改革宗信仰基础15：耶穌——先知、祭司和君王

Basics of the Reformed Faith:Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King

作者: Kim Riddlebarger   译者/校对者: 牛泓/王一

https://wscal.edu/blog/basics-of-the-reformed-faith-jesus-as-prophet-priest-and-king

http://www.reformedbeginner.net/basics15-jesus-prophet-priest-king/

对我们的诊断是非常不乐观的：我们是无知的、有罪的和堕落的。然而，预后却更加糟糕，我们落在了咒诅和死亡之下。作为被罪恶三重毁坏的堕落之罪人，我们的心思昏暗了（罗1:21），我们的思想也尽都是恶（创6:5）。我们的心地因着罪变得昏昧，对上帝的事情无知（弗4:17-18）。我们在自身罪孽巨大的重担下劳苦，这是我们屡次违背上帝律法的惩罚。我们可以欺骗自己说我们只得罪了邻舍，大卫却知道这不是真的。“我向你犯罪，惟独得罪了你；在你眼前行了这恶，以致你责备我的时候显为公义，判断我的时候显为清正。 (诗51:4 )”同时我们也从我们所继承的罪恶的状态那里遭受着严重的污染，从受孕的那一刻起，它就不无时无刻地影响着我们的方方面面。正如诗人所说，我们是生在罪孽中的（诗51:5），在我们里面没有良善(诗 14:1-3)。我们的身体，就是那奇妙可畏的受造（诗139:14），成了将那隐藏在我们心里的恶施行出来的器具（罗6:13）。这则坏新闻真是糟糕透顶。罪留给我们的是无知、罪疚、污染以及它们所带来的悲惨处境。

但是，此疾有一充满了神奇般地荣耀的救法：福音的好消息就是尽管“在人这是不能的”，但是在上帝“凡事都能”（太19:26）。是约翰•加尔文提出了基督的三重职分并将其发扬光大。基督的三重职分在后来的改革宗传统中被许多人使用，它把基督作为先知、祭司和君王呈现在我们眼前，而基督在祂的救赎大工中成全了在旧约出现的全部的受膏的职分。正如加尔文所指出的，基督的三重职分是解释主的救赎工作的最好的方式之一，它的提出是为了使我们克服自己的无知、罪疚和堕落，并且在现今也带给我们亮光、救赎和盼望。

我们以耶稣的先知职分开始，祂藉着此职分将上帝显现给人类。耶稣是世界的光（约1:4-5），祂来了是要将父显给我们看（约14:9）。是摩西告诉我们将有一位大先知“耶和华—你的神要从你们弟兄中间给你兴起一位先知，像我，你们要听从他。(申18:15)”是彼得，在教会刚刚建立的初期，立即将这段经文应用在了主的身上(徒3:22-23)。耶稣也说自己是这样的一位先知（路13:33），我们的主也清楚地声明只讲父要祂讲的话(约12:49-50; 14:10, 24; 15:15; 17:8, 20)。耶稣讲论未来之事(太24:3-35)，并且祂讲话不像其他人，而是有着令人惊奇的权柄(太7:29)。事实上，主的话语乃是倚靠上帝的大能，所以祂大能的工作是为了证实祂传讲的信息的真实性(太21:11, 46; 路7:16, 24:19;约3:2, 4:19, 7:40, 9:17)。约6:14告诉我们：众人看见耶稣所行的神迹，就说：“这真是那要到世间来的先知！”

基督祭司的职分占据了新约圣经大部分的内容，不仅包括对该职分的讨论，也包括基督为了将罪人从罪恶当中拯救出来而所做的牺牲性的死亡。新约圣经的钥章，来5:1及其后的经文，列举了一个真祭司的特征。首先，“凡从人间挑选的大祭司，是奉派替人办理属　神的事，为要献上礼物和赎罪祭。（1节）”；其次，这样一个祭司是由上帝所指定的（4节）；再次，大祭司献上“礼物和赎罪祭”（1节）。另外，祭司要为百姓代求（来7:25），奉上帝的名祝福他们（路9:22）。毫无疑问，耶稣基督是最卓越的大祭司。尽管《希伯来书》的作者是新约圣经作者当中唯一一位把“祭司”这个词应用在耶稣身上的，但是他却不断地重复说耶稣是一位祭司。

有关基督的君王职分，圣经说道“耶和华在天上立定宝座；他的权柄（原文是国） 统管万有。 (诗103:19 )”。不像那些认为基督在现今延迟了自己完全的掌权直到千禧年的时代，基督现今就对万有施行着完全的统治。耶稣是万王之王，祂的国度满有恩典与权能。在祂的升天中，耶稣基督升到了父神的右边，现今祂作为全权之主统管着万有（民事国度），也作为恩典之约的中保统管着教会（基督国度）。

新约圣经不断地提到基督是“教会的元首” (弗1:22, 4:15; 5:23; 西1:18; 2:19)。基督对教会的统治与二者间奥秘地联合密切相关，而圣经将教会描述为基督的身体（林前12:27）。基督国度是个属灵的国度，所以它没有旗帜，没有世界总部，也没有吸引人的口号。但现今它是基督的百姓聆听圣道并领受圣礼的地方（罗14:17）。这个国度等同于新约圣经中不断出现的“上帝的国”。这个国度是一个攻无不克的国度（太12:28），但是却不依赖于文化、经济或政治组织（约18:36）。恶人无法承受这个国度（加5:21），尽管我们的孩子被看作是“这些人中最小的”，但是他们已经藉着洗礼成为了这个国度的一员（路18:16）。这是一个荣耀的国度（帖前2:12），不论有些人怎么说，这个国度就是现今的事实（太3:2）。正如信条所宣称的，这个国度“没有穷尽（彼后1:11）”。

在祂作为先知、祭司和君王的三重职分里，耶稣医治了我们的无知，除去了我们的罪孽，并将我们从堕落当中拯救。耶稣作为恩典之约的唯一中保，直到这里，我们才明白了它的一些意义。

Basics of the Reformed Faith: Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King

Kim Riddlebarger

The diagnosis is not very good: we are ignorant, guilty, and corrupt. But the prognosis is far worse. We are under the curse and face certain death. As fallen sinners ravaged by a threefold consequence of our sins, our hearts are darkened (Romans 1:21) and our thoughts are continually evil (Genesis 6:5). Our minds are clouded by sin and ignorant of the things of God (Ephesians 4:17-18). We labor under the tremendous weight of our guilt–the penalty for our many infractions of the law of God. We may delude ourselves into thinking that we have sinned against our neighbors only; David knew that this was not true. “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). But we also suffer from the destructive pollution of our inherited sinful condition, which infects every part of us from the moment of conception. Born in sin as the Psalmist declares (Psalm 51:5), there is no good residing in us (Psalm 14:1-3). Our bodies, which are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), become instruments to act out the wickedness that would otherwise lie hidden in our hearts (Romans 6:13). The bad news is very bad. Sin leaves us ignorant, guilty, and polluted, and therefore miserable.

