加尔文基督教要义2A第13课
第30课:旧约新约论,类似与差异
主讲:林慈信牧师_校对:刘加立弟兄、王弟兄& ZJY(CGY)姐妹
《基督教要义》2.11.8 第82页,现在讲到新约和旧约第三种不同的地方。The Old Testament is of the letter,旧约的约是字据的、是文字上的。 for it was published without the working of the Spirit. 因为当时没有圣灵的工作或者说没有圣灵好像在新约时期的这种的运行。 The New is spiritual,新约是属灵的,because the Lord has engraved it spiritually upon men’s heart. 因为神借着圣灵刻印新约在人的心中。 The second antithesis is by way of clarification of the first. 刚才讲的两句话,第一句话是解释第一句话,第二句话是解释第一句话的, The Old brings death,旧约带来死亡,for it can but envelop the whole human race in a curse.因为它只能使整个人类服在咒诅之下;The New is the instrument of life,新约是带来生命的,for it frees men from the curse因为它释放人脱离咒诅,and restores them to God’s favor. 使他们恢复到神的爱中;The Old is the ministry of condemnation, 旧约是定人罪的执事和职分,for it accuses all the sons of Adam of unrighteousness. 因为它控告所有亚当的后裔都是不义的;The New is the ministry of righteousness新约是义的工作、义的职份 because it reveals God’s mercy,因为它所显示的、所启示的是神的怜悯 through which we are justified. 我们是靠这个怜悯得称为义的。
The final contrast is to be referred to the ceremonial law. 刚才那个最后的对比就是讲礼仪的律法,For because the Old bore the things absent the images,因为旧约是表象,表象一些旧约还没有的东西, it had to die and vanish with time,所以随着时间是就消失了。The gospel, because it reveals the very substance, 新约的福音是启示这个实体的, stands forever,是永远长存的、坚定的。
Jeremiah calls even the moral law a weak and fragile covenant ,就算耶利米就把道德律是比较脆弱的一个约。But that is for another reason,但另外一个原因: by the sudden defection of an ungrateful people it was soon broken off,因为以色列人不顺服他们离弃神,所以就从约被剪除了。However, because the people were to blame for such a violation,但是,因为人背约是自己要负责的, it cannot properly be charged against the covenant,不能说是约有问题,不能责怪约。Now the ceremonies, because by their own weakness they were abrogated at Christ’s advent, had the cause of their weakness within themselves.这个礼仪因为自己的软弱,它们在基督来的时候就废除了,所以这个礼仪呢,它们本身就是软弱的。 We are not to surmise from this difference between letter and spirit that the Lord had fruitlessly bestowed His law upon the Jews. 但是虽然是这样子,但是字据与灵的不同,但是神把祂的律法赐给犹太人不是没有用的、不是没有果效的。and that none of them turned to him,不能说没有犹太人回转归向神。就是说不能说旧约没有犹太人得救的.
But it was put forward by way of comparison,但是新约作了比较 to condemn the grace abounding, wherewith the same Lawgiver honored the preaching of the gospel. 因为新约的恩典是丰盛的,而同一个颁发律法者是尊重、是高举福音的传播。For suppose we reckon the multitude of those whom He gathers into the communion of his church from all peoples好我们来看神在万国万族里召聚了祂的选民进入到他的教会里与祂交通, men regenerated by His Spirit through the preaching of the gospel.就是透过福音的宣讲圣灵重生了这些万国万族的人. Then we will say that in ancient Israel there were very few,这样比较的话当然旧约以色人得救的人呢是比较少的, – almost none差不多没有。 who embraced the Lord’s covenant with their whole hearts and minds,就是完全尽心尽性来领受神的约的很少。Yet, reckoned by themselves without comparison, there were many, 假如不跟新约去比较的话,神还是救了很多人的。在旧约里面神救了一些以色列人,也救了一些外邦人。所以这个标题里面说,GOD DID NOT CONVERT NOBODY,神不是一个人都没有救的。旧约里面是有人真的是领受这个约,在基督里有份的。
2.11.9现在讲到律法和新约第四种方法上的不同。2.11.9 The fourth difference, Scriptures calls the Old Testament one of “bondage”, 圣经说旧约是这个为束缚人、捆绑人的约, because it produces fear in men’s minds. 因为旧约使人恐惧。but the New Testament, “freedom”,新约是一个赐人自由的约。because it lifts them to trust and assurance, 因为新约要给人的是信靠然后有得救的确据。所以罗马书8:15保罗说:「你们所受的,不是奴仆的心,仍旧害怕,所受的乃是儿子的心,因此我们呼叫阿爸父」(罗8:15)然后呢,到了希伯来书12:18以下,这里说我们已经来到耶路撒冷,已经来到永生上帝的城,天上的耶路撒冷的。到了加拉太书,我们看这一段的最后一句话,the Old Testament struck consciences with fear and trembling,旧约使人的良心恐怖战兢, but by the benefit of the New they are released into joy.但是新约的好处使人释放得到喜乐。The Old held consciences bound by the yoke of bondage, 旧约约束捆绑人的良心; the New by its spirit of liberality, 新约是慷慨的,emancipates them into freedom. 使人得释放。
