[書介] 韋內瑪（Cornelis Venema）的《基督與聖約神學》[BookReview] Christ and Covenant Theology by Cornelis Venema

作者：Daniel Ragusa  譯者：駱鴻銘

http://reformedforum.org/book-review-christ-covenant-theology-cornelis-venema/

http://www.crtsbooks.net/blog/post/2017/08/13/Christ_and_Covenant_Theology_by_Cornelis_Venema.aspx

https://plus.google.com/u/2/105106813742373627205/posts/LajuqRntQ31

用何克瑪（Anthony Hoekema）的話說，盟約教義是「將改革宗神學的一切教義連接在一起的脊柱結構」。（註1）這個對改革宗神學來說非常重要的聖約結構，近年來產生了許多辯論和爭議。從一個角度來看，這是健康的，因為它反映出當前精煉並提升這個重大教義的渴望。其中最熱門的幾個話題包括：亞當在墮落之前與上帝有盟約關係嗎？摩西律法在某種意義上是行為之約的「重新發布」（republication）嗎？揀選和恩典之約有什麼關係？如何評估「盟約異象」（Federal Vision）對稱義和聖約成員資格的教導？等等。

The doctrine of the covenant, in the words of Anthony Hoekema, is “the vertebrate structure which holds all the doctrines of Reformed theology together.”[1] The structural importance of the covenant for Reformed theology has given rise to areas of dispute and controversy. From one viewpoint this is healthy as it reflects the present desire for the refinement and advancement of such a vital doctrine. Some of the most heated questions of our day are case in point: Was Adam in a covenant relationship with God before the fall? Is the Mosaic Law in some sense a republication of the covenant of works? What is the relationship between election and the covenant of grace? How should the recent teachings of Federal Vision on justification and covenant membership be evaluated?

這些問題像火山岩漿一樣不斷湧出，但是韋內瑪（Cornelis Venema）在他的新書《基督與聖約神學：有關揀選、重新發布、聖約的論文集》裏，卻以巴文克式的公允和睿智，像是在處理已經冷卻的火成岩一樣。韋內瑪是美中改革宗神學院（Mid-America Reformed Seminary）院長，身兼教義研究教授。在這部書中，他貢獻出過去二十年的研究和著作來，以影響這些重大議題，證明他是改革宗神學家當中的翹楚。事實上，葛富恩博士（Richard B. Gaffin Jr）為這本書背書時說到，「今天沒有人比韋內瑪更有資格來討論這些一直是非常重要的聖約神學議題了。」

These questions have flowed like magma, but Cornelis Venema, with Bavinck-like fairness and sagacity, handles them like cooled off igneous rock in his recent publication, Christ and Covenant Theology: Essays on Election, Republication, and the Covenants (amazon; wtsbooks). Venema is president of Mid-America Reformed Seminary, where he is also professor of doctrinal studies. In this volume he brings his last two decades of study and writing to bear on these crucial issues, demonstrating himself to be a Reformed theologian of the highest order. In fact, Richard B. Gaffin Jr., endorsed the book, saying, “No one today is better qualified to address the perennially important issues of covenant theology than Cornel Venema.”

基督：聖約神學的中心

Christ: The Center of Covenant Theology

傅格森為本書作了序言。在這個大有裨益的序言之後，有一個簡要的前言，闡明了聖約教義的重要性，以及它與基督的核心關係。韋內瑪寫到，「我所有論證的主旨是要說明，上帝要藉著基督，也唯獨藉著基督，來享受與祂百姓的團契交通。祂恩典的旨意唯獨在基督裏找到其根源與目的。」（p. 24）這個始終如一的音符是韋內瑪在他的整部作品裏最常彈奏、也彈奏得最好的音符。聖約不是一個抽象的名稱，也不是一個非位格性的合約，或僅僅是造成分歧的動力；相反，它使真宗教成為可能，因為它的內容是人與三一真神的位格性、真實的相交團契。推動聖經戲劇的核心應許，「我要作你們的上帝，你們要作我的子民」，唯獨在基督裏能得到終末成全，也唯獨能在基督裏享受得到。上帝的一切應許，在基督裏都是「是的」，都是「阿們的」（林後一20）。在祂裏面，我們有新創造確實的盼望，在這個新創造裏，上帝永恆的居所會與人同在（啟廿一3）。

Following a helpful forward by Sinclair Ferguson, there is a concise introduction in which the importance of the doctrine of the covenant and its central relationship to Christ is elucidated. “The burden of my argument throughout,” writes Venema, “is that Christ, and Christ alone, is always the One through whom God’s gracious intention to enjoy fellowship with his people finds its beginning and end” (xxiv). This is a consistent note that Venema strikes often and strikes well throughout this work. The covenant is not an abstraction, nor is it an impersonal contract or merely an impetus for divisiveness; rather, it furnishes the possibility of true religion for it has as its substance the personal and real fellowship of man and the triune God. The central, driving promise of the biblical drama, “I will be your God and you will be my people,” is consummated and enjoyed in Christ alone. In him all the promises of God find their Yes and Amen (2 Cor. 1:20). In him we have the sure hope of a new creation in which the eternal dwelling place of God is with man (Rev. 21:3).

