Living in Christ’s Church Session 3

《教会论与教会生活》第3

主讲:林慈信牧师_校对:刘加立&ZJY(CGY)_英文:John Kim_文字:傅昱川

第一章,我们的聚会,天上的锡安山。

这个是第一章的第三段:我们的聚会,天上的锡安山。

克罗尼院长上课的时候,或者讲道的时候,他是很微声的。他讲话声音很小,但是非常的兴奋!当时在威敏斯特神学医院,课堂那个讲台小小一个方方、又小又重木头的方方的上面斜斜的,他那么夹着那么厚的,他人又很瘦,夹着放上去,人抓着这个讲台,又摇那个讲台,差不多要向我们那边倒下来。他讲话讲,讲,讲,他这样子一呼吸,就是说很兴奋的意思。所以讲话很小声,但是非常的激动,因为神的话是多么的荣耀!

第三段,我们的聚会,天生的锡安山。The writer of Hebrew points us back to the scene at Sinai,希伯来书的作者就回顾指向西奈山上的景象,希伯来书12:18~29,指向出埃及记锡安山的聚会的。

希伯来书12:18 你们原不是来到那能摸的山,此山有火焰,密云,黑暗,暴风,角声与说话的声音。那些听见这声音的。都求不要再向他们说话。因为他们当不起所命他们的话说,靠近这山的,既便是走兽,也要用石头打死。所见的极其可怕,甚至摩西说,我甚是恐惧战竞。你们乃是来到锡安山,永生神的城邑,就是天上的耶路撒冷。那里有千万的天使,有名录在天上诸长子之会所共聚的总会,有审判众人的神,和被成全之义人的灵魂。并新约的中保耶稣,以及所洒的血。这血所说的比亚伯的血所说的更美。你们总要谨慎,不可弃绝那向你们说话的。因为那些弃绝在地上警戒他们的,尚且不能逃罪,何况我们违背那从天上警戒我们的呢。当时他的声音震动了地。但如今他应许说,再一次我不单要震动地,还要震动天。这再一次的话,是指明被震动的,就是受造之物,都要挪去,使那不被震动的常存。所以我们既得了不能震动的国,就当感恩,照上帝所喜悦的,用虔诚敬畏的心事奉上帝。因为我们的上帝乃是烈火。

He tells us that we have not come to Mount Sinai with its fire, darkness, tempest and trumpet,希伯来书的作者告诉我们并不是来到西奈山,那里有火焰、有黑暗、有暴风、有号角的声音。Instead we have come to the mountain that was the goal of the desert pilgrimage,反之我们所来到的是在旷野的路程的目标之山,我们来到的是锡安山,to Mountain Zion. The Zion to which we come, however, 但是我们来到锡安山呢,is not the earthly city where Herod’s temple stood,不是那个地上的锡安山,也就是希律王的“圣殿”之所在。No, we are come the Zion above不是的,我们来到的是上头的锡安山,to the assembly of God in heaven itself,我们来到的是天上的上帝的会众。(Assembly of God,这个正好是“神召会”的名字,很美好的名字,被他们拿去了,他们是很有福的。)There are gathered all the holy ones, 在那里所有的圣者都聚集了,the thousands upon thousands of the saints and angels,千千万万的圣徒,都在那里聚集了。The picture of Sinai and of Zion,西奈山的景象和锡安山的景象is now fulfilled in the reality of the heavenly assembly,现在在天上的聚会都已经成全了,实现了,都已经实在,reality。What made the difference? 为什么天上的锡安是那么的不一样?the work of Jesus Christ,就是因为耶稣基督的大工所以不一样。We come to the heavenly Zion because Jesus is there,我们来到天上的锡安山,因为耶稣在那里。We no longer sprinkle blood on an earthly altar as priests did in the temple at Jerusalem. 我们不再把血洒向地上的祭坛,好像祭祀在耶路撒冷所做的一样。The blood of bulls and goats no longer has meaning,牛、山羊的血今天已经不再有意义了,because Jesus has sprinkled the throne of God with his own blood. 因为耶稣已经把祂自己的宝血洒在了上帝的宝座上。He has entered into heaven for us,祂已经代表我们进入到天上,on the basis of his finished atonement on the cross,就是根据祂在十字架上所成就的、所成全的救赎大工。We come to Him,我们是来到祂那里,and to the blood of sprinkling,来到所洒的血那里,that speaks better for us than the blood of Abel. 这个血所宣称的是比亚伯的血所宣称的更美。When Abel died by his brother’s hand,当亚伯被他的兄弟该隐杀的时候,his blood cried out from the ground for vengeance, for punishment,祂的血从地里喊叫,求报应、求惩罚。But the blood of Jesus, shed for our sins,但是耶稣为我们的罪所流出的血呢,cries out not for vengeance,不是为了要报应而呼喊,but for pardon,是为了赦罪而呼喊的。

