约翰慕理《罗马人书注释》卷一_15b (罗4:13-25)下
主讲：林慈信牧师_校对：刘加立弟兄_英文：Cherry姐妹_文字：兰月姐妹
31:43 P147//18 Romans 4:18罗马书4:18 Who in hope believed against hope，to the end that he might become a father of many nations，according to that which had been spoken，So shall thy seed be. 罗马书第四章，我们现在来到第18节了：在他没有盼望的时候，仍然怀着盼望去信，因此就成了万国的父。正如上帝所说，你的后裔将要这样众多。我读和合本：他在无可指望的时候，因信仍有指望，就得以做多国的父。正如先前所说，你的后裔将要如此。
18 Verse 18 is a further amplification of the character of Abraham’s faith18节进一步的扩大了描述亚伯拉罕信心的本质and of the design that his faith observed. 还有他的信心是为了达到什么的目标，这些都扩大了。The relative pronoun in the beginning refers to Abraham. 在第18节一开始就用了一个代词的，是指亚伯拉罕。(cf. 17b参考17节下半。) “Against hope” and “in hope” point in opposite directions. 18节说（和合本是）无可指望、仍有指望，（新译本是）没有盼望、仍然怀着盼望，两者是指向相反的方向的。
The former envisions the circumstances mentioned in verse 19 which would be calculated of themselves to destroy all hope. 前者(就是没有盼望)是因为考虑到19节所提到的情况，这些情况是刻意要人把任何的盼望毁掉的。In terms of human resources there was no possibility of fulfillment. 从人的能力跟资源来看，实现这些的也许是没有可能性的。This however places in relief the other expression恰恰就是这样子，来让第二个表述能够凸显出来“in hope怀着盼望”and the calculation of faith which it bespeaks. 而这个怀着盼望，就是表达出信心是怎么样的计算的。
In the face of the calculations which appearances might induce，假如看表面的情况来打算的话，Abraham entertained hope because he believed，亚伯拉罕怀着盼望，因为他相信，and the calculation of faith were with the omnipotence and faithfulness of God. 而信心是怎么样谋算的呢? 信心是相信上帝的无所不能和上帝的信实的。(参考第17节。)
It is difficult to ascertain the precise relationships and interrelationships of faith and hope in this text. 在这节，信心和盼望之间的关系、相互的关系是什么，不太容易确定。“Believed in hope怀着盼望去相信”does not mean that he had faith in his own hope. 这个意思不是说亚伯拉罕信靠他自己的盼望。The object of faith is clearly God很明显的，亚伯拉罕信心的对象是上帝in the omnipotence of his character，就是有着无所不能的本性的上帝，the determinateness of his purpose，就是上帝的计划是已经预定、是坚决的，信心是信这样一位上帝，and the security of his promises. 上帝所应许的，是稳固的、是坚定的。亚伯拉罕是信这样的一个的上帝。
Apparently what is meant by “believed in hope”很明显的 “believed in hope 怀着盼望去相信”的意思是什么呢? is that Abraham’s faith was exercised in the confident hope which the promise of God engendered. 就说是亚伯拉罕是怎么样的用上他的信心的呢?就是上帝的应许在他里面激发了一个盼望，亚伯拉罕是有着这个充满着把握的盼望，这样子来相信上帝的。
Faith and hope were mutually interactive and complementary. 因此信心跟盼望是互动的、是相辅相成的。They both rested upon the same foundation，信心和盼望都建立在同一个的根基上，就是 the promises of God，上帝的应许，and the specific quality of faith meaning unreserved commitment to God and his promises信心特别的素质，就是毫不保留地委身于上帝、委身于上帝的应许and the specific quality of hope那么盼望的特别的素质就是being the outreach of expectation in reference to fulfillment. 就是期待、仰望上帝实现这个应许。
The second part of verse 18 states the design of Abraham’s faith; 18节下半节就指出亚伯拉罕的信心是为了达到这么一个目标;it was这个目标就是 “to the end that he might become the father of many nations，好叫他做多国之父according to that which had been spoken，So shall thy seed be”. 就根据先前所说的，你的后裔必然是如此的。