But there is a glorious and miraculous cure from this disease: The good news of the gospel is that while “this is impossible with men,” nevertheless, with God, “all things are possible!” (Matthew 19:26). It was John Calvin who brought the so-called “threefold office” of Christ into prominence. Utilized by many in the subsequent Reformed tradition, the threefold office presents Jesus Christ as prophet, priest, and king, who in his saving work fulfilled all the anointed offices of the Old Testament. As Calvin pointed out, the threefold office of Christ is one of the best ways to explain our Lord’s redemptive work, which by design overcame our ignorance, our guilt, and our corruption, and which even now provides us with illumination, redemption, and hope in the present.

We start with Jesus’ prophetic office in which he represents God to humanity. Jesus is the light of the world (John 1:4-5), who comes to show us God the Father (John 14:9). It was Moses who foretold of a great prophet that “the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen” (Deuteronomy 18:15). And it is Peter, who immediately after the birth of the church, applies this passage to our Lord (Acts 3:22-23). Jesus speaks of himself as such a prophet (Luke 13:33), and our Lord expressly claims to speak only what his father has told him to say (John 12:49-50; 14:10, 24; 15:15; 17:8, 20). Jesus speaks of the future (Matthew 24:3-35), and speaks with an amazing authority unlike all others (Matthew 7:29). Indeed, our Lord's words are backed by the power of God, for his mighty works serve to confirm the truth of his message (Matthew 21:11, 46; Luke 7:16, 24:19; John 3:2, 4:19, 7:40, 9:17). In John 6:14 we are told that “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

The priestly office of Christ occupies a major place in the New Testament and includes not only a discussion of the office itself, but also of Christ’s sacrificial death to redeem sinners from their sin. The key passage in the New Testament, Hebrews 5:1 and following, lays out the characteristics of a true priest. First, “for every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (v. 1). Second, such a priest is appointed by God (v. 4). Third, the high priest offers “gifts and sacrifices for sins” (v. 1). In addition, the priest makes intercession for the people (Hebrews 7:25), blessing them in the name of God (Luke 9:22). Clearly, Jesus Christ is the high priest par excellence. Although he is the only New Testament writer who applies the term to Jesus, the author of Hebrews repeatedly speaks of Jesus as a priest.

As for the kingly office of Christ, the Scriptures declare that “the Lord has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over it” (Psalm 103:19). Unlike those who argue that Christ delays the full manifestation of his rule in this present age until a millennial age yet to come, Jesus presently exercises full dominion over all things. Jesus is King of kings, and his kingdom is a kingdom both of grace and of power. In his ascension, Jesus Christ ascended to the right hand of his father and even now rules over all of creation as sovereign Lord (the civil kingdom) and over his church as covenant mediator (Christ’s kingdom).

The New Testament repeatedly speaks of Christ as “head of the church” (Ephesians 1:22, 4:15; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; 2:19). Christ’s rule over his church is closely related to the mystical union formed between Christ and the church, which the Scriptures describe as his body (1 Corinthians 12:27). Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, so it has no flag, no world headquarters, and no catchy logo. But it is present wherever Christ’s people gather to hear God’s word proclaimed and to receive the sacraments (Romans 14:17). This kingdom is identical to that which the New Testament repeatedly calls the “kingdom of God.” This kingdom is a conquering kingdom (Matthew 12:28), but is not tied to cultural, economic, or political institutions (John 18:36). The wicked will not inherit this kingdom (Galatians 5:21), though our own children, seen by the world as “the least of these,” are already members through baptism (Luke 18:16). It is a glorious kingdom (1 Thessalonians 2:12), and despite what some may say, it is a present reality (Matthew 3:2). It is a kingdom, which as the Creed declares, “has no end” (cf. 2 Peter 1:11).

In his threefold office as prophet, priest, and king, Jesus cures our ignorance, he removes our guilt, and he deliver us from our corruption. It is here that we find some of the specifics of what it means for Jesus to be the only mediator of the covenant of grace.

改革宗信仰基础14：上帝形象的承受者Basics of the Reformed Faith:Divine Image Bearers

作者: Kim Riddlebarger   译者/校对者: 牛泓/王一

https://wscal.edu/blog/basics-of-the-reformed-faith-divine-image-bearers

http://www.reformedbeginner.net/basics14-image-bearer/

因着将诗篇第8篇的经文铭记于心（诗8:5你叫他比天使微小一点，并赐他尊贵荣耀为冠冕），改革宗神学家哥尼流•范•泰尔曾宣称，亚当被造是为了在一个受造物能够像神的各个方面像神。当我们第一次听到这句话的时候一定相当吃惊。然而正如范泰尔接着所指出的，因为亚当是受造的，所以他永不可能拥有神性，他将永远是受造物。因此，基督徒在探讨人的被造之前，不能不先清楚一个事实就是，上帝与一切受造物有别，祂既不等同于世界也不等同于其中的生物。

也就是说，圣经的叙事告诉我们亚当是按照上帝的形象被造的（创1:26），意味着亚当既不具备神性，也不是一些随意的原始过程的产物。亚当是由上帝直接创造的，上帝藉着地上的尘土造了亚当的身体，又将生气吹进亚当的鼻孔造了亚当的灵魂（创2:7）。神的形象也同样延伸到了夏娃（创2:4-24）。做一个在精神（灵魂）和物质（身体）上联合的人，就是做一个男人或女人，并且在身体和灵魂上共同承受上帝的形象。做上帝形象的承受者意味着做上帝这个原型的副本。

因为所有的男人和女人都是上帝形象的承受者，所以我们真得像神，并且我们拥有所有上帝可传递的属性，尽管是在被造物的形式和程度上。这是我们称之为“人”的原因，使我们在道德和理性的能力上不同于且优于动物界。事实上，当上帝向第一个人亚当宣告“甚好”的时候，亚当和夏娃的被造将整个创造叙事推向了高潮（创1:28-31）。

