末世论_01 导言
“Berkhof，Systematic Theology”《伯克富系统神学末世论》
主讲：林慈信牧师_校对：刘加立弟兄_英文：陈弟兄_中文：自由的荣耀弟兄
session 1第一讲： Introductory Chapter（导言）。
（这个导言那一章有五部分）
A.Eschatology in Philosophy and Religion.哲学和宗教界里的末世论
B.Eschatology in the History of the Christian Church.在基督教教会历史里的末世论
C.The Relation of Eschatology to the Rest of Dogmatics.末世论与系统神学其它部分的关系
- The proper concept of this relationship.末世论与系统神学其他的论之间正确的关系
E.The Contents of Eschatology： 末世论的内容就是：General and Individual Eschatology.一般的末世论和个人的末世论。
现在我们来讲第一部分A. Eschatology in Philosophy and Religion.哲学与宗教界里的末世论。
- 第一个分段：THE QUESTION OF ESCHATOLOGY IS A NATURAL ONE. 末世论这个问题是一个自然会提出的问题。
A doctrine of the last things is not something that is peculiar to the Christian religion.关于末世的教义呢，并不是基督宗教才有的，不是基督宗教独特的教义。Wherever people have seriously reflected on human life，在什么地方人们认真地思考人生问题，whether in the individual or in the race，不论是个人的人生或者整个人类的生命，they have not merely asked，whence did it spring，and how did it come to be what it is，他们不单单会问，生命源自什么地方，怎么变成现在的状态，but also，whither is it bound?他们也会问，生命究竟往何处去？
They raised the question，what is the end or final destiny of the individual; 他们提出这个问题，个人生命的终点或者归宿是什么?and what is the goal towards which the human race is moving? 还有整个人类是朝着一个怎么样的目标前进的？Does man perish at death，人在死亡的时候，就灭亡了吗？or does he enter upon another state of existence，either of bliss or of woe? 还是说，他会进入到另外一个存在的状态，不论是蒙福的或者是招祸的呢？Will the generations’ of men come and go in endless succession and finally sink into oblivion，人类一代一代的来往，是否代代相传的，最后呢就会被宇宙遗忘掉呢？or is the race of the children of men and the whole creation moving on to some divine telos，an end designed for it by God.还是说，人类一代一代的后代，还有整个的塑造宇宙，是否朝向一个上帝所定的目标telos，上帝所设计的终点而前进呢？And if the human race is moving on to some final，some ideal，condition perhaps，而人类若是朝着怎么一个的最后的理想的状态而前进的话，will the generations that have come and gone participate in this in any way，and if so，how; 那么世世代代的人，来，走了，他们在最后这个理想状态是否有份呢？若是的话，又如何有份呢？or did they merely serve as a thoroughfare leading up to the grand climax? 还是他们只不过是被铺成的一条路，达到那个最后的高潮而已呢？
Naturally，only those who believe that，as the history of the world had a beginning，it will also have an end，can speak of a consummation and have a doctrine of eschatology.很自然地，哪些人会有一个末世论的教义呢？就是那些相信，正如世界的历史有一个起点，它也会有一个终点。这些人才会论到一个末世论的。
2.THE QUESTION OF ESCHATOLOGY IN PHILOSOPHY. 在哲学界对末世论的讨论。
The question of the final destiny of the individual and of the race occupied an important place even in the speculations of the philosophers. 个人和整个人类最后的归宿，在哲学家的猜测思考里面是占有重要的地位的。Plato帕拉图，Plato taught the immortality of the soul，柏拉图相信灵魂不灭，that is，its continued existence after death，意思就是说，灵魂在死之后是继续存在的，and this doctrine remained an important tenet in philosophy up to the present time. 而这个教义呢，一直到今天在哲学界里，是一个重要的原则。
Spinoza斯宾诺莎。Spinoza had no place for it in his pantheistic system，在斯宾诺莎的泛神论的思想系统里面，灵魂是没有占任何地位的。but Wolff and Leibnitz但是沃夫和莱布尼茨，他们两位跟斯宾诺莎都是理性主义者。defended it with all kinds of arguments.这两位呢，却用各种的论点支持灵魂不灭。
Kant康德。Kant stressed the untenableness of these arguments，认为呢，这些的论点是站不住脚的，but nevertheless retained the doctrine of immortality as a postulate of practical reason.可是呢，康德还是保留着“不朽”的教义，这个是实践理性所需要的假设。让我解释一下：就是说呢，事实上灵魂是不存在的。但是，灵魂和灵魂的永存呢，在我们社会道德上是有用的，所以我们就把它假设成真地是有吧。
