教會論與教會生活-林慈信(41集) - 6 - 《教會論與教會生活》林慈信博士 -第6講

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Living in Christ’s Church
session 6
教會論與教會生活 第六講
我們繼續再講
上帝在地上的居所
就是祂的帳幕
帳幕要不要被建立起來呢
前面我們看到上帝在出埃及記
提出一個另類的計畫
因為百姓犯罪
上帝說：我不住在你們中間了
我在你們前面走
差遣使這在你們中間就好了
In support of his new proposal
God tells Moses to pitch a tent,
not in the midst of the camp
where the tabernacle was to be
but outside the camp (Ex. 33:7-11).
上帝支持祂自己的建議
就叫摩西建立一個會幕
不是在營的中間
那裡是帳幕要建立的地方
不是的，是在營外的
The cloud of God’s presence
would come down to the tent of meeting
and there God would
speak with Moses.
雲柱，就是上帝臨在的雲柱
會降下到會幕
在那個地方，上帝會與摩西說話
Those who sought the Lord could
come outside the camp to the tent.
要尋求耶和華的人
可以出營到會幕那裡
What a happy compromise!
何等奇妙的妥協計畫啊！
Did it not give Israel everything they wanted
without the attendant dangers?
這個計畫豈不是把一切
都給了以色列民
就是他們所想要的
但又沒有伴隨著危險
Their enemies would be driven out,
他們的仇敵會被趕出
the land would be theirs.
應許之地就會屬於他們了
Further, God was not
stepping out of the picture
不但如此，上帝也沒有完全踏出整個事情以外
he was still to be available,
just outside the camp.
要找上帝還是找得到的
就在營外
Moses could take care of
God-relations for Israel.
摩西可以為以色列民
處理與上帝的關係
Would not Israel jump at the
chance to have God’s assistance
without his immediate presence?
以色列看到有上帝的幫助
卻沒有祂直接的同在
豈不是興奮得不得了嗎？
Would not even Moses reluctantly agree
that this arrangement was more realistic,
given Israel’s track record?
摩西豈不會有一點點遲疑
但是摩西豈不願意同意
既然以色列的行為是如此
這樣的安排是更加地現實
是嗎？
Read the response of Moses
請讀摩西的回應
(Ex. 33:12-16).
Moses cries out to God:
摩西向神呼喊說：
if he will not go up
in the midst of the people
there is no point in their going at all.
上帝若不在祂的子民的中間
一起上去應許之地
那麼，根本就不需要上去了
The purpose of the exodus is
that Israel might be God’s own possession,
that he might dwell among them
as his nation of priests.
整個出埃及的目的就是
要以色列做上帝的贖民
上帝住在他們中間
他們是上帝的國度
是做祭司的國度
Indeed God’s giving of the land
as an inheritance had the same purpose.
是的，連上帝把應許之地
賜給以色列作為產業
目的也是一樣
Canaan was not just farm acreage
for an agricultural people:
迦南地不僅僅是給農夫耕種的
好幾畝田而已
it was to be a sanctuary,
迦南是聖所
a place where God would dwell
in his holy hill
在迦南地這個聖所
上帝將要居住在祂的聖山上
with the tribes of Israel gathered around
him in their assigned homesteads.
而以色列的各支派
就圍繞著上帝
住在他們被指定的家園裡
At issue was the question whether the
tabernacle should be built at all.
現在問題之所在就是
究竟會幕應該被建立起來嗎？
Since the tabernacle symbolized God’s
dwelling in the midst of Israel,
既然帳幕是象徵著
上帝在以色列民中間的居所
it would not be necessary if God
remained outside the camp
而假如上帝停留在營外
帳幕就不必被建立起來了
the tent of meeting would then serve.
那個營外的會幕就足夠了
Neither would the temple be necessary if
God were not to dwell among his people.
上帝若不住在祂的子民中間的話
聖殿也不必需要了
The anguish of Moses’ prayer
reaches to the heart of the question:
摩西禱告中的悲哀
是說到整個問題的心臟地帶
he prays that God will show him His ways,
that he might know Him (Ex. 33:13).
出埃及記三十三章13節
摩西禱告求神
向摩西顯現祂自己的道路
好叫摩西認識上帝
Knowing the Lord is the
whole point of salvation.
整個救恩的意義
就是認識耶和華上帝
There is no point in being saved from bondage
in Egypt if God’s presence is lost.
假如失去了上帝的臨在，那麼
從埃及的為奴之地被拯救出來
是沒有意義的
What plea can Moses make to God to escape
the judgment of God’s removal from the midst?
