1629 英翻中(加拉太4課) The freedm fighter - part 2 自由戰斗的勇士 – 第二部分 28/06/2026
親愛的的主內訪友, 編輯者在前面的新約書信中沒有把 "因信成義" 解釋清楚, 現在請讀編輯者在本文中摘取的這段經文, 可以幫助您們:
"因信称義" 是上帝的立刻作为; 它不是人的好品性或善行的结果。 “只有上帝才能因信稱義”(罗 8:33)。不是通过做 “律法的工作”,罪人在上帝面前得到稱義的立场,而是通过對耶稣基督的信心。正如保罗将在本书后面解释的那样,律法是为了揭示罪,而不能贖罪(见 罗 3:20)。上帝在祂的恩典中,将我们的罪孽放在基督身上 –– 基督的義已经成為我们的義了(见 哥后 5:21).
歸榮耀於上帝.
CHAPTER FOUR THE FREEDOM FIGHTER—PART Galatians 2:11 –21 第四課 為自由戰斗的勇士
– 第二部分 加 2:11-21
“Eternal vigilance
is the price of liberty!”
永恒的警覺是獲得自由的代价!
Wendell Phillips
said that at a Massachusetts antislavery meeting in 1852, but its sentiment is
valid today— not only in the realm of the political, but even more so in the
realm of the spiritual. Paul had risked his life to carry the gospel of God’s
grace to the regions beyond, and he was not willing for the enemy to rob him or
his churches of their liberty in Christ. It was this “spiritual vigilance” that
led Paul into another dramatic encounter, this time with the apostle Peter,
Barnabas, and some of the friends of James. Again, the drama is in three acts.
“温德尔 . 腓利(Wendell
Phillips)在1852年的麻州反奴隶制会议上演講,其情操直到今天仍然振奮人心 -
不仅仅是在政治方面,並在屬靈的心域更是響亮。保罗把上帝恩典的福音,冒着生命危险带到了其他的地区,他不愿意让敌人在基督里抢夺他或他的教会的自由。正是这种 “屬靈的警覺” 导致保罗进入另一场戏剧性的遭遇戰,这次是与使徒彼得,巴拿巴和雅各的一些朋友。戏剧再次是以三幕演出。
1. Peter’s
Relapse (2:11 –13)
1. 彼得的裝假(2:11-13)
Apparently,
sometime after the important conference described in Acts 15, Peter came from Jerusalem to Antioch . The first thing to note is Peter’s freedom
then. He enjoyed fellowship with all the believers, Jews and Gentiles alike. To
“eat with the Gentiles” meant to accept them, to put Jews and Gentiles on the
same level as one family in Christ.
显然,在使徒行传15章所描述的重要会议后,彼得从耶路撒冷来到安提阿。首先要注意的是彼得的自由。他喜參与所有信徒的团契,不管是犹太人和外邦人,都一样。 “与外邦人同吃”意味着接納他们,使犹太人和外邦人在基督里成為一个家庭,处于同一水平。
Raised as an
orthodox Jew, Peter had a difficult time learning this lesson. Jesus had taught
it while He was with Peter before the crucifixion (Matt. 15:1–20). The Holy
Spirit had reemphasized it when He sent Peter to the home of Cornelius, the
Roman centurion (Acts 10). Furthermore, the truth had been accepted and
approved by the conference of leaders at Jerusalem
(Acts 15). Peter had been one of the key witnesses at that time.
作为東正教的犹太人彼得,他很难学习这門功课。耶稣在被钉十字架之前,与彼得在一起时,曾教导过他(太 15:1-20)。当祂将彼得送到罗马百夫长哥尼流家时,圣灵再次强调这一点(徒 10章)。此外,耶路撒冷会议的领导人已接受并批准了这一事实(徒 15章)。彼得当时是关键見证人之一。
But before we
criticize Peter, perhaps we had better examine our own lives to see how many
familiar Bible doctrines we are actually obeying. As you examine church
history, you see that, even with a complete Bible, believers through the years
have been slow to believe and practice the truths of the Christian faith. When
we think of the persecution and discrimination that have been practiced in the
name of Christ, it embarrasses us. It is one thing for us to defend a doctrine
in a church meeting, and quite something else to put it into practice in
everyday life.
