约翰慕理《罗马人书注释》卷2_05(罗9:6-7)
主讲:林慈信牧师_校对:刘加立弟兄_英文:Cherry姐妹_文字:丽燕姐妹
Epistle to the Romans Volume 2 Session 5《罗马人书注释》卷2 –第5讲
我们来到罗马书的第15大段:Vindication of God’s Faithfulness and Righteousness 证实上帝的信实和公义
罗马书9:6-33。首先处理罗马书9:6-13节,在这个里面又在处理罗9:6,7
我们来读,不过我们读第六、七和8节,给我们一个上下文的感觉:和合本:这不是说上帝的话落了空,因为从以色列生的,不都是以色列人;也不因为是亚伯拉罕的后裔,就都作祂的儿女;惟独“从以撒生的,才要称为你的后裔。”这就是说,肉身所生的儿女不是上帝的儿女;惟独那应许的儿女才算是后裔。
新译本:当然,这不是说上帝的话落了空,因为出自以色列的,不都是以色列人;也不因为他们是亚伯拉罕的后裔,就都成为祂的儿女,只有“以撒生的,才可以称为你的后裔”,这就是说,肉身生的儿女并不是上帝的儿女,只有凭着应许生的儿女才算是后裔。
6,7 Literally rendered “But it is not such that the word of God has failed”若用字义翻译的话要这样说:“事情不是如此的,不是说上帝的话失败了,或者落空了”and means that 它的意思就是the case is not such that the faithfulness of God is impugned. 意思就是说情况不是说上帝的信实被指摘。The question arises: 这里出现一个问题:what in the preceding context requires this reservation?在上文有什么事导致会有这种的保留,或者保留性的说法呢?Some have found this in verses 4 and 5 有人认为是在第4和第5节,and supposed that “the word of God” alluded to is the word of threatening. 他们以为该处的“上帝的话”是指恐吓的话。
下面是慕理的回应:It is to be borne in mind, however, 可是我们必须记得 that the leading thought of the preceding verses is the grief the apostle entertains. 上文几节的主要思想是保罗心中的大忧愁。The certifications we found in verse 1 are for the purpose of assuring the veracity of what is stated in verse 2,我们在第一节所看到的证明是为了要确保第二节所说的真实性,and verse 3 demonstrates the intensity of the apostle’s anguish. 第三节要证明保罗的忧愁是多么的深切。
Verses 4 and 5 are attached to verse 3 使徒保罗在第三节之后加上第4和第五节 for the purpose of explaining this grief and zeal for Israel. 为了要解释这个忧愁和为以色列人所大发的热心。However significant is the catalogue of privileges enumerated in verses 4 and 5, it must not be dissociated from its purpose in relation to verses 2 and 3. 不论第四、第五节所列出的特权是多么的重要,都不可以和它的原意分开,也就是说不可以与第二节和第三节所说的关系分开。Hence it is to the apostle’s grief that the reservation of verse 6 is to be attached. 因此第6节的保留性的说法是与使徒保罗的忧愁有关的。
This grief is the reflection in Paul’s consciousness of an objective situation.;这个忧愁是在保罗的意识里对客观情况的反省;it has compelling grounds 这个忧愁有充分的理由,and its reality is certified by ultimate sanctions. 它的真实性是根据至高的上帝的制裁或者权柄。In the context of the history referred to in verses 4-5, 从第四、第五节所指的历史的角度来看,the anticlimax of Israel’s unbelief and of Paul’s anguish incident thereto might appear to contradict the covenant promises of God. 以色列的不信是一个反高潮,另外还有使徒保罗的忧愁,这就可能被看为是与上帝约里的应许矛盾的。It is this inference that Paul denies. 保罗就是要否认这个推论。The word of God has not fallen to the ground. 上帝的话没有落空。
“The word of God 上帝的话” should be understood in a more specific sense 有它特指的意义,and not in the sense of Scripture as a whole or of the word of the truth of the gospel. 不是指整本圣经,也不是指福音的真理。It is the word of promise in the covenants alluded to in verse 4. 乃是指第4节所暗指的上帝诸约中的应许。Covenant in Scripture is synonymous with oath-bound promise 在圣经里,约与借着宣誓所作的应许是同义词and the statement here is to the same effect as saying “God’s covenant has not come to naught”. 这里所说的与“上帝的约没有废弃”是同义的。
我这里做一个简单的注脚:慕理说:“约”与上帝的宣誓所做的应许是同义词,参考慕理的一本小书 The Covenant of Grace《恩典之约》。