It is possible that this is intended to define the aim consciously entertained by Abraham有可能，这里是指亚伯拉罕心里面意识到的事情and therefore that his faith was directed to the fulfillment of the promises mentioned in this part of the text. 所以，有可能是指他的信心是相信这段经文里面所提到的应许必定是会实现的。
That is to say，换言之，Abraham confidently believed in the assurance of hope lest the promises that he would be the father of many nations and that his seed should be as the stars of heaven should fail of fulfillment. 意思就是说，亚伯拉罕充满着把握的相信，他有盼望的确据，好叫上帝所应许的不会落空、不会不实现。就是说他要做多国之父，他的后裔好像天上的星那么多，他充满着确据、把握、相信，好叫应许不落空。
Both promises stated in the text，“a father of many nations” and “so shall thy seed be”，were promises given to Abraham经文里面指出两项的应许，“做多国之父”，还有“你的后裔必然如此”，就是好像天上的星这么多，都是上帝给亚伯拉罕的应许（Genesis 15:5 and 17:5：参考创世记15：5，还有创世记第17：5）and they therefore came within the compass of his faith. 因此这两个应许，都是在亚伯拉罕的信心的范围里面，他信这两项的应许的。
Hence to dismiss summarily the view that this defines the design of Abraham in believing is without warrant. 所以假如有人有这个观点说这个是亚伯拉罕自己的目标，我们没有理由拒绝这个观点的。But，in any case，the design is that embracing the ordination of God. 不过总之，这个信心的目标是包含在上帝的永恒中所预定的计划里面的。
第二个观点 view number two：The strongest consideration in favor of restricting the design to the ordination and intention of God is the parallel in verse 11，这里第18节和第11节有着平衡的关系，这个是很强的理由，支持我们把这里的目标、这个“好叫”这个目标是指上帝的预定、上帝的用意，(where，without question，God’s design is in view.漏讲 ) But the argument drawn from verse eleven is not conclusive for this effect. 但是从第11节这样的来论证，不是绝对可信的。In the latter the design stated is clearly that of God’s own action，在11节，上帝的这个目标，肯定是上帝自己的作为，whereas in verse 18 the design is related directly to the act of Abraham in believing. 而第18节的目标，是直接与亚伯拉罕信这个动作有关的。Of course，God’s ordination is indicated even if what is expressly stated is the design of Abraham. 当然了，就算我们这里所看到的是指亚伯拉罕自己的目标，仍然是指出上帝的预定的。There appears to be no good reason for excluding the latter. 但是没有理由排除这个是亚伯拉罕的目标。
Romans 4:19-25 罗马书4:19-25
Verse 19：19节：And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old)，and the deadness of Sarah’s womb ; 罗马书4:1：他将近百岁的时候，虽然想到自己的身体如同已死，撒拉的生育已经断绝，他的信心还是不软弱。
19 In verse 19 there is a question as to the correct Greek text. 第19节这里，究竟希腊文的原文文本如何说，是不确定的。There is a significant variant in the manuscripts. 古卷抄本之间是有所分歧的。Are we to read: “he did not consider his own body dead”我们是应该这样看吗，“他不看自己的身体是死的”or “he did consider his own body dead”? 还是“就是他看自己的身体是死的”，是哪一个呢？The negative appears in some manuscripts but not in others. 他不看自己的身体，这个“不”字，有些古卷有，有些古卷是没有的。This might seem to offer entirely different interpretations. 既然古卷有些有、有些没有，可能就引发出各种不同的解释。But in this context，strange as it may seem，但是在这段经文按照上下文来看，虽然是好像很奇怪the difference of thought is not so great两种的抄本的意思，它的分别没有这么大and both readings are compatible with the context and with what we know of Abraham. 两种的古卷的抄法，都与上下文是符合的，都与我们所认识的亚伯拉罕的性格是符合的。
未经同意，请勿擅自在其它网站或平台转载和刊登课程的逐字稿；课程的逐字稿的版权归「中华展望」，禁止复印出版等商业用途。
中华网络圣约学院ccnci.org中华展望圣约学院[email protected]（PayPal）