摩西可以憑什麼向上帝求
讓以色列能夠脫離這個審判呢？
就是上帝從他們中間挪移、離開
的這個審判呢？
Can he plead that Israel is not
as stiff-necked as God has said?
他可以這樣求嗎
以色列沒有好像上帝說的那麼地
頸項剛硬
Can he ask for one more chance,
giving assurance that Israel will
never again murmur or rebel?
他是否可以向上帝求多一次的機會
向上帝保證以色列從今以後
不會埋怨、不會叛逆呢？
No, Moses cannot plead
the virtue of Israel:
不，摩西不可能憑著以色列的美德而求
he can plead only the mercy of God.
他只能憑著上帝的憐憫來祈求
His appeal is that God would in mercy
show him his glory.
他只能夠憑這個來求上帝
開恩、施憐憫
這樣子顯示、彰顯祂的榮耀
This of course is the point of
God’s dwelling in their midst
這當然就是上帝住在他們中間
整個的意義
that his glory might be seen,
that he might be known.
就是人能夠看到祂的榮耀
能夠認識祂
God answers that plea of Moses:
上帝聽了摩西的禱告
he reveals his glory
and proclaims his name.
上帝彰顯了祂的榮耀
宣告了祂自己的名字
To be sure, Moses is allowed
to see only God’s back and not his face.
是的，摩西只可以看到上帝的背
不能看見上帝的面
God covers him in the cleft of the
rock as he passes by.
當上帝走過磐石的時候
上帝隱藏摩西在磐石裡
But Moses hears
the name of God proclaimed:
可是上帝的名被宣告
摩西聽到了
“The LORD, the LORD,
a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abundant in
lovingkindness and truth” (Ex.34:6).
耶和華，耶和華
是有憐憫、有恩典的上帝
不輕易發怒
並有豐盛的慈愛和誠實
出埃及記三十四章6節
This passage is cited in John’s gospel
to describe the glory of Christ as
“full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14).
在約翰福音，約翰也引用了這段經文
來描述耶穌基督的榮耀
是充滿了恩典和真理的
Notice how John reflects on
God’s revelation to Moses in Exodus.
請注意
約翰怎麼樣反省
上帝在出埃及記向摩西的自我啟示
He reminds us that the law
was given by Moses
and that in the law the grace
and truth of God are proclaimed.
約翰提醒我們
律法是由摩西所頒發的
在律法裡面
上帝宣告了祂的恩典
和祂的真理
But that grace and truth
came in Jesus Christ (vs. 17).
可是這個恩典和真理
是在耶穌基督裡來到的
約翰福音一章17節
How did God’s grace and truth come?
上帝的恩典和上帝的真理
是如何來到的？
John answers: “The Word became flesh,
and tabernacled among us
(and we beheld his glory, glory as of
the only begotten from the Father),
full of grace and truth”
(John 1:14 ASV marg.).
The word that John uses to
describe the dwelling of Christ
among us is a word
that refers to the tabernacle.
使徒約翰用來描述
基督住在我們中間那個字
是指「帳幕」那個字
Moses was not permitted
to see God (vs. 18)
but John has seen “God the Only-Begotten”
(as the best manuscripts of verse 18 read).
上帝不容許摩西看見祂（18節）
但是，約翰已經看到了
上帝那位獨生者
“God the Only-Begotten”
這個是18節最好的古卷的翻譯法
Yes, God revealed himself to Moses
as the God of grace and truth.
是的，上帝身為充滿著
恩典和真理的上帝
向摩西自我啟示了
He would dwell among his people.
上帝會住在祂的子民中間
The tabernacle was built.
帳幕畢竟被建立起來了
But the tabernacle could only symbolize
the dwelling of God with his people.
可是帳幕只能夠象徵
上帝住在祂的子民中間
Even the cloud of glory was a symbol
that concealed even as it
revealed the glory of God.
連雲柱也只不過是一個象徵
一方面它彰顯上帝的榮耀
同時它也是用來遮蓋
上帝的榮耀的
But when Philip put to Jesus a prayer like
that of Moses, “Show us the Father!” (John 14:8),
但是當腓力與摩西一樣
向耶穌禱告的時候
求顯示天父給我們看
（約翰福音十四章8節）
耶穌這樣回答：
Jesus replied, “He that hath
seen me hath seen the Father.”
人若見過我，就是見過父了
The tabernacle was symbolism,
Christ is the reality.
帳幕是象徵
基督就是那實在
He is the true temple,
the dwelling of God with man.
基督就是那個真聖殿
上帝與人同在的居所
第四段 The True Temple
真聖殿
Jesus himself claimed this fulfillment.