你看到吗?耶稣跟亚伯都是呼喊,但是不一样的,亚伯从地里的呼喊跟耶稣十字架上的呼喊有所比较,但是完全不同。那这是克罗尼特别的艺术,他懂得把两个很不同的放在一起,然后讲出多么地不同。As our Heavenly High Priest,作为我们天上的大祭司,Jesus ministers in the true and heavenly sanctuary耶稣在那个真的圣所,天上的圣所那里服事。

希伯来书9:11和24,但是现在基督已经来到,做了将来美事的大祭司,经过那更大,更全备的帐幕,不是人所造,也不是属乎这世界的。希伯来书9:24,因为基督并不是进了人手所造的圣所,(这不过是真圣所的影像)乃是进了天堂,如今为我们显在上帝面前.

The worship of the heavenly temple,在天上圣殿的敬拜,is the adoration of the angels and the saints together,乃是天使跟圣徒们一起在那里的颂赞和诧异。希伯来书12:22~23 你们乃是来到锡安山,永生上帝的城邑,就是天上的耶路撒冷。那里有千万的天使,有名录在天上诸长子之会所共聚的总会,有审判众人的上帝,和被成全之义人的灵魂(的)。This is the last great feast of glory, 这个是最后的荣耀的大节日,the festival assembly of all God’s holy ones, 就是上帝所有的圣者的节日的聚会。That celebration has already begun,你看这个节日的庆祝已经开始了,as the spirits of just men made perfect join with the holy angels in praising the Lord,就是那些已经被成全的义人的灵魂,参加了圣天使们对耶和华的赞美敬拜。Notice that the Scripture does not say merely that we shall one day enter that festival assembly,请注意,《圣经》不是只是说有一天我们会进入到参加那个节日的聚会,we are now come to it,今天现在我们已经到来了。When we worship God,当我们敬拜上帝的时候,we draw near in spirit to the heavenly Zion,我们在灵里,(就是按照圣灵的带领,我们在灵里,当我们敬拜神的时候,)就已经靠近天上的锡安山。Our praises blend with the song of the angels,我们的赞美与天使的诗歌融合,and the hallelujahs of those who have gone on before,也与那些已经离开世界的圣徒们的哈利路亚融合,the believers described in Hebrew 11:,就是那些希伯来书第十一章所形容的那些信心的圣徒。

The church is the assembly,教会就是这个的聚会的会众,not primarily because we meet together in assemblies here on earth,主要还是因为我们在地上聚集在一起,我们成为会众。But because we have the awesome privilege of gathering with the saints and angels to Christ in glory,教会是聚会,主要是因为我们有这个大而可畏的特权,能够与圣徒和天使与基督在荣耀里参与他们的聚集。Because Jesus, our priest, is there,因为我们的是祭祀耶稣在那里,we come to Him,所以我们到祂的跟前。Because His blood sprinkles the throne,因为祂的血洒在宝座上,we are purged from our sin我们从罪中被洁净了,and can enter the assembly of God’s holy ones,我们就可以进入到上帝众圣者的聚会里面。

God calls His saints to his festival of praise.上帝呼召祂的圣者来参与祂赞美的节日。The Passover was fulfilled when Christ became the Passover Lamb.当耶稣基督成为那个真正逾越节羔羊的时候,逾越节就已经实现了、成全了。Pentecost was fulfilled,五旬节也实现了、也成全了,when the spirit came upon the disciples in the upper room,for the Pentecost, the first fruit of the harvest were gathered in,当圣灵降临楼上的房间(的)门徒的时候,五旬节就已经实现了,因为在五旬节的时候,丰收初熟的果子被聚集起来了。But the last great feast is the harvest-home feast,但是最后那个大的节日,是那个丰收的住棚节,the feast of Tabernacles。That feast has already began in heaven. 那这个住棚节呢今天已经在天上开始庆祝了。And the that feast, we now come. 我们现在来到的是天上的住棚节。

(请注意,逾越节已经实现了,五旬节也实现了。住棚节呢?在天上开始了。我们在灵里面,圣灵带我们每一次主日敬拜去参加天上的住棚节。)

