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《聖經中各種審判》—— 導論

2021-09-10 in , /by

審判、畏懼與改變

真神所行的真正的審判，誰能擔當得住呢？當主顯現的時候，誰能站立得住呢？真正了解這句話的人，知道審判這件事是很可怕的，因有了警戒，產生非常機動性生活上的改變。這不是在宗教中想像空無一物的神話，而是實際與上帝有一個相對性存在的關係，在互動上有應盡的責任，因敬畏上帝產生行為上的果子。

真實的上帝執行真正的審判的時候，人會產生懼怕、敬畏與改善的動力。我們沒有辦法因為動機上的敬畏改變我們的生活，我們要恐懼顫驚來到上帝面前，因上帝的審判產生的畏懼而有改變。摩西寫下最古老的人生之詩──〈詩篇〉九十篇，比大衛所寫的詩早五百年，「有誰按你當受的敬畏懼怕你，照你公義審判有所覺悟，過一個該有的公義生活呢？」（參：詩 90:11）盼望上帝藉著這項真理帶給你我生命的改變，成為我們活在上帝面前的一大動力。

上帝不僅是有公義、有真理的上帝，上帝乃是公義的本體、真理的本體，這不是本質上與上帝迥然有別的被造者所能想像的。上帝就是那聖者、那義者，祂不是有聖潔、有公義而已。〈使徒行傳〉第七章，司提反說：「那義者到你們中間來，你們竟然殺死他」（徒 7:52），表示人多麼痛恨上帝，不敬畏上帝；袒護犯罪的自己，抗拒上帝干涉我們的生命，這就是我們因不敬畏上帝所產生的態度。

上帝不但有公義、有聖潔，祂是那聖者、那義者。本體與客體不同的地方，在於追求真理的人，應當降服於公義的上帝，作為降服於上帝權威之下的敬拜者。當上帝的公義發出光來，我們從祂的審判得著警惕、光照與改正，也得到上帝的悅納。

Why You Can Be Bold and Hopeful

2021-09-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 3:7-18.  Let’s go!

2 Corinthians 3:7-12 (NIV)
7  Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,
8  will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
9  If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
10  For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.
11  And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
12  Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

On verses 7-12:  What is Paul talking about in verse 7?  Paul is alluding to an incident from Exodus 34:29-35 where Moses carried two stone tablets containing God’s law (in particular, the Ten Commandments) to the people.  As Moses came down the mountain carrying God’s law, Moses’ face radiated with God’s glory so much so that the people were afraid and asked him to cover his face with a veil.  

Paul recalls this incident as a way to say that the old covenant, represented by Moses and the Ten Commandments, was glorious even though it was temporary (v7, 11), performance-based, and brought death (v7) and condemnation (v9) to people. 

大衛囑所羅門建殿

2021-09-09 in , /by

〈歷代志〉上 22:11 但願耶和華賜你聰明、智慧，好治理以色列國，遵行耶和華你神的律法。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志 〉上 22章

因為〈撒母耳記〉／〈列王紀〉／〈歷代志〉這三卷書有的記載同樣的事情，所以我們讀完〈撒母耳記〉／〈列王紀〉之後，不會再去讀〈歷代志〉。因此〈歷代志〉有記載，而〈撒母耳記〉／〈列王紀〉沒有記載的，我們會在此補充。〈歷代志上〉22-29章可以幫助我們對聖殿有更深一層的認識。因此在進入〈列王紀〉之前，我們會先把〈歷代志上〉這幾章也稍微讀一遍。在這一章裡記載了大衛對建造聖殿所做的預備。

在〈撒母耳記下〉七章裡，大衛住在自己的宮殿，想到神的約櫃尚在會幕之中，便興起想為神建殿的心意。先知拿單也覺得這是一件美事，以為神必喜悅。沒想到，神告訴拿單，祂不要大衛為祂建殿，因為大衛在多次的戰爭裡流了多人的血，因此神要大衛的兒子所羅門做和平之王，在和平的時代裡為祂建殿。大衛雖然有遺憾，卻並不氣餒。反而更積極地為建殿的事工做各方面的準備。

