1655英翻中(約壹第五課) Truth or Consquence 真理或後果 27/07/2026
Lesson Five Truth or Consquence First John 2:18-29 第五課 真理或後果 约翰一书2:18-29
It makes no difference what you believe, just as long as you are sincere!” 只要你是誠心的相信,不管信什麼都沒有關係!
That statement expresses the personal philosophy of many people today, but it is doubtful whether most of those who make it have really thought it through. Is “sincerity” the magic ingredient that makes something true? If so, then you ought to be able to apply it to any area of life, and not only to religion.
该当今许多人的宗教哲学,但令人怀疑這大多数人的哲學觀點是否真的想透了。 “诚心”是使事情成為真理的靈藥吗?如果真是这样,那么应该能够将其应用于生活的任何领域,而不仅仅是宗教。
A nurse in a city hospital gives some medicine to a patient, and the patient becomes violently ill. The nurse is sincere but the medicine is wrong, and the patient almost dies.
舉例來說,一家城市医院的护士给病人服用一些药物,使病人的病更厲害。护士是诚心醫病,但拿錯了药,病人几乎快死了。
A man hears noises in the house one night and decides a burglar is at work. He gets his gun and shoots the “burglar,” who turns out to be his daughter! Unable to sleep, she has gotten up for a bite to eat. She ends up the victim of her father’s “sincerity.”
又如,晚上听到房子里有奇怪的声音,主人肯定是小偷在偷東西。他拿起枪就射,而这“小偷”原来是他的女儿!因她无法入睡,所以起床找食物充饑。她最终成为父亲 “诚心”的受害者。
It takes more than “sincerity” to make something true. Faith in a lie will always cause serious consequences; faith in the truth is never misplaced. It does make a difference what a man believes! If a man wants to drive from Chicago to New York , no amount of sincerity will get him there if the highway is taking him to Los Angeles . A person who is real builds his life on truth, not superstition or lies. It is impossible to live a real life by believing lies.
除去 “诚心”以外,還需要更多的思考。對谎言的信心,往往会造成严重的后果; 但对認識真理的信心永远不会错的。人只要誠心深信真理,他錯不了!如果有人希望从芝加哥开车到纽约,若他上的高速公路指標是指向洛杉矶,再誠心他也到不了纽约。真誠的人認識真理是建立他的生活在真理上,而不是迷信或谎言。相信谎言是永遠不可能过生命之道的真存生活。
God has warned the church family (“little children”) about the conflict between light and darkness (1 John 1:1—2:6) and between love and hatred (1 John 2:7–17). Now He warns them about a third conflict: the conflict between truth and error. It is not enough for a believer to walk in the light and to walk in love; he must also walk in truth. The issue is truth—or consequences!
上帝曾經警告過教会的大家庭份子(“小子們”),关于光明与黑暗(约翰一书1:1:2:6)和爱与恨之间的矛盾(约壹2:7-17)。现在,祂警告他们有关第三种冲突:真理与错误之间的冲突。信徒行在光明中,且在爱中是不够的。他还必须對真理誠心。问题是真理—或發生的后果!
Before John explained the tragic consequences of turning from the truth, he emphasized the seriousness of the matter. He did so by using two special terms: “the last time” and “antichrist.” Both terms make it clear that Christians are living in an hour of crisis and must guard against the errors of the enemy.
在约翰未解释,背离真理的悲慘的后果之前,他强调了這事的严重性。他使用了两个特殊术语:“最后一次” 和 “敌基督”。这两个短語都闡釋基督徒的生活在短时間的危机中,必须防范敌人的错误。
“The last time” (or “the last hour”) is a term that reminds us that a new age has dawned on the world. “The darkness is past, and the true light now shineth” (1 John 2:8). Since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God is doing a “new thing” in this world. All of Old Testament history prepared the way for the work of Christ on the cross. All history since that time is merely preparation for “the end,” when Jesus will come and establish His kingdom. There is nothing more that God must do for the salvation of sinners.
