如果你的身边有一群基督徒 你肯定听过这样的话
Jon: If you’ve been around Christians you’ve probably heard the idea
和上帝建立亲密关系
of having a personal relationship with God,
这在圣经中意味着 让上帝做你的朋友
which could mean different things in the Bible like having God as a friend,
做你的父亲或你的老师
or your Father, or maybe your teacher.
但你若翻遍圣经 想找找谈论这种关系的说法
Tim: But there’s one particular way that the Bible talks about this relationship
找着找着
that you find all over
却很少找的到
but strangely we don’t talk about it that much
这种说法就是成为上帝的伙伴
and that’s the idea of a partnership with God.
伙伴就像是和他人一起为实现目标并肩作战
Jon: A partnership like working alongside someone to accomplish a goal together.
对 实际上 在圣经的开篇
Tim: Right. And this is actually what you see at the beginning of the Bible.
上帝创万物 万物皆有无尽生机潜能
God creates this good world full of all of this potential,
而后 上帝又把最聪慧无双的生物赐名为人
and then God appoints these unique creatures, humans,
视其为伙伴 并赐予更多的天地灵气
as his partners in bringing more and more goodness out of all that potential.
Jon: 但也许人并不愿与上帝同事
Jon: But the humans don’t want to partner with God
人类更想与同类创造新世界
they rebel and try to create a world on their own terms.
Tim:圣经里 人类和上帝的伙伴关系破裂后
Tim: And so this broken partnership is the Bible’s explanation for why we’re stuck
生活在一个 贪腐无道 执法不公 充满生离死别的世界
in a world of corruption and injustice and the tragedy of death.
Jon:不止一两个人对此关系失望
Jon: It’s not like they’re just one or two humans have bailed on this relationship.
圣经有记 众人皆与上帝分道扬镳
In a story in the Bible everyone has abandoned the partnership with God
Tom:为此上帝从众挑选少数
Tim: So what God does is select a smaller group of people out of the many,
与之订立契约
and makes a new partnership with them called a “covenant”.
契约中 上帝做出承诺
And in a covenant God makes promises
而交换是他的同伴得实现一定的诺言
and then an exchange asks his partner to fulfill certain commitments.
所有的目标
And the purpose of all of this
则是上帝利用契约重建与众人的关系
is to somehow use this covenant relationship to renew his partnership with everybody else.
Jon:旧约里 上帝与人订了四次契约
Jon: Now, they’re actually four times in the Old Testament
它记载道 上帝与人类立约
that we were told God initiates a covenant relationship:
诺亚 亚当 犹太族 大卫王
With Noah, Abraham, the Nation of Israel, and King David.
Tim:上帝借诸多的契约铸造了一个契约之家
Tim: And its through these that God is forming a covenant family
不断有人卷入契约之中
into which all people will eventually be invited.
Jon:来看看 首先是诺亚
Jon: So let’s see how these work. The first one is with Noah.
Tim:上帝以人性腐败之名 引巨洪血洗苍生
Tim: So in this story God has just brought the flood to cleanse the world
独诺亚之家幸存
of humanities corruption. And Noah and his family are the only ones left.
然上帝与诺亚立约
And so God makes a covenant with Noah saying, “Listen…
人性本恶
… I know that humans will continue to be evil
使其复毁之 非余心之所向
But despite that I’m not going to destroy it like this again.
使同心 则天地复安之
Instead, the earth will be this reliable place for us to work together.”
极好 诺亚为之？
Jon: Great so was does Noah have to do?
非也 此为初约之妙处
Tim: Nothing. And that’s what’s so interesting about this first covenant,
上帝知人不会重蹈覆辙 其立信
is that God is promising to be faithful even though he knows humans won’t be.
Jon:后来 上帝与亚伯拉罕立约
Jon: The next time we see God make a covenant is with a man named Abraham.
择其 降福泽 赐人丁居所 使其家门兴旺
God chooses him, promises to bless him, give him a large family, lots of land where they can flourish.
Tim:以亚伯拉罕的忠诚为报
Tim: And in return got asks Abraham to trust him
令其家族 择良时而事
and train up his family to do what is right and just.
契约订立之因为
And the whole reason for this covenant is that God says that somehow
上帝以赐福于一家而赐福与万民
he is going to bring his blessing to all families of the world through this one family.
