓它們分開吧」，那麼，這個基督國度和王權的教義就會說，「因為它們有差異，就把它們連結在一起吧」。基督屬靈的國度，能夠、也確實包括一些物質性的和日常事務的事。例如，當上帝轉變一個人，使他成為一個屬靈的人時，他不是從此就失去了物質性的身體。只要上帝還在維持一個可見的、在地上作見證的教會，作為基督國度的一種形式，它就會包括屬靈國度的物質性的部分。既然基督告訴我們，祂具有「全部的能力」，已經成為「萬有」之首，如此我們就知道在祂（屬靈）的國度裏，會有一些事情本身是物質性的。These comparisons
between the Kingdom of Christ, the regnum Christi, and the kingdoms of the
world, the regna mundi, help to define the essentially “spiritual” nature of
Christ’s Kingdom. They (as we shall see later) provide a base for the
development of church=civil government relationships. These distinctions or
differences do not necessitate separation. If some could misread these
comparisons to mean “keep them separate because they are different”, then this
doctrine of Christ’s Kingdom and Kingship would say “bring them together
because they are different”. Christ’s spiritual Kingdom can and does include
things that are physical and mundane. For example, when God converts a soul so
that he becomes a spiritual person, He does not cease to have a physical body.
So long as God maintains a visible, witnessing Church on earth, as one form of
the Kingdom of Christ, it will involve the physical being part of the spiritual
kingdom. Since Christ has told us He has “all power” and has been made head
over “all things”, then we can know that in His (spiritual) Kingdom, there will
be those things that are, in and of themselves, physical.
即使是「奉獻」給主的金錢，也成為基督發展祂屬靈國度的一個重要因素。任何事物，或任何可以具有屬靈目的的事物，都可以被視為是基督屬靈國度的一部分。當基督說，「我的國不屬這世界」，祂的意思不是要排除物質的事物，排除政治，以及社會、家庭的關係，就像祂對祂的門徒說，「你們不屬世界」一樣（約十五19；在希臘文，這兩個句子是完全相同的）。Even money, “dedicated” to the Lord becomes an important factor in Christ’s development of His spiritual kingdom.
Anything which can, or can be made to have, a spiritual purpose can be seen to
be part of Christ’s spiritual Kingdom. When Christ said, “My kingdom is not of
this world”, He had no more thought of excluding physical things and political
and social= family relationships than when He said to His disciples “ye are not
of this world” (the Greek phrase is identical).
當我們代表基督徒商人或在政府工作的人，或是家中的父親問道：「這些佔據了我們這麼多時間的物質上的事，怎麼會是基督屬靈國度的一部分呢？」我們必須認識到這個問題是聖經的陳述所引起的，因此上帝必須回答這個問題。問題的答案要從以下的事實來看，即任何與基督國度有關的事，都以某種方式與基督屬靈的目的有關聯——這些目標是永遠的，不受我們的世界的時空所限制。事物的本質是由它最終的目標來決定
當一個商人或政府官員能看到他日常的工作和耶穌為他死在十字架上的理由有一個直接的關係，他就會明白他實際的工作如何會是基督屬靈國度的一部分。When we ask on
behalf of the Christian businessman or the man in civil government or the
father in a family, “but how can these
physical things which occupy so much of my time ever be part of Christ’s
spiritual Kingdom?”, we must know the question is caused by the statements in
Scripture and so God will answer it. The answer is to be found in the fact that
whatever is connected with Christ’s Kingdom is connected in some way to
Christ’s spiritual objectives–objectives that live beyond the time and space restraints
in our world. It is the ultimate objective which determines the nature of a
thing. When the businessman or man in government can see a direct relationship
between his daily work and Jesus’ reason for dying for him on the Cross, then
he will see how his physical job is part of Christ’s Spiritual Kingdom.
我們稍微講一下，自然的事物如何隸屬於道德的事，以及道德的事如何隸屬於恩典的事（例如，與基督和祂的恩典、祂在十字架上的工作有關的事）。恩典的事必然會預設那些天然的事和那些道德的事，必須隸屬於恩典的事物。因此，天然和道德的等級，在形式上乃是屬於這位被指派的君王。因此，所有這些的結果就是基督基本的統治（essential dominion；亦即，祂所擁有的，以及身為上帝-創造主所掌管的），以及基督中保性的統治（mediatolrial dominion；亦即，因為祂在十字架的工作所直接帶來的果效，祂被指派為中保君王），從來不會互挖牆角，而是總是互相支持，有著完美的和諧，然而從來不會混雜在一起，以至於破壞了各自獨特的性質。Reason for a moment
about how things natural are subordinate to things moral and things moral to
things gracious (i.e. things having to do with Christ and His Grace, His work
on the Cross). Those things which are gracious necessarily suppose the
subordination both of those things which are natural and those that are moral.
So it is that the natural and moral classes are also under Him officially as
the appointed King. The result of all this then is that the essential dominion
of Christ (i.e. what He owned and controlled as God Creator) and the
mediatorial dominion of Christ (i.e. what He was appointed to as a direct
result of His work on the Cross) are never subversive of one another but are
always supportive of each other and perfectly harmonious and yet never so
blended as to destroy the distinctive character of either one.
因此世上國度（the regna mundi）裏的物質性事物，能夠、也被造成擁有屬靈的目的，或要對基督屬靈的國度做出貢獻，都是祂屬靈國度的一部分。這就是為什麼基督被指派「為教會作萬有之首」（弗一22）。這包括祂要作諸如家庭和公民政府這類物質事務的元首。這有如是聖父已經對聖子說，作為祂在十字架上的工作直接的結果，「祢已經確立你統治這個背叛的世界的權利。去實現這個權利吧，去制服罪、制服撒但，制服其他的君王和國度，建立你自己的國民、家庭、公民政府和教會，去完成你自己在時間裏的目的，直到永遠。」So anything
physical in the regna mundi which can or can be made to have a spiritual
purpose or to make a contribution to Christ’s spiritual Kingdom will be part of
His spiritual Kingdom. This is why Christ was appointed to be “head over all
things” to the Church. That includes His being head over such physical things
as family and civil government. It is as though the Father has said to the Son
as the direct result of His work on the Cross, “Thou hast established thy right
to rule that rebel world. Go through it now subduing sin and Satan and all
other kings and kingdoms, building up your own individuals, families, civil
government and church to accomplish your own purposes in time and on into
eternity.”
祂國度的本質可以用一個形容詞來總結：屬靈的。The nature of His
Kingdom can all be summarized by the one word—SPIRITUAL.
在確立了基督的國度和王權的屬靈本質和救贖目的之後，讓我們來看看基督的國度和王權的範圍。在許多方面這是最重要的，因為祂的國度是廣大無邊的。Having established
the redemptive purpose and the spiritual nature for Christ’s Kingdom and Kingship, let’s move on to the EXTENT of Christ’s Kingship and Kingdom. In many ways it is the
most important because His Kingdom is unlimited.
在馬太福音十一章27節，耶穌對我們說，「一切所有的，都是我父交付我的」。-In Matt. 11:27, Jesus said to
us “All things (ta
ponta) are delivered unto Me of My Father”.
在馬太福音廿八章18節，祂說「所有的權柄都賜給我了」。-In Matt. 28:18, He said “All power (exousia) has been given to me”.
在使徒行傳十章36節，彼得在和耶穌一起生活過五年之後，他說「祂是萬有的主」。-In Acts 10:36, Peter said,
after living with Jesus for five years He is Lord of All”.
在以弗所書一章22節，保羅說，「又將萬有服在祂的腳下，使祂為教會作萬有之首。」-In Eph. 1:22, Paul said, “And (He) hath put all things under His feet and
made Him to be head over all things to the Church”.
在歌羅西書二章10節，保羅說（我認為這是特別指天使的權柄），「你們在祂裏面也得了豐盛。祂是各樣執政掌權者的元首。」-In Col. 2:10, Paul
said, (I believe with special reference to angel powers) “And ye are complete in Him which is head of all
principality and power”. He is the King of
all angels.
在哥林多前書十五章27節，保羅明確說明一個例外，確實「證明」了這個統治：「上帝叫萬物都服在祂（譯按：指基督）的腳下……既說萬物都服了祂，顯然那使萬物服祂的（上帝），就不包括在內了。」（參：《新譯本》）-In I Cor. 15:17,
Paul specifies the one exception which surely does “prove” the rule, “For He hath put all things under His feet. But…it is manifest that He (the Father) is excepted
which did put all things under Him.
在希伯來書二章6-8節，耶穌引用詩篇第八篇的話，「……叫萬物都服在祂的腳下。既叫萬物都服祂，就沒有剩下一樣不服祂的」，奧古斯丁、伯撒（Martin Bucer），和加爾文也照樣引用。-In Heb. 2:6=8, Jesus quotes
the words from Psalm 8,“…Thou hast put all
things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all in subjection under
Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him,” as does Augustine, Martin
Bucer, and John Calvin.
基督是上帝-創造主（約一3）。既然如此，祂對祂所造的一切，就擁有某種基本的能力和權柄。這是祂基本的國度，而祂對這個國度的能力和權柄就不能說是賜給祂了。你不能把一個人已經擁有的東西給他。然而，在上面提到的所有經文裏，都說到能力和權柄已經「賜給」祂，或「服」祂，或「服在祂腳下」。正是這個區別使我們認識到，所提到的經文是指基督固有的基本的國度（這是因為祂是上帝-創造主，因而擁有的），還是指祂的中保國度（這中保的國度是作為祂在十字架上的工作直接的結果而賜給祂的）。（用這種方法，你也許會想要找其他經文，看哪些是在描繪基督的中保國度。）基督的中保國度和祂的基本國度同樣是廣大無邊的。被包括在祂基本國度裏的，如今都被包括在祂的中保國度裏了。它們的差異在於以下的事實，即：祂先前所使用的能力和事物，祂固有的統治，以及身為創造主所擁有的原始權利，如今祂都以中保來使用和統治，並為了新的目的來使用，即救贖靈魂和為了祂所有百姓（基督徒或教會）最佳的利益。祂先前身為上帝-創造主所創造和掌管的一切，如今都以上帝-救主的身份，為了祂的救贖目的來統治和使用。萬有都是（或必須被用來）為了對靈魂的救恩作出貢獻。Christ is God=Creator,
(John 1:3). As such, He had certain essential power and authority over all He
had created. This was His Essential Kingdom and His power and authority in it
could not be said to have been given unto Him. You cannot give to a person
something which he already has. And yet, in every one of the references above,
the power and authority is said to have been “given or “delivered” or “put
upon” or “put under” Him. It is this distinction that causes us to know whether
a reference in Scripture is referring to the inherent Essential Kingdom which
is Christ’s by virtue of the fact that He is God=Creator or whether it is a
reference referring to that Mediatorial Kingdom which was bestowed upon Him as
the direct result of His work on the Cross. (Using this method, you may wish to
find other references which describe Christ’s Mediatorial Kingdom). [It is] true
that Christ’s Mediatorial Kingdom is as unlimited as is His Essential Kingdom.
All that was included in His Essential Kingdom is now included in His
Mediatorial Kingdom. The difference lies in the fact that the powers and things
which He formerly used and ruled by inherent and original right as Creator He
now uses and rules as Mediator for a new purpose, namely the salvation of souls
and the best interests of all His people, the Christians or the church. very
thing which He had formerly created and controlled as God=Creator, he now rules
and uses for His redemptive purposes as God=Savior. Everything is—or must be
made to—contribute to the salvation of souls.
這些事包括：These things include:
1. 無生命和非理性的事物，例如日月星辰、動物、魚類、鳥類——凡聖經證明是為了服事基督救贖目的而造的一切。貫穿四福音，我們看到基督掌管萬有，並完成其救贖的目的。1. Inanimate and
irrational things such as sun, moon, stars, animals, fish and birds–anything which can be shown in Scripture to be
made to serve Christ’s redemptive
purposes. Throughout the Gospels, we see Christ controlling all these things to
accomplish His redemptive purposes.