我们作为神的形象的承受者这一事实的衍生意义是多重而又深刻的。首先，从创造中我们能够看出，亚当既作人类肉身的头，也作人类盟约的头。换句话说，亚当作为第一个人，全人类都是他的后裔。这就清楚解决了种族合一（不论我们的肤色和外表）和在上帝面前人人平等的问题。其次，作为全人类肉身的头，当亚当在伊甸园接受考验，被吩咐不可吃分别善恶树的果子的时候，他是在上帝面前代表全人类。

亚当被指派了代表他所有后裔的这个角色。不论亚当在伊甸园做什么，他是作为我们的代表，代替我们而做。唯独这个事实暗示我们一些其他需要注意的地方，包括亚当是公义、圣洁被造的，并且拥有关乎上帝真实的知识（弗 4:24；西3:10），也就是说，亚当被造时在上帝面前是义的。亚当在上帝面前不仅仅是无罪的，他更是圣洁和正直的，拥有遵守神的诫命和完成文化使命（创1:28）的一切天然的能力。

亚当的属灵本质（比如，正如所知道的，灵魂在身体死后仍然活着）更进一步地反映了人性拥有上帝的形象。我们的灵魂是不可见、不可分割和不朽的。另外，我们被造成具有极高智能的理性的存有，同时也拥有分别善恶的道德能力（罗2:12-16）。这也表明一切的男人和女人都有能力领受上帝通过创造次序所赐下的启示（一般启示）和通过祂话语所赐下的启示（特殊启示）。长期以来，改革宗神学家认为身体是盛装灵魂的“器官”，这些可传递的属性特别藉着身体与灵魂的联合表现出来。

作为拥有原初的公义、圣洁和知识的上帝形象的承受者，亚当作为上帝的代理人对一切被造物行使统治权。上帝不仅使万物成为美好，祂还指派自己形象的唯一承受者去治理世界和其中一切生物。上帝把一切动植物都赐给亚当作食物，并指派他去给他所统治的动物命名（创2:19）。因为亚当是上帝形象的承受者，所以他有能力也适合去承担这项使命。

这就是当诗人说你叫他比天使微小一点（诗8:5）所要表达的意思。亚当的被造是上帝所有创造活动的巅峰，而不是祂临时起意的行为。作为上帝形象的承受者，亚当要以造物主之名去治理和征服全地。他拥有真公义、真圣洁和真知识，他的使命是在伊甸园建造上帝在地上的圣殿和园子，而且在各方面来说，亚当都可以承担此项使命。

Basics of the Reformed Faith: Divine Image Bearers

Kim Riddlebarger

With the language of the eighth Psalm clearly in mind (“you have made [man] a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” v. 5), Reformed theologian Cornelius Van Til once declared that Adam was created to be like God in every way in which a creature can be like God. These words sound rather shocking when we first hear them. And yet as Van Til goes on to point out, because Adam is a creature, he will never be divine. Adam will always be a creature. Therefore, Christians cannot talk about the creation of humanity without first being clear about the fact that God is distinct from his creation, and cannot be identified either with the world around us or its creatures.

That said, the biblical account tells us that Adam was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26), which indicates that Adam is neither divine, nor the product of some unspecified primordial process. Adam was created by a direct act of God in which Adam’s body was created by God from the dust of the earth, while his soul was created when God breathed life into the first man (Genesis 2:7). The divine image extends to Eve as well (Genesis 2:4-24). To be human then, is to be male or female and to bear God’s image in both body and soul, which exist as a unity of both spiritual (the soul) and material (the body) elements. To be a divine image bearer is to be an ectype (copy) of which God is archetype (original).

Because all men and women are divine image-bearers we are truly like God, and we possess all of the so-called communicable attributes of God–albeit in creaturely form and measure. This is what constitutes us as “human” beings, distinct from and superior in moral and rational capabilities to the animal kingdom. In fact, the creation of Adam and Eve marks the high point of the creation account (Genesis 1:28-31), as God pronounced the first man Adam to be “very good.”

The ramifications of the fact that we are divine image bearers are multifaceted and profound. First, the creation reveals that Adam is both the biological and federal head of the human race. To put it another way, Adam was the first human being, and all humans are his biological descendants. This speaks directly to the question of the unity of the race (despite our different skin colors and physical appearances), and to the equality of persons before God. Second, as the biological head of our race, Adam represented the entire human race before God during the period of probation in Eden when Adam was commanded not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Adam was assigned the role of acting for and on behalf of all those who are his descendants. What Adam did in Eden, he did on our behalf, as our representative. This fact alone implies a number of additional considerations, including the fact that Adam was created in righteousness, holiness, and possessed true knowledge of God (cf. Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10), which means that Adam was righteous before God as created. Adam was not merely innocent before God, but holy and upright, possessing the natural ability to obey all of God’s commands and to fulfill the cultural mandate (Genesis 1:28).

The spiritual nature of Adam (as seen, for example, in the fact that the soul lives on after the death of the body) further reflects this element of human nature. Our souls are invisible, indivisible, and immortal. In addition, we are created as rational beings with great intellectual abilities, as well as the moral ability to determine right from wrong (Romans 2:12-16). This also indicates that all men and women are capable of receiving the revelation that God gives through the created order (general revelation) and through his word (special revelation). Reformed theologians have long argued that our bodies are fit “organs” of the soul. And it is especially through the body-soul unity that these communicable attributes are manifest.

As the divine image-bearer possessing such original righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, Adam was given dominion over all of creation as God’s vice-regent. Not only did God make all things good, he assigned his unique divine image-bearer the role of ruling over the world and all of its creatures. Adam was given all the plants and animals for food, and was assigned the task of naming the animals over which he was given dominion (Genesis 2:19). It is because Adam was a divine image-bearer that he was fit and equipped for this task.

This is what the Psalmist means when he says that man is but a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8:5). The creation of Adam was the high point of all of God’s creative activities, not an after-thought. As the divine-image bearer, Adam is to rule and subdue the earth in the name of his creator. He possesses true righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, and his task is to build the temple garden of God on earth in Eden. And he is fit for the task in every way.