在批评彼得之前,也许我们要更仔細地审查自己的生活,看看我们实际上遵守了多少熟悉的圣经教义。当你研究教会的历史时,你会看到,即使有完整的圣经,信主多年的信徒,對相信和实践基督教信仰的真理也進行得很慢。当我们想到在基督的名義下,被迫害和歧视时,它使我们感到尴尬。在教会聚会中捍卫教義是一回事,而在日常生活中将其付诸实践则是另一回事。
Peter’s freedom was
threatened by Peter’s fear. While he was in Antioch , the church was visited by some of
the associates of James. (You will remember that James was a strict Jew even
though he was a Christian believer.) Paul did not suggest that James sent these
men to investigate Peter, or even that they were officials of the Jerusalem church. No
doubt they belonged to the “circumcision party” (Acts 15:1, 5) and wanted to
lead the Antioch
church into religious legalism. 彼得內心的自由受到他心中恐惧的威胁。当他在安提阿时,雅各的一些同事來访问此地教堂。(你会记得雅各是严格的犹太人,即使他是基督的信徒。)保罗并没有暗示雅各派这些人來调查彼得,或甚至他们是耶路撒冷教会的官员。毫无疑问,他们属于 “割礼派”(徒 15:1,5),并希望带领安提阿教会进入宗教的律法主義。
After his
experience with Cornelius, Peter had been called on the carpet and had ably
defended himself (Acts 11). But now, he became afraid. Peter had not been
afraid to obey the Spirit when He sent him to Cornelius, nor was he afraid to
give his witness at the Jerusalem
Conference. But now, with the arrival of some members of
“the opposition,” Peter lost his courage. “The fear of man bringeth a snare”
(Prov. 29:25). 在彼得與哥尼流的经历之后,彼得称为裝是裝食物的一塊大布,並對人衛護自己(徒11章)。可是现在,他变得害怕。那時,当聖靈把彼得送到哥尼流去时,他并不害怕服从圣灵,他也敢在耶路撒冷会议上作见证。但现在,随着一些 “反对派”的份子的到来,彼得失去了勇气。 “怕人設下陷阱”(箴 29:25 ).
How do we account for this fear? For one thing, we know that Peter was an impulsive man. He could show amazing faith and courage one minute and fail completely the next. He walked on the waves to go to Jesus, but then became frightened and began to sink. He boasted in the Upper Room that he would willingly die with Jesus, and then denied his Lord three times. Peter in the book of Acts is certainly more consistent than in the four gospels, but he was not perfect—nor are we! Peter’s fear led to Peter’s fall. He ceased to enjoy the “love feast” with the Gentile believers and separated himself from them. 我们如何對付这种恐惧?首先,我们知道彼得是性格衝动的人。他可以在一分钟内表现出惊人的信心和勇气,并在下一刻鐘內完全失败。他走在海浪上去找耶稣,但后来变得害怕,开始下沉。他在樓房夸口说他愿意和耶稣一起死,然后三次否认他的主。使徒行传中的彼得肯定比四福音书中述說的他更加舉止一致,但他并不完美 --- 我们也不是!彼得的恐惧导致了彼得的失敗。他不再与外邦信徒一起享受 “爱宴”,却与他们隔
There are two tragedies to Peter’s fall. First, it made him a hypocrite (which is the meaning of the word dissembled). Peter pretended that his actions were motivated by faithfulness, when they were really motivated by fear. How easy it is to use “Bible doctrine” to cover up our disobedience. 彼得的堕落形成两个悲剧。首先,使他成为伪君子(該词是裝假的意思)。彼得假装他所有的行为是出于信心的动机,其實它们是出於恐惧的驱使。用 “圣经教义” 来掩飾我们的不順服是多么容易。
The second tragedy
is that Peter led others astray with him. Even Barnabas was involved. Barnabas
had been one of the spiritual leaders of the hurch in Antioch (Acts 11:19 –26), so his disobedience would have a tremendous
influence on the others in the fellowship. 第二个悲剧是彼得带领别人误入歧途。甚至巴拿巴都参与其中。巴拿巴一直是安提阿教会的屬靈领袖之一(徒 11:19-26),所以,他的不順服,对团契中的其他人會产生巨大的影响。
Suppose Peter and