耶穌親自宣稱祂應驗了
成就了這個事實
The charge that the priests sought to establish
against Jesus at his trial was that
he threatened to destroy the temple
(Matt. 26:61).
祭司們向耶穌基督的控告乃是
耶穌威嚇要破除、要毀掉聖殿
They summoned false witnesses who
twisted the words that Jesus had spoken:
“Destroy this temple, and in three days
I will raise it up” (John 2:19).
他們叫了一些人來作假見證
扭曲耶穌所講過的話
耶穌在約翰福音第二章19節
這樣說過：
你們拆毀這殿，我三日內要再建立起來。
Jesus had not threatened to
destroy the temple
but had promised to build it anew
by his resurrection.
耶穌並不是威嚇要拆毀聖殿
耶穌乃是應許
要藉著祂的復活
重新建造聖殿
Jesus predicted that
the priests themselves
would destroy the temple by
demanding his crucifixion.
耶穌自己就已經預告
那些祭司們恰恰就是
要拆毀聖殿的人
因為祭司們要求耶穌被釘十字架
In speaking as he did,
Jesus was claiming to be the true temple.
耶穌這樣來講
就等於宣稱祂就是真聖殿
Jesus’ claim is also made in his conversation
with the Samaritan woman by the well in Sychar.
耶穌與撒瑪利亞婦人
在井旁的對話
也說出這樣子的聲稱
When the woman found that he
already knew the sordid story of her life
當婦人發現耶穌已經知道
她生命可憐的故事的時候
she knew that he was a prophet.
她知道這個人是先知
The discovery was a shock to her
for the Samaritans did not believe that
any true prophet could come from the Jews
and Jesus was plainly a Jew.
對這個撒瑪利亞的婦人來說
發現耶穌是先知
是令她震驚的事
因為撒瑪利亞人並不相信
從猶太人中可能會有任何的真先知
而耶穌肯定是猶太人
Therefore she said to Jesus,
所以，她這樣子向耶穌說
(John 4:20)
約翰福音第四章20節：
“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain;
and ye say, that in Jerusalem
is the place where men ought to worship”
Consider the answer of Jesus.
請注意耶穌的回答
He does not answer, as many would today,
“We Jews and you
Samaritans are both right.
God seeks worshipers and is glad
to be worshiped anywhere by anyone.”
耶穌並沒有好像
一些今天的人會這樣回答：
我們猶太人和你們撒瑪利亞人
都是對的
上帝在尋找敬拜祂的人
所以，不論在什麼地方
什麼人敬拜祂
上帝都會很高興
No, Jesus plainly tells the woman
that Samaritan worship is in ignorance,
不是的，耶穌對婦人明說：
撒瑪利亞人的敬拜，是無知的敬拜
for “Salvation is of the Jews” (vs. 22).
因為耶穌在22節說：
救恩是從猶太人出來的
But Jesus also says,
但是耶穌同時也說：
“Woman, believe me, the hour cometh,
when neither in this mountain, nor
in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father.”
We can understand that the Father is not to be
worshiped in the Samaritan shrine on Gerizim.
我們可以明白
人不應該在撒瑪利亞的祭壇那邊
敬拜父上帝
God had set his name at Jerusalem;
上帝把祂的名安置在耶路撒冷
there and there only where sacrifices
to be offered(Deut. 12:5-14).
唯獨在耶路撒冷
人才應該在那裡向耶和華獻祭
我們下一講繼續來講
耶穌是真聖殿

林慈信

林慈信博士在台灣錄製《教會論與教會生活》系列，這專題是林牧師特別為教會中的平信徒、長老、與執事預備的，是對教會的建造有益的。這專題是出於威敏斯特神學院，克羅尼院長的著作。克羅尼院長也曾是林牧師的老師。《教會論與教會生活》Living in Christ’s Church (Great Commission Publications)這本書是眾多成人主日學教科書之一，由PCA(美國改革宗長老會)與OPC(信正長老會)兩宗派合辦的主日學教材出版社所出版的書，也是專為平信徒而寫的書。

林慈信博士，西敏神學院神學碩士，天普大學歷史系哲學博士，加州洛杉磯「中華展望 China Horizon」創辦人。致力於護教與神學信仰的工作，在神學、宣道學、及歷史學等都有相當的造詣。林牧師不僅著力於出版歸正信仰的書籍，並且發表至少500篇的論文。著重系統神學、護教學、清教徒的成聖神學與聖經輔導學等；同時任教於美國國際神學院、西敏神學院、聖約神學院等校。推動聖經輔導不遺餘力。