The author of Hebrews warns us,希伯来书的作者我们警告not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together,不要停止聚会(希伯来书10:25)。As we meet in heaven,我们既然在天上聚会,so we are together on earth,既然在天上聚会,因此我们必须在地上聚会。 Consider what that means.请注意这个是什么意思。Our gathering together is not incidental,我们的聚集不是偶然的,the church is the assembly of the people of God,教会是上帝子民的聚集。Moreover, as we gather,不但如此,当我们聚集的时候,we stand in the presence of the Lord,我们是站在耶和华自己面前的。We are in the company of the angels and of all believers. 我们是站在众天使和所有信徒中间的,we gather with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,我们与亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各一起聚会的;with David, Elijah and Isaiah,与大卫、以利亚、以赛亚一起聚会的;with Peter, James and John,与彼得、约翰、雅各一起聚会的。Above all,最重要的是,we come where Jesus our Savior is. 我们来到耶稣,我们救主所在的那个地方。

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第四段,Section 4 The Church in Worship

教会在敬拜

Because the church is the assembly of heaven gathered already on earth.因为天上的会众在地上已经开始聚集,worship is the first responsibility of the church,因此呢敬拜是教会首要的责任。Paul describes the church in 1 Cor. 1:2,as those “who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place”,保罗在哥林多前书1:2这样的形容教会,上帝的教会就是“在基督耶稣里成圣,蒙召圣徒的,以及所有在各处求告我们主耶稣基督之名的人”。Peter writes that we are a people for God’s own possession. 彼得说,我们是上帝亲自所拥有的子民,彼得前书2:9,that we “my show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”(1Pet. 2:9),好叫我们宣扬那召你们出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德(彼前2:9)。God who called Israel to assemble at Sinai and to gather for the feasts of worship at Jerusalem,上帝昔日呼召以色列在西奈山前聚集,也在耶路撒冷那里过节敬拜,now calls us to his festival assembly in heaven,同一位上帝现在呼召我们来到天上的祂的节日的聚会。We sing our songs of pilgrimage as we enter the courts of Zion,我们进入到锡安的院宇里的时候,我们所唱的过路客的诗歌。In worship we can hear with the ear of faith,当我们敬拜的时候,我们藉着用我们信心的耳朵听得到the answering “amen” of the choirs of angels,我们听得到天上天使诗班所唱的“阿们”。Jesus himself is the heavenly choirmaster,耶稣自己就是天上的诗班指挥,in the midst of the brethren,在众弟兄中间做指挥,He sings the Father’s praise,在那里耶稣歌唱、称颂祂的天父(希伯来书第二章)。

克罗尼特别提出耶稣是我们诗班指挥的。希伯来书第二章,从第12节,我们从第11节开始来读: 因那使人成圣的,和那些得以成圣的,都是出于一。所以他称他们为弟兄,也不以为耻,说,(这个耶稣说,)我要将你的名传与我的弟兄,在会中我要颂杨你。又说,我要倚赖他。又说,看哪,我与神所给我的儿女。Man’s chief end (according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism) is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever (Question 1)。《威斯敏斯特小要理问答》第一条说:人生的首要目的就是荣耀上帝,永远享受祂的同在。While we must do everything in the name of Jesus and to the glory of God (Col. 3:17),我们,是的,根据歌罗西书3章17节我们必须凡是所做的都是奉耶稣的名,来荣耀上帝而做。

是的,但是our highest privilege and joy,但是我们最高的特权、最大的喜乐is to lift up the name of Jesus directly,乃是直接地高举耶稣的圣名。To be the church of God in this world,我们身为在这个世界里的上帝的教会,we must be a worshiping assembly。我们必须是一个敬拜的会众;to worship God together strengthens our faith, 我们一起敬拜上帝使我们信心增长;renews our love再一次更新我们的爱心and refreshes our hearts.,使我们心得到复苏;to worship God also bears witness to the nations,敬拜上帝同时也是向万国做见证.

In the psalm and in the prophets,在诗篇和先知书里the worship of God in Mount Zion includes a call to the nations,敬拜上帝、在锡安上上敬拜上帝,包含了向万国的召唤,to turn from their rebellion,呼召他们从他们的反叛转回,and join with us in praising the only Savior of the world,与我们一同来赞美世人唯一的救主。Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands (Ps. 100:1),诗篇100:1说,普天之下,都向耶和华欢呼。His marvelous works among all the peoples (Ps. 96:3),诗篇第96:3说,在列邦中诉说祂的荣耀,在万民中诉说祂的奇事。The call to all people to praise the Lord,呼召万国万民来赞美耶和华is part of the worship of Israel,是以色列的敬拜的一部分。The prophets picture the nations streaming to Mount Zion to worship the Lord:先知们看到将来万国万民要流到锡安上山来敬拜耶和华。God’s house will become a house of prayer for all people (Is. 2:2-4; 56:6-8; 66:18-21). 上帝的殿要成为万民祷告的殿。以赛亚书2:2~4,(我们前面读过的,)56:6~8(,也是读过的)。

