律法的恩典
THE GRACE OF THE LAW
作者：Timothy Keller  譯者/楊忠道 編校/誠之
https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/the-grace-of-the-law
https://yimawusi.net/2021/06/28/the-grace-of-the-law/
 
在救贖主教會，我們經常談論我們是如何因著恩典得救的，而不是靠我們自己的好行為或對律法的遵行。誠然，保羅說我們「不在律法之下」，而是「在恩典之下」（羅六15）。但我們仍有義務去順服上帝的旨意，也就是記載在聖經裏的祂的話，這是什麼意思呢？我們仍然要遵守律法嗎？絕對是的。
At Redeemer we talk a lot about how we are saved by grace, not by our good works or obedience to the law. Indeed, Paul says we are not ‘under law’ but ‘under grace’ (Romans 6:15.) But what does that mean as far as having an obligation to submit to God’s will as written in his Word? Do we still have to obey the law? Absolutely.
 
「在律法之下」不是指「遵守」律法，而是指「倚靠」律法（加三10~11）。當我們以為，我們可以透過道德的表現來贏得上帝的稱許，而順服成為一種壓迫人的重擔時，我們就是「在律法之下」。但是，當我們認識到，基督已經為我們成全了律法，並且現在我們這些信靠祂的人，在上帝的愛裏都是穩妥的，那麼我們就自然會想要去愛慕、效法並認識完成這事的那位。我們怎樣才能做到這一點呢？藉著轉向律法！
To be ‘under the law’ refers not to law obeying but law relying (Galatians 3:10-11). When we think we can win God’s approval through our moral performance and obedience becomes a crushing burden, then we are ‘under law.’ But when we learn that Christ has fulfilled the law for us and that now we who believe in him are secure in God’s love, then we naturally want to delight, resemble, and know the One who has done this. How can we do this? By turning to the law!
 
保羅是這樣說的。儘管他不在律法之下，但「我不是在　神的律法以外，而是在基督的律法之下」（林前九21；《新譯本》）。雖然他不是在律法「之下」（靠著遵行律法來賺取救恩），但他現在已經得著釋放，可以明白在基督裏已經成全的上帝的律法是何等的美，並且順服律法，藉此來愛他的救主。這是如何做到的呢？
Paul puts it this way. Though he is not under the law, “I am not free from God’s law, but I am under Christ’s law” (1 Corinthians 9:21). Though he is not ‘under’ the law (as a way to earn salvation) he now is freed to see the beauties of God’s law as fulfilled in Christ, and submits to it as way of loving his Savior. How does this work?
 
首先，我們擁抱上帝的律法，好叫我們更加認識我們的上帝究竟是一位怎樣的上帝。
First, we embrace the law of God in order to learn more about who our God really is.
 
利未記十九章是一篇精彩的篇章，不僅擴充了十誡的全部內容，更將十誡總結為「愛人如己」。它表明了上帝的律法如何不僅僅關乎禮儀的純淨，更是要改變一個人實際生活的每個細節。
Leviticus 19 is a magnificent chapter which both expands on all the Ten Commandments, and also summarizes them into ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ It shows how God’s law was not a matter only of ritual purity, but was to transform every corner of one’s practical life.
 
然而，在利未記十九章2節，上帝藉著說，「要分別為聖，因為我耶和華你們的　神是聖潔的」，而將整個律法介紹出來。換句話說，如果你想知道我是誰、我所愛的是什麼、我所恨的是什麼，如果你想知道我的心意，想要變得像我一樣，就遵守我的律法吧！
In Leviticus 19:2, however, God introduces the whole law by saying, ‘be holy, for I am holy.’ In other words, if you want to know who I am, what I love and hate, if you want to know my heart and become like me, obey my law.
 
其次，我們擁抱上帝的律法是為了發現我們真實的自我。
Second, we embrace the law of God in order to discover our true selves.
 
申命記（十12）說：「耶和華你的　神向你要的是甚麼呢？只要你敬畏耶和華你的　神，行在祂的一切道路上，愛祂，一心一意事奉耶和華你的　神，遵守耶和華的誡命和律例，就是我今日吩咐你的，為要叫你得福。」（《新譯本》）我們在這裏看到，上帝的律法是恩典的禮物，是人類繁榮昌盛的基礎。這不僅僅是要取悅一個反覆無常的神明，其天馬行空的妄想而指定的「消磨時間的工作」（busywork）。
Deuteronomy says, “What does the Lord require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you this day for your good?” Here we see that the law of God is a gift of grace that is the foundation of human flourishing. It is not “busywork” assigned just to please the arbitrary whims of a capricious deity.
 
上帝的律法只是向我們顯明了人類是為何受造的——為了要唯獨敬拜上帝、愛人如己、說真話、信守承諾、凡事寬恕、以公義行事。當我們違背這些律法時，就是在違背我們的本性和幸福。對上帝的不順服會讓現實生活變得十分緊繃，最終只能導致崩潰。
The law of God simply shows us what human beings were built to do—to worship God alone, to love their neighbors as themselves, to tell the truth, keep their promises, forgive everything, act with justice. When we move against these laws we move against our own natures and happiness. Disobedience to God sets up strains in the fabric of reality that can only lead to break down.
 
第三，我們認識到上帝的律法在基督裏已經成全了。
Third, we understand the law of God as fulfilled in Christ.
 
這意味著兩件事，一件是我們已經提到的，基督已經代替我們完全滿足了律法的要求，所以當祂承擔了我們的罪所贏得的刑罰時，我們就可以領受祂的義所應得的祝福（林後五21）。然而，我們也認識到，舊約律法的許多部份不再與我們這些信徒有直接的關聯了。因為耶穌是最終的祭司、聖殿、祭物，我們就不必再遵守那些儀式、飲食和其他與禮儀潔淨有關的律法了。
This means two things. One we already mentioned. Christ completely fulfilled the requirements of the law in our place, so when he took the penalty our sins deserved, we could receive the blessing that his righteousness deserved (2 Corinthians 5:21). However, we also recognize that many parts of the Old Testament law no longer relate directly to us as believers. Since Jesus is the ultimate priest, temple, and sacrifice, we observe none of the ceremonial, dietary, and other laws connected to ritual purity.
 
而且，世上萬國的基督徒如今都是上帝子民的成員，上帝的群體不再以神治國度政府下的單一民族國家而存在。因此，舊約聖經中的「民事法」已不再適用。通姦在舊約中是處以死刑的，但在新約聖經裏是透過勸誡和教會懲戒來處理的（林前六~七章）。
Also, Christians of all nations are now members of the people of God, and God’s community no longer exists as a single nation-state under a theocratic government. Therefore, the ‘civil legislation’ of the Old Testament is no longer appropriate. Adultery in the Old Testament was punishable by a death, but in the New Testament it is dealt with through exhortation and church discipline (1 Corinthians 6-7).
 
第四，我們認識到，律法那令人痛苦、定罪的工作，最終是一件滿有恩惠的事。
Fourth, we realize that the law’s painful, convicting work is ultimately a gracious thing.
 
當我們完全明白律法要求我們過什麼樣的生活時，必定會讓人感到不安。主耶穌在登山寶訓裏，以這種全面的方式來闡述十誡。祂向我們展示了我們對這世界應有的態度，那就是：我們既然是鹽也是光，就應該投身在我們群體的需要上。
When we fully comprehend the kind of life the law requires of us, it can be intimidating. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus expounds the Ten Commandments in this comprehensive way. He shows us the attitude we should have to the world, being salt and light, investing ourselves in the needs of our communities.
 
祂向我們表明，如果我們鄙視和忽視我們的鄰舍，稱他們謂「傻瓜」，我們就是在攻擊他們的造物主，因為他們是按照祂的形像造的。祂呼召我們永遠不要對其他人起貪戀的心，要過純正和貞潔的生活。祂堅持認為我們在日常一切的交往中要盡可能誠實，好像我們發過誓，正在法庭作證一樣。
He shows us that if we even disdain and ignore our neighbors, calling them ‘fools’, we are attacking their creator, in whose image they are made. He calls us to never look on another with lust, living lives of purity and chastity. He insists we should speak with as much honesty in all our daily interactions as if we were testifying in court under oath.
 
祂告訴我們，要饒恕我們的仇敵、愛我們的仇敵，把另一邊的臉也轉過去，而不是尋求報復。我們應當施捨給窮人，而不期望得到任何感謝或稱讚。我們要以驚人的比例把捐出我們的錢財，並且過一個充滿動力、隱密的、內在的禱告生活。我們絕不可成為愛論斷或愛定罪他人的人，應當過著無憂無慮的人生。
We are told to forgive and love our enemies, turning the other cheek rather than seeking revenge. We are to give to the poor without expecting any thanks or acclaim. We are to give our money away in astonishing proportions, and carry on a dynamic, secret, inner prayer life. We are never to be judgmental or condemning of others, and we are to live a life free from worry.
 
一位傳道人在仔細閱讀過馬太福音五～七章後說到：「上帝把我們所有的人都從登山寶訓拯救出來了！」如果你真完全聽從上帝的律法，你就會感到赤身露體、羞愧、無助，然後你會尋求上帝的憐憫。這就是保羅說的，若我們聽從律法，儘管律法的破壞力極大（羅七9~11），但律法還是「屬靈的、公義的、良善的」（羅七12、14）並且律法的工作最終是恩慈的（羅七7）。它充當一位和藹卻嚴格的師傅，為要領我們到基督那裏（加三24）。
One minister said, after reading through Matthew 5-7 carefully, “God save us all from the Sermon on the Mount!” If you listen at all to the law of God, you will feel naked and exposed, ashamed and helpless, and you will seek out the mercy of God. That is why Paul says that though the law, when listened to, is devastating (Romans 7:9-11), it is nevertheless ‘spiritual, righteous, and good’ (Romans 7:12, 14) and its work is ultimately gracious (Romans 7:7). It acts as a kind but strict schoolmaster who leads us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).
 