在前言之後，這本書分成三個主要部分：(1) 行為之約與恩典之約；(2) 聖約與揀選；(3) 聖約神學最近的討論。我會簡單地總結韋內瑪的一些結論，盼望你們會自行閱讀本書，以了解他的仔細論證和釋經。

Following the introduction, the book is divided into three major parts: (1) The Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace; (2) Covenant and Election; and (3) Covenant Theology in Recent Discussion. I’ll simply summarize some of Venema’s conclusions with the hope that you will read the book for yourself to get his careful argumentation and exegesis.

第一部：行為之約與恩典之約

Part 1: The Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace

第一部分由三篇論文組成，專注在討論西敏信條所制定的雙盟約論（bi-covenantalism）的觀念。聖約神學的發展，到了那個時期，已經對墮落前的「行為之約」和墮落後的「恩典之約」作出了區分。韋內瑪接著詳細論證說，在正統時期，恩典之約的摩西治理時期，包括了在某種意義上的行為之約的重新發布，只是少數人的立場。他主要是深入討論《律法原不本乎信》（The Law is Not of Faith）這本書的論文，對他們的結論作出批判，同時承認這個論題的多樣性和困難（尤其見139~44頁）。他對摩西之約裏的預表論的討論尤其深具教育性，他闡釋了魏司堅（Geerhardus Vos）、蓋米迪（Meredith Kline），羅伯遜（O. Palmer Robertson）的許多洞見。關於對以色列順服的要求，他寫到，

Part 1 consists of three essays honing in on the bi-covenantalism codified in the Westminster Confession of Faith. By this time in the historical development of covenant theology, a distinction was formed between a prefall covenant of works and a postfall covenant of grace. Venema then goes on to argue at length that the view that the Mosaic administration of the covenant of grace included a republication of the covenant of works in some sense was a minority position in the orthodox period. He primarily engages the essays found in The Law is Not of Faith, being critical of their conclusions, while also recognizing the diversity and difficulty of the topic (see esp. pp. 139–44). His discussion of the typology in the Mosaic covenant was especially informative as he expounds various insights from Geerhardus Vos, Meredith Kline and O. Palmer Robertson. He writes regarding the obedience required of Israel,

「與聖經預表論的模式相吻合，摩西時期的治理（Mosaic economy）的應許和要求是『預表』新約時期的治理的應許和要求。在恩典之約裏所應許的救贖總是需要聖約百姓這方面的信心和真誠、雖然是不完美的順服的回應。摩西的聖約治理是如此，基督的聖約治理也是如此。」（129頁）

“Consistent with the pattern of biblical typology, the promises and demands of the Mosaic economy are ‘typical’ of the promises and demands of the new covenant economy. The redemption promised in the covenant of grace always requires the response of faith and sincere, albeit imperfect, obedience on the part of the people of the covenant. As it was in the covenant administration of Moses, so it is in the covenant administration of Christ” (129).

第二部：聖約與揀選
Part 2: Covenant and Election

在第二部分中，韋內瑪討論聖約和揀選之間的關係。前人的理解是在正統時期，揀選論為改革宗神學提供了一種組織原則。因此，它為整個改革宗教義系統注入了某種抽象概念和嚴厲性。因此，一種根據揀選的單方面（unilateral or monopleuric）的聖約公式化表述興起了，這種表述法減少了聖約的相互關係（mutuality）與條件性（譯按：即極端加爾文主義）。然而，另一種表述法興起了，這種表述法更強調上帝與祂百姓之間盟約關係的歷史與相互關係。在闡釋了巴文克的聖約神學之後，韋內瑪的結論說明了救贖之約和歷史性的恩典之約的關聯：

In Part 2 Venema takes up the relationship between covenant and election. It was previously understood that election supplied Reformed theology in the orthodox period with a kind of organizing principle. As such it injected both abstraction and austerity into the entire Reformed system of doctrine. Accordingly, a unilateral (or monopleuric) formulation of the covenant based on election arose, which diminished its mutuality and conditionality. However, another formulation arose which gave greater emphasis to the history and mutuality of the covenant relationship between God and his people. After expounding the covenant theology of Herman Bavinck, Venema concludes, relating the covenant of redemption and the historical covenant of grace,

