一本可以讀懂的啟示錄註釋書A Readable Commentary onRevelation

作者:  shane lems   譯者: Maria Marta

https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/a-readable-commentary-on-revelation/

https://plus.google.com/u/1/106695469993489516884/posts/aATqoNsHb81

假如你想找一本清晰、簡明、易讀、可靠的啟示錄註釋書，我推薦你閱讀溥偉恩（Vern S. Poythress）博士著的《再臨君王──幫你讀懂啟示錄》The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation。 雖然這本註釋書沒有解釋啟示錄的所有細節，但它絕不失為一部優秀作品，為讀者提供了啟示錄概貌的完整圖畫。

我十分欣賞溥偉恩博士的註釋。通常，解經者將太多的時間和精力放在啟示錄的更瑣碎的細節上。細節成為主要焦點，大圖畫便丟失了。但溥偉恩卻能恰到好處的把握住重點：

「神統管歷史，並要在基督裡使歷史達到完滿。如果你在讀這卷書時牢記這一點，你就可以讀懂它。你末必明白每項細節，我也一樣；但即便如此，你仍舊可以從它獲得屬靈的益處。」（9頁）

他繼續說道，有時我們解釋啓示錄的信息相當困難，因為我們的方法錯了。

「假設我首先問：『啓示錄十三章2節中 [熊的腳] 代表什麼意義？』如果我們先從這種細節著手，卻忽略了全貌，這樣我們就會遇到困難。神是啓示錄的中心（啓四至啓五），我們必須從祂開始，並從祂與屬撒但的仇敵的對比開始。反之，如果我們馬上苦心思索細節的答案，這就好像我們想要藉著握住刀刃（而非刀柄）來使用這一把刀。我們從一開始就錯了。」

「啓示錄是一本圖畫書，而不是一本謎語或拼圖。不要費心猜測它背後的答案，不要沈迷在個別的細節裡，我們乃是要全神貫注於整個故事：贊美主；為聖徒歡呼；憎惡那獸；盼望最後的得勝。」（11頁）

假如你想了解更多，還有一些優秀的註釋書與溥偉恩的著作有很多能產生共鳴的地方，它們是：《More than Conquerors》，William Hendriksen著；《Triumph of the Lamb》，Dennis Johnson著；《NIGTC on Revelation》，Gregory Beale著。溥偉恩的註釋書是一本研讀啟示錄的好書（可以將內容分解成14節課程左右），此書附有詳盡的研讀指引和研讀問題，它們對我們的研讀很有幫助。假如你想找一本可以讀懂的啟示錄註釋書，就讀這本溥偉恩所著的《再臨君王──幫你讀懂啟示錄》，並且一定也要查閱我剛才提到的其他註釋書。

附：

《再臨君王──幫你讀懂啟示錄》The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation，溥偉恩（Vern S. Poythress）著/詹益龍譯，改革宗出版有限公司，2018年3月。

http://www.crtsbooks.net/product/thereturningkingaguidetothebookofrevelation.aspx

A Readable Commentary on Revelation

by Reformed Reader

 If you’re looking for a clear, concise, readable, and solid commentary on Revelation, I recommend Vern Poythress’ The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation (Phillipsburg: P&R, 2000).  Though this commentary doesn’t comment on all the details in Revelation, it does a fine job of providing a big picture overview of the book.

I appreciate Poythress’ commentary because so often commentators spend too much time and energy on the smaller details of Revelation.  Because the details are the main focus, the big picture is lost.  Poythress keeps the main point the main point: “God rules history and will bring it to its consummation in Christ.  If you read it with that main point in mind, you will be able to understand it.  You will not necessarily understand every detail – neither do I.  But it is not necessary to understand every detail in order to profit spiritually from it” (p. 11).

He continues by saying we sometimes have trouble interpreting Revelation because we approach it from the wrong end.

“Suppose I start by asking, ‘What do the bear’s feet in Revelation 13:2 stand for?’  If I start with such detail, and ignore the big picture, I am asking for trouble.  God is at the center of Revelation (Rev. 4-5).  We must start with him and with the contrasts between him and his satanic opponents.  If instead we try right away to puzzle out details, it is as if we tried to use a knife by grasping it by the blade instead of the handle.  We are starting at the wrong end.”

“Revelation is a picture book, not a puzzle book.  Don’t try to puzzle it out.  Don’t become too preoccupied with isolated details.  Rather, become engrossed in the overall story.  Praise the Lord.  Cheer for the saints.  Detest the beast.  Long for the final victory” (p 12-13).

In case you are wondering, Poythress’ work resonates with other commentaries such as William Hendriksen’s excellent More than Conquerors, Dennis Johnsons’ Triumph of the Lamb, and Gregory Beale’s NIGTC on Revelation.  Though there aren’t any study questions, Poythress’ commentary would be a good book to use for a Bible study on Revelation (one might break it up into 14 lessons, give or take).  There’s an exhaustive Scripture index as well, which I’ve found helpful.  If you’re looking for a readable commentary on Revelation, get Poythress, and be sure to check out the other ones I’ve just mentioned.

Vern Poythress, The Returning King (Phillipsburg; P&R, 2000).

shane lems

苦難與一步一步來Sufferingand One Foot In Front of the Other

作者Shane Lems   譯者：Maria Marta 

https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/tag/walking/

https://plus.google.com/u/1/106695469993489516884/posts/gpxsCW9JqKy

你們當中那些知道經過艱苦磨煉意味著什麽的人，也許都明白這些說話：「過一天是一天」、「我只是一步一步來」。磨煉和苦難是生活的泥沼与汙泥，它们使你懈怠，叫你跌倒，妨礙你的日常活動。一切都緩慢不前时，你只需要專注向前邁出的一步。

或許你能在一個月內設置醫院的就診記錄;  或許你努力整理醫療賬單時頭昏腦脹;  或許你祈求上帝抑制你丈夫的痛苦 (如果受苦是祂的旨意) ;  或許你懼怕下一次靜脈注射，或擔憂最近驗血的報告結果。 有時你只祈求幾小時的安睡和解脫。把握當下，過一天算一天！ 我認同提摩太•凱勒對「同上帝患難與共」的詳解：

