作者: 史鮑爾
(R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
拿撒勒人耶穌是在歷史上擁有最多稱號的人，今概述如下：基督、主、人子、救主、大衛的子孫、尊榮的大祭司、神的兒子、阿拉法、俄梅戛、夫子、拉比、義者、先知、沙芲的玫瑰花、谷中的百合花、中保、猶大的獅子、神的羔羊、第二個亞當。
耶穌主要的稱號有：
1.
基督。基督這稱號常與耶穌並提，以致有人甚至誤以基督為耶穌的姓。基督其實不是名字，也不是姓，而是一個稱號，這稱號指出耶穌之彌褰亞的身分和工作。基督一詞來自希臘文Christos,
譯自希伯來文彌賽亞一詞。基督和彌賽亞都是「受膏者」之意。
舊約聖經對有關這位應許將要來臨、且要受聖靈特別膏抹的彌賽亞，所持之觀念是多面且複雜的，因此猶太人對彌賽亞並沒有一致的看法。
其中一個有關彌賽亞的概念是，祂是王，是受膏的大衛子孫，是猶大的獅子，將會恢復大衛王沒落的國度（這個概念使猶太人格外興奮，以致他們熱切地盼望有一位政治領袖降臨，拯救他們脫離羅馬的奴役）。
然而，這位彌賽亞又被稱作神的仆人-----------即以賽亞預言中那位受苦的仆人。這兩個不同的概念，看似無法融合在同一人身上，但卻明顯地集於耶穌一身。
這位彌賽亞是屬天的（人子），與父神有極獨特的關系（神子），而且要同時作祭司和先知。當我們愈了解彌賽亞概念的複雜性，便會愈訝異這許多概念，竟能如此融匯交織在耶穌的位格和工作上。
2.
主。新約聖經中第二個最常用在耶穌身上的稱號是主。這稱號對認識新約所描繪的耶穌十分重要。主一詞在新約中有三種不同的用法：第一種是常用的禮貌稱謂，一如文𥚃的「先生」；第二種是奴隸對主人的稱謂，象征耶穌是我們的主人。第三種是皇室用語，用來指統治者。
第一世紀時，羅馬君王要求臣民宣誓效忠，誓言是：「該撒是主。」但基督徒們寧願殉道也不依從，相反地，他們宣示了第一條基督徒信經：「耶穌是主。」稱耶穌為主，不但對羅馬人來說是非常激進的，對猶太人更是如此，因為這稱號在舊約時代只能用在神身上。
主的稱號是父神賜給耶穌的，它也正是保羅在腓立比書二章9節所說，那「超乎萬名之上的名」。
3.
人子。這是耶穌最奇妙的稱號，但也可能是最易被人誤解的一個稱號。因為教會認信耶穌的神人二性，肯定耶穌是真人、也是真神。加上聖經稱耶穌為人子和神子，所以很容易使人以為人子的稱號是表明耶穌的人性，而神子的稱號是表明耶穌的神性。但事實並非如此，雖然人子的稱號包含了人性的成分，但這稱號主要是用來說明耶穌的神性；神子的稱號也包含神性的成分，但這稱號主要是用來描述耶穌如同兒子一樣的順服。
人子之稱號的另一個重要性，是它雖然是新約中第三個最常用的耶穌稱號（在基督和主之後），但卻是耶穌自己用得最多（廣義上來說）的一個稱號。耶穌喜歡以人子自稱。
人子的稱號之所以重要，乃與舊約的但以理書（見但7章）有關，該處很清楚地用人子一詞來指一位屬天的宇宙審判者。在耶穌的口中，人子並不是一種虛假的謙稱，而是對自己擁有神聖權柄的大膽宣告，例如，耶穌即宣稱人子擁有赦罪的權柄（可2：10），是源自神，也是安息日的主（可2：28）。
4.
