作者: R. C. Sproul 譯者: 駱鴻銘
有一個古老的傳統宣稱當聖奧古斯丁被一個不信的人嘲笑，惡意地問道他所提出的創造教義：「上帝在創造世界以先在幹什麼？」據說奧古斯丁的回答是：「為那些好奇的靈魂創造地獄。」
A
persistent tradition claims that upon being mocked by a skeptic with regard to
his doctrine of creation, Saint Augustine was cynically asked, “What was God
doing before He created the world? Augustine’s alleged reply was: “Creating
hell for curious souls.”
這個回答當然只是挖苦。聖經並沒有說到上帝在創造行動本身之前，有這樣一種特殊的創造工作。但是奧古斯丁的妙語說明了一個嚴肅的重點，就是警告我們不要妄加猜測上帝在永恆裡的行動。
The
reply was, of course, tongue-in-cheek. The Bible doesn’t speak of such a
special work of divine creation before creation itself. But Augustine’s bon mot
had a serious point that warned against idle speculation of God’s activity in
eternity.
不過，和猜測八桿子打不著關係的是，關於上帝在世界被造「之前」的行動，聖經說到了不少。聖經經常說到上帝永恆的籌算，說到祂救恩的計劃等等。基督徒不應該把上帝想成是一個隨興所至的統治者，毫無章法地統治著世界。在神學上，這是一個很緊迫的話題。上帝並不是「現學現賣」，一邊創造、一邊在想下一步。我們也不應該把上帝看成是一個經常出錯的管理者，沒有能力執行祂的計劃，以至於祂的救贖藍圖必須根據人的行動不斷作修正。聖經裡的上帝沒有「B計劃」或「C計劃」。祂的「A計劃」從亙古直到永遠都是同樣的。這個計劃是完美的，是不變的，因為它乃是建基於上帝永恆的屬性上，例如：聖潔，無所不在，永遠不變，等等。上帝永恆的計劃不會因為計劃裡面有需要被煉淨的道德瑕疵，而需要被修正。祂的計劃不需要因為祂獲得了新知識而被改正或補充，好像這些新知識是祂在一開始所沒有的。上帝的計劃是永遠不變的，因為祂是永不改變的，也因為完美是沒有程度的，是無法改善的。
However,
quite apart from speculation, the Bible has much to say about God’s activity
“before” the world was made. The Bible speaks often of God’s eternal counsel,
of His plan of salvation and the like. It is a matter of theological urgency
that Christians not think of God as a ruler who ad libs His dominion of the
universe. God does not “make it up as He goes along.” Nor must He be viewed as
a bumbling administrator who is so inept in His planning that His blueprint for
redemption must be endlessly subject to revision according to the actions of
men. The God of Scripture has no “plan b” or “plan c.” His “plan a” is from
everlasting to everlasting. It is both perfect and unchangeable as it rests on
God’s eternal character, which is among other things, holy, omniscient, and
immutable. God’s eternal plan is not revised because of moral imperfections
within it that must be purified. His plan was not corrected or amended because
He gained new knowledge that He lacked at the beginning. God’s plan never
changes because He never changes and because perfection admits to no degrees
and cannot be improved upon.
救贖之約和上帝永恆的計劃有非常緊密的關聯。它被稱為一個「約」，是因為這個計劃牽涉到兩個或兩個以上的團體。這不是上帝和人之間的約定，而是神格裡三個位格之間的約定，特別是在聖父和聖子之間的約定。上帝不是在創造之時或在基督道成肉身時才成為三一上帝的。祂的三一性和祂的本體一樣是永恆的。從永恆開始，祂就只有一個本質，而有三個位格。
The
covenant of redemption is intimately concerned with God’s eternal plan. It is
called a “covenant” inasmuch as the plan involves two or more parties. This is
not a covenant between God and humans. It is a covenant among the persons of
the Godhead, specifically between the Father and the Son. God did not become
triune at creation or at the Incarnation. His triunity is as eternal as His
being. He is one in essence and three in person from all eternity.
救贖之約是三位一體教義必然的推論。和「三位一體」這個字一樣，聖經沒有明確提到這個詞。「三位一體」這個詞並沒有出現在聖經裡，但是這個觀念是整本聖經所肯定的。同樣，「救贖之約」這個詞也沒有明確出現在聖經裡，但是這個觀念是整本聖經所宣揚的。
The
covenant of redemption is a corollary to the doctrine of the Trinity. Like the
word trinity, the Bible nowhere explicitly mentions it. The word trinity does
not appear in the Bible, but the concept of the Trinity is affirmed throughout
Scripture. Likewise, the phrase “covenant of redemption” does not occur
explicitly in Scripture but the concept is heralded throughout.
主耶穌信息的核心是宣告說，祂是被父神所差進入到世界的。祂的使命不是在祂受洗時，或降生在馬槽裡才賦予給祂的，而是在道成肉身前就有的。
Central
to the message of Jesus is the declaration that He was sent into the world by
the Father. His mission was not given to Him at His baptism or in the manger.
He had it before His incarnation.
