神学导论 阅读资料 39A 约翰欧文，《圣灵论》﹕论「重生」
John Owen, The Holy Spirit (abridged and made easy to read):
On Regeneration
圣灵重生: 罪人理性被圣灵更新
John Owen on Regeneration: The Spirit Renews Man’s Mind
上帝启示的第一个目的是启蒙人的理性﹐使之知道上帝的旨意（太四15，16；路四18，19；徒廿六16-18；二十20，21，26，27）。人必须先被教导﹐知道重生的必要，以及如何获得重生。
假设人心已经被启发和受教，当上帝的话被传讲时，一种有力的说服工作在运行﹐使未重生的人愿意降服﹐遵从上帝的话。
(John Owen, The Holy Spirit: (Abridged and Made Easy to Read by R.J.K Law; 欧文﹐ 《圣灵论》 ﹐马可译﹕中译本初稿﹐第12章。)
… the first purpose of divine revelation is to inform and enlighten the mind and make known to us God’s will (Matt. 4:15,16; Luke 4:18, 19; Acts 26:16-18; 20:20, 21, 26, 27). A man must be first taught the need of regeneration and what he is required to do about it. Assuming the mind is enlightened and informed, then when the Word of God is preached, a powerful persuasive work draws the unregenerate to yield to it and obey it.
(John Owen, The Holy Spirit: Abridged and Made Easy to Read by R.J.K.Law, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1998, p. 78.)
圣灵在人的理性上作重生的工作时﹐赐人悟性﹐使人真正明白神的话﹕圣灵赐智慧悟性（约壹五20）。人因罪的缘故变成好像畜类一样，毫无智慧可言（诗四九12，20；耶四22；罗三11）。戴维求耶和华赐他悟性（诗一一九34）。保罗为信徒祈求﹐使他们能真知道基督的启示（弗一17，18）。保罗这话的意思﹐是主观的光照以至我们能掌握所启示的是什么，而不是得到客观的新启示。保罗没有为以弗所信徒祈求获得新的启示。
(欧文﹐《圣灵论》 ﹐马可译﹕中译本初稿﹐第12章。)
The Holy Spirit works on the mind. He gives understanding (I John 5:20). Man by sin became like the beasts, with no understanding (Psa. 49:12,20; Jer. 4:22; Rom. 3:11). David prays for understanding (Psa. 119:34). Paul prays for believers to experience the revelation of Christ (Eph. 1:17, 18). By this he means subjective illumination in order that we may be enabled to grasp what is revealed, not objective new revelations. Paul did not pray that the Christians at Ephesus should receive new revelations.
(John Owen, The Holy Spirit: Abridged and Made Easy to Read by R.J.K.Law, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1998, p. 91.)
人的理性有了悟性时﹐他听到了福音就会回转﹕假设人心已经被启发和受教，当上帝的话被传讲时，一种有力的说服工作在运行﹐使未重生的人愿意降服﹐遵从上帝的话。是的，上帝的话本身是大有劝服能力的，但除非先获得重生，在未被重生之前人是不能也不愿被上帝话语所劝服的。
(欧文﹐《圣灵论》 ﹐马可译﹕中译本初稿 ﹐第12章。)
Assuming the mind is enlightened and informed, then when the Word of God is preached, a powerful persuasive work draws the unregenerate to yield to it and obey it. Yes, the Word of God is powerfully persuasive in itself, but untili born again, unregenerate man cannot and will not be persuaded by it.
(John Owen, The Holy Spirit: Abridged and Made Easy to Read by R.J.K.Law, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1998, p. 78.)