第五，我們求助於上帝的律法，以便在我們與別人的關係中，也在整個社會中，真實地定義什麼才是愛其他人。
Fifth, we turn to the law of God in order to get a true definition of what it means to love others in our relationships and in society as a whole.
 
曾經有一個被稱為「情境倫理學」的倫理學拒絕接受聖經的律法，認為它過於死板。相反，我們被告知，我們只需要去做有愛心的事，也就是對那人來說最好的事。但這引出了一個問題——「你怎麼知道對這人來說，最好的事是什麼？」在婚前跟某人睡在一起，對他或她來說，是最好的事還是最糟糕的事呢？你怎麼知道？律法就是上帝說以下這些話的方式：「如果你要去愛其他人，就這樣去做。我創造了人，我知道對他們來說，什麼才是最好的事。」這就是為什麼保羅可以寫到：
There was once a school of ethics called ‘situation ethics’ that rejected the Biblical law as too rigid. Instead, we were told, we only need to always do the loving thing, what is best for the person. But this begs the question—‘how do you know what is the best thing for a person?’ Is sleeping together with someone before marriage the best thing or the worst thing for him or her? How do you know? The law is God’s way of saying, ‘If you want to love others, act this way. I created people. I know what the best thing for them is.’ That is why Paul could write:
 
「那『不可姦淫，不可殺人，不可偷盜，不可貪心』等等的誡命，都包括在『愛人如己』這一句話裏面了。愛是不加害於人的，所以愛是成全律法的。」（羅十三9~10；新譯本）
The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:9-10).
 
如此，上帝的律法不僅在個人關係裏給予基督徒指引，更會在我們追求使我們的社會變得更加公義、更加仁慈時幫助我們。人需要的是什麼？以尊嚴待人是什麼意思呢？基督徒參與政治和社會活動時，律法會提供指導。
The law of God, then, gives Christians guidance not only in personal relationships, but helps us as we seek to make our society a more just and merciful one. What do people need? What does it mean to treat people with dignity? The law informs Christians’political and social involvement.
 
最後，我們轉向律法，是因為有些時候，我們必須去做一些事，只因上帝這樣說了。
Finally, we turn to the law of God because sometimes we need to do things just because God says so.
 
在伊甸園裏，上帝告訴亞當和夏娃不可吃分別善惡樹上的果子，但從未告訴他們「為什麼」。我們當中有些人，除非知道了頒布這道命令的所有原因，對我們有什麼好處，等等，否則就討厭服從一個指令。但我認為，上帝是這樣告訴亞當和夏娃的：「服從這個指令，不是因為你明白，而是因為你承認我是你的上帝，而你不是。」他們在這一點上失敗了，但每天我們都有機會挽回這事。
Some of us simply hate to follow a direction unless we know all the reasons why the direction was given, how it will benefit us, and so on. But God was saying to Adam and Eve, I think, ‘Obey this direction, not because you understand, but because you recognize that I am your God and that you are not.’ They failed in this. But every day we have the opportunity to put this right.
 
遵行上帝的旨意，不是因為它很刺激（儘管它最終會是一種冒險），不是因為它能滿足你的需要（雖然最終會成為一種喜樂），不是因為你明白為何這是智慧之路（雖然這最終會變得更加清晰）。遵行上帝的旨意是因為祂是你的主、你的救主，而你不是。這樣作是因為這是耶和華的律法。如果你這樣做——如果你連最小的事也聽從祂——你就會認識上帝、認識你自己、找到神的恩典、愛你的鄰舍，並單單尊祂為上帝。這是個很划算的買賣。
Do God’s will, not because it is exciting (though it will eventually be an adventure) not because it will meet your needs (though it will eventually be a joy) not because you understand why this is the path of wisdom (though it will eventually become more clear.) Do it because he is your Lord and Savior and you are not. Do it because it is the law of the Lord. And if you do it—if you obey him even in the little things—you will know God, know yourself, find God’s grace, love your neighbor, and simply honor him as God. Not a bad deal.
 
This article originally appeared in Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s monthly Redeemer Report. Used with permission.

 
亞當和夏娃吃禁果為什麼是對上帝的嚴重悖逆：六個理由
6 Reasons Why Adam and Eve’s Eating of the Forbidden Fruit Was a Terrible Transgression Against God
作者： Le Ann Trees    譯者：陳小燕  校對：誠之
https://www.beautifulchristianlife.com/blog/adam-and-eve-eating-forbidden-fruit-terrible-transgression-against-god
https://yimawusi.net/2021/06/25/6-reasons-why-adam-and-eves-eating-of-the-forbidden-fruit-was-a-terrible-transgression-against-god/
 
神學家赫爾曼·巴文克（Herman Bavinck）寫道：上帝為何要創造這世界？答案是：因祂旨意如此。[1] 上帝無須告訴我們祂創造宇宙的原因，但祂想讓我們對祂有特殊的認識（特殊啟示），這是我們無法通過觀察和研究物質世界而獲得的（普遍啟示）。
The theologian Herman Bavinck writes: “Why did God create the world? the answer is: Because he so willed.”[1] God didn’t have to tell us why he made the universe, but he wanted us to have specific knowledge about him (special revelation) that we could never acquire from observing and studying the physical world (general revelation).
 
聖經始於一個栽種著生命樹的美麗園子，也結束於同樣栽種著生命樹的另一個美麗園子。這樣的安排有一個良好的理由：上帝為自己的榮耀創造了萬有，好叫祂的受造物能為祂而活，並在萬事上榮耀祂。《創世記》描述了上帝所造的萬物如何成為美好（創一）。上帝造人，使人作祂榮耀形象的代表來統治並看顧各樣活物，治理祂的園子，並與所有的受造物一同來榮耀他們的創造主。亞當和夏娃本是誠實正直的，有能力去順服上帝並遵行祂的命令。
The Bible begins and ends in a beautiful garden with a life-giving tree located in each one. There is a good reason for this: God created the world for his glory—so that his creation would live unto him, giving him praise in all things. Genesis describes how everything God created was good (Gen. 1). God created humans as his royal image bearers to rule over creation, tend his garden, and care for his creatures—honoring their creator in all. Adam and Eve were righteous and upright, with the full ability to obey God and keep all his commands. After breathing life into the first human,
 
上帝將生命之氣吹入第一個人類裏面之後，耶和華神就將人安置在伊甸園中，使他修理看守。耶和華神吩咐人說：「園中各樣樹上的果子，你可以隨意吃，只是分別善惡樹上的果子，你不可吃，因為你吃的日子必定死。」 （創二16–17）
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 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.” (Gen. 2:16– 17)
 
亞當和夏娃本有責任要事奉神，並看顧在祂統治之下的所有活物。上帝給了亞當一個考驗來證明他們對創造主的忠心：亞當必須順服上帝的命令，不吃分別善惡樹上的果子，以便能吃園中另一棵樹——生命樹——上的果子。（創二9）
Adam and Eve were responsible to serve God and care for all the creation under their dominion. To prove their faithfulness to their Creator, God gave Adam a test: Adam must obey God’s command to not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to eat from the other mentioned tree in the garden—the tree of life (Gen. 2:9)—and live forever in God’s presence.
 
上帝與亞當立約
The Covenant between God and Adam
 
亞當的順服是上帝與亞當的立約條件，在這個約中，亞當代表著全人類，承受順命的獎賞（生命）或悖逆的後果（死亡）。17世紀的神學家赫爾曼·韋修斯（Herman Witsius）這樣說道：
The relationship that existed between God and Adam had a condition placed upon it, which was Adam’s obedience, as well as a reward for obedience (life) and a consequence for disobedience (death), and Adam represented all of humanity in this covenant. The seventeenth-century theologian Herman Witsius states,
 
如果亞當持守順服，律法給他帶來的將會是與現今在基督裏所領受的一樣（永生）。這從基督而來的產業並非出於行為，乃是憑著信心。[2]
If Adam therefore had persevered in obedience, the law would have brought him to that same inheritance [eternal life], which now in Christ is allotted not to him that worketh, but to him that believeth.[2]
 
亞當與上帝之間的這種有條件的立約關係也被稱為「行為之約」（covenant of works）。
 
耶穌教導我們世界的問題是如何開始的
Jesus Teaches Us How the World’s Problems Began
 
在上帝的園子裏，有一個敵人，就是那已經背叛上帝，現在企圖要把人類歸入他權下的撒但。蛇，一個名叫魔鬼的墮落天使，要尊榮自己（賽十三12-15；太四8-10；路四5-8）。他引誘亞當和他的妻子夏娃違背上帝，吃了那園中唯一不可吃的樹上的果子，欺騙他們說，這果子可以讓他們「如神能知道善惡」 （創三4–5）。
There was an enemy in God’s garden—one who had rebelled against God and now sought to bring humanity under his dominion. The serpent, a fallen angel called the devil, wanted the glory for himself (Isa. 14:12–15; Matt. 4:8–10; Luke 4:5–8). He enticed Adam and his wife Eve to disobey God by eating the only forbidden fruit in the entire garden, falsely claiming that the fruit would make them “like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4–5).
 
亞當和夏娃吃了果子的那一刻，他們的眼睛就明亮了，但卻不是撒旦誘導他們以為的那樣。他們痛苦地看見背叛上帝和犯罪所帶來的羞辱，並徒勞地企圖躲避上帝的面。亞當和夏娃設法用無花果樹的葉子遮掩他們的赤身露體，但他們的努力卻無法減輕他們的罪咎和刑罰（創三7）。
The moment Adam and Eve ate the fruit, their eyes were opened—but not in the way Satan led them to believe. They painfully saw the shame of their sin and rebellion against God and attempted in vain to hide from him. Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves, but their own efforts could do nothing to remove their guilt and punishment (Gen. 3:7).
 