Barnabas had won the day and led the church into legalism? What might the
results have been? Would Antioch
have continued to be the great missionary church that sent out Paul and
Barnabas (Acts 13)? Would they, instead, have sent out the “missionaries” of
the circumcision party and either captured or divided the churches Paul had
already founded? You can see that this problem was not a matter of personality
or party; it was a question of “the truth of the gospel.” And Paul was prepared
to fight for it. 假设有一天彼得和巴拿巴赢了,并领导教会进入律法主义? 结果可能會怎麼樣?安提阿会继续成为派遣保罗和巴拿巴的伟大教会吗?(徒 13章)他们是否會以代替來派出割礼派的 “传教士”,去侵占教會,要麼去分裂保罗所建立的教会?你可以看出这问题不是个人,或結党的问题; 这是有關 “福音真理” 的问题。保罗准备为此而奮战。
2. Paul’s Rebuke (2:14 –21) 2. 保罗的反駁(2:14-21)
Bible students are
not sure just where Paul’s conversation with Peter ends and where his letter to
the Galatians continues in the passage. It does not really matter, since the
entire section deals with the same topic: our liberty in Jesus Christ. We will
assume that the entire section represents Paul’s rebuke of Peter. It is
interesting to note that Paul builds the entire rebuke on doctrine. There are
five basic Christian doctrines that were being denied by Peter because of his
separation from the Gentiles.
圣经学生不能确定保罗与彼得的谈话在何处结束,以及他的书信在何處來继续。这并不重要,因为整段經節是論及处理同一個题目:我们在耶稣基督里的自由。我们将假设整段經節都是保罗对彼得的斥责。有趣的是留意保罗在教义上构成了全面的谴责。因為彼得与外邦人隔离,所以他否認五种基本的基督教教义。
(1). The unity of the church (v. 14). Peter was a
Jew, but through his faith in Christ he had become a Christian. Because he was
a Christian, he was part of the church, and in the church there are no racial
distinctions (Gal. 3:28 ).
We have seen how the Lord taught Peter this important lesson, first in the
house of Cornelius and then at the Jerusalem Conference.
(1). 教会的统一(第14节)。彼得是犹太人,但因对基督的信心,他成了基督徒。基督徒是教会的一分子,在教会里是没有人種的差别(加 3:28)。我们已经看到主如何教导彼得这重要的功課,首先是在哥尼流的家中,然后是在耶路撒冷大公会议上。
Paul’s words must
have stung Peter: “You are a Jew, yet you have been living like a Gentile. Now
you want the Gentiles to live like Jews. What kind of inconsistency is that?”
保罗的话肯定会刺痛彼得:“你是犹太人,但却像外邦人一样生活。现在你却希望外邦人像犹太人一样生活。这是多么的不一致?”
Peter himself had
stated at the Jerusalem
Conference that God had “put no difference between us and them” (Acts 15:9).
But now Peter was putting a difference. God’s people are one people, even
though they may be divided into various groups. Any practice on our part that
violates the Scripture and separates brother from brother is a denial of the
unity of the body of Christ. 彼得本人在耶路撒冷会议上曾说过,上帝並沒有 “在我们与他们之间設立隔離”(徒 15:9)。但彼得現正在发挥分離作用。即使上帝的子民可能被分成不同的群体,但他們是合一的。我们中間任何人,违背這圣经的原則,将兄弟与兄弟分離,就是否认基督身体的合一。
(2). Justification
by faith (vv. 15–16). This is the first appearance of the important word
justification in this letter, and probably in Paul’s writings (if, as we believe,
Galatians was the first letter he wrote). “Justification by faith” was the
watchword of the Reformation, and it is important that we understand this
doctrine.