「在苦難中與上帝同行，代表要把上帝當成是上帝來對待，將祂看作是在那𥚃，就在現場。『行走』並不戲劇性，但是有它自己的節奏——它是由穩定、重複的行動所組成，你可以恆定地維持這個行動很長一段時間。上帝在《創世記》十七章第一節並未告訴亞伯拉罕，要『在我面前翻跟鬥」或是『在我面前奔跑』，因為沒有人可以日復一日地維持這種行為。有很多人把屬靈成長想成像是高台跳水。他們說：『我將要把生命獻給主！再給我六個月的時間，我就會變成一個新的人或是新女性！』然而，行走卻不是這樣，行走是日復一日地禱告；日復一日地讀聖經和詩篇；日復一日地順服，與基督徒朋友交談，參加集體崇拜，委身並全面參與教會的生活。它是有節奏的，一而再，再而三的持續。與上帝同行是一個比喻，象徵著緩慢但穩定的進步。」

「所以，在苦難中與上帝同行意味著，一般而言，你不會經歷到從你的問題、悲傷、懼怕當中有某些即刻的解救。但是，如我們將要看到的，會有一個你得著驚喜的時候，有難以言喻、『出人意外的平安』。會有一些日子，某種新的洞見會像一束光照進一間黑屋那麼地臨到你。肯定會有進步，這是行走隱喻中的一部分，但是一般而言，它是一種緩慢而穩定的進步，只有在你堅持著行走本身那個固定而日常的活動時，才會出現。『義人的路好像黎明的光，越照越明，直到日午。』」（箴四18）

以上引述摘自《同祢患難與共》Walking with God through Pain and Suffering，312頁,  提摩太．凱勒 (Timothy Keller) 著/趙剛譯，希望之聲出版社,2017。

Suffering and One Foot In Front of the Other

by Reformed Reader

 For those of you who know what it means to go through a very hard trial, you probably understand sayings like this: “One day at a time,” and “I’m just putting one foot in front of the other.”  Trials and suffering are the mud and muck of life that slow you down, trip you up, and clog up your daily activities.  Everything slows down and you just have to focus on taking one more step ahead.

Maybe you could set a state record for hospital visits in one month; maybe you have a pounding headache from trying to sort out medical bills, or maybe you’re praying that God would keep your husband’s suffering down (if it’s His will).  Perhaps you’re dreading the next IV or worrying that your recent blood test will have bad results.  Sometimes you’re simply praying for a few hours of sleep and relief.  It’s just one day at a time!  I like how Tim Keller speaks of walking with God through trials:

“Walking with God through suffering means treating God as God and as there, as present.  Walking is something non-dramatic, rhythmic – it consists of steady, repeated actions you can keep up in a sustained way for a long time.  God did not tell Abraham in Genesis 17:1 to ‘somersault before me’ or even ‘run before me’ because no one can keep such behavior up day in and day out.  There are many people who think of spiritual growth as something like high diving.  They say, ‘I am going to give my life to the Lord! I am going to change all these terrible habits, and I am really going to transform! Give me another six months, and I am going to be a new man or new woman.’ That is not what a walk is.  A walk is day in and day out obeying, talking to Christian friends, and going to corporate worship, committing yourself to and fully participating in the life of the church.  It is rhythmic, on and on and on.  To walk with God is a metaphor that symbolizes slow and steady progress.

…Walking with God through suffering means that, in general, you will not experience some kind of instant deliverance from your questions, your sorrow, your fears.  There can be, as we shall see, times in which you receive a surprising, in explicable ‘peace that passes understanding.’  There will be days in which some new insight comes to you like a ray of light in a dark room.  There will certainly be progress – that is part of the metaphor of walking – but in general it will be slow and steady progress that comes only if you stick to the regular, daily activities of the walking itself.  ‘The path of the righteous is like the [earliest] morning sun, shining ever brighter till the light of full day’ (Prov. 4:18).

Timothy Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, p. 236-7.

Shane Lems

Hammond, WI

基督徒：反叛應受死Christians:Rebels Deserving Death

Shane Lems摘錄  Maria Marta譯第一段

https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/2018/02/13/christians-rebels-deserving-death-schaeffer/

https://plus.google.com/u/1/106695469993489516884/posts/RY3hvSSQZHd

我讀過薛華（Francis Schaeffer）的好幾本著作，而這本更受歡的《前車可鑒》（How Should We Then Live?），我只讀到中間，還沒完成，但到目前為止我已非常享受它的閱讀过程。在開頭第一章，薛華談到羅馬帝國在教會早期幾個世紀對基督徒的迫害。他的見解精辟透徹;  也是對今天基督徒的教誨！

「羅馬是很殘酷的。羅馬的圓形競技場也許是當時殘酷風氣最佳的寫照。觀眾坐在競技場的石階上，觀看角斗士比賽和將基督徒拋向野獸的情形。我們不要忘記基督徒被殺的原因，他們不是為了崇拜耶穌被殺的。當時有許多不同的宗教充斥羅馬帝國，其中一種是祭祀太陽神米特拉（Mithras）的，這種宗教源于波斯的祆教（Zoroastrianism), 于主前六十七年傳到羅馬。在羅馬統治的地方內，誰也不理會別人崇拜甚麼，只要不妨礙國家團結就可以了。而羅馬的國家團結是以崇拜凱撤為中心的，基督徒被殺害，是因為他們是「反叛者」，同時，他們漸漸被猶太人的會堂拒絕，跟著又失去了凱撤猶統賦予猶太人的特權，基督徒所受的逼害便變本加厲了。

當時基督徒『反叛』的真相，我們可以從兩方面來說明。首先，他們敬拜耶穌為上帝，而且只崇奉這一位無限的、有位格的上帝，這是所有羅馬皇帝都不能容忍的。第三世紀及戴克理先（Diocletian，284-305）在位期間，社會上愈來愈多較高層的人物成為基督徒，他們的崇拜變成國家統一的威脅。本來，如果他們同時崇奉耶穌和愷撒，便可保無恙，但他們拒絕把這兩種信仰結合在一起，他們所崇拜的上帝是借舊約聖經、基督及後來逐漸寫成的新約聖經來啟示自己的上帝.他們只奉他為唯一的上帝，不容任何東西混雜，並且視其他所有的神為假神。

第二方面，任何極權政府或獨裁國家，都不能容忍人民用一種絕對的東西來判斷他的國家和國家的行政的。藉著神的啟示，基督徒得到了反叛『絕對』（absolute）。基督徒因有這絕對的、普遍的標準，就用來判斷個人的道德，而且也用來判斷他們的國家，所以他們被視為羅馬極權政府的敵人，要給野兽果腹。」

摘自《前車可鑑──西方思想文化的興衰》How Should We Then Live? ----The Rise And Decline Of Western Thought And Culture ，20頁，薛華（Francis August Schaeffer）著/梁祖永、梁壽華、姚錦燊、劉灝明譯，宣道出版社，2015年五版。

Christians: Rebels Deserving Death (Schaeffer)

by Reformed Reader

 Although I have read several books by Francis Schaeffer, I haven’t read one of his more popular ones called How Should We Then Live?  I’m around the halfway point and so far I’m enjoying it.  Right near the beginning, Schaeffer talked about Roman persecution of Christians in the early centuries of the church.  I like how he explained it; there are lessons here for Christians today!

