作者：Timothy W.
Massaro 譯者： 駱鴻銘
主耶穌的「道成肉身」，是用來描述當三一真神的第二位格，即上帝永恆的愛子「變成肉身」，或「變成有形有體」，為了我們的救恩，變成「凡事與祂的弟兄相同」（來二17）時所發生的事的用語。耶穌是在馬利亞的腹中奇蹟似地成孕的，祂是萬國的盼望。這是一個極大的奧秘——聖子的神性完美地與祂的人性聯合在一個位格（Person）裏。這個位格，即耶穌基督，同時是「完全神與完全人」。
The
Incarnation of Jesus is the terminology used to describe what happened when the
second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, “became flesh” or “became
embodied,” to become completely like us for our salvation (Heb. 2:17). Jesus
was miraculously conceived in the womb of Mary, the great hope of the nations.
This is a great mystery—the divine nature of the Son was perfectly united with
human nature in one Person. This person, Jesus Christ, was both “truly God and
truly man.”
上帝通過基督的道成肉身解決的四道難題是：
Here
are four problems God solves through the Incarnation of Christ:
1.不完美的兒女1. Imperfect
Children
在上帝的第一個孩子亞當裏，人類墮入罪中，死了。亞當沒有遵行他天父所吩咐的一切；但是在基督裏，我們有上帝完美的愛子帶來的生命和收養，解決了死亡以及與神隔絕的難題：In Adam, the first
child of God, mankind fell into sin and death. Adam didn’t do all that his heavenly Father had
commanded; and yet, in Christ we have the perfect Son bringing life and
adoption where there was once death and alienation:
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。沒有律法之先，罪已經在世上；但沒有律法，罪也不算罪。然而從亞當到摩西，死就作了王，連那些不與亞當犯一樣罪過的，也在他的權下。亞當乃是那以後要來之人的預像。只是過犯不如恩賜，若因一人的過犯，眾人都死了，何況神的恩典，與那因耶穌基督一人恩典中的賞賜，豈不更加倍的臨到眾人嗎？因一人犯罪就定罪，也不如恩賜，原來審判是由一人而定罪，恩賜乃是由許多過犯而稱義。若因一人的過犯，死就因這一人作了王，何況那些受洪恩又蒙所賜之義的，豈不更要因耶穌基督一人在生命中作王嗎？（羅五12～17）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….But
the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and
the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And
the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment
following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many
trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned
through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus
Christ. (Rom. 5:12–17)
2.不完美的順服2. Imperfect
Obedience
人類一直以來都想要靠不斷獻上不完美的順服來尋求上帝。基督成為人的樣式，順服祂的父神，以至於死：Mankind has sought to reach out to God by continually
offering imperfect obedience. Yet, God reached down to humans because there was
no other way they might be saved. Christ took on the likeness of men in humility,
being obedient to his Father even to the point of death:
你們當以基督耶穌的心為心：祂本有神的形像，不以自己與神同等為強奪的；反倒虛己，取了奴僕的形像，成為人的樣式；既有人的樣子，就自己卑微，存心順服，以至於死，且死在十字架上。所以，神將祂升為至高，又賜給祂那超乎萬名之上的名，叫一切在天上的、地上的，和地底下的，因耶穌的名無不屈膝，無不口稱「耶穌基督為主」，使榮耀歸與父神。（腓二5～11）Christ Jesus, who,
though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in
the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God
has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:5–11)
3. 不完美的人性3. Imperfect
Humanity
在亞當的罪裏，人是必死的，沒有人可以得到上帝所應許的永生。隨著基督的道成肉身，人的本性不只是得到了恢復，而且更藉著祂的復活，被帶進到上帝所應許的永生當中。Man’s mortality was sealed in the sin of Adam, and
none could reach the immortal life God promised. With the incarnation of
Christ, man’s nature was not
only restored but also brought to the immortality promised him by the
resurrection:
因此經上記著說：「首先的人亞當成了賜有靈的活人，末後的亞當成了叫人活的靈；但屬靈的不在先，屬血氣的在先，以後才有屬靈的。頭一個人是出於地，乃屬土；第二個人是出於天。那屬土的怎樣，凡屬土的也就怎樣；屬天的怎樣，凡屬天的也就怎樣。我們既有屬土的形狀，將來也必有屬天的形狀。Thus it is written,
“The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But
it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.
