754 英翻中(454) Jesus Christ made all things, He controls all things, and by Him all things hold together. 耶穌基督創造了萬物，祂撑管了萬物，並且祂是萬事萬物的主. 5/5/2024

754 英翻中(454)   Jesus Christ made all things, He controls all things, and by Him all things hold                       together. 耶穌基督創造了萬物，祂撑管了萬物，並且祂是萬事萬物的主. 5/5/2024

CHAPTER FOUR             CROWN HIM LORD OF ALL!             Colossians 1:13–20                    第四課                                 加冕祂為萬主之主！                       歌罗西书   1：13-20       

2.  Christ Is the Creator (1:15–17).                                                                                                          2.  基督是创造主（1：15-17）。 

The false teachers were very confused about creation. They taught that matter was evil, including the human body. They also taught that Jesus Christ did not have a real body, since this would have put Him in contact with evil matter. The results of these false teachings were tragic, including extreme asceticism on the one hand and unbridled sin on the other. After all, if your body is sinful, you either try to enslave it or you enjoy it.                                                                   假教師對耶穌是創造主非常困惑。他們的教導說物質是邪惡的，包括人體。他們還教導說耶穌基督沒有真正的身體，因為這會使祂與邪惡的事物接觸。這些錯誤教導的結果是悲慘的，一方面是說極端的禁慾主義，另一方面，是講到放縱慾念的罪。畢竟，若對有罪的身體，你是試圖奴役它，或是享受它。

In this section, Paul explained the fourfold relationship of Jesus Christ to creation.                         在這一段章節中，保羅解釋耶穌基督與創造的四重關係 。

He existed before creation (v. 15). The term “firstborn” does not refer to time, but to place or status. Jesus Christ was not the first being created, since He Himself is the Creator of all things. “Firstborn” simply means “of first importance, of first rank.” Solomon was certainly not born first of all of David’s sons, yet he was named the firstborn (Ps. 89:27). “Firstborn of every creature” means “prior to all Creation.” Jesus Christ is not a created being; He is eternal God.      祂在創造之前就存在（第 15 節）。 “長子”不是指時間，而是指地點或地位。耶穌基督不是被造的，因為祂自己是萬物的創造者。 “長子”的意思“是指第一重要，是指第一位置”。所羅門當然不是大衛所有兒子中的長子，但他被命名為長子（詩 89:27）。 “一切受造之物的長子”的意思是“在所有受造之物之前”。耶穌基督不是受造物；祂是永恆的上帝。

Paul used the word image to make this fact clear. It means “an exact representation and revelation.” The writer to the Hebrews affirms that Jesus Christ is “the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3). Jesus was able to say, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). In His essence, God is invisible, but Jesus Christ has revealed Him to us (John 1:18). Nature reveals the existence, power, and wisdom of God, but nature cannot reveal the very essence of God to us. It is only in Jesus Christ that the invisible God is revealed perfectly. Since no mere creature can perfectly reveal God, Jesus Christ must be God.                                                   保羅用  “形像” 來說明這個事實。它的意思是“精確的表現和啟示”。希伯來書的作者肯定耶穌基督是“父上帝的形象”（來 1:3）。耶穌能夠說， “人看見了我，就是看見了父”（約  14：9）。在本質上，上帝是看不見的，但耶穌基督已經向我們啟示了祂（約  1:18）。大自然向我們揭示了上帝的存在，祂的大能，和祂的智慧，但大自然無法向我們揭示上帝的本體。只有在耶穌基督裡，才能完美地將看不見的上帝顯現出來。沒有任何受造物可以完美地揭示上帝，那麼耶穌基督必須是上帝。

He created all things (v. 16a). Since Christ created all things, He Himself is uncreated. The word for that introduces this verse could be translated “because.” Jesus Christ is the Firstborn of all because He created all things. It is no wonder that the winds and waves obeyed Him, and diseases and death fled from Him, for He is Master over all. “All things were made by him” (John 1:3). This includes all things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible. All things are under His command.                                                                                                                                                 祂創造了萬物（第 16 節上半段）。既然是基督創造了萬物，祂自己就不是受造的。介紹這節經文的詞可以翻譯為“因為”。耶穌基督是萬物中的長子，因為祂創造了萬物。難怪風浪都聽從祂，疾病和死亡都從祂身邊逃走了，因為祂是萬有的主宰。 “萬物都是藉著祂造的”（約 1：3）。這包括天地萬物，有形的和無形的。萬事物都在祂的權柄之下。