“最后一次”(或“最后一小时”)是短語,提醒我们已经进入了晨曦的世界新时代。 “黑暗已經过去,真光出现了”(约壹2:8)。自从耶稣基督死亡和复活以来,上帝正在對这世界做 “新事”。旧约的所有历史都为基督在十字架上所做的工作預備好了道路。自那时以来的所有历史都只是为這 “结局” 做准备,那时耶稣将要来建立祂的国度。上帝为必須拯救罪的事已經完成。
You may ask, “But if it was ‘the last hour’ in John’s day, why has Jesus not yet returned?”
可能你們会问:“若是如此,在约翰的時間表的 “最后一小时”,为什么耶稣还没有回来呢?”
This is an excellent question and Scripture gives us the answer. God is not limited by time the way His creatures are. God works in human time, but He is above time (see 2 Peter 3:8).
这是一個非常好的问题,圣经記載給我们答案。上帝并没有限制祂创造物的时间。上帝是以世人的時間作工,但祂超越时间之上(參看 彼後3:8)。
“The last hour” began back in John’s day and has been growing in intensity ever since. There were ungodly false teachers in John’s day, and during the intervening centuries they have increased both in number and in influence. “The last hour” or “the last times” are phrases that describe a kind of time, not a duration of time. “The latter times” are described in 1 Timothy 4. Paul, like John, observed characteristics of his time, and we see the same characteristics today in even greater intensity.
“最后一小时” 起始于约翰計算的日子,从那以后一直猛烈的在增加。在约翰的日子,有不敬虔的假教师,在此後的数百年中,他们的人数和影响力都有所增加。 “最后一小时”或 “最后一次” 是描述某種时段,而不是描寫持续时间的短语。在提摩太前书1章中描述 “較后的時間”。保罗像约翰一样,观察了他那个日子的時代特征,今天我们看到的相同看特征,却更為强勁。
In other words, Christians have always been living in “the last time”—in crisis days. It is therefore important that you know what you believe and why you believe it.
换句话说,在危机时期,基督徒一直生活在 “最后一次” 之中。因此,重要的是你們要知道自己信的是什么,以及为什么要信基督。
The second term, “antichrist,” is used in the Bible only by John (1 John 2:18 , 22; 4:3; 2 John 7). It describes three things: (1) a spirit in the world that opposes or denies Christ; (2) the false teachers who embody this spirit; and, (3) a person who will head up the final world rebellion against Christ.
其次是 “敌基督”, 仅在约翰寫的圣经書卷中用到(约壹2:18,22; 4:3;约弍7)。它描述了三件事:(1)世界上反对或否认基督的邪靈; (2)具体化这种邪靈的假教师; (3)将领导最后的世界反抗基督的人。
The “spirit of antichrist” (1 John 4:3) has been in the world since Satan declared war on God (see Gen. 3). The “spirit of antichrist” is behind every false doctrine and every “religious” substitute for the realities Christians have in Christ. The prefix anti-actually has a dual meaning. It can mean, in the Greek, both “against” Christ and “instead of” Christ. Satan in his frenzy is fighting Christ and His eternal truth, and he is substituting his counterfeits for the realities found only in our Lord Jesus. The “spirit of antichrist” is in the world today. It will eventually lead to the appearance of a “satanic superman” whom the Bible calls “Antichrist” (capital A). He is called (2 Thess. 2:1–12) “the man of sin” (or “lawlessness”).
自从撒但向上帝宣战以来,“敌基督的邪靈”(约壹4:3)就已存在于世上(见 创3)。任何虚假的学说和全任何 “宗教的” 替代品,都以 “敌基督的邪靈” 作後盾,代替了基督徒在基督里所拥有的实存(reality)。字首(anti-)实际上有双重含义。在希腊语中,它們可能意味着 “敵对” 和 “代替” 基督。撒旦狂热地与基督及祂永恒的真理敵對,牠用伪造品,代替只有在我们主耶稣里才具有的实存。当今世界上已有 “敵基督的邪靈”。最终将导致“撒旦超人” 的出现,圣经将其称为 “敌基督”(Antichrist的第一個字母A大写)。牠被称为 “有罪的人”(或“不法之徒”)。(帖後2:1-12)
This passage explains that there are two forces at work in today’s world: truth is working through the church by the Holy Spirit, and evil is working by the energy of Satan. The Holy Spirit, in Christians, is holding back lawlessness; but when the church is removed at the rapture (1 Thess. 4:13 –18), Satan will be able to complete his temporary victory and take over the world. (John had more to say about this world ruler and his evil system in the book of Revelation, particularly 13:1–18; 16:13 ; and 19:20 .)