Then the reason is given 然后保罗提供了理由:“they are not all Israel who are of Israel”. “属以色列的人不都是以色列人”。我们读新译本:”出自以色列的不都是以色列人”。Those “of Israel” are the physical seed,那些“出自以色列的、属以色列的人”就是肉身的后裔, the natural descendants of the patriarchs. 先祖自然的后代。It is not necessary to identify “Israel” here as Jacob specifically. 我们不必看“以色列”在这里是专指雅各其人。
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It makes no difference to the sense whether we regard “Israel” as those descended from Jacob or go back further to include Abraham and Isaac. 不论我们看“以色列”是指雅各的后裔,或者追溯到更早包括亚伯拉罕和以撒都没有关系。The main thought is that of children according to the flesh. 这里重要的思想是按肉体的子孙。
In the other expression, “they are not all Israel” 另一方面的表述,“不都是以色列人”,obviously, the denotation is much more limited.这个所指的很明显的是更狭窄的范围and the thought is that there is an “Israel” within ethnic Israel. 保罗的思想是在以色列的民族、民族性的以色列里面有一个“以色列”。This kind of distinction appears earlier in this epistle in connection with the term Jew and circumcision (2 :28 and 29). 这种的区分在罗马书前文当保罗讨论犹太人一词和讨论割礼的时候是曾经出现过的(第二章28-29节)。
If the terms of the present passage were applied to the earlier, the formula would be,假如前文根据这段经文的词汇来表达,就可以说成这样:“they are not all Jews who are of the Jews”“属犹太人的不都是犹太人,或者出自犹太人的不都是犹太人”and 另外就是“they are not all circumcised who are of the circumcision”. “属于受割礼的,或者受过割礼的不都是受割礼的”。Thus we have been prepared by the patterns of Paul’s thought and usage for what we find here in 9:6. 因此保罗的思路和用词预备我们来读9:6。
The Israel distinguished from the Israel of natural descent is the true Israel. 与以色列的民族与血统的以色列人所区别的是真以色列。They are indeed “of Israel” but not coextensive with the latter. 这个真以色列当然是出自以色列的,但是与民族性的所有的以色列人的范围是不一样的。
It is in accord with our Lord’s usage to make this kind of distinction within a designated class. 在特定的某一群人中做出这种的区分是符合我们主耶稣基督的做法的。He distinguished between those who are disciples and those truly disciples,(John 8:30-32). 耶稣区别做门徒的和真正做门徒的人(参考约翰福音第八章30-32节)。He spoke of Nathanael as “truly an Israelite”(John 1:47). 祂称拿但业为“一个真以色列人”(约翰福音第一章47节)。
If we use Paul’s own language ,我们若用保罗自己的词汇来说,this Israel is Israel “according to the Spirit” (Galatians 4:29) 我们可以说这个以色列是按照圣灵的以色列(加拉太书四章29节)and “the Israel of God(Galatians 6:16), “是上帝的以色列”(加拉太书6:16), although in the latter passage he is no doubt including the people of God of all nations. 虽然在加拉太书第6章16节它毫无疑问的是包括了万国中的上帝的子民。
我们来看这两段的经文:Galatians 4:29 加拉太书4:29:当时,那按着血气生的,逼迫了那按着圣灵生的,现在也是这样。新译本:不过,当时那按着肉体生的,迫害那按着圣灵生的,现在也是这样。Galatians 6:16 我们从第15节开始读: 受割礼不受割礼都无关紧要,要紧的就是作新造的人。凡照此理而行的,愿平安、怜悯加给他们和 神的以色列民。我们读新译本:所有照这准则而行的人,愿平安怜悯临到他们,就是临到上帝的以色列。Israel of God上帝的以色列。所以若用保罗在这里的说法,我们就可以说真以色列人就是由圣灵所生的以色列、上帝的以色列。
The purpose of this distinction is to show 这个区分的目的是要指出、是要说明 that the covenant promise of God did not have respect to Israel after the flesh上帝的约里的应许并不是赐给按肉体的以色列人的but to this true Israel乃是赐给这个真以色列的and that, therefore, the unbelief and rejection of ethnic Israel as a whole in no way interfered with the fulfillment of God’s covenant purpose and promise. 因此按肉体的以色列民族里的成员他们的不信、他们的拒绝基督一点都没有影响到、干扰到上帝实现祂的约的目的和兑现祂的应许。