(2). 因信称義(15-16
等节)。这是在本书信中第一次出现重要的短語,可能出现在保罗的其他寫作中(如果我们這樣相信,那麼加拉太书是他写的第一封信)。 “因信称義”
是宗教改革的標誌,理解这教義對我们來說是重要的。
“How should [a] man
be just with God?” (Job 9:2) was a vital question, because the answer
determined eternal consequences. “The just shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4)
is God’s answer; and it was this truth that liberated Martin Luther from
religious bondage and fear. So important is this concept that three New
Testament books explain it to us: Romans (see 1:17 ), Galatians (see 3:11 ), and Hebrews (see 10:38 ). Romans explains the meaning of “the just”;
Galatians explains “shall live”; and Hebrews explains “by faith.” “人如何能被上帝認為是義人? ”(伯 9:2)是至关重要的问题,因为答案决定了永恒的后果。 “惟義人因信得生”(哈 2:4)是上帝的回答; 正是这真理,将马丁路德从宗教的束缚和恐惧中解放出来。因它是如此的重要,所以有三卷新约书用來為我们解释这概念:罗马書(见 1:17),加拉太书(见 3:11)和希伯来书(见
10:38)。罗马書解释 “稱義” 的意思; 加拉太书解释 “稱義得生”;
希伯来书解释 “因信心稱義”。
But what is
justification? Justification is the act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner
righteous in Jesus Christ. Every word of this definition is important.
Justification is an act and not a process. No Christian is “more justified”
than another Christian. “Having therefore been once-and-for-all justified by
faith, we have peace with God” (Rom.
5:1, literal translation). Since we are justified by faith, it is an instant
and immediate transaction between the believing sinner and God. If we were
justified by works, then it would have to be a gradual process. 但是,什么是因信稱義? 因信称義是上帝的作为,祂宣稱罪人在耶稣基督里,因信心得稱義。这定義的每个字都很重要。理由是,它是立刻的行動,而不是过程。没有基督徒比另外的基督徒 “更能因信称義”。 “因此,我们因信心而能一劳永逸因信称義,使我们与上帝和好”(罗 5:1 直译)。既然我们因信心而得到因信称義,那就是相信基督的罪人与上帝之间的立刻的行動,即立刻的和解。如果我们通过行善事得到稱義,那么它必须是渐进的过程。
Furthermore, justification
is an act of God; it is not the result of man’s character or works. “It is God
that justifieth” (Rom. 8:33 ).
It is not by doing the “works of the law” that the sinner gets a right standing
before God, but by putting his faith in Jesus Christ. As Paul will explain
later in this letter, the law was given to reveal sin and not to redeem from
sin (see Rom. 3:20 ). God in His grace has put our sins on
Christ—and Christ’s righteousness has been put to our account (see 2 Cor. 5:21 ). 進一步說,称義是上帝的立刻作为; 它不是人的好品性或善行的结果。 “它只有上帝才能因信稱義”(罗 8:33)。不是通过做 “律法的工作”,罪人在上帝面前得到稱義的立场,而是通过對耶稣基督的信心。正如保罗将在本书后面解释的那样,律法是为了揭示罪,而不能贖罪(见 罗 3:20)。上帝在祂的恩典中,将我们的罪孽放在基督身上---基督的义已经成為我们的義了(见 哥后 5:21).
待續
In justification,
God declares the believing sinner righteous; He does not make him righteous.
(Of course, real justification leads to a changed life, which is what James 2
is all about.) Before the sinner trusts Christ, he stands guilty before God;
but the moment he trusts Christ, he is declared not guilty, and he can never be
called guilty again!
在因信称义中,上帝宣告相信基督的罪人是义人; 祂没有使他成为义人。 (当然,真正的成為義人,会导致生活的改变,这就是雅各書第二章所談到的一切。)在罪人信靠基督之前,他在上帝面前是有罪的; 但是当他信靠基督的那一刻,他被宣布无罪,他就永远不会再被称为有罪!