改革宗信仰基础09：亚当的堕落Basics of the Reformed Faith: The Fall of Adam

作者: Kim Riddlebarger   译者/校对译: 蔡璐/王一

https://www.wscal.edu/blog/basics-of-the-reformed-faith-the-fall-of-adam

http://www.reformedbeginner.net/basics09-adam-fall/

大多数人都相信一个完全错误的观念，那就是人性本善。当我们与他人比较的时候，我们通常觉得自己还不错。或许我们会不情愿地承认有些人的确比我们更好，但是大部分情况，我们都觉得自己还不错。

问题是，人性本善这个观念忽略一个事实，那就是人类是堕落的族类，在上帝公义的审判之下，等侯死亡的判决和永久的刑法。真实情况是上帝不会将我与其他什么人比较，因为他们和我一样是罪人。上帝反而会拿我与他圣洁、公义、良善的律法的标准来比较（罗 7:12）。当上帝用他的律法的标准来衡量我的时候，很快得出结论，正如所有人都由亚当而出，我同样不能够达到上帝完美的标准。我是一个罪人。我伏在死亡的判决之下。这是如何发生的呢？

这里便立刻涉及到公平性的问题。上帝用一个我不能达到的标准审判我，这公平吗？如果我们孤立地、不依靠任何圣经依据来看这个问题，答案也许是“不”。圣经教导亚当不仅是第一个人类（所有的人类都是他血统上后裔），而且亚当被造是圣洁、无罪的。亚当被安置在伊甸园中、在行为之约的条款之下，“这样做（不吃被禁止的树上的果子），就因此活着”，或者“吃了那颗树上的果子就会死亡。”亚当选择了后者，使得约里面死亡的咒诅临到全人类。人们通常认同本杰明·富兰克林那著名的格言：世上只有两件事是不可避免的，一个是死亡，一个是税收。然而，这两件事都是由人类的罪而来的。事实上，人类的死亡不是自然产生的，而是亚当堕落的后果。

在亚当吃了分别善恶树上的果子之后，上帝立刻对他宣判行为之约里的咒诅。“（耶和华）对亚当说：‘你既听从妻子的话，吃了我所吩咐你不可吃的那树上的果子，地必为你的缘故受咒诅：你必终身劳苦，才能从地里得吃的。地必给你长出荆棘和蒺藜来，你也要吃田间的菜蔬。你必汗流满面才得糊口，直到你归了土，因为你是从土而出的；你本是尘土，仍要归于尘土。’”工作成为劳苦。多产的土地长满杂草蒺藜。生产儿女成为痛苦。更糟的是，亚当面临死亡的刑罚，我们也和他一样。

因为亚当的行为是为我们做的，他站在我们的地位上（在伊甸园中他作为我们的代表），我们在上帝面前，像亚当一样有罪，因着第一位父亲亚当的反叛行为，我们仿佛亲自置身在伊甸园中，亲自悖逆了上帝。亚当的罪责归算给我们（罗 5:12，18-19）。不仅亚当的悖逆使我们在上帝面前有罪责（guilt），我们还继承了他的罪性（sinful nature），我们各样犯罪行为是从这罪性中来的（罗 7:5）。我们犯罪因为我们想要犯罪。实际上，我们喜爱犯罪。这与我们基本都是向善的、偶尔才犯罪的观念大相径庭。事实上，我们都是有罪的人，然而我们罪的倾向因着仁慈上帝的恩典而被约束。

圣经教导我们人生来就有罪，我们现在、将来也绝对不会在上帝面前无罪（诗篇 51:5，58:3）。正如保罗在《以弗所书》第二章1-3节中所说的，我们死在罪中，生来是可怒之子。保罗在《以弗所书》第四章17-19节讲说，亚当堕落的影响也如此临到我们身上。“你们行事，不要再像外邦人存虚妄的心行事。他们心地昏昧，与上帝所赐的生命隔绝了，都因自己无知，心里刚硬，良心既然丧尽，就放纵私欲，贪行种种的污秽。” 亚当堕落的结果很严重。我们的心思虚妄，我们的头脑昏暗，我们与上帝隔绝，我们寻求满足我们自己罪恶的本性而不寻求讨上帝的喜悦。

所有这一切都是从亚当在伊甸园的叛逆行为而来。正如清教徒恰当地形容：“在亚当的堕落中，我们都犯罪了。”因为亚当犯罪，我们生来就是有罪的，已经在死亡的刑罚之下，也不能做任何事来救我们自己。

这一切的后果都是因为亚当的堕落。

Basics of the Reformed Faith: The Fall of Adam

By Kim Riddlebarger

Most Americans operate on the sincere but completely misguided assumption that deep down inside people are basically good. When we compare ourselves to others, we might be able to measure up pretty well. Sure, there are some who we might begrudgingly admit are better people than we are, but we still do pretty well in most of our self-comparison tests against others.

The problem with assuming that people are basically good is that it completely ignores the fact that ours is a fallen race, under the just condemnation from God, awaiting the sentence of death and eternal punishment. The reality is that God is not going to compare me to someone else, who is a fallen sinner like I am. Instead, God will measure me against the standard of his law, which is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12). And when God measures me using the standard of his law, it will soon become clear that like everyone else descended from Adam, I cannot meet God’s standard of perfection. I am a sinner. I am under the sentence of death. How did this happen?

This immediately raises the question of fairness. Is it fair for God to judge me against a standard I cannot possibly meet? The answer would be “no,” if we were to look at this question in a vacuum without any biblical context. The Bible teaches that Adam was not only the first human (from whom all humans are biologically descended), but that Adam was created holy and without sin. Adam was placed in Eden under the covenant of works with its condition, “do this (not eat from the forbidden tree) and live,” or “eat from the tree and die.” Adam chose the latter, bringing down the covenant curse of death upon the entire human race. People often agree with Ben Franklin’s famous adage that the only two things in life which are inevitable are death and taxes, both of which I might add, stem from human sin. Yet, the fact remains, death is not natural to the human race. Death is the consequence of the fall of Adam.

When Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God immediately pronounced the covenant curse upon him. “And to Adam [God] said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Work became toil. Fruitful fields were filled with weeds and thistles. Child-bearing became labor. And even worse, Adam now faced the sentence of death. And so do we.

Because Adam acted for us and in our place (by serving as our representative in Eden), we are as guilty before God for Adam’s act of rebellion as if we had been in Eden, personally rebelling against God as did our first father. The guilt of Adam’s sin was imputed or reckoned to us (Romans 5:12, 18-19). Not only did the fall of Adam render us guilty before God, we have all inherited a sinful nature from Adam, and it is from that sinful nature that our own particular acts of sin spring (Romans 7:5). We sin because we want to sin. In fact, we like to sin. This is a far cry from the notion that we are all basically good people who occasionally sin. Rather we are sinful people, whose sinful propensities are restrained by the grace of a merciful God.