“Rome was cruel, and its cruelty can perhaps be best pictured by the events which took place in the arena in Rome itself.  People seated above the arena floor watched gladiator contests and Christians thrown to the beasts.  Let us not forget why the Christians were killed.  They were not killed because they worshiped Jesus.  Various religions covered the whole Roman world.  One such was the cult of Mithras, a popular Persian form of Zoroastrianism which had reached Rome by 67 B.C.  Nobody cared who worshiped whom so long as the worshiper did not disrupt the unity of the state, centered in the formal worship of Caesar.  The reason the Christians were killed was because they were rebels.  This was especially so after their growing rejection by the Jewish synagogues lost for them the immunity granted to the Jews since Julius Caesar’s time.”

“We may express the nature of their rebellion in two ways, both of which are true.  First, we can say they worshiped Jesus as God and they worshiped the infinite-personal God only.  The Caesars would not tolerate this worshiping of the one God only.  It was counted as treason.  Thus their worship became a special threat to the unity of the state during the third century and during the reign of Diocletian (284-305), when people of the higher classes began to become Christians in larger numbers.  If they had worshiped Jesus and Caesar, they would have gone unharmed, but they rejected all forms of syncretism.  They worshiped the God who had revealed himself in the Old Testament, through Christ, and in the New Testament which had gradually been written.  And they worshiped him as the only God.  They allowed no mixture: All other gods were seen as false gods.”

“We can also express in a second way why the Christians were killed: No totalitarian authority nor authoritarian state can tolerate those who have an absolute by which to judge that state and its actions.  The Christians had that absolute in God’s revelation.  Because the Christians had an absolute, universal standard by which to judge not only personal morals but the state, they were counted as enemies of totalitarian Rome and were thrown to beasts.”

Francis Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live? p.25-6.

Shane Lems

Hammond, WI

自私與婚姻Selfishness and Marriage

作者/譯者：Shane Lems/ Maria Marta

https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/selfishness-and-marriage-keller/

https://plus.google.com/u/1/106695469993489516884/posts/UBtN29heBnU

我讀了提摩太•凱勒(Timothy Keller) 所著的《婚姻解密》The Meaning of Marriage這本深度與智慧兼並的著作已經有一段時間了。我頗欣賞他對我們文化中自私的婚姻觀的剖析。 今天，許多人看待婚姻和浪漫的關系，都是從自我的角度考慮-----他們從中得到什麽。 事實證明，這種自私實際上是許多婚姻（包括基督徒和非基督徒）內的主要問題：

「在今天的西方文化𥚃，你決定結婚的原因是，你覺得被另一個人吸引，你覺得他或她很美妙，但一兩年之後（或如所常見的那樣，在一兩個月之後），有三件事情常常發生。首先，你開始發現這位美好的人多麼自私。其次，你發現這位美好的人也經歷了同樣的事，因為他或她開始告訴你，你多麼的自私。第三，雖然你承認這點的一部份，但你的結論是，配偶的自私比你自己的問題更大。若你覺得曾經生活艱苦、經歷過很多傷痛，那麼這種感受將會更加強烈。你在心𥚃說：『好吧，我是不該那麼多做——但你不理解我。』受傷讓我們淡化自己的自私，而那正是很多已婚夫婦，在過了相對不長的時間之後，就出現的狀況。」

然後凱勒指出，這個時候至少有兩條路可走。首先，你可以決定傷口和傷痛比你的自我中心更根本。你認為假若你的配偶看不到你的傷口並且盡力幫助你，那就沒戲唱了。由於雙方停火和不再談論問題，這段婚姻可能會結束，或者可能繼續下去，但感情距離卻疏遠了。

另一條路徑----更好的路徑----「就是下決心視自己的自我中心為更根本的問題，然後以比起對待配偶問題，更嚴肅的方式去看待它。」

「為什麼呢？因為只有你才能完全觸及自己的自私，也只有你才要為它負起全責。所以每位配偶都應該認真看待聖經，應該做出『捨已』的委身。你應該停止為自私找藉口，應該在它一顯露的時候就把它根除，而且不管你配偶會怎樣做，你都應該如此。若配偶雙方的每個人都說：『我會把我的自我中心，當成婚姻中的主要問題來處理。』你們就有希望得著真正美好的婚姻。」

當然，這樣做是以福音為依據的：耶穌走上十字架，並非出於自私，而是出於無私，為罪人捨己。 我們越明白基督如何以這種方式恩慈地服事我們，我們就能更寬厚地對待我們的配偶------而不是我們自己。

以上引述摘自《婚姻解密：以上帝的智慧來面對委身的複雜性》

The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God，Timothy Keller, Kathy Keller著/趙剛譯，74頁，希望之聲文化有限公司，2015。

Selfishness and Marriage (Keller)

by Reformed Reader

 It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book on marriage with the depth and wisdom of Tim Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage.  I appreciate how he talks about our culture’s selfish view of marriage.  Today, many people think of marriage and romantic relationships in terms of self – what they get out of it.  Turns out that this selfishness is actually the major problem in many marriages (Christian and non-Christian):

“In Western culture today, you decide to get married because you feel an attraction to the other person.  You think he or she is wonderful.  But a year or two later – or, just as often, a month or two – three things usually happen.  First, you begin to find out how selfish this wonderful person is.  Second, you discover that the wonderful person has been going through a similar experience and he or she begins to tell you how selfish you are.  And third, though you acknowledge it in part, you concede that your spouse’s selfishness is more problematic than your own.  This is especially true if you feel that you’ve had a hard life and have experienced a lot of hurt.  You say silently, ‘Ok, I shouldn’t do that – but you don’t understand me.’  The woundedness makes us minimize our own selfishness.  And that’s the point at which many married couples arrive after a relatively brief period of time.”

Keller then notes that at this point there are two paths to take.  The first is deciding that your hurt and woundedness is more fundamental than your selfishness.  You believe that if your spouse does not see your wounds and try to help you, it’s not going to work.  The marriage could then end, or it could go on with emotional distance growing due to a cease-fire and not talking about the problems.

Another path – the better one – is “to determine to see your own selfishness as a fundamental problem and to treat it more seriously than you do your spouse’s.”