这段经文解释说,当今世界有两种力量在工作:真理通过圣灵在教会中工作,而邪恶通过撒但的能力进行工作。圣灵使用在基督徒阻止不法之徒。但是,当教堂在大災難期中被提升在空中时(帖前4:13-18),撒但将有能力完成牠的暂时性胜利,并占领整个世界。 (约翰在《启示录》中有更多关于邪恶体系對统治世界的記載,特别是在13:1-18; 16:13和19:20等處。)
Does it make any difference what you believe? It makes all the difference in the world! You are living in crisis days—in the last hour—and the spirit of antichrist is working in the world! It is vitally important that you know and believe the truth and be able to detect lies when they come your way.
這對你的信仰有什么不同吗?牠把這世界改变得大大的不同!在最后的這一小时段里,你正处在危机时期,而敌基督的邪靈正在世界上运作!更重要的是,你必须知道,并相信真理,且能够在他们走在你的前面時,能发现牠們的谎言。
John’s epistle gives three outstanding marks of the false teacher who is controlled by the “spirit of antichrist.”
约翰的书信指出 “敌基督邪靈” 控制的假教师的三个突出标记。
1. He Departs from the Fellowship (2:18 –19)
1. 他离开团契(2:18-19)
“They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us” (1 John 2:19 nasb).
“他们脱离了我们,但他们并不真正属于我们。因为他们若是属于我们,就必須與我们同在一起”(约壹 2:19 新美國標準版)。
The word us refers, of course, to the fellowship of believers, the church. Not everyone who is part of an assembly of believers is necessarily a member of the family of God!
“我们”这词,当然是指信徒的团契,教会。并非所有参加信徒聚会的人,都一定是上帝大家庭的一员!
The New Testament presents the church in a twofold way: as one worldwide family and as local units or assemblies of believers. There is a “universal” as well as “local” aspect of the church. The whole worldwide company of believers is compared with a body (1 Cor. 12) and with a building (Eph. 2:19 –22). When a sinner trusts Christ as Savior, he receives eternal life and immediately becomes a member of God’s family and a part of Christ’s spiritual body. He should then identify himself with a local group of Christians (a church) and start serving Christ (Acts 2:41 –42). But the point here is that a person can belong to a local church and not be part of the true spiritual body of Christ.
新约圣经以双重方式記載顯明教会:作为当地信徒团体,或信徒的廣闊世界的大家庭。教会既有 “普遍性” 又有 “地方性” 的兩方面。整个全球的信徒团体,与地方教會的基督屬靈身体(林前12章),和其建筑物(弗2:19-22)进行比较。当罪人相信基督为救世主时,他将获得永生,并立即成为上帝家庭的一员,和基督属灵身体的一部分。然后,他应该与当地的基督徒群體(教会),向他們认同自己,并开始为基督事奉(徒2:41-42)。但是,其要点他可以属于当地的教会,而不能成为真正基督属灵身体的一部分。
One of the evidences of true Christian life is a desire to be with the people of God. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14 ). When people share the same divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and are indwelt by the same Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14 –16), they want to enjoy fellowship and to share with one another. As we have seen, fellowship means “to have in common.” When people have spiritual realities in common, they want to be together.
基督徒真实的生活证据之一,就是渴望与上帝的子民在一起。 “我们知道因为爱弟兄,就出死入生”(约壹3:14)。当人们拥有相同的上帝屬天的本性(彼前2:1),并且有同樣的圣灵內住(罗8:14–16),他们要享受团契的喜樂,并彼此分享。正如我们所见,团契意味着 “有共同点”。当人们有共同的屬靈的实存时,他们想要在一起。
But the “counterfeit Christians” mentioned in 1 John 2 did not remain in the fellowship. They went out. This doesn’t imply that “staying in the church” keeps a person saved; rather, it indicates that remaining in the fellowship is one evidence that a person is truly a Christian. In His Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:1–9, 18–23), Jesus makes it clear that only those who produce fruit are truly born again. It is possible to be close to an experience of salvation, and even to have some characteristics that would pass for “Christian,” and yet not be a child of God. The people in view in 1 John 2 left the fellowship because they did not possess the true life and the love of Christ was not in their hearts.