On the former reading我们先来看第一种的抄本，就是他不看自己的身体是死的the thought would be that保罗的用意就是说he did not consider his own body dead and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 他没有看自己的身体是死的，他也没有看撒拉的生育是断绝的。That is to say，换言之，he did not set his mind upon，he did not become so absorbed with，the procreative impotency of his own body nor the fact that Sarah was past age for the conception and bearing of children换言之，他不是专注于他在生殖方面的无能，他不是专注于撒拉已经过了生育的年纪so as to become weakened in faith. 以至于信心软弱。不是 set his mind upon 他不是完全在想这件事情，did not become so absorbed不是全神贯注的去考虑这件事情。(cf. Genesis 18:11：参考创世记18:11亚伯拉罕和撒拉年纪老迈，撒拉的月经已断绝了。)
This implies that his body was procreatively impotent and the reason is given，namely，that he was about a hundred years old. 这里就暗示着，他的身体在生殖方面是无能的，原因是已经100岁了。And it implies that Sarah also was past the age of bearing as，Genesis 18:11 attests. 也暗示着撒拉已经过了生育的年龄，正如创世记18章11节所说的。But he did not allow them to loom up in his thought to such an extent that his faith in the promise of God was undermined. 但是他没有把他的心思意念这么专注在这些事实上，以致影响到他对上帝应许的信靠。As verse 20 says，正如第20节说，“he did not waver at the promise of God in unbelief”. 正如20节说，他的信心没有动摇而不信上帝的应许。While he did not close his eyes to the facts of his own age and Sarah’s，是的，他对自己的和妻子的年龄不是盲目的，yet he was so absorbed with the promise of God that faith did not waver. 但是他那么的专注于上帝的应许，以至于他的信心是没有动摇的。
On the latter reading我们来看第二个古卷的抄法，就是他看自己的身体是死的the thought is that Abraham did consider his own body dead and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 他看自己的身体是死的，撒拉也是过了这个生育的年龄，也是断绝了。In this case there is express emphasis on what is implied in the other reading but the word “consider” would have a different shade of meaning. 假如看第二种的古卷的话，第一种古卷所暗示的这个看是明说的，但是看自己的身体这个字的意思稍微有点不一样。
In the former case假如是不是看自己的身体是死的话it would mean “become absorbed with”，“fix attention upon”，就是“专注于”、“全神贯注的”去思考，whereas now但是假如按照第二种古卷的抄法的话it means “take into account”，“reckoned with”. 就是考虑到的意思。And the thought would be按照第二种的古卷意思就是说although he was fully aware of his own procreative decrepitude and the deadness of Sarah’s womb，nevertheless he was not weak in faith. 意思是虽然他完全意识到他在生殖的无能，还有撒拉的生育已经断绝，他的信心仍然是不软弱的。
And the reason why he was not weak in faith is 为什么他的信心不软弱呢？原因就是that he fixed his attention upon the promise of God 他专注于上帝的应许and did not waver in unbelief. 没有动摇而不信。Hence the difference of meaning on the two readings is one of emphasis所以这两种古卷的意思稍微有点不一样，只不过是在侧重点不同and both readings are quite in accord with the facts of the case两种的古卷都符合历史的事实and with the construction of the passage. 也都符合整段经文的句子的构造。The latter reading，however，appears to have the stronger support and may therefore be followed.（慕理最后的结论是，）第二种的古卷，就是说他看自己的身体是死的，比较多一点的证据的理由，所以我们会根据这个第二种的古卷来继续来解释下去。
Romans 4:20 and 21：yet，looking unto the promise of God，he wavered not through unbelief，but waxed strong through faith，giving glory to God，and being fully assured that what he had promised，he was able also to perform.