2. 天使，包括聖潔的天使和墮落的天使（甚至包括撒但自己），也是為了服事基督救贖目的而造的。2. Angels, both Holy angels
and fallen angels (even including Satan himself) are made to serve Christ’s redemptive purposes.
3. 人，凡有血氣的，選民和非選民，活著的或死去的，他們官方和私人的地位，都在基督的統管之下。3. Men, “all flesh”, elect and non=elect, alive or dead–in their official and their private capacities–are under Christ’s Dominion.
4. 各種人之間的關聯：家庭，政府的、政治的、教會、商業，因為讓自己形成機構或公司或社會的眾多個人，都離不開基督的主權和國權。4. Associations of
people of every kind: family, civil or political, church, and business, because
individuals by forming themselves into organizations or corporations, or
societies may not get out from under Christ’s Lordship and Kingdom.
5. 「護理之輪」本身就是由基督所指揮和掌管的，以服事祂的救贖目的。5. The very “wheels of Providence” are directed and controlled by Christ to serve His
redemptive purpose.
因此，一切的存有，除了聖父之外，都已經被放置在基督的治理之下。若非如此，這個世界就不可能會逃脫得了咒詛。藉此無限的能力，祂挺身而出、並把握住宇宙的支柱本身，以制服罪和撒但破壞的勢力，直到祂的救贖目的實現為止。So everything that
exists, except the Father, has been put under Christ’s Dominion. Had it not been for that, the world never
would have been able to survive the curse. With this unlimited power, he steps
forward and grasps the very pillars of the universe to hold off the destructive
forces of sin and Satan, until His redemptive purposes are accomplished. The
extent of Christ’s kingdom can all be summarized by the one word— UNLIMITED.
基督國度的範圍可以用一個形容詞來總結：廣大無邊的。
因此，基督的國度：
其起源和目的都是救贖性的
本質是屬靈的
範圍是廣大無邊的
Christ’s
Kingdom then is:
Redemptive in origin and purpose
Spiritual in nature and
Unlimited in extent
第二部分
基督中保國度的施行：「祂是管理萬國的」。（詩廿二28b）The Application of the Mediatorial Kingdom
“And
He rules over the nations.” (Psalm 22:28b)
從第二部分開始，我們所討論的國度是第一部分所定義的中保國度。From Part II
forward, the Kingdom discussed is the mediatorial Kingdom as defined in Part 1.
基督中保的王權和國權如何應用在：How does this Doctrine of the
Mediatorial Kingship and
Kingdom
of Christ apply to:
個人（上帝的選民）The Individual (chosen of God)
家庭（教會的基本單位）The Family (basic unit of the
Church)
教會The Church
教會和公民政府的關係The Church—Civil Government Relationship
商業和日常的行事為人 The Business and Life Walk
一、中保國度與個人 The Mediatorial Kingdom and The Individual
當我們在個人的生活中開始討論國度時，我們發現這是基督在所有認祂為救主和主的人身上，在他們的心中和生命中所設定的計劃和程序。這個思路就是基督徒生活的輪廓，他可以期待，他會按照這個藍圖來成長。當基督拯救一個人，祂就把祂特殊的生命目的建造在這個人的生命中——這是祂為這個特定的人死在十字架上的特殊理由。這個人也開始成長，要完成這個目的，要藉著國度發展的三個步驟，也就是基督在馬可福音第四章（26-29節）所描述的：1) 鐮刀時期；2) 麥穗時期；以及 3) 穗上結成飽滿子粒的時期。當他漸漸長大，就會明白他過去是蒙那位如今是祂的主的君王所召，並且他得救不只是為了讓他自己的靈魂脫離地獄、進入天堂，而是只要基督還選擇把他繼續留在地上時，他要在基督所擁有的全地上，作基督的見證人。他得救的目的是向那些還不認識基督是君王的人作見證，並幫助他們成長，有屬靈上的成熟，正如基督教導祂的門徒要「思想」國度，並漸漸長大，以至可以進入到上帝的國度裏一樣。同樣地，使徒保羅教導提摩太，不要滿足於只是成為一個基督徒，或甚至帶領其他人歸向基督，而是要為兩代的屬靈人禱告、工作並計劃，並交託給那些能「忠心教導他人的人」。這是國度的思維，在耶穌長遠的國度計劃裏，也是一個不可或缺的因素，好向祂的世界傳福音。這才是真正的「使徒統緒」（apostolic
succession；或譯為使徒傳承），以及榮耀上帝和永遠享受上帝最根本的要素。When we begin with
the Kingdom in the life of the Individual, we find that this is the plan and
program that Christ builds down into the mind and life purpose of every soul
who comes to know Him as Savior and Lord. It is this way of thinking that is
that outline of Christian life which He can look forward to growing up into.
When Christ saves a soul, He builds His particular life purpose down into that
person’s life—His particular reason for dying on the Cross for that particular
person. And that soul begins growing up into that purpose, through the three
stages of kingdom development, that Christ described in Mark 5; 1) the blade
stage, 2) the green ear stage, and finally 3) the full corn in the ear stage.
He can grow up to realize that he’s been called by the King who is now His Lord
and that he’s not been saved just to get his own soul out of Hell and into
Heaven, but to be Christ’s witness on Christ’s earth so long as Christ chooses
to leave him there. He has been saved to be a witness to others who do not yet
know Christ as King and then to help them to grow up into spiritual maturity
just as Jesus taught His disciples to “think” Kingdom and grow up into it. In
the same way, the Apostle Paul taught Timothy not to be satisfied with just
becoming a Christian, or even leading someone else to Christ, but to work and
plan and pray two spiritual generations, beyond that to see a “faithful man”
reaching “others also”. That is “kingdom=thinking” and an essential factor in
Jesus’ long=range Kingdom plan for the evangelization of His world. That is
true “apostolic succession” and an essential factor in glorifying God and
enjoying Him forever.
二、中保國度與家庭The Mediatorial Kingdom and
The Family
當我們開始探討家庭中的上帝國度時，我們發現到基督也已經將祂的國度計劃嵌入到家庭的「心思」（mind）和目的裏，以至於婚姻中的男女，以基督的心為心的新郎和新娘，會知道他們的婚姻和家庭，其目的不只是為了發展出一個新層次的羅曼蒂克的「愛情」，也不只是為了光耀門楣，而是他們可以成為救恩關係的一種二人式示範。這個救恩關係乃是存在於這兩者之間：任何認識基督是救主和主的人，以及救主自己。結果是，當世人看到基督作為新郎，為祂的新娘捨命的方式，他們就會開始明白基督（作為新郎和君王）為祂的新婦（即，教會，教會裏所有的靈魂都要認識到祂是救主和君王）捨命會牽涉到什麼事情。而當世人看到教會如何將她全部的生命順服於她的丈夫，並且毫無保留地把她自己交託在祂手中，世人就會開始明白，毫無保留地順服基督，以祂為救主和主，會牽涉到什麼事情。這兩個人會成為救恩關係的二人式示範。當這種國度思維或「心思」成為家庭的基礎和遠程計劃時，家庭就會成長，達到屬靈的成熟。「父親」就不只是家中最老的男性成員。他要代表天上的父親，就像約伯為他的兒女禱告一樣，為他的家人禱告。目前會「提醒」他們有關那稱為天堂的地方，和基督希望祂的教會成為怎樣的教會。家中的兒女會明白什麼是「恩典」，因為他們親眼見到、也領受這個恩典、接納和決心；這是父親和母親在水平的層面所彰顯出來的（有別於上帝從上而下、在垂直層面所賜下的恩典）。他們也會明白什麼是認罪和赦免，因為他們在父親和母親的日常關係和對話裏，看到認罪和悔改的示範；父母必須以上帝的國度和耶穌基督的王權為起點。而保羅為腓利門全家所作的禱告，也適用於他的妻子亞腓亞和兒子亞基布（即，「願你與人所同有的信心顯出功效，使人知道你們各樣善事都是為基督做的」；門6）。其他信徒會說，「每次我想到你和你家，我就會感謝上帝」，而保羅在提摩太後書一章2節對提摩太描述家庭的福音職事的範圍，將它形容為會傳承超過四代，從祖父母到父母到兒女和孫子女，直到世界的末了——無論它們傳到哪裏，傳遍基督的世界。When we begin with
the kingdom in the family, we find that Christ has also built this kingdom plan
down into the “mind” or purpose of the Family. So that the man and
woman, bridegroom and bride, who are thinking with the mind of Christ will know
that their marriage and family are not just for the purpose of developing a new
level of romantic “love” nor just for the purpose of the propagation of the
family name, but that they would be a two=person demonstration of the salvation
relationship that exists between any soul who comes to know Christ as Savior
and Lord and the Savior Himself. So that, as the world sees the way He, as the
bridegroom, lays down his life for his bride=wife, they would begin to
understand what was involved in Christ (as the bridegroom and King) laying down
His life for His Bride (i.e. the church whose every soul comes to know Him as
Savior and King). And as the world sees how she submits her whole life to her
husband and puts herself into his hands without reservation, the world begins
to understand what would be involved in surrendering without reservation to
Christ, as Savior and Lord. The two of them will be a two=person demonstration
of the salvation relationship. When this kind of kingdom=thinking or “mind” is
the foundation and long=range plan for the family, then that family will grow
up into spiritual maturity. “Father” will be more than just the oldest male
member in the family. He will represent the Father in Heaven and he will pray
for his family the way Job prayed for his children. Mother will “remind” them
all of the place called Heaven and of what Christ wants His Church to be. The
children will understand “grace” because they see and receive the grace and
acceptance and purposefulness that is being demonstrated by both father and
mother on a horizontal level and they will understand confession and
forgiveness because they see it being demonstrated in the day to day
relationships and conversations between a father and mother who begin with the
Kingdom and Kingship of Jesus Christ. And Paul’s prayers for the family of
Philemon, Apphia and Archippus will apply (i.e. “that the communication of your
faith may become effectual in every good thing which is in you in Christ
Jesus,” (Philemon, verse 6). Other believers will say, ‘every time I think of
you and your home, I just thank God’, and the extent of that family ministry
will carry on beyond the four generations described by Paul to Timothy in 2
Timothy 1:2, from grandparents to parents to children and grandchildren to the
end of time—wherever they may travel throughout His world.
三、中保國度與教會The Mediatorial Kingdom and
the Church
，在我們思考教會，並為教會作計劃時，有些人或是出於偶然，或是出於疏忽，或是故意的，會將國度的教義限定在教會上，說國度就是教會，或教會就是上帝的國度。如同我們前面已經看到的，上帝的國度所包括的，遠遠超過教會。但是基督的意思是祂國度的（救贖）起源和目的，要從祂在十字架上的救贖大工裏產生。祂國度的（屬靈）本質，會為祂教會的所有的「服事」，尤其是她的崇拜服事，提供屬靈的標準；而祂的國度的範圍（是廣大無邊的），會成為祂教會的「宣教視野」。國度不是由教會來界定和決定的，反而，教會和她的未來乃是由國度來決定和定義的。國度是那支配一切的圓頂，教會只是其反射。這就正如藍色的天空決定了藍色的湖面，而不是藍色的湖面決定著藍色的天空；同樣，是天國的模式決定著每個教會的起源和救贖目的；而國度的屬靈本質也決定著教會所有的「服事」的屬靈標準；而基督國度（廣大無邊）的範圍會決定著每個教會的宣教視野。When we begin with
the Kingdom, in our thinking and planning for the church, there have been those
who, by accident, oversight, or by design, would limit the doctrine of the
Kingdom to the church, saying that the Kingdom is the church or the church is
the Kingdom. The Kingdom includes, as we have seen, far more than the church.