但是在约翰一书2章中提到的“假冒基督徒”,并没有留在团契中。他们脫離出去。这并不意味着 “留在教堂里” 的每个人都得救;相反,它表明留在团契中的人,确实是基督徒的证据。耶稣在 “撒种的比喻”(太13:1-9,18-23)中明确指出,只有那些能结出果子的人,才是真正重生的人。可能得到救赎的经历,甚至具有可能会成为 “基督徒” 的特征,但還不是上帝的儿女。约翰一书2章中所见的人,他們离开团契,是因为没有真正的生命,并且基督的爱不在他们的心中。
There are many unfortunate divisions among the people of God today, but all true Christians have things in common, regardless of church affiliation. They believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that Jesus is the Son of God. They confess that men are sinners and that the only way one can be saved is through faith in Christ. They believe that Christ died as man’s substitute on the cross, and that He arose again from the dead. They believe that the Holy Spirit indwells true believers. Finally, they believe that one day in the future Jesus will come again. Christians may differ on other matters—church government, for example, or modes of baptism—but they agree on the basic doctrines of the faith.
今天,在上帝的子民之间,有许多不幸的分歧,但无论教会的隶属关系如何,所有真正的基督徒都有共同点。他们相信圣经是上帝的话,而耶稣是上帝的儿子。他们承认人都是罪人,唯一可以得救的方法,就是信靠耶穌基督。他们深信基督是为贖人的罪死在十字架上,而三天後祂又从死里复活。他们相信圣灵住在真正的信徒當中。最后,他们相信耶稣的再來。基督徒在其他事情上,可能有所不同(例如,教会的組織或洗礼的方式),但他们信心的基本教义,肯定是完全一致的。
If you will investigate the history of the false cults and antichristian religious systems in today’s world, you will find that in most cases their founders started out in a local church! They were “with us” but not “of us,” so they went out “from us” and started their own groups.
如果调查当今世界上的虚假的邪教,和反基督教宗教系统的历史,你会发现在大多数情况下,其创始人,都是从当地的教堂出去的!他们曾“与我们在一起”,但不是 “屬我们的”,因此他们是 “从我们” 中間脫離出去的,并成立了自己的团体。
Any group, no matter how “religious,” that for doctrinal reasons separates itself from a local church that holds to the Word of God, must immediately be suspect. Often these groups follow human leaders and the books men have written, rather than Jesus Christ and God’s Word. The New Testament (e.g., 2 Tim. 3—4; 2 Peter 2) makes it clear that it is dangerous to depart from the fellowship.
任何出于教义原因,将自己与持有上帝圣言的地方教会分开的人,无论他們多么“有宗教氣氛”,都必须立即受到怀疑。这些团体常常跟随人的领袖,和人写的书,而不是耶稣基督,和上帝的圣言。 新约(例如 提後 3-4章;彼後2章)清楚地表明,离开团契是危险的。
2. He Denies the Faith (2:20 –25; 4:1–6)
2. 他否认信心(約壹2:20–25; 4:1–6)
The key question for a Christian is, Who is Jesus Christ? Is Christ merely “an Example,” “a good Man,” or “a wonderful teacher,” or is He God come in the flesh?
基督徒的关键问题是,谁是耶稣基督?基督仅仅是 “好榜样”,“好人” 或 “出色的教师”,还是祂是道成肉体的的上帝?
John’s readers knew the truth about Christ, or else they would not have been saved. “You all know the truth, because you have the Spirit of God, an unction, and the Spirit teaches you all things” (see 1 John 2:20 , 27). “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9).