大衛的心態很值我們學習，有時我們有熱心，想為主做一些事，但那些事是不是主要我們去做的？以前有位朋友和他的太太每年都去大陸傳福音，後來有一年，他們突然發現，神已經把許多國內的同胞都送到溫哥華了，為何捨近求遠？當他們開始在本地傳福音後，發現那些信主的人很自然就回去向家人和朋友傳福音了，這樣的效果是他們始料未及的。我們想做的事，不一定就是神要我們做的；所以我們有什麼感動，都要在神面前好好禱告，求印證。若是憑熱心事奉，一旦熱度減低，就很難繼續事奉；反而是尋求了神的印證和帶領的事奉，即使受到挫折，也能持續下去。

“New Covenant” Versus “Old Covenant” – What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?

2021-09-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 3:1-6.  Let’s go!

2 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NIV)
1  Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
2  You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
3  You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

On verses 1 to 3:  When Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, a number of people in his church were questioning his authority as an “apostle”, that is, as a leader who plants and leads a church. They compared Paul to other individuals who were known as “super apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5 and 12:11), who looked more impressive than Paul was, and who brought with them letters of recommendation talking about their credentials.  They thought, “Look at Paul.  He faces problems, defeats and disappointments all the time, and he doesn’t have any letters of recommendation.  So he mustn’t be a legitimate apostle.”  Paul understandably was hurt that the very church he planted was now questioning his authority and competence as an apostle.

In response, Paul says, “We don’t need letters of recommendation, degrees or certificates, because the best proof of our competence as apostles is you!  The fact that you continue to follow Christ as a community — is that not proof that God has been working through us?” (vv2-3).

Ironically, in the end it was Paul — the guy whose authority was questioned because he went through so much criticism, opposition and difficulty and wasn’t afraid to share about it  — who ended up having the lasting legacy, whereas those super apostles faded out of history.

大衛數點百姓

2021-09-08 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉下 24:14 大衛對迦得說：「我甚為難。我願落在耶和華的手裡，因為他有豐盛的憐憫，我不願落在人的手裡。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 24章

我們要先思考一個問題，因為〈撒母耳記〉／〈列王記〉和〈歷代志〉上下這幾卷書都有許多記載雷同之處，所以讀這幾卷書時，若互相對照，就可以有更清楚的理解。當然其中也有的記載同一件事，但有不同的角度和看法。例如在本章中，大衛數點人數後的數目和〈歷代志〉上21章的數目不一樣。根據聖經學者的看法：由于代上21:6 特別提到利未人和便雅憫人沒有數在其中，所以我們可以推斷兩本書在記載上有的包括某些人，有的不包括某些人。代上21:5 的數字包括了以色列的常備軍，288,000人（代上27:1 – 15 的十二班，每班24000人），以及守衛耶路撒冷的特別部隊，和在屯車的城邑里的12000人（代下一：14）。從一百一十萬減去這些數字，就得到撒下24:5 的八十萬了。代上21:5的猶大人可能沒有包括正規軍三萬（撒下六：1）。

第二個要思考的問題是，在本章裡說是神向以色列人發怒，所以激動大衛去數點百姓；在代上21章則記載是撒旦起來攻擊以色列人，所以激動大衛去數點百姓。新譯本把此處的“激動”，譯為“引誘”。既然不是神就是撒旦，那怎麼可以處罰大衛或百姓呢？這是一個很困難的問題，筆者也不打算在這裡解釋，因為我不是他們當中的任何一位，無法代答。但是有一件事，本章裡提到神向以色列人發怒。為何神會向以色列人發怒呢？從歷史（例如：士師記）來看，都是在以色列人開始拜偶像時，神就會向他們發怒。撒旦又怎樣能引誘大衛呢？最簡單的就是大衛的驕傲。神也曾經要摩西數點以色列人，以便劃分軍隊；但是當大衛要數算時，連約押都反對，以致於沒有去算利未人和便雅憫人。連約押都覺得不該去做的事，可見當中有問題，動機的問題。不是為了需要，而是為了自己的榮耀。當一個人功成名就時，要不驕傲還真的很困難。以色列人和大衛有沒有罪，大家一起想想看。

How to Serve God Well

2021-09-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 2:12-17.  Let’s go!

2 Corinthians 2:12-13 (NIV)
12  Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,
13  I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.