But Christ intends that the (redemptive) origin and purpose of His Kingdom,
rising as it does out of His work of atonement on the Cross, will determine the
origin and purpose and message of His Church. The (spiritual) nature of His
Kingdom will provide the standard of spirituality for His Church in all her
“services,” especially her worship services, and that the (unlimited) extent of
His Kingdom will be the “mission vision” for His Church. It is not that the
Church defines and determines what the Kingdom is, but rather that the Kingdom
determines and defines what the Church is, and what she will become. The
Kingdom is that overarching dome, of which the Church is a reflection. Just as
it is never the blue of the lake that determines the blue of the sky, but
always the blue of the sky that determines the blue of the lake; so then it is
the pattern of the Kingdom that determines the origin and redemptive purpose of
every church; and the spiritual nature of the Kingdom that determines the
standards of spirituality in all the “services” of the church; and the
(unlimited) extent of Christ’s kingdom that determines the mission vision of
each church.
1. 我要建造我的教會I Will Build My Church
當耶穌基督在超過兩千年前作出這個非凡的應許：「我要建造我的教會」，祂心裏想到的是一個有清楚定義的計劃，一個在祂今天的整個世界裏要繼續執行的計劃。在出埃及記廿五章40節，祂吩咐摩西要根據祂在西奈山上顯明給摩西的「樣式」來建造會幕。在整個舊約聖經的時期裏，祂帶領以色列和「曠野的會（教會）」進入應許之地。如今在四福音裏，祂更詳細地為祂的教會解釋祂的國度和祂的計劃，並且說明祂的國度和祂的教會之間的關係。When Jesus, the
Christ, made that remarkable promise, “I
will build my Church”, over 2000 years ago, He had in mind a clearly=defined
plan, a plan that He continues to implement throughout His world today. In
Exodus 25:40, He had commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle according to “the
pattern” which He had shown to him on the Mount. Throughout the Old Testament
years, He led Israel and “the church in the wilderness” into the promised land.
Now in the four gospels, He explains His Kingdom and His Plan for His Church in
more detail and shows the relationship between His Kingdom and His church.
明白基督是如何以「先求祢的國」這個評述來開始馬太福音第六章，然後在十章之後，在馬太福音十六章18節，作出這個「我要建造我的教會」這個非凡的應許，是很重要的。在馬太福音十六章16-17節，基督首先用最高的表揚來讚美彼得，因為他作了這樣的信仰告白：「祢是基督，是永生上帝的兒子」，這是所有世代的信仰見證的磐石，基督應許要建造的教會就是建立在這個基礎上。當基督繼續告訴我們，關於祂為何必須被釘十字架，以成全這個建造教會的工作，彼得就開始責怪耶穌。彼得實際上是在說，他會找到更簡單的方法來執行基督的工作，而基督以祂最嚴厲的譴責來斥責彼得，稱他為撒但，並且對彼得說了祂在誘惑山上對撒但所說的同樣的話。實際上，基督在這裏是對彼得說，也是對我們所有的人說：你的責任是「求祂的國」。我要建造我的教會，而當我按照我的方式來建造時，地獄的大門就無法抵抗教會。你必須學會按照我的方法來做我的工作。It is important to
see how Christ begins in Matthew 6 with the command to “seek first the kingdom”, and then ten chapters later in Matthew 16:18 makes
that remarkable promise “I will build My Church”. In Matthew 16:16=17, Christ
first praises Peter with the highest commendation for making the kind of
confession “thou art the Christ, the son of the Living God”, which is the rock
of confession in every generation, upon which Christ’s promise to build His
church is founded. When Christ proceeds to tell us about how He must be
crucified in order to do this church building, and Peter begins to rebuke Him;
saying in effect that he will find some easier way to do Christ’s work, Christ
rebukes Peter with his sternest condemnation, calling Him Satan and saying the
same thing to Peter that He had said to Satan on the Mount of Temptation. In
effect, Christ is saying here to Peter and to all of us: Your responsibility is
to “seek the kingdom”. I will build My church and when I do it My way then the
very gates of Hell will not be able to hold out against it. You must learn to
do My work , My way.The Very Purpose of His Kingdom has been built down into
His Church by the Lord Himself.
2. 祂國度的目的已經由主親自嵌入到祂的教會裏The Very Purpose of
His Kingdom has been built down into His Church by the Lord Himself.
當我們以國度為出發點，國度的起源和目的就會變成教會的起源和目的。國度和教會都是從上帝主權的旨意和救贖籌算中產生的，而這是以拯救靈魂的愛為動機的。一旦作成了這個決定，基督就受到指派，並且「存心順服，以至於死，且死在十字架上。 所以，神將他升為至高，又賜給他那超乎萬名之上的名」（腓二5-11）。如今，作為回報，祂就建造祂的教會，作為祂國度的一個非常重要的部分。正如祂國度主要和最終的目的是榮耀上帝、尊榮基督自己，並使祂有可能將救贖的益處施作到祂百姓身上，並滿足他們持續的需要，以長大成人，具有屬靈的成熟度，同樣，這些也成為祂教會主要和最終的目的。國度和教會都是由基督所掌管，並賜予能力的，而且兩者最關心的都是施行祂在十字架上所已經成就的救贖。國度不是僅僅限制在教會內部，但是在這些方面來說，它們是完全相同的。When we begin with
the Kingdom, then the origin and purpose of the Kingdom become the origin and
purpose of the Church. Both Kingdom and
Church have arisen out of God’s sovereign will and redemptive purpose which is
motivated by love to save souls. Once that decision had been made, then Christ
was appointed and “became obedient unto death, even the death on the Cross,
wherefore God also highly exalted Him” and gave Him the Kingdom (Philippians
2:5=11). Now He, in turn, builds His Church as a very important part of His
Kingdom. Just as it was the primary and ultimate purpose of His Kingdom to
glorify God, honor Christ Himself, and make it possible for Him to apply the
benefits of redemption to His people and also meet their continuing needs for
growing up into spiritual maturity, so now, these become the primary and
ultimate purpose of His Church. Both Kingdom and Church are controlled and
empowered by Christ and both are primarily concerned with the application of
that redemption which He has worked out on the Cross. The Kingdom is not
limited to the Church, but in these respects, they are the same.
這個觀念，和教會乃是源自一群人的心思意念要成為一個自動、自主的社團的觀念，有著極大的差別；後者招聚起來的目的是為了滿足他們自己屬靈和社會性的需要。前者認為是基督招聚祂的百姓，最終是為了上帝的榮耀，而主要不是為了人的好處。There is a great
difference between this and the idea that the Church originated in the minds of
people as a voluntary spontaneous association who call themselves together in
order to meet their own spiritual and social needs. This is Christ calling
together His people, and ultimately it is not so much for man’s benefit as it
is for God’s glory.
當我們以國度為起點來看教會，教會具有宣教目的的功能就變得非常重要了。教會會變得比較不是屬於「我們的」，而更多是屬於「祂的」——比較不是我們去的地方，以增加數目為目的，並且保存我們自己，而更多是祂帶領我們所到的地方，裝備我們，並差遣我們出去，去開拓更多的教會，去向祂的世界傳福音。When we look at the
Church beginning with the Kingdom, hen there is a functional mission purpose
that becomes very important. The Church becomes less “ours” and more “His”— not
so much the place to which we come to add to our numbers and preserve
ourselves, as it is the place to which He brings us, equips us, and sends us on
to multiply into more congregations to evangelize His world.
另一方面，基督為個人和家庭所設立的目的，與祂為教會所設立的目的，這兩者之間是有落差的。即使我們隨意地回顧基督在啟示錄第二、三章對七個教會的檢討，也會看到祂給每個教會都指派了不同的職事。另一方面，所有的教會都有一些共同要做的事，而當我們檢討這些事時，以國度為出發點，就會看到我們強調的，比較不是在使自己與眾不同，而更強調最終的目的和使命。以國度為起點就比較不會強調一個教會「擁有」什麼，另一個教會「缺乏」什麼，而是更強調基督所設計的、並呼召我們所有的人，為了上帝的榮耀所要做的事。On the one hand, there
is a difference between the purpose Christ has built into an individual and a
family and the purpose He has built down into His Church. Even a casual review
of the works (erga) that Christ was reviewing in each of the seven churches in
Revelation 2 and 3, will show that He has assigned a particular ministry to a
particular congregation. On the other hand, all churches have certain things in
common and when we review them, beginning with the Kingdom, there is less
emphasis on drawing distinctions and more emphasis on ultimate purpose and
mission. Beginning with the Kingdom brings less emphasis on what one church
“has”, that another “does not have” and more emphasis on what Christ has
designed and called all of us to do to the Glory of God.
3. 教會的屬靈本質也已經由她的主「建造」到祂的裏面The spiritual
nature of His Church also has been “built” down into her by her Lord.
基督也已經將祂國度的屬靈本質「建造」到祂的教會裏面，以至於國度的靈性會提供一個評估某個特定教會的靈性的基礎或標準。有些教會幾乎可以說是半死不活的。他們的唱詩、禱告、奉獻、思想都是死氣沉沉的。其他教會則是在基督裏「生氣勃勃」，他們在地上的服事可以被視為天上詩班的排練。這個靈命也是教會獨立於其他組織（如公民政府），不受其控制的一個實際基礎。因為她是一個屬靈的組織，她的設立或繼續存在就不依賴國家。祂唯一的基礎是基督。而因為基督已經建造她成為一個屬靈的組織，她就唯獨要順服基督。基督是教會唯一的元首，教會就要照上帝所說的來臣服於祂，正如任何一個人的身體要臣服於頭一樣。因此基督國度的屬靈本質乃是被建造到祂的教會裏的，這也提供了以下的基礎：1) 一個教會的靈性，尤其是她崇拜服事的屬靈標準；2) 她乃是獨立於其他所有的組織，不受其影響；3) 她唯獨要順服基督。同樣，如同我們會在接下來的段落裏看到的，這個屬靈本質為教會和公民政府之間所具有的一種健康的有效關係，提供了基礎。Christ has also “built”
the spiritual nature of His Kingdom down into His Church in such a way that the
spirituality of the Kingdom provides a basis or standard for evaluating the spirituality
of a particular congregation. Some churches are almost more dead than alive.
They sing dead and pray dead and give and think dead. Others are “alive” in
Christ and their services on earth can be seen as a kind of choir rehearsal for
Heaven. That spirituality is also one practical basis for the Church’s
independence of the power or control of all other organizations such as the
civil government. Because she is a spiritual organization, she is not dependent
on the State for her establishment or continuing existence. Her foundation is
Christ alone. And because Christ has built her to be a spiritual organization,
she is subject to Him alone. He is her only head and she is subject to Him as
God has said, just as any person’s physical body is subject to the head. So the
spiritual nature of Christ’s Kingdom built downward into His Church, provides
the basis for 1) the spirituality of a church and especially the standard of
spirituality for her worship services; 2) her independence to all other
organizations and influences; and 3) her subjection to Christ alone. Also, as
we shall see in a later section, this spiritual nature provides one basis for a
healthy working relationship between Church and civil government.