Justification is
not simply “forgiveness,” because a person could be forgiven and then go out
and sin and become guilty. Once you have been “justified by faith” you can
never be held guilty before God. Justification is also different from “pardon,”
because a pardoned criminal still has a record. When the sinner is justified by
faith, his past sins are remembered against him no more, and God no longer puts
his sins on record (see Ps. 32:1–2; Rom. 4:1–8).
“因信称义” 的理由不仅仅是 “宽恕”,因为,人可以被宽恕,然后又去犯罪,并变得有罪。一旦你被 “因信称义”,你就永远不会在上帝面前被認為是有罪。其理由也与 “赦免” 不同,因为赦免的罪犯仍有记录。当罪人被因信稱称义时,他的过去的罪不再被记住,而上帝不再记录他的罪(见 诗 32:1-2;罗 4:1-8)。
Finally, God
justifies sinners, not “good people.” Paul declared that God justifies “the
ungodly” (Rom. 4:5). The reason most sinners are not justified is because they
will not admit they are sinners! And sinners are the only kind of people Jesus
Christ can save (Matt. 9:9–13; Luke 18:9–14).
最后,上帝稱罪人算为義人,而不是 “善人”。保罗宣称上帝稱 “不敬虔的人”
為義人(罗 4:5)。大多数罪人不能得稱義的原因是,因为他们不承认自己是罪人!罪人是耶稣基督可以拯救的唯一的一種人(太 9:9-13;
路18:9-14)。
When Peter separated himself from the
Gentiles, he was denying the truth of justification by faith, because he was
saying, “We Jews are different from—and better than—the Gentiles.” Yet both
Jews and Gentiles are sinners (Rom. 3:22 –23)
and can be saved only by faith in Christ.
当彼得与外邦人分离时,他否认因信称义的真理,因为他说,“我们犹太人与外邦人不同,而且比外邦人更好。” 然而犹太人和外邦人都是罪人(罗 3:
22-23)并且只有靠在基督裡的信心才能得救。
(3). Freedom from the law (vv. 17–18). At the Jerusalem Conference, Peter
had compared the Mosaic law to a burdensome yoke (Acts 15:10 ; see Gal. 5:1). Now he had put himself under
that impossible yoke.
(3). 免于律法捆綁的自由(17-18 等节)。在耶路撒冷会议上,彼得将摩西律法与累赘的轭相比较(徒 15:10; 见 加 5:1)。现在他把自己置于那不可能打開的枷锁之下。
Paul’s argument
went like this: “Peter, you and I did not find salvation through the law; we found it through faith in
Christ. But now, after being saved, you go back into the law! This means that
Christ alone did not save you; otherwise you would not have needed
the law. So, Christ actually made you a sinner!
保罗的论点是:“彼得,你和我不是通过律法找到救恩的; 我们是因為在基督裡的信心,才得到因信稱義的。但是现在,在拯救之后,你又回到了律法面前!这意味着只依靠基督不能拯救你; 否则你就不需要律法。所以,基督实际上让你成为罪人!
“Furthermore, you
have preached the gospel of God’s grace to Jews and Gentiles, and have told
them they are saved by faith and not by keeping the law. By going back into
legal-ism, you are building up what you tore down! This means that you sinned
by tearing it down to begin with!”
“進一步說,你向犹太人和外邦人宣扬了上帝恩典的福音,并告诉他们是靠信心得救,而不是靠遵守律法。 如今再回到律法主义,你不是正在拆牆補牆!你犯了把它撕下,後来又重开始的罪!”
In other words,
Paul was arguing from Peter’s own experience of the grace of God. To go back to
Moses is to deny everything that God had done for him and through him.
