耶誕頌歌：普世歡騰Christmas Carols: Joy to theWorld

作者:Randall Van Meggelen   譯者:駱鴻銘

https://www.ligonier.org/blog/christmas-carols-joy-world/?fbclid=IwAR28kkQ-0SA1meDA5LatG06glOaaZMiDy3tKxCt2J1QjGBoKqQ7vLWNV2oo
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《普世歡騰》（Joy to the World）這首非常流行的耶誕頌歌是著名的英國聖詩作者以撒•瓦茲（Isaac Watts）所寫的，蒐集在1719年出版的聖詩集《大衛詩篇仿意》（Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament）裡。華茲是透過「基督應驗了救贖工作」的這個視角，將138首詩篇加以改寫，而完成了這本聖詩集。

The popular carol Joy to the World was penned by Isaac Watts in his Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament (1719). Watts paraphrased 138 psalms through the lens of their fulfillment in the redemptive work of Christ.

儘管瓦茲的本意不是要人只在將臨節（Advent）和聖誕節時才唱《普世歡騰》這首曲子，但是大部分的聖詩歌集都正確地把這首曲子列為一首將臨節的頌歌。在將臨節節期裡，我們要慶祝的有三件事：一、耶穌的道成肉身；二、祂如今透過聖靈住在我們心中，以及，三、祂在末日時要榮耀地再臨。在瓦茲的詩歌《普世歡騰》中，對這三個視角都進行了描述。

Though Watts never intended for the hymn to be sung merely during Advent and Christmas, most hymnals properly list it as an Advent carol. During Advent we celebrate the threefold advent of Christ in His incarnation, His dwelling in our hearts by His Spirit, and His glorious return at the last day. These three aspects are each portrayed in Watts’ hymn, Joy to the World.

這首有名的詩歌忠實地傳達出詩篇九十八篇響亮的信息，即耶穌是救恩、救恩完全出於耶和華。基督是得勝的戰士，「祂的右手和聖臂施行救恩」（詩九八1）。祂是世人的救主，應驗了上帝與亞伯拉罕所立的約（創十七），「記念祂向以色列家所發的慈愛，所憑的信實」（詩九八3上），並賜福給列國。「地的四極都看見我們神的救恩」（詩九八3下）。基督是先知，將祂父神的旨意啟示出來。「耶和華發明了祂的救恩」（2節）。祂是我們的君王（6節）和審判者（9節）。祂拯救我們脫離罪的刑罰、污染、權勢，最後是罪的同在。

This famous hymn is one of my favorite carols because it faithfully conveys the resounding message in Psalm 98 that Jesus saves. Salvation is completely of the Lord. Christ is our Victorious Warrior whose “right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory” (Psalm 98:1). He is our Savior who, in fulfilling His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17), “remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel” (vs. 2) and blessed all nations. “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (vs. 3). He is the Prophet who reveals His Father’s will. “The LORD has made known His salvation”(vs. 2). He is our King (vs. 6) and Judge (vs. 9). He saves us from the penalty, pollution, power, and ultimately, the presence, of sin.

《普世歡騰》追溯整個人類歷史的救贖故事，從伊甸園的應許（創三15），一直到基督榮耀的再來。第三段歌詞說，「罪惡、憂愁全當止息，無地再長荊棘；基督未來，咒詛甚深，主臨賜福充盈」（No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found）。朗文（Tremper Longman III）對詩篇九十八篇做了正確的總結：這首詩篇用三個樂章表達出上帝的救恩；救恩也分別在基督作為救主、君王和審判者上得到了應驗：「以色列當讚美上帝在過去拯救他們」（1～3節），「全地當讚美上帝在現今作王」（4～6節），「全宇宙當讚美上帝，未來要降臨審判」（7～9節）。

Joy to the World traces the redemption story throughout history, from the promise in the garden (Genesis 3:15) to Christ’s glorious return. “No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found” (st. 3). Tremper Longman III rightly summarizes Psalm 98’s expression of God’s salvation in three movements, which are fulfilled in Christ our Savior, King, Judge: “Israel is to praise God for saving them in the past” (1 – 3). “All the earth is to praise God for being King in the present (4 – 6). “The entire universe is to praise God for coming to judge in the future” (7 – 9).”