约翰著作的读者,知道有关基督的真相,否则他们将不会得救。 “你们都知道真理,因为你们拥有上帝的灵,恩膏,而灵靈教導你们万事”(见 约壹2:20,27)。 “现在,如果有人没有基督的灵,他就不是屬祂的”(罗8:9)。
False Christians in John’s day used two special words to describe their experience: “knowledge” and “unction.” They claimed to have a special unction (anointing) from God that gave them a unique knowledge. They were “illuminated” and therefore living on a much higher level than anybody else. But John pointed out that all true Christians know God and have received the Spirit of God! And because they have believed the truth, they recognize a lie when they meet it.
约翰时代的假基督徒用两个特殊的词来形容他们的经历:“知识”和“恩膏”。他们自称有上帝特别的恩膏(膏油),这使他们有了独特的知识。並被 “光照”,因此,生活水平比任何人都高。但是约翰指出,所有真正的基督徒都认识上帝,并接受了上帝的灵!因为他们相信真理,所以当他们遇到谎言时就会认出。
The great assertion of the faith that sets a Christian apart from others is this: Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh (1 John 4:2).
基督信仰与其他信仰者不同的伟大宣言是:耶稣基督是道成肉身的上帝(约壹4:2)
Not all preachers and teachers who claim to be Christian are really Christian in their belief (1 John 4:1–6). If they confess that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh, then they belong to the true faith. If they deny Christ, then they belong to antichrist. They are in and of the world, and are not, like true believers, called out of the world. When they speak, the world (unsaved persons) hears them and believes them. But the unsaved world can never understand a true Christian. A Christian speaks under the direction of the Spirit of Truth; a false teacher speaks under the influence of the spirit of error—the spirit of antichrist.
并非所有声称是基督徒的传教士和教师,他們都是真正的基督信仰者(约壹4:1-6)。若他们认耶稣基督是道成肉身的上帝,那么才是真正的有基督信仰的人。若否认基督,那么他们就是敌基督。他们在世界和屬世界的,而不像真正的基督信徒是被上帝召唤脫離這世界。当假信徒说话时,世界(未得救的人)会去听,并相信他们。但是未得救的世界永远无法理解真正的基督信仰者。基督徒在真理的靈指导下说话;假教师却在邪靈(敵基督的靈)的控制下讲话。
To confess that “Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh” involves much more than simply to identify Christ. The demons did this (Mark 1:24 ) but it did not save them. True confession involves personal faith in Christ—in who He is and what He has done. A confession is not a mere intellectual “theological statement” that you recite; it is a personal witness from your heart of what Christ has done for you. If you have trusted Christ and have confessed your faith, you have eternal life (1 John 2:25 ). Those who cannot honestly make this confession do not have eternal life, which is an ultimately serious matter.
认“耶稣基督是道成肉身的上帝”,是遠遠超過只証明基督。魔鬼也这样做(可1:24)牠們并没有得到拯救。真正的认罪,包括个人對对基督信仰的信心,即祂是谁,祂做了些什么。认罪不仅仅是背诵富有理智的 “神学道義”;它是你内心对基督为你所做的一切的个人见证。如果你已经信靠基督,并承认了自己的基督信仰,那么你将获得永生(约翰2:25)。那些不肯诚实坦白認定主的人,得不到永生,这是極终的严重问题。
George Whitefield, a great British evangelist, was speaking to a man about his soul. He asked the man, “Sir, what do you believe?”
英国伟大的福音传教士乔治·怀特(George Whitefield)与人正在谈论他的灵魂。他问那人,“先生,您相信什么?”
“I believe what my church believes,” the man replied respectfully.
那人恭敬地回答:“我相信我的教会所信仰的。”
“And what does your church believe?”
“那麼,您的教会相信什么?”
“The same thing I believe.”
“與我相信的像同。”
“And what do both of you believe?” the preacher inquired again.
传教士再次询问, “你和你的教會都相信什么?”
“We both believe the same thing!” was the only reply he could get.
他唯一能答复的是,“我们的相信都一樣!”
A man is not saved by assenting to a church creed. He is saved by trusting Jesus Christ and bearing witness to his faith (Rom. 10:9–10).
