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REDEMPTION Accomplished and Applied part 2-section 4

《再思救赎奇恩》第二部分第四讲,

我们来到第二章:有效的呼召正文的第一段The Author,就是呼召者,是谁在做呼召的,

主讲:林慈信牧师_校对:刘加立_文字:cherry

In connection with the subject of this caption there are particularly two things to be noted.关于the author呼召的作成者,就是呼召者这个题目呢,我们要讲两方面的事情。

  1. 第一件事情,God is the author.上帝是做呼召的那一位,(Cor.1:9,哥林多前书第一章第9节) “God is faithful, by whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord”上帝是信实的,你们原是被祂所召,好与祂儿子我们的主耶稣基督一同得份。(2 Tim. 1:8,9,提摩太后书第一章第8节和第9节)“ Be thou partaker of afflictions of gospel according to the power of God who saved us and called us with a holy calling”你不要以给我们的主作见证为耻,也不要以我这位主被囚的为耻,总要按着神的能力,与我们为福音同受苦难。上帝救了我们,以圣召召我们,不是按我们的行为,乃是按祂的旨意和恩典。这恩典是万古之先在基督耶稣里赐给我们的。”

In this respect从这个角度来看呢,calling is an act of God’s grace and power呼召乃是上帝的恩典和大能的一个的作为,just as regeneration, justification, and adoption are.就正如重生、称义和收养我们做神的儿女,都是上帝的恩典和大能的作为。We  do not call ourselves我们并不是呼召自己的,we do not set ourselves apart by sovereign volition 我们并不是用自己主权的意志来把自己分别出来,any more than we regenerate, justify, or adopt ourselves.就正如我们不可能,也不自己重生自己,自己称自己为义,或者自己收养自己做神的儿女跟后嗣。Calling  is an act of God and of God alone,呼召是神的作为,是唯独是神的作为。This fact should make us keenly aware how dependent we are upon the sovereign  grace of God in the application of redemption.这个事实应该让我们很清楚地意识到,在救赎的施行这件事情上,我们是多么的依靠上帝主权的恩典。

If calling is the initial step in our becoming actual partakers of the salvation,假如呼召是第一步,使我们成为参与救恩,就是具体的得到救恩的这个过程的第一步,the fact that God is its author上帝是这个呼召的做成者这个事实呢,forcefully remind us that很大能有力地提醒我 the pure sovereign of God’s works of salvation is not suspended at the point of application any more than at the point of design and objective accomplishment. 很大能有力地提醒我们:上帝的救赎的工作是完全由祂主权做成的,在设计这个救赎计划是如此,完全有祂的主权,在客观的成就救赎是如此,完全是祂的主权的大工。同样的,在施行救赎的时候完全是上帝主权的救赎大工,没有分别的。We may not like this doctrine.我们可能不喜欢这个教义。 but,if so,但是如果我们不喜欢的话呢,it is because we are averse to the grace of God乃是因为我们反对抵挡上帝的恩典,and wish to arrogate to ourselves the prerogative  that belongs to God.我们也喜欢妄取唯独属于上帝的特权。And we know where that disposition had its origin.我们也知道这种的心情的起源是什么地方,简单的说就是罪。

  1. 第二点。It is God the Father who is the specific agent in the effectual call.做成有效的呼召的那位特别是父上帝。This aspect of Biblical teaching we are too liable to overlook.圣经的教训的这一个层面,我们是最有可能忽略的。We think of the Father as the person of the trinity who planned salvation and as the specific agent in the election.我们往往想到父神时候呢,就想到祂是三位一体的三个位格里面特别是计划救恩,特别是亲自拣选人的那一位。And we thnk properly when we do so.我们这样想的时候,是想的对的。But we fail to discern other emphases of Scripture但是我们往往没有看到圣经所强调的其祂的要点and we do dishonor to the Father,when we think of him simply as planning salvation and redemption. 假如我们只想到父神是计划救恩和救赎的话,我们就没有把应有的尊荣归给祂。

The Father is not far removed from the effectuation of that which he designed in his eternal counsel and accomplished in the death of his Son;父神啊在施行救恩的时候并不是很遥远的,施行什么救恩呢?就是祂在祂的永恒计划所设计的,也是在祂的儿子的死的时候所实现的所成就的这个救恩,当施行的时候,祂并不是离开我们很远的; he comes into the most intimate relationship with his people in the application of redemption在救赎的施行的大工上,祂进入到与祂的子民最亲密的关系,by being the specific and particularly actor in the inception of such application.就是说,在救赎施行的时候,第一步呼召就是特别是祂来做的。

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The  evidence to support this is copious and conclusive.圣经在这方面的证据是很多的。When Paul says,(in Rom.8:30) “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called”保罗在罗马书第八章第30节是这样说的:“预先所定下的人又召他们来,” it is obviously the author of the predestination is the author of the call.当保罗这样说的时候很明显的,预定的那一位就是呼召的那一位。And in the proceeding verse在前面一节,(罗马书八章29节,)the author of predestination is distinguished from the person who is called “his Son”–(第29节:“预定的那一位,和称为祂儿子的那位是有所区分的–(29节verse 29) “whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate  to be confirmed to the image of his Son.”预先所知道的人就预先定下,效法祂儿子的模样。Only of the father can it be said that he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son当圣经说上帝预定某某人要效法祂的儿子的模样的时候,只能够是指父上帝的for the simple reason that原因很简单,only in respect of the Father is the Son the Son.原因就是圣子是圣父的子,圣子是子是因为圣子是父的独生子。

Likewise in 1 Corinthians 1:9, when Paul says,同样的,在哥林多前书第一章第9节啊当保罗说,“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son,”保罗说:“上帝是信实的,你们原是被祂所召,好与祂儿子一同得份,” the same inference holds我们也可以做同样的推论,because the person who calls is distinguished from the person into whose fellowship the call are ushered, 因为这里有呼召的那一位,然后呢,呼召人进入到与某某人位格同得分,是另外一个位格,and person thus distinguished is the person who stands to the Son in relation of Father.而呼召的那一位和人与之一同得分的儿子的关系就是父的关系。This can be none other than the first person of the Godhead,这个只有一位,就是三一真神的第一个位格,here designated, as frequently in the New Testament,  by the personal name “God.”父神在这一节,正如常常在新约各处,是用神、上帝这个名称所指定的。我再说一次:就是说父神往往是被称为神,父上帝被称为上帝。

Other passages are equally clear to this effect其他的经文在这方面也是同样的很清楚的,(see Gal.1:15; Eph. 1:17,18; 2 Tim.1:9参考加拉太书第一章第15节,以弗所书第一章17,18节,提摩太后书第一章第九节。)首先是加拉太书第一章第15节:“然而,那把我从母腹里分别出来的,又施恩召我的上帝,就是上帝,当然是指父上帝。但是祂被称为上帝而已。以弗所书第一章17和18节:求我们主耶稣基督的上帝,荣耀的父,将那赐人智慧和启示的灵赏给你们,使你们真知道祂,并且照明你们心中的眼睛,使你们知道祂的恩召有何等指望,祂在圣徒中得的基业有何等丰盛的荣耀。”提摩太后书第一章第9节:“上帝救了我们,以圣召召我们,不是按我们的行为,乃是按祂的旨意和恩典,这恩典是万古之先在基督耶稣里赐给我们的。”

It may also be proper in this connection to be reminded of John 3:1:在这里呢,可能我们应该被提醒,要看约翰一书第三章第1节, “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called sons of God.” “你看父赐给我们是何等的慈爱,使我们得称为上帝的儿女。” It is very likely that the word “called” means more than merely “named”最有可能的是,譬如说约翰一书第三章,我们得称为上帝的儿女这个“称“这个字,不仅仅是命名,名称的意思,and refers to the effectual action of God the Father whereby we are “called” to be sons of God.被称为神的儿女,是指父上帝大能有效的作为。我们被呼召成为上帝的儿子的。

It is God the Father specifically and by way of eminence who calls effectually by his grace.那位大大有功效,按照祂的恩典呼召人的,特别是父神,祂是三位一体最尊贵的那一位,呼召人,与基督耶稣有份的。

No.2–The nature. 我们来到本章的第二部分:有效的呼召的本质。The nature of the effectual call. We often fail to grasp the rich meaning of biblical terms我们往往没有掌握到圣经里的用词的丰富的意义,because in common usage the same words have suffered a great deal of attrition.因为在我们一般日常的用法,同样这些字呢,它们的意义已经经历了很大程度上的损耗。This is true in respect of the word “call.”关于“呼召”这个字就是如此。If we are to understand the strength of this word假如我们真的要明白这个字的很重的丰富的意义的话,we must use the word “summons.”我们就必须用召唤、或者命令这个词。The action by which God makes his people the partakers of redemption is that of summons.上帝所做的作为使祂的子民在救赎上有份,这个作为是召唤、命令召唤的作为。And since it is God’s summons 既然这是上帝的召唤,it is efficacious summons.它必然是一个有效的呼召。我停一下:这个有效的意思就是说当上帝呼召人的时候,这个人就被召来了。

We do not ordinarily associate with the word “summons” the efficacy that is requisite for compliance with that summons.当我们想到 “summons召唤”这个字的时候,我们不一定同时想到这个召唤是有效的,the efficacy that is requisite,就是说它有效这个程度,人必然的遵从、服从这个召唤。A summons issued by a court 当一个法庭发出一个传票,一个召唤的时候,does not of itself  empower us to appear in court.这个的传票不一定本身就有能力把我们带到法官的面前。It gives us warrant to appeal不错,这个传票有足够的支持的理由,要我们来到法官的面前,and it requires us to appear 也要求命令我们来出现在法庭but it does not actually bring us into court.但是这个传票并没有具体的把我们带到法庭里面。That depends on our strength and will.把我们这个人带到法庭,那要看我们的力量,我们的意志。Or, perchance,  it depends on the force applied by the executive officers 或者可能是要在乎那些执行执法的官员,就是警察了等等,他们施加一些压力,  if we are apprehended and compelled to appear.如我们是被抓了,也是被迫使要来到法官的面前的话。

It is holy otherwise with God’s summons.上帝的召唤全是两码事。The summons is invested with the efficacy 上帝的召唤本身就授予了有效性,by which we are delivered to the destination intended–这个有效性就把我们承载到特定的这个目的地–we are effectively ushered into the fellowship with Christ.我们有效地被带进到与基督得分这个交通团契里面。There is something determinate about God’s call;上帝的呼召是事先有祂的决定的这个能力的,by his sovereign power and grace it cannot fail  of accomplishment.因为上帝主权的大能和主权的恩典,呼召不可能失败,不可能不成就、不实现的。God calls the things that be not as though they were(cf.Rom.4:17罗马书第四章第7节是这样说的:“那叫死人复活,使无变为有的上帝,)上帝是那位呼召无变成有的上帝。

Co-ordinate with this fact of efficacy is the truth of its immutability. 与这个有效性相协调的另外一个事实,就是上帝的呼召是不变的这个的真理。(Rom.11:29罗马书第十一章第29节)”The gifts and the calling of God are without repentance”.罗马书第一章第29节,:“因为上帝的恩赐和选召是没有后悔的。” Nothing clinches the argument for this feature of the call more clearly than the teaching of Romans 8:28-30罗马书第八章第28到底30节所教训的,就使我们这个论点毫无疑问了where the call is stated to be according to God’s purpose因为上帝的呼召是按照祂的旨意的and find its place in the center of that unbreakable chain of events而这个上帝的呼召是在这个一连串的事件,这个锁链里面的最中间which has its beginning in the divine foreknowledge,这一连串的事件,第一件是上帝的预知and consummation in glorification.t最后完成的那个事件,就是使人得荣耀。This is just saying that在这里只不过是说the effectual call insures perseverance上帝有效的呼召就保证圣徒必定坚韧得救到底because it is grounded in the security of God’s purpose and grace.因为呼召和坚韧,它的根基就是上帝的旨意和上帝的恩典,是安稳的,是坚定的。

The call is also a high, holy, and heavenly calling上帝的呼召同时是一个崇高的呼召、圣洁的呼召、从天上而来的呼召。(Phil.3:14,腓力比书第三章14节:“要得上帝在基督耶稣里从上面召我来得的奖赏,”从上面来的呼召。2 Tim.1:9提摩太后书第一章第9节:“上帝救了我们,以圣召召我们。”上帝的呼召是圣洁的。Heb.3:1希伯来书第三章第1节:“同蒙天召的圣洁弟兄”是属天的、从天而来的,high, holy, and heavenly calling 从上头来的,圣洁的、属天的呼召。) It is high, holy and heavenly in its origin and in this is destiny.我们的呼召,上帝的呼召,它的起源是上面的、圣洁的、属天的,上帝呼召的最后的目标是上头的、圣洁的、属天的。But it is probably the character of the calling that is particularly stressed.但是上帝的呼召,它的本质是上头的、圣洁的和属天的,这个可能是经文所教导重点。The life into which the people of God are ushered 上帝的子民被引进怎么样的一种的生命,is one that separates them from the fellowship of this evil world这种的生命的就是使他们从在这个是现今的邪恶的世代的相交完全不一样,是分别出来的and impart to them a character consonant with that consecration.这种的呼召就使被呼召出来的圣徒有一种与这种分别为圣符合的一种的性格。If we find ourselves at home in the ungodliness,lust, and filth of this present world, it is because we have not been called effectually by God’s grace.假如我们在这个现今的世界里,在这个现今世界的不敬虔、情欲和污秽里处之泰然的话,那是因为我们没有被上帝的恩典大能的呼召过。The called are “the called of Jesus Christ”被呼召的乃是呼召属耶稣基督的(罗马书第一章第6节Rom.1:6)

We will pick it up in next session.下一讲我们在这里继续再讲。

P.92–Rom.1:6

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