教會的屬靈本質不止為基督的教會提供保護，避免其他在教會之外的組織的攻擊，例如公民政府，也保護她避免從教會內部而來的組織的攻擊。我們從教會歷史可以很清楚看到，教會曾經被那些在教會內部運作的「合法的」教會理事會（學院，主教，議會，總會），也被從外而來的諸如皇帝、君王、法官和其他立法團體的引誘和強暴。無論教會的治理體制是階級制、會眾制，還是長老制，基督已經規定了一種教會治理的形式，單單是因為聖徒的建造需要秩序，而秩序則需要有行政管理。當人一旦開始忘記他們在基督教會裏的權柄不是立法性質的，而只是牧養性質的（即基督所設立的話語的施行），他們就會在基督的教會裏僭越基督的權柄。祂過去從來不曾允許這件事發生，也永遠不會容許這事發生。而無論是哪種教會治理形式，都必須讓我們明白，教會更多是「屬於祂的」，而不是「屬於我們的」，這就是當祂在那日對彼得說，也在今日對我們所有的人說，「我要建造我的教會」的時候，祂所要求和應許的。The spiritual
nature of the Church not only provides protection for Christ’s Church against the attacks of other
organizations, like the civil government, from outside the Church but it also
protects her against the attacks of the organizations from within the Church
herself. It is clear in the records of history that the Church has been seduced
or raped as often by those “legitimate” church boards (colleges, cardinals,
assemblies, synods) that operate from within as she has been seduced and raped
by emperors, kings, judges and other legislative bodies working from without.
Whether it be hierarchical, congregational or Presbyterian form of church government,
Christ has prescribed a form of church government simply because edification
requires order and order requires government. The moment men begin to forget
that their authority within His Church is not legislative but solely
ministerial (the administration of the Word He has legislated), then they are
usurping Christ’s authority within His Church. He never has permitted that and
He never will. Whatever form of church government causes us to know that the
Church is more “his” and less “ours” is what He was demanding and promising
when He said that day to Peter, and to all the rest of us, “I will build My
Church”.
當基督把無限性設定給祂的教會時，祂就是在設立她的合一性、她的普世性，和她的永恆性。今天，我們傾向於用空間的維度來看無限性，但是當我們把無形性應用在時間的維度上的時候，這意思就是基督從來沒有一刻不是那位擁有一個國度的君王，將來也是如此。在空間的維度上，這意味著在基督的世界裏，在其地表上的任何一個「地方」（或者是在外太空，假若我們真的在外太空發現人的靈魂），我們都可以期待基督都會使用信徒來建造祂的教會。我們是在逾越節的主餐桌上瞥見基督教會的合一性、普世性、永恆性。這些特性很明顯可以追溯到伊甸園，我們看見亞伯，第一個進入天堂的人，然後往下可以追溯到包括約伯和亞伯拉罕、以撒、摩西、眾先知，他們所有的人都是通過逾越節來期盼彌賽亞的降臨；然後，在這張長桌的正中心，我們看見耶穌這位彌賽亞，和祂的門徒；然後是路德、加爾文，以及從那時起所有其他的聖徒，他們坐在同一張桌子上，回顧舊約聖徒所期盼的同一位彌賽亞/基督。過去在其他地方都不曾有救恩，將來也不會有。這都發生在祂的世界、祂的宇宙裏！而且是從時間的一開始就發生的！祂的國度將會繼續成長，並延伸到時間的末了，然後延伸到永恆！祂的教會也會如此！When Christ built the
unlimitedness of His Kingdom downward into His Church, He was establishing her
unity, her universality, and her perpetuity. Today, we tend to think of
unlimitedness in terms of the dimension of space but when we apply
unlimitedness to the dimension of time, it means there never was a time when
Christ was not a King with a Kingdom and there never will be. In the dimensions
of space it means there is no “place” on the face of Christ’s world (or in
outer space either, if we ever find souls in outer space), where we should not
expect to find Him building His Church and using believers to do it. We catch a
glimpse of the unity, universality, and perpetuity of His Church in that
Passover=communion table stretching clear back into the Garden of Eden where we
see Abel, the first man into Heaven, and then moving forward to include Job and
Abraham and Isaac and Moses and the Prophets, all of them, looking forward
through the Passover to the coming of the Messiah; and then, in the very center
of that long table, Jesus the Messiah and His disciples; and then, Luther and
Calvin and all the rest of the saints since then sitting at that same table
looking back to the same Messiah/Christ to whom the Old Testaments saints
looked forward. There never has been salvation in any other and never will be.
All over His world! And universe from the beginning of time! His Kingdom will
continue to grow and extend to the end of time and then on into eternity! And
so will His church!
通過把這些特性建造到祂的教會裏，祂就為以下幾點提供了祂的標準：By building the
specifications of His Kingdom downward into
1. 教會的目的 1. Her purpose
2. 教會的靈命 2. Her spirituality
3. 教會獨立於所有外在的控制 3. Her independence of all
outward control
4. 教會唯獨順服基督自己 4. Her subjection to Himself
alone
5. 教會的合一性 5. Her unity
6. 教會的普世性 6. Her universality
7. 教會的永恆性 7. Her perpetuity
因此，所有這些都可以轉換成祂教會的秩序和計劃，當教會隨著時間而獲得進展，使基督的世界可以效法基督全部的國度（regnum Christi
totum）。基督國度的無限性的這個教義，會向下投射到祂的教會的宣教異象的應許裏，以發展出一個合一的、在普世擴展的、永恆存在的教會；這個教會有一天會勇敢地面對國家，要求國家與他們一起合作。但是基督的國度和王權與公民政府的之間的關係為何呢？All this then
translates into the order and program of His Church as she makes progress
through time toward bringing His world into conformity to the regnum Christi
totum. This doctrine of the unlimitedness of Christ’s Kingdom projected
downward into the mission vision of His Church promises to develop a strongly
united, universally expanding, perpetually existing Church which will one day
confront the State in such a way as to require their working together. But what
is the relationship between Christ’s Kingdom=Kingship and the civil government?
四、中保國度與公民政府The Mediatorial Kingdom and
The Civil Government
基督所教導的有關祂國度的一切，已經給我們足夠的理由，暗示祂也是公民政府的主人：Everything Christ
has been teaching us about His Kingdom provides reasons which imply that He is
also Lord of civil government:
· 祂被賦予中保權柄的前提，不是祂廢除了祂作為上帝的統管權柄。? His being
invested with the mediatorial dominion in no way supposes His abrogation of any
of His Rights of Dominion as God.
· 祂統管萬有——尤其是「凡有血氣的」——所具備的道德資格，暗示像公民政府這麼重大的事，不會被排除在祂中保的統治之外。? His moral
qualifications to rule over all things and especially “all flesh”
would imply that such a vastly important thing as civil government would not be
exempted from his mediatorial rule.
· 倘若祂缺乏此種對萬國的權能，基督的權能就會受到嚴重的限制，無法壓制世人的背叛，以實現「世上的國成了我主和主基督的國」（啟十一15）這樣的時期。? And without such power over
nations, Christ would be seriously handicapped in overruling the rebellions of
men in order to bring about that time when “the kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdom of
our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15).
這個「基督有無限的權柄」的教義，讓我們能全心相信耶穌基督如今是世上萬國公民政府的君王和主宰，也是個人、家庭、教會的主宰。This doctrine of
the unlimitedness of Christ’s Dominion gives us
every reason to believe that Jesus Christ is now King and Lord over all nations’ civil governments as well as Lord of the
individual, the family, and the church.
但是比這些理由和涵義更重要的，是從以下經文而來的具體陳述，即聖經的吩咐，例如詩篇第二篇，使徒行傳四章25節、十三章33節、希伯來書一章4節、五章5節，和啟示錄二章27節所引用的經文；聖經的預言，如詩篇四十七篇2、3、8、9節；詩篇七十二篇；以賽亞書四十九章22-23節，六十篇11、12、16節；以西結書四十五章17節；但以理書七章13-14節；啟示錄十一章15節，廿一章24、26節；以及聖經中這類的稱謂，即基督中保被稱為「管理萬國的」（詩廿二28）；「萬國的王」（耶十6-7）；「萬王之王」（啟十七14，十九16）。所有這些稱號都假設了基督對公民政府實際的主權。倘若這不是實情，把這些頭銜歸給祂，就無異於是在嘲諷祂。But more important
than reasons and implications such as these are the specific statements from
the following Scripture. The commands of Scripture, e.g. Psalm 2, as quoted in
Acts 4:25, 13:33, Hebrews 1:4, 5:5 and Revelation 2:27. The Prophecies of
Scripture; e.g. Psalm 47:2, 3, 8, 9; Psalm 72; Isaiah 49:22=23; 60:11, 12, 16;
Ezekiel 45:17; Daniel 7:13=14; Revelation 11:15; 21:24,26: And such
designations in Scripture wherein the Mediator is addressed as “Governor among
the nations” (Psalm 22:28); “higher than the Kings of the earth” (Psalm 89:27);
“King of nations” (Jeremiah 10:6=7); “King of Kings” (Revelation 17:14; 19:16).
All of these assert Christ’s actual Lordship over civil government. To ascribe
such titles to Him if they were not true, would be to mock Him.
我們可以用八個主題來總括基督對公民政府的主權，這是基督為公民政府所作的八件事。接下來是公民政府對基督的主權可能作出的四種回應：We may summarize
Christ’s Lordship over
civil government under 8 topics, the eight things Christ does for civil
government. These are followed up by 4 responses civil government can make to
Christ’s Lordship:
1. 公民政府的起源掌握在基督的手中。對於教會，基督說過「我要建造我的教會」。然而，教會的起源和公民政府的起源是不同的，因為祂說：「公民政府是人的制度」，而「其權力是由上帝所委任的」。這意味著自然界的上帝，已經將自發的、對社會契約的渴望放置在人的心中。公民政府，就道德和護理的層面來說，都起源於上帝。上帝不只是允許其存在，也使其存在，而既然，正如我們先前看到的，有關護理的事也已經被交託在基督的手中，那麼，基督作為中保，祂就是設立並組織公民政府的那位。如果不是在由上帝所委任的意義下，公民政府絕對不可能成為人的制度。1. The very origin
of civil government is in the Hands of Christ. Of the Church, He has said “I will build my Church”. There is, however, a difference between the origin
of the Church and the origin of civil government because He says—“civil government is an ordinance
of man” and “the powers that be are ordained of (by) God”. This means that the
God of nature has put the desire into man for a voluntary social compact. Civil
government originated with God morally not less than providentially. God not only permitted it, He caused it and
since, as we have seen earlier, the matters of Providence have also been put
into the hands of Christ, then He is, as Mediator, the one who instituted and
constituted civil government. It can never be the ordinance of man in any sense
in which it is not ordained by God.
2. 持續監督公民政府事務的是基督。在整個舊約和新約聖經的歷史裏，我們看到祂影響著政府官員的謀略和軍隊的能力，使一些國家興起，也使其他國家衰亡，好成就祂的救贖計劃。2. It is Christ who
continues to oversee the affairs of civil government. Throughout the history of
the Old and New Testaments, we see him influencing the counsels of statesmen
and the prowess of armies to set some up and The King and His Kingdom 25 take others down, in order to accomplish
His redemptive purposes.
3. 基督通過祂的話語發出命令，指揮國家的統治者促進公眾利益，限制罪惡，秉公施行律法，促進並保護祂的教會，而行作這些的目的都是為了讓基督中保的計劃得以實現，並顯揚祂的聖名。3. Christ issues
those commands through His Word which direct civil rulers in promoting the
public good,
restraining
evil, administering laws with justice, promoting and protecting His Church and
doing all this in such a way that it will promote the plans and holy name of
the Mediator.
4. 統治著那些反對祂的悖逆者的，是基督。4. It is Christ who overrules the rebellions of those
who oppose Him.
5. 對那些拒絕受祂的道德律所引導的統治者和人民，基督就對他們施行審判。5. It is Christ who executes
the judgments of God on those rulers and people who refuse to be guided by His
moral law.
6. 通過公民政府在基督的世界裏散播福音的，也是基督。身為萬王之王，祂授權給那些祂所委任的人，進入到世上的任何國家去傳福音。因此，不只是祂為他們所作的，以及對他們所作的，更是祂藉著他們所作的，證明了祂對萬國的主權。祂是「普遍」恩典之主。6. It is Christ who
also works through civil government to disseminate the Gospel throughout His
world. As King of Kings, He authorizes those whom He has commissioned to enter
and evangelize any nation on earth. So it is not only what He does for them and
to them, it is also what He does through them that proves His Lordship over
nations. He is Lord of “common” grace.
