Why Faithful Christians Cannot Support Homosexual Marriage 為何忠實的基督徒不能支持同性婚姻

by Wes | Jul 15, 2015 | Christian Living

Translated & Edited by Joyce Yang 

Although I’ve written several posts in the past about homosexuality and “gay marriage,” I’ve not written anything on the subject since the Supreme Court handed down their landmark ruling. This ruling will put many Christians in an awkward position. It’s not just bakers, florists, and marriage license clerks, every Christian will have to make some tough decisions. We must decide to be gentle, humble, loving, and kind and still stand for the truth in regards to marriage and human sexuality.

儘管我過去寫過幾篇關於同性戀和同性戀婚姻的文章, 但自從最高法院作出具有里程碑意義的裁決以來, 我沒有就這一問題寫過任何文章。這一裁決將使許多基督徒陷入尷尬境地。不僅僅是麵包師傅、花商和結婚證書職員, 每個基督徒都要做出一些艱難的決定。我們必須決定要溫柔、謙卑、仁慈、善良, 且仍然堅持婚姻和人類性行為的真理。

The Supreme Court ruling certainly isn’t cause for us to lose heart and despair; we are people of faith and hope. And it is no excuse for us to be angry and unkind; we are people of joy and love.But there are certainly some situations, which will become increasingly more common in the coming months and years, that we need to consider how faithful Christians should respond:

最高法院的裁決當然不是讓我們失去信心和絕望的原因;我們是有信心和盼望的人。而我們也沒有藉口去憤怒和無情;我們是充滿喜悅和愛的人。但在未來幾個月和幾年裡, 肯定會有一些情況變得越來越普遍, 所以我們需要思考基督徒應該如何回應:

·      What will you do when a homosexual co-worker invites you to attend his wedding?

   當一個同性戀同事邀請你參加他的婚禮時, 你會怎麼做？

·      What will you do when a homosexual couple, who lives next door to you, asks if they can use your church building for their wedding?

   當一對住在你隔壁的同性戀夫婦問他們能不能用你的教堂建築舉行婚禮時, 你會怎麼做？

·      What will you do when your daughter’s kindergarten teacher marries her girlfriend and tells your daughter’s class all about it?

   當你女兒的幼稚園老師娶了她的女朋友, 把這一切都告訴你女兒的班級時, 你會怎麼做？

How will we respond to situations like these? We must respond with patience, gentleness, kindness, AND truth. But make no mistake, faithful Christians CANNOT give approval to homosexual behavior. God’s word clearly says, those who “give approval” to sins – and homosexuality is specifically mentioned – are just as guilty as those who “practice them” (Romans 1:32).

我們將如何應對這樣的情況？我們必須以耐心、溫柔、善良和真理做出回應。但不要搞錯, 忠實的基督徒不能認同同性戀的行為。神的話語清楚地表明,那些對罪「給予認同」的人－特別提到了同性戀（羅1:26-27）－和那些「實踐它們」的人一樣有罪(羅馬書1:32)。

【小編：羅馬書1:32中文的翻譯讓人誤以為「不但自己去行，還喜歡別人去行」是要以「自己去行」為基礎。其實KJV的原文寓意較廣，「自己去行」和「喜歡別人去行」兩者之一就是當死的³² Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.】

1. If we support gay marriage, we are no friend of God.

 

如果我們支持同性戀婚姻, 我們就不是神的朋友。

God created people. God created sex. God created marriage. He knows better than you, me, the Supreme Court, or anyone else in the world how the human body, sexuality, and marriage work. What an insult to the Creator when we accept the world’s opinion over His holy word.

神創造了人類。神創造了性。神創造了婚姻。祂比你、我、最高法院或世界上任何人都更清楚人體、性和婚姻是如何運作的。當我們接受世界的意見勝於神聖話語時, 這是對造物主何等的侮辱。

God’s word says sex is intended to be experienced ONLY between a man and a woman who are joined together in marriage for life (Matthew 19:4-5). It says ANY sexual activity outside of this relationship is “sexual immorality.”

神說, 性是為了只有在男女結合的終生婚姻中所經驗的 (馬太福音19: 4-5)。它說, 這種關係之外的任何性活動都是「不道德的性」。

When Christians practice or give approval to sexual immorality, or any sin, they are not being faithful to God. In fact, Scripture says they are committing adultery against God and making themselves God’s enemy:

當基督徒實踐或贊同不道德的性, 或任何罪, 他們不忠于神。事實上, 聖經說他們是在犯姦淫與神作對, 使自己成為神的敵人:

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

「你們這些淫亂的人（原文是淫婦）哪，豈不知與世俗為友就是與神為敵麼？所以凡想要與世俗為友的，就是與神為敵了」(雅各書4: 4)。

So before you attend a gay friend’s wedding ceremony or do anything that shows approval of sin, remember, “whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