换句话说,保罗是以彼得自己对上帝恩典的体验中生出他的討論。回到摩西就是否认上帝为他和使用他所做的一切。
(4). The
very gospel itself (vv. 19–20). If a man is justified by the works of the law,
then why did Jesus Christ die? His death, burial, and resurrection are the key
truths of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1–8). We are saved by faith in Christ (He died
for us), and we live by faith in Christ (He lives in us). Furthermore, we are
so identified with Christ by the Spirit that we died with Him (see Rom. 6). This
means that we are dead to the law. To go
back to Moses is to return to the graveyard! We have been “raised to walk in
newness of life” (Rom. 6:4); and since we live by His resurrection power, we do
not need the “help” of the law.
(4). 福音的本身(19-20 等节)。如果人因行律法的工作而得稱義,那么为什么耶稣基督要死? 祂的死,埋葬和复活是福音真理的关键(林前 15:1-8)。我们因信基督而得救(他为贖我们的罪而死),在基督裡的信心使我们得救(祂住在我们里面)。此外,我们因圣灵與基督认同到我们与祂同死(见 罗马书 第6章)。这意味着我们已经同釘十字架死了。是說對律法而死。 如今再回到摩西是,再回到墓地!我们 “是因祂賜的新生命上而與祂同行”(罗 6:4); 因为,我们靠主复活的力量而活,所以我们不再需要律法的 “帮助”。
(5). The grace of God (v. 21). The Judaizers
wanted to mix law and grace, but Paul told us that this is impossible. To go
back to the law means to “set aside” the grace of God.
(5). 上帝的恩典(第21节)。犹太律法師想要把律法和恩典混為一談,但保罗告诉我们这是不可能的。回到律法意味着 “捨弃” 了上帝的恩典。
Peter had
experienced God’s grace in his own salvation, and he had proclaimed God’s grace
in his own ministry. But when he withdrew from the Gentile Christian
fellowship, he openly denied the grace of God.
彼得在自己的救恩中经历了上帝的恩典,并且在他自己的事工中宣告了上帝的恩典。但当他退出外邦人的基督徒团契时,他公开否认上帝的恩典。
Grace says, “There
is no difference! All are sinners, and all can be saved through faith in
Christ!”
恩典说,“没有区别!所有人都是罪人,所有人都可以因在基督裡的信心得救!”
But Peter’s actions
had said, “There is a difference! The grace of God is not sufficient; we also
need the law.”
但是彼得的行為說, “有分別!
那是不够的; 我们仍需要律法。”
Returning to the
law nullifies the cross: “If righteousness came by the law, then Christ is dead
in vain” (Gal. 2:21 ). Law
says do! Grace says done! “It is finished!” was Christ’s victory cry (John 19:30 ). “For by grace are ye saved
through faith” (Eph. 2:8).
回归律法使十字架的功能失效: “如果律法带来公义,那么基督就白白死了“
(加
2:21)。律法叫人做!恩典告訴人做完了!基督的胜利呐喊 “成了!”
(约 19:30)。 “你们得救是本乎恩,也因着信”(弗 2:8)。
We have no record
of Peter’s reply to Paul’s rebuke, but Scripture would indicate that he
admitted his sin and was restored to the fellowship once again. Certainly when
you read his two letters (1 and 2 Peter) you detect no deviation from the
gospel of the grace of God. In fact, the theme of 1 Peter is “the true grace of
God” (1 Peter 5:12 ); and
the word grace is used in every chapter of the letter. Peter is careful to point out that he and
Paul were in complete agreement, lest
anyone try to “rob Peter to pay Paul” (2 Peter 3:15-16).
我们没有彼得回应保罗谴责的记載,但是圣经表明彼得承认了他的罪,并再次恢复了团契。誠然,当你读到他的两封信(彼得前后书)时,你會发现它没有偏离上帝恩典的福音。事实上,彼得前書的主题是 “上帝真正的恩典”(彼前 5:12); 在信的每一章都使用了恩典这词。彼得小心地指出他和保罗是完全一致的,以免有人试图 “奪取彼得的來支付保罗”(彼后 3:15-16)。
So end the two acts
of this exciting drama. But the curtain
has not come down yet, for there is a third act, which involves you and me.