On verses 12-13:  Have you ever anxiously awaited a response from someone – maybe a text, an e-mail, a phone call – and found yourself unable to focus much on anything else until you get their response?  That was Paul’s situation.  Paul had gone to the city of Troas to preach the gospel and found that people were responding positively to his message (“the Lord had opened a door for me” – v12).  But Paul was distracted because at the same time he was waiting for Titus to give him an update on how the Corinthian church was doing, especially after Paul had written a strong letter rebuking them.   When he did not Titus in Troas, Paul decided to leave Troas despite the good work that was going on there, and go to Macedonia. 

What can we learn from this?  Because Paul was distracted by the state of his relationship with the Corinthian church, Paul couldn’t really focus on the mission to share the gospel with people in Troas.  The state of our relationships can have a real impact on our ability to focus on our work and do our work well.  It can also affect our ability to bless and lead others.  It’s no wonder that Jesus tells us to seek reconciliation and peace in our relationships before offering our gift at the altar.  It’s also no wonder that Paul says that an overseer of a church needs to have a good and healthy life at home, for if my private life is out of order, I will not last or be as effective as I could be in helping others. 

大衛末了的話

2021-09-07 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉下 23:4  祂必像日出的晨光，如無雲的清晨，雨後的晴光，使地發生嫩草。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 23 章

在大衛寫的詩篇裡，有許多帶著預言的成份。例如在〈詩篇〉廿二篇裡，他預言主耶穌在十字架上看著兵丁為他的衣服拈鬮：“他們分我的外衣，為我的裡衣拈鬮”。〈詩篇〉18篇裡，他寫下：“祂坐著基路伯飛行；祂藉著風的翅膀快飛。祂以黑暗為藏身之處，以水的黑暗、天空的厚雲為祂四圍的行宮。因祂面前的光輝，祂的厚雲行過便有冰雹火炭”，等等。在他離世前有幾句末了的話，雖然簡單，卻也預言了主耶耶穌的救恩。

大衛說：“以色列的神、以色列的磐石曉諭我”，表明是神對他說話；不是出於他自己的感情。神曉喻他：“那以公義治理人民的，敬畏神執掌權柄，他必像日出的晨光，如無雲的清晨，雨後的晴光，使地發生嫩草”。表明神宣告：“公義使邦國高舉”的真理，若是執政者敬畏神，他必像日出的晨光、無雲的清晨、雨後的晴光，使嫩草得以生長。這些話最後是應驗在主耶穌基督的身上，因為世界上的領袖，能以公義治理人民的豈有嗎？莫不是玩弄政治手段，求取自己的利益。有哪幾位是敬畏神執掌權柄呢？唯有主基督，祂就像日出的晨光帶給人希望；如無雲的清晨，不再用雲遮蓋自己的心意；又如雨後的晴光，使地發生嫩草，唯有從主來的恩典，可以使人重得生命。

大衛說到自己：“我家在神面前並非如此；神卻與我立永遠的約”。大衛從他自己和家人身上看到各方面的軟弱，沒有人能達到神的標準，神卻依然和他立約，讓他的後裔永遠為王。因此大衛自覺不配，深懷感激之情：“這約凡事堅穩，關乎我的一切救恩和我一切所想望的，他豈不為我成就嗎？”這句話和保羅說的一句話互相呼應：“神既不愛惜自己的兒子，為我們眾人捨了，豈不也把萬物和他一同白白的賜給我們嗎？” 大衛明白神和他所立的約堅穩，因此神必成就祂的救恩和大衛一切所想望的；這也是神與我們所立的約。神既然把兒子為我們捨了，自然也把萬物賜給我們，我們還需要擔心祂會留下什麼不給我們嗎？

大衛頌神之歌

2021-09-06 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉下 22:26  慈愛的人，祢以慈愛待他；完全的人，祢以完全待他。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 22 章