人不能通过教会信条得拯救。他只有信靠耶稣基督,并见证他因信耶穌基督得救
(罗10:9-10)。
False teachers will often say, “We worship the Father. We believe in God the Father, even though we disagree with you about Jesus Christ.”
假教师经常會说:“我们敬拜父。即使我们不同意耶稣基督,我们仍然相信父神。”
But to deny the Son means to deny the Father also. You cannot separate the Father and the Son, since both are one God. Jesus said, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30 ). He also made it clear that true believers honor both the Father and the Son: “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him” (John 5:23 ). If you say you “worship one God” but leave Jesus Christ out of your worship, you are not worshipping as a true Christian.
但是,否认子也就說他否认父。你不能把父子分开,因为两者都是同一位上帝。耶稣说,“我和我父是一體”(约10:30)。祂还明确表示,真正的基督信仰者,既要尊敬圣父,又要尊敬圣子: “不尊敬儿子的,就不尊敬差遣祂來到世上的父”(约5:23)。如果你说 “敬拜独一的上帝”,却不敬拜耶稣基督,那你并不是真正基督徒的崇拜。
It is important that you stay with the truth of God’s Word. The Word (or message) Christians have “heard from the beginning” is all you need to keep you true to the faith. The Christian life continues just as it began: through faith in the Bible’s message. A religious leader who comes along with “something new,” something that contradicts what Christians have “heard from the beginning,” is not to be trusted. “Try the spirits, whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1). Let the Word abide in you (1 John 2:24 ), and abide in Christ (1 John 2:28 ); otherwise you will be led astray by the spirit of antichrist. No matter what false teachers may promise, you have the sure promise of eternal life (1 John 2:25 ). You need nothing more!
守住上帝聖言的真理很重要。基督徒“从一开始就听”的道(或信息)就是使你忠于信心的真實。基督徒生活的继续,就像他开始时那样:对圣经信息的信心。信奉“新事物”且与基督徒“从一开始就听到的”矛盾的宗教领袖,他們是不應該相信。 “试驗那些靈是否出於上帝”(约壹4:1)。愿圣言住在你里面(约壹2:24),並且基督的內住(约壹2:28);要不然,你会被敌基督的邪靈误入歧途。不管假教师作什么應允,你都已經有永生确保的應許(约壹2:25)。不需要其它任何事物!
If false teachers were content to enjoy themselves in their own meetings, it would be bad enough; the tragedy is that they try earnestly to convert others to their antichristian doctrines. This is the third mark of a man who has turned away from God’s truth.
如果假教师满足于他自己的会议中欺騙,那就太糟糕了; 悲剧是他们认真地尝试,要将別人转变到他們敵基督教的教义去。这是人背弃了上帝真理的第三个標誌。
3. He Tries to Deceive the Faithful (2:26 –29)
3. 他试图欺骗信實的基督徒(2:26–29)
It is interesting to observe that antichristian groups rarely try to lead lost sinners to their false faith. Instead, they spend much of their time trying to convert professing Christians (and church members, at that) to their own doctrines. They are out to “seduce” the faithful. 观察敵基督团体,很少试图将失喪的罪人,带入他们的虛假的信念裡,這是有趣得很。反之,他们花很大氣力及时间,试图将自称是基督徒(以及当时教会的會员)转向到自己虛假的教義。這顯而是为了 “勾引” 信實者。
The word seduce carries the idea of “being led astray.” We have been warned that this would happen: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils [teachings of demons]” (1 Tim. 4:1).
勾引是引人“误入歧途”的意思。我们已经被警告,这种情况会发生:“现在,圣灵明确地说出,在以后的日子裡,有些人会背离信仰,順服引诱的邪靈,以及魔鬼的教义 [恶魔的教导](提前4: 1)。
Jesus called Satan the “father of lies” (John 8:44 niv). The devil’s purpose is to lead Christians astray by teaching them false doctrines (2 Cor. 11:1–4, 13–15). We should not accept everything a person tells us simply because he claims to believe the Bible, for it is possible to “twist” the Bible to make it mean almost anything (2 Cor. 4:1–2).