所以, 在你參加同性戀朋友的婚禮或做任何表示認同罪的事情之前, 請記住, 「凡想要與世俗為友的，就是與神為敵了」。

2. If we support gay marriage, we are no friend of homosexuals. 

如果我們支持同性戀婚姻, 我們就不是同性戀者的朋友。

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love homosexuals. God loves homosexuals. Jesus loves homosexuals. And it is because of that love that I cannot explicitly or implicitly give approval to a behavior that is destroying people emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

我以前說過, 我會再說一遍, 我愛同性戀者。神愛同性戀者。耶穌愛同性戀者。正是因為這種愛, 我不能明白或含蓄地認同一種在情感、身體和精神上摧毀人的行為。

Scripture says, “the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Not only is the person who lives a homosexual lifestyle sinning against God, he is sinning against himself. And he is rushing headlong into everlasting destruction. Why would we applaud while we watch a friend destroy his life?

聖經說, 「行淫的，是得罪自己的身子。」(哥林多前書6:18)。生活在同性戀生活中的人不僅對神犯罪, 他也在對自己犯罪。他正急急忙忙奔向永恆的毀滅。為什麼我們會在看著朋友毀了他的生命的時候鼓掌呢？

We keep hearing “love wins,” but make no mistake, it is never “love” for a Christian to support homosexual marriage. It is hatred. “[Love] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6).

我們不斷聽到「愛贏了」, 但不要搞錯, 基督徒支援同性戀婚姻從來都不是「愛」。這是仇恨。「（愛）不喜歡不義，只喜歡真理。」(哥林多前書13:6)。

Be a friend to homosexuals. Be a real friend and don’t rejoice in their wrongdoing. Don’t applaud as they further commit themselves to a path of self-destruction.

做同性戀者的朋友。做一個真正的朋友, 不要為他們不當的行為高興。不要鼓掌, 因為他們把自己進一步投入了自我毀滅的道路。

3. If we support gay marriage, we are no friend of truth.

如果我們支持同性戀婚姻, 我們就不是真理的朋友。

If we really love God, homosexuals, and the truth, we will tell them the truth. I don’t mean posting Facebook statuses saying, “Homosexuality is wrong.” I mean more like looking into a friend’s eyes and saying:

如果我們真的愛神、同性戀者和真理, 我們就會告訴他們真相。我的意思不是發佈臉書狀態說「同性戀是錯誤的。」我的意思更像是看著朋友的眼睛說道:

“I understand you’re attracted to people of the same sex. That’s your temptation. That’s your cross to bear. I’m not pretending that temptation is just going to go away. I have my own temptations and my own life-long cross to bear. I want us to help each other figure out how to walk faithfully with God.”

「我知道你被同性吸引。那是你的試探。那是你要背的十字架。我不會假裝說試探會消失。我有我自己的試探和我自己一生的十字架要背負。我希望我們互相幫助, 想出如何忠實地與神同行。」

Tell people the truth. Tell them that God is better than any sexual experience. Tell them that no earthly relationship can compare with a relationship with God. And help them understand that they are not the only ones who have to put to death their sinful desires; we all do. That’s what it looks like to follow Jesus (see Matthew 5:27-30; Luke 9:23; Romans 6; Romans 12:1-2).告訴人們真理。告訴他們上帝比任何性經驗都要好。告訴他們, 沒有任何塵世的關係可以比得上與神的關係。並幫助他們明白, 他們並不是唯一必須將自己罪惡的欲望處死的人；我們都必須這樣做。這就是跟隨耶穌的樣子(見馬太福音5:27-30;路加福音9:23;羅馬書6;羅馬書12:1-2-2)。

Jesus ate with known sinners; and I have a hunch many of those were sexually immoral people. But make no mistake, Jesus loved the Father, sinners, and the truth too much to support, accept, or applaud people’s sin. He called sexual immorality sin (Matthew 15:19) and He told people that they could only be saved if they repented of their sin (Luke 13:3).

耶穌與知名的罪人一起吃飯;而我有預感，很多都是性不道德的人。但別弄錯, 耶穌就是太愛天父, 罪人, 和真理, 愛到祂無法支持、接受或為人們的罪鼓掌。祂稱性不道德為罪(馬太福音15:19 章), 祂告訴人們, 唯有他們悔改自己的罪才能得救(路加福音13:3)。

Love only wins when it is really love. So let’s love our sexually immoral friends so much – and love God and truth so much – that we refuse to rejoice in wrongdoing. Let’s love them so much that we tell them, “God is better – so much better – than sin.”

只有當愛是真正的愛, 它才會勝利。因此, 讓我們如此愛我們在性方面不道德的朋友－也如此地愛神和真理—愛到拒絕為不當行為而歡欣鼓舞。讓我們如此愛他們, 愛到告訴他們：「神勝過罪惡—且勝過很多很多」。

I love you and God loves you,

Wes McAdams