中文第七课 （lesson 7）亚大纳西信经的教导
第七课 （lesson 7）亚大纳西信经的教导 分类：信经 Creed 作者：CSI 点击数：1641 Lesson Seven: The Teaching of the Athanasian Creed 第七课: 亚大纳西信经的教导 A. This Creed is longer and more involved than the other two Ecumenical Creeds. Before analyzing its contents in detail, let us look at its basic structure. The Creed contains 40 sentences. The first two and the last serve as a sort of framework for the rest of the Creed. The middle part basically sets forth in detail two doctrines – the Godhead or the Trinity and the Person and work of Jesus Christ. An outline would appear like this: 这部信经比其他两大公信经使用的时间更长和更广泛。在我们详细分析它的内容之前，我们先来看看它的基本结构。这部信经有40条。开始的两句和最后一句用来作为信经其余部分的框架。中间部分基本上详细阐述了两部分的教义– 神性或者说是三位一体以及耶稣基督的位格和工作。概述如下： Introduction (1-2): 引言 The necessity for holding to the Catholic Faith. 坚持天主教信仰的必要性 Part I: The Trinity (3-26) 三位一体 A. Explanation of the doctrine of the Trinity. (3-25) B. Conclusion to the first part. (26) A. 三位一体教义的阐述 B. 第一部分的结论 Part II: The Incarnation (27-39) 道成肉身 A. The teaching about Jesus Christ, fully divine and fully human. (27-35) B. The teaching about the redeeming work of the Divine-Human Christ. (36-39) A. 关于耶稣基督、完全神性和完全人性的教导 B. 关于神人二性的基督救恩工作的教导 Conclusion: (40) 结论 The necessity of holding to the Catholic Faith. 坚持天主教信仰的必要性 B. The Damnatory Clauses 受到指责的条款 Read Sentences 1, 2, 26, and 40. These sentences show a striking difference from the two other Creeds we have studied because they explicitly draw a line, between the true doctrine and all false doctrine, between what is Christian and what is not Christian. The Biblical doctrine must be fenced off from the heresies that had arisen within the external church. Sentences 1 and 2 show, first positively and then negatively, the absolute necessity of accepting the Biblically-revealed faith. The word faith is here used in the sense of the doctrine delivered by the inspired Apostolic teachers, in contrast to the usual meaning of saving faith in Jesus Christ. This is what Jude refers to when he exhorts in his letter: “Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). 阅读第1、2、26和40条。这几条展现了与我们学过的其他两部信经的显著不同，因为它在纯正的教导与错误的教导之间以及什么是基督教与什么不是基督教之间划出了明确的分界线。圣经教义必须与外部教会中兴起的异端邪说分开。第一句和第二句从正反两个方面向我们展示了领受圣经所揭示的信心的绝对必要性。信心这个词在此处是相对于通常所说的在耶稣基督里救恩的信心而言的受到默示的使徒教师所传授的教导。这就是犹大在他的信中提到的：“要为从前一次交付圣徒的真道竭力地争辩”(犹大书3)。 C. The negative statements, such as “he shall perish everlastingly,” reject false teaching and point out the consequences of personal unbelief. In theological terminology they are called the damnatory clauses. This phrase comes from the serious words of warning the Apostle Paul gave to the Galatians that they should reject anyone preaching a gospel contrary to that which Paul had preached: But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a Gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned. As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned (Gal. 1:8, 9). 在否定的陈述中，如“他将永远灭亡”，拒绝错误教导并指出个人不信的后果。在神学术语中，他们给称为“咒诅的条款”。这个短语来自使徒保罗给加拉太人严厉的关于他们应该拒绝任何人传讲那些与保罗所传讲的相悖的福音： 但无论是我们，是天上来的使者，若传福音给你们，与我们所传给你们的不同，他就应当被咒诅。我们已经说了，现在又说：若有人传福音给你们，与你们所领受的不同，他就应当被咒诅！