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圣 经 探 险 者 第 九 课 亚伯拉罕—因信称义 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Reading:
Genesis 14-15
Abram
Delivers Lot from Captivity (Genesis
14:1-16) The events that led up to this most interesting meeting between Abram and Melchizedek are set out in this chapter. A northern confederacy of powers had placed Sodom and other cities under tribute. However after thirteen years they rebelled, causing these northern kings under the leadership of Chedorlaomer to sweep down to suppress this revolt. 导致亚伯兰与麦基洗德会晤的事件在这一章中记载。所多玛与其他几个城市事奉北方的联盟，这样过了十二年。第十三年，他们背叛了。北方众王就以基大老玛为首讨伐他们。 The ensuing battle took place "in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea" (v3). This area was an enticing fertile area in those days (Genesis 13:10) but we note that it is called "the salt sea" because of the catastrophe that occurred there later when Sodom was destroyed (Genesis 19:24-25). The northern kings were victorious in the battle and led off captives including Lot, Abraham’s nephew (v12). We are told that Lot by this time was dwelling in Sodom (v12). 随之而来的战事发生在“西订谷，就是盐海”（第3节）。这地那时是肥沃的（创世纪13：10），之所以称之为“盐海”是由于所多玛战败后那地上发生的灾难（创世纪19：24-25）。北方众王胜利了，亚伯拉罕的侄儿罗得也成了俘虏（第12节。）罗得那时正住在所多玛（第12节）。 One who escaped came and told "Abram the Hebrew" (v13). This is the first time that the word "Hebrew" occurs in the Bible, being used of Abram, the father of the Hebrews. The word means "a crosser-over". It was a title given to him because he had crossed over the Euphrates, having left his country and kindred in obedience to God (Genesis 12:1-3). Abram, with a small group of servants and others with him, pursued and overtook this great army of the northern confederacy and overthrew them (v15). As he returned, bringing with him Lot and all the people and their goods, he was met by two kings. 有一个逃出来的人告诉“希伯来人亚伯兰”（第13节）。这是圣经中第一次出现“希伯来”这个词，这词在此用于亚伯兰—希伯来人的父。这词的意思是“穿越者”，因为亚伯兰穿越了幼发拉底河，使他的国与民遵循神的旨意（创世纪12：1-3）。亚伯兰只带了一小队仆人去追击北方联盟的大军，最后击败了他们（第15节）。他救回了罗得和他的财物，人民。凯旋时，两王出来迎他。 Abram Meets
Melchizedek, the King Priest (Genesis
14:17-24) The king of Sodom went out to meet Abram "at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale" (v17). Now we know that the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked (Genesis 13:13), and here this king of a morally degenerate city came to meet the God-fearing man Abram. 所多玛王出来迎接亚伯兰于“沙微谷，就是王谷”（第17节）。所多玛人罪大恶极（创世纪13：13），在此有罪的所多马玛王见到了敬神的亚伯兰。又有撒冷王麦基洗德出来迎接 。 At precisely the same place Melchizedek the king of Salem also came forth to meet Abram. This king was a striking contrast to the king of Sodom and all that he stood for. Melchizedek was not only a king but was also the priest of the most high God (v18). Abram gave preference to Melchizedek who had come forth with bread and wine, intending to mediate for Abram as he worshipped God (v18-20). 这王与所多玛王不同，他不仅只是一个国王，也是至高神的祭司（第18节）。麦基洗德拿着饼与酒出来调停，亚伯兰优待他（第18-20节）。 The apostle Paul draws important lessons associated with the work of the Lord Jesus Christ from this incident with Melchizedek. In Hebrews chapters 5 to 7 he speaks of them as follows:使徒保罗从此事中联想到主耶稣的工作。在希伯来书第5与第7章中，他提到：
From this incident in the life of Abram we see that a greater High Priest was being foreshadowed. Through him, those who develop a faith like Abram are able to approach to God in heaven. This High Priest is the Lord Jesus Christ who is now in heaven to mediate for those who are baptised into him.从这件事我们看到一位更大的至高祭司已经预言。通过他，人象亚伯兰一样因着信接近神。这个至高祭司就是主耶稣基督，他现时在天上协调着经过受洗归于他的人。 Abram
Refuses the King of Sodom’s