因著亞當和夏娃的悖逆，夏娃生產兒女必多受苦楚，她的丈夫亞當必管轄她（創三16）。地從上帝那裏受了咒詛，亞當要終身勞苦，才能從地裏得到吃的（創三17-18）。隨後，上帝換下了亞當和夏娃所穿的人手所造的無花果樹的葉子：「耶和華神為亞當和他的妻子用皮子作衣服給他們穿」（創三21）。最後，上帝把亞當和夏娃趕出了伊甸園，並派遣天使把守生命樹的道路。第一個男人和女人的犯罪使他們不配再站在他們聖潔的創造主面前，每日與上帝交流。
Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, Eve would now bring forth children in increased pain, and her husband would rule over her (Gen. 3:16). God cursed the ground from which Adam must now toil to produce food (Gen. 3:17–18). Then God replaced the man-made fig leaves Adam and Eve wore: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). Finally, God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden and placed an angel to guard the tree of life. Instead of communing daily with God, the sin of the first man and woman made them unworthy to stand in their creator’s holy presence.
 
上帝的刑罰為什麼是公義的
Why God’s Punishment Was Just
 
此刻你可能會想問：上帝對亞當和夏娃的罪行的反應是否過度了？刑罰看起來好像與罪行不相稱：受咒詛的世界和與上帝隔離的人類，痛苦，苦難，以及死亡——皆因吃了某個禁果。亞當和夏娃的不順服為何是對上帝如此可怕的違犯？
You might be wondering right now: Did God overreact to Adam and Eve’s sin? The punishment might seem not to fit the offense: a cursed world and humanity estranged from God, and pain, suffering, and death to boot—all for eating some forbidden fruit. Why was Adam and Eve’s disobedience such a terrible transgression against God?
 
烏爾西努（Zacharias Ursinus）在16世紀對這個問題進行了論述。在他的《海德堡要理問答注釋》中，烏爾西努羅列了亞當和夏娃的不順服所導致的六個嚴重罪行：
A man named Zacharias Ursinus addressed this very issue back in the sixteenth century. In his commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, Ursinus lists six terrible offenses connected to Adam and Eve’s act of disobedience:
 
1. 驕傲、野心和自義：人不滿足於自己被賦予的地位和尊榮，想要與上帝同等。
Pride, ambition, and an admiration of self: Man, not satisfied with his own dignity, and in the condition he was placed, desired to be equal with God.
2. 不信：亞當相信魔鬼，勝過相信上帝，並且吃了那禁果；他也不相信任何刑罰將會臨到他身上。
Unbelief: Adam believed the devil rather than God, and ate the forbidden fruit; nor did he believe any punishment would overtake him.
 
3. 對上帝的藐視和違抗：這體現在他違反上帝的命令、吃了禁果的事實上。
Contempt and disobedience to God: This appears in the fact that he ate the fruit contrary to the command of God.
 
4. 忘恩負義：即使亞當是按著上帝的形象受造，並且是為了要享受永恆的生命，但對所領受的恩典，他的回報卻是順服魔鬼而不是順服上帝。
Ingratitude for benefits received: Even though Adam was made in the image of God—and for the enjoyment of eternal life—his return for this benefit received was to obey the devil rather than God.
 
5. 違反天性，也缺乏對後代的愛：亞當沒有考慮過上帝賜予他和他所有子孫後代的禮物將會失去。
Unnaturalness, and the want of love to posterity: Adam did not consider that the gifts God had bestowed upon him and his posterity would be lost not only to himself but also to all his descendants.
 
6. 背道：通過相信和順從魔鬼，而不是信從上帝，亞當想要與上帝同等。他用魔鬼取代了上帝，使自己與上帝隔絕。[3]
Apostasy: By believing and obeying the devil rather than God, Adam wished to obtain equality with God. He set up the devil in the place of God, separating himself from God.[3]
 
烏爾西努的總結非常正確：「人的墮落不是無足輕重的，也不是單一的過犯；而是本質上多樣而駭人的罪行。因此上帝公正地拒絕他和他所有的後代。」[4]
Ursinus rightly concludes, “The fall of man was no trifling, nor singular offense; but it was a sin manifold and horrible in its nature, on account of which God justly rejected him, and all of his posterity.”[4]
 
因著亞當的不順服和墮落，全人類背負著亞當的罪咎，因他是全人類的代表。而且，亞當的罪導致了他本性的墮落，所有的子孫後代——包括你我在內——要一同承受有罪的本性。使徒保羅闡述了亞當的背叛導致的深遠影響：
Because of Adam’s disobedience and fall, all people bear Adam’s guilt, because Adam represented all humanity. Furthermore, Adam’s sin caused the corruption of his nature, and all his posterity—including you and me—would now bear that same sinful nature. The apostle Paul described the far-reaching consequences of Adam’s rebellion:
 
這就如罪是從一人入了世界，死又是從罪來的，於是死就臨到眾人，因為眾人都犯了罪。（羅五12 ）
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. (Rom. 5:12)
 
每一個人生來都是有罪的
Every Human Being Is Inherently Sinful
 
在詩篇中，大衛王意識到自己未出生之前就帶著罪：
我是在罪孽裏生的，在我母親懷胎的時候就有了罪。（詩五十一5）
In the book of Psalms, King David recognized his inherent sinfulness that was present even before he was born:
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Ps. 51:5)
 
有些人把上述經文解讀為性是一種罪惡的行為，但那完全不是大衛所表達的重點。大衛明白他在出生之前就是有罪的，因著亞當的墮落，沒有任何一個嬰孩出生時不帶著罪性。人無法憑自己的行為重新獲得神的喜悅，「因為世人都犯了罪，虧缺了 神的榮耀」（羅 三23）。
Some people take the above verse to mean that sex is a sinful act, but that was not at all the point David was making. David understood that he was sinful before he was even born. Because of Adam’s fall, no mere human child has ever been born without sin. There was no way for humans to be right with God again on their own merits, because “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
 
我們所有的努力都被我們的罪性狀態所玷污。像伊曼紐·康德（Immanuel Kant）這樣的哲學家相信，幸福可以憑人類的理性找到，但這種追尋註定要失敗，甚至在開始之前就註定如此，因為自從伊甸園的墮落以來，罪惡的心智就無法以未墮落的方式進行推理。
All our best efforts are tainted by our sinful state. Philosophers such as Immanuel Kant believed happiness could be found in human reason, but this quest is doomed to failure before even starting, because the sinful mind is incapable of reasoning in an uncorrupted fashion since the fall in the garden of Eden.
 
原罪一詞描述了因亞當的犯罪而導致的人類有罪狀態。我們從亞當繼承了墮落的本性，也導致我們從出生到死亡不斷積累更多的罪。麥克·霍頓（Michael Horton）在他的著作Core Christianity（暫譯：《基督教核心》）裏解釋到，人類的全然敗壞意味著我們所有的言行舉止都被罪玷污了：
The term original sin describes this present state of humanity’s guilt because of Adam’s sin. The corrupt nature we inherited from Adam also causes us to heap even more condemnation on ourselves due to the sins we each commit from birth until death. The total depravity of humanity, as Michael Horton explains in his book Core Christianity, means that everything we are and do is tainted by sin:
 
這就是說在我們裏面沒有任何部分是未曾墮落的，以至於我們可以開始討價還價或修復我們的狀況。這不意味著每個人都會沉溺於每一種形式的罪，或我們不能欣賞高尚的品格。人仍然擁有良心可以區分善惡。我們可以自由選擇我們的思想和心靈所渴望的，但我們的思想已經昏暗，我們的心靈已經變得自私自利。每個人都有一種天生的能力去順服神，但自從墮落之後，我們的道德能力已經成為我們的自私和偶像崇拜的俘虜。問題不在於我們不能，而在於我們不願意從罪惡轉向永生的上帝。[5]
It says that there is nothing within us that is left unfallen from which we might begin to bargain or to restore our condition. It does not mean that every person will indulge in every form of sin or that we cannot admire virtuous character. Humans still possess a conscience and can discriminate between good and evil. We are free to will and choose what our mind and hear desire, but our mind has been darkened and our heart is selfish. Everyone has a natural ability to render God faithful obedience, but after the fall our moral ability is held captive to our own selfishness and idolatry. The fault lies not in that we cannot but that we will not turn from our sin to the living God.[5]
 
因為上帝是聖潔的，非聖潔沒有人能進入祂的同在之中（利 二十26；彼前一16）。如果上帝對人類墮落的境地無動於衷，那麼我們所有的人都將伏在祂的公義刑罰之下，從上帝的美德中被剪除，無法獲得或經歷美善、真理和聖潔。無論我們多麼努力地去掩飾或除去心裏的黑暗，在上帝面前我們始終被罪惡捆綁，處於與美善相反的、醜陋的那一面。
Since God is holy, no one can enter his presence unless they are holy as well (Lev. 20:26; 1 Pet. 1:16). If God had done nothing to help humanity in its fallen state, we would all be under his just punishment, forever cut off from the beauty of God’s perfection, unable to attain—or experience—goodness, truth, and purity. No matter how much we try to cover up or clean up the darkness of our hearts, we remain in bondage to sin and guilty before God—a state of ugliness—the opposite of beauty.
 
耶穌，第二亞當，是我們唯一的盼望
Jesus, the Second Adam, Is Our Only Hope
 
感恩的是，故事並未就此完結。讓我們回到《創世記》二章17節的內容——上帝說到關於吃分別善惡樹上的果子的後果。為什麼亞當和夏娃沒有如上帝所說的吃的日子必定死呢？
Thankfully, there is more to the story. Let’s return to what God said in Genesis 2:17 about the consequences that would come from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why didn’t Adam and Eve die on the day they sinned, as God said they would?
 