现在我们来读以赛亚书第66章,最后一章,18节~21节。以赛亚66章,从18节开始,我知道他们的行为和他们的意念。时候将到,我必将万民万族(或者是“万舌头”,舌头的“舌”,)聚来。看见我的荣耀。 我要显神迹(或者记号)在他们中间,逃脱的我要差到列国去,就是到他施,普勒,拉弓的路德,和士巴,雅完,并且素来没有听见我的名声,没有看见我荣耀辽远的海岛。他们必将我的荣耀传扬在列国中。他们必将你们的弟兄从列国中送回,使他们或骑马,或坐车,坐轿,骑骡子,骑独峰驼,到我的圣山耶路撒冷,作为供物献给耶和华,好像以色列人用洁净的器皿盛供物奉到耶和华的殿中;这是耶和华(所)说的。耶和华说,我也必从他们中间取人为祭司,为利未人。The hymn, ‘How Great Thou Art’,《你真伟大》这首圣诗is beautifully adapted to the evangelism of praise,是特别可以用来做赞美的福音事工的。When a community finds that a church is genuinely meeting to praise God,当一个社区发现这个教会真正在聚集赞美上帝的时候,there will be those who will be drawn to say,就会与一些人被吸引,会说:God is among you indeed!,是的,诚然的上帝在你们中间(哥林多前书14:25,以赛亚书45:14)。

In worship, then, we are strengthened,因此在透过赞美、透过敬拜,我们重新得力;and others are called to join our praise,其他的人呢也会被呼召来加入我们的赞美。But the glory of worship and of the church is not what we gain, but what we give,但是敬拜的荣耀不是我们得到什么,乃是我们付出什么。Marvelous as it may seem,是的,特别奇妙的是乃是God is pleased with our worship,上帝喜悦我们的敬拜。Unworthy as we are,我们是不配的,God’s enemies as we were,我们曾经是上帝的仇敌,We are nevertheless made to be children of God,但是上帝使我们成为祂的儿女, and God finds delight in the stammering raise of our lips,上帝喜悦我们拙口笨舌的嘴唇赞美。Of course God does not need our feeble praise,当然,上帝不需要我们这些软弱的赞美,and the wonder is that he is willing to receive it,奇妙的乃是祂竟然愿意接纳。But He does,但是祂的确接纳我们的赞美。

When we read in Romans 12:1-2,当我们读罗马书12:1~2的时候,we sometimes pass over the words “acceptable to God”,我们常常会略过“是上帝所喜悦的”这几个字的。We think perhaps of the cost of the dedication that Paul asks of us,我们可能想到保罗要求我们奉献所要付出的代价,presenting our bodies as living sacrifices,把身体献上当做活祭。Indeed we may even take it for granted,甚至我们会当做是理所当然的,that God would receive such great dedication.上帝当然会接纳我们这伟大的奉献。Paul, however, writes from a completely different perspective,但是保罗是完全从另外一个观点角度来写的,how amazing it is to him that God would permit Gentiles to come into His presence in worship! 对保罗来说,那么奇异奇妙的事乃是上帝竟然会允许外邦人进入到祂的面前来敬拜祂。No gentile could approach the altar of the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifice,没有外邦人可以来到耶路撒冷圣殿的祭坛前面来献祭的,but now, for Christ Jesus,但是现在藉着耶稣基督,those who were far off have been brought near,那些远方的人现在能够来到、来亲近了。We do not offer bulls and goats,我们现在不在献上牛和山羊,Christ, the Lamb of  God,基督——上帝的羔羊has been sacrificed for us,已经在为我们献上了。We bring ourselves as living sacrifices and offer to God the praises of our lips (Heb. 13:15),我们把我们自己带来当做活祭,我们在上帝面前献上的是嘴唇的赞美。

希伯来书13:15 我们应当靠着耶稣,常常以颂赞为祭献给神,这就是那承认主名之人嘴唇的果子。Therefore to worship as a member of his assembly is like tasting of heaven.。因此作为上帝的会众的成员,敬拜上帝就等于尝到天堂了。It is to be in the Spirit where Christ is,我们在圣灵里,就是在耶稣基督所在的地方,and where we shall one day be,也就是也一天我们亲自要来到的地方。It is to begin on earth that praise of God that will be our greatest delight in heaven. 就是在地上开始那些对上帝的赞美,那个是我们将来在天上最大的喜乐。

我们下一讲继续讲完这个第四段,敬拜中的教会。然后进入到上帝会幕中的名册,第五段。

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