The word of God, therefore, has not been violated. 因此上帝的话并没有被废掉。The argument of the apostle here is not in principle different from that which we find earlier in this epistle. 保罗在这里的论证和在罗马书前文的论证原则上是没有不同的。There is a parallel between his present contention and his polemic that “not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed”(4:13) and that the children of Abraham were those “who walked in the steps” of Abraham’s faith (4:12) . 保罗在这段经文所力争的和他在第四章13节的争辩,就是应许不是借着律法赐给亚伯拉罕和他的后裔的,这两者是平衡相应的。这里所论证的也与(4:12)亚伯拉罕的子孙,就是跟随亚伯拉罕的信心的脚踪行的人也是平衡相应的。
Now the interest is centered upon a coordinate fact of truth 现在保罗的关注是聚焦着一个相关的事实,这个事实就是 that not through natural descent are the promises inherited诸般的应许不是借着血统能够承继的and that God’s covenant promise was not made so as to include all of ethnic Israel. 上帝在约里做的应许并不是要包括所有以色列民族的成员。Thus the exclusion of Israelites from God’s covenant of favor does not negate the word of the oath. 因此把一些以色列人排除在上帝约里的恩宠以外,并没有否定上帝的誓言。
In verse 7 在第七节 Paul continues to support this same distinction 使徒保罗继续支持这个区别and expressly carries it back to the seed of Abraham. 直截了当追溯到亚伯拉罕的后裔。He is still speaking of those “of Israel ”他仍然在讨论那些“出自以色列的人、属以色列的人”,and now draws the distinction in terms of that between “Abraham’s seed” and “children”. 现在祂区别亚伯拉罕的后裔一方面和另一方面儿女或者子孙Children。In this instance 在这处 “Abraham’s seed” denotes the natural posterity亚伯拉罕的后裔这个词是指血统上的后代and “children” is equivalent to the true Israel,“子孙或者儿女”是等于真以色列,and in that sense the true children as inheritors of the promise. 从这个意义来说真子孙就是指那些承受应许的人。
Later on these children are called “children of God” (verse 8)在其后(第8节)保罗称这些子孙为“上帝的儿女”and this fixes their identity even though in verse 7 they are contemplated simply as the true children of Abraham. 这就确定了他们真正的身份他们是谁,虽然在第七节保罗只不过说他们是亚伯拉罕的真子孙(英文的儿女跟子孙是同义词 children)。
The foregoing differentiation is now supported by appeal to Scripture. 上述的区分就是亚伯拉罕的后裔和真子孙、真儿女这个区分,保罗现在用诉诸于圣经来证明。“In Isaac shall thy seed be called” (Genesis 21:12). 我直接翻译:“在以撒里,你的后裔必蒙呼召”(创世记21:12)。Isaac must here be taken of the person and not collectively. 这里所指的是以撒其人不是指整个族群。Thought is focused on the choice of Isaac in contrast with Ishmael. 保罗的思想是集中在以撒的被拣选与以实玛利是对照的:the proposition to be demonstrated is 为了要证明这个命题就是这个概念,这个概念是什么呢?that natural descent does not make children in the sense of true children,自然的血统并不使人成为子孙,就是真的子孙真的儿女,children to whom the promise belongs. 应许是属这些真子孙真儿女的。The choice of Isaac to the exclusion of Ishmael is sufficient to prove this thesis. 以撒被拣选、以实玛利被遗弃足够证明这个论点的。
Furthermore, 再者, it may not be taken for granted that “thy seed” in this instance is to be understood collectively. 我们不能把后裔一定是指族群当做是理所当然的。The English rendering creates the impression that seed is here collective. 因为英文翻译本的后裔 “seed 种子”的“种”会给人一种是指群体的印象。But it may well be understood in the sense “Isaac shall be thy seed”但是也可以这样理解:“以撒必成为你的种你的后裔”and “seed” understood in this case in contrast with “Abraham’s seed” and in the sense of true seed. 那这里的“后裔”或者“种”是与“亚伯拉罕的后裔”对照的,就是指真的后裔、真的种。
我们下次继续讲以撒是真后裔、真子孙这个道理。
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