Jon:此为亚伯拉罕之约
Jon: So that’s Abraham.
再次订约则是亚伯拉罕家族
The next time we see God make a covenant is when Abraham’s family grows
与犹太族相互交融
into the tribe of Israel.
Jon:此次契约方为整个犹太族 上帝命其恪守法则
Jon: And this covenant is with the whole tribe. Got asks them to obey a set of laws,
条例皆为与上帝合伙 走向繁荣
which are these guidelines for living well as a community of God’s partners.
若能遵守 则上帝许诺犹太民族将福泽万代
And if they do this then God promises to bless them and that they will become
一人之下 万人之上
a people who then represent him to the rest of humanity.
Jon:这就是犹太之约 最后是大卫王之约
Jon: That’s the covenant with Israel. The last covenant is with King David.
Tim:对 大卫王统治着最大的民族是犹太族
Tim: Yes. The tribe of Israel has become this large nation ruled by David.
上帝要求大卫及其子孙后代和他结为伙伴
And God asked David and his descendants to partner with him
要求大卫遵守条规
by leading Israel in obeying the laws in doing what is right and just.
上帝许诺大卫将有后
And God promises that one day one of David’s sons will come
让和平与上帝的福泽延绵万国
and extend God’s kingdom of peace and blessing over all the nations.
Jon:这就是上帝与人类订立的四项契约
Jon: So those are the four covenants that God makes
让其伙伴遍及全球
in order to restore his partnership with the whole world.
Tim:但 现实是
Tim: But here’s what happens…
犹太人背弃了契约
Israel breaks the Covenant.
他们朝奉其他的神 守黑暗不公之则
They worship other gods, they allow horrible injustice,
失去领土 被迫放逐
so they lose their land and are forced off in exile.
Jon:希望遥不可及
Jon: So it seems hopeless.
但在此期间 犹太先知说道
But during this time Israel’s prophets talked about a day
纵使犹太族背信 上帝仍重立此约
when God would restore these covenants in spite of Israel’s failure…
不知所因
…somehow.
Tim:对 这就是新约
Tim: Yeah, they called it the ‘New Covenant’.
耶稣卷入了故事中 也是其中妙处
And this is actually what’s so interesting about Jesus, is that he is introduced into this story
他一己之力完成所有的契约
as the one who fulfills all of these covenant relationships.
我们都知道他来自亚伯拉罕家族
We’re told that he’s from the family have Abraham.
他将把家族的福泽播撒世界
And so he will bring the blessings of that family to the whole world.
他是恪守准则的希伯族人
We’re told that he is the faithful Israelite who was able to truly obey the law.
他是大卫族的王
And we’re told that he is the King from the line of David.
他将扩展上帝的公正和平的世界
and so he goes about extending God’s kingdom of justice and peace to all.
Jon:确实是了不起
Jon: And that’s really remarkable for one guy.
Tim:对 这是重点
Tim: Yeah, and what it highlights
最让人称奇注目的是
is perhaps the most surprising claim of all made about this man:
耶稣不是仅是人类
that Jesus is no mere human.
更是上帝的化身
But rather God become human.
上帝为了成为忠信的契约伙伴
And God did this in order to be that faithful covenant partner
我们心之所向 而未能及
that we are all made to be, but have failed to be.
由耶稣
And so through Jesus
上帝开辟了新的方式与他人立约
God has opened up a way for anyone to be in a renewed partnership with him.
Jon:耶稣号召信徒加入契约一族
Jon: So Jesus calls people to follow him and become part of this new covenant family.
Tim:尽管他们曾经背弃过契约 耶稣承诺允许他们加入
Tim: And despite their failures, Jesus is committed to making them into partners
但需更加忠于上帝
who are becoming more and more faithful.
Jon:圣经的结尾展现了一个全新的世界
Jon: The story the Bible ends with a vision of a fully renewed world
充满美德与和平
full of goodness and peace.
Tim:还有全新的人道
Tim: And there’s this renewed humanity there
和上帝结为伙伴 延伸上帝所创的美德
partnering together with God to expand the goodness of his creation.
圣经的结尾却是一个焕然一新的开篇
And so the end of the Bible’s story is really a new beginning.