7. 基督通過公民政府來行事，從而招聚祂的教會，並保護和促進祂的教會。若非基督是公民政府之主、也是教會之主，鑑於列國的性質，教會就不會有盼望。7. Christ works
through civil government in such a way as to gather together and protect and
promote His Church. Because of the character of nations as they now are, there
could be no hope for the Church if it were not for the fact that Christ is Lord
of the civil government as well as Lord of the Church.
8. 在以賽亞書第九章，有關世上萬國的性質和組成，基督應許要帶來一個全然的改變（改革），祂加上這個應許說：「萬軍之耶和華的熱心必成就這事」（賽九7）8. Christ promises to bring about an entire
change (reformation) in the character and constitution of the
nations
of the world and in Isaiah 9, He adds this promise, “the zeal of the Lord of
Hosts will perform it”.
基督身為君王，通過以上這些方式，確立了祂對公民政府的主權，通過他們實現祂國度藍圖的計劃。相反地，針對以上的每一點，公民政府越來越被推向基督中保國度的光中和計劃當中。所有這些，其中一個實際的後果是：世人因此要面對公民政府，也要在教會裏面對基督的中保權柄和計劃。這不只是神治的國度，更是基督治理的國度。基督對公民政府的權柄也像對教會一樣，是一種絕對的權柄。這一切都指向公民政府是上帝所委任的——一個道德的定旨，神聖的制度。這是對公民政府一個非常崇高的看法。In all these eight
ways, Christ, as King, asserts His Lordship over His civil government, working
through them to carry out the purposes of His Kingdom Plan. Conversely, at each
of these points, civil government is thrust more and more up into the light and
plan of Christ’s Mediatorial Kingdom. One practical result of all this is that
men are thus confronted in civil government, as well as in church with the
mediatorial authority and plan of Christ. This is something more than
Theocratic, it is Christocratic. Christ’s authority in the civil government
becomes as absolute as it is in the Church. Everything here points to civil
government being an ordinance of God—a moral ordinance, a divine institution.
This is a very high doctrine of civil government.
那麼，一個國家對基督和祂在公民政府裏的主權可以作出什麼樣的回應呢？公民政府對基督的主權至少可以作出四種回應：Now what response
can a nation make to Christ and His Lordship in civil government? There are at
least four responses civil government can make to Christ’s Lordship:
1. 公民政府的君王，即基督，祂的榮耀，能夠、也必將成為國家的主要目標或最高的目的。光是滿足於促進國家的安寧、和平、社會秩序，人的幸福感或我們自己社區的愛國心是不夠的。公民政府所作的一切，她所寫下的所有憲法、法律、條約，她所制定的一切關於家庭和對外的政策，她所做的任何約定，都必須從她主人的美德這個角度來看。即便漠視或忽略這點，都可以視為對君王的侮辱和羞辱。這很容易會把公民政府和一般人所認知的道德政府視為等同。這意味著上帝、政府、人民的最佳利益是合一的。政府所當作的不只是保護、護衛、守護公民的權利，以及她國民的財產，也應當維護道德和政治上的真理。1. The Glory of
Christ, her King, can and will be the chief end or highest purpose of the
State. It is just not enough to be satisfied with the promotion of domestic
tranquility, peace, social order, happiness among men or the patriotic good of
our own community. Everything the civil government does, every constitution and
law and treaty she writes, every home and foreign policy she makes, every
appointment she makes, must be reviewed with an eye to the excellency of her
Lord. Even indifference or neglect of this can be seen as an insult,
dishonoring to the King. This tends to equate civil government with what is
commonly known as moral government. It means that the best interests of God,
government, and men are one. Government is intended to do more than guard,
defend, and protect the civil rights and properties of her citizens, it is also
intended to hold together moral and political truth.
2. 基督的律法可以、也必將成為行為的準則。既然上帝在舊約聖經時代已經吩咐祂的百姓使用祂的律法和律例作為他們的統治和公民政府的基礎，對於在新約聖經時代、已經得知上帝在聖經中完整啟示的我們來說，就應當有更高的期望。這意味著國家既然身為基督的工具，道德法令就不能只以大眾的共識、財產的保護或身體的需要等等，作為其律法的基礎。但是她能、因此也應當直接以聖經裏上帝的道德律作為其律法最佳的基礎。違背這些律法的人會受到懲處，不只是因為他們所作的是冒犯了人，更因為他們所作的是悖逆上帝。在針對不信基督的立法和約束上，最先要考慮的是：基督作為公民政府的主，什麼是最能榮耀基督的事？2. The Law of
Christ can and will be the rule of conduct. Since God has commanded His people
in Old Testament times to use His Laws and Precepts as the basis for their
governing and civil government, then less could not be expected of those of us
in New Testament times who have access to the whole of God’s Revelation in
Scripture. This means then that the State, by virtue of being an instrument of
Christ, a moral ordinance, is not just limited to such grounds as common
consent, protection of property, or physical needs as a basis for her laws. But
she can, and therefore should, go on directly to God’s moral law in the
Scriptures as the best basis for all her laws. Those who break those laws would
be, disciplined not only because of what they have done against man, but also
because of what they have done against God. In both legislation and the
restraint of irreligion, the most important thing would be, what is most
honoring for Christ as the Lord of Civil Government.
3. 基督在祂自己作為君王特性上所顯明的一些標準，是評估或選舉一些人擔任公民政府職位時的基礎。倘若我們以基督的人格作為評估那些爭取我們選票的人的基礎，我們盼望在他們的生活中看到：3. The standards
that Christ demonstrated in His own character as King will be the base for
evaluating or electing men for office in civil government. Using Christ’s character as the basis for our evaluation of
the character of those seeking our vote, we would want to see in their lives:
· 有如基督的尊嚴，值得我們的尊敬? His kind of dignity or respectability
· 有如基督與我們的「親近關係」? His kind of “near relationship” to us
·有如基督的知識與智慧? His kind of knowledge and wisdom
·有如基督的權柄——能完成事情的能力? His kind of power—ability to get things done
·有如基督在道德上的純淨? His kind of moral purity
·有如基督的憐憫? His kind of compassion
·有如基督的權柄? His kind of authority
在舊約和新約聖經裏，上帝描述並定義這些人格特質，是那些會成為「惡人所懼怕的」和「上帝永遠的僕役」的人所必須具備的基本要求。因著基督對公民政府的主權，基督徒在選舉投票時，必須拒絕基於我們的熱情、偏見、黨派的選擇，並將我們的選擇順服在這些人格標準，和我們在上帝話語中所發現的政策之下。是的，選舉權的確是公民的權利，但是必須在基督的旨意下、為了祂的尊榮來行使。這不是說非基督徒就自然而然不能成為政府官員，但是這的確意味著在一個已經領受上帝顯明旨意的國家裏，不適合選舉那些拒絕基督的人擔任行政長官，這對基督來說甚至是在羞辱祂。與此同時，當選公職的基督徒必須謹記，他們不只是他們國家憲法的僕人，更是「上帝的僕役」，並且要因此來管制他們的公眾和私人的舉止。Throughout both the
Old Testament and the New Testament, God has defined and described these
character qualities as essential prerequisites for one who will be both “a terror to evil” and “a minister of God
for good”. And because of Christ’s Lordship over Civil Government, Christians,
in voting, are bound to rule out choice based on passion, prejudice or party
and subject their choice to the character standards and policies found in God’s
Word. Yes, the franchise is a civil right, but it is to be exercised to the
will and honor of Christ. This does not mean that non= Christians will ipso
facto cease to be magistrates but it does mean that in a nation that has
received God’s revealed will, it is unfitting, even dishonoring to Christ to
elect to office those who have rejected Him. At the same time, Christians who
are elected to office need to remember that they are not just the servants of
their constituencies, but are “the ministers of God” and regulate both their
public and private conduct accordingly.
4. 政府官員的權柄，和在任何可以接觸到福音的國家裏的基督徒，他們在這個國家裏善盡公民順服的義務，都取決於這些標準。這個國家的權勢和順服並不是出於對「我的選舉區」的一種奴性的懼怕，或是出於自私的動機，而是出於對救贖君王的愛和尊敬。這包括一種帶著尊敬的敬畏，行善，繳稅，付關稅，對人恭敬，如同羅馬書十三章所描述的。不順服政府就變成對基督的不順服。4. The authority of
magistrates and the submission of Christian citizens in any nation which has
access to the Gospel is dependent on these standards. Power and obedience in
this nation does not arise out of either slavish fear of “my constituency” or
from selfish motives but from love and respect for the Redeemer=King. It will
include a respectful kind of fear, well doing, paying of taxes and customs, and
giving of honor, as described in Romans 13. Disobedience become disobedience to
Christ.
在這點上，有必要區分「權勢」（power）和「權柄」（authority）。上帝給人政治事務的民主權力，那些人有權利運用這個權勢。這是道德性的權勢，和體力上的能力是有別的。這是組織他們自己社會關係的能力，必須合乎憲法與法律，並且選舉一些個人、賦予他們權力來治理他們。這只是世俗國家的基礎。但是當我們在這類的權勢，和基督作為君王賜給基督徒政府官員的權柄之間做出區分時，我們所講的就超過了這點。無論是道德能力和道德權柄都來自上帝。但是道德能力是直接從上帝而來，是一件最自然不過的事。而道德權柄要通過媒介，是後來附加的事情。人若要得到這個道德權柄的權利或頭銜，必須符合以下兩個基本條件：At this point, it
becomes necessary to make a distinction between “power” and “authority”. God has invested people with democratic power in
political matters and those people have the right to exercise that power. This
is moral power as distinguished from physical=strength kind of power. It is the
power to organize their own social relationships, agree on constitutions and
laws, and to elect and invest certain individuals to rule over them. This is
just the basis for the secular state. But we are going beyond this when we make
a distinction between this kind of power, and the kind of authority which
Christ as King has given to a Christian magistrate. Both moral power and moral
authority come from God. But the moral power comes immediately from God as a
natural thing. The moral authority comes mediately as an added thing. And there
are two essential prerequisites for a person’s getting the right or title to
this moral authority:
1. 道德理解力（moral capacity），即他必須達到某種成熟的年齡，擁有正常的心智；以及，1. A moral
capacity, i.e. he must have some age of maturity and a sound mind; and
2. 道德能力（moral ability），這對他擁有道德力量來說不是必要的，但是對他擁有道德權柄來說是必要的。例如，一個心智健康的成年人也許已經證明他在道德上無法管束自己的孩子，然而他對那些孩子在道德上（糟糕）的權勢來說卻是無可否認的。我們不能說這樣的人擁有道德權柄。而既然上帝沒有給這種人這樣的權柄，因此想要尊基督為公民政府之主的基督徒國民，就不應該選舉或指派這樣的人來管理他們。基督徒國民也許不必要擔負這樣的責任，要負責調查一個鞋匠的道德權柄，但是在選舉一個要管理他們的人之前，基督徒國民必須以基督這位所有公民政府的君王的品格作為標準，來仔細查驗這個人的天性，道德和靈命上的能力，以評估他的資格。2. A moral ability,
which is not necessary for him to have moral power, but is necessary for him to
have moral authority. For example, a man who is of age and a sound mind may
have demonstrated his moral inability to rule his own children. And yet his
(terrible) moral power over those children cannot be denied. Such a man cannot
be said to have moral authority. And since God has not given such a man any
such authority, then Christian citizens who desire to honor Christ as Lord of
civil government should not attempt to give him any such moral authority by
electing or appointing him to rule over them. It may not be the responsibility
of a Christian citizen to investigate the moral authority of the man who makes
his shoes, but before electing a man to rule over him, he must examine
carefully his natural, moral, and spiritual qualifications by evaluating his
qualifications against the very character of Christ the King of all civil
governments.