在腓立比書第二章那首偉大的「放下神性的詩歌」（Kenotic
Hymn）中，我們瞥到這個觀念的一角：你們當以基督耶穌的心為心：祂本有神的形像，不以自己與上帝同等為強奪的；反倒虛己，取了奴僕的形像，成為人的樣式；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，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」，使榮耀歸與父神。
In
the great “Kenotic Hymn” of Philippians 2, we get a glimpse of this: “Let this
mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God,
did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no
reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of
men. 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 of those on
earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vv. 5–11 NKJV).
這段經文啟示我們許多事情。它說到聖子在父神的指示下，甘願承擔救贖的使命。主耶穌是在遵行天父的旨意是祂的一生所見證的。當祂在聖殿裡還是個小男孩時，祂提醒祂在地上的父親，祂必須以天父的事為念。祂快樂的泉源就在於遵行祂天父的旨意。祂完全被對祂天父的殿的熱情所充滿。祂一再宣告說，祂所說的不是靠祂自己的權柄，而是靠那位差祂來者的權柄。
This
passage reveals many things. It speaks of the willingness of the Son to
undertake a mission of redemption at the behest of the Father. That Jesus was
about doing the will of the Father is testified throughout His life. As a young
boy in the temple He reminded His earthly parents that He must be about His
Father’s business. His meat and drink was to do the will of His Father. It was
zeal for His Father’s house that consumed Him. Repeatedly He declared that He
spoke not on His own authority but on the authority of the One who sent Him.
耶穌是那位首要的宣教士。如同這個詞所暗示的，宣教士是「被差派」的人。永恆的聖道（聖子）不是自行決定要為了救贖這個星球而來。祂是被差來的。在救恩計劃裡，聖子來是要遵行天父的命令。
Jesus
is the primary missionary. As the word suggests, a missionary is one who is
“sent.” The eternal Word did not decide on His own to come to this planet for
its redemption. He was sent here. In the plan of salvation the Son comes to do
the Father’s bidding.
救贖計劃的重點是聖子是甘願來到。祂不是被父神所脅迫，放棄祂的榮耀，成為卑微。不，祂是自願「虛己」（新譯本：倒空自己）的。父神並沒有剝奪聖子永恆的榮耀，而是聖子同意為了我們救恩的緣故，暫時放下祂的榮耀。
The
point of the covenant of redemption is that the Son comes willingly. He is not
coerced by the Father to relinquish His glory and be subjected to humiliation.
Rather, He willingly “made Himself of no reputation.” The Father did not strip
the Son of His eternal glory but the Son agreed to lay it aside temporarily for
the sake of our salvation.
請聽耶穌在祂事工終了時向天父的禱告：「父啊，時候到了，願你榮耀你的兒子，使兒子也榮耀你；……父啊，現在求你使我同你享榮耀，就是未有世界以先，我同你所有的榮耀。」（約十七1-5）救贖之約是一個牽涉到義務和獎賞的交換。聖子與聖父達成了一個神聖的協議。祂順服在這個盟約協定的義務之下。聖父也同樣要承擔一個義務：當聖子完成這個救贖工作時，要賜給祂獎賞。
Listen
to Jesus as He prays to the Father at the end of His ministry: “Father, the
hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You; And now, O
Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You
before the world was” (John 17:1–5 NKJV). The covenant of redemption was a
transaction that involved both obligation and reward. The Son entered into a
sacred agreement with the Father. He submitted Himself to the obligations of that
covenantal agreement. An obligation was likewise assumed by the Father — to
give His Son a reward for doing the work of redemption.
賀智（Charles Hodge）在他的《系統神學》裡，列出了八項應許：(1) 父神會為祂的兒子建造一個煉淨的教會；(2) 聖子會領受無限量的聖靈；(3) 祂會永遠與聖子同在，支持祂；(4) 祂會拯救祂脫離死亡，並高舉聖子，坐在祂的右邊；(5) 祂會差派聖靈到祂所樂意的人身上；(6) 所有父神賜給聖子的人都會來到父神面前，沒有一個會失落；(7) 有許多人會分享祂的救贖和祂的彌賽亞國度；(8) 祂會明白祂靈魂的煎熬並感到滿足。
In
his systematic theology, Charles Hodge lists eight promises the Father gave to
the Son in this pact made in eternity. Briefly they are: that God would form a
purified Church for His Son; that the Son would receive the Spirit without
measure; that He would be ever-present to support Him; that He would deliver
Him from death and exalt Him to His right hand; that He would have the Holy
Spirit to send to whom He willed; that all the Father gave to Him would come to
Him and none of these be lost; that multitudes would partake of His redemption
and His messianic kingdom; that He would see the travail of His soul and be
satisfied.
因為上帝尊崇永恆的救贖之約，基督才能成為父神的應許的後嗣。正因為這個聖約從來沒有遭到破壞，我們才能收割其好處——作為上帝的嗣子，和基督一同領受豐富的產業。
Because
God honored the eternal covenant of redemption, Christ became the heir of His
Father’s promises. Because this covenant was never violated, we reap its
benefits as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
