约翰慕理《罗马人书注释》卷一_10b(罗2:21-3:2)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
罗马书第三章
3:1-8: 这样说来,犹太人有什么长处,割礼有什么益处呢?凡事大有好处,第一是上帝的圣言交托他们。即便有不信的,这有何妨呢?难道他们的不信,就废掉 神的信吗?断乎不能!不如说,上帝是真实的,人都是虚谎的。如经上所记:“你责备人的时候,显为公义;被人议论的时候,可以得胜。”(诗51:4)我且照着人的常话说,我们的不义若显出上帝的义来,我们可以怎么说呢?上帝降怒,是他不义吗?断乎不是!若是这样,上帝怎能审判世界呢?若上帝的真实,因我的虚谎越发显出他的荣耀,为什么我还受审判,好像罪人呢?为什么不说,我们可以作恶以成善呢?这是毁谤我们的人说我们有这话。这等人定罪是该当的。
第一跟第二节,我们再读第三章第一和第二节: “这样说来,犹太人有什么长处,割礼有什么益处呢?凡事大有好处,第一是神的圣言交托他们。”
1,2 Paul’s foregoing argument respecting the inefficacy of circumcision in the flesh,that is,of the mere rite of circumcision divorced from the circumcision that is of the heart by the Holy Spirit,might appear to make of no avail God’s institution under the Old Testament. 保罗在上文的论证,他说到在肉体的割礼的无效,就是说只有外在的礼仪,却与心里的割礼分开、心里的由圣灵所做的割礼分开的话,是无效的,这样一个论证,就可能让人以为上帝在旧约时期所设立的制度是不重要的。Especially might this be the inference drawn from Paul’s statement in 2:27特别是保罗在第二章27节所讲的,就让人做出这种推论that the uncircumcision by nature就是那些按照本性没有受割礼的人,when they fulfill the law:当他们成全律法的时候,would judge and condemn the circumcision which transgressed the law. 他们会审判、责备那些受割礼而犯律法的人。(所以就有可能有人会误解、会做错误的推论。)
It might seem that circumcision created disadvantage and liability rather than added privilege. 那就似乎在说,割礼就成为与人有损的、有害的,而不是一个增加的特权。It is this kind of inference that Paul anticipates and refutes:保罗就预料到有这种推论,所以他要反驳、驳斥它。He does so by asking and answering the pointed question:保罗怎么做呢?他提出一个问题,自我回答:“What then is the advantage of the Jew,or what is the profit of circumcision?” (新译本:) “犹太人独特的地方在哪里呢?割礼又有什么益处呢?
His answer is:他的回答是“Much in every way”,从各方面来说,的确很多,as if he should say much in every respect. 就好像他说在每个层面来看,都是很多好处的。He would not allow any deprecatory reflection to be cast upon the divine institution. 他不容许人在上帝所设立的制度上有任何贬义的反思。In another connection,as we shall see,他在另外一段经文,我们将会看到的,he insists that men’s unbelief does not make void the faithfulness of God. 他坚持人的不信不会废除神的信实。
So here his thought is:所以在这里使徒保罗的思路是在说,though the external rite is of no avail when it is accompanied by transgression of law虽然犯律法的罪的时候是这个外在礼仪是没有用的,yet但是,this does not make void the advantage and profit accruing to the Jew as the depository of the divine institution. 这个并没有废除犹太人所有的好处,因为犹太人是上帝在他们中间设立上帝的制度的民族。Depository of Divine institution:上帝把祂的制度、祂的体制安放在、交托给犹太人。
The direction of the apostle’s thought here is relevant as rebuke to much that is current in the attitude of the present day,保罗这里的思路方向,对我们今天基督徒的态度同样是合适的一个责备,namely,什么呢?就是我们当代的基督徒,他是讲我们,21世纪的,neglect of,if not contempt for, institutions which God has established in the church,就是今天很多的人藐视或者忽略上帝在教会里所设立的体制,on the plausible plea that:他们大作文章,以为是很可信的,他们说in many cases those who observe these institutions do not prove faithful to the intent and purpose很多遵守这些礼仪的人,最终对他们的决心、他们的委身是不忠诚的,and many who are indifferent and perhaps hostile to these institutions又有一些人对这些礼仪漠不关心,甚至存有敌意,exhibit more of the evangelic faith and fervor而他们生命中要表达更多的福音的信心跟热心,which ought to command these institutions. 而守这些礼仪的人应该展示这种信心和热心。(当代的基督徒常常会这样有意无意的藐视约里面的记号印证。比如说基督徒久久的不受洗礼、圣餐可有可无等等。)
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The same answer must be given and given with even greater emphasis. 我们要对这些态度要做同样的回复,甚至要更加强调。答案For if Paul could say with reasonable advantage and profit of an institution that had been discontinued as to its observance “Much in every way”,因为假如保罗可以说一个已经不再遵守的礼仪,就是上帝所设立的礼仪是有好处的,而且是很多好处,一个已经过时的礼仪,保罗说很有好处,how much more may we esteem the institutions that are permanent in the church of Christ which regulates its life and devotion until Christ will come again. 那么我们是否更应该尊重那些在基督的教会里面永久性的礼仪跟制度,这些礼仪跟制度在管理基督徒的生命和爱神的心,一直到主再来。