Goods After Abram had concluded his worship with Melchizedek, the king of Sodom interrupted Abram with this proposition: "Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself" (v21). Here we see Abram’s great faith. His reply was simple: "I have lift up my hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich" (v22-23). 亚伯兰崇敬麦基洗德，所多玛王对亚伯兰说：“把人口给我，财物你自己拿去”（第21节）。在此我们见到了亚伯兰的信。他简单地回答：“我已经向天地的主—至高的神起誓，凡是你的东西，就是一根线，一根鞋带，我都不拿，免得你说，我使亚伯兰富足”（第22-23节）。 Abram did not want in his household the goods from one of the most wicked societies that the world has ever known. He believed that God would provide for him. Thus he was not tempted to seek goods or wealth for himself, but rather was content to trust in his God. If God was "the possessor of heaven and earth" as Abram acknowledged, then the King of Sodom could give him nothing that was not already God’s. 亚伯兰不想取这邪恶的国的东西。他坚信神会赐于他一切。所以他不给自己谋求私利，只愿意相信神。因为他坚信神是天地的主，既然如此，所多玛王给不了他什么，因为所有的一切都属于神。 Although Lot witnessed all this and heard these discussions, he went back to his home in Sodom. He should have realised that to remain with Abram would have given him and his family security and peace in the things of God. 罗得见证并听到了这些话，但他仍回到了所多玛的家。他应该意识到只有与亚伯兰在一起，神才会赐与他和他的家人平安。 Abram is
Promised a Seed (Genesis
15:1-6) Following this incident which shows Abram’s faith in God’s over-shadowing care and protection for him, God appeared to him again saying: "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward" (v1). 亚伯兰因这信受到了神的赐福与保护。这事以后，神又一次在异象中对他说：“亚伯兰，你不用惧怕，我是你的盾牌，必大大赏赐你”（第1节）。 Because Abram had declared to the King of Sodom his complete dependence upon God, He now appeared and confirmed that He would protect him (be his shield), and provide for him (be his exceeding great reward). 因亚伯兰清楚地对所多玛王说他只知倚靠神，所以神也在此保护他（作他的盾牌），并给他一切（大大赏赐他）。 However Abram had a question that puzzled him greatly. God had promised the land to him and to his seed, but as yet he had no seed. He therefore said: "Behold, to me thou hast given no seed" (v3). 然而亚伯兰仍为一个问题所困惑。神许了这地给他与他的子孙，但他却没有后裔。他对神说：“你没有给我后嗣”。 In response God told him: "he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir" (v4). He then brought Abram forth and told him to look toward the heavens and tell or number the stars if he could, declaring "So shall thy seed be" (v5). God not only promised him a seed but told him that this seed would become a great multitude. 神又说：“你本身所生的才成为你的后嗣”（第4节）。于是又领他到屋外看天上的众星，问他是否数算的过去。又说：“你的后裔将要如此”（第5节）。神不仅许了他一个子孙，而且说他的子孙必会很多。 This next statement is among the most wonderful in the Bible. It sets forth the basis upon which God will forgive sin. Let us look carefully at what is stated: 接下来的陈述是圣经中最美妙的一部分。它建立在神会宽恕罪衍的基础上。让我们仔细地看一下： Verse 6 第6节 "he (Abram) believed in the Lord" What we are here told is that although Abram did not know how it would happen, he did not doubt that God would fulfil His word. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for Abram and Sarai to have children (Genesis 11:30; cp Romans 4:16-22), yet Abram believed the words of God. “亚伯兰信神”我们看到虽然亚伯兰不知会发生何事，但他毫不怀疑神会实现他的话。按常理说，亚伯兰与撒莱那时不可能再有孩子（创世纪11：30；罗马书4：16-22），但亚伯兰仍相信神的话。 "believed" We need to understand a little about the interchangable use of "faith" and "belief" in our Bible. An example of this is seen in Romans 3:22: "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference". Here the words "faith" and "believe" are the same in the original and are used interchangeably by the translators. It will help if we bear this in mind as we consider this subject further.“信”我们必须了解一下圣经中关于“信仰”与“信”的混用。一个明显的例子是在罗马书3：22中：“就是神的义，因信耶稣基督加给一切相信的人，并没有分别”。在这儿，“信仰”与“信”用的是同一词。只不过翻译的时候用了不同的英文单词而已。认识到这一点，对我闪更深入地了解有很大帮助。 "And he (God) counted it to him (Abram) for righteousness" God counted or imputed Abram’s faith for righteousness, thus declaring him righteous or justified in His sight. The apostle Paul, realising the importance of this, devotes a whole chapter in the epistle to the Romans (Romans 4), to explain the significance of this statement. “神就以此为他的义”神以亚伯拉罕的信为义，就说明了神认为亚伯拉罕是义人。使徒保罗，认识到这一点的重要性，在罗马书（第4章）中，用了一整章的篇幅来率述。 The