「既然救贖之約是在時間之前的一個協定，在這個協定之內，三一上帝安排了聖約的途徑來確保選民的救恩，這些教義之間就有一種密切而必要的關連。廣義來說，聖約是上帝指定的工具，上帝藉此達成祂在時間和歷史裏的救贖計劃。倘若揀選是描述上帝的主權和滿有恩典的、在基督裏救贖祂百姓的計劃的教義，那麼，聖約就是描述上帝所選定的、在時間內完成這個計劃的途徑的教義。正如上帝藉著祂永恆的、要在基督裏拯救選民，並將其他人留在他們的罪中的諭旨，來顯明祂的憐憫和公義，同樣，上帝也藉著祂在救贖歷史裏的聖約施行來彰顯祂的慈愛信實，以及三一神之間的交通」（182～183頁）。

“Since the covenant of redemption is a pretemporal compact in which the triune God arranges the covenantal means to secure the salvation of the elect, there is an intimate and necessary connection between these doctrines. In broad terms, the covenant is the divinely-appointed instrument whereby the triune God achieves his saving purposes in time and history. If election is the doctrine that describes God’s sovereign and gracious purpose to redeem his people in Christ, then covenant is the doctrine that describes God’s chosen means to accomplish this purpose in time. Just as God displays his mercy and justice in his eternal decree to save the elect in Christ and to leave others in their sins, so God displays his steadfast faithfulness and intra-Trinitarian communion in his covenantal administration of the history of redemption” (182–83).

韋內瑪也在第二部分討論了對那些失去了他們在嬰孩時期的兒女的父母來說，聖約與揀選的關係所帶來的教牧意涵，就如多特信經1.17所說的：

Venema also considers in Part 2 the pastoral implications of the relationship between covenant and election for parents who lose their child in infancy as it is stated in the Canons of Dort 1.17,

「我們既然是從聖經來判斷上帝的旨意，而聖經說信徒的兒女不是因為他們的本性而聖潔，而是因為他們與父母一同承受恩典之約而聖潔，所以如果上帝按照祂的美意，將敬虔父母的兒女在嬰孩時期就接他們離世，父母應當確定他們的兒女是蒙揀選的、是得救的，不須懷疑（創十七7；徒二39；林前七14）。」

“Since we are to judge of the will of God from His Word, which testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature, but in virtue of the covenant of grace, in which they together with the parents are comprehended, godly parents ought not to doubt the election and salvation of their children whom it pleases God to call out of this life in their infancy (Gen. 17:7; Acts 2:39; 1 Cor. 7:14).”

關於多特信經，參見韋內瑪的書：《只為了上帝的恩典：多特信經解說》

For more on the Canons of Dort, see Venema’s book But For the Grace of God: An Exposition of the Canons of Dort.

第三部聖約神學最近的討論

Part 3: Covenant Theology in Recent Discussion

在最後一部分，韋內瑪概述並評估所謂的「盟約異象」（federal vision）這個教義爭論。他的評述集中在這個由盟約異象陣營所提出的觀點是否符合三合一聯合信條（Three Form of Unity，即海德堡要理問答，比利時信條，多特信經）的問題上。他的結論是盟約異象與三合一信條是格格不入的，和「西敏標準」（譯按：即西敏信條，西敏大、小要理問答）也一樣格格不入。他也說明這個標新立異的道理如何損及唯獨靠恩典、唯獨藉著信心、唯獨在基督的工作的基礎上稱義的教義，尤其是深入地和N. T. Wright與羅馬書五章12～21節對話。

In the final part, Venema summarizes and assesses what has come to be termed “Federal Vision.” His assessment focuses on whether or not the views purported by the Federal Vision camp agree with the Three Forms of Unity (i.e., Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession and Canons of Dort). He concludes that Federal Vision is as much at odds with the Three Forms as it is with the Westminster Standards. He also draws out the ways in which this new teaching compromises the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone on the basis of Christ’s work alone, with a particular engagement with N. T. Wright and Romans 5:12–21.

推介Recommendation

我會特別向牧師、學者，以及有興趣的教會會友推薦這本書，因為它與當代許多議題非常相關。然而，任何願意追隨韋內瑪對聖約熟練的說明的人，都會因此受益。韋內瑪以高度的清晰和精準，帶領你進入這些聖約爭論的漩渦中，也證明自己是一位非常有幫助、值得信賴的嚮導。儘管我們會對漩渦如此著迷，韋內瑪卻帶領我們超越這漩渦，享受與三一真神在基督裏，永無止境的、浩瀚的團契相通。在祂的面前有滿足的喜樂；在祂右手中有永遠的福樂。

I would especially recommend this book to pastors, scholars, and interested church members because of its relevance for many contemporary issues. However, anyone willing to follow Venema in his deft articulation of the covenant will be the better for it. With clarity and exactness, Venema leads you into the swirling waters of these covenant debates and proves a helpful and trustworthy guide. And while we can get so fixated on the swirls, Venema brings us beyond to enjoy the everlasting ocean of covenantal fellowship in Christ with the triune God in whose presence there is fullness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore.

註：

 1. Anthony Hoekema, Herman Bavinck’s Doctrine of the Covenant, 360。