The Bible teaches that we are sinful by nature and by choice, and that we are not now, and never have been, innocent before God (Psalm 51:5; 58:3). As Paul recounts in Ephesians 2:1-3, we are dead in sin and by nature children of wrath. In Ephesians 4:17-19, Paul speaks of the effects of Adam’s fall upon us in the following terms. “You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” The consequences of Adam’s fall are grave. Our thinking is futile, we are darkened in our understanding, we are alienated from God, and we seek to gratify our sinful nature rather than seek to please God.

And all of this stems from Adam’s act of rebellion in Eden. As the Puritans so aptly put it, “in Adam’s fall, sinned we all.” Because Adam sinned, we are born with a sinful nature, already under the sentence of death, and unable to do anything to save ourselves.

This is the consequence of Adam’s fall.

改革宗信仰基础08：行为之约Basics of the Reformed Faith:The Covenant of Works

作者: Kim Riddlebarger   译者/校对译: 蔡璐/王一

https://www.wscal.edu/blog/basics-of-the-reformed-faith-the-covenant-of-works

http://www.reformedbeginner.net/basics-08-covenant-of-works/

在《何西阿书》六章7节中，先知将主的话记载如下：“他们（以色列和犹大）却如亚当背约，在境内向我行事诡诈。” 根据这宣告，我们可以很清楚地看到，亚当在伊甸园与他的创造主有约的关系，而且亚当因为自己不顺服的行为确实违背了约中的条款。我们可以从先知的这段宣告里看到改革宗神学的两大的要点。第一个要点是，亚当是在与上帝的约的关系中被造（这个约不是上帝在创造亚当之后武断地强加在他身上）。第二个要点是，亚当的背约行为不仅给自己，也给整个人类带来可怕的后果，因为他代表全人类，人类是从他的血脉繁衍下来的。

行为之约的定义与特征是一个长期的争论的话题。但不论是亚当犯罪堕落之前还是之后，行为之约（也称“创造之约”）都是救赎历史平衡的核心。确实，认识到这个约在人类历史的最初期就存在很重要。这巩固了行为之约不是上帝创造亚当以后才加给人类的这一事实。亚当被造成为上帝形象的承载者，因此亚当是在与上帝的约的关系中被造的，因为有道德性和理性的受造物按其本性而言理当遵从他们的创造主。这个约的要求就是在思想、言语和行为上的完美顺服，如果亚当违背此约的要求的话，那么亚当和所有他所代表的（整个人类）将遭受约的咒诅，就是死亡。

这个约从创造伊始便存在。这意味着，如果亚当和他的后代要从他们集体反抗上帝的后果中被拯救出来，那么任何从咒诅中得的拯救都需要上帝救赎性的恩典和救赎性的行为来挪走咒诅，并使亚当堕落的族类在主面前称义。换句话说，在人类集体犯罪堕落的背景之下，当亚当反抗抵挡他的创造主、违背行为之约的条款时产生咒诅（就是死亡）的背景下，才使得恩典之约（从这里耶稣基督成为约的中保，提前2:5）讲得通。

虽然“行为之约”这个名称没有在创造记载中出现，这个约所有的元素都清晰存在于伊甸园中。第一，有双方参与（亚当和他的创造主），上帝出于自己的主权将这个约的条款加于亚当和他的后代身上。第二，上帝设立了一个条件，记在《创世记》第二章17节中：“只是分别善恶树上的果子，你不可吃，因为你吃的日子必定死。” 尽管这一条款是出现是以禁令的形式出现（如果你吃这树上的果子，你必定死），这也可以被解释为一个正面的神学原则描述约的基本核心：“如此行（遵从命令不去吃），就因此活着。” 第三，祝福是建立在完美的顺服之上（永生），同时若有任何不顺服的行为就会来咒诅（死亡）。如果亚当顺服他的造物主，没有吃树上的果子，那么他就会承受上帝应许的祝福——永生。但是如果亚当吃了这树上的果子，那么他就会受到约的咒诅——死亡。

所有这三个要点都出现在创造记载中，并且藉着《何西阿书》六章7节的宣告，我们可以得出结论认为存在这样一个约，并且此约是建立在祝福-咒诅的原则上的。当我们更细致地看着三个要点，我们看到，不仅约的要素都在伊甸园中清晰地存在，而且我们也注意到随后的救赎历史也是在祝福-咒诅这一原则之上运作：永生是应许给亚当和他的后代，条件是在他们所有的思想、行为和言语中完美地顺服上帝的命令。亚当只要完美顺服约的条款，上帝就会赐给他永生。亚当不会只像他以前那样活着，而是将会被判定为义的，并承受永生。

但是自从亚当犯罪、承受约的咒诅时，亚当以及他后代都是不可能再产生对上帝完美、完全的顺服。诚然，这需要第二位亚当，也就是耶稣基督，在恩典之约的条款之下，替代那些他代表的人呈上这完美的、个人的顺服。而且，这位救赎主不但必须要完美顺服上帝所有的律令，也必须涂抹我们在亚当中被归算的罪责以及因我们自己犯罪而来的罪责。第二位亚当不仅必须为我们，即在我们的位置上完美地顺服，他也必须走上十字架，为我们的罪替我们受苦死去，除掉临到我们所有亚当子孙的咒诅。

我们都在亚当里犯罪，违背行为之约。耶稣的工作和死亡（这是福音的好消息）只有在这个坏消息的背景之下才能被正确理解，但是我们在基督耶稣里被赐予永远的生命（参考：罗 5:12-19）。

Basics of the Reformed Faith: The Covenant of Works

By Kim Riddlebarger

In Hosea 6:7, the prophet records the word of the Lord as follows: “But like Adam they [Israel and Judah] transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.” Based upon this declaration it is clear that Adam stood in a covenant relationship to his creator while in Eden, and that Adam had indeed violated the terms of that covenant through a personal act of disobedience. In this declaration from the prophet, we find two very important elements of Christian theology as understood by Reformed Christians. The first element is that Adam was created in covenant relationship with God (this covenant was not arbitrarily imposed upon Adam after God created him). Second, Adam’s violation of this covenant brought down horrible consequences upon himself, as well upon the entirety of the human race whom he represents and which has biologically descended from him.

The identity and character of this covenant is a matter of long-standing debate. But the covenant of works (or, as it is also known, the “covenant of creation”) lies at the heart of the balance of redemptive history both before and after Adam’s fall into sin. Indeed, it is important to acknowledge the presence of this covenant from the very beginning of human history for a number of reasons. This undergirds the fact that the covenant of works was not imposed upon humanity after God created Adam. Rather, by creating Adam as a divine image-bearer, Adam was created in a covenant relationship with God because moral and rational creatures are by their very nature obligated to obey their creator. If Adam should disobey the demands of this covenant–-perfect obedience in thought, word, and deed–-then Adam and all those whom he represents (the entire human race) are subject to the covenant curse, which is death.