在整本聖經中，有一節關鍵經文，表明人恢復與上帝的正確關係只有唯一的一條路：在《創世記》三章15節，這被稱為原始福音（protoevangelium，即聖經中第一次的福音宣告）的一節經文中，上帝宣告祂對蛇的咒詛，隨之而來的是那偉大的應許：
There is one key verse in the entire Bible that points us to the only way for people to be returned to a right relationship with God: In Genesis 3:15, a verse known as the protoevangelium (the first announcement in the Bible of the gospel), God pronounces his curse on the serpent, and with the curse is the great promise that summarizes the Bible:
 
我又要叫你和女人彼此為仇；
你的後裔和女人的後裔也彼此為仇。
女人的後裔要傷你的頭；
你要傷他的腳跟。（創三15）
“I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:15)
 
亞當和夏娃被趕出伊甸園，實際上是出於上帝的憐憫。如果亞當和夏娃至今仍在吃生命樹上的果子，那麼他們將永遠在罪中活著。然而，上帝自始至終有祂的計劃。因為上帝的無所不知，祂從永恆中就知道亞當的悖逆。亞當和他後裔的唯一盼望只能從上帝而來。第二亞當必須成功通過第一個亞當曾經失敗的考驗。
The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden was actually a divine mercy. If Adam and Eve were now to eat from the tree of life, they would be condemned to live forever in their sinful state. Yet, God had a plan all along. Because God is all-knowing, he knew from eternity that Adam would disobey him and that Adam’s only hope—and that of his descendants—could only come from God himself. A second Adam must pass the test Adam failed to pass.
 
這第二位亞當——既是完全的神又是完全的人，將完美遵守上帝的律法，並作為那完美的一次而永遠的祭物，承受罪的刑罰，以致於人可以重新與上帝毫無阻隔地交流。亞當和夏娃沒有立刻死去，因為那將要來的救主要從他們的後裔而出。亞當給他的妻子取名叫夏娃，意思是眾生之母，這表明了他對上帝應許拯救他的信心。
This second Adam—both fully God and fully man, would keep God’s law perfectly and bear the full punishment for sin as the perfect once-for-all sacrifice, so that people could once again be in full communion with their Creator. Adam and Eve would not die right away, because they must bring forth children from whom the Savior would come. Adam showed his faith in God’s promise to save him by naming his wife Eve, which means the mother of all living.
 
上帝的憐憫
A Divine Mercy
 
上帝與亞當的關係裏，有一個條件的層面。認識到這個層面，會幫助我們明白耶穌為什麼必須來，並且要完成亞當未通過的考驗。在耶穌裏，上帝最終將有一個完全順服的兒子。耶穌的順服帶來了一個國度，在那裏人要與祂一同作王，直到永遠。
Understanding the conditional aspect of God’s relationship with Adam helps us make sense of why Jesus had to come and fulfill what Adam failed to do. In Jesus, God would finally have a perfectly obedient Son. Jesus’ reward for his obedience would be a kingdom and a people who would reign with him forever.
 
耶穌用比喻的原因是祂不想揭示祂所要做的一切（路八10）。祂的門徒想方設法要讓祂成為地上的王，但耶穌不是為此而來的。耶穌確實是君王，但祂的國度不屬於這世界。當祂越靠近十字架，耶穌就越清晰地述說祂的使命是要救贖這世界：
One reason Jesus spoke in parables is because he didn’t want to reveal everything about what he was going to do (Luke 8:10). His followers might try to make him an earthly king, and that is not why Jesus came. Jesus was indeed a king, but his kingdom was not of this world. As he approached the cross, Jesus spoke more plainly about his mission to redeem the world:
 
從此，耶穌才指示門徒，他必須上耶路撒冷去，受長老、祭司長、文士許多的苦，並且被殺，第三日復活。（太十六21）
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. (Matt. 16:21)
 
缺少了基督代表人所成就的工，人就不僅要面對肉體的死亡，更要面對上帝公義的忿怒和刑罰。耶穌來遠遠不止成為一個好榜樣：祂來是要消滅罪惡、死亡和魔鬼。耶穌來是要拯救我們脫離地獄，領我們進入上帝的國度。
Without Jesus’ finished work on their behalf, people face more than physical death—they also face God’s righteous wrath and punishment. Jesus came to be far more than a good example: he came to destroy sin, death, and the devil. Jesus came to save us from hell and bring us into the kingdom of God.
 
[1] Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: God and Creation, 第2卷, ed. John Bolt, trans. John Vriend (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), 234.
[2] Herman Witsius, The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man, 第1卷 (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2010), 74.
[3] Adapted from Zacharias Ursinus, The Commentary of Dr. Zacharius Ursinus, on the Heidelberg Catechism, trans. G. W. Willard, 3rd American ed. (Cincinnati: T. P. Bucher, 1851), exposition on Q. 7: 33-34頁。
[4] Ursinus, 34.
[5] Michael Horton, Core Christianity: Finding Yourself in God’s Story (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 95.
 
利恩特里斯（Le Ann Trees）是前白馬驛站（White Horse Inn）旗下網站基督教核心（Core Christianity）的責任編輯，於2014年從加州西敏神學院獲得文學神學碩士。目前是Beautiful Christian Life的執行總編。

 
伊甸園聖殿
The Temple of Eden
作者：Tony Reinke 譯 岑躍環/誠之 校。譯自：http://tonyreinke.com/2015/11/05/the-temple-of-eden/
https://yimawusi.net/2021/03/26/the-temple-of-eden/
 
在格雷格·畢爾（Greg Beale）的《聖殿與教會的使命：關於神之居所的聖經神學》（暫譯；The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God）一書中，作者認為伊甸園是第一座原型聖殿（archetypal temple）。他提出了在伊甸園與後來的會幕或聖殿結構之間，在概念和用詞上的14個相似之處。
In his book The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, Greg Beale argues that the Garden of Eden was the first archetypal temple. He provides 14 conceptual and linguistic parallels between Eden and future tabernacle/temple structures.
 
以下是我對他這14個主要觀點的簡要總結。
Here are my brief summaries of his major points.
 
一、伊甸園是上帝的同在的獨特場所。伊甸園是上帝與人同行的地方，與之相似的便是之後提及的會幕。（比較：創三8與利廿六12；申廿三14；撒下七6-7）
1. The Garden as the unique place of God’s presence. Eden was the place where God walked back and forth with man, paralleled this with later references to the Tabernacle (Gen. 3:8 with Lev. 26:12, Deut. 23:14; 2 Sam. 7:6–7).
 
二、伊甸園是首位祭司居住的地方。亞當被安置在伊甸園，耕種並看守（cultivate and keep it，創二15[新譯本]）。單獨來看，「耕種」（cultivation）具有明顯的農業意義。但這個命令（「耕種與看守」[cultivate/keep]也可以翻譯為「服事與守衛」[serve/guard]）在舊約其他地方也曾出現，用來形容祭司的工作（參：民三7-8，八25-26，十八5-6；代上廿三32；結四十四14）。因此，「在創二15，亞當的職責不只是在伊甸園土地上從事簡單的農活。在後來以色列聖殿中祭祀的職責，明顯地包括防止（guarding）不潔之物進入的責任（參：民三6-7、32、38；十八1-7）。這職責似乎與亞當有關，特别是考慮到那埋伏在園子的周圍、後來進入園子的不潔之物時」（p. 69）。
2. The Garden as the place of the first priest. Adam was placed in the garden to “cultivate and keep it” (Gen. 2:15). Taken alone, “cultivation” has obvious agricultural meaning. But this pair of terms (“cultivate/keep” also translated “serve/guard”) is used elsewhere in the OT to describe the work of the priest (Num. 3:7–8; 8:25–26; 18:5–6; 1 Chr. 23:32; Ezek. 44:14). Thus “the task of Adam in Genesis 2:15 included more than mere spadework in the dirt of a garden. It is apparently that priestly obligations in Israel’s later temple included the duty of ‘guarding’ unclean things from entering (cf. Num. 3:6–7, 32, 38; 18:1–7), and this appears to be relevant for Adam, especially in view of the unclean creature lurking on the perimeter of the Garden and who then enters” (69).
 
三、伊甸園是守衛天使第一個看守的地方。在罪進入園子之後，亞當、夏娃被禁止接近生命樹，有基路伯把守。這表示亞當的工作不只是耕種——他應當保護園子遠離罪惡和不潔（對比：創三24與出廿五18-22；王上六29-35，八6-7；結廿八14—16，四十一18）。
3. The Garden as the place of the first guarding cherubim. After sin was introduced into the garden, Adam and Eve are barred from the tree of life by cherubim. This reveals that Adam’s work included more than gardening — he was to protect the garden from evil and uncleanness (Gen. 3:24 with Ex. 25:18–22; 1 Kgs. 6:29-35, 8:6–7; Ezek. 28:14–16, 41:18).
 
四、伊甸園是第一座燈台的坐落之處。很可能，生命樹提供了直接擺放在至聖所之外的燈台的模型（出廿五31-36）。
4. The Garden as the place of the first arboreal lampstand. Likely, the Tree of Life provides the model for the lampstand placed directly outside the holy of holies (Ex. 25:31–36).
 
五、伊甸園是以色列聖殿中花園意境的雛形。舊約記載了聖殿擁有植物圖案、花園式的特點（王上六18、29、32；七20-26、42、47；結一8-11；詩七十四3-7；五十二8；九十二13-15；哀二6；賽六十13、21）。
5. The Garden as formative for garden imagery in Israel’s temple. Temple references in the OT possess botanical, garden-like features (1 Kgs. 6:18, 29, 32; 7:20–26, 42, 47; Zech. 1:8–11; Ps. 74:3–7; 52:8; 92:13–15; Lam. 2:6; Isa. 60:13, 21).
 
六、伊甸園是第一個水源地。同樣，末時的聖殿（the eschatological temple），其特徵也是水的來源（對比：創二10與結四十七1-12；啓廿一1-2）。
6. The Garden as the first source of water. Like Eden, the eschatological temples feature a source of water (Gen. 2:10 with Ezek. 47:1–12; Rev. 21:1–2).
 