罗马书4:20-21：并且仰望上帝的应许，总没有因不信心里起疑惑，反倒因信心里得坚固，将荣耀归给上帝。第21且满心相信上帝所应许的，必能做成。
我们读新译本：也没有因着不信而疑惑上帝的应许，反而坚信不疑，把荣耀归给上帝，满心相信上帝所应许的，上帝必能成就。
20，21 Verse 20 is explanatory of the clause at the beginning of verse 19：20节是解释第19节一开始那个从句，“and not being weak in faith信心没有软弱”and describes Abraham’s faith both negatively and positively. 20节从负面和正面两方面来描述形容亚伯拉罕的信心。This is the force of the adversative at the middle of the verse.在第20节中间那里有一个负面的说法的意思就是这个。Abraham did not stagger，亚伯拉罕没有动摇，he did not entertain doubting thoughts，他心里面没有怀着一些怀疑的思想，with reference to the promise of God. 就是他没有对上帝的应许怀有任何的怀疑。
The promise of God occupies the position of emphasis in the sentence这句话里面，上帝的应许是占着一个很明显的地位的，站在一个非常被强调的地位的in order to set off in bolder relief that upon which Abraham’s faith was focused. 是特别为了要凸显出究竟亚伯拉罕信心是这个焦点是什么。If Abraham had wavered at the promise：假如亚伯拉罕对上帝的应许有所摇动的话it would have been through unbelief. 那是因为他的不信的缘故。Doubt of the promise of God has no affinity with faith怀疑上帝的应许与信心是完全不相关的and the apostle accords it no credit. 保罗没有把不信归给亚伯拉罕。
The positive characterization of Abraham’s faith那么从正面来形容亚伯拉罕的信心的时候保罗说is that “he was strengthened in faith”. 他的信心越发刚强了。It is usual to take “the faith” referred to here as meaning in respect of his faith after the analogy of verse 19a一般来说解经家认为这个“信心”是指从他的信心的角度来看，是根据第19节的上半节对19节上的比较，19节上是说他将近百岁的时候，虽然想到自己的身体如同已死，撒拉的生育已经断绝which is to the effect Abraham did not become weakened in respect of his faith. 意思就是说亚伯拉罕从他的信心的角度来看，他没有软弱。And so the meaning is seen to be that Abraham was strengthened in respect of his faith. 所以这里的意思就是说，亚伯拉罕从他信心的角度来看，他的信心就更加的刚强了。这个是第一个观点。
第二个观点 view number two： It is not unreasonable，however，to regard the faith referred to here as instrumental但是另外一个很有理由的一个的看法是，这个信心是一个工具、一个手段、一个器皿after the pattern of the unbelief in the preceding clause就好像前面的从句不信因为不信而起怀疑一样and thus understand the clause to mean这样子来看的话这个从句的意思就是说Abraham was strengthened，that is，empowered，by his faith. 这里讲的是借着亚伯拉罕的信心，他刚强了，他重新得力了。The sense would then be that意思就是说 the strength by which Abraham was able to perform the procreative act in begetting Isaac was ministered through the instrumentality of faith. 就是说借着信心，亚伯拉罕得到力量，能够行生育之举，以至于能够生以撒。Faith would thus be brought into direct relation to the procreative act. 所以这个信心是直接跟这个生殖的举动是直接有关的。
We must not forget that Isaac was begotten by Abraham and conceived by Sarah. 不要忘记，是亚伯拉罕生以撒，也是撒拉生以撒。And this view of “strengthened in faith” would indicate that假如这样看亚伯拉罕借着信心使他刚强(would indicate that) it was by the strength ministered by faith and exercised in faith that Abraham begat Isaac这意思就是说就指出是因为信心所带来的力量，因为亚伯拉罕用信心，这样子他就生了以撒( cf. Hebrews 11:11参考希伯来书11:11 in the case of Sarah：当希伯来书的作者指到撒拉时候说 “by faith… she received strength to conceive seed撒拉因着信心，得到力量，生出后裔”。）It is a strange prejudice that leads Meyer to say that this “can hardly fail to convey a very indelicate idea”.Meyer 就反对我们这个的看法，说这个是非常不体面的概念，慕理说这个是没有理由的偏见。