All things exist for Him (v. 16b). Everything exists in Him, for Him, and through Him. Jesus Christ is the Sphere in which they exist, the Agent through which they came into being, and the One for whom they were made.                                                                                                               萬物為祂而存在（第 16 節下半段）。一切都存在祂裡面，為祂而存在，並藉著祂。耶穌基督是他們賴以存在的地方，是他們出生的經理人，耶穌基督也是創造他們的那一位。 

Paul’s use of three different prepositions is one way of refuting the philosophy of the false teachers. For centuries, the Greek philosophers had taught that everything needed a primary cause, an instrumental cause, and a final cause. The primary cause is the plan, the instrumental cause the power, and the final cause the purpose. When it comes to creation, Jesus Christ is the primary cause (He planned it), the instrumental cause (He produced it), and the final cause (He did it for His own pleasure).                                                                                                                   保羅使用三個不同的介詞是駁斥假教師哲學的一種方式。幾個世紀以來，希臘哲學家一直教導說，一切都需要有主要的原因、工具的原因，和最終的原因。主要原因是計劃，工具原因是大能，最終原因是目的。當說到創造，耶穌基督是主要原因（是祂計劃）、工具原因（是祂以大能來創造），和最終原因（是基督為了祂自己的喜樂才這樣做）。

If everything in creation exists for Him, then nothing can be evil of itself (except for Satan and fallen angels, and even those God uses to accomplish His will). Gnostic regulations about using God’s creation are all foolish (Col. 2:20–23). It also means that God’s creation, even though under bondage to sin (Rom. 8:22), can be used for God’s glory and enjoyed by God’s people (1 Tim. 6:17).                                                                                                                                                         若在創造中，萬物都為祂的存在而造，那麼萬物本身都不可能是邪惡的（除了撒旦，和墮落的天使，甚至是上帝為了用來完成祂旨意，而定意做的）。關於使用上帝的創造來製作諾斯底派的規則，那是愚蠢的（西  2:20-23）。這也意味著上帝的創造，即使在罪的束縛之下（羅 8:22），也可以用來榮耀上帝，並被上帝的子民所喜悅（提前  6:17）。

He holds all things together (v. 17). “In him all things hold together” (niv). A guide took a group of people through an atomic laboratory and explained how all matter was composed of rapidly moving electric particles. The tourists studied models of molecules and were amazed to learn that matter is made up primarily of space. During the question period, one visitor asked, “If this is the way matter works, what holds it all together?” For that, the guide had no answer.                         祂將萬有聚集在一起（第 17 節）。 “萬有都在祂裡面”（新國際版）。有位嚮導帶領參觀原子實驗室，並解釋了所有物質是如何由快速移動的電子粒子所組成。遊客們研究了分子模型，驚訝地發現物質主要由空間組成。在提問題時，參觀者問道，“如果這就是物質運作的方式，那麼是什麼把它結合在一起？”對此，導遊無法回答。

But the Christian has an answer: Jesus Christ! Because “He is before all things,” He can hold all things together. Again, this is another affirmation that Jesus Christ is God. Only God exists before all of creation, and only God can make creation cohere. To make Jesus Christ less than God is to dethrone Him.                                                                                                                           但基督徒有答案 : 耶穌基督！ 因為“祂在萬有之前”，祂能把萬有聚集在一起。再一次，對耶穌基督是上帝的另一種肯定。只有上帝存在於所有的創造之前，只有上帝才能使創造凝聚在一起。使耶穌基督低於上帝，就是使祂離開祂的王的寶座。

It used to bother me to sing the familiar song “This Is My Father’s World.” I thought Satan and sin were in control of this world. I have since changed my mind, and now I sing the song with joy and victory. Jesus Christ made all things, He controls all things, and by Him all things hold together. Indeed, this is my Father’s world!                                                                                              假教师对萬物创造感到非常困惑。在我唱  “這是我天父世界” 這首熟悉的歌曲時，曾經打擾過我，以為這個世界是在撒旦和罪惡的控制中。自從改變了我的思想後，現在，我以喜悅和得勝的心情來唱這首歌。耶穌基督創造了萬物，祂撑管了萬物，並且祂是萬事萬物的主。確實，這是我天父的世界！

 (待續)