我們從《普世歡騰》和詩篇九十八篇可以學到，不要只是感性地渲染聖誕節，把基督看成一個無助的嬰兒，而忽略了祂到世上的使命。我們的救主基督也必須同時是我們得勝的戰士和審判官。祂成全了詩人向上帝的禱告，「憑你的公義搭救我」（詩卅一1）。祂「使萬邦證明上主公義，無限榮光，主愛奇妙莫名」（makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love）（《普世歡騰》第4節）。祂已經贏得血戰；已經讓蛇與女人為敵（創三15）。「祂的右手和聖臂施行救恩」（詩九八1），「上帝的救恩成就了祂聖潔的公義所要求的一切」(J. A. Motyer)。

We can learn from Joy to the World and Psalm 98 not to sentimentalize Christmas by merely seeing Christ as a helpless baby apart from His mission. Christ our Savior must also be our Victorious Warrior and Judge. He fulfills the psalmist’s prayer for God to “deliver me in Your righteousness” (Psalm 31:1). He “makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love” (st. 4). He has won the bloody battle. He has put enmity between the serpent and the woman (Genesis 3:15). “His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory” (Psalm 98:1). “God’s salvation accomplishes all that His holy righteousness requires” (J. A. Motyer).

《普世歡騰》和詩篇九十八篇教導我們如何回應這樣的救恩。對信徒來說，《普世歡騰》是喜樂的信息。喜樂是整個將臨節期的中心主題，也應該說是整個基督徒生活的中心主題。我們喜樂的來源是主耶穌所完成的工作，我們要永遠榮耀祂，以祂為樂。詩篇九十八篇到處都提到喜樂——「全地都要向耶和華歡樂，要發起大聲，歡呼歌頌……在君王耶和華目前歡呼……願諸山在耶和華目前一同歡呼。」

Joy to the World and Psalm 98 instruct us in our response to such a great salvation. For the believer, Joy to the World is a message of joy. Joy is a central motif of the entire Advent season, indeed of the entire Christian life. Our joy is in the finished work of the Lord, whom we glorify and enjoy forever. Psalm 98 is replete with references to joy—“Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice…Shout joyfully to the LORD, the King…Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD.”

這首廣受人喜愛的耶誕頌歌，呼應了詩篇九十八篇要人喜樂地宣揚上帝對全地的偉大作為的吩咐。正如上帝已經公開地在列國面前顯明祂的救恩、公義、掌權、審判，上帝聖約的百姓、列國和全宇宙也要一同歡呼來讚美祂。

This beloved carol echoes Psalm 98’s command to joyfully proclaim God’s great deeds to all the earth. Just as God has openly displayed His salvation, righteousness, reign, and judgment in the sight of all nations, so also God’s covenant people, all nations, and all creation, must burst forth in praise to Him.

《普世歡騰》提到詩篇九十八篇的主題，就是人生最終永恆的目的是歡樂地讚美主。「教會終極的目的不是宣教，而是敬拜。」（約翰•派博）基督的救贖工作總是帶來滿溢的讚美，人越接近上帝救贖工作的完全應驗，這個讚美就會越深化。朗文提到，信徒「要向耶和華唱新歌」（九八1），然後強化成「全地都要向耶和華歡樂，要發起大聲，歡呼歌頌」（九八4），最後到所有的被造物要讚美神。「願海和其中所充滿的澎湃；世界和住在其間的，也要發聲。……願諸山在耶和華面前一同歡呼。」（九八7～8）

Joy to the World addresses Psalm 98’s theme that our ultimate eternal purpose is to joyfully worship the Lord. “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church; worship is” (John Piper). Christ’s redemptive work always results in an outpouring of praise, a praise which deepens as it approaches the complete fulfillment of God’s redemptive work. Tremper Longman III notes that the believer “sings to the LORD a new song” (vs. 1), which intensifies to “Shout joyfully to the LORD all the earth; break forth in song” (4) to all creation praising God. “The sea roars, the rivers clap their hands, the hills are joyful” (7, 8).

我們每天的敬拜和每週的敬拜是預嚐未來在耶和華寶座前的永恆敬拜，在那裡會有「喜音環繞不休」（repeat the sounding joy）。願你在唱這首耶誕頌歌時，能安慰鼓勵你，牢記你的喜樂是在你的救主和恩主裏，祂已經賜給你值得雀躍的責任，可以不斷地宣揚祂奇妙大愛的喜音，從今時直到永遠。

Our daily and weekly worship is a foretaste of the eternal worship of the Lord before His throne, where we will for all eternity “repeat the sounding joy.” May your singing of this carol comfort and encourage you as your remember that your joy is in your Savior and Lord, who has given you the delightful duty to “repeat the sounding joy” of the “wonders of His love” now and forevermore.