Why? Only you have complete access to your own selfishness, and only you have complete responsibility for it.  So each spouse should take the Bible seriously, should make a commitment to ‘give yourself up.’ You should stop making excuses for selfishness, you should begin to root it out as it’s revealed to you, and you should do so regardless of what your spouse is doing.  If two spouses each say, ‘I’m going to treat my self-centeredness as the main problem in the marriage,’ you have the prospect of a truly great marriage.”

Of course, this is based on the gospel: Jesus went to the cross not out of selfishness, but out of selflessness, to give his life for sinners.  The more we understand how Christ graciously served us this way, the more we will be able to graciously serve our spouses, not our selves.

The above quotes are found on pages 63-64 of Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage.

Shane Lems

爱或真理?  爱和真理?  Loveor Truth? Love and Truth?

著/译/:Carson/李晋马丽, 编/译:Shane Lems/ Maria Marta

https://plus.google.com/u/0/106695469993489516884/posts/LS23eBxdxTP

 https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/2016/04/19/love-or-truth-love-and-truth-carson/

卡森2012年出版的着作《宽容的不宽容》（The Intolerance of Tolerance）中的要点是一个很重要的观点: 「新的，当代版的宽容，就其本质而言，已经变成了不宽容。」（2页）   卡森在整本书中对这观点作了精彩的剖析。在其亮光下，我想指出的是，卡森在稍后的第五章中对基督信仰中爱和真理的教导所作的论述。

「新宽容观常常把真理和爱放进一个零和博弈中：认为这两者中的一方一定会被消灭。如果你的教会有信仰告白，你可能是在高举真理，但对于教外人的爱就减少了。如果你认为基督教信仰一定是和表达、宣传和维护真理相关的，你的爱就会减少，因为真理会划定一些边界，把那些不认同你的人定义为其他人，这样一来不可避免的后果就是：没有爱心和不宽容。你不可能真实地爱 ，又激情地追求真理。」

「就圣经而言，不论这种观点在今天多么普遍，都是一种奇怪的立场。例如，在使徒约翰的第一封书信中，他确立了真基督教信仰告白的三个测试：一个真理的测试（信徒必须相信一些事物是真的），一个爱的测试（信徒必须真诚地彼此相爱），以及一个顺服的测试（信徒必须按耶稣说的去做）」。很明显，我们所有人都过不了这些测试，而且是常常失败；接下来，约翰提出唯一的（也是完全充足的）安慰，就是上帝之子耶稣的血，洗去我们所有的罪。」

「要注意的一点是，这三个测试必须同时实行：不能三项中符合两项就行，也不能只在一项上优秀，其他两项上平平。尤其是，约翰不觉得同时实践真理和爱有什么不妥。所以，必须得出一个结论是，如果我们赏得要把这两者中的一个与另一个对立起来，那我们对真理、爱或两者的观念就是明显少了些最基本的东西。」

摘录自《宽容的不宽容》（The Intolerance of Tolerance），卡森（D. A. Carson着）（中文版由李晋马丽翻译，团结出版社2012出版发行）。

Shane Lems

Hammond, WI

Love or Truth? Love and Truth? (Carson)

by Reformed Reader

The main point of D. A. Carson’s 2012 book, The Intolerance of Tolerance, is a good one: “[The] new, contemporary tolerance is intrinsically intolerant” (p. 2).  Carson unpacks that statement pretty well throughout the book.  One thing I want to point out in light of this statement is how Carson discusses the Christian teachings of truth and love later on in chapter five:

“It is not uncommon for the new tolerance to pit truth against love in a zero-sum game: one or the other will be diminished.  If your church has a statement of faith, you may be trying to uphold biblical truth, but love for outsiders will be diminished.  If you think of the Christian faith as articulating, proclaiming, and defending the truth, you will diminish in love, for truth draws borders and establishes that those who disagree with you are ‘other,’ and the inevitable result is lovelessness and intolerance.  You cannot truly love and be passionate for the truth [they say].”

“Biblically speaking, this is a strange position, however popular it is today.  For instance, in his first letter the apostle John establishes three tests of genuine Christian profession: ‘a truth test’ (believers must believe certain things to be true), a love test (believers must genuinely love one another), and an obedience test (believers must do what Jesus says).  Transparently, all of us fail these tests, more or less frequently – and then the only comfort John provides (and it is entirely sufficient) is that the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

“The point to observe is that these three tests must be applied together: it is not best two out of three, nor is there an option to excel in one and flunk the other two.  In particular, John senses no discomfort in pushing both truth and love.  One must conclude, therefore, that if we are tempted to pit one against the other, then clearly there is something fundamentally amiss in our conception of truth, of love, or of both” (p. 121).

D. A. Carson, The Intolerance of Tolerance (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012).

Shane Lems

Hammond, WI

如何得到上帝的國？How To Obtain the Kingdom ofGod

Reformed Reader/駱鴻銘譯http://www.crtsbooks.net/blog/post/2012/10/18/%E5%A6%82%E4%BD%95%E5%BE%97%E5%88%B0%E4%B8%8A%E5%B8%9D%E7%9A%84%E5%9C%8B%EF%BC%9F.aspx

我們如何才能得到神的國度？上帝如何推進祂的國度？17世紀的清教徒 Thomas Watson (1620 – 1686) 的看法是：要仔細聆聽所宣講的道。神藉著祂僕人所宣講的道是上帝力量的杖；這是祂所使用的引擎，在人心中建立恩典的國度。

 “信道是從聽道來的...”（羅10：17）

雖然神可以透過聖靈或天使的事工直接賜予人恩典，但是祂選擇透過所宣講的道來達成這個目的。這是祂在人心中設立恩典國度的一般管道（usual mean）。神為什麼要這樣做呢？因為祂已經把神聖的獎懲（divine sanction）加諸在宣講的道上；祂指定它作為恩典施行的管道，而祂會尊榮祂自己的典章（林前1：21 世人憑自己的智慧，既不認識神，神就樂意用人所當作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人；這就是神的智慧了。）

讓我們忠心宣講神的道（特別是站講台的牧師們！），因為神的能力乃是伴隨著所宣講的道。

Watson 也用兩種語詞來描述神的國度。恩典的國度（kingdom of grace）是上帝在地上的國度，這個國度的高峰是榮耀的國度（kingdom of glory），也就是聖徒可以享受的，永遠與上帝和天使一同統治的榮耀狀態。“這兩個國度，恩典的國度與榮耀的國度，沒有具體的差異，只有時間上的差別；它們在本質上沒有不同，只有程度上的不同。恩典國度是榮耀國度的種子，而榮耀國度是恩典國度的花朵。恩典國度是還在爭戰中的榮耀國度，而榮耀國度是得勝的恩典國度…..恩典國度會帶來榮耀國度。”