圣灵使意志降服﹐甘心情愿决志
The Spirit Subdues the Will, That It Willingly Surrenders
使人回归上帝的工作中，在恩典与意志之间有反应作用。开始时﹐恩典与未重生的人的意志是互相对抗的。但是恩典胜过未重生者的叛逆意志…﹕未重生人的意志﹐敌对与对抗上帝话语传给他们的恩典。在这种情况之下，人们就抗拒圣灵，因为他们抗拒对他们传讲的恩典。如果仅向他们的意志传讲恩典，他们是一定抗拒的。他们意志中的敌意胜过向他们传讲的恩典。但是重生是一种内在的工作，是把人性本身更新而变化的工作。这样的工作不是向人的意志传讲恩典，因此不会被人的意志拒绝﹔重生乃是有效和奇妙地更新人的意志。
回归上帝的第一步，不是人的意志先决定或选择，然后跟着重生﹔乃是因重生使意志更新，然后作出决定或选择。人的意志一直在被动和迟钝的状态中，直至被圣灵苏醒而重生。有一内在、全能和隐秘的大能作为，在我们里面作工，使我们产生改变归回上帝的决定。这大能的作为在我们的意志上作工，使我们能自由地、喜乐地顺着上帝的意旨作决定和选择。圣灵比我们自己更能奇妙地了解我们的灵魂。因此当祂在我们的灵魂里施行重生工作的时候，祂奇妙地看顾和保守我们的灵魂，同时绝不妨碍我们意志的选择，而且能有效地在我们的意志与灵魂里作工，使之重生和回归上帝。
(欧文﹐《圣灵论》 ﹕中译本初稿 ﹐第12章。)
In the work of conversion to God, there is reaction between grace and the will. Initially grace and the unregenerate will are opposed to each other. Yet grace gains the victory over the rebellious unregenerate will …
The enmity and opposition of the unregenerate will is against grace as presented to the will by God’s Word. In this way men resist the Spirit because they resist the preaching of grace. Now if the preaching of grace is only presented to the will, then men will always resist it. The enmity in their heart will prevail against the preaching. But the work of regeneration is an internal work, transforming our very nature. This work of regeneration is not preached to the will and os is not resisted by the will, but it works effectively on the will, wonderfully renewing it.
The will, in the first act of conversion, does not will or choose to act first and then is regenerated. Rather it is first renewed by regeneration and then it wills or chooses. The will lies passive and inert until roused by the Holy Spirit in regeneration. There is an inward, almighty, secret act of power producing or working in us the will to be converted to God. This act of power so works on our wills that we freely and gladly will what God wants us to will and choose, which is to do his will.
The Holy Spirit understands our souls more wonderfully than we ever could. So in doing his work of regeneration on our souls he wonderfully cares for them, preserves them and, without in any way hindering the freedom of our wills, effectually works on them regeneration and conversion to God.
(John Owen, The Holy Spirit: Abridged and Made Easy to Read by R.J.K.Law, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1998, p. 86-87.)
圣灵赐给人一个新的性情﹐
在知﹐情﹐意都改变
The Spirit Transforms Man’s Nature:
Mind, Emotions, Will
当圣灵在我们身上作重生工作的时候，祂是顺着我们理性﹐情感与意志的性情而行，不会忽略、强迫，或伤害我们知﹐情﹐意的本性。圣灵是顺着我们灵魂的本性、能力和才能在我们灵里作工。在圣经中有这些例子﹕「求你使我回转，我便回转」（耶三一18）。「愿 你吸引我，我们就快跑跟随你」（歌一4）。上帝用「一人的绳索」吸引我们。这所描述的﹐是说服的行为。「上帝使雅弗扩张」（创九27）。这工作也被描述为「有诱惑力」的。「我必劝导她，领她到旷野，对她说安慰的话」（何二14）。
如上述这些圣灵的工作一样，圣灵的重生工作不会损害我们天生的功能。
(欧文﹐《圣灵论》 ﹕中译本初稿﹐第12章。)
When the Holy Spirit does his work of regeneration in us he works according to the nature of our minds, hearts and wills, not over-riding nor forcing nor damaging them. He works in our souls according to their nature, power and ability. Here are some examples from the Bible. ‘Tun me, and I shall be turned’ (Jer. 31:18). ‘Draw me and we shall run after you’ (Song of Sol. 1:4). God draws us with the ‘cords of a man’. The work itself is described as persuading. ‘God shall persuade Japheth’ (Gen 9:27). The work is also described as ‘alluring’. ‘I will allure her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her’ (Hos. 2:14).
(John Owen, The Holy Spirit: Abridged and Made Easy to Read by R.J.K.Law, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1998, p. 85.)
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