The presence of this covenant from the beginning of creation means that if Adam and his descendants are to be delivered from the consequences of their collective rebellion against God, then any deliverance from the curse will require God’s saving grace and saving deeds to remove the curse and render Adam’s fallen race righteous before the Lord, just as Adam was righteous prior to his fall into sin. In other words, the covenant of grace (of which Jesus Christ serves as covenant mediator – 1 Timothy 2:5) only makes sense against the backdrop of humanity’s collective fall into sin and the resulting curse (death) when Adam rebelled against his creator and broke the terms of the covenant of works.

Although the term “covenant of works” does not appear in the creation account, all of the elements of such a covenant are clearly present in Eden. First, there are two parties involved (Adam and his creator), with God sovereignly imposing the terms of this covenant upon Adam and his descendants. Second, there is a condition set forth by God as spelled out in Genesis 2:17–“but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Although this condition comes in the form of a specific prohibition (if you eat from the tree you will die), it can also be framed as a positive theological principle which describes the very essence of this covenant: “Do this [i.e., obey by not eating] and live.” Third, there is a blessing promised upon perfect obedience (eternal life) as well as a threatened curse (death) for any act of disobedience. If Adam obeys his creator and does not eat from the tree, then he will receive God’s promised blessing–eternal life. But should Adam eat from the tree, then he will come under the covenant curse–which is death.

All three of these elements are present in the creation account, and in light of the declaration in Hosea 6:7, there can be little question that such a covenant exists and that it is founded upon a blessing/curse principle. When we look at these three elements in a bit more detail, we see that not only are the elements of a covenant clearly present in Eden, but we also take note that all of subsequent redemptive history will operate on the blessing/curse principle in which eternal life is promised to Adam and his descendants upon the condition of perfect obedience to the commands of God in all their thinking, doing, and speech. Should Adam perfectly obey the terms of the covenant, God will reward him with eternal life. Adam would not just live on as he had been, but Adam will be confirmed in righteousness and given eternal life.

But once Adam sinned and came under the covenant curse, such perfect and complete obedience was impossible for Adam or any of his descendants to render unto the Lord. Indeed, it will take a second Adam, Jesus Christ, to render such perfect and personal obedience on behalf of those who he presents under the terms of the covenant of grace. And this Savior must not only perfectly obey all the commandments of God, he must provide some means through which the guilt of our sin in Adam, as well as the guilt which attaches to us because of our own sins, can be removed. Not only must the second Adam be perfectly obedient for us and in our place, he must also go to the cross where he will suffer and die for our sins, removing from us the curse which comes upon all of us who are the children of Adam.

And the doing and dying of Jesus (the good news of the gospel) only makes sense against the backdrop of the bad news–the broken covenant of works, in which we all sinned in Adam, but  we are given eternal life through Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 5:12-19).

  

改革宗信仰基础07：创造Basics of the Reformed Faith:Creation

作者: Kim Riddlebarger   译者/校对者: 蔡璐/王一

https://www.wscal.edu/blog/basics-of-the-reformed-faith-creation

http://www.reformedbeginner.net/basics-07-creation/

刘易斯（C.S. Lewis）喜欢说：“上帝喜欢物质，是他创造了物质。” 基督教的上帝论与基督教的创造论是紧密相连的，尽管人们容易忽略这一重要的神学关联。创造包括了可见的世界和不可见的世界。当基督徒理解创造次序时，要考虑三个要点。

第一个要点是，圣经宣告上帝了创造万物。一切存在的事物，没有一个不是上帝创造的。因此，所有受造物的存在都因着上帝永恒的意旨而存在。基督教创造论的第二个明显要点是，正因为上帝创造了万物，上帝自己与所有受造物不同。这点从圣经最开篇的宣告就体现得很明显了——“起初，上帝创造天地”（创 1:1）。创造既不是上帝的一部分（泛神论，pantheism），也不是在上帝之内（万有在神论，panentheism）。仅这一事实就已经使基督教与许多宗教分别开来——尤其是那些东方宗教，或是那些含有希腊哲学的二元论的宗教。第三个需要思考的要点是，当上帝创造一切后，上帝称所造的一切是“好的”。这段话反复出现在《创世记》第一章那七日的创造中。这三个事实不仅建立了一个截然不同的基督教创造论架构，也同时站在许多当代观点的对立面。

上帝创造万物是完全藉着他创造性话语的力量（来 11:3），使万物从无到有 (creation ex nihilo)。创造的记载反复提醒我们“上帝如此说”，事情就如此成就（《创世记》第一章）。日月、星辰到洋海、陆地、天空，再到各种各样充满被造世界的生物，万物都是藉着上帝而造的，上帝发出言语使他们存在。“万物”包括了那些我们可见的（我们生活的这个肉眼可见的世界），也包括那些我们不可见的（就是天使和不可见的世界）。即使不可见的世界不能被肉眼所见，它仍是真实存在的，且同样是由上帝创造，并充满了遵行他意旨的属灵生物（就如天使）。

基督教的创造论排除了上帝从永恒的物质创造宇宙的观念，也拒绝了永恒界理念形式（ideal forms）的概念。在这种观念中，物质本身固有缺陷和不足（即柏拉图主义）。与之相反，基督教的创造论坚持认为，在万有存在以先，上帝就存在，他完全自由、不需要依靠受造物而存在。同样，基督教创造论产生一些重要的推论。人类灵魂不是永恒的，我们也没有出生前就存在。我们在任何程度上都不具有“神性”。然而，在创造记载中，上帝宣告他赐给亚当的神圣祝福——这是第一个被造的人，他是从地上的尘土所造，由上帝亲自赐予他生命的气息（创 2:7）。

我们需要注意的的是，当我们说上帝创造万物，我们指的是三位一体的上帝，而不仅仅是圣父。圣经将创造这一行动归属于上帝的所有三个位格（圣父，圣子，和圣灵）。虽然圣经反复讲论圣父创造万物（创 1:1，尼9:5-6，诗篇33:6），圣子和圣灵同样也被提到与万物的创造有关。《约翰福音》的序言中（约1:1-14），约翰确认圣子（耶稣）创造万物（约 1:3）。使徒保罗（西 1:16），以及《希伯来书》的作者（来 1:2）也同样承认这一点。在创造记载中，我们读到：“上帝的灵运行在水面上”。的确，是三位一体的上帝创造了万物。