七、伊甸園是出產寶石之地。注意在伊甸園中的寶石與後來的會幕或聖殿的材質之間的相似性（對比：創二12與王上六20-22；出廿五7、11-39；廿八6-27，代上廿九2）。
7. The Garden as the place of precious stones. Note the correlation between precious stones in Eden and the building materials of the later tabernacle and temple (Gen. 2:12 with 1 Kgs. 6:20–22, Ex. 25:7, 11–39; 28:6–27; 1 Chr. 29:2).
 
八、伊甸園是首座高山坐落之地。伊甸園坐落在一座山上（結廿八14、16），就像錫安山（出十五17）和末日的聖殿那樣（結四十2，四十三12；啓廿一10）。
8. The Garden as the place of the first mountain. Eden was situated upon a mountain (Ezek. 28:14, 16) just like Mount Zion (Ex. 15:17) and the eschatological temple (Ezek. 40:2; 43:12; Rev. 21:10).
 
九、伊甸園是第一個智慧之所。「在至聖所存放律法（律法帶來智慧）的約櫃，呼應了伊甸園裡的分别善惡樹（這也帶來了智慧）。觸摸約櫃和吃分别善惡樹的果子都導致死亡。」（p.73-74）
9. The Garden as the first place of wisdom. “The ark in the holy of holies, which contained the Law (that led to wisdom) echoes the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (that also led to wisdom). Both the touching of the ark and the partaking of the tree’s fruit resulted in death” (73–74).
 
十、伊甸園是第一個入口朝東之地。像之後的會幕或聖殿都是從東邊進入（對比：創三24與結四十6）。
10. The Garden as the first place with an eastern facing entrance. Like the future tabernacle and temples, Eden was entered from the east (Gen. 3:24 with Ezek. 40:6).
 
十一、伊甸園是含有三個部分的聖潔建築物（a tripartite sacred structure）的一部分。創世記二章10節記載「有一條河從伊甸流出來，灌溉那園子 」。這節經文清楚地將伊甸從園子中分別了出來。在這裏，畢爾證明了伊甸園、並與之毗連的花園，「形成了兩個不同的區域」（p. 74）。他在這裡看到聖潔的三個程度，與聖殿的整體結構相似，包括了：1、園子以外的地方（外院）；2、園子代表一個神聖的地方（聖所）；3、伊甸園，上帝居住的地方（至聖所）。
11. The Garden as part of a tripartite sacred structure. Genesis 2:10 reveals that “a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden.” This reference formally distinguishes Eden from the garden. From this Beale builds the case that Eden and its adjoining garden “formed two distinct regions” (74). He sees here tripartite degrees of holiness, similar to the temple complex, comprised of (a) the region outside the garden (the outer court); (b) the garden representing a sacred place (the holy place); and (c) Eden, where God dwells (the holy of holies).
 
十二、以西結把伊甸園視為第一座聖殿。在以西結書廿八章13-18節，先知描繪了許多伊甸園與以色列的會幕或聖殿之間的相似之處。具體來說，先知提到伊甸園像一座聖殿，描繪亞當穿戴得如同祭司一樣（13節）。「因此，以西結書廿八章18節很可能是正典聖經中，將伊甸園稱為聖殿最明顯的一個地方」（p. 75-76）。
12. Ezekiel’s view of the Garden of Eden as the first sanctuary. In Ezekiel 28:13–18 the prophet draws a number of parallels between Eden and Israel’s tabernacle/temple. Specifically, the prophet references Eden as a sanctuary and pictures Adam dressed as a priest (v. 13). And “Ezekiel 28:18 is probably, therefore, the most explicit place anywhere in canonical literature where the Garden of Eden is called a temple” (75–76).
 
十三、古代近東對於廟宇的觀念與花園式的特點相近。「在古代近東，花園通常是廟宇建築的一部分」（p. 76）。
13. The Ancient Near Eastern concept of temples in association with garden-like features. “Gardens not untypically were part of temple complexes in the Ancient Near East” (76).
 
十四、早期猶太教認為伊甸園是第一座所聖殿。畢爾從猶太非正典文獻中找出證據，進一步證明，「猶太教也以各種不同的方式，將伊甸園理解為第一座所聖殿，符合上述的舊約證據。」（p. 27）。
14. Early Judaism’s view of the garden as the first sanctuary. Beale provides evidence from the non-canonical Jewish literature to further prove that “Judaism in various ways also understood the Garden to be the first sanctuary in line with the above Old Testament evidence” (27).
 
結論：「前述創世記第二章中的伊甸園與以色列的帳幕和聖殿相似之處的累積效應，表明伊甸園是第一座原型聖殿，以色列所有的聖殿都是按照這座聖殿建造的。」（p. 79-80）。
Conclusion: “The cumulative effect of the preceding parallels between the Garden of Genesis 2 and Israel’s tabernacle and temple indicates that Eden was the first archetypal temple, upon which all of Israel’s temples were based” (79–80).
欲更多了解這些概念和用詞上的相似之處，請閲讀該書66-80頁的內容。
Read more on these conceptual and linguistic parallels on pages 66–80 of Beale’s The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God.
 

另參：詞條 「 聖殿 」 一文。

按：改革宗出版社已於2016年出版本書的精簡版，God Dwells Among Us: Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth。麥種傳道會也即將出版本書的中文版（暫譯：《聖殿與教會的使命》）。

 

 

教會和以色列
THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL
作者： Michael Horton    唐興譯/誠之編校
本文首刊於「當代宗教改革」（Modern Reformation）雜誌，總第3卷3月號（May/June 1994）
https://yimawusi.net/2021/03/06/michael-horton/
https://wscal.edu/resource-center/the-church-and-israel
 
預言家林西（Hal Lindsey）宣稱：「全部先知預言的中心就是以色列國。」1948年5月14日，以色列再次獨立建國，林西寫到：「基於這個理由，我確信我們現在正處於希伯來先知所清楚和準確預言的一個特殊時代。因此，所有的先知預言，都要在這一代當中實現。」
The center of the entire prophetic forecast is the State of Israel," declares prophetic pontiff, Hal Lindsey. On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again and, writes Lindsey, "For this reason I am convinced that we are now in the unique time so clearly and precisely forecast by the Hebrew prophets. Thus, all the various prophecies will come to pass during this generation."
 
時代主義論者（Dispensationalists）認為，1948年以色列的復國，已經應驗了以西結書和但以理書所預言的，以色列未來的復興。這該怎麼說呢？難道這就是先知們心中所想的嗎？我們必須進一步追問：上帝對亞伯拉罕的應許是在猶太復國主義運動（Zionist movement）中應驗的，還是在耶穌基督的福音中應驗的？但是，我們首先要思考的是：1948年。
The Dispensationalists have maintained that the prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel regarding a future restoration of Israel are fulfilled in the recreation of that state in 1948. What about this? Is that what the prophets had in mind? A further question must then be asked: Are the promises God made to Abraham fulfilled in the Zionist movement or in the Gospel of Jesus Christ? But first things first: 1948.
以西結的預言說到：「我要使雅各被擄的人歸回，要憐憫以色列全家，又為我的聖名發熱心。」（結卅九25）以西結預言之後55年，即主前530年，但以理也同樣地發出預言指出，現在被毀滅的以色列國在未來要得到恢復。在但以理事奉的時期，以色列國被瓦解，並且被擄到巴比倫。這兩位先知都在這樣悲慘的局勢中，向以色列百姓提供了盼望。100年之後，當尼希米和以斯拉被允許歸回重建耶路撒冷時，就應驗了這兩位先知所說的預言。城牆得重建，上帝的子民歸回，而他們雖然只是帝國的附庸國，但是巴比倫王傾其一切財寶來幫助耶路撒冷城的重建。這些都與預言完全吻合：上帝要將祂的百姓從被擄中帶回耶路撒冷。新的聖殿甚至是在波斯王的協助下才建造完成的。
Ezekiel prophesies, "I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name" (39:25). Daniel's prophecies are delivered in 530 BC, just fifty-five years after Ezekiel's and also point to a future restoration of a now destroyed nation of Israel. During Ezekiel's ministry, the nation is dismantled and carried off into Babylonian captivity and both prophets are offering the people hope in the midst of tragedy. One hundred years later, the promises made through these two prophets are fulfilled as Nehemiah and Ezra are allowed to return to rebuild Jerusalem with released exiles. The walls are rebuilt, God's people return, and although they are an imperial satellite, Babylon's rulers empty their own treasuries to assist in the rebuilding. This is all in line with the prediction that God will bring His people out of exile back to Jerusalem is finally fulfilled. A new temple is even built with the assistance of the Persian king.
 
這一切都在先知預言的一個世紀內得到了應驗：聖殿的重建，獻祭的更新，城市的重建，被擄的人重回家園。 1948年的復國，也不過如此。
All of this was fulfilled within a century of the prophecy. The temple was rebuilt, sacrifices were renewed, the city was rebuilt, and the exiles came home. So much for 1948.
 
