English第二课 信条一 论神
在这节课中，我们会发现，整本圣经对谁是独一真神的教导是统一的。 我们将认识并远离古代以及今天很多人所拜的假神； 我们将更明确地向朋友介绍谁是真神，以及神对他们的大爱。 求神祝福我们的思想和心灵，使我们渴望为上帝而活。 我们的开篇经文是：哥林多后书5：14-15
1] Our churches are united in teaching what the Council of Nicaea decreed: it is true that there is only one divine being, but there are three persons; and that this should be believed without a doubt. 2] In other words, there is one divine being, which is called God and which truly is God. He is eternal, has no body, has no parts, has all power, wisdom, and goodness. He is the maker and preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. 3] Yet there are also three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are of the same being and power and are equally eternal. We use the word person in the same way the early Christians used it. 4] It does not mean a part or quality of another being but something that exists in and of itself.
我们教会一致认同，我们确实在教导尼西亚信经中有关至圣之神的一体性，以及有关三个位格（个体）的信条是真实的，是必须要无可置疑地相信的，也就是说，有一位至圣的存在，他被称为神，他也是神；他是永恒的；没有主体，没有部分；具有无限的能力、智慧以及良善；是万物的创造者和保存者；既是可见的，又是不可见的；有三个具有相同本质和能力的位格（个体），是同样永恒存在的，即圣父、圣子和圣灵。他们使用“位格（个体）person”一词，如先辈们所使用的，是用来表示一个独立的个体，它不是某个物体的一部分，或存在于另一个物质之中的物质。
5] Our churches condemn all heresies that have sprung up against this teaching, such as the Manicheans, who taught there were two divine beings, one good and the other evil. We also condemn the Valentinians, Arians, Eunomians, Muslims, and all others like them. 6] We also condemn the ancient and modern followers of Paul of Samosata. They claim that there is only one divine person. Through clever and ungodly reasoning, they argue that the Word [Christ] and the Holy Spirit are not distinct persons, but that “Word” means only a spoken word, and that “Spirit” refers to a movement within created beings.
5] 我们教会谴责所有与这一教导相悖的异端，如摩尼教徒。他们教导有两个神，一善、一恶。我们也谴责瓦伦提尼安派，阿里乌派，优诺米派，穆斯林以及其它类似的教派。 6] 我们还谴责古代以及今天信奉撒摩撒他之保罗的信徒，他们认为神只有一个位格。他们通过狡猾不敬虔的推理，认为“道（基督）”和“圣灵”并不是独立的位格/个体，“道”只是说出来的话，而“圣灵”则指被造之物里面的一种活动。
Council of Nicaea: This general assembly of the early church was held in 325 A.D. It clarified the language used to explain the doctrine of the Trinity, and produced the statement of faith that has come to be known as the Nicene Creed.
尼西亚大公会议：这是早期教会于公元后325年召开的全体代表会议。会上明确了用于解释三位一体教义的术语，产生了对信仰的告白，即众所周知的尼西亚信经。
Divine being: This refers to the being and nature of God, in and of himself.
至圣之神：这个词指的是神本身的存在及内在本质。
Person: The term ‘person’ is used to describe each of the three distinct members of the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
位格（个体）：“个体”一词是用来描述神格中三个完全不同的单个成员：圣父，圣子和圣灵。
Heresies: False teachings. The Augsburg Confession often clarifies its teaching by contrasting it with opposing beliefs. Ancient heresies tend to reappear in the Church at different times under different names:
异端邪说：奥格斯堡宣言经常通过与对立信仰进行比较的方式来澄清自己的教导。古代异端往往会在不同时期以不同名字重新出现在教会里：
Manicheans: followers of an ancient religion that believed in two god-like forces, Good versus Evil that were locked in an eternal struggle with each other.
摩尼教徒：一群古代宗教的跟随者，相信两种如神一般的力量，认为光与暗，善与恶，永远是敌对与竞争的。
Valentinians: a group of Gnostic [Christians] from the second century who believed that the Son and the Spirit, among other personified virtues, were merely “emanations” (aeons) from the true God.
诺斯底主义：从二世纪兴起的一群诺斯底基督徒，相信圣子和圣灵只是来自真神的“反射”（永远），如其它拟人化了的品德一般。
Arians: followers of Arius, and influential teacher of the early fourth century who denied the full divinity of Christ, saying he was a lesser being.