從國度為出發點，基督徒可以發展在公民政府裏的影響力，並且為公民政府的目的、本質、範圍奠定基礎。它提供了以國度為基礎的創制權，以進一步研究教會和國民政府之間的關係，這是對萬王之王、萬主之主的尊崇。Beginning with the
Kingdom lays a foundation for the development of Christian influences in civil
government and the purpose, nature, and extent of civil government. It provides
a Kingdom=based initiative for the further study of church and civil government
relationships, that would be honoring to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
五、國度與商業、日常行事為人The Kingdom and the Business
and Life Walk
當我們從基督徒生活裏的上帝國度這個角度出發，我們就會發現有些人是「蒙召」從事商業，正如其他人「蒙召」作牧師和宣教士一樣。這些人會在他們所作的、所生產的、所建造的一切，和耶穌為他們死在十字架上的理由，在這兩者之間看到一種關連。他們事業的目的或理由，和基督國度的目的有直接的關連。基督國度的屬靈特性會充分體現在他們的人員、組織上，在他們的誠實、正直上，以及他們的服事和產品的可靠性上。他們會和約伯、亞伯拉罕、約瑟、所羅門、呂底亞一樣成功。基督國度的範圍是廣大無邊的，會開啟企業家的創意，以及僱主和僱員的積極性。他們對世上財富的態度，以及對其中一部分的掌控，即基督君王所託付給他們，要他們作為管家的部分，在一定的意義上，和他們不「擁有」任何事情有關。他們所「擁有」的一切，都是屬於君王自己的，他們要成為主的管家來管理這一切，以有利於君王建造祂的國度。When we begin with
the Kingdom in Christian Life, then we can see how surely some men are “called”
into business just as directly as others are “called” to be pastors or
missionaries. Those men will see a relationship between whatever they do or
produce or build, and Jesus’ reason for dying for them on the Cross. The
purpose or reason for their business will be directly related to the purpose of
Christ’s Kingdom. The spirituality of Christ’s Kingdom will permeate the very
character of their personnel and corporation and the honesty, integrity and
dependability of their services and products. They will be as successful as was
Job and Abraham and Joseph and Solomon and Lydia. The unlimitedness of the
extent of Christ’s Kingdom will unlock the entreprenurial creativity and
initiative of owners and employees. Their attitude toward the wealth of the
world and their control of that portion of it which the King entrusts to their
stewardship will be directly related to the fact that in one sense they do not
“own” anything. Everything they “have” belongs to the King Himself and is to be
managed by them as stewards of the Lord in such a way as is useful to Him in
His building of His Kingdom.
基督的應許就是君王自己的應許，而這些「蒙召」進入商業的人，已經認識到，當他們在他們的事業中首先求上帝的國，所有的這些就都會加給他們。已經學會這麼作的人，就我們所知，都不會「失敗」。Christ’s promise is the promise of the King Himself
and these men who have been “called” into business have learned that when they seek
first the Kingdom of God in their business, then all these other things will be
added unto them. No man who has learned to do that has ever been known to
“fail”.
第三部分PART THREE
總結The Conclusion of the Matter
所以我們既得了不能震動的國，就當感恩，照上帝所喜悅的，用虔誠、敬畏的心事奉上帝。（來十二28）“Therefore since we are
receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may
serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” (Hebrews 12:18)
以君王和祂中保國度為出發點，的確會對基督徒的行事為人造成影響。Beginning with the
King and His Mediatorial Kingdom does make a difference in the Christian walk.
通過耶穌基督的位格而認識上帝的個人會發現到，在十字架上為他捨命的，是這個國度的君王。君權（Lordship）就此有了新的意義。他已經「得救」或蒙召，只要他的君王還要他留在祂所掌管的全地上，他就不只是得救脫離地獄，而是要為這位君王作見證，這見證並要持續到永遠。基督的心志和目的會開始「更新」他的心思，以至於他是以基督的心來思考（羅十二1-2）。他成了一個「屬靈」人，要對基督（即他的君王）正在祂國度所作的一切負有責任感（懷抱此種異象）。他要成為基督的朋友，不只是祂家中的僕人。他的生活會帶著救贖的目的，也具有屬靈的本質和世界的展望。他會明白他的職業或工作，和耶穌基督在十字架上為他捨命之間的關聯。The Individual Soul
who comes to know God in the person of Jesus Christ discovers that the One who
gave His life for him onthe Cross is the King with all this Kingdom. Lordship
takes on new reality. He has been “saved”
or called, not just to get out of Hell, but to be a witness to this King so
long as the Lord chooses to leave him on His earth, and then on into eternity.
Something of the mind and purpose of Christ begins to “renew” his mind so that
he thinks with the mind of Christ (Romans 12:1=2). He becomes a “spiritual” man
with a sense of responsibility (vision) for what Christ, His King, is doing all
over his world. He becomes a friend of Christ, not just a servant in His
Family. He will have a redemptive purpose for living, a spiritual nature, and a
world vision. He will see a relationship between his occupation or work and
Jesus’ reason for dying for him on the cross.
一個學會以國度為起點的家庭會認識這個事實，並以此喜樂，知道他們的家庭關係不是靠自己的行為所成就的，而是「若不是耶和華建造房屋，建造的人就枉然勞力」（詩一二七1a），並且主正在建造他們的家庭，而那位在伊甸園中塑造第一個家庭的主，也已經塑造他們進入到祂的家庭裏。祂的計劃是父親要彰顯或說明基督自我犧牲的愛，母親要彰顯所有的人對基督的順服，以基督為救主，並且全家人要彰顯基督國度和兒女的屬靈性質，世世代代，彰顯基督國度的無窮無盡。因此，基督君王籌劃並指導家庭，來解釋並彰顯其救贖旨意、屬靈本質，以及祂永恆國度無遠弗屆的範圍。它要繼續繁衍，直到時間的末了。The Family who
learns to begin with the Kingdom will know and rejoice in the fact that their
family relationships are not a do=it=yourself work. But “unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in
vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1a) and
that, as a matter of fact, the Lord is building their family and that the King
who formed the first family in the Garden of Eden has also formed them into His
family. He designed the father to be the demonstration or illustration of
Christ’s kind of self=sacrificing love and the mother to be the demonstration
of the submission of any soul to Christ as Savior, and all the family to
demonstrate the spirituality of Christ’s Kingdom and the children, from
generation to generation, to demonstrate the unendingness of Christ’s Kingdom.
So Christ the King designs and directs the family to explain and demonstrate
the redemptive purpose, the spiritual nature and the unending extent of His
eternal Kingdom. It will keep on multiplying to the end of time.
一個學會以國度為起點的教會，必然會是屬於眾家庭的家庭。她會認識到，基督不僅僅是她唯一的君王和主人，也是她親愛的丈夫，而她會珍惜祂所有的王權和皇家特權。她會以祂的目的和計劃作為她一切行動的目的和計劃。祂既然是一位向人伸出雙手的上帝，總是張開雙手，向人傳揚福音，她必然會想要成為一個向人伸出雙手的教會。既然祂是一位裝備人、差遣人的上帝，她必然會想成為一個裝備人、差遣人的教會。她要通過她敬拜祂的方式，以及她維持其獨立自主，不受外力的控制，並唯獨以祂對她的君王和元首的順服，反思祂國度的本質。她的合一性、普世性、永恆性會反射出祂國度屬靈的本質。她的成長和繁衍會反映出國度和她的君王的廣大無邊。The Church who
learns to begin with the Kingdom will be a family of families. She will
recognize that Christ is not only Her only King and Lord, but that He is Her
beloved Bridegroom and She will be very jealous for all His Crown Rights and
Royal Prerogatives. She will want His purposes and plan to be the purpose and
plan for everything She does. Since He is a reaching God who is always reaching
out to evangelize, She will want to be a reaching church. Since He is an
equipping and sending God, She will want to be an equipping and sending Church.
She will reflect the nature of His Kingdom by the way she worships Him and the
way she maintains her independence of all other controls and Her submission to
Him alone as Her only King and Head. Her very unity, universality and
perpetuity will be reflections of the spiritual nature of His Kingdom. Her
growth and multiplication will be a reflection of the
unlimitedness
of the Kingdom and of Her King.
一個學會以基督國度為出發點的公民政府會發現到上帝為工作、以及與教會一同工作所賦予的基礎。這不只是要成為以信心為基礎的創制權，更是要成為以國度為基礎的創制權。The Civil Government
who would learn to begin with the Kingdom would find a God=given basis for
working and for working together with the church. This would be more than a
faith=based initiative, it would be a Kingdom=based initiative.
格雷史東（W.E.Gladstone），英格蘭首相，曾根據基督的國度，對教會-國家的關係作過很仔細的研究，並出版了一本題為《國家及其與教會的關係》（The State in Its
Relationship to the Church）的書籍。他的對手譴責他犯了政治上的大錯，幾乎讓他付出政治生涯的代價（他的選戰）。他們譴責他，說他相信國家是圍繞著教會運作的。他們堅持說，教會乃是圍繞著國家運轉的。W. E. Gladstone
(Prime Minister of England) had made a careful study of Church=State relationships
in the light of Christ’s Kingdom and published a book titled The State in Its
Relationship to the Church. His opponents condemned him for making a political
blunder that almost cost him his political life (his election). They condemned
him for believing that the State revolved around the Church. They insisted that
churches came and went–revolving around the State.
對於我們已經看過的社會單元，他們也許也說過同樣的事。有些個人，無論是獨裁者或皇帝，或甚至教會領袖，都曾經以為每一件事和每一個人都是圍繞著他們轉的。其他人則堅持，每一件事和每一個人，教會、國家、個人，都必須圍繞著家庭轉。其他人則堅持其他所有的事，包括家庭，必須為教會作犧牲。牧師「為」教會犧牲他們的兒女和家庭，而有些人則選擇獨身，而不是選擇家庭生活。They might have
said the same thing about any one of the social units we have been looking at.
Some individuals, dictators or emperors or even church leaders, have thought
that everything and everyone else revolved around them. Some others have
insisted that everything and everyone else; church, state, and individual must
revolve around the family. Others have insisted that everything else, including
the family must be sacrificed for the church. Pastors have sacrificed their
children and family life “for” the church and some have chosen celibacy instead
of family life.
耶穌基督的王權和中保國度的教義，為這所有的失衡提供了上帝給我們的答案。教會與公民政府之間合宜的關係，以及教會與所有其他社會單位之間的關係，都建立在這三個基礎上。The doctrine of the
Kingship and Mediatorial Kingdom of Jesus Christ provides God’s answer to all this imbalance. The proper
relationship between church and civil government and all these other social
units rests on three foundations.
1. 耶穌基督的國度與王權的教義，「是以國度為出發點」，為教會-國家的關係提供了穩固的基礎。基督的中保治理，其屬靈的性質已經被建造在教會的本質裏，為解決教會-公民政府的衝突以及兩者之間持續的密切合作，提供了基礎。這也是教會要獨立於公民政府，不受其轄制的保證，教會唯獨順服基督，以基督作她的君王與元首，這也會禁止教會轄制公民政府。基督中保治理的無限性或普世性也被建造到教會的本質裏，以至於耶穌福音不斷增長的職事，其強有力的原則會差遣一個緊密合一的、在普世擴張的、永遠存在的教會，在全世界行動。有一天，它會需要教會和公民政府之間達成和解。1. This doctrine of
the Kingdom and Kingship of Jesus Christ “beginning with the Kingdom” provides ample basis for Church= State relationship.