華森的書，《主禱文》（Carlisl：Banner of Truth，1982），54-150頁裡，討論了「願你的國降臨」。這整個段落非常詳細，而且非常有幫助。如果你想知道改革宗/長老會對上帝國度的看法，讀讀華森所寫的這個段落。

註：恩典國度和榮耀國度是16-17世紀古典改革宗常常用到的語詞，來描述上帝對祂國度的兩種治理方式。例如，布雷克，威萊姆斯（Wilhelmus à Brakel Th. F.）：《基督徒理所當然的事奉》在討論主禱文時，也用了同樣的語詞。

How To Obtain the Kingdom of God Aug

by Reformed Reader

How does a person obtain God’s gracious kingdom? How is it advanced? By getting rid of graffiti or signing a petition so a casino does not come into the city? Thomas Watson suggests otherwise:

“Keep close to the word preached. The word preached, is virga virtutis, the rod of God’s strength; it is the great engine he uses for setting up the kingdom of grace in the heart. ‘Faith cometh by hearing’ (Rom 10.17). Though God could work grace immediately by his Spirit, or by the ministry of angels from heaven, yet he chooses to work by the word preached. This is the usual mean, by which he sets up the kingdom of grace in the heart; and the reason is, because he has put his divine sanction upon it; he has appointed it for the means of working grace, and he will honor his own ordinance (1 Cor. 1.21)…. Let us keep the word preached, because the power of God goes along with it.”

Watson also describes the kingdom of God in a twofold way. The kingdom of grace is God’s kingdom on earth, which culminates in the kingdom of glory, which is “that glorious estate which the saints shall enjoy when they shall reign with God and angels for ever” (heaven itself). “These two kingdoms of grace and glory, differ not specifically, but gradually; they differ not in nature, but in degree only. The kingdom of grace is glory in the seed, and the kingdom of glory is grace in the flower. The kingdom of grace is glory militant, and the kingdom of glory is grace triumphant…. The kingdom of grace leads to the kingdom of glory.”

The whole section on “Your Kingdom Come” in Watson’s book, The Lord’s Prayer (Carlisle: Banner of Truth, 1982), 54-150, is amazingly helpful and detailed. If you want a good summary of the Kingdom of God from a Reformed/Presbyterian perspective, read this section of Watson.

Note: “The kingdom of grace” and “the kingdom of glory” are pretty common terms in older Reformed theology.  For example, Wilhelmus ‘A Brakel (around the same time as Watson) uses the same terms in The Christian’s Reasonable Service (under the Lord’s Prayer).

shane lems

sunnyside, wa

《基督徒的信仰：天路客的系統神學》目錄The Christian Faith ASystematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way

中文：

作者：邁克‧何頓（Michael Horton）譯者：麥種翻譯小組譯

編輯：駱鴻銘 總校訂：潘秋松 約1232頁

https://akowcm.wordpress.com/2016/07/10/%E3%80%8A%E5%9F%BA%E7%9D%A3%E5%BE%92%E7%9A%84%E4%BF%A1%E4%BB%B0%EF%BC%9A%E5%A4%A9%E8%B7%AF%E5%AE%A2%E7%9A%84%E7%B3%BB%E7%B5%B1%E7%A5%9E%E5%AD%B8%E3%80%8B%E7%9B%AE%E9%8C%84/#more-883

英文：

Michael Horton’s The Christian Faith

An Outline (Rev. Shane Lems, February 2011)

https://reformedreader.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/michael-hortons-st-outline11.pdf

目錄

縮寫一覽表ABBREVIATIONS

〈尼西亞信經〉THE NICENE CREED

導論—教理就是那齣戲碼：給天路客的神學

Introduction: The Dogma Is the Drama

壹、為何學習神學？戲碼、教義、頌讚和作主門徒

1) Why Theology?

a) Drama: The Greatest Story Ever Told

b) Doctrine: The Grammar of Faith

c) Doxology: Saying Amen!

d) Discipleship: The Way of Christ in the World

e) Putting It All Together: God’s New Role for us in His Play

貳、為甚麼要研究系統神學？

2) Why Systematic Theology?

叁、回到源頭！

3) Back to the Sources

第一部分 認識神：神學的前設

PART ONE: KNOWING GOD

第1章 幾齣不和諧的戲碼：認識神和世界的範式

Chapter 1: Dissonant Dramas: Paradigms for Knowing God and the World

壹、不和諧的幾齣戲碼：現實的本質

1) Dissonant Dramas: The Nature of Reality (p.36)

a) Pantheism and Panentheism: Overcoming Estrangement

b) Atheism and Deism: The Stranger We Never Meet

貳、「與陌生人相遇」的聖約論述

2) A Covenantal Account of Meeting a Stranger (p. 41) a) Defining the Model

b) Defending the Model

c) The Heart of the Model: A Covenantal Relationship

叁、知識論：認識神 3) Epistemology: Knowing God (p. 47) a) How Can We Know God? Post Reformation Interpretation

i) God’s Incomprehensible Majesty

b) The Sovereign Self: Variations on a Theme

結論

討論問題

第2章 神學的性質：理論科學？實踐科學？

Chapter 2: The Character of Theology: A Theoretical or a Practical Science?

壹、眼見為憑：看見的方法

1) Seeing as Certainty: The Way of Vision (p.81)

貳、「以色列啊，你要聽……」：立約的言說

2) Hear O Israel – Covenantal Speech

叁、聽道即信道

3) Hearing is Believing

肆、理論與實踐

4) Theory and Practice (p. 94)

伍、神學是祈求的智慧

5) Theology as Wisdom for Invocation (p. 104)

結論

討論問題

第3章 神學的來源：啟示

Chapter 3: The Source of Theology: Revelation

壹、啟示的模型

1) Models of Revelation (p. 113)

貳、建立合乎聖經的啟示教義

2) Toward a Biblical Doctrine of Revelation

a) Revelation Depends on Divine Initiative

b) Revelation is a Speech Act

c) Revelation Serves Redemption

d) Propositions Without Propositionalism

e) Revelation and Mediation (p. 126)

f) Essence and Energies

g) Trial and Testimony

叁、神的道

3) The Word of God (p. 135)

a) The Word of God as Law and Gospel

b) God’s Revelation in Creation: General Revelation

i) Scriptural Justification for General Revelation

ii) Historical Interpretations of General Revelation

iii) Karl Barth’s Rejection of Natural Revelation (p. 146)

討論問題

第4章 聖經是聖約規範

Chapter 4: Scripture as Covenant Canon

壹、神的治理章程（聖道是規範）

1) God’s Ruling Constitution: Word as Canon (p. 151)