因此结束了这激动人心的两幕剧。但是戲幕還未 降下,因为还有第三幕,涉及到你和我。
3. The Believer’s Response
3. 信徒的回应
We know what
Peter’s response was when he was challenged to live up to the truth of the
gospel: fear and failure. And we know what Paul’s response was when he saw the
truth of the gospel being diluted: courage and defense. But the important
question today is, what is my response to the “truth of the gospel”? Perhaps
this is a good place to take inventory of ourselves before we proceed into the
doctrinal chapters of this letter. Let me suggest some questions for each of us
to answer.
我们知道彼得被要求生活在福音真理时的反应是恐惧和失败。並且,我们還知道保罗在看到福音的真理被淡化时的反应是勇气和抵擋。但今天的重要问题是我对“福音真理” 的回应是什么?也许在我们进入本书的教义章节之前,这是清理自己最好的地方。让我提出一些问题供我們来回答。
(1) Have I been saved by the grace of God? The
only gospel that saves is the Gospel of the grace of God as revealed in Jesus
Christ. Any other gospel is a false gospel and is under a curse (Gal. 1:6–9). Someone has defined “grace” as
(1) 上帝的恩典拯救了我吗? 唯一能拯救人的福音就是在耶稣基督裡启示上帝恩典的福音。任何其他的福音都是假福音,應受咒诅(加 1:6-9)。有人将 “恩典” 定义为
God’s 上帝
Riches 豐富的
At 在
Christ’s 基督裡的
Expense 付出
and a good
definition it is. Am I trust in myself
for salvation – my morality, my good works, even my religion? If so, then I am not a Christian, for a true
Christian is one who has trusted Christ alone, “For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast”
(Eph. 2:8 -9)
真是很好的定义。 我是否信靠自己來得救赎
: 我的道德,我的善行,甚至是我的宗教? 如果是这样,那么我就不是基督徒,因为真正的基督徒單單信靠基督,“你们得救是本乎恩,也因着信。 這并不是出於自己,乃是上帝所赐的; 也不是出于行為,免得有人自誇”(弗 2:8-9)
(2). Am I trying to mix law and grace? Law means I
must do something to please God, while grace means that God has finished the
work for me and all I need do is believe on Christ. Salvation is not by faith
in Christ plus something; it is by faith in Christ alone. While church
membership and religious activities are good in their place as expressions of
faith in Christ, they can never be added to faith in Christ in order to secure
eternal life. “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is
no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work
is no more work” (Rom. 11:6).
(2) 我企图把律法和恩典混合在一起吗?律法意味着我必须要做一些事来取悦上帝,而恩典意味着上帝为我完成了所有的工作,我所需要做的只是相信基督。拯救不是在基督裡的信心,再加上一些东西; 拯救只單單靠在基督裡的信心。虽然成為教会會员和參加宗教活动,也只是表现在基督裡的信心,但它们永远不能加入到在只單單基督裡的信心以获得永生的拯救方式裡。 “既是出于恩典,就不在乎行為
: 不然恩典就不是恩典了。但如果它是靠行為,那就不再是恩典:不然行為就不再成為行為了“(罗 11:6)。
(3) Am I rejoicing in the fact that I am justified
by faith in Christ? It has often been said that “justified” means “just as
if I’d never sinned,” and this is
correct. It brings great peace to the heart to know that one has a right
standing before God (Rom.
5:1). Just think: the righteousness of Christ has been put to our account! God
has not only declared that we are righteous in Christ, but He deals with us as
though we had never sinned at all! We need never fear judgment because our sins
have already been judged in Christ on the cross (Rom. 8:1).