(加拉太书1:8,9) D. The Greek word for “be condemned” or “be damned” is anathema. Hence, the clauses which reject false teaching are called Anathemas or damnatory clauses. Other confessions in the Book of Concord, particularly in the Formula of Concord, follow the Athanasian Creed in clearly condemning false teachings and spelling out their eternal consequences. Many people, both theologians and laymen, have objected to such damnatory clauses. They prefer teaching a gentle inoffensive doctrine of the Gospel. Such an approach is clearly unscriptural. For the bible teaches that the only way to be saved is by faith in Jesus Christ. It also clearly teaches that unbelievers will be excluded from God’s eternal kingdom (Acts 4:12; Mark 16:16). The Athanasian Creed deals with the most fundamental Christian truths: the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, and His redeeming work. Without knowledge of these truths saving faith is impossible. Thus our ultimate salvation is at stake if any teaching about these truths is changed or destroyed altogether. 希腊语中“被咒诅”或“被定罪”用的是“anathema诅咒”这个词。因此，这个拒绝错误教导的词组被称为诅咒或咒诅的条款。协同书中的其他认信，特别协同信条，在明确谴责错误教导和详细说明他们永恒的后果方面与亚大纳西信经一致。神学家和平信徒中的许多人都反对这样咒诅的条款。他们更喜欢温和不触犯人的福音教导。这样一种方式是非常明显的非圣经教导。因为圣经教导唯一得救的方式就是通过在耶稣基督里的信心。它也明确地教导了不信者不能进上帝永恒的国(使徒信经4:12;马可福音16:16)。亚大纳西信经教导的是最基本的关于基督的真理：三位一体、基督的神性、他救赎的工作。不了解这些真理而获得救恩的信心是不可能的。因此如果任何关于这些真理的教导被改变或被完全毁灭，那我们最终能否被拯救就不得而知了。 E. THE TRINITY 三位一体 Read Sentence 3. The catholic or universal faith consists, first of all, in worshiping one God in Trinity and in Unity. In the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, we confess first the Father, then the Son, and finally the Holy Ghost. Each of these creeds devotes one article to each Person. The Athanasian Creed takes a different approach. This Creed begins by setting forth the Trinity as a unit. The Scriptures declare that God is but one (1 Cor. 8:4) and yet ascribe divinity to three, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Matt. 28:19). 阅读第3条。普世的或全世界的信仰坚持，首先，敬拜三位一体和合一中的一位上帝。在使徒信经和尼西亚信经中，我们首先承认圣父，然后是圣子，最后是圣灵。这其中的每种信经都用一个条款阐述一个位格。亚大纳西信经用来不同的方式。这部信经一开始整体阐述了三位一体。圣经宣告上帝只有一位(哥林多前书8:4)，但是神性有三位，即圣父、圣子和圣灵(马太福音28:19)。 F. This statement of the Creed about God is biblical, yet it defies all attempts by our human reason to understand what it says. Our reason simply can not understand that the Godhead, while one indivisible substance (or reality) is simultaneously three Persons. So it is only by faith anyone can accept the Athanasian Creed. By confessing it he acknowledges that this truth has come directly from God’s Holy Scriptures, which are God’s direct revelation. Only when a person worships this Triune God does he truly worship the one and only God, as this Creed emphasizes. 这部信经中关于上帝的陈述是与圣经相符的，但是这样的阐述使人完全无法理解。简单来说，我们不能理解的是神性，一个不可见的物质 (或者说实体) 同时具有三个位格。因此只有凭着信心才能接受亚大纳西信经。通过对它的认信能了解这个真理直接来自上帝所直接揭示的圣经。只有当一个人敬拜三位一体的上帝时，他才是真正地敬拜独一的真神，这就是这部信经所强调的。 G. Read sentences 4-6. While the Bible does not explain to our limited reason the mystery of this revelation, it does give us considerable information about the doctrine of the Trinity. Sentences 4-6 hold these two apparently contradictory truths about God in tension [one God in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity]. The authors of the creed warn us not to mix the persons nor to divide the substance. Here it is necessary to define what the Early Church meant by the words person and substance. 阅读第4-6条。圣经没有针对我们有限的理性解释这个启示的奥秘，却给我们了关于三位一体的教导相当丰富的信息。4-6条中存在看似矛盾的两个关于上帝自身矛盾性(三个位格中的一位上帝和一位上帝中的三个位格)的真理。