貳、默示：神的話和人的話

2) Inspiration: God’s Word and Human Words

a) Trinitarian Cooperation in Inspiration

b) God’s Energies: Fiat and Fruitfulness

c) Verbal-Plenary Inspiration

d) Divine and Human Agency in Inspiration

i) Undervaluing the Humanity of Scripture: The Docetic Temptation

ii) The Gospel and the Priority of God’s Agency in Inspiration

e) Inspiration and Illumination (p. 167)

f) Collapsing the Distinction Between Inspiration and Illumination

叁、聖經的真實性

3) The Truthfulness of Scripture (p. 173)

a) The Princeton Formulation of Inerrancy

b) Inerrancy after Barth

討論問題

第5章 聖經和教會：從聖經到體系

Chapter 5: The Bible and the Church: From Scripture to System

壹、聖經的充分性：正典和信仰群體

1) The Sufficiency of Scripture: Canon and Community (p. 186)

a) Sola Scriptura: The Reformation Debate

i) Roman Catholic Teaching

ii) Reformation and Post-Reformation Interpretation

b) Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture in Modern Theology

c) Gospel and Culture (p. 201)

貳、教義的性質：從聖經到系統

2) The Nature of Doctrine: From Scripture to System

a) George Lindbeck’s Models of Doctrine

b) A Covenantal Model of Doctrine: From Drama to Dogmatics

i) Scripture to Dogma

ii) Creeds and Confessions

討論問題

第二部分 永活的神

PART TWO: THE GOD WHO LIVES

第6章 神：不可傳通的屬性

Chapter 6: God: The Incommunicable Attributes

壹、名字、敘事和名詞

1) Names, Narratives, and Nouns (p. 223)

貳、不可傳通的屬性

2) Incommunicable Attributes

a. Simplicity

b. Self-Existence

c. Immutability

i. Scriptural Support

ii. Historical Definition

iii. Modern Challenges (p. 238)

iv. Exegetical Questions

d. Impassibility

i. Defining Impassibility

ii. Evaluating the Doctrine of Impassibility

iii. Recent Criticism of Impassibility

iv. Navigating Between Scylla and Charybdis

e. Eternity and Omnipresence

討論問題

第7章 神：可傳通的屬性

Chapter 7: God: The Communicable Attributes

壹、無所不知和無所不能：神的知識、智慧與能力

1) Omniscience and Omnipotence: God’s Knowledge, Wisdom, and Power (p. 259)

a. Free Agents and the Infinite-Qualitative Distinction

b. Sovereignty and Omniscience

c. Sovereignty and Omnipresence

貳、良善、愛和憐憫

2) Goodness, Love, and Mercy

叁、聖潔、公義與公平

3) Holiness, Righteousness, and Justice (p. 268)

肆、忌邪與忿怒

4) Jealousy and Wrath

討論問題

第8章 聖三一

Chapter 8: The Holy Trinity

壹、三位一體教義的聖經神學發展1) Biblical-Theological Development of Trinitarian Doctrine (p. 273)

貳、歷史神學表述1) Biblical-Theological Development of Trinitarian Doctrine (p. 273)

2) Historical-Theological Formulation

a. The Emergence of Christian Trinitarianism

i. The Problems of Plurality in God

ii. On the Way to Nicea: “One in Essence, Three in Persons”

iii. East-West Tensions

b. Reformed Contributions to Trinitarian Reflections (p. 288)

c. The Trinity in Modern Theology

i. Privileging the One

ii. Privileging the Many

叁、一而多：系統神學的發展

3) One and Many: Systematic-Theological Development

a. Recognizing that All Definitions are Analogies (p. 299)

b. Acknowledging the Distinctions of Subsistences with Their Own Attributes

肆、和子說

4) The Filioque

討論問題

第三部分 創造天地的神

PART THREE: GOD WHO CREATES

第9章 神的諭旨：三一論與預定論

Chapter 9: The Decree: Trinity and Predestination

壹、從戲碼到教義到頌讚

1) Drama to Doctrine to Doxology (p. 309)

貳、歷史上對神諭旨的詮釋

2) Historical Interpretation of God’s Decree

叁、神諭旨的邏輯次序

3) The Logical Order of God’s Decree

a. Traditional Reformed Interpretations

b. Barth’s Revised Supralapsarianism

討論問題

第10章 創造：神幫助我們時

Chapter 10: Creation: God’s Time For Us

壹、聖經脈絡中的從無造有

1) Creation Ex Nihilo in Biblical Context (p. 324)

貳、三位一體與創造

2) The Trinity and Creation

叁、創造性的溝通

3) Creative Communication

肆、創造的完整

4) The Integrity of Creation

伍、超越填補缺口的神：創世記與科學護教學

5) Beyond God of the Gaps: Genesis and Scientific Apologetics (p. 337)

a. The ‘God of the Gaps’ Apologetic

b. Design and Contingency

陸、「我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛」：原初的、持續的和新的創造

6) “I Am the Alpha and the Omega:” Original, Continual, and New Creati

討論問題

第11章 護理之工：神對祂所造萬物的照顧

Chapter 11: Providence: God’s Care For All He Has Made

壹、文化對護理教義的挑戰

1) Cultural Challenges to the Doctrine of Providence (p. 353)

貳、理解護理教義的系統神學範疇

2) Systematic-Theological Categories for Understanding the Doctrine of Providence

a. Direct/Indirect Cause: The Doctrine of Concursus

b. The Revealed/Hidden Distinction (p. 362)

c. Common Grace/Special Grace

d. Providence/Miracle

叁、護理與自然啟示：歷史在基督裏的意義

3) Providence and Natural Revelation: The Meaning of History in Christ

討論問題

第12章 人與天使

Chapter 12: Being Human

壹、使我們成為人的是甚麼？辯論的現狀

1) What Makes Us Human? The State of the Debate (p. 373)

a. Platonism: The Distinguishing Spark

b. A Lucky Animal: Materialist Anthropologies

c. Distinctions without Dualism (p. 377)

貳、我是僕人：甚麼是「神的形象」？

2) The Self as Servant: What is the Image of God?

a. Origins and Eschatology: The Parade of the Creature-Kings

b. The Convergence of Human Personhood and the Imago: Here I Am

c. Image and Embassy: The Imago as Gift and Task

i. Sonship/Royal Dominion

ii. Representation

iii. Glory

iv. Prophetic Witness

叁、天使：天上的使者

3) Angels (p. 406)