當然，有些預言，例如但以理所做的預言，必須在尼希米帶領下的歸回重建之後才能得到應驗。其中一個例子就是四個國度的異象——巴比倫和瑪代·波斯帝國（兩個帝國在但以理有生之年就存在了），以及希臘（主前2世紀）和羅馬帝國（主前1世紀到主後1世紀）。所有這些世上的帝國都將衰頹；前面兩個是但以理親身經歷到的，後面兩個則是在主後1世紀才應驗的。這些地上帝國的壽命，都無法超越那一位將要來的君王的國度；祂將要把祂分散在各處的百姓（猶太人和外邦人）帶回家中：「我必立一牧人照管他們，牧養他們，就是我的僕人大衛。祂必牧養他們，作他們的牧人」（結卅四23）。在約翰福音第十章，當耶穌宣告祂自己為好牧人時，正應驗了這個預言。因此，以西結書中的預言，不是關於1948年的猶太復國主義運動（Jewish Zionism），而是關於主前440年的歸回重建，而且最終是關於作為大衛子孫的耶穌基督。
Of course, there are predictions made, by Daniel, for instance, which require fulfillment beyond the return under Nehemiah. One example is the vision of the four kingdoms--Babylon and Medo-Persia (two empires which existed during Daniel's own lifetime), and Greece (second century, BC) and Rome (first century, BC through first century AD). All of these world empires will collapse, two of which Daniel knew first-hand, while the latter two were fulfilled as late as the first century AD. These earthly empires would never outlast the empire of the coming One who will finally bring all of His scattered tribe (Jew and Gentile alike) home: "I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd" (Ez 34:23). It was just this prophecy which Jesus proclaimed Himself to be fulfilling in His self-designation as the Good Shepherd in John chapter ten. Thus, Ezekiel is not about Jewish Zionism in 1948, but about the return of the exiles in 440 BC and ultimately about Jesus Christ as the Son of David.
 
那麼，聖殿被毀又怎麼說呢？新約聖經中不是預言聖殿和聖城最後要被拆毀嗎？確有此事。 「耶穌出了聖殿，正走的時候，門徒進前來，把殿宇指給他們看。耶穌對他們說：『你們不是看見這殿宇嗎？我實在告訴你們：將來在這裏，沒有一塊石頭留在石頭上不被拆毀了』」（太廿四1-2）。這段經文常被認為是指在我們時代中的應驗。然而，當門徒問到這個應驗的預兆時，耶穌說：「那時，人要把你們陷在患難裏，也要殺害你們。」這聽起來不就是耶穌正在預備他們，去面對一個即將來臨的應驗嗎？事實上，這個預言在主後70年，聖城被羅馬帝國破壞、猶太人和基督徒被殺害分散、聖殿被拆毀沒有留下一塊石頭時，就已經應驗了。羅馬皇帝宣稱他自己為神，坐在至聖所，這乃是應驗了但以理書中所預言的：「那行毀壞可憎的」（abomination of desolation）。多年以來，時代主義論者教導這事發生於大災難時期，這樣的解釋很難被接受。只要看一看主所說的：「你們看見先知但以理所說的『那行毀壞可憎的』站在聖地（讀這經的人須要會意）。那時，在猶太的，應當逃到山上…… 」。難道當初的聽眾不明白，耶穌是要預備他們，面對即將要發生的事嗎？ 「當你們看見……站在聖地……。」
What about the destruction of the temple? Was it not predicted in the New Testament that there would be a final destruction of the temple and the city? Indeed, it was. "Jesus left the temple and was walking away when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to its buildings. 'Do you see all these things?' He asked. 'I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'" This is often taken to refer to a fulfillment in our own lifetime, and yet, when the disciples wanted to know what the signs of this would be, He said, "You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death." Doesn't it sound like Jesus was preparing them for an immediate fulfillment? The fact is, this was fulfilled in AD 70, when the city was destroyed by the Romans, Jews and Christians were slaughtered and scattered, and the temple was destroyed to the extent that "not one stone" was "left on another." The Roman emperor, proclaiming himself God, sat in the Holy of Holies, fulfilling the "abomination of desolation" predicted in Daniel. And if, after years of Dispensational teaching on the "abomination of desolation," taking place during the tribulation, it is difficult to accept this interpretation, just look at our Lord's own remark: "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." Would the original audience not have clearly understood Jesus to be preparing them for events which were right around the corner? "So when you see standing in the holy place..."
 
因此，但以理和以西結的預言，不一定要在1948年，或任何其他與當前重大事件相吻合的時期才能應驗。
Therefore, the prophecies of Daniel and Ezekiel do not have to find their fulfillment in 1948 or in any other period which coincides with remarkable current events.
 
然而，第二個問題是我們更關注的核心問題：現代的以色列國和猶太復國主義運動，是否是上帝對亞伯拉罕的應許的應驗？傳統時代主義論認為，救恩計劃有一種「徹底的中斷」（radical discontinuity），儘管最近的修正已經淡化了這種看法。傳統時代主義論認為，上帝最終的計劃牽涉到以色列國；相對於上帝拯救以色列民族國家的主要使命，教會只是一個「括號」（薛福Chafer所提倡的觀念），有點像是一個腳註或旁枝（編按：只是一個插曲）。
The second question, however, is of more central concern: Is the modern state of Israel and Zionism in general the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham? Classical Dispensationalism presents to programs of salvation, though recent revisions have toned down on the radical discontinuity. In classical Dispensationalism, God's ultimate program involves the nation Israel. The Church is a "parenthesis" (Chafer), a sort of footnote or sidetrack in contrast to God's main mission to save ethnic, national Israel.
 
我們認為，這種觀念嚴重地誤解了上帝的計劃，以及聖經中清楚的教導。這樣做，等於是冒險給予現代猶太人一個虛假的盼望，提出一個不需要世界唯一救主作為中保的救恩計劃（至少在現世的事物上是如此）。如果你認為這是對此立場的一種諷刺，只要去參加每年在華盛頓首府地區所舉辦的，為以色列禱告的全國早餐禱告會（National Prayer Breakfast in Honor of Israel），就立見分曉。有一年我參加了，我還記得許多基要派的傳道人和發先知預言的「專家」，領導群聚一堂的猶太基督徒這樣地禱告說：「我們共同的天父——亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的神……」。如果現在有另一群基督徒在同一條街上，舉行基督徒和穆斯林教或基督徒和印度教的禱告會，這樣的禱告，基本上等於否認了基督的獨特性，以及祂的中保工作。但是，對這些人而言，猶太人很明顯地不需要福音，因為他們根本連福音都沒有提到。沒有一個禱告在結束時提到基督的名。
We believe that this position gravely misunderstands the plan of God and the clear teaching of the Scriptures. In so doing, it risks offering false hopes to modern Jews of a plan of redemption which, at least in temporal matters, does not require the mediation of the world's only Savior. If you think this is a caricature of the position, just attend the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Honor of Israel in Washington, DC. I did that one year and I remember fundamentalist preachers and prophecy "experts" leading the Jewish-Christian gathering in prayer "to our common Father--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Now, if another group of Christians down the street had a prayer service of Christians and Moslems or Christians and Hindus, it would be considered a basic denial of the uniqueness of Christ and His mediatorial work, but for these people, Jews evidently did not need the Gospel, for there was no reference to it even in passing. Not one prayer ended with the name of Christ.
 
使徒保羅會把這種教導稱為是加拉太教會的異端。 「正如『亞伯拉罕信上帝，這就算為他的義』。所以，你們要知道：那以信為本的人，就是亞伯拉罕的子孫。並且聖經既然預先看明，上帝要叫外邦人因信稱義，就早已傳福音給亞伯拉罕，說：『萬國都必因你得福。」可見那以信為本的人和有信心的亞伯拉罕一同得福。凡以行律法為本的，都是被咒詛的；因為經上記著：『凡不常照律法書上所記一切之事去行的，就被咒詛』」（加三6-10）。所以，沒有兩種不同的救恩計劃。猶太人和外邦人一樣，都是「被咒詛的」，唯有藉著信心，才能接近上帝、得著祂在基督裏的應許。認為上帝不是藉著基督，來實現祂對以色列民族的應許，這種觀念肯定是近乎異端了。
The Apostle Paul would call this the Galatian heresy. "Understand that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture predicted that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. All who rely on observing the law are under a curse" (Gal 3:6-10). Thus, there are not two programs. Jews and Gentiles alike are "under a curse" and can only approach God and receive His promises by faith in Jesus Christ. To suggest that God is fulfilling promises to national Israel apart from Christ surely borders on heresy.
 
但是，上帝並非在履行對以色列國族（national Israel）的應許。發生於主後70年「那行毀壞可憎的」，實際上確實使聖殿荒涼了。儘管我們與世界上受逼迫的猶太人在他們的家園一同歡欣鼓舞，但1948年並不具有任何先知預言上的意義。
But God is not fulfilling promises to national Israel. The abomination that makes desolate in AD 70 did, in fact, make the temple desolate. While we rejoice with the persecuted Jews of the world in their homeland, there is no prophetic significance to the year 1948.
 
如果我們仔細查看上帝對亞伯拉罕的應許（創十二2-3），以及貫穿舊約聖經的許多警告，都提到得著應許之地的條件，在於以色列人的順服。然而，得著那最終應許之地的條件，則單單在於信心（by faith alone）。所以，舊約聖經裏的先祖們，並不像現代的時代主義論者，對這塊土地有這麼大的興趣。 「他（亞伯拉罕）因著信，就在所應許之地作客，好像在異地居住帳棚，與那同蒙一個應許的以撒、雅各一樣。因為他等候那座有根基的城，就是上帝所經營所建造的。因著信，連撒拉自己，雖然過了生育的歲數，還能懷孕，因她以為那應許她的是可信的。所以從一個仿佛已死的人就生出子孫，如同天上的星那樣眾多，海邊的沙那樣無數。這些人都是存著信心死的，並沒有得著所應許的」（來十一8-13）。什麼？他們並沒有得著所應許的？他們不就在那塊土地上，不是嗎？但是，聖經告訴我們，那不是最終極的應許。 「他們……承認自己在世上是客旅，是寄居的［甚至寄居在應許之地］。說這樣話的人是表明自己要找一個家鄉。他們若想念所離開的家鄉，還有可以回去的機會。他們卻羡慕一個更美的家鄉，就是在天上的。」（來十一14-16）。
If we look very carefully at the promises made to Abraham (Gn 12:2-3), and the many warnings which follow throughout the Old Testament, the promise of the land is conditional upon Israel's obedience. The promise of a final Promised Land and resting place, however, is by faith alone. Thus, the Old Testament patriarchs were not as interested in a plot of land as modern Dispensationalists. "By faith, Abraham made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country, for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised" (Heb 11:8-13). What? They didn't receive the things promised? They were in the land, weren't they? But the Bible says that this was not the ultimate promise. "They admitted they were strangers on earth [even in the promised land]. People who say such things who that they are looking for a country of their own." But they had a country of their own! "If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were looking for a better country--a heavenly one" (Heb 11:14-16).
 