阿里乌派：是阿里乌（或译作亚流，第四世纪初期一位有影响力的教师）的跟随者，否认基督的完美神性，说他次于神.
Eunomians: Fourth century false teachers who believed that the Son of God did not possess the same divine being as does the Father.
优诺米派：第四世纪的假教师，相信神的儿子不具有像圣父一样的神性。
Muslims: Refers to the religion of Islam. They also deny the Trinity.
穆斯林：指伊斯兰教徒，他们同样否认三位一体。
Followers of Paul of Samosota denied that Jesus is eternal with the Father.
撒摩撒他之保罗的信徒否认耶稣基督和圣父一样永恒。
Thought question: What do these many heresies indicate about the doctrine of God?
思考题：很多这些异端邪说对有关神的教义的扭曲说明了什么？
The true and saving faith begins with God. The Augsburg Confession begins with who the one true God is.
真正的得救信心是从神开始的。奥格斯堡宣言从一开始就阐述这位独一的真神是谁。
The authors of the Augsburg Confession wanted to demonstrate that their beliefs agreed with what the ancient church believed and taught.
奥格斯堡宣言的作者们想要声明，他们的信仰与古时教会所相信和教导的内容是一致的。
Christians are often separated by distance in this world. Yet all Christians (past and present) are united in the Holy Christian Church through faith in the one true God.
基督徒在这个世界常被距离隔开，然而所有基督徒（无论过去还是现在）却因着相信独一真神而在圣洁基督教会中联合起来。
Who is the God of the Bible?
圣经中的神是谁？
Read Deuteronomy 6:4.
Question: What does this sentence say about “the LORD our God”?
问题：这句话让我们对“耶和华我们的神”有怎样的认识？
Answer: The LORD is _____.
答：耶和华是_____。
Read 1 Corinthians 8:4.
Question: Is there any God other than “the LORD our God”?
Answer: _____. There is only one true God.
读哥林多前书8：4。
问：除“耶和华我们的神”之外还有其它神吗？
答：_____。真神只有一位。
Just as emphatic as the Bible is about the essence of God being one, so also the Bible is quite emphatic that there are three persons in the one divine being. We call this truth the “Trinity” – three persons, yet one God.
正如圣经强调神只有一位一样，圣经也同样强调神有三个位格。我们称这个真理为“三位一体”——三个位格（个体），但只有一位神。
Read Isaiah 48:16.
True or false: This passage mentions the 3 persons of the 1 true God.
读以赛亚书48:16。
判断正误：这段话提到了一位真神的三个位格。
Read Acts 5:3-4.
Jehovah Witnesses are a modern day version of the Arians (followers of Arius). The Arians are mentioned in Article 1. The Arians denied that Jesus is true God. The Arians – just like the Jehovah’s Witnesses - also denied that the Holy Spirit is God.
How do these verses (Acts 5:3-4) prove that the Holy Spirit is God?
读使徒行传5：3-4。
耶和华见证会是阿里乌派（阿里乌追随者）的现代翻版。信条1中提过阿里乌派。阿里乌派否认耶稣是真神，它和耶和华见证会一样，也否认圣灵是神。
这些经文（徒5：3-4）如何证明圣灵是神？
Regarding the Son, the question is frequently raised whether he is God of equal rank with the Father or whether he is less than the Father. There was, indeed, a time when the Son “humbled himself” and became “obedient” to the Father, even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). But this very fact shows that originally he was equal with God. He is not God of second rank, but he and the Father are one.
论到子，常有问题提到他是否与父神并列，还是附属于父神。确实有一段时间，子“谦卑自己”，向父神“顺服”，以至于死，且死在十字架上（腓2：8）。然而，正是这一事实表明，他与父原本平等。他并不是次于神，而是与父原为一。
Conclusion:
“We worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God, without mixing the persons or dividing the divine being…yet they are not three Gods, but one God…And within this Trinity none comes before or after; none is greater or inferior, but all three persons are coequal and coeternal” (Athanasian Creed).
结论：
“我们敬拜的是有着三个位格（个体）的一位神；三个位格（个体）却是一位神，不能将三个个体混在一起，也不能将神分割开来—他们却不是三位神，而是一位—而且在这个三位一体里面，没有一个在前或在后的；也没有哪一个更大或更次，而是三个个体都是均等，都同样永恒”（亚大纳西信经）
Review of Article 1 – About God
回顾信条1——论神
Prepare your answers so we can review Article 1 at the start of our next session.