討論問題

第13章 人類的墮落

Chapter 13: The Fall of Humanity

壹、宇宙性的審訊

1) The Cosmic Trial (p. 408)

a. False Witness

b. False Representative

貳、裁決和判刑：在亞當裏的契合

2) Verdict and Sentence: Solidarity in Adam

a. Violation of the Covenant of Creation

i. Testimony to the Covenant of Creation from Non-Christian Sources

ii. Testimony to the Covenant of Creation from Christian Sources

iii. Covenant of Love and Law, not Grace (p. 421)

b. The Sanctions of the Covenant: Original Sin

c. Natural and Moral Ability

叁、形象的永久性

3) The Permanence of the Image (p. 434)

肆、緩刑

4) Stay of Execution

伍、「以色列，我所愛的」：兩個亞當之間

5) “Israel, My Beloved:” Between the Two Adams

討論問題

第四部分 拯救的神

PART FOUR: GOD WHO RESCUES

第14章 基督的位格

 Chapter 14: The Person of Christ

壹、彌賽亞後嗣

1) The Messianic Heir (p. 446)

a. The Faithful Adam and True Israel

b. Messianic Savior: Son of David

c. Son of Man: Second Adam

d. Servant of the Lord

貳、神子：父在聖靈裏的兒子

2) Son of God: The Son of the Father in the Spirit

a. Sonship: Ontological and Official

b. Preexistent Son

叁、一個位格，兩個本性：道成肉身

3) Two Natures in One Person: The Incarnation (p. 468)

a. Exegetical Summary

b. Dogmatic Development

i. The First Controversies: God and Human?

ii. Two Natures in One Person

iii. Reformation Debates

iv. Modern Christologies

討論問題

第15章 降卑的狀態：基督的三重職分

Chapter 15: The State of Humiliation: Christ’s Threefold Office

壹、基督是先知

1) Christ as Prophet (p. 483)

貳、基督是祭司

2) Christ as Priest

a. Christ’s Priestly Life

b. Christ’s Priestly Death: The Meaning of the Cross

i. An Exegetical (Biblical Theological) Account of Christ’s Cross

1. Lamb of God: Sacrifice and Satisfaction

2. Conquering Liberator: Victory over the Powers

ii. Systematic Theology: Theories of the Atonement (p. 501)

iii. Responding to Contemporary Criticism of Substitutionary Atonement

iv. The Extent of Christ’s Atonement

討論問題

第16章 高升的狀態：本身就是主的那位僕人

Chapter 16: The State of Exaltation: The Servant Who is Lord

壹、復活與君尊

1) Resurrection and Royalty (p. 521)

貳、基督是君王：升天

2) Christ as King: The Ascension

叁、升天的意義

3) The Significance of the Ascension

肆、君王和祂的國度

4) The King and His Kingdom (p. 535)

a. Covenant and Kingdom

b. The Kingdom and Eschatology

討論問題

第五部分 以恩典統治的神

 PART FIVE: GOD WHO REIGNS IN GRACE

第17章 蒙召成為聖徒：基督在聖靈中的同在

Chapter 17: Called to be Saints: Christ’s Presence in the Spirit

壹、應許的聖靈

1) The Spirit of Promise (p. 551)

a. The Holy Spirit in Creation and History

b. The Spirit at Pentecost

c. The Spirit’s Ongoing Ministry: Fulfilling Christ’s Pledge (Jn 14-16) (p. 556)

i. Election and Effectual Calling

ii. The State of the Controversy

iii. Effectual Calling and the Bondage of the Will

iv. Effectual Calling and Election (p. 565)

v. Effectual Calling and the Question of Coercion

vi. Regeneration as Effectual Calling

vii. Conversion

viii. Repentance

ix. Faith (p. 580)

x. Differing Conceptions of Faith

xi. Faith and Assurance

貳、聖靈賜生命的恩賜

討論問題

第18章 與基督聯合

Chapter 18: Union with Christ

壹、聯合的本質

1) The Nature of the Union (p. 588)

a. Exegetical Development

b. Historical Development

i. Ancient Church to the Reformation

ii. Reformation Views of the Mystical Unio

貳、聯合對融合：對比的範式

2) Union Verses Fusion: Contrasting Paradigms (p. 602)

叁、本性與恩典

3) Nature and Grace

a. Union with God…verses Union with Christ (p. 605)

b. Infused Habits

c. Essence and Energies

肆、約和條件性

4) Covenant and Conditionality (p. 615)

討論問題

第19章 與基督聯合的法庭層面：稱義與兒子的名分

Chapter 19: Forensic Aspects of Union with Christ: Justification and Adoption

壹、不敬虔之人的稱義

1) Justification of the Ungodly (p. 620)

a. The State of the Controversy

i. The Reformation Debate

ii. Divergences among Protestants

iii. Justification in Modern and Contemporary Theology (p. 629)

b. Defining Justification Exegetically

i. Declarative (Judicial) Meaning

ii. The Righteousness of God

iii. Imputed Righteousness (p. 635)

貳、兒子的名分：創造新關係的新地位

2) Adoption: A New Status that Creates a New Relationship (p. 642)

結論

討論問題

第20章 在恩典中前進：成聖與堅忍

Chapter 20: The Way Forward in Grace: Sanctification and Perseverance

壹、歸主為聖：確定和漸進的成聖

1) Holy to the Lord: Definitive and Progressive Sanctification (p. 650)

a. Definitively Sanctified

b. Progressively Sanctified

貳、末世論：同時是稱義和有罪的人

2) Eschatology: Simultaneously Justified and Sinful

a. Avoiding an Underrealized Eschatology of Sanctification (p. 658)

b. Avoiding an Overrealized Eschatology of Sanctification

叁、治死罪與向神活

3) Mortification and Vivification

肆、神的恩典和人的活動

4) Divine Grace and Human Activity (p. 662)

a. Legalism

b. Antinomianism (p. 673)

伍、律法和基督徒生活

5) The Law and the Christian Life

陸、聖徒的堅忍

6) Perseverance of the Saints

a. Exegetical Overview

b. Alternative Interpretations

討論問題

第21章 榮耀的盼望：「所稱為義的人，又叫他們得榮耀」（羅八30）

Chapter 21: The Hope of Glory (Romans 8:30)

壹、得榮耀：我們救贖中「未然」的一面

1) Glorification: The Not Yet Aspect of Our Redemption (p. 689)

貳、對得榮耀的不同觀點

2) Differing Views of Glorification

a. Eastern Orthodoxy: Theosis

b. Reformed Theology

叁、神化和榮福直觀—復活和安息日

3) Deification and the Beatific Vision as Resurrection and Sabbath

肆、金鏈

4) The Golden Chain (p. 708)

討論問題

第22章 恩典國度與新約教會

Chapter 22: The Kingdom of Grace and the New Covenant Church

壹、文化使命和大使命

1) The Cultural Mandate and the Great Commission (p. 713)