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The idealistic philosophy of the nineteenth century ruled it out.到了19世纪理想主义，就是唯心哲学，就排除了灵魂的不灭。 In fact，as Haering says，事实上，好像这位学者Haering说的：”Pantheism of all sorts is limited to a definite mode of contemplation，各种各样的泛神论，都限于某一种的思考默想的形式，and does not lead to any ‘ultimate’.”这些的思考，都不导致一个所谓“绝对”或者“至高者”。Not only did the philosophers reflect on the future of the individual;哲学家们，不单单思考到个人的未来；they also thought deeply on the future of the world.他们对世界的未来也有深入的思考的。
The Stoics古希腊的斯多葛派。spoke of successive world-cycles，他们论到一个一个的世界的循环，and the Buddhists，of world-ages，佛教徒呢，会讲到世界的不同的世代，in each of which a new world appears and again disappears.在每一个世代，一个新的世界出现，然后又消失了。 Even Kant speculated on the birth and death of worlds.就算是康德，也会猜测想到诸世界的，不同的世界的诞生和死亡。
3.第三个分段：THE QUESTION OF ESCHATOLOGY IN RELIGION. 在宗教界的末世论。
It is especially in religion，however，that we meet with eschatological conceptions. 在宗教界里面，我们就看到有关于末世的概念。Even false religions，就算是假宗教，the more primitive as well as the more advanced，不论是原始的宗教，或者有高度发展的宗教，have their eschatology.都有他们的末世论的。Buddhism has its Nirvana，佛教有他们的涅磐，Mohammedanism，its sensual paradise，伊斯兰教，有他的充满着情欲的乐园，and the Indians，their happy hunting-grounds.还有印度教徒，有他们的很幸福的打猎的地方。
Belief in the continued existence of the soul appears everywhere and in various forms.到处，有着各种不同的关于灵魂继续存在的信念的。Says J. T. Addison：Addison这位学者这样说：”The belief that the soul of man survives his death is so nearly universal 人类相信，人的灵魂在死之后仍然存在，是那么的一个的普适性的信念的，that we have no reliable record of a tribe or nation or religion in which it does not prevail.”我们没有任何可信的记录，记录着一个的部落或者国家或者宗教，在这个部落或者国家里呢，相信人的灵魂不灭不是最普遍的。就是说每一个部落国家都有普遍的这个方面的信念。
It may manifest itself in the conviction that the dead are still hovering around and near at hand，这个灵魂的继续存在是怎样表现的呢？可能是相信死人仍然围绕着人类，在活的人的附近，in ancestor worship，或者呢，以敬拜祖先表现，in seeking intercourse with the dead，或者透过追求与死人交通而表现出来，in the conception of an underworld peopled with the dead，或者有个概念，就是有个阴间都是由死人住在那里的，这样表现出来，or in the idea of the transmigration of souls;或者是以灵魂的轮回这个概念表现出来，but it is always present in some form or other.无论是用怎么样的形式，这个概念总是存在的。
But in these religions all is vague and uncertain.可是在这些的宗教里，一切关于灵魂是含糊的、不确定的。It is only in the Christian religion唯有在基督教里，that the doctrine of the last things’ receives greater precision唯有在基督教里呢，末世论有更精准的处理，and carries with it an assurance that is divine.而伴随来的就是一个从神而来的确据。Naturally，很自然地，they who are not content to rest their faith exclusively on the Word of God but make it contingent on experience and on the deliverances of the Christian consciousness，are at a great disadvantage here.当然，有一些的基督教人士呢，他们不满足于完全信靠上帝的话。他们认为，上帝的话是要靠着人类的经验，或者是基督徒的意识的表达的。这些把上帝的话放在人的经验之下的基督教人士呢，在这方面就很吃亏了。
While they may experience spiritual awakening，divine illumination，repentance and conversion，他们可能经历过属灵的觉醒、上帝的光照、悔改、归正，and may observe the fruits of the operations of divine grace in their lives，甚至乎在他们生命中，察看到上帝恩典在他们生命中工作的果子，they cannot experience nor see the realities of the future world.他们不可能经历或者看到未来世界的实在的。They shall have to accept the testimony of God respecting these，or continue to grope about in the dark.他们必须接受上帝对这些事情的见证，不然的话，就只能继续在黑暗中摸索。