耶稣称撒但为 “說谎之父”(约8:44)。魔鬼的目的,是通过教导基督徒虛構的教义,使他们误入歧途(林後11:1–4,13–15)。我们不应该仅仅因为人声称他相信圣经,而接受他所说的一切,因为他可能會 “扭曲”圣经的真理,把聖經解釋為幾乎是,他們所要的意思(林前4:1-2)。
Satan is not an originator; he is a counterfeiter. He imitates the work of God. For example, Satan has counterfeit “ministers” (2 Cor. 11:13 –15) who preach a counterfeit gospel (Gal. 1:6–12) that produces counterfeit Christians (John 8:43 –44) who depend on a counterfeit righteousness (Rom. 10:1–10). In the parable of the tares (Matt. 13:24 –30, 36–43), Jesus and Satan are pictured as sowers. Jesus sows the true seed, the children of God, but Satan sows “the children of the wicked one.” The two kinds of plants, while growing, look so much alike that the servants could not tell the difference until the fruit appeared! Satan’s chief stratagem during this age is to plant the counterfeit wherever Christ plants the true. And it is important that you be able to detect the counterfeit and separate the teachings of Christ from the false teachings of antichrist.
撒旦不是源始者; 而是造假者。他模仿上帝的工作。例如,撒旦有伪造的 “宣教師”(林後11:13-15),他们宣扬伪造的福音(加1:6–12),产生信靠假公義(罗10:1-10)的基督徒(约8:43-44)。在稗子的比喻中(太13:24-30,36-43),耶稣和撒但被記載為撒种的人。耶稣播下真實的种子,上帝的儿女,但撒但播下 “魔鬼的儿女” 的种子。它們同時一起生长,看似非常相同,以至于使長出植物人,無法分辨,直到果实出现时才有差异!撒旦在今日的主要策略是,在基督培植真品的地方,撒下假的货品。重要的是,必须能够发现假冒伪劣的貨品,并将基督的教义与敵基督的假教义分別开来。
How does a believer do this? By depending on the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Each believer has experienced the anointing (the “unction,” 1 John 2:20 ) of the Spirit, and it is the Spirit who teaches him truth (John 14:17 ; 15:26 ). False teachers are not led by the Spirit of Truth; they are led by the spirit of error (1 John 4:3, 6).
信徒如何做到这一点?靠圣灵的教导。信徒都经历圣灵的膏油塗抹(“恩膏”,约壹2:20),是圣灵教导他們真理(约14:17; 15:26)。虚假的老师不是由真理聖灵的带领。他们依賴邪靈为主导(约壹4:3,6)。
The word anoint reminds us of the Old Testament practice of pouring oil on the head of a person being set apart for special service. A priest was anointed (Ex. 28:41), and so was a king (1 Sam. 15:1) or a prophet (1 Kings 19:16 ). A New Testament Christian is anointed, not with literal oil, but by the Spirit of God—an anointing that sets him apart for his ministry as one of God’s priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9). It is not necessary for you to pray for “an anointing of the Spirit”; if you are a Christian, you have already received this special anointing. This anointing “abides in us” and therefore does not need to be imparted to us.
膏油塗抹这词,使我们想起旧约的受膏的儀禮,就是要分派給特殊職事的人,從他的头上傾倒下膏油。祭司要受膏(出28:41),国王要受膏(撒上 15:1)或先知也要受膏(王上19:16)。在新约中,基督徒的受膏,不是用真正的膏油,而是用上帝的灵 — 这樣的受膏,使他成为神职人员中,脱颖而出為牧师(彼前2:5,9)。不必要为 “圣灵的受膏” 而祈祷。如果你是基督徒,那么,就已经得到了這特别的恩膏。並且这恩膏 “住在我们里面”,因此不需受膏。
We have seen that false teachers deny the Father and the Son; they also deny the Spirit. The Spirit is the Teacher God has given us (John 14:26 ), but these false Christians want to be teachers themselves and lead others astray. They try to take the place of the Holy Spirit!