将这些事情记在心中会帮助我们避免陷入那些围绕我们的异教徒思考方式的陷阱。基督教的创造论（可见和不可见的世界）提醒我们创造主是与所有受造物区分开来的，也提醒我们常见的灵与物质二元论的致命性错误。物质并不因为本身是物质而成为邪恶的或是有缺陷的。创造记载清楚表明，是上帝从无有创造万物，并且他称这一切是“好的”。虽然因为人类集体反抗上帝，这个世界在我们脚下痛苦呻吟（罗 8:18-24），但我们不要忘记，在末后我们主再来的时候，他一定会更新他所造的万物，包括天上和地上的（彼后 3:1-13）。

上帝喜爱物质。他不仅创造了物质，他也会将这天地更新，使之与我们永恒的家园相称。

Basics of the Reformed Faith: Creation

By Kim Riddlebarger

As C. S. Lewis was fond of saying, “God likes matter. He invented it.” Although people can easily overlook this important theological connection, the Christian doctrine of God demands a corresponding Christian doctrine of creation. There are three important elements to consider when reflecting upon how Christians should understand the created order, including things seen and unseen.

First, Scripture affirms that God created all things. Nothing which now exists, exists apart from the fact that God created it. All created things, therefore, owe their existence to God’s eternal decree that particular things do exist. The second distinct feature of a Christian doctrine of creation is that since God created all things, God is therefore distinct from all created things and beings. This is apparent from the very opening declaration of the Bible–“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Creation is not part of God (pantheism), nor is creation within the being of God (panentheism). This fact alone sets Christianity apart from a number of religions–especially those of the east, or those with a dualistic heritage located in Greek philosophy. The third aspect to consider is that having created all things, God pronounced them “good,” a refrain which is repeated throughout the seven days of creation of Genesis 1. These three facts not only frame a distinctive Christian doctrine of creation, they stand in opposition to a great deal of contemporary opinion to the contrary.

When God created all things, he created them from nothing (creation ex nihilo) through the sheer power of his creative word (Hebrews 11:3). The creation account reminds us over and over again that “God said” and it was so (Genesis 1). From the sun, moon, and stars, to the sea, land, and sky, to the various creatures which fill these created realms, all things were created by God who spoke them into existence. “All things” include those things we can see (i.e., the visible world in which we live), as well as those things we cannot see (i.e., the angels and the invisible world). Although the invisible world cannot be seen, it nevertheless is real, and it too has been created by God and filled by spiritual creatures who do his bidding (i.e., the angels).

The Christian doctrine of creation precludes the notion that God formed our universe out of eternal matter, or that there was there a realm of eternal and ideal forms in which matter participates as an indication of its inherent deficiency and inadequacy when compared to the spiritual world above (i.e., Plato). Rather, the Christian doctrine of creation insists that before all things came into being, God was, completely free and independent from his creation. Here, too, there are important ramifications of a Christian view of creation. There are no eternal human souls, nor do we in pre-exist our birth. We are not “divine” in any sense. Yet in the creation account, God pronounces his divine benediction upon Adam, the first man, who was created from the dust of the earth and then given the breath of life by God himself (Genesis 2:7).

It is important to keep in mind the fact that when we speak of God creating all things, we are referring to the triune God, not just the Father. Scripture assigns the act of creation to all three persons of the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Although scripture frequently speaks of the Father creating all things (i.e., Genesis 1:1; Nehemiah 9:5-6, Psalm 33:6), the Son and Holy Spirit are also mentioned in connection with the creation of all things. In the prologue to John’s Gospel (John 1:1-14), John affirms that the Son (Jesus) created all things (John 1:3). So does the Apostle Paul (Colossians 1:16), as does the author of the Book of Hebrews (1:2). And then in the creation account, we read, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” It is the Triune God who creates all things.

Keeping these things in mind will help us avoid some of the pitfalls of the pagan thinking around us. The Christian doctrine of creation (things visible and invisible) reminds us the Creator is to be distinguished from all things created, and that the common dualism between spirit and matter is fatally flawed. Matter is not inherently evil nor flawed simply because it is material. The creation account is crystal clear that when God created all things from nothing, he pronounced them “good.” And although the world groans under our feet because of humanity’s collective rebellion against God (Romans 8:18-24), let us not forget, that at the end of the age when our Lord returns, he will indeed renew all things which he has created, including the heavens and the earth (2 Peter 3:1-13).

God likes matter. He not only invented it, he will renew the heavens and earth and make them fit for our eternal home.

改革宗信仰基础04：圣三位一体Basics of the Reformed Faith:The Holy Trinity

作者: Kim Riddlebarger   译者/校对者: 蔡璐/王一

https://www.wscal.edu/blog/basics-of-the-reformed-faith-the-holy-trinity

http://www.reformedbeginner.net/basics-04-trinity/

经常听到人们说，基督徒、犹太人和穆斯林敬拜的是同一位上帝。其实不然。与敬拜安拉的人，或者声称敬拜亚伯拉罕的上帝的犹太人所不同的是，基督徒敬拜的是一位又真又活的上帝。他启示自己有三个位格(person)，圣父、圣子、圣灵。三位一体是基督教最与众不同的教义。虽然在很多方面上三位一体的教义超过我们的理解力，但是我们仍然相信这个教义，因为这是上帝亲自在他的话语中所启示的：圣父、圣子、圣灵，乃是一位真实的上帝。

三位一体的教义不是个容易的话题，因为这超过了人类的语言和逻辑的范围。不过，尽管这个教义对我们来说很难理解，但我们仍必须相信并承认上帝是三位一体，因为这就是神在他的话语中向我们启示的。三个位格同神性、同荣耀、同威严。在新约圣经中，每一个位格都被清楚明确地称为“上帝”。并且每一个位格都拥有其他两位相同的上帝属性(divine attributes)，相同的荣耀与威严。

圣经非常清楚地指出，上帝只有一位。在《申命记》6:4，摩西宣告：“以色列啊，你要听！耶和华我们上帝是独一的主。” 在《以赛亚书》44:6，我们读到：“我是首先的，我是末后的，除我以外再没有真神。” 整本新约圣经也宣告上帝只有一位，虽然我们认识到上帝有三个彼此不同的位格——圣父、圣子和圣灵。保罗在《哥林多前书》8:4-6写到：“上帝只有一位，再没有别的上帝。虽有称为神的，或在天，或在地，就如那许多的神，许多的主；然而我们只有一位上帝，就是父，万物都本于他，我们也归于他；并有一位主，就是耶稣基督—万物都是藉着他有的，我们也是藉着他有的。”再如《雅各书》2:19写到：“你信上帝只有一位，你信的不错；鬼魔也信，却是战惊。”圣经明明白白地写到，上帝只有一位。