If they do not wish to build the house of their hope on vague and indeterminate longings，假如他们不愿意把他们的盼望建造在含糊的、不确定的意愿上呢，they shall have to turn to the firm ground of the Word of God.他们就必须转向上帝的话这个坚固的根基。（A.第一部分结束。）
B、第二部分：Eschatology in the History of the Christian Church.在基督教教会历史中的末世论。
Speaking generally，it may be said that Christianity never forgot the glorious predictions respecting its future and the future of the individual Christian.一般来说，我们可以这样说，基督教从来没有忘掉他自己未来的荣耀的状态的预告，也没有忘记关于个别基督徒的未来的预告的。
Neither the individual Christian nor the Church could avoid thinking about these and finding comfort in them. 无论是个别的基督徒，或者教会都情不自禁地会想到未来的事，也因为这些事得到安慰的。Sometimes，however，the Church，borne down with the cares of life，or entangled in its pleasures，thought little of the future.可是有的时候呢，教会因为有今生的挂虑所缠绕着，因为今生的欢乐而被缠绕着，就很少想到未来的。
Moreover，不但如此，it happened repeatedly that at one time it would think more of this，and at another time，more of that particular element of its future hope.不但如此，教会历史多次发生的事是，教会有的时候会想到未来盼望的这个元素，有的时候更多想到未来的盼望的另外一个的元素。In days of defection当在教会叛道的阶段，或者时期呢，the Christian hope sometimes grew dim and uncertain，基督教的盼望就暗淡无光而不确定，but it never died out altogether.但是它从来没有完全消灭过。
At the same time与此同时，it must be said that there has never been a period in the history of the Christian Church，in which eschatology was the center of Christian thought.基督教教会的历史中，从来没有一个阶段，末世论是那个阶段基督教思想的核心。The other loci of Dogmatics have each had their time of special development，系统神学其他的主题，都有过特别发挥的年代，but this cannot be said of eschatology. 可是呢，末世论却不能这样说。Three periods can be distinguished in the history of eschatological thought.基督教末世论的思想，我们可以区分为三个阶段。
1．第一个阶段：FROM THE APOSTOLIC AGE TO THE BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH CENTURY. 从使徒时代到第五世纪初。
In the very first period在教会历史第一个阶段，the Church was perfectly conscious of the separate elements of the Christian hope，教会完全意识到基督教盼望的不同的因素，as，for instance，比如说，that physical death is not yet eternal death，身体的死亡，还不是永远的死亡；第二，that the souls of the dead live on，死人的灵魂是继续活着的；第三，that Christ is coming again，基督必再来； that there will be a blessed resurrection of the people of God，第四，上帝的子民会有一次的蒙福的身体复活；that this will be followed by a general judgment，第五，复活之后，有一个一般性的全人类的审判，in which eternal doom will be pronounced upon the wicked but the pious will be rewarded with the everlasting glories of heaven.在这次审判中，邪恶的人，上帝会向他们宣告永远的灭亡，但是虔诚的人呢，上帝会赏赐给他们天上永恒的荣耀。
But these elements were simply seen as so many separate parts of the future hope，可是这些的因素呢，都被看为是对未来的盼望的不同的分别的部分，and were not yet dogmatically construed.还没有一个系统教义的处理。Though the various elements were quite well understood，虽然在不同的因素有很好的理解，their interrelation was not yet clearly seen.可是教会还没有看到他们之间相互的关系。
At first it seemed as if eschatology was in a fair way to become the center of the construction of Christian doctrine，起初，好像末世论很快就成为建构基督教教义的核心，for in the first two centuries Chiliasm was：rather prominent，因为，在第一和第二世纪，千禧年论是蛮显著的，though not as prominent as some would have us believe. 虽然它的显著的程度，不像有些学者要让我们相信得那么显著。As it turned out，however，可是，事情是怎么样发展的呢？ eschatology was not developed in this period.就是在这个阶段，第一、第二世纪呢，末世论是没有好好地发挥的。
我们下一讲开始讲第二，FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH CENTURY TO THE REFORMATION. 就是从第五世纪初到宗教改革。
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