The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the
man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the
image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
弟兄們，我告訴你們說，血肉之體不能承受神的國，必朽壞的不能承受不朽壞的。我如今把一件奧秘的事告訴你們：我們不是都要睡覺，乃是都要改變，就在一霎時，眨眼之間，號筒末次吹響的時候。因號筒要響，死人要復活成為不朽壞的，我們也要改變。這必朽壞的總要變成不朽壞的，這必死的總要變成不死的。這必朽壞的既變成不朽壞的，這必死的既變成不死的，那時經上所記「死被得勝吞滅」的話就應驗了。死啊！你得勝的權勢在那裡？死啊！你的毒鉤在那裡？死的毒鉤就是罪，罪的權勢就是律法。感謝神，使我們藉著我們的主耶穌基督得勝。（林前十五45～47）I tell you this,
brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the
perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be
raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put
on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the
perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then
shall come to pass the saying that is written:“Death is swallowed up in
victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God,
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:45–57)
4. 不完美的獻祭4. Imperfect Sacrifice
自從亞當墮落之後，人類就努力想要透過獻祭的宗教來平息上帝的震怒。在基督的道成肉身當中，我們找到了完全甘心樂意的祭，叫一切相信的人得到完全：Ever since the fall, mankind has endeavored to appease
God through sacrificial religion. In the incarnation of Christ, we find the
perfectly willing sacrifice that perfects all who believe in him:
因為公牛和山羊的血，斷不能除罪。所以基督到世上來的時候，就說：神啊，祭物和禮物是你不願意的；你曾給我預備了身體。燔祭和贖罪祭是你不喜歡的。那時我說：神啊，我來了，為要照你的旨意行；我的事在經卷上已經記載了。以上說：「祭物和禮物，燔祭和贖罪祭，是你不願意的，也是你不喜歡的（這都是按著律法獻的）」；後又說：「我來了為要照你的旨意行」；可見祂是除去在先的，為要立定在後的。我們憑這旨意，靠耶穌基督，只一次獻上祂的身體，就得以成聖。It is impossible
for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ
came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you
have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O
God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book. . .’” And by that will
we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all.
凡祭司天天站著事奉神，屢次獻上一樣的祭物，這祭物永不能除罪。但基督獻了一次永遠的贖罪祭，就在神的右邊坐下了。從此，等候祂仇敵成了祂的腳凳。因為祂一次獻祭，便叫那得以成聖的人永遠完全。（來十4～14）And every priest
stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single
sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that
time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single
offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Heb.
10:4–14)
基督徒生活最重要的三個字是：罪咎（guilt），恩典（grace）和感恩（gratitude），而這三個字的英文都是G開頭的。
The three most important words for the Christian life begin with a “g”: guilt,
grace, and gratitude.
1. 罪咎1.
Guilt
上帝的律法揭露出我們的罪咎，向我們顯明我們在何處違背了上帝的誡命（羅三20）。沒有律法，我們就會我行我素，自我感覺良好，而且無可避免地會創造出一些標準（即「律法」），並以此標準來生活，也要求別人按照這個標準來生活，但是我們所有的人都達不到這個標準。這是為了逃避這個現實，即我們所有的人都虧缺了上帝的榮耀。我們有必要聽見我們有罪的信息，好叫我們醒悟過來，認識恩典的信息。
The Law of God exposes our guilt, and it shows us
where exactly we have broken God’s commandments (Rom. 3:20). Without hearing the
Law, we will continue to go on in our lives thinking that we’re doing just
fine. We will inevitably create standards (a.k.a. “laws”) by which we can live
and others will never really measure up to—avoiding the reality that all of us
have fallen short of the glory of God. We need to hear a message of guilt, so
that we will wake up to the message of grace.
2. 恩典2.
Grace
上帝的恩典全部的內容就是上帝對違背律法的人所施的恩典。上帝在祂的獨生愛子裏，已經承擔了我們違背律法所當得的審判和刑罰，祂也完美地代表我們遵行了一切的律法。耶穌基督達到了上帝律法的標準，所以我們不必靠遵行律法來得救。恩典的信息是上帝已經為我們完成了一切，而不是我們能為上帝做什麼。
The Gospel of God is all about God’s grace to lawbreakers (Rom. 3:21–25). In
his Son, God has taken upon himself the judgment and punishment we deserved for
breaking the law, and he has also perfectly obeyed all of the law for us. Jesus
Christ measured up so we wouldn’t have to. The message of grace is what God has
done for us—not what we can do for God.
3. 感恩3.
Gratitude
當我們聽聞這個恩典的信息，我們唯一正當的回應是衷心感謝上帝，並以愛心來服事我們的鄰舍（弗二10；約十五5）。當別人給我們一件超過我們期望的禮物，我們正常的回應是感謝。福音對我們作的，更是超乎百倍，使我們歡喜快樂並讚美上帝（羅十一33）！我們心中充滿信、望、愛；因著上帝為我們所已經成就的、和正在我們心中所作的，我們的善行就會從我們感恩的心流溢出來，流到其他人身上。
Our only response to hearing this message of grace is
heartfelt gratitude to God and loving service to our neighbors (Eph. 2:10; John
15:5). When someone gives us a gift that we weren’t expecting, our usual
response is gratitude. The gospel does this to us a hundredfold and causes us
to rejoice and praise God (Rom. 11:33)! We are filled with faith, hope, and
love; and even good works spill over onto others because of this great work
that God has done for us—and is doing in us.