道（Logos)。在第一至三世紀時，耶穌的稱號沒有一個比這個稱號引起更多哲學和神學的探究。道是初期教會基督論之發展的核心。約翰福音的開場白對我們了解以道為核心的基督論是十分重要的；約翰寫道：「太初有道，道與神同在，道就是神。」（約1：1）
這段重要的經文表明出道既與神有別（「道與神同在」），卻又在各方面完全是神（「道就是神））。此看似矛盾的說法對三位一體教義的發展有很大的影響，道被視為三位一體的第二位，祂與父神的位格不同，但本質相同。
基督教哲學家傾心於以道作為耶穌的稱號是可以理解的。道雖然可以直譯為「話」（word), 但因道這詞一直被哲學家所使用，所以蘊含著很豐富的意義。古希臘人關切對宇宙的認識，追求了解「終極的實存」（形上學），他們的哲學家探尋那使得具有多樣性的受造界和諧又有秩序的統合因由和力量（宇宙論）；他們尋找萬物秩序歸向的理性原理（nous),
希臘人稱這個具統合性的終極實存為道（logos):
道使實存界能協調或有邏輯，這個觀念也被早期的赫拉克利特（Heraclitus)
和後來的斯多噶派（Stoic)
所採納，視道為抽象的宇宙定律。
雖然道這個滿載了基督教發展之前的希臘哲學思維，但聖經對道一詞的用法卻是超越哲學的。創世記一章3節及其下經文說：「神說......就有了........
」可見神的話使得實存界被創造出來。對於道的關念，新約聖經與希臘哲學最大的區別，就是新約中的道是有位格的---------道成為人，生於世上，死於世上。
總結
1.
彌賽亞是「受膏者」之意，耶穌的這個稱號表明，祂同時擔當了君王和受苦之仆的角色。彌賽亞是最常被用來稱呼耶穌的稱號。
2.
主是第二個最常用的耶穌的稱號，這稱號表明耶穌為宇宙之主宰，擁有最高的權柄。
3.
人子是耶穌最常用的自稱，這稱號主要是用來指耶穌是宇宙的審判者。
4.
道一字無論在希伯來和希臘文化傳統中均有很豐富的意義。耶穌是道，是宇宙的創造者，是宇宙背後的終極實存，也是維持宇宙的那一位。
思考經文：
創1：1-2；3 ；太9：1-8；太16：13-21；約1：1-18；啟19：11-16
36.
The Title Of Jesus
Jesus
of Nazareth was given more titles than any other person in history. A
brief
sampling would include the following:
Christ、Lord、Son
of Man、Savior、Son
of David、Great
High Priest、Son
of God、Alpha
& Omega 、Master、Teacher、Righteousness、Prophet、Rose
of Sharon、Lily
of the Valley、Advocate、Lion
of Judah、Lamb
of God、Second
Adam
The
chief titles given to Jesus are:
1.
Christ. The title Christ is so often given to Jesus that people often mistake
it for his last name. It is, however, not a name, but a title that refers to
his position and work as Messiah. The term Christ comes from the Greek
Christos, which is used to translate the Hebrew word for Messiah. Both Christ
and Messiah mean “Anointed One.”
In the Old Testament the concept of the
promised Messiah, who would be uniquely anointed by the Holy Spirit, was a
many-sided and complex idea. The Jews did not all have the same idea about the
Messiah.
One
concept of the Messiah was that he would be a king. He would be the anointed
Son of David, the Lion of Judah, who would restore the fallen kingdom of David.
(This aspect greatly excited the Jews and fanned the flames of their hope for a
political ruler who would free them from their bondage to Rome.)
But
the Messiah was also called to be the Servant of God, indeed the Suffering
Servant spoken of in Isaiah’s prophecy. These two strands seemed virtually
impossible to unite in one person, though in Jesus they obviously were.
The
Messiah would also be a heavenly being (Son of Man) and would be uniquely
related to God the Father (Son of God). He would be both priest and prophet as
well. The more we realize how complex the concept of Messiah was, the more
amazed we are at the intricate way in which all these strands were woven
together in the person and work of Jesus.
2.
Lord. The second most frequently used title for Jesus in the New Testament is
the title Lord. This title is of supreme importance to understanding the New
Testament portrait of Jesus. The term lord is used in three distinct ways in
the New Testament. The first is as a common form of polite address, similar to
the English word sir. The second usage refers to a slave owner or “master.”
Here it is applied in a figurative sense to Jesus. He is our master. The third
usage is the imperial usage. Here it refers to one who is sovereign.
In
the first century, the Roman emperors demanded a loyalty oath fromtheir
subjects by which they were required to confess the formula “Caesaris Lord.”
