18 神的良善——神就是爱Goodness- God is love
《简明神学》Concise Theology: A Guide to
Historic Christian Beliefs，巴刻（J. I. Packer）著/張麟至译，更新传道会，2007年。
18 神的良善——神就是爱
Goodness - God is love
你们要称谢耶和华，因祂本为善。祂的慈爱永远长存。（诗136：1）
[神就是爱]这句话通常应如此解释：（1）按启示来说，这是籍着基督的生活和教训，使我们看见三位一体之神那无穷的生命，是一个互相关爱和尊重的生命（太3:17；17:5；约3:35；14:31；16:13-14；17:1-5,22-26）；又关系着（2）确认天使和人类为神所造，按着 他们受造者的度量，籍着分享神生命之[取与舍]的乐趣，来荣耀他们的造物主。这点看来似乎是如此，但是当约翰说[神就是爱]（约一4:8）时，他的意思（如他后来所继续解释的）乃是，父神籍着基督真正地拯救我们这些以往失丧、今却信主的罪人。[神差祂独生子到世间来，使我们籍着祂得生；神爱我们的心在此就显明了。不是我们爱神]--我们并不爱神--[乃是神爱我们，差祂儿子为我们的罪作了挽回祭，这就是爱了。]（约一4:9-10）
与新约圣经其他地方所说的一样，[我们]一词是指着神救赎之爱的对象和受惠者，其意思就是[我们这些信的人]。约翰一书或新约其他地方的[我们]（无论主词或者受词），都不是泛指芸芸众生的每个人。新约有关救赎的教训一贯是特定的，当它说到神爱和神救赎[世人]（约3:16-17；林后5:19；约一2:2）时，乃是指着散布在世界各地不敬虔的社群里，许多神的选民而言（参约10:16；11:52-53），而非指以前、现今、将来存在的每一个人。如果不是这样的话，约翰和保罗在其他书信里所说的话，就要互相矛盾了。
圣经上所称神的良善，是指祂普及与众生那种荣耀的仁慈与慷慨（诗145:9,15-16）；这良善理当引导所有的罪人悔改（罗2:4）。神主权的救赎之爱正是神良善的一方面（诗100:5；可10:18）；其他的方面还有怜悯、怜恤、可怜—即向陷于危难中的人显出仁慈，救他们脱离困境（诗107篇，136篇），和长久忍受、忍耐、迟于动怒--向那些流连罪中的人，继续以恩慈相待（出34:6；诗78：38；约3:10-4:11；罗9:22；彼后3:9）。虽然如此，神良善的最高表现，仍然是那无比惊人的恩典和无可言喻的爱情，表明在拯救只配受审判的罪人身上；不只如此，神还为此付上极大的代价--让基督死在十字架上--以拯救他们（罗3:22-24；5:5-8；8:32-39；弗2:1-10；3:14-18；5:25-27）。
神对祂的目的、应许及属祂的百姓持守信实，这也是祂良善和祂配得称颂更深入的一面。人说谎、食言，神则不是如此。在最恶劣的时候，我们仍旧说：[祂的怜恤，不至断绝......你的诚实极其广大]（哀3:22-23；诗36:5；另参诗89篇，尤其是1-2,14,24,33,37,49诸节）。虽然神信实表达的方法有时候叫人难测、令人困惑，在不经心的人暂时看来，神真的好像不信实；但是与神同行，经过人生高潮低谷的人，最终的见证总是：[......神所应许.....的话，没有一句落空]（书23:14）。神的可靠，加上她的话语里所揭示祂恩惠良善的其他各方面，总是牢固的根基，我们的信心和盼望可以安息在其上。
GOODNESS
GOD IS LOVE
Give
thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. PSALM 136:1
The
statement “God is love” is often explained in terms of (a) the revelation,
given through the life and teaching of Christ, of the endless life of the
triune God as one of mutual affection and honor (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; John 3:35;
14:31; 16:13-14; 17:1-5, 22-26), linked with (b) the recognition that God made
angels and humans to glorify their Maker in sharing the joyful give-and-take of
this divine life according to their own creaturely mode. But, true as this
seems to be, when John says “God is love” (1 John 4:8), what he means (as he
goes on to explain) is that the Father through Christ has actually saved us
formerly lost sinners who now believe. “This is how God showed his love among
us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
This is love: not that we loved God”—we didn’t—“but that he loved us and sent
his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins”(vv. 9-10).
As always
in the New Testament, “us” as the objects and beneficiaries of redeeming love
means “us who believe.” Neither here nor elsewhere does “we” or “us” refer to
every individual belonging to the human race. New Testament teaching on
redemption is particularistic throughout, and when “the world” is said to be
loved and redeemed (John 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 5:19; 1 John 2:2), the reference is to
the great number of God’s elect scattered worldwide throughout the ungodly
human community (cf. John 10:16; 11:52-53), not to each and every person who
did, does, or shall exist. If this were not so, John and Paul would be
contradicting things that they say elsewhere.
This
sovereign redemptive love is one facet of the quality that Scripture calls
God’s goodness (Ps. 100:5; Mark 10:18), that is, the glorious kindness and
generosity that touches all his creatures (Ps. 145:9, 15-16) and that ought to
lead all sinners to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Other aspects of this goodness are
the mercy or compassion or pity that shows kindness to persons in distress by
rescuing them out of trouble (Pss. 107, 136) and the long-suffering,
forbearance, and slowness to anger that continues to show kindness toward
persons who have persisted in sinning (Exod. 34:6; Ps. 78:38; John 3:10-4:11;
Rom. 9:22; 2 Pet. 3:9). The supreme expression of God’s goodness is still,
however, the amazing grace and inexpressible love that shows kindness by saving
sinners who deserve only condemnation: saving them, moreover, at the tremendous
cost of Christ’s death on Calvary (Rom. 3:22-24; 5:5-8; 8:32-39; Eph. 2:1-10;
3:14-18; 5:25-27).
God’s
faithfulness to his purposes, promises, and people is a further aspect of his
goodness and praiseworthiness. Humans lie and break their word; God does
neither. In the worst of times it can still be said: “His compassions never
fail.... Great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23; Ps. 36:5; cf. Ps. 89,
especially vv. 1-2, 14, 24, 33, 37, 49). Though God’s ways of expressing his
faithfulness are sometimes unexpected and bewildering, looking indeed to the
casual observer and in the short term more like unfaithfulness, the final
testimony of those who walk with God through life’s ups and downs is that
“every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed” (Josh. 23:14-15). God’s
fidelity, along with the other aspects of his gracious goodness as set forth in
his Word, is always solid ground on which to rest our faith and hope.