信经的作者们提醒我们不要混淆位格或分裂本质。在此有必要定义早期教会中所讲的位格和本质的意义。 H. The word person means that which exists in and of itself and is not a part or a quality of another (Augsburg Confession I, 4). The term substance (or essence) signifies the one undivided essence or reality belonging to God and manifested in the three Persons of the Deity. Only one such essence belongs to each Person of the Godhead, wholly and without division. The Quicunque then goes on to draw the conclusion, that since the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, while three distinct Persons, are one and the same Godhead, each must have exactly the same glory and majesty as the other two. 位格这个词的意思是存在于并且自行存在，而不是另一个的一部分或一种特质(奥古斯堡信条I, 4)。本质(或实质)这个词指的是一个属于上帝不可分割的本质或本体而且在上帝的三个位格中显现。只有这样的本质完全地没有分割的属于上帝的每一个位格。亚大纳西信经在之后得出的结论是圣父、圣子和圣灵是三个不同的位格，但是是同一位上帝，每一个位格都与其他两个位格具有完全一样的荣耀和权柄。 I. Read Sentences 7-14. Because all three persons of the Godhead share or exercise the same attributes, the creed concludes that each person is God in every sense of the word. It confesses that each person or member of Godhead has the following characteristics: each is uncreated, infinite, eternal, and all-powerful. Yet we are warned against concluding that there are three infinites, three eternals, etc. 阅读第7-14条。因为上帝的全部三个位格共有或运用同样的属性，信经得出的结论是每一个位格都是完全的上帝。它承认上帝的每一个位格或每一部分都有如下特征：每一位都是非受造的、无限的、永恒的并且全能的。但是我们却被告诫不要推断三位是三无限者、三永恒者等等。 J. Read Sentences 15-19. In this section the Creed warns against Tritheism (the doctrine that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate and distinct Gods). Each of the three Persons is God and Lord because each one of them is the one Godhead. Yet there are not three Gods or three Lords. The Creed insists on the Oneness of the Godhead. It places each of the three distinct divine Persons in balance with the other two in a series of statement that tie one Person in with the other two. 阅读第15-19条。信经在这一部分提醒我们要警惕三位异体论(教导圣父、圣子和圣灵是三位独立而且不同的上帝)。三个位格中的每一位都是上帝和主，因为他们中的每一位拥有同一神性。但是不存在三位上帝或三位主。信经坚持单一神性。它使得三个具有神性的不同位格中的每一位处于与其他两位同等的地位如一系列陈述所说一个位格与其他两个位格一致。 K. The question that immediately comes to mind is: what is the relationship among the three Persons in the Godhead, how may we speak about it. Scripture ascribes the entire Godhead, not only to the Father but also to the Son (Col. 2:9) and to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:4). The three Persons are identical in substance and identical in attributers, yet they differ. But they differ only in one respect, namely, in the relation they bear to each other. 我们立刻想到的问题就是:上帝的三个位格之间有什么关系，我们该如何解释它。圣经将完全的神性不仅归给圣父也归给圣子(歌罗西书2:9)和圣灵(使徒行传5:4)。三个位格在本质上相同并且在属性上相同，然而他们不同。但是他们仅在一方面不同，即在彼此的关系上他们相互依存。 L. Read Sentences 20-23. With these words the Creed spells out this relationship. In eternity, the Father derives His Being from no one. But, in eternity the Son is begotten as a Person distinct from the Father. In other words, the Father Himself, unbegotten, begat the son from eternity (Psalm 2:7). Yet the Son in essence remains identical with the Father. In the Trinity from eternity, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. He is a distinct and separate person but in such a way that He remains one with the Father and the Son in essence. And the Father and the Son remain one in essence with the Holy Spirit. 阅读20-23条。信经的这些话语详细说明了这种关系。