这里,慕理很少有的直截了当的应用这个经文的意思在21世纪的基督徒身上。
We should expect the apostle to specify several of the respects in which advantage and profit of which he speaks actually obtain. 那么我们会预料保罗会指出好几方面的好处。He does this later in this epistle他在罗马书后文会这样列出的,when he says that to Israel pertained “the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises”.(在罗马书9:4)保罗的确列出这些好处。”他们是以色列人,那儿子的名分、荣耀、诸约、律法、礼仪、应许都是他们的”等等。
And we might all the more expect this when he begins by saying ,“first of all”; we would naturally look for a second and a third. 那我们更加会预期,当他一开始说 “首先”,我们就会等一个第二、第三。But this is not what we find:但是这里我们找不到第二、第三的。He gives us what is first and is content with that. 他讲第一就满足了。It makes little difference whether we regard the word he uses as “first” or “chiefly”. 那么我们看这个字是 “第一”还是 “最首要的”是不重要的。In either case不论你怎么看这个字,what Paul appeals to is that which was preeminent in the privileges of the Jews–保罗所诉诸的就是犹太人里面的特权的、最尊贵的–“they were entrusted with the oracles of God”.上帝的圣言、上帝的晓谕、祂的圣旨交托了给他们。They were the depositories of God’s special revelation. 犹太人是上帝的特殊启示的存放处,就是交托给他们、存放在他们中间的。
The expression “the oracles of God” is especially significant. 而 “上帝的圣言”这个表述是特别重要的。
(1)第一方面,为什么它重要呢? Paul is undoubtedly thinking of the Old Testament in its entirety,not simply of discrete oracular utterances given to the Old Testament organs of revelation and embodying the Old Testament. 保罗这里毫无疑问是在想整本旧约,不仅仅是某一次上帝的口中的话传给某一个旧约的启示的传人,然后写在旧约圣经里;不是某一次,是整本旧约是神的圣言。He speaks of that with which the Jews have been entrusted,保罗讲到的是什么是交托给犹太人的,of that which had been committed to them,交托给他们的,and it could not be conceived of as making discrimination within the contents of that total deposit. 保罗不可能在上帝所交托的犹太人的整体教义里面做什么区分,当他讲圣言的时候。
(2) 第二个理由为什么重要:It is as Scripture that these oracles were committed to the Jews;上帝所交付给犹太人的圣言是作为圣经这个形式交付给他们的;Only in this form could the Jews be said to have been entrusted with them. 保罗说犹太人,上帝交付这个给他们,交付什么?一定是圣经、整本的圣经,这是犹太人有上帝圣言交托给他们,一定是写下来的圣经,整本的圣经。
(3)第三个理由为什么重要:The deposit of revelation in the Scripture of the Old Testament is called “the oracles of God”. 旧约圣经这个上帝启示存放在犹太人中的启示,是称为神的圣言的。The Scripture is therefore regarded by the apostle as the oracular words of God. 所以保罗看圣经是上帝口中所说的话,Oracular words上帝口中所说的话。Scripture is no less the speech or sayings of God than were the divine utterances which prophets received directly from the mouth of God. 圣经是上帝口中所说的话,就等于先知们从上帝口中亲耳所听到的话,同样的是神口中亲自所说的话。Scripture itself is a “thus saith the Lord”. 圣经本身就是一本的 “耶和华如此说”。That is Paul’s concept of Scripture with which the Jews have been entrusted. 保罗说上帝的圣言交托给犹太人,保罗对神的圣言、圣经是这样看法的。For Paul the written word is God’s speech,对保罗来说,写下来的话是上帝口中亲自说的话,and God’s speech is conceived as existing in the form of a “trust” to Israel; 而上帝的口中的话是透过一个交托给以色列人的信托而存在的;divine oracles have fixed an abiding form. 上帝口中的圣言是定下来的、是有它的永久性的。
我就停在这里。今天的新正统、新福音派喜欢说,既然写下来就是硬绷绷的、死沉沉的,就不再是活的。不是的!上帝默示人写下来的话,与祂亲口所讲的话一样是活泼的、有生命的、能改变人的,也是自证的。你会知道这个是上帝在讲话,上帝不需要再证明祂,自己也证明这个是祂讲的,就好像祂站在你面前讲话一样那么的活。再来,上帝的话,祂有亲自讲话,有来到旧约、新约的人面前来讲话等等,最后圣灵默示写下来的这个圣经,还是神亲口所说的话。这就是保罗的圣经观,也应该是我们的圣经观。参考我所翻译的《圣言论》Doctrine of the Word of God,傅兰姆里面整本书的一个主题,在网上可以找得到《圣言论》。
好,我们祷告结束。
天父,感谢你给我们看到你的话语里面给我们看到,你自己所设定的礼仪是很重要的,意义是要我们来领受、抓住、信靠你的恩典。我们若不遵行你的话,这个礼仪对我们没有用,但是我们必须尊重你自己所设立的一切记号。帮助我们调整我们的思想,使我们更加爱你地上的教会,谢谢主,你的恩典够我们用,继续要教导我们,也在地上要使用我们的。感谢你,奉耶稣基督圣名求,Amen。
星期六我们从这里再开始。
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