Why There is Confusion about the Role of the Holy Spirit 為什麼對於聖靈的角色有所混淆
為什麼對於聖靈的角色有所混淆
Translated & Edited by Joyce Che Chen Yang
This will be far from an exhaustive and in-depth study of the Holy Spirit. Instead, I simply want to give readers a quick thought that might help to dispel some of the misunderstanding about the Spirit’s role in the life of the believer today. That thought might be summed up by saying: be careful not to claim a promise that doesn’t belong to you.
本篇絕不是對於聖靈詳盡和深入的研究。相反的, 我只是想給讀者一個快速的想法, 這可能有助於消弭對聖靈在今天信徒生活中工作的一些誤解。這種想法可以被概括為: 小心，不要去主張一個不主張不屬於你的應許。
As a parent, I sometimes make a promise to one son and the other son tries to claim that promise. “I’ll take you to get donuts in the morning for breakfast,” I say to one of my boys. Then I hear the other son exclaim, “Yay!” I then have to gently explain to him, “I was actually just talking to your brother. I will take you some other time.”
作為家長, 我有時會對一個兒子做出承諾, 而另一個兒子試圖主張這個承諾。「我早上帶你去吃甜甜圈做早餐」, 我對我其中一個兒子說。然後我聽到另一個兒子驚呼: 「萬歲！」然後我不得不溫和地向他解釋, 「其實我只是在對你哥哥承諾。改天我會帶你去。」
As adults, we should already understand we must be careful to only claim promises that belong to us. In order to do that, we must examine the context in which the promise was made. For instance, if you hear your boss make a promise about giving a raise, you have to ask, “Was he talking about me or was he talking about someone else?
”作為成年人, 我們應該已經明白, 我們必須小心, 只能主張屬於我們的承諾。為了做到這一點, 我們必須審查作出的承諾內容。比如, 如果你聽到老闆承諾加薪, 你就得問: 「他是在說我還是在說別人？」
The same is true with Scripture. Christians today often try to claim promises for themselves – about the working of the Holy Spirit – that were specifically given to the apostles. For instance, Jesus said in Matthew 10:19-20,
“When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
《聖經》也是如此。今天的基督徒常常試圖為自己主張承諾—關於聖靈的工作－這些承諾是特別給使徒的。例如, 耶穌在《馬太福音》10:19-20 中說：「19 當你們被押送公堂時，不用顧慮如何應對，或說什麼話，那時必會賜給你們當說的話。20 因為那時候說話的不是你們自己，乃是你們父的靈藉著你們說話。」(CCBT)
When Jesus made that promise, He was not talking to you and me, but to the apostles. When we try to claim that promise, we ignore the fact that the Bible says in order for us to know what to speak, we must prepare how to give a defense (1 Peter 3:15).
耶穌作了這個應許, 祂不是在與你我說話, 乃是對使徒說話。當我們試圖要求這個承諾時, 我們忽略了一個事實, 即聖經說，為了讓我們知道如何說話，你們要隨時準備答覆(彼得前書3:15)。
I have heard many Christians say, “Jesus promised that the Sprit would guide us into all truth.” Well, that’s true to an extent. Jesus did promise that the Sprit would guide into all truth (John 16:13), but He was talking about the Spirit guiding the apostles in all truth. If you want that truth, you must “devote” yourself “to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42). Jesus never once promised you or me that the Spirit would directly guide us into all truth.
我聽許多基督徒說: 「耶穌應許, 聖靈會引導我們進入所有真理。」嗯, 這在一定程度上是真的。耶穌確實承諾, 祂會引導你們，讓你們明白一切的真理(約翰福音16:13), 但他說的是聖靈引導使徒知道所有的真理。如果你想要這個真理, 你必須「一心遵守」「使徒的教導」(使徒行傳2:42)(CCBT)。耶穌從來沒有向你或我承諾，聖靈會直接引導我們進入所有的真理。
All of this isn’t to say the Spirit doesn’t indwell the Christian, because I believe the New Testament is very clear that the Spirit of God is given to every Christian at baptism (Acts 2:38) in order to seal us for salvation (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). But just because the Spirit of God lives in us, does not mean He guides us miraculously as He did the apostles.
所有這一切並不是說聖靈沒有住在基督徒裡面, 因為我相信新約是非常清楚的, 受浸時
你們就必領受上帝所賜的聖靈(使徒行傳2:38), 以領受了上帝應許賜下的聖靈為得救的印記(以弗所書1:13; 4:30)。但僅僅因為神的靈住在我們裡面, 並不意味著祂像引導使徒一樣神蹟般地引導我們。
Just be very careful to examine the context of Jesus’ promises about the working of the Spirit, so you don’t accidentally claim a promise that doesn’t belong to you.
I love you and God loves you,
只要非常小心地檢視耶穌關於承諾聖靈工作的上下文, 你就不會意外地主張一個不屬於你的承諾。
我愛你而上帝也愛你
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