在永恒中，圣父的本质来自于他本身。但是，在永恒中圣子成为与圣父不同的位格。换句话说，圣父本身自然而生，圣子从亘古就存在(诗篇2:7)。然而圣子在本质上与圣父相同。从亘古在三位一体中，圣灵就出于圣父和圣子。他是不同的并独立的位格，虽然如此他与圣父和圣子在本质上仍是一位。并且圣父与圣子也与圣灵在本质上相同。 M. Together with the Son, the Father “breathes” the Holy Spirit from eternity from the hidden majesty of the Godhead. The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and from the Son; from eternity. He is the Spirit both of the Father (Matt. 10:20) and of the Son (Gal. 4:6). He proceeds from the Father and at the same time is sent by the son (John 15:26; John 20:22). Evidence such as this from the Scriptures entitles us to declare that the three persons are different from each other and that each is unique as a person. The Latin word filioque (and the Son) occurs in Sentence 22. The John passages probably are the source from which this phrase was taken and later added to the Nicene Creed. 圣父、圣子从亘古“吹出”来自上帝隐藏的权柄的圣灵。圣灵出于圣父和圣子；从亘古而来。他是圣父(马太福音10:20)和圣子(加拉太书4:6)的灵。他出于圣父同时被圣子差派(约翰福音15:26；约翰福音20:22)。这样从圣经来的证明使我们能宣告三个位格彼此不同并且是每一个都是独一无二的位格。拉丁语中filioque (圣子)这个词出现在第22条中。这个词可能来自约翰的文章并在之后添加到尼西亚信经中。 N. Read Sentences 24-26. Sentences 24-25 make the further point that, though Scripture speaks of a difference of relationship within the One Divine Substance, none of the Three is greater or lesser than another, but all three are co-equal and co-eternal. As a result, orthodox Christians worship the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity. One can give no more details than these. The Triune God has not pulled aside any further the veil of what His essence is. It is beyond our understanding. We can only say what Augustine did about the Trinity: “We will empty the ocean with a sea-shell before we comprehend this subject with human language.” Sentence 26 concludes the section of the Creed about the Trinity. 阅读第24-26条。第24-25条进一步指出，虽然圣经中说到一个神圣本质中的不同关系，但是三位中没有一位比另一位地位更高或更低，而是三位同等并永恒。因此，正统的基督徒敬拜三位一体的合一以及合一的三位一体。没有任何其他说明能够提供比这更多的信息了。三位一体的上帝并没有将他本质的面纱向我们揭开更多。它是超越我们理解能力的。我们只能按照奥古斯丁关于三位一体的解释：“在我们用人类的语言理解这个主题之前，我们都将是在用贝壳倒空海水。”第26条总结了信经中关于三位一体的说明。 O. THE INCARNATION 道成肉身 Read Sentences 27-34. In order to be saved a person must not only believe in the Holy Trinity, but also know and believe in the work of Christ his Savior. It is necessary to his eternal salvation that he also believe faithfully (fideliter) the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sentences 27-35 assert that in the Incarnation, Christ is at once fully God and fully human. It also adds that because Jesus was a human being just like us, he also had a rational (reasoning) mind (Remember that Apollinaris of Laodicea had denied the full humanity of Christ, see Chapter 5 K). The son of God has a two-fold “generation”; that is, before time from the Father and in time from the virgin Mary. This Creed recognized a duality of natures and a unity of person in Christ the Redeemer. 阅读第27-34条。一个人如果要得救不仅要相信神圣的三位一体，而且要了解和相信救主基督的工作。对于永恒的救恩，他还需要坚信(亚大纳西信经)我们的主耶稣基督道成肉身。第27-35条主张在道成肉身中，基督既是完全的上帝也是完全的人。同时还补充到因为耶稣是和我们一样的人，他也有理智的(理性的)思想(老底嘉的阿波利拿里曾否认基督的完全人性，参见第五章K部分)。上帝的儿子具有双重“世代”；就是说，亘古圣父出现的时候以及童贞女马利亚所生活的时代。这部信经承认救赎主基督的双重属性以及与人的合一。 