Christians were martyred for refusing to comply. Instead, they proclaimed the
first Christian creed, “Jesus is Lord.” To call Jesus “Lord” was radical not
only from a Roman standpoint but especially from a Jewish standpoint, for it is
the title given to God Himself in the Old Testament.
The
title Lord was bestowed upon Jesus by God the Father. It is the “name which is
above every name” that Paul speaks of in Philippians 2:9.
3.
Son of Man. This title is one of the more fascinating titles given to Jesus and
perhaps the one most frequently misunderstood. Because the church confesses the
dual nature of Jesus, that He is truly man and truly God, and because the Bible
describes Jesus as Son of Man and Son of God, it is tempting to assume that Son
of Man refers to Jesus’ humanity and Son of God refers to His deity. This, however,
is not exactly the case. Though the
title
Son of Man includes an element of humanity, its primary reference is to Jesus’
divine nature. The title Son of God also includes a reference to deity but its
primary focus is on Jesus’ obedience as a son.
This
title, Son of Man, takes on added importance when we realize that though it
ranks third (well down the list) in terms of frequency of usage in the New
Testament (behind Christ and Lord), it ranks first (by a wide margin) of Jesus’
use of titles for Himself. Son of Man is far and away Jesus’ favorite
designation for Himself.
The
importance of this title is drawn from its link to Daniel’s use of it in the
Old Testament (see Daniel 7). Here Son of Man clearly refers to a heavenly
being who functions in the role of cosmic Judge. On Jesus’ lips the title is
not an exercise in false humility, but a bold claim to divine authority. Jesus
claimed, for example, that the Son of Man had authority to
forgive
sins (Mark 2:10), a divine perogative, and was Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28).
4.
The Logos. No title for Jesus engendered more intense philosophical and
theological interest in the first three centuries than the title Logos. Logos was central to the early church’s
development of Christology. The prologue of John’s Gospel is crucial to this Christological
understanding of the Logos. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word
(Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God, and the Word (Logos) was God” (John
1:1).
In
this remarkable passage the Logos is both distinguished from God (“was with
God”) and identified with God (“was God”). This paradox had great influence on
the development of the doctrine of the Trinity, whereby the Logos is seen as
the Second Person of the Trinity. He differs in person from the Father, but is
one in essence with the Father.
That
Christian philosophies were drawn to the logos concept as a title for Jesus is
easy to understand. Though the term logos can be translated simply “word,” it
had a history of technical philosophical usage which gave logos a rich meaning.
The ancient Greeks were concerned about making sense of the universe and thus
embarked on a quest for “ultimate reality” (metaphysics). Their philosophers
sought the unifying factor or power that brought order and harmony to the wide
diversity of the created realm (cosmology). They searched for a nous (mind) to
which (or whom) they could attribute the order of all things. To this unifying
ultimate reality the Greeks gave the name logos. It provided the coherence or
“logic” of reality. The concept was used by Heraclitus and later by Stoic
philosophy, where it was used as a cosmic, abstract law.
Though
the term is thus loaded with pre-Christian Greek philosophical baggage, the
biblical use of logos goes well beyond the Greek usage. In Genesis 1:3ff. we
are told that “God said . . . and there was.” Thus, it is by God’s word that
creation came into being. What sets the logos concept apart most significantly
from Greek philosophy, however, is that the New Testament “logos” is
personal—the Word became a man who lived and
died
in our world.
Summary
1.
Messiah means “anointed one” and is used as a title for Jesus to signify His
role as both King and Suffering Servant. Messiah is the title most frequently
used for Jesus.
2.
Lord is the second most frequently used title for Jesus and refers to His
supreme authority as Sovereign of the universe.
3.
Son of Man is the title Jesus used most often in reference to Himself. This
title primarily refers to Jesus’ role as Judge of the whole cosmos.
4.
The title Logos has a rich heritage in both Hebrew and Greek culture. Jesus is
the Logos—the Creator of the universe, the ultimate reality behind the
universe, and the One who is constantly sustaining the universe.
Biblical
passages for reflection:
Genesis
1:1-2:3；Matthew
9:1-8；Matthew
16:13-21；John
1:1-18； Revelation
19:11-16
转载自:
