Engaging with Keller: Book review–section 1
《与提摩太.凯勒交锋》书评第一讲
主讲:林慈信牧师_校对:刘加立弟兄_文字:Cherry姐妹
我们这几讲使用一篇英文的书评book review。这篇书评的作者是一位女性Rachel Miller,拉结米勒写作于2013年7月25,号刊登在,TheAquilareport.come。这本书的书名是,Engaging with Keller: Thinking Through the Theology of an Influential Evangelical《与凯勒交锋–再思一位具有影响力的福音派人士的神学》。这篇书评的第二个题目是An overview of a new book considering whether specific aspects of Keller’s teaching are biblically accurate ways of transmitting the Reformed faith一本新书的综览,考虑道究竟凯勒的教导的有些特别的层面是否是一种合符圣经的、准确的来传递改革宗信仰的方法。下面有一段的编者的总结Keller adopts a twofold answer to many questions.凯勒回答很多问题的时候都是用两方面来回答的。He wants to present doctrine to the “moderns” 一方面他要把教义传给现代期的人,(usually older,more rural and less educated) 一般来说是年纪比较大,比较是小地方,乡下的,和教育程度比较低,one way它是用一种方法向这些现代人表达and to the “postmoderns” (usually younger,more urban and educated) in a different way.但是用另外一种方法,向后现代人表达,他们比较,年轻,都市化,和有更多的教育。Keller’s presentations to the moderns is essentially old-fashioned orthodoxy,凯勒对现代人所表达的核心上就是古老的,正统的信仰,whereas his answer to the postmoderns可是他对后现代人所做出的答案,include some of his most well-known–and often most controversial – teachings.就包含了一些他最著名的和最有争议性的教导。This books is almost exclusively concerned with this latter group of teachings.这本书《与凯勒交锋》差不多完全是关注于后者,就是那些向后现代人传递改革宗信仰,具有争议性的一些的教导。
好,现在本文开始:Dr. Tim Keller,Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in New York City,is,perhaps,one of the best known figures in the Reformed world. 提摩太凯勒博士,纽约市的救赎主长老会PCA的牧师,可能是在改革宗世界里面一位最著名的人物之一。He has written many books 他写了很多的书,and has spoken at numerous conferences for many different groups and organizations.他也向很多不同的机构,或者不同的群体,在各种的会议中也演讲过。 He is frequently interviewed and quoted by the secular media on a number of different topics.他常常被世俗的媒体访问,也引用他的话,关于各种不同的范围。 It is because of his influence on such a wide audience 就是因为他对这么广泛的听众有这样子的影响力that a group of pastors have taken up the task of writing a book considering whether specific aspects of Keller’s teaching are biblically accurate ways of transmitting the Reformed faith.因此,有一群的牧师们,(我这里附加一下这群牧师们大部分都有哲学博士学位,大部分都是开拓教会的)他们就从事写这本书来还考虑到凯勒的教导的一些特定的层面是否合符圣经的、准确的传递改革宗的方法。
Dr. Iain Campbell,这位金宝博士 minister of Point Free Church on the Isle of Lewis,应该是在英格兰的,the Isle of Lewis,是个岛上的Point Free Church一间的自由教会,自由教会就是说历史上是不服从国教的一个独立教会,and Dr. William Schweitzer,这位博士,church-planting minister of Gates head Presbyterian Church,Schweitzer博士是Gates head长老会的开拓教会的牧师,这两位Dr. Iain Campbell and Dr. William Schweitzer have put together a collection of essays他们就编了一本文集 which discuss certain well-known aspects of Dr. Keller’s teaching. 这本文集要讨论到凯勒博士的教导的一些著名的层面.The book,Engaging with Keller: Thinking Through the Theology of an Influential Evangelical,这本书就是与凯勒交锋:再思一位具有影响力的福音派人士的神学,was recently published and is available both in print and e-book.这本书最近出版,你可以买得到这本的书,或者是电子版。 Dr. Campbell describes the purpose of the book this way:金宝博士这样子来形容这本书的宗旨:
It should not surprise us that in developing new lines of thought Dr. Keller has provoked a measure of controversy,mainly within the Reformed churches.有一件不应该使我们惊奇的是,就是当凯勒博士发展一些新的思路的时候,他特别在改革宗圈子里就激发了某一个程度上的争辩,It is therefore right that there should be an open and frank engagement among brothers in Christ因此,在基督里的兄弟之间有敞开的、坦率的交锋是对的,in order to discern just how faithful to God’s word Dr. Keller’s “new lines of thought” really are (9).好叫我们分辨,究竟凯勒博士的所谓新的思路的方向究竟有多么的对上帝的话忠诚。
这个是Campbell金宝博士形容的这本书的宗旨。
The authors are quick to point out that Dr. Keller’s personal orthodoxy is not in question:这两位编者很快就指出,没有质疑凯勒博士个人的信仰的纯正或者正统。怎么说的。这两位编者继续说:
Nor is this book seeking to make any statement about his personal orthodoxy.这本书也没有尝试关于凯勒博士个人的正统信仰做任何的声称。 We gladly acknowledge that Keller intends to teach the orthodox truth; 我们很乐意的承认凯勒的用意是要教导正统的真理;the question is whether or not he fully succeeds in this good intention in the specific cases considered below (15).问题是,在我们本书里面所考虑到的这些特定的案子里面,他是否在这种的好的用意上完全成功。
These teachings include 这些凯勒的教导包括the doctrine of sin,罪论,the doctrine of hell,地狱论,the doctrine of the Trinity,三一论,the mission of the Church,教会的使命,Scriptural interpretation,释经,theistic evolution,神导进化论,上帝引导的进化论,and ecclesiology.最后教会论。
The authors believe that the problem with certain aspects of Dr. Keller’s teaching arises from his attempts to explain biblical doctrines to a postmodern audience:这两位作者们相信,凯勒博士教导的某一些层面,这些要点的问题,是从他尝试去向一个后现的听众解释圣经教义所产生的,这个作者们,编者们说:
Keller adopts a twofold answer to many questions. 凯勒往往采用一种双面的方法来回答很多的问题。He wants to present doctrine to the “moderns” (usually older,more rural and less educated) one way,他想利用某一种的方法来向现代人传递教义(现代人士一般来说是年纪比较老,比较是小乡镇或者农村还有他的教育程度比较低),and to the “postmoderns” (usually younger,more urban and educated) in a different way. 而用另外一种方法向后现代人表达(后者比较年轻,比较都市化,教育程度比较高)。Keller’s presentations to the moderns is essentially old-fashioned orthodoxy,凯勒向现代人所表达的核心就是老旧的正统信仰,whereas his answer to the postmoderns include some of his most well-known – and often most controversial – teachings. 而他对后现代人所表达的答复,就包含了他一些的最著名、也往往是最具争议性的教导。This books is almost exclusively concerned with this latter group of teachings. 本书差不多完全是关注于后者这一组的教导。As well shall see,我们将会看到,it is not merely a case of using some new language to offer the same answer to the same question.问题不仅仅是用一些新的词汇,来对一些同样的问题会提出同样的答案,不只是用词的问题。 In several cases,在某一些的个案,Keller’s teaching for postmoderns seems to end up offering substantially different answers to the same questions (21).凯勒为后现代人所教导的,好像以这个为结束,这个终点。就是他好像了就提供一些实质上不同的答案来回答同样的问题。
The first essay,第一篇论文,“Keller on “Rebranding” the Doctrine of Sin”,凯勒对罪论所提出的新的品牌,by Dr. Iain D. Campbell就是金宝博士写道 looks at Dr. Keller’s attempt to reinterpret the doctrine of sin: 注视到凯勒博士如何尝试重新解释罪的教义,金宝说:
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The idea of “rebranding” a biblical doctrine such as sin is an interesting proposition. 把一个圣经的教义,例如罪的教义提出一个新的品牌“rebranding”,这个概念这个很有趣的一个命题。To do this successfully若要成功这样做的话 would mean that the presentation is altered but the content remains the same. 意思就是说:表达的方式改变了,但是内容仍然是同样的。Is Keller’s attempt to “rebrand” sin a success? (28).凯勒的尝试去为罪提出一个新的品牌是否成功呢?Dr. Campbell looks at Dr. Keller’s redefinition of sin as idolatry,lostness,and self-centeredness.金宝博士考虑凯勒博士对罪的重新的定义,罪被定义为偶像敬拜、失落和自我中心。 Dr. Keller’s rebranding of sin as idolatry is well-known: 第一是偶像敬拜,凯勒博士对最重新的做这个品牌,说罪是偶像敬拜,是众所周知的。
Keller concludes凯勒这样作结论 that “sin is the despairing refusal to find your deepest identity in your relationship and service to God. 罪是什么呢?罪就是处于一种绝望的心、拒绝在你与神的关系和你向神的服事那里去找到你最深沉的身份。再讲一次:罪是那种处境绝望的心,拒绝透过与神的关系,或者向神的服事去找到你最深层的身份identity ,就是你是谁。Sin is seeking to become oneself,to get an identity,apart from him” (29).罪就是离开神来尝试成为自己,找到自己的身份。
The problem,as Dr. Campbell sees it,根据金宝博士所看到的问题是什么呢? is that sin as idolatry confuses a symptom of sin with the cause of sin: 就是把罪的一种的病症和罪的成因搞乱了,金宝说:
But the nature of sin is not idol-making but law-breaking,但是,罪的本质不是制造偶像,乃是干犯律法,of which the manufacturing of idols is a specific example.干犯律法其中一个的例子就是制造偶像。 The truth of the human condition is not merely that we make idols,人类的状况的实况不仅仅是我们制造偶像,but that we are,by nature,enslaved to law-breaking (34-35).乃是按照我们的罪性,就是我们的本性,我们是犯律法的奴隶,enslaved to law-breaking,我们服在犯罪、犯律法这个的辖制之下。
Dr. Keller redefines sin as “lostness” in his book The Prodigal God. 凯勒在他很出名一本书的 The Prodigal God《挥霍的上帝》那里对罪的新的定义是,失落“lostness”。He explains that in the parable from Luke 15 他这样解释,在路加福音第15章的比喻,both the younger son and the older son are lost: 小的儿子和大儿子两个都是失落的,或者失丧的:one by way of immoral living,一个是借着不道德的生活而失丧,and the other by way of moralism (36).另外一位是透过道德主义而失丧。
According to Dr. Campbell,根据金宝博士,the problem here is that there aren’t two different ways of failing: one by keeping the rules and one by breaking them:问题不是说有两种失败的方法,一种是透过守规矩而失败,第二种是透过犯规矩而失败。金宝说:
To place oneself in the place of God is breaking the rules; 把自己放在上帝的地位,就是干犯规矩the sin of the elder brother is a violation of the law. 长子的罪就是违反了律法。It is an over-simplification to suggest that凯勒所建议的,是一个过分的简化,建议什么呢?下面是凯勒的话 “There are two ways to be your own Savior and Lord. 你要做自己的救主和做自己的主宰有两种的方法。One is by breaking all the moral laws and setting your own course,第一种方法就是把所有道德律都犯了,定你自己的人生的道路,and one is by keeping all the moral laws and being very,very good” (39). 第二种方法就是,守住所有道德,律做一个很好很好的人。
Both immoral living and moralism are breaking God’s law. (39)金宝说不道德的生活和道德主义,两者都是犯神的律法。
Dr. Keller has also rebranded sin as “self-centeredness”: 凯勒也把罪做了这种新的品牌,罪是自我中心:
The problem which the gospel of Christ is the solution is the problem of
self-centeredness;基督的福音来解决的问题乃是自我中心的问题; that Keller suggests,is the essence of the story of the fall and the disintegration of man in Genesis 3 … (40).这个凯勒认为就是堕落和人类的解体的故事的核心之所在,创世记第三章,…。
The problem here is not that we aren’t self-centered. 这里的问题不是说我们并不是自我中心的人,我们是的。But,again,our selfcenteredness is a symptom of our much deeper sin nature: 可是,再一次的我们的自我中心是我们更深的那个罪性的一种的病症:
Sin as self-centeredness罪作为自我中心 is a symptom of,not a reason for,our condition. 是我们的情况的一种的病症,而不是他的理由。The paradigm of Scripture is that 圣经所提出的模式是we are fallen by nature,就我们的本性来说是堕落的,and lie under the curse of a broken covenant and the penalty of a broken law. 我们是服在一个背约而导致的咒诅、犯律法所导致的惩罚,我们是服在这个咒诅和惩罚之下。This,however,is not a theme prominent in Keller’s writings (45).可是,这个并不是在凯勒的著作中一个显著的主题。
上面是金宝的话。
Dr. Campbell concludes by summarizing his concerns with Dr. Keller’s rebranding of sin:金宝总结了他对凯勒博士的罪的新的定义的关注,作为一个结论:金宝说This,ultimately,is where Keller’s rebranding leads 凯勒的新的品牌就是导致这个结果,– to an attempt to define sin not in terms of what it does to God,in robbing him of his glory,but of what it does to us,in robbing us of our wholeness. …致终就是尝试把罪的定义不是说罪为上帝带来什么、抢夺了上帝的荣耀,乃是罪为我们做了什么,就是抢夺了我们的整全性。 Ultimately,the gospel is not all about me at all.但是致终福音最重要不是讲我。 It is certainly for me; 是的,福音肯定是为我的;but it is about God whom I have offended,但是福音是讲到那个我所干犯的神、所得罪的神and about the Christ whom he punished in my place.是讲到基督,就是上帝惩罚的那位基督,代替我承受上帝惩罚的那位基督。福音是讲神的,是讲基督的。 The offense? 那我怎么得罪了神呢?That I have broken his holy law,我犯了祂圣洁的律法,and break it constantly,不断地、常常地、时时地干犯,of which my idolatry,and lostness and selfcenteredness are symptoms. 而我的偶像敬拜、我的失落和我的自我中心是这个干犯律法的病症。The remedy? 补救方法呢?That it is possible for the perfect law-keeping life and penalty-bearing death of another to restore my relationship with God (46-47).补救的方法就是,有可能恢复我与上帝的关系,有这个可能的,就是透过另外一位的完全遵守律法的生命和承担惩罚的死。这另外一位的生命和死来恢复我与神的关系。
下面就讲到第二篇的文章。The second essay by Dr. William Schweitzer is Schweitzer 博士另外一个编者所写的论文 on the doctrine of hell,讲到地狱论,或者地狱的教义。
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