貳、聖經神學的發展：教會的隱喻

2) Biblical-theological Development: Metaphors of the Church

a. Suzerain and Vassal

b. A Missionary People

c. Remnant

d. Family

e. Bride

f. City

g. The Israel of God

h. Body (p. 733)

叁、從歷史視角看教會論

3) Ecclesiologies in Historical Perspective

a. Ecclesiology in the Ancient Church

b. The Shaping of Medieval Ecclesiology (p. 739)

c. Roman Catholic Ecclesiologies in the Modern Era

d. Reformation Ecclesiologies

e. Anabaptist, Free Church, and Pentecostal Ecclesiologies

討論問題

历史上的教会论

ECCLESIOLOGIES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

文 / 麦克•霍顿（Michael Horton） 译 / 述宁    校 / 雅斤

The Christian Faith ASystematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way一书的第22章第三部分。

The Christian Faith_ A Systematic Theolo - Michael S. Horton.pdf

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/QG85fizN727Wsq_Mo_oe8g

https://yibaniba.blogspot.com/2020/05/ecclesiologiesin-historical-perspective.html

第23章 聖道與聖禮：恩典的媒介

Chapter 23: Word and Sacrament: The Means of Grace

壹、聖禮的道：講道作為恩典的媒介

1) The Sacramental Word: Preaching as a Means of Grace (p. 751)

a. The Church as the Creation of the Word

b. God’s Creative and Redemptive Speech

c. The Word Creates Community

d. Challenges to Preaching as Means of Grace (p. 761)

貳、聖禮

2) The Sacraments

a. Historical-theological Examination of the Sacraments

i. Ancient and Medieval Views

ii. Anabaptist Views

iii. Reformation Views

iv. Contemporary Evangelical Views

b. Identifying the Sacraments: How Many? (p. 771)

i. OT Sacraments

ii. NT Sacraments

iii. Evaluating the Claims for Additional Sacraments

c. Biblical Theological Examination of the Sacraments: Covenantal Ratification

叁、禱告：感恩的主要內容

3) Prayer

討論問題

第24章 洗禮與主餐

Chapter 24: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

壹、洗禮

1) Baptism (p. 788)

a. Circumcision and Baptism

b. The Effect of Baptism

c. The Mode and Administrators of Baptism

d. The Proper Subjects: The Question of Infant Baptism

貳、聖餐

2) The Supper (p. 798)

a. The Cup of Salvation: Supper in its Covenantal Context

b. Historical Views of the Lord’s Supper

i. The Rise of the Dogma of Transubstantiation

ii. The Lutheran View

iii. The Reformed View

c. Eucharist and Ecclesia (p. 824)

i. Separating the Sign from the Signified

ii. Confusing Sign and Signified

iii. Sign and Signified: Union without Confusion

討論問題

第25章 教會的屬性：合一、大公與聖潔

Chapter 25: The Attributes of the Church: Unity, Catholicity, and Holiness

壹、以多為一：合併基督和教會

1) The Many as One: Conflating Christ and the Church (p. 829)

貳、以一為多：對比基督與教會

2) The One as Many: Contrasting Christ and the Church

叁、找到我們的方向，找出座標

3) Finding Our Bearing, Locating Coordinates

a. The Eschatological Coordinate

b. The Covenantal Coordinate

c. The Pneumatological Coordinate

肆、合一性與大公性

4) Unity and Catholicity (p. 846)

a. NT Presuppositions for Unity and Catholicity

b. Visible and Invisible

c. Covenant and Connectionalism

伍、教會在基督裏的聖潔：教會「在自身以外」成聖

5) Ecclesial Holiness in Christ: The Church Sanctified Outside of Itself

a. Nature and Grace: Historical Institution or Eschatological Event?

b. Holy Service (p. 869)

討論問題

第26章 使徒性：領受者和傳遞者的團契

Chapter 26: Apostolicity: A Fellowship of Receivers and Deliverers

壹、信息和媒介

1) The Message and the Media (p. 873)

貳、使徒性和使徒身分

2) Apostolicity and Apostleship

a. Differing Interpretations

i. Binding Apostolicity to an Official Office

ii. Separating Apostolicity from the Official Ministry

b. Apostolicity in Covenantal Perspective

i. Apostolicity Identified with the Apostolic Gospel: The End of an Era

ii. The Diversity of Spiritual Gifts: Apostolicity and the General Office

iii. The Importance of Church Office in the Ordinary Ministry (p. 887)

c. Keys of the Kingdom: Ministry of Reconciliation

討論問題

第陸部分 在榮耀中統治的神

PART SIX: GOD WHO REIGNS IN GLORY

第27章 一個居所

Chapter 27: A Dwelling Place

壹、死亡與居間狀態

1) Death and the Intermediate State (p. 906)

a. Creation-Consummation Versus the Immortality of the Soul

i. Dualism and the Myth of the Exiled Soul

ii. Physicalism/Materialism

b. The Fall Versus the Naturalness of Death

i. Immediate Conscious Existence in the Presence of the Lord

ii. Opposition to Immediate Conscious Existence in the Presence of the Lord

貳、身體的復活

2) The Resurrection of the Body

討論問題

第28章 基督再來與最後審判

Chapter 28: The Return of Christ and the Last Judgment

壹、未來的歷史：千禧年的辯論

1) The History of the Future: Millenial Debates (p. 920)

a. Early Jewish and Christian Eschatologies

b. Ancient and Medieval Eschatologies

c. Reformation Eschatologies

d. Early Modern Eschatologies: Postmillenialism and Progress

e. Later Modern Eschatologies: Premillenial Pessimism

f. Broader Trends in Contemporary Eschatology

貳、從解經來評估千禧年的視角

2) Evaluating Millenial Perspectives Exegetically (p. 934)

叁、以色列與末時

3) Israel and the End Times

肆、敵基督和隱祕被提

4) Antichrist and the Secret Rapture

a. The Antichrist (p. 951)

b. The Secret Rapture

討論問題

第29章 最後之戰和永遠的生命

Chapter 29: The Last Battle and Life Everlasting

壹、聖戰與救贖歷史

1) Holy War and the History of Redemption (p. 957)

a. From Adam until Moses

b. From the Prophets until Christ

貳、聖戰與彌賽亞國度

2) Holy War and the Messianic Kingdom

叁、天堂與地獄

3) Heaven and Hell

a. Eternal Punishment

i. Apokatastasis and Inclusivism (p. 977)

ii. Annihilation

b. Everlasting Shalom

討論問題

術語表 Glossary

索引（放在網路上）