P. Christ in his talks with the Jews and his disciples makes it clear that he existed as a Person before he was born of the virgin Mary (John 8:58; John 17:5). At the same time, Scripture makes it clear that he took on human nature from the virgin Mary in the fullness of time (John 1:14; Rom. 9:5; 1 Tim. 3:16), becoming a complete human being with a body and soul (Sentences 29 & 30.) He exists in the two natures, the divine and human; and each of these two is truly genuine and complete (Sentences 30 & 31). But still there is not division in his person. From the time of incarnation and into all eternity He remains one person in two natures. This unity is an unity of the person. It does not involve any mixing of the divine and human. And it is not transformation of the divine into the human. What really happened at the incarnation was that God’s eternal Son took our human nature to himself and made it his very own (Sentences 32-34). 基督在他与犹太人和他门徒的谈话中明确表示在他由童贞女马利亚所生之前就作为一个位格存在(约翰福音8:58；约翰福音17:5)。同时，圣经也清楚地告诉我们及至时候满足，他由童贞女马利亚所生(约翰福音1:14；罗马书9:5；提摩太前书3:16)，成为具有肉体和灵魂的完全人(第29和30条)。他具有两种属性，神性和人性；并且两者中的每一个都是绝对真实和完全的(第30和31条)。但是在他本身两者并没有分离。在道成肉身的时候和在永恒中他都是两种属性一个位格。这是与人的合一。不是神和人的混合。也不是从神变为人。在道成肉身时真正发生的是上帝永生的儿子取了人性并使它成为完全的自己(第32-34句)。 Q. Read Sentence 35. The Quicunque rounds off this section with a famous analogy or a comparison. With the introductory word for, this sentence summarizes the doctrine set forth in the preceding sentences. It shows by a familiar illustration that while even though Christ has two distinct natures, he is nevertheless one person. He exists as one person without any mixture of the two natures whatsoever. In carefully balanced sentences, this Creed testifies to the Scriptural paradox of two natures, the divine and the human, united in the one Christ. 阅读第35条。亚大纳西信经以一个著名类比或对比结束了这一部分。以一个引导式的词汇“因为”，这句话总结了前一句话中阐述的教导。一个熟悉的说明向我们显示了虽然基督具有两个不同属性，然而他仍是一个位格。这部信经见证了一个非两种属性混合的位格，见 证了关于两种属性-神性和人性在一位基督里的合一。 R. The Creed then briefly explains what this divine-human Christ has done, still does, and will do for our salvation (#36-39). Its language and content is very similar to the second articles of the other two Ecumenical Creeds. The concluding sentence of the Creed (#40) brings us back to its beginning – how absolutely necessary it is to believe all that God has said, to trust in Jesus for salvation and to keep this faith pure until death. For without faith in the Holy Trinity and in Jesus as our Savior, only eternal punishment and damnation follow this life. 然后信经简单阐述了神人二性的基督为我们的救恩已经做的，正在做的以及将要做的工作(第36-39条)。它的语言和内容都与其他两部大公信经的第二部分非常相似。这部信经的总结句与开头部分相呼应-相信上帝所有的话语和耶稣带给我们的救恩并保持这种纯正的信心直到去世的一天是如此重要。因为不相信三位一体以及耶稣是我们的救主，我们所能得到的就只有永久的惩罚和咒诅了。 S. These are solemn words of warning, but a little reflection will show that every Christian needs this doctrine pure for the assurance of his personal salvation. Martin Chemnitz, a famous Lutheran theologian who lived in the generation after Martin Luther, in the middle of his large book, The Two Natures in Christ, writes a beautiful little chapter on the comfort of this doctrine. He begins by repeating a point that he had frequently made. We must not dispute “with curious and subtle arguments about the secret and inexpressible union by which the divine and human natures have been joined together in the person of Christ.” 这些是郑重的告诫，而这样的强调显示出每一位基督徒都需要这种纯正的教导来确信个人的救恩。马丁路德之后的著名路德派神学家马丁 克姆尼茨，在他的著作《基督的两种属性》中以一段优美的文字描写了这个给我们安慰的教导。这一段以重复一个他常提到的观点开始。我们不应争论“关于神性和人性在基督位格中神秘和不可言表的合一这个好奇与敏感的话题” 。 