The spirituality of Christ’s mediatorial
dominion has been built down into the very nature of the Church in such a way
as to provide a basis for resolving Church= civil government conflicts and the
continuing close cooperation of the two. It is also the basis for the assurance
that the Church will continue to remain independent of the control of the civil
government and subject to Christ alone as her only King and Head and it will
prohibit the Church from ever dominating the civil government. The
unlimitedness or universality of Christ’s mediatorial dominion has also been
built down into the very nature of the Church in such a way that the powerful
principles of a multiplying ministry of the Gospel of Jesus are sending a
closely unified, universally expanding, perpetually existing Church, moving
throughout the world. It will, one day, require a coming to terms between
Church and civil government.
在這當中，教會和公民政府之間的差異會繼續被保存下來。就它們直接的起源、它們直接的目的，和它們治理的形式而言，它們是不同的。在它們的運作方式、對它們的臣民或國民的態度，以及它們的工作的性質或結果來說，更是不同的。儘管如此，事實是兩者的起源都在基督的手中。祂的道對兩者來說，是最終的準則和標準。祂的榮耀是二者最終的目標。兩者都要順服基督，無論它們是否明白，無論它們是否想要。兩者都要順服祂，以祂為君王，而且差異並不會必然造成對立。可以是多樣的，卻不至於有分歧。教會-公民政府的關係可以是基督中保國度的屬性性質實際的體現，它反映出基督的國度（regnum Christi）和世上的國度（regna mund）之間的關係。這兩個國度之間有清楚、鮮明的不同，但是這未必需要讓這兩者進一步地分離。事實上，正是這個不同，讓教會與公民政府的「分割」成為不必要。In all this, the
basic essential difference between Church and civil government will continue to
be preserved. They are different insofar as their immediate origin, their
immediate ends and their forms of administration are concerned. They are
particularly different in their means of operation, their attitude toward their
subject citizens or members, and the character or results of their work. But
having said all this, the fact is that the origin of both is in the hands of
Christ. His Word is the ultimate rule and standard for both. His Glory is the
ultimate objective for both. Both are subject to Him, whether they know and
want it or not. Both are subject to Him as King and distinction does not
mandate hostility. Things can be diverse without being adverse. The
Church=civil government relationship can be a practical working out of the
spirituality of Christ’s Mediatorial Kingdom. It is a reflection of the
relationship between the regnum Christi and the regna mundi. There is a clear,
sharp distinction, but that does not mandate a further separation of the two.
In fact, it is the distinction which makes the “separation” of Church and civil
government unnecessary.
實際上，正是因為它們的差異和相似性，才使得這二者被用來共同為了基督的榮耀而合作，共同建立祂的國度。國家為教會提供的「幫助」曾經被人濫用，這是歷史上顯明的事實。這個事實並非表示它總是必須被濫用，使教會「世俗化」，敗壞教會，或者把教會和公民政府混合起來，混為一談，也不意味著公民政府因為在歷史中曾經受害，尤其是在中世紀時代，受到教會的侵入，就不再是教會所需要的。教會和公民政府都是上帝設立的，而基督同為二者的主人的這個事實，保證了這些必要的區別，在它們構成一個正確的教會-公民政府之間的關係時，可以、也必將被保存下來。這是基督廣大無邊的國度那包羅萬有的穹頂，特別是祂對萬國的道德主權，提供了教會和公民政府之間的聯盟的重大基礎，以及讓這兩個在歷史上難以駕馭的傢伙合作的動力。它們是兩個不同的道德省區，但是它們是在同一個君王的治理下，屬於一個龐大的道德帝國不同的部分。托勒密也許開創了國度那包羅萬有的穹頂的觀念，但是他是在聖經裏發現這個概念的。It is actually
because of their differences as well as their similarities that the two are designed
to work together to the glory of Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom.
The fact which is seen so clearly in history that “help” given by the State to
the Church has been misused, does not mean that it must always necessarily be
misused to “secularize” and corrupt the Church, or otherwise blend and confuse
Church and civil government anymore than it means that civil governments, by
virtue of having suffered in history, especially the medieval years, from the
encroachments of theChurch, no longer have need for the Church. Both Church and
civil government are ordinances of God and the fact that Christ has been made
Lord of both, guarantees that the necessary distinctions can/will be preserved
when they form a right Church=civil government relationship. It is the
overarching dome of Christ’s unlimited Kingdom and in particular His moral
Lordship over nations that provides the grand basis for the alliance of Church
and civil government, as well as the motive for bringing these two historically
unruly persons together. They are two different moral provinces but they are
under the same King as separate departments of one vast moral empire. Ptolemy
may have initiated the idea of the overarching dome of the kingdom, but he
found it in the Scriptures.
2. 教會與公民政府所形成的聯盟，其第二項基礎是聖經。這些行之有效的關係，其權柄來自於上帝的話。在新約聖經裏，上帝把政府官員定義為「上帝的用人（僕役）」，是惡人所懼怕的，因此他必然會關心如何壓制不敬虔者，並且會阻止攻擊信仰的罪過。他為了行善而成為上帝的職事，必然會關心如何促進真正的信仰。重要的是上帝對「惡」或「善」這兩個字，並沒有加以限制。這是新約聖經對政府官員的定義，而舊約對此原則提供了三種獲得上帝贊同的例子。2. The second
foundation for this Church=civil government alliance is to be found in the
Scriptures. God’s Word authorizes these kinds of working relationships. In the
New Testament, God defines the magistrate as the “minister of God” who is a
“terror to evil”, so he must necessarily be concerned with the suppression of
irreligion and the discouragement of offenses against religion. And as the
minister of God for good, he must necessarily be concerned with the promotion
of the true religion. The important thing is that God put no restriction on
either of the two words “evil” or “good”. That is God’s New Testament
definition of a magistrate, and the Old Testament provides three kinds of
God=approved examples of this principle.
a. 在猶太民族之前的族長時期，麥基洗德顯明了一種把神聖事物和世俗事務結合在一起的制度，這是上帝所悅納的。A.) In the
pre=Jewish patriarchal economy, Melchisidek demonstrated a combination of
sacred and civil things which were pleasing to God.
b. 在摩西時期，猶太人的君王顯明了一種把世俗事務和神聖事物結合在一起的制度，這是上帝所悅納的。B.) During the
Mosaic economy, the Jewish kings demonstrated a combination of things civil and
sacred which were pleasing to God.
c. 外邦君王，例如古列王、大利烏、亞達薛西對教會工作所作的貢獻，摧毀了這個觀念，即認為對此種對公民政府的支持純粹是猶太人的觀念，因此是在其他救贖歷史時期是缺乏上帝的贊同的。C.) The Gentile
princes, such as Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, who made contributions to the
work of the Church helped to destroy the idea that such civil government support
was purely Jewish, and therefore without God’s approval for any other
dispensation.
在舊約和新約聖經之外的時期，聖經授權教會和公民政府之間可以形成一種聯盟，以產生出一種行之有效的良好關係。Scripture, when not
limited to either Old or New Testaments, authorizes an alliance that produces a
good working relationship between Church and civil government.
3. 教會與公民政府之間的良好關係的第三個基礎只需要再次複習公民政府能為教會（信仰）做什麼，以及教會（信仰）能為公民政府做什麼就夠了。一方面，公民政府所能作的，不僅僅只是限制不敬虔之人，並保護基督的工作和祂的教會，政府在教會的工作中，可以扮演她自己的角色，作出她對基督的認信，並宣誓效忠基督。她能夠在她的官員和法律上，顯明自己的屬性和行為的標準。她可以透過施展她官方或外交上的影響力，在她擴展基督國度的特殊工作上作出貢獻。3. The third
foundation for a good Church=civil government relationship is just to review
again what the civil government can do for the Church (faith) and what the
Church (faith) can do for the civil government. The civil government, on the one
hand, can do more than just restrain irreligion and protect the work of Christ
and His Church. She can carry out Her own part in that work by making Her own
profession of faith in Christ and pledging Her loyalty to Him. She can
demonstrate His standards of character and conduct in her magistrates and laws.
She can contribute to the extension of the special work of His Kingdom through
the exercise of Her official or diplomatic influences.
另一方面，教會所教導的真信仰，在建立一種良好的政治時期——尊崇基督，促進上帝國度和其國民黨福祉——上是一個很重要的因素。教會要教導政府官員，他們是基督的「副手」，有從祂而來的真正權柄，並直接向基督負責，也直接對人負責，要壓制所有無論是在立法、行政、司法上，想要獨霸或寬容的自私慾望，是與基督所啟示的律法相違背的。教會要教導國民，真正的自由，起價值以及其真正的來源——來自他們對真信仰的知識。On the other hand,
true faith, as taught by the Church is a very important factor in the
establishment of that kind of a sound political economy which is most honoring
to Christ and most conducive to the progress of His Kingdom and the welfare of
her citizens. She teaches magistrates that they are “vice=regents” of Christ
with real authority from Him and directly responsible to Christ as well as to
men, for putting down all selfish temptations to dominate or tolerate,
legislate, administrate, or judge in any way that will run counter to His
revealed law. She teaches the citizens the value of true liberty and the real
source of it—which results from their knowledge of the true faith. The Church
teaches the citizens of the State to restrain natural tendencies toward
anarchical licentiousness and indifference which are dishonoring to the Lord of
the State and detrimental to the efficiency of civil government.
教會要教導國民節制各種自然的傾向，無度的放縱和冷漠，這是羞辱這個國家的主人，而且有害於公民政府的效能。教會教導真信仰也直接牽涉到國家自然的財富，在某個程度上，要對此負責，即透過發展誠實、勤奮、創造力和節儉的習慣來確保新的產業，而不會同時實際上參與到這個產業之中，或為自己取得這個財富。她的職責包括要防止縱慾、浪費、貧窮，並建立起國家真正的「道德」興盛的榮景。歷史和當代的事件顯明，當這點被忽視時，所有的文明和國家都會腐敗。教會可以使用這個專屬於其本質的手段，來影響人心和人的良知（遠超過國家所能作的），以促進和平，並且深入到不法、浪費、不敬虔的根源，到達一些遠超過民法及其實質手段的範圍所能到達的地方。以國度為出發點的確會造成不同的後果。The Church, as the
teacher of true faith is also directly concerned with the natural wealth of the
nation and, to some extent, responsible for securing new industry through the
development of habits of honesty, industry, creativity and thrift without at
the same time actually becoming involved in that industry or acquiring that
wealth for herself. She is involved in the prevention of indulgence, waste, and
poverty, and the establishment of the real “moral” prosperity of the nation.
History and current events show that when this is neglected whole civilizations
and nations have collapsed. The Church can use the means peculiar to her own
nature to reach (far beyond where the State can go) into the very hearts and
consciences of men to promote the cause of peace and go to the very sources of
lawlessness, profligacy, and impiety, to points that lie far beyond the scope
of civil law and its physical means. Beginning with the Kingdom does make a
difference.
4. 但是，當基督命令我們要「思想國度」時，祂是什麼意思呢？在腓立比書二章5-11節，上帝如此說：「你們當以基督耶穌的心為心」，而在羅馬書十二章1-2節，祂稱之為「心意更新而變化」。在腓立比書第二章，上帝繼續詳細說明道成肉身的步驟，彌賽亞離開天庭，降到世上時，心中所思想的是「存心順服，以至於死，且死在十字架上。所以，上帝將祂升為至高，又賜給祂那超乎萬名之上的名，叫一切在天上的、地上的，和地底下的，因耶穌的名無不屈膝，無不口稱『耶穌基督為主』，使榮耀歸與父上帝。」這是描繪天父指派聖子，把中保國度託付給祂，並聲明此國度的範圍。祂實際上是說，我要你們以基督的心（可譯為：思想）為心——祂以前所思想的（至今祂仍這樣想），是離開天庭，來到世上面對死亡，然後領受這個中保國度。我要你們也有這種的愛心。把國度想成一個過程。在羅馬書十二章1-2節，上帝說：「不要效法這個世界，只要心意更新而變化，叫你們察驗何為神的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。」4. But what does
Christ mean when he directs us to “think
Kingdom”? In Philippians
2:5=11, God says it this way, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ
Jesus” and in Romans 12:1=2, he calls it being “transformed by the renewing of
your mind”. In Philippians 2, God continues to give us a detailed outline of
the steps of incarnation, the thought processes of the Messiah in leaving
Heaven to come to earth to that last step when “He became obedient unto death
even the death of the Cross, wherefore God also hath mightily exalted Him and
given Him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus, every
knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory
of God the Father”. That is the description of the Father’s appointment of the
Son to His Mediatorial Kingdom and His statement of the extent of it. Now He
says, in effect, I want you to think with the mind of Christ—the way He thought
(and still does think) about leaving Heaven to come to earth to face death and
then to receive this Mediatorial Kingdom. I want you to have that kind of love.