(3) 當我因为在基督裡的信心而得已称义,會因此感到喜樂吗?人经常说 “因信稱義” 意味着 “就好像我从来没有犯过罪”,这是正确的。人站在上帝面前,因知道他公義的地位(罗 5:1),会给他内心带来极大的平安。想想看:基督的义已经算為我们的義了!上帝不仅宣告我们在基督里是公义的,而且祂对我们的認定,就好像我们从来没有犯过罪一样!我们不需要害怕审判,因为我们的罪已经在基督的十字架上被审判了(罗 8:1)。
(4) Am I walking in
the liberty of grace? Liberty does not mean license; rather, it means the
freedom in Christ to enjoy Him and to become what He has determined for us to
become (Eph. 2:10 ). It is
not only “freedom to do” but also “freedom not to do.” We are no longer in
bondage to sin and the law. As Paul will explain in the practical section of
this letter (Gal. 5—6), we obey God because of love and not because of law.
Christians enjoy a wonderful liberty in Christ. Am I enjoying it?
(4) 我是行在恩典的自由中吗?自由并不是许可;
相反的,它是在基督里享有自由,及祂同時为我们成就祂所要我們變成的(弗 2:10)。它不仅是 “行在自由中”,並且是 “有不能行在自由中的”。 我们不再受罪与律法的束缚。正如保罗在这封信(加 5,6 兩章)的章節中解释的那样,我们是因爱,而不是因为律法而順服上帝。基督徒在基督里享受美好的自由。我享受了它吗?
(5) Am I willing to defend the truth of the
gospel? This does not mean that we
become evangelical detectives investigating every church and Sunday school class
in town. But it does mean that we do not fear men when they deny the truths
that have brought us eternal life in Christ. “Do I seek to please men? For if I
yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10 ).
(5) 我愿意捍卫福音的真理吗?这并不意味着我们要成為福音的侦探,去调查城裡的每間教会和主日学校。但这确实意味着,当我们否认在基督里为我们带来永生的真理时,我们不会懼怕。 “我是否想要取悦於人? 因为如果我使人高兴,就不能成为基督的仆人”(加 1:10)。
Many people with
whom we come in contact actually believe that people are saved by faith in
Christ plus “doing good works … keeping the Ten Commandments … obeying the
Sermon on the Mount,” and any number of other “religious plusses.” We may not
have the same apostolic authority that Paul exercised, but we do have the Word
of God to proclaim; and it is our obligation to share the truth.
在我们接触的许多人中間,实际上有人相信因在基督裡的信心而得救,還要加上“做善事......遵守十诫......服从登山宝训”,以及任何其他 “宗教附帶事項”。我们可能不会具有像保罗一样的使徒权威,但我们确实有上帝的话语要宣告; 我们有义务分享祂話語的真理。
(6) Am I “walking uprightly according to the
truth of the gospel”? The best way to defend the truth is to live the truth. My
verbal defense of the gospel will accomplish very little if my life contradicts
what I say. Paul is going to explain to us how to live in liberty by the grace
of God, and it is important that we obey what he says.
(6) 我是否 “行在福音真理的正路上”? 捍卫真理的最好方法就是过真理的生活。如果我的生活与我所傳講的福音互相矛盾,那么我对福音的口头捍护将会很少有作用。保罗要向我们解释如何在基督自由中,靠上帝的恩典生活,重要的是我们要遵守祂的話。
A new employee was instructed how to
measure valve parts to make sure they were ready for the final assembly. But
after a few hours, his foreman was receiving complaints that the parts he was
approving were faulty. “What are you
doing?” the foreman asked. “I showed you
how to use that micrometer. You’re sending
through parts that are oversize!”
一名新员工被教導知如何來测量機件活门零件,以确保它们为最终装配做好准备。但數小时后,他的工头發怨言,称他檢驗的零件有问题。工头问道, “你在做什么? 我曾告訴你,如何使用测量的千分尺。 你却交出的零件不合格, 超大了!”
The employee replied, “Oh, most of the
parts I was measuring were too large, so I opened up the micrometer a bit.”
员工回答说,“哦,我的大部分零件都是测量太大了,因我打开了千分尺一点点。”
Changing the standards will never make for
success, either in manufacturing or ministry. Paul maintained the standards of
“the truth of the gospel”—and so
should we.
改变标准永远不会取得成功,不論在制造业上或`在傳教事工上。 保罗坚持保持 “福音真理”
的标准,我们也应该這樣做。