suppose our opponents object, 比方说我们的对手反对,他说, among the Israelites, the holy patriarchs were an exception,以色列这些的族长就是亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各他们是例外嘛。since they were obviously endowed with the same Spirit of faith as we are, 亚伯拉罕当然和我们一样有圣灵赐信心给我们,it follows that they shared the same freedom and joy. 他们就有和我们一样的自由和喜乐呢?那我们这样回答的: neither of these arose from the law, 这些不是从律法而出的. But when through the law the patriarchs felt themselves both oppressed by their enslaved condition, 以色列人透过律法感觉到他们被压迫的时候他们被奴隶的时候, and wearied by anxiety of conscience,他们的良心焦虑的时候, they fled for refuge to the gospel. 当以色列人知道自己的良心被控告的时候,他们唯一投奔的地方就是去福音那里。It was therefore a particular fruit of the New Testament that, apart from the common law of the Old Testament, they were exempted from those evils.新约的好处就是说,apart from the common law of the Old Testament, they were exempted from those evils. the fear and bondage arising from the law. 律法使我们有恐惧和捆绑的。however much they enjoyed the privilege that they had received through the grace of the gospel,在旧约里信徒是领受到恩典和在约里面福音里面好处的、特权的, they were still subject to the same bonds and burdens of ceremonial observances,他们还是受到礼仪律的一些的捆绑,一方面恩典、救恩、与神在一起这个是所有旧约里真信徒在旧约里得到的,但是他们不能说“哦,我就不用献祭了”,还是要在这个礼仪律的重担之下。They were compelled to observe those ceremonies punctiliously. 他们需要很严谨的去守这些的礼仪的。symbols of a tutelage,这些就是在训蒙师傅教导之下的证据,resembling bondage,就好像跟做奴隶一样。and the written bonds,那些控告他们的字据, whereby they confessed themselves guilty of sin, 他们面对律法承认自己是有罪的, did not free them from obligation,他们还是有义务去认罪献祭。就不像我们认罪之后就有得救的确据了。 Hence, they are rightly said, in contrast to us, to have been under the testament of bondage and fear, 所以他们是诚然在捆绑与恐惧之下, when we consider that common dispensation by which the Lord at that time dealt with the Israelites.
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2.11.10 现在呢,加尔文把这四个比较都讲完了。影子和实体,为奴隶得释放等等。现在他就归纳一下2.11.10,他说:上面我们刚才所讲的第二、三、四的比较,归纳起来,就是旧约与新约不同。旧约的范围比较广,他说for it includes within itself also the promises published before the law, 因为包括律法颁布之前就有亚伯拉罕时期的那些的应许。加尔文在这里跟奥古斯丁所讲的不一样,奥古斯丁对旧约与新约的分法跟加尔文的分法不一样,简单的说,加尔文的分法是新约和旧约的不同。我们跳到第二大段。ours distinguishes between the clarity of the gospel,福音比较清楚 and the obscurer dispensation of the Word that had preceded it, 旧约呢,神的话语、神圣道的施行就比较不清楚。简单的说,就是刚才我们所画的那个斜线,从部分的启示到完整的启示。这整段就是讲这个。他跟奥古斯丁有一点点不一样。
我们接下看2.12,这是我们开始这里呢讲到基督论了。
既然讲有约,旧约和新约都是约,约一定要有中保,中保就是我们的耶稣基督。那我们会看到加尔文的基督论呢,是绝对的正统的。他就是跟着早期教会的基督论,不过,就好像早期和后期的,就是中古的一些教父一样,他都会反驳那些异端,因为当时在加尔文时期就有异端的出现。好,我们来开始2.12.2。
it was of the greatest importance for us that He who was to be our Mediator be both true God and true man, 我们约的中保很重要的一定是同时是真神也是真人。If someone asks why this is necessary, there has been no simple or absolute necessity. Rather, it has stemmed from a heavenly decree. 他说为什么一定要是真神真人呢, 是必须的吗?加尔文说是必须的,但是不是怎么样逻辑上绝对的必须,乃是因为上帝预定了,所以是必须的。是上帝预定要透过赎罪,一位救赎主的赎罪来拯救祂的选民,所以这个赎罪者、这个救赎主一定是又是神又是人,是因为神永恒的计划。