To
think
Kingdom is a process. In Romans 12:1=2, God said, “Be not conformed to this
world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.
從歸信的那一刻起，或許在那之前，上帝就開始透過祂所默示的話語，透過祂為每個祂要救贖的人所預備的國度計劃吹氣——不只是籠統的救贖計劃和屬靈本質，以及祂國度廣大無邊的宣教展望，也包括為每個靈魂預備的特殊應用——基督在十字架上，為了特殊的理由和生命目的，而為這個特殊的靈魂而死。From the time of
conversion, perhaps before that, God begins mbreathing through His inspired
Word, His Kingdom Plan for each particular soul that He redeems—not only the
general redemptive purpose and spiritual nature and unlimited mission vision of
His Kingdom, but also the particular application of it all for that particular
soul—His particular reason and life purpose for dying for that particular soul
on the Cross. And the obedient soul will grow up into every day of that Life
Plan.
這可以被稱為「思考國度」。明白基督國度的救贖目的、屬靈來源，及廣大無邊的範圍，有時候可以幫助我們認識到基督在下一步要帶領我們到哪裏——祂在我們生命中的下一個「發展」。尋求祂的國度也許就意味著我們會開始禱告；求祂顯明祂的救贖；在與他人的合作中讓靈命更成熟；有更大的宣教視野，然是祂在祂的世界裏其他部分所正在作的工作。祂放置在我們心中的就是這樣的禱告和渴慕，這使我們全家在1974-75年間，受差遣開車環遊世界去宣教。這個宣教使命和基督國度的範圍是廣大無邊的，是息息相關的。我們回來後才明白我們在祂在全世界所作的工作上所負的責任是什麼。That can be called “thinking Kingdom”. Understanding the redemptive purpose, the spiritual
origin and the unlimited extent of Christ’s Kingdom can sometimes help us to recognize where
Christ will be leading us next—his next “development” in our life. Then seeking His Kingdom may mean that
we will begin praying; asking him to show us more about his atonement; about
greater spiritual maturity in working with others; and for more mission vision
and understanding of what He is doing in other parts of His world. It was that
kind of prayer and desire that He put into our hearts as a family that sent us
to drive around the whole world in 1974=1975. That mission was directly related
to this doctrine of the unlimited extent of Christ’s Kingdom. We came back with
a new sense of responsibility for what He is doing all over His world.
當上帝應許要「把國賜給你們」（路十二32），是什麼意思呢？What does God mean when He promises to “give you the Kingdom”. (Luke 12:32)?
我們的意思是祂一再私下對祂門徒解釋說，祂為祂的世界所作的長程國度計劃，以及在祂離開他們之後要繼續作的工作；祂在約翰福音十五章15節說到，「以後我不再稱你們為僕人，因僕人不知道主人所做的事。我乃稱你們為朋友；因我從我父所聽見的，已經都告訴你們了。」這個國度是你們的國度——現在是你們的了。He means what
He had kept explaining privately over
and over again to his disciples—His long=range
Kingdom plans for His world and how they will keep on working after He leaves
them; what He was saying in John 15:15, “hereforth, I call you not servants
(slaves) but friends, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I
have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have
made known unto you.” This Kingdom will be yours—it is yours now.
第四部分 PART FOUR
筆者的個人見證The Author’s Personal testimony
我兒啊，你要在基督耶穌的恩典上剛強起來。你在許多見證人面前聽見我所教訓的，也要交託那忠心能教導別人的人。（提後二1-2） “You therefore, my
son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have
heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be
able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy (2:1=2)
請容我暫時退後一步，以個人見證的方式把所有這些加以個人化，好叫我們的君王可以用來使一些讀到這些話的人，可以確信他們自己與基督君王之間的關係。讓我作那個被基督君王帶到祂國度裏的那個「個人」，祂把救贖計劃、屬靈本質和祂國度廣大無邊的範圍，建造到我自己的生命裏。Allow me to step
back for a moment to personalize all of this in the form of a personal
testimony that the King might use to make someone reading it to be sure of
his/her own relationship to the King. Let me be the “individual” that the King
is bringing into His Kingdom and building down into my own life something of
the redemptive purpose, the spiritual nature and the unlimited extent of His
Kingdom.
我如今明白，祂是愛我的君王，以奇妙和神聖的方式來愛我，祂使我在1925年出生。當我三歲時，接走了我的母親，與祂同在。祂使我的父親將我送給他的妹妹，一位未婚女士和學校教師，她非常愛我，並教導我背誦上帝的話（尤其是詩篇十九篇，上帝在那裏說到，太陽、月亮與星辰的「量帶」，無言無語，以各種語言傳遍天下）。祂身為君王，使我進入美國海軍（1942-46），讓我成為航空母艦《佩卓夫灣號》（U.S.S. Petrof Bay）上的代理導航員，在海上，星辰和它們出現的時間是攸關生死的。祂保存我的性命，並使我認識到祂和我之間的關係稱不上「合宜」。我沒有照祂的方式來思想、說話、生活。我們之間有極大的差異，而我無能為力使我們之間的關係變好。在那個當兒，祂使我回想起並明白我從兒時就學過的事情，即祂親自以耶穌基督的身形降世為人，在地中海的那一頭，定意在十字架上捨身，好叫我們之間的關係變得「合宜」——使我可以信靠祂。祂把信心放在我裏面，使我信靠祂，而我也真的信靠了祂。I realize now that
He is the King who loved me in a manner wondrous and divine, who caused me to
be born in 1925. He took my Mother to be with Himself when I was just three
years old. He put it into the heart of my Father to give me away to his sister,
a maiden lady and schoolteacher who loved me and taught me to memorize God’s
Word (especially Psalm 19, wherein God speaks so precisely about how the “line”
of the sun, the moon and the stars speak without words, in every language all
over the world). As King, He had put me into the U.S. Navy (1942=1946) and made
me the Acting Navigator on board that aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Petrof Bay,
where those stars and their timing made the difference between life and death.
He kept me alive and then brought me to the point of knowing that things were
not “right” between Himself and myself. I did not think or talk or live the way
He did. There were big differences between us, and there was nothing I could do
to make things right between us. At that juncture, He caused me to remember and
to know what I had learned as a boy, that He Himself had come down to earth in
the form of Jesus Christ and deliberately given His life on that Cross at the
other end of the Mediterranean Sea in order to make things “right” between
us—if I would but trust in Him. He put it into my heart to trust in Him and I
did. It was
1948年，透過研讀祂的話語，祂開始把祂國度的事實「吹」進我的心裏/生命裏。祂通過三年的神學院差遣我，然後繼續到研究所，開始研讀祂國度的教義（1948-53）。1948. He began “breathing” the facts about His Kingdom down into my heart/life
through the study of His Word. He sent me through three years of seminary, and
then directly on to graduate school to begin study of the doctrine of His
Kingdom (1948=1953).
1953年，祂帶我回到美國，並呼召我、任命我成為伯明頓（Bloomington）——印第安納大學（有四萬名學生，和四萬個居民）所在地——約老會教會牧師。祂差遣兩個朋友來，開始向我顯明如何應用並傳遞祂所教導我的，關於祂國度的事——如何按照祂的方式來做祂的工作。然後祂呼召我回到大學（1960-63）更深入研究祂的國度，並帶我回到印城，建立第二約老會教會。在過去的四十年間，祂讓我參與到一打以上的牧師的生命裏，他們能做我所能做的一切，並且做得比我更好。祂讓我靠近祂教會的「建築物」，讓我看見祂建造了其他六間教會（另外還有三間正在發展當中），以及另外十二個人正在成為牧師。
In
1953, He brought me back to the United States and called, ordained and
installed me to be Pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Bloomington Indiana,
home of Indiana University (40,000 students and 40,000 citizens), where He sent
two friends who began to show me how to apply and communicate what He had been
teaching me about His Kingdom—how to do His work His way. He then called me
back to University (1960=1963) to study more of His Kingdom and then brought me
to Indianapolis where He wanted to use me in His building of Second Reformed
Presbyterian Church. In the last 40 years, He has allowed me to be involved in
the lives of a dozen or more other pastors who can do everything I can do, but
better than I can do it. He lets me be close enough to His Church “building” to
see Him build six other churches (and three or more developing) and twelve more
men working to become pastors.
致讀者：Readers:
「既有人的樣子，就自己卑微，存心順服，以至於死，且死在十字架上。所以，神將祂升為至高，又賜給祂那超乎萬名之上的名，叫一切在天上的、地上的，和地底下的，因耶穌的名無不屈膝，無不口稱「耶穌基督為主」，使榮耀歸與父神。」（腓二8-11）既然這是父神對聖子的旨意，為什麼不在你自己生命明確的目的上與祂聯合，即通過個人委身的禱告，在你一切所是、所知、所行上，高舉基督。In Philippians
2:8=11 (NKJ), “. . . and being
found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to the
point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly
exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and
those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father.” Since this is the will of the Father
for the Son, then why not join Him in that express purpose for your own life, that
is the exalting of Jesus in all that you are, know, and do, in a prayer of
personal commitment.
天父，祢不惜一切代價，致力於高舉祢的兒子耶穌，賜給祂超乎萬名之上的名；叫一切在天上的、地底下的，因耶穌的名無不屈膝，無不口稱「耶穌基督為主」。親愛的天父，為祢的榮耀，我如今全心全意順服這個命令，並使它成為我在祢國度裏的生命最終極的目的。阿們。Father, whatever it
was You committed Yourself to by highly exalting Your son Jesus, a name above
every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in Heaven and of
those below the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. To Your
glory, Dear Father, I hereby now commit myself to full obedience of this
command and make this the ultimate purpose of my life in Your Kingdom. Amen.
1948年，在南太平洋和大西洋戰區，擔任美國海軍的導航員和隊長服役四年（1942-46）之後，羅伊·布萊克伍德博士在俄亥俄州的日內瓦大學取得他的化學學士學位。他也在1948年與妻子瑪姬結婚，他們生了三個小孩。羅伊在1953年從RP神學院取得研究所學位，並成為印州伯明頓約老會教會的牧師。1961年，羅伊和他的家庭搬到蘇格蘭，他接受了愛丁堡大學的《新學院》（New College）所頒發的神學歷史博士學位。布萊克伍德博士在1966年成為印州印城第二約老會教會的主任牧師，事奉至今。In 1948, after a
four year stint (1942=1946) in the U.S. Navy as Navigator and Division Officer
in the South Pacific and Atlantic theatres, Dr. Roy Blackwood obtained his
Bachelors degree in Chemistry from Geneva College in Ohio. Also in 1948, he
married his wife Margie with whom he has three children. Roy obtained a
graduate degree from RP Seminary in 1953 and became Pastor of the Reformed
Presbyterian Church in Bloomington Indiana. In 1961, Roy and his family moved
to Scotland where he received a Doctorate in The History of Theology from New
College, University of Edinburgh. Dr. Blackwood became Senior Pastor of the
Second Reformed Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana in 1966 where he
serves to this day.