请预备好你的答案，使我们在下节课开始时能复习信条1的内容。
Who is the one true God?
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独一真神是谁？
Read Zechariah 2:10-11.
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读撒迦利亚书2：10-11。
In verse 10, who is the person who says “I am coming and I will live among you”? (See Zechariah 9:9 or Matthew 21:4-5 for additional help.)
在第10节中，说“我要来住在你中间”的人是谁？（你可以在撒迦利亚书9:9或马太福音21:4-5得到更多帮助。）
Who is this person according Zechariah 2:10?
根据撒迦利亚书2:10，这人是谁？
In verse 11 who is the person of the Trinity who is named “the LORD Almighty”?
在第11节中，被称为“万军之耶和华”的是三位一体的哪个位格？
How can you use these verses to show your friend that the Old Testament reveals the mystery that the true and only God is the Triune God?
你怎样使用这些经文向你的朋友解释旧约圣经揭示的这个奥秘，即独一的真神是三位一体的神？
Read Matthew 28:19
读马太福音28:19
How does the word “name” indicate the unity of the 3 persons of God?
“名字”一词如何表明神的三个位格的一体性？
Read Ephesians 2:18
读以弗所书2:18
Explain: This passage reveals how important each of the 3 persons of the Trinity is to us.
说明：这段经文揭示了三位一体真神的每一个位格对我们的重要性。
Many have denied the Trinity in many different ways and for many different reasons. Some false teachers have stated that the Old Testament has no indication of a Triune God in it. Use only the Old Testament to teach the doctrine of the Trinity.
很多人以各种理由用不同方式否认神的三位一体。一些假教师说旧约圣经没有提到神的三位一体。（作业：使用旧约经文来教导神的三位一体真理。
Passages that can help you include the following:
- Genesis 1:26-27
- Numbers 6:22-27
- Isaiah 6:3
- Isaiah 48:16
- Isaiah 61:1 (Compare Luke 4:16-21)
- Zechariah 2:10-11
你可以从以下经文获得帮助：
- 创世纪1：26-27
- 民数记6：22-27
- 以赛亚书6：3
- 以赛亚书48：16
- 以赛亚书61：1（可与路加福音4：16-21进行比较）
- 撒迦利亚书2：10-11
Mention some religions which may appear to be Christian [because they claim to teach from the Bible] but in fact these religions do not worship the true and only God.
一些宗教看起来像是基督教[因为他们声称自己在教导圣经]，但实际上却并不敬奉独一真神。列出其中的一些。
Reading Assignment for Next Session 下节课阅读任务
Augsburg Confession 奥格斯堡宣言
Article 2: About Original Sin 信条2：关于原罪2
1] Our churches also teach that since Adam’s fall into sin, all men who are fathered in the normal physical way are conceived and born with sin. This means that they are born without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with evil desires. 2] This disease, or original sin, truly is sin. It condemns and brings eternal death to those not born again through Baptism and the Holy Spirit.
1] 我们教会也教导, 由于亚当犯罪, 所有从肉身而生的人就都在成胎和出生时有了罪。这意味着他们生来就对上帝没有敬畏，没有信靠，却带着邪恶的欲望。2] 这种疾病或原罪是真实的罪。对于那些没有通过洗礼和圣灵而重生的人，这就定了他们的罪，并带来永远的死亡。
3] Our churches condemn the followers of Pelagius and all others who deny that original sin is truly sin. Such people argue that humans can be justified before God by their own strength and reason. This lessens the glory of Christ’s work and its benefits.
3] 我们教会谴责贝拉基追随者以及否认原罪是真实的罪的其他人。这些人认为人可以靠自己的力量和方式在上帝面前称义。这种观点抹杀了基督救赎工作的荣耀和果效。
Optional Reading Assignment for Next Session
下节课可选性阅读任务
The Apology to (the defense of) the Augsburg Confession Article 2 (1) Original Sin
对奥格斯堡宣言信条2的辩护（1）原罪
The English translation can be found at 你可以在以下网址找到英译本：http://bookofconcord.org/defense_2_originalsin.php#article2