但是圣经也很清楚地教导我们，即使只有一位上帝，他仍然启示自己是三个位格：圣父、圣子、圣灵。这三个位格在新约中到处都被提及。当耶稣被施洗约翰施洗的时候，圣父宣告说：“这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的”，甚至上帝的灵像鸽子一样降在耶稣身上（太3:16-17）。在《马太福音》28:19，耶稣吩咐祂的门徒“（你们要）去，使万民作我的门徒，奉父、子、圣灵的名，给他们施洗。”这项教会的使命是到世界当中去，建立门徒，并为他们施洗，这是奉三个位格（复数，即圣父、圣子和圣灵）的独一上帝的名（单数）。

在第二封写给哥林多教会的信中，保罗是奉三位一体上帝的名向他的读者祝福（林后13:14）。“愿主耶稣基督的恩惠，上帝的慈爱，圣灵的感动，常与你们众人同在。”在《约翰福音》14:26节中，耶稣嘱咐他的门徒说“保惠师，就是父因我的名所要差来的圣灵，他要将一切的事指教你们。”正如上帝道成肉身成为人（参照约1:14），耶稣提到圣灵和圣父是地位相等的。

在圣经中有关三位一体的另一条线索是，相同的上帝属性、荣耀和威严同样被归给每一个位格。圣经教导的是，圣父、圣子、圣灵同是永恒的。正如《以赛亚书》中上帝宣告说，“我是首先的，我是末后的”（赛44:6）；保罗补充说上帝是“永恒的”（罗16:26），即上帝是无始无终。而约翰记录了圣子所说的话，“我是首先的，我是末后的”（启22:13），而且弥迦先知也指出“他的根源从亘古，从太初就有”（弥5:2）。我们从希伯来书中读到，圣灵是“永远的灵”（来9:14）。圣父、圣子和圣灵都是永恒的，没有开始也没有终结。

圣经也同样论述圣父、圣子和圣灵创造万有。保罗讲到，“创造万物之上帝”（弗3:9），诗篇的作者也宣告“你们当晓得耶和华是上帝；我们是他造的，也是属他的；我们是他的民，也是他草场的羊”（诗100:3）。在约翰所写的福音书中我们读到圣子，“万物是藉着他造的；凡被造的，没有一样不是藉着他造的”（约1:3）。 在《歌罗西书》1:15-17，保罗讲论基督“是那不能看见之上帝的像，是首生的，在一切被造的以先。因为万有都是靠他造的，无论是天上的，地上的；能看见的，不能看见的；或是有位的，主治的，执政的，掌权的，一概都是藉着他造的，又是为他造的。他在万有之先；万有也靠他而立。”在《约伯记》33:4中，我们读到圣灵，“上帝的灵造我”。在《创世纪》1:1中，我们读到创造，“上帝的灵运行在水面上。”正如圣经所讲，圣父、圣子、圣灵共同创造了世间万有。我们讲论圣父的，同样可以讲论圣子，也同样可以讲论圣灵。

从这篇简短的总结中可以看到，我们必须承认只有一位上帝，并且他同时存在三个彼此不同的位格——圣父、圣子、圣灵，同荣耀、威严、权能。因为上帝在他的话语中如此启示他自己。

Basics of the Reformed Faith: The Holy Trinity

By Kim Riddlebarger

It is common to hear people claim that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God. Not true. Unlike those who worship Allah, or those Jews who claim to worship the God of Abraham, Christians worship the true and living God, who reveals himself in three persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It has been said that the Holy Trinity is Christianity’s most distinctive doctrine. Although in many ways the doctrine of the Trinity is beyond our comprehension, we believe this doctrine because this is how God reveals himself to us in his word, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are the one true God.

The doctrine of the Trinity is a difficult topic to discuss, because it stretches the limits of human language and logic. Despite the difficulties this doctrine presents to us, we must believe and confess that God is triune, because this is how God reveals himself to us in his word. The three persons of the Godhead are revealed as equal in divinity, glory, and majesty. Each of the three persons are expressly called “God” in the New Testament. And to each of them is assigned the same divine attributes, as well as the same glory and majesty which are ascribed to the other persons of the Trinity.

The Scriptures are absolutely clear that there is only one God. In Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses declares “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” In Isaiah 44:6, we read “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” This same assertion is found throughout the New Testament, even though we learn of three distinct persons in the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, Paul writes, “there is no God but one. For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many `gods’ and many `lords’—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” Elsewhere James writes, “you believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19). The Scriptures are crystal clear, there is but one God.

Yet the Bible plainly teaches that although there is one God, he is revealed in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The three persons of the Godhead are mentioned together throughout the New Testament. When Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, the Father declares, “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” even as the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus as a dove (Matthew 3:16-17). In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands his disciples to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The mission of the church is to go into the world and make disciples by baptizing them in the name (singular) of three persons of the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

In his benediction in his second Corinthian letter, Paul blesses his readers in the names of the Triune God (2 Corinthians 13:14). “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” In John 14:26, Jesus informs the disciples that “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things.” As God in human flesh (cf. John 1:14), Jesus mentions both the Holy Spirit and the Father as equals.

Another line of evidence for the Trinity in the Bible is that the same divine attributes, glory, and majesty are assigned to each of the three persons of the Godhead. The Scriptures teach that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are eternal. According to Isaiah, God says, “I am the first and the last,” (Isaiah 44:6) and Paul adds that God is “eternal,” (Romans 16:26) that is, without beginning or end. John records the Son saying, “I am the first and the last,” (Revelation 22:13) and Micah notes that his “coming and going are from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). In Hebrews we read of the Holy Spirit as “the eternal Spirit” (Hebrews 9:14). Father, Son and Holy are eternal, without beginning or end.

The Scriptures also speak of the fact that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, created all things. Paul states, “God who created all things” (Ephesians 3:9), while the Psalmist declares “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his” (Psalm 100). Yet, in John's gospel we read of the Son, “all things were made through [Jesus], and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). In Colossians 1:15-17, Paul writes that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” In Job, we read of the Holy Spirit, for “the Spirit of the LORD has made me.” In Genesis 1:1 we read that at creation “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are said to have created all things. What we can say of the Father, we can say of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

As we see from this brief summary of the biblical evidence, this is why we must affirm that there is one God who exists in three distinct persons–Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are equal in glory, majesty and power. This is how God reveals himself in his word.