Blessing of Righteousness (Romans
4:1-8) What is the importance of being declared "righteous" by God? It means that God has forgiven our sins. If we read through Romans 4:1-8 we see this clearly set out. The Jews under the Law of Moses endeavoured to keep that law perfectly so as to establish their own righteousness, but their endeavours recoiled upon themselves for they could not keep it. The law actually highlighted their failings and sins. Paul wrote: "Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified (ie declared righteous) in his (God’s) sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). Therefore because of sin there was no hope for man to be righteous before his God by obedience to law. 为什么神以为“义”很重要呢？这意味着神宽恕了我们的罪。如果我们阅读罗马书4：1-8，我们可以很清楚地认识到这一点。犹太人遵循摩西律法，以此建立他们的义，但是这律法也反作用于他们。实际上律法强调了过与罪。保罗写道：“所以凡有血气的，没有一个因行律法能在神面胶称义，因为律法本是教人知罪”（罗马书3：20）。所以由于罪，人无法凭借遵循律法在神面前称义。 Paul now shows that God in His grace will impute "righteousness" to man on the basis of "faith". He takes the expression in Genesis 15:6, and quotes it in Romans 4:3. He shows that Abram had righteousness imputed to him through the grace of God because of his faith. He then explains the benefit of righteousness, the forgiveness of sins, by quoting Psalm 32:1-2: "David describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin" (Romans 4:6-8). 保罗又道人可因“信”在神面前称“义”。他摘取了创世纪15：6里的话，在罗马书4：3中解释。由于神的仁慈，亚伯拉罕因着信成为义人。他接着论及“信”的福和罪的宽恕，这在诗篇32：1-2中说道：“正如大卫称那在行为以外蒙神算为义的人是有福的。他说，得赦免其过，遮盖其罪的，这人是有福的。主不算为有罪的，这人是有福的”（罗马书4：6-8）。 Here therefore we have the basis for forgiveness of sins clearly set forth. It is through faith that a man is justified (Romans 5:1). If we are justified or declared righteous in God’s sight, then by His grace He has forgiven our sins. 因此我们知道了被宽恕的基础。就是因着信成为义人（罗马书5：1）。假如我们在神胶称义，那么由于神的仁慈，他就赦免我们的罪。 Paul concludes this section with the comforting words: "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it (righteousness) was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe (have faith) on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:23-25). 保罗这样安慰我们：“算为他义的这句话不是单为他写的，也是为我们将来得算为义的人写的，也就是我们这信神使我们的主耶稣从死里复活了”（罗马书4：23-25）。 Abram
Receives a Covenant Regarding the Land (Genesis
15:7-21) Having received the answer to the question regarding his seed, Abram now asked regarding the promise of the land. He said: "Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit the land?" (v8). In response God made a covenant with Abram. The method of establishing a covenant was to cut an animal in parts and the two making the covenant were to walk between the pieces (cp Jeremiah 34:18-19). Abram, in obedience to God, cut the required animals in pieces and then he protected them until evening when a deep sleep came upon him. 于他的后裔有了答案之后，亚伯兰又问及这地。他说：“主啊，我怎能知道必得这地为业呢？”神就与他立约。方法是把一动物劈开两半，从中间走过。（例耶利米书34：18-19）。亚伯兰就遵循神的旨意做了，守着这动物直到惊人的大黑暗落在他身上。
In this
Chapter we have Seen Two Important Principles:
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We have seen from the promise
that God made to Abraham (
God then spoke to Abram, telling him that
after his death his seed would go into Egypt and return after 400 years
(