743 英翻中 (443) What was the heresy that threatened the Colossian church? 是什么异端邪說威胁着歌罗西教会? 4/24/2024
What was the heresy that threatened the peace and purity of the Colossian church? It was a combination of Eastern philosophy and Jewish legalism, with elements of what Bible scholars call gnosticism (NOS-ti-cism). This term comes from the Greek word gnosis (KNOW-sis), which means “to know.” (An agnostic is one who does not know.) The gnostics were the people who were “in the know” when it came to the deep things of God. They were the “spiritual aristocracy” in the church. 是什么异端邪說威胁着歌罗西教会的平靜与纯洁？ 是东方哲学和犹太律法主义的结合，再加上称为诺斯底派（NOS-ti-cism）。这术语来自希腊语諾斯(gnosis ‘KNOW-sis’），它的意思是 “知道”（諾斯底人是不可知论者）。诺斯底邪說深入人心的人，他們 “知道”上帝的事，且是教会的 “屬靈上層人士”。
To begin with, this heresy promised people such a close union with God that they would achieve a “spiritual perfection.” Spiritual fullness could be theirs only if they entered into the teachings and ceremonies prescribed. There was also a “full knowledge,” a spiritual depth, that only the initiated could enjoy. This “wisdom” would release them from earthly things and put them in touch with heavenly things. 一開始，异端邪教者答应人与上帝的紧密联系，才能实现 “屬靈上的完美”。 但只有当他们进入规定的教导和仪式时，他们才能具有屬靈丰盛。並且還要有 “豐滿的知道”，屬靈上的深入，僅僅只有如此開始的人可以享受。这种 “智慧” 将把他們從地上的事释放出来，帶他们与天上的事联系起来。
Of course, all of this teaching was but man-made philosophy based on traditions and not on divine truth (Col. 2:8). It grew out of the philosophical question why is there evil in this world if creation was made by a holy God? As these philosophers speculated and pondered, they came to the false conclusion that matter was evil. Their next false conclusion was that a holy God could not come into contact with evil matter, so there had to be a series of “emanations” from God to His creation. They believed in a powerful spirit world that used material things to attack mankind. They also held to a form of astrology, believing that angelic beings ruled heavenly bodies and influenced affairs on earth (see Col. 1:16;
Added to these Eastern speculations was a form of Jewish legalism. The teachers believed that the rite of circumcision was helpful in spiritual development (Col. 2:11). They taught that the Old Testament law, especially the dietary laws, was also useful in attaining spiritual perfection (Col. 2:14–17). Definite rules and regulations told them what was evil and what was good (Col. 2:21). 这些異端哲學加上东方哲學的投入，就成為犹太律法主义的形式。假教师相信割礼的仪式有助于屬靈的進展（西 2:11）。他们教导旧约律法，特别是素食法，有助于实现屬靈上的完美（西 2：14-17）。明确的條例和规定告诉他们什么是邪恶的，什么是好的（西 2:21）。
Since to them matter was evil, they had to find some way to control their own human natures in this pursuit of perfection. Two different practices resulted. One school of thought held that the only way to conquer evil matter was by means of rigid discipline and asceticism (Col. 2:23). The other view taught that it was permissible to engage in all kinds of sin, since matter was evil anyway! It appears that the first opinion was the predominant one in Colosse. 對他们來說物質是邪惡的，必须找到方法来約束人性，追求完美。因此產生两种不同的控制人慾望的方法。有兩種学派，一種方法征服邪恶是用纪律和禁慾管制（西 2 : 23）。另一种學派則以各种縱慾罪恶來放肆，因为物質是邪恶的！看起来，前一種學派在歌羅西最盛行。
It is easy to see how this kind of teaching undermined the very foundations of the Christian faith. To begin with, these heretics attacked the person and work of Jesus Christ. To them, He was merely one of God’s many “emanations” and not the very Son of God come in the flesh. 很容易看出这种教導，是如何摧毀了基督信仰的基础。首先，这些异教徒攻击了耶稣基督的人性和事工。对他们而言，祂只是上帝许多 “放射” 之一，而不是上帝的 “道成肉身”。
The Incarnation means God with us (Matt.1:23), but these false teachers claimed that God was keeping His distance from us! When we trust the Son of God, there is no need for intermediary beings between us and heaven! “道成肉身” 是聲稱上帝與我們同在（太 1:23），但是，假教師却聲稱上帝與我們有距離！當我們信靠上帝的兒子時，我們與天堂之間就不需要中間放射的靈物！
In His work on the cross, Jesus Christ settled the sin question (Col. 1:20) and completely defeated all satanic forces (Col. 2:15). He put an end to the legal demands of the law (Col. 2:14–17). In fact, Jesus Christ alone is the Preeminent One (Col. 1:18;
Matter is not evil, and the human body is not evil. Each person is born with a fallen human nature that wants to control the body and use it for sin, but the body itself is not evil. If that were the case, Jesus Christ would never have come to earth in a human body. Nor would He have enjoyed the everyday blessings of life as He ministered on earth, such as attending wedding feasts and accepting invitations to dinner. Diets and disciplines can be good for one’s health, but they have no power to develop true spirituality (Col. 2:20–23). 物質不邪惡，身體也不邪惡。因為人生下來就有先祖留下的罪性，它想控制身體，使它犯罪，但是身體原來並不是邪惡的。如果身體真是邪惡的，耶穌基督將永遠不會在人的身體內出生。祂也不能在世上享受日常祝福事奉的生活，例如，參加婚禮宴會和接受晚餐邀請。素食和鍛練固然對人身的健康有益，但它無助於真正靈性進展（西 2：20-23）。
As for astrology and the influence of angels and heavenly bodies, Paul denounced this with vigor. On the cross, Jesus won a complete victory over all satanic powers (Col. 2:15). Christians do not need to turn to the rudiments of the world (Col. 2:8, 20). This word translated “rudiments” means “elemental beings” or “elementary principles.” In this case, it refers to the beings that (according to the gnostics) controlled the heavenly bodies that in turn controlled events on earth. Believers who consult horoscopes substitute superstition for revelation and deny the person and work of Christ. 至於占星術，天使，和宇宙天體對人的影響，保羅強烈地指責了這些異端。在十字架上，耶穌贏得了完全勝利及戰敗撒旦所有的權勢（西 2:15）。基督徒不需要再轉向世上的小學(rudiments)（西 2：8、20）。 “小學” 可譯成 “基本的靈物” 或 “基本原理”。 在這裡，它指的是（根據不可知論者）控制了天體的靈物，轉而又控制了地上的物質。信徒諮詢星座，他們用迷信來代替啟示，否認基督的完全人性和祂的聖工。
(繼續第一課)
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