所以，你們明白，上帝對亞伯拉罕的應許是在基督裏應驗的，並且傳給了所有因信而屬於基督的人。不管是猶太人還是外邦人，所有想要倚靠行為得著應許的人，都還在咒詛之下，並且，離開了彌賽亞，就沒有任何其他的應許，只有審判。
So, you see, the promises made to Abraham are fulfilled in Christ and passed along to all those who belong to Christ by faith. Whether Jew or Gentile, all who are relying on the works of the law are still under a curse and apart from the Messiah there is no promise of anything but judgment.
 
使徒保羅引用自己身為猶太人卻回轉歸向基督的經歷，這樣寫道：「我且說，上帝棄絕了祂的百姓嗎？斷乎沒有！」「如今也是這樣［並非未來的某一段時間］，照著上帝揀選的恩典，還有所留的餘數。」（羅十一1，5）在現今的世代（今世），上帝把外邦人的枝子，接在以色列的枝子中，形成了一個單一的家族，其中「並不分猶太人、希臘人、自主的、為奴的，或男或女，因為你們在耶穌基督裏，都成為一了」（加三28）。
"I ask then: Did God reject His people? By no means!," writes the Apostle Paul, citing his own conversion to Christ as a Jew. "So too, at this present time (not some future time) there is a remnant chosen by grace" (Rom 11:1,5). In this present age, God is grafting in with Israel branches from alien, Gentile trees and forming one single family in which "there is neither Jew nor Gentile....For all are one in Christ" (Gal 3:28).

 

從釋經學看什麼是改革宗神學
What is Reformed Theology? – Hermeneutics
作者：傑瑞德·希伯特（Jared Hiebert）
譯者：大迪  校對：誠之
https://www.covreformedchurch.org/post/2016/09/21/what-is-reformed-theology-hermeneutics
https://www.h-land.us/blog/2a076f31-3661-11eb-b522-59e87d3e
 
改革宗對聖經的看法很簡單。我們相信《聖經》是神所默示的，是無謬（infallible）、無誤的（inerrant）、有權威的、充分的、一致的、必要的、有益的、是獨一的真理且大有能力。由於聖經正典已經完成，如今上帝不再繼續啟示，但祂透過聖靈的工作來闡明祂的道，就是使我們因在基督裡活著，而能更深刻地理解聖經。我們的聖經論影響著我們如何讀聖經和進行教會實踐。這就是我們為何要重視在教會中誦讀祂的話語，在主日講道中去宣講教導祂的道的原因。
The Reformed view of the Bible is simple. We believe that the Bible is inspired by God, infallible, inerrant, authoritative, sufficient, unified, necessary, useful, singular in truth and powerful. God does not continue to speak today, since the canon is closed, but he illuminates his word through the work of his Holy Spirit to make us alive in Christ as we deepen our understanding of Scripture. Our bibliology informs our reading of Scripture and church practice. It is why we emphasize the reading of his word in church and the expositional preaching of his word in our sermons.
 
基於上述的概覽，它確立了我們閱讀聖經的方法。雖然改革宗釋經學的內涵要比我們在這裡所能概括的深遠的多，但這些要點將給出重要的原則，將改革宗釋經學與一般福音派的釋經學區分開來。從本質上講，改革宗的釋經學可以被描述為以救贖歷史（下文分解）為特徵，同時包含一些其他的重要理念，例如：
It is the above outlined view that determines how we read the Bible. Reformed hermeneutics is much greater than what we can outline here, but these points will give the important tenets that distinguish Reformed hermeneutics from those of general evangelical interpreters. Essentially Reformed hermeneutics can be described as Redemptive-historical (explained below) and is characterized by a few important ideas, in no particular order:
 
一、歷史文法釋經（Historical-Grammatical）──讓我們先把這個弄清楚，因為大多數福音派的聖經解經家會說他們是以歷史文法來解釋聖經的。但這意味著什麼呢？從本質上說，這意味著當我們閱讀《聖經》文本，或任何與此相關的文獻時，「一段話的自然含義是根據常規的語法、語言、語句和語境來解釋的。」（史普羅[Sproul]）所以我們讀一段經文時是根據它的文體（詩歌、敘事性、天啟文學等）和規範這種體裁的格式來讀的。我們還要在其歷史和社會背景下去閱讀經文。最後，我們要根據經文的文學背景來閱讀。它在什麼樣的文體中，以及在上下文中所處的位置。從本質上說，合乎歷史與語法的解經能使我們認識人類作者，也認識到理解一個文本就必須對其真實處境做出必要解釋。但是歷史文法的解經只能走到這麼遠，因為聖經還有另一個作者，第一作者是上帝自己。聖經作為上帝神聖救贖歷史的記述，而歷史文法的解經無助於我們從這種整體的大背景下去看見經文的真意；這是一個關於上帝如何通過基督來救贖祂子民的故事。我們必須按上帝的本意去解讀聖經。
Historical-Grammatical - Let's get this one out of the way first since most broadly evangelical Bible interpreters will say that they interpret the Bible this way. But what does it mean? Essentially it means that when we read the biblical text, or any other piece of literature for that matter, the "natural meaning of a passage is to be interpreted according to the normal rules of grammar, speech, syntax and context." (Sproul) So we read a text in light of what it is as a text (poetry, narrative, apocalyptic, etc.) and the rules that govern that genre. We also read the text within its historical and social context. Finally, we read the text according to its literary context in what kind of text and where in that text the passage is located. Essentially, this part of interpretation recognizes the human author and the necessary interpretive realities accompanied with understanding a text. BUT historical-grammatical interpretation only goes so far because Scripture has another author, a primary author - God himself. What historical-grammatical interpretation will not help with is to see the meaning of the text in question in light of the overall context of the Bible as divinely ordained redemptive-history; a story of how God is, through Christ, redeeming a people unto himself. This is something we MUST do in order to understand Scripture as God intends.
 
二、以福音為中心──你有沒有想過為什麼四福音書之外的新約作者很少引用基督的話？你會認為他們會大量地引用祂的話，並用祂的話來解決爭端，引用祂的話來為羽翼未豐的教會建立神學基礎。但他們卻沒有這麼做。相反，他們關注基督的死亡和復活，通過十字架和空墳墓的視角來解釋一切，以及上帝如何利用這些事件來拯救世人歸向祂自己。這樣，對新約作者來說，重要的並不是基督的生活或話語（甚至包括登山寶訓）；對他們來說，重要的是祂來到世上的原因：「要捨命做多人的贖價（太廿28）」，以及這在上帝的救贖歷史中意味著什麼。甚至耶穌在祂道成肉身時也親自肯定了這種分別（約六35-40）。
Gospel-centered - Have you ever wondered why the New Testament writers beyond the Gospels rarely quote the words of Christ? With all of the words of Jesus we have recorded, you would think that they would quote him more, use his words to settle disputes and quote him to build a theology for the fledgling church. But they don't. Instead, they focus on the death and resurrection of Christ and interpret everything through the lens of the cross and the empty tomb and how God has used those events to save a people unto himself. In this way, it is not the life or words of Christ (even the Sermon on the Mount) that are important to the New Testament authors. What IS important to them is the reason for which he came - to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28) - and what that means in light of redemptive-history. Even Jesus affirmed this perspective while he was incarnate (cf. John 6:35-40).
 
改革宗神學非常重視聖經中下列的段落，這些段落証實了這是應該閱讀聖經的方式（注：這些很重要，但還不是全部）。簡而言之，我們必須透過基督在十字架上的工作和復活的視角來閱讀聖經──因為這是經文唯一的重點。
Reformed theology takes seriously the following passages of Scripture which confirm this as the way in which Scripture should be read (NB: these are important but not exhaustive). In short, we must read Scripture through the lens of the work of Christ on the cross and his resurrection - for this is the singular point of all of Scripture.
 
耶穌對兩個往以馬忤斯去的門徒說：
「 無知的人哪．先知所說的一切話、你們的心、信得太遲鈍了。基督這樣受害、又進入他的榮耀、豈不是應當的麼。」於是從摩西和眾先知起、凡經上所指著自己的話、都給他們講解明白了。（路廿四25-27）
And he [Jesus] said to them [the men on the road to Emmaus], “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27 ESV)
 
弟兄們、從前我到你們那裡去、並沒有用高言大智對你們宣傳　神的奧秘。因為我曾定了主意、在你們中間不知道別的、只知道耶穌基督、並他釘十字架。（林前二1-2）
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-2 ESV)
 
弟兄們、我如今把先前所傳給你們的福音、告訴你們知道、這福音你們也領受了、又靠著站立得住．並且你們若不是徒然相信、能以持守我所傳給你們的、就必因這福音得救。我當日所領受又傳給你們的、第一、就是基督照聖經所說、為我們的罪死了．而且埋葬了．又照聖經所說、第三天復活了．（林前十五1-4）
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ESV)
 
神在古時、多次多方藉著先知曉諭我們列祖、就在這末世、藉著他兒子曉諭我們、又早已立他為承受萬有的、也曾藉著他創造諸世界。（來一1-2）
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Hebrews 1:1-2 ESV)
 