我们已经看到,假教师否认了父和子。他们也否认圣灵。圣灵是上帝赐给我们的靈裡老师(约14:26),但是这些假基督徒想自己当這屬靈老师,想把其他人帶入歧途。他们试图取代圣灵!
We are warned against letting any man be our teacher, for God has given us the Spirit to teach us His truth. This does not deny the office of human teachers in the church (Eph. 4:11 –12), but it means that under the guidance of the Spirit you must test the teaching of men as you search the Bible for yourself (see Acts 17:11 ).
我们被警告,不要让任何人当我们的老师,因为上帝恩赐,已經賜圣灵来教导我们祂的真理。这并不否认在教会中的主日學老师的职責(弗 4:11-12),但这意味着在圣灵的引导下,当你自己寻找圣经的真義时,必须检验這人的教导(见 徒17 :11)。
A missionary to the American Indians was in Los Angeles with a Indian friend who was a new Christian. As they walked down the street, they passed a man on the corner who was preaching with a Bible in his hand. The missionary knew the man represented a cult, but the Indian saw only the Bible. He stopped to listen to the sermon.
在洛杉矶,有位美国印地安人的传教士,与他的剛信主的印地安朋友。他们走在街上时,路过一个拐角处,看到手里拿着圣经在讲道的人。传教士知道这人代表着邪教,但印地安朋友只看到圣经。他停下来去听讲道。
“I hope my friend doesn’t get confused,” the missionary thought, and he began to pray. In a few minutes the Indian turned away from the meeting and joined his missionary friend.
传教士开始祈祷,並且他想,“希望我的朋友不要感到困惑。”。几分钟后,他的朋友退出会议,來到他的传教士朋友。
“What did you think of the preacher?” the missionary asked.
传教士问他的朋友,“你对宣教士有什么看法?”。
“All the time he was talking,” exclaimed the Native American, “something in my heart kept saying, ‘Liar! Liar!’”
印第安人大声说道,“他一直在讲话,我内心一直在说,'骗子!骗子!’ ”
That “something” in his heart was “Someone”—the Holy Spirit of God! The Spirit guides us into the truth and helps us to recognize error. This anointing of God is “no lie,” because “the Spirit is truth” (1 John 5:6).
他心中的 “某物” 就是 “某人” — 上帝的圣灵! 圣灵引导我们进入真理,并帮助我们认识虛假。上帝的恩膏是 “不會说谎”,因为 “圣灵就是真理”(约壹5:6)。
Why are some Christians led astray to believe false teachings? Because they are not abiding in the Spirit. The word abide occurs several times in this section of 1 John, and it would be helpful to review:
为什么有些基督徒會误入歧途,而相信虛假的教义? 因为他们没有圣灵的內住。在约翰一书的本段章節中,多次出现 “住在” 一词,回顾其内容時,很有帮助:
• False teachers do not abide (“continue”) in the fellowship (1 John 2:19).
• The word (message) we have heard should abide in us (1 John 2:24 ).
• The anointing (the Holy Spirit) abides in us, and we should abide in the Spirit (1 John 2:27 ).
• As we abide in the Word and in the Spirit, we also abide in Christ (1 John 2:28 ). •假教师不住在(“继续留下”)我們团契中(约壹2:19)。 •我们所听见的話語(信息)必須住在我们里面(约壹2:24)。 •恩膏(圣灵)住在我们里面,我们必須住在圣灵裡面(约壹2:27)。 •当我们住在圣经和圣灵中时,住在基督裡(约壹2:28)。
We noticed this word abide earlier in John’s letter too: 我们在约翰的書信其他地方,也看到過“住在”这短語:
• If we say we abide in Christ, we should walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). •若我们说我们住在基督裡面,就应该與祂同行(约壹2:6)。
• If we love our brother, we abide in the light (1 John 2:10 ). •若我们爱我们的兄弟,将住在光明中(约壹2:10)。
• If the Word abides in us, we will be spiritually strong (1 John 2:14 ). •如果聖言常住我们里面,我们将在属灵的坚强(约壹2:14)。
• If we do the will of God, we shall abide forever (1 John 2:17 ). •如果我们住在上帝的旨意中,将永远與祂同住(约壹2:17)。