There are two reasons，however，why this interpretation should not be adopted. 现在慕理来说有两个原因，为什么我们不采用这个的解释。
(1)第一个原因There is no evidence that Paul has in view simply the later period in Abraham’s life of faith when he actually begat Isaac. The promises quoted in this chapter have reference to an earlier period.尽管没有什么证据证明保罗只不过是想到亚伯拉罕在他后期的信心，就是他的确生以撒的那段时期的信心，只是讲后期的。这里所引用的上帝的应许也是指亚伯拉罕前期的一个阶段。这是一个原因。
（2）第二个原因：The idea that the strength by which Abraham begat Isaac is in the forefront here does not so well accord with the clauses which follow. 假如认为亚伯拉罕生以撒所需要的力量是这里所特别突出的话，跟下文的一些的从句好像不太符合。“Give glory to God归荣耀给上帝”and “being fully persuaded完全相信”，etc. defined for us that in which the strengthening of faith consisted就告诉我们呢亚伯拉罕的信心刚强是指什么or，at least，the ways in which the strengthening of faith was expressed; 至少信心加强是用什么方法来表达出来的; they indicate what was simultaneous with the strengthening of faith就是说这些从句指出与信心加强之同时发生什么事and，very likely，what was involved in the strengthening of faith. 或者更加可能是信心增强是包括什么、牵涉到什么。The content of his full persuasion is stated to be经文说他的完全的确据的内容就是that what had been promised God was able to perform. 所应许的，上帝必能实现。
“Give glory to God归荣耀给上帝”and “being fully persuaded that what he has promised he is able to perform而完全相信上帝所应许的，他必能成就”are coordinate 这两个是互相协调的and describe the exercises or states of mind which were involved in Abraham’s faith. 这两个从句就描述出亚伯拉罕的信心就牵涉到他心里面有怎么样的一些的心思意念，或者有怎么样的一个心态。To give glory to God归荣耀给上帝is to reckon God to be what he is就是承认上帝是这样子的上帝and to rely upon his power and faithfulness. 同时是依靠上帝的大能和祂的信实。To be fully persuaded充分相信、有确信denotes the full assurance and affirmation of conviction. 就是指出这个信念的确据、信念的丰富。(cf. Romans 14:5 and Colossians 4:12：参考罗马书14:5;歌罗西书4:12节。首先是罗马书14:5：有人看这日比那日强，有人看日日都是一样。只是个人心里要意见坚定，Fully persuaded 。然后是歌罗西书4：12：有你们那里的人做基督耶稣仆人的以巴弗问你们安。他在祷告之间常为你们竭力的祈求，愿你们在上帝一切的旨意上得以完全，信心充足，能站立得稳。With full persuasion 信心有充分的把握。）
The object of this conviction is stated to be那这个的信念、这个的把握、这个确据是信什么呢？“that what he has promised he is able also to perform”. 有确信、有确据相信上帝所应许的，他祂也能够做成。Both clauses in coordination mark a fullness of expression indicative of the strength and vigor of Abraham’s faith. 两个从句一起来看，就充分表达出也指出亚伯拉罕的心情多么的活泼和强而有力。
我们休息之后，再回来看罗马书第四章22节。
提示：逐字稿文字只限于个人和教会私下学习交流，目的是造就教会和教会负责带领、讲道的同工们；未经同意，请勿擅自在其它网站或平台转载和刊登课程的逐字稿；课程的逐字稿和图片的版权归「中华展望」，禁止复印出版等商业用途。当文字和录音不符时，以录音为准。愿上帝赐福文字编辑和校对的肢体来雅正！若是有修改的地方、奉献支持或是其他任何问题请使用以下邮件方式联系我们。中华网络圣约学院ccnci.org中华展望圣约学院 [email protected]（PayPal）