T. The Bible plainly teaches us why it was necessary for our Mediator, Redeemer, and Savior to be both God and man. The miracle of our salvation was part of God’s eternal plan. Since only God could save us and since we were human beings cursed by sin, it follows that our Savior had to be both God and man. He had to have both a divine and human nature to be a true Mediator between God and men. Since our human nature was doomed to the eternal punishment of death, the Son of God assumed our human nature and became one of us, so that we might not be destroyed by death. Since we were subject to the wrath of God and to death; it was therefore necessary the our Mediator who was like us in every way but without sin, make satisfaction for us. Because of the sin of, Adam, all human beings were separated from life and fellowship with God through sin. Therefore it was necessary that the Son of God in his own person unite God and man in a most intimate personal union and thus restore us to fellowship with God. The Son of God assumed our human nature so that we who are his brothers may receive the things which the head gives to his members. The writer to the Hebrews put it so well when he writes, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death…” (Heb. 2:14). 圣经清楚地教导我们为什么我们需要一位既是上帝也是人的中保、救赎主和救主。我们救赎的奇迹是上帝永恒的计划中的一部分。因为只有上帝能拯救我们并且因为我们是因罪被咒诅的人，所以我们的救主必须同时是上帝也是人。他必须具有神性和人性才能成为上帝和人之间真正的中保。因为我们的人性注定会使我们受到死亡的永久惩罚，上帝的儿子具有人性并成为我们中的一位，我们才不至于被死亡毁灭。因为我们是引起上帝怒气和死亡的对象；因此我们的中保就必须是除了罪以外和我们完全一样，为我们赎罪。由于从亚当来的罪，所有人都与永生和上帝的连结分离。因此上帝的儿子在他自己的位格中将上帝和人最紧密地结合在一起并且由此修复了我们与上帝的关系。上帝的儿子具有了人性使得作为他弟兄的我们能领受由我们的头赐予他身体其他部分的福分。希伯来书的作者对此明确写道：“儿女既同有血肉之体，他也照样亲自成了血肉之体，特要藉着死，败坏那掌死权的…”(希伯来书2:14)。 U. With those same words (quoted in #S), Chemnitz demonstrates that it is comforting for us to remember the reason the eternal Son of God had to be united with our human nature. It was necessary because no human being alone would not have been an adequate ransom for sin (Psalm 49:7-9). Only God’s Son suffering and dying in his own flesh could be enough payment for the sins of the world. 用同样的言语(S中所引用的)，克姆尼茨向我们展示了记住上帝永恒的儿子必须与人性合一的原因是要安慰我们。记住这一点的必要性在于没有一个人能作为罪的完全赎价(诗篇49:7-9).只有上帝的儿子以他肉身的受苦和死能作为世上所有罪的足够赎价。 V. In that same book Chemnitz also calls to our attention that it is equally a work of divine power by which the Son gathers His eternal church from the human race. He also converts, justifies, sanctifies saves, governs, preserves it, and bestows the Holy Spirit upon it, raises all men from the dead, and leads the elect into eternal life. Therefore, it was necessary that the Son of God himself take to himself our human nature. “In these duties, he gently embraces us as his brothers.” 在同一本书中克姆尼茨提出还有一点值得我们注意的是通过同样的神的大能圣子在众民中召聚他永恒的教会。他还使他的教会得着信心，称义，成圣得救，并管理，看顾它，同时使圣灵临到它里面，使死人复活并使所拣选的人得着永生。因此，必须由上帝的儿子将人性加在自己身上。“在这些职责中，他如兄弟般的温和地拥抱我们” W. With these precious truths fresh in our mind we will want to read this great Creed again. We will want to close our meditation and review of this creed with the words some later copies have added to the manuscript containing the words of the creed: GLORY BE TO THE FATHER, AND TO THE SON, AND TO THE HOLY SPIRIT; AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING, IS NOW, AND EVER SHALL BE: WORLD WITHOUT END. AMEN. 在明白了这些宝贵的真理之后，我们想要再读读这部伟大的信经。我们要用一些后来添加进这部信经手稿中的话语结束我们对这部信经的沉思和回顾： 荣耀归于圣父、圣子和圣灵；从前是这样，现在是这样，将来还会是这样：直到永远。阿门。