这里我们来考虑一下神的预定是神永恒的旨意、神永恒的计划,是解释宇宙所有事情的最后、最高的那个地方那个成因。假如不是的话,假如我们说为什么,为什么耶稣一定要是神又是人呢?为什么有海啸、为什么有痛苦?假如我们最后不归到神的永恒的计划的话,我们只有另外一个选择,我们是上帝、我们是作主的,然后世界上所发生的事情都是偶然的、都是乱七八糟的。只有这两个选择。要就是神完全掌管一切、计划一切,要就是上帝是失控的,宇宙里面的事情是乱碰的,碰来碰去的、撞来撞去的。
好,我们继续看下去,是神的预定。Our most merciful Father decreed what was best for us. 我们怜悯我们的父呢,已经定意要给你们最好的,因为我们的罪把我们和他隔绝了、把我们和他的天国隔绝了。no man, unless he belonged to God, could serve as the intermediary to restore peace, 除非一个人是属神的,那边的。不然不能做中间人、不能做中保恢复神与人的和睦的. But who might reach to Him?谁能够到神那里呢,人呢不行,天使呢也不行。所以呢需要 the very majesty of God not descended to us, 所以神、这位尊严的神自己要降卑到我们。since it was not in our power to ascend to Him, 我们没有能力上升到神那里,神一定要降卑。 Hence, it was necessary for the Son of God to become for us “Immanuel”, 所以神的儿子必须成为,为我们成为以马内利,神与我们同在,又是神又是人,与我们同在。in such a way that his divinity and our human nature might by mutual connection grow together. 要叫祂的神性和我们的人性是联合起来的。Otherwise the nearness would not have been near enough, 不然的话,这个神性就不够亲近人性的。nor the affinity sufficiently firm, for us to hope that God might dwell with us. 不然的话我们还不能够说,哇,神是与我们同在的,在我们这边的。
So great was the disagreement between our uncleanness and God’s perfect purity! 刚才说过我们人很低神很高,现在我们讲人很污秽,神是完全圣洁的。Even if man had remained free from all stain,就算人没有犯过罪,完全没有被玷污, his condition would have been too lowly for him to reach God without a Mediator. 人还是达不到神那里,除非有中保。这个,加尔文在这里说神与人之间的距离本身就需要有中保了。What, then of man:那何况人呢,其实是plunged by his mortal ruin into death and hell, 因为他的 immortal ruin,至死的灭亡, defiled with so many spots, 有这么多的污点,befouled with his own corruption,自己的败坏使他污秽, and overwhelmed with every curse,让神一切的咒诅临到他。In undertaking to describe the Mediator, Paul distinctly reminds us that He is man: 所以保罗描述中保的时候说祂是人。“One mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ”人耶稣基督是神人之间唯一的中保(提摩太前书2:5). He could have said “God”; 保罗在那里也可以说“神呢”, he could at least have omitted the word “man” just as he did the word “God”. But because the Spirit speaking through our weakness, 因为圣灵在我们的软弱, at the right moment he used a most appropriate remedy to meet it: he set the Son of God familiarly among us as one of ourselves. 因为圣灵知道我们的软弱,我们需要有一位救主是体恤我们的、亲近我们的,所以提摩太前书2:5说:我们的中保是人,耶稣基督。teaching us that he is near us, indeed touches us, since he is our flesh. 希伯来书2:17,18;4:15,告诉我们,我们的祭司不是不能不体恤我们的,是能体恤我们的,
接下来是2.12.2,这里告诉我们这个中保为什么必须是真神又是真人的。
This will become clearer if we call to mind that what the Mediator was to accomplish was no common thing. to restore us to God’s grace因为中保是要恢复我们到神的恩惠里, as to make of the children of men, children of God;中保要使人的后裔成为神的儿女,of the heirs of Gehenna, heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom,地狱的承受者要成为天国的承受者。
简单的说,这个中保要 make what was his by nature,ours by grace,神要使那些,make what was his by nature,ours by grace,祂要把他本性里有的东西要给我们,不过透过恩典。加尔这里所用是经院主义的词by nature, by grace,我们本来是罪人,祂本来是圣洁的。祂要把他的圣洁的性情借着恩典赐给我们。所以,祂要穿上一个body,是one with us,从我们的本性那里来的。to become both Son of God and Son of man in common with us.这里顺便提一提,就是耶稣基督来是取了一个人性,而不是取了一个人。Jesus Christ, Son of man, did not take upon a person, human person but human nature. 那特别用人性、神性、人性,是为了要说明,圣子道成肉身的时候,祂并没有成为两个位格,祂是一个位格。所以早期的教父跟会议很清楚的认为human nature说明人性这个“性”这个字呢,是抽象的、不是具体的。具体的话,耶稣基督就是两个位格了,不是一个位格。不过祂有神性的那个层面,那个dimension,有人性的那个层面,绝对完全的结合了,in perfect union。神性跟人性这方面,我们接下来会讨论的。
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