假如要你寫一篇文章形容你和神的關係，或是你對神的認識，你會寫什麼？大衛首詩歌之所以感人，不是因為他的言詞華麗，而是整篇都充滿了神和他的密切關係。他從一開始就提到，耶和華是“我的山寨、我的救主、我的神、我的磐石、我所投靠的”。在你的信仰裡，神和你有沒有如此密切的關係，是“我的”，而不是別人的。好像若有人對你妻子不禮貌，你會挺身而出：“她是‘我的’妻子，請你放尊重一些”。“我的”代表了密不可分的關係。因為“我的”家人對我是重要的，“我的”東西，別人不可亂拿；“我的”家是我住的；“我的”車是我開的。所以“我的”神，“我的”磐石，表示神和我的關係，不是別人可以取代的。你能夠像大衛一樣斬釘截鐵地宣告：“耶和華是我的神”嗎？

所以那些被伊斯蘭國殺害的基督徒，就是因為他們敢宣稱“耶和華是我的神”，所以才慘遭毒手。但是他們覺得自己是配得為神受苦的，所以即使孩子被殺害，依然感謝神，讚美神。在世界上有許多的苦難，但是神卻帶領我們經過這些苦難。大衛指出他的人生至少遭遇了兩種苦難：一是死亡的環繞，有哪個人不曾因為死亡而驚心膽跳？有時因為疾病，有時因為意外，覺得好像和死亡擦身而過，那種感覺就好像神把你一把從死門關前拉回來一樣。二是匪類，大衛指的是那些與他作對，要致他於死地的人。人難免有敵人，不然，信主的人，也有魔鬼的虎視耽耽。但是當大衛在急難中呼求神，神就垂聽了他的禱告。

第二段8-16節比較難懂，因為何時有天搖地撼呢？神又何時鼻孔冒煙上騰，口中發火焚燒？祂何時使天下垂，坐著基路伯飛行？這一段的描述可以當做形容神的威儀，也有人認為大衛在作詩歌時，聖靈親自感動他寫出這些句子，彷彿他曾看見某些異象。也有人認為，這段好像在描寫〈創世記〉第一章第一節和第二節之間發生的事，為何神創造天地之後，地會變成空虛混沌，淵面黑暗？地的搖撼戰抖，天的根基也震動搖撼，那是何等地不尋常！必然有極大的事情發生，才會地搖天撼，不是嗎？其他的，留給大家的想像力去發揮吧。

Extend Forgiveness To Those Who Hurt You

2021-09-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 2:1-11.  Let’s go!

2 Corinthians 2:1-11 (NIV)
1  So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.
2  For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved?
3  I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy……

On verses 1-11:  It appears that there were two incidents that caused evident tension in the relationship between Paul and the church in Corinth.  The first incident Paul mentions was his most recent visit to the church in Corinth, a visit which Paul described as “painful” (v1).  It was painful probably because Paul seriously reprimanded people in the church for not resolving certain problems that he had warned them about before, or because someone in the church publicly criticized and tried to embarrass Paul to his face, or both.

The second incident was a letter Paul wrote “out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears” (v4), a letter in which Paul poured out his heart for the church, expressed his distress about the direction they were moving in (v3) and likely rebuked the church as well.  Paul’s goal in writing that letter was “not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you” (v4) and “to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything” (v9).  This letter caused a minority in the church – in fact, probably just one person – to behave extremely immaturely and start bashing Paul.

Power in weakness

2021-09-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 1:12-24.  There is a tremendous amount we can learn from this passage.  Let’s go!

To understand verses 12-24, it’s important to understand the state of Paul’s relationship with the church in Corinth when Paul wrote 2 Corinthians.  It seems that Paul was being heavily criticized by a number of Christians in Corinth.  One reason they would criticize Paul was because they knew of the great difficulties that Paul experienced as he sought to spread the gospel wherever he went, including great persecutions, shipwrecks, imprisonment, and other life-threatening trials.  Some of the Corinthians thought that Paul’s afflictions meant that Paul was not “blessed by God” and thus was not as great a leader as other individuals who were coming to the Corinthians and calling themselves “super apostles” who seemingly never had any problems.  In reality, it could be that these “super apostles” were simply not telling the Corinthians about their difficulties, whereas Paul was open and transparent with the Corinthians about his problems.  But instead of respecting Paul and being proud of Paul for being open with them about his trials and for persevering through those trials, the Corinthians would hold Paul’s trials against him, seeing them as a reason to be ashamed of Paul.