這些經文表明，福音是所有經文的核心，因此指導我們解經的原則，既不是基督的話語，也不是基督的生命樣式，而必須是基督的工作──拯救罪人（是救贖歷史的一部分）。基督的話語和生命只有在幫助我們理解基督的救贖之工時才顯出其重要性。這意味著，「基督在新、舊兩約中都處於中心位置，即使當人們討論聖經其他事情的時候也是如此。（McCartney & Clayton）」聖經的中心，它的主題，它的高峰都是耶穌基督的福音。
 These texts point to the reality that the gospel - the work of Christ to save sinners as part of redemptive-history - is the main point of all of Scripture and must therefore guide our interpretation of Scripture, not the words of Christ, nor the life of Christ. These are important, but only as they help us to understand the work of Christ to redeem lost sinners in obedience to his Father. This means that, "[t]he person of Christ lies at the heart of both testaments, even when they are discussing something else." (McCartney & Clayton) The center of Scripture, its main point, and its climax is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
三、聖約/救贖歷史──神是通過一系列的約，如：亞當、挪亞、亞伯拉罕、摩西、大衛、新約等，來揭示一件事：基督是救贖主。這就是聖經是如何構建的，也說明救贖故事是如何展開的。我們可以這樣說，聖經的內核是一致的，它聚焦在救贖歷史上，或說聖約歷史上。聖經本身就是啟示，並且它的一致性體現在對上帝啟示的記錄，它專注於記錄上帝在歷史中的救贖之工，而上帝的救贖在基督身上達到了最高峰。這段歷史始於伊甸園中的原始福音（protoevangelium），即第一個福音宣告（創三15），並在基督裡得以完滿成全。因此，聖經的重點就是基督的工作，這是由上帝在救贖行動中對自己的漸進啟示所揭示的──包括歷史上發生的事情，也包括 「歷史」之前的所有事情。總而言之，聖經敘事的語境和文本必須「在救贖或拯救的歷史語境中去解讀，在救贖歷史展開的範圍中理解經文的主題」（葛富恩）。
Covenantal or Redemptive-Historical - God reveals Christ as the Redeemer through a series of covenants - Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, New Covenant. This is how Scripture is constructed and it is how the story of redemption unfolds. (Click here, if you want a good overview of salvation in the Bible - from the ESV Study Bible.) We could say it this way - the material content of Scripture is a unity that focuses on the redemptive-historical or covenant-historical. The Bible is itself revelation and it possesses its unity as a record of the revelatory work of God focused on his redemptive work in history culminating in Christ. This history began in the garden of Eden with the protoevangelium (the first gospel proclamation, Genesis 3:15) and consummates in Christ. The emphasis in Scripture, then, is on the work of Christ as revealed by the progressive nature of God's revelation of himself in redemption - something that happened in history and to which all of history prior pointed. To summarize, the context and text of the Biblical narrative must always be "read in its redemptive or salvation-historical context, understanding the text's subject matter within the horizon of the unfolding history of salvation."(Gaffin)
 
簡單地說，救贖歷史解經就是上帝曾如何向我們啟示，就以此去解釋聖經（啟示）。具體地說，上帝在救贖祂子民的過程中，彰顯了祂是啟示的創造者、作者和闡釋者。因此，救贖歷史解經是最符合聖經的解經方式或講道方法，因為它進入了完全相同的鋪陳模式。在這個模式中，上帝親自記錄了祂無誤的話語，並詮釋了祂的作為。（Dennison）
Simply, the redemptive-historical hermeneutic is interpreting revelation in the manner in which it was revealed. Specifically, God is creator, author, and interpreter of his revelation in the process of redeeming his people. Hence, the redemptive-historical hermeneutic is the most Biblical hermeneutic or method of preaching because it enters into the exact same unfolding pattern in which God himself records his infallible Word and interprets his works. (Dennison)
 
四、以經解經──簡單地說，這意味著用經文中較清楚的部分來解釋較不清楚的部分。這一原則對意義進行了管制，將任何經文的意義限制在了與聖經其餘部分相符的範圍內。亦可說，聖經任何部分的意義都必須放在整本聖經的語境中來理解。因此，我們要效法新約作者的樣式，在救贖歷史背景下理解聖經的經文，把經文與在基督裡被實現的終極目標聯繫起來，無論上帝的子民身處何地都能加以應用。
Scripture interprets Scripture - This means, simply, that the clearer parts of Scripture are used to interpret the less clear. This principle places a control over meaning that confines the meaning of any text to that which fits with the rest of Scripture. Or to put it in a slightly different way,  the meaning of any part of the Bible must be understood in the context of the Bible as a whole. In this way we follow the lead of the New Testament writers who understood the texts of the Bible in their redemptive-historical setting, related them to the ultimate biblical goal of fulfillment in Christ and applied them to God’s people wherever they were.
 
五、救贖之約（Pactum Salutis）、 救恩歷史（Historia Salutis）和救恩次序（Ordo Salutis）：
Pactum Salutis, Historia Salutis and Ordo Salutis - These are very important to understand:
 
1. 救贖之約（Pactum Salutis）──是指在萬有以先（在時間之前），三位一體的上帝，在其內在聖父和聖子兩個位格，就如何通過聖子道成肉身的工作將世人從罪中拯救出來，達成了一致的約定。簡而言之，在時間開始之前，在創世以先，三一上帝彼此立約要拯救罪人。
Pactum Salutis (Covenant of Redemption) - This is the pre-temporal (before time), intra-Trinitarian agreement of the Father and the Son concerning how people will be saved from their sins through the work of the Son incarnate. In short, before time began, before creation, the Godhead covenanted amongst themselves to save sinners.
 
2. 救贖歷史（Historia Salutis）──指的是人類歷史上實際發生的事件，實現了神約定的救恩。創世，墮落，洪水，對亞伯拉罕的呼召，出埃及，以色列的被擄，基督的降生與受死，五旬節，教會的開始，所有這些都是救恩歷史。
Historia Salutis (History of Salvation) - This refers to the actual events in human history to bring about the salvation that the Godhead covenanted. Creation, the fall, the flood, the call of Abraham, the exodus, the captivity of Israel, the life and death of Christ, Pentecost, the beginning of the church, all of these are events of the historia salutis.
 
3. 救恩次序（Ordo Salutis）是指對於罪人的救贖，使他們得以與基督聯合，並且賜給他們所有與之相關的福分。這些包括重生，認信，稱義，立嗣（成為神的兒女），得榮耀。
 Ordo Salutis (Order of Salvation) - This refers to redemption as it is applied to the sinner which brings them into union with Christ and gives them all of the benefits of that relationship. These would include regeneration, conversion, justification, adoption, glorification.
 
讓我們用《以弗所書》一3-二10來很快地驗証如何運用以上三點來正確理解經文。第一章清楚地告訴我們，上帝無條件地揀選那些祂所願意拯救的，好叫祂得榮耀，就是在創世以先，因著愛我們，已經在基督裡揀選了我們（救贖之約），好叫祂榮耀的恩典得著稱讚。這種對自己榮耀的追求是上帝所做的一切事情的終極目標； 祂所追求的，並不是來自祂的受造物的對等的愛，或自由意志或其他任何東西。在第一章的末尾和第二章，我們看到，因著上帝的恩典，祂將信心的禮物賜給了祂的選民，使他們得救，就是基督的救贖之工通過聖靈得以施行在我們身上（救恩歷史）。祂還告訴我們，只要我們有信心，就能得著救恩，並且要活出我們的信心，「我們原是祂的工作，在基督耶穌裡造成的，為要叫我們行善，就是神所預備叫我們行的。」（救恩次序）
Let's look briefly at Ephesians 1:3-2:10 to see how these three must be kept in mind in order to understand these verses correctly. We are told clearly in chapter 1 that God has unconditionally chosen those whom he will save so that he will be glorified - in love we are chosen in Christ (pactum salutis) before the foundation of the world, to the praise of his glorious grace. This pursuit of his own glory is God's ultimate goal in everything that he does; not reciprocal love from his creation or free will or anything else. Then in the later stages of chapter one and in chapter 2 we see that he brings about the salvation of his elect by giving them the gift of faith on account of his grace as the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit is applied to us (historia salutis). He also tells us that we need to have faith alone for our salvation and that we need to live out our faith "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (ordo salutis)
 
不幸的是，這種區別經常被人忽略，使得上帝的作為會受到時間的束縛，而不再是發源於永恆的過去；祂的目標受到人類的限制，而不是受祂自己榮耀的限制，如此一來，事實陳述就變成了倫理要求，我們的救恩也變成一種缺乏恩典的行為。聖經學者和教師的任務是把上帝在永恆中所計劃的，以及在歷史中所完成的事，施行到教會生活中。我們的目標不是把救恩次序從神學或解經中剝離出來，而是把它放回原位。
Unfortunately, this distinction is often missed and as a result God's actions are bound by time rather than originate in eternity past, his goals are bound by humanity rather than his own glory, indicatives become imperatives and our salvation becomes works minus grace. The task of the biblical interpreter, and the Christian minister is to bring what was planned in eternity and accomplished in history and apply it to the life of the church. Our goal is not to separate the ordo salutis from the theological or exegetical, rather we ground it there.
 
結論
Conclusion
 
這篇簡短的概述，旨在強調救贖歷史和改革宗釋經學的獨特性。雖然這就如同管中窺豹，但重要的是至少對此有了初步的瞭解。我希望你開始明白改革宗神學並不只是「加爾文主義」或「預定論」或「鬱金香」。我希望你們明白，這是一種古老的、豐富的神學，是符合聖經的神學觀點。
This brief overview is intended to highlight the distinctiveness of redemptive-historical / Reformed hermeneutics. It's like drinking from a firehouse, but it is important to have at least a small understanding of it. By know I hope you are beginning to see that Reformed theology is more than mere 'Calvinism' or 'predestination' or 'TULIP'. I hope you understand that it is an ancient, theological rich and Biblically committed theological perspective.
 
一切榮耀歸於上帝
Soli Deo Gloria
 
作者簡介：傑瑞德·希伯特（Jared Hiebert）牧會許多年，在大學和神學院都有授課。他於2020年五月從費城威斯敏斯特神學院畢業，獲得歷史神學與系統神學博士學位。