English第四课 基督教信经
A. Creeds Defined 信经的定义
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The word “creed” comes from the Latin word “credo”, which means “I believe.”
“信经”一词来源于拉丁语 “credo”， 这个字的本意是 “我相信”。
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A creed is basically “a statement of what a group of people believes and confesses.”
信经从根本上来说是指“一个群体对他们所相信和认信的内容所做出的一份声明”
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A more complete and specific definition of a creed: A creed is “a firmly established statement that summarizes the essential articles of a religion and that enjoys the formal approval of religious authorities.”
信经更完整和具体的定义：信经是 “一份牢固确立的声明，概括了一个宗教信仰的基本条款，并得到了其权威的正式认可”
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A Christian creed is a formal, authorized statement and confession of biblical, Christian teaching and belief.
基督教信经是一份正式的、被认可的声明，同时也是一份合乎圣经和基督教教导及其信仰的书面认信。
B. The Purposes Of Christian Creeds基督教信经的目的
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To proclaim and summarize the biblical teachings that Christians believe
宣扬和总结基督徒所相信的圣经教义
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To teach people the vital doctrines necessary for salvation and church membership
教导人们关乎救恩和加入教会所需的关键教义
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To unite and identify people together in a true Christian fellowship
使人可以认出真正的基督教团契并且在其中彼此联合
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To defend the truth of God’s Word against false teachers and false teachings
捍卫上帝话语中的真理，抵挡假教师和假教导
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To preserve the faith of God’s people in Bible truth and against false belief
保守神的子民在圣经真理中的信仰，抵挡错误的信仰
C. The Creation Of Christian Creeds基督教信条的制定
Creeds were developed primarily because of some particular need or challenge that Christians faced. Some of these situations were:
信条的制定主要是由于基督徒们面临的一些特殊需要或挑战。 其中一些情况是
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People needed to be instructed properly for baptism and church membership
人们需要接受合宜的教导来领受洗礼并加入教会
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Dangerous spiritual errors developed that threatened the true belief of Christians
产生了危险的属灵谬误，威胁到基督徒的真正信仰
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Christians desired and required ways to promote scriptural unity among themselves
基督徒渴望并且需要有具体的办法来促进他们在灵里的合一
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Christians desired to fulfill God’s will that they testify to God and His saving work
基督徒希望能成就神的旨意，即为神和祂的救赎之功做见证
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Christians needed ways to determine those who hold faithfully to biblical teaching
基督徒需要有方法来辨识出那些忠实于圣经教导的人
D. Terms Used To Describe Christians Creeds用于描述基督教信条的术语
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“Symbol” = the confession of faith serves as a distinctive identifying mark or emblem
“符号、标志”=以某种独特的识别标志或徽章来表达对信仰内容的认信
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“Rule of faith” = a clear statement that serves as a test to determine correct belief
“信仰的规则” = 一个明确的声明，用以检验并且辨识出正确信仰
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“Foundation” = a settled statement of true belief and basic principles that allows for new formulations and clarifications of biblical teaching to be developed
“根基”=对真实信仰和基本原则的固定陈述，并且可以按圣经教导对其进行新的表述和澄清
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“Norma normata” (Latin = literally “the ruled rule” or “the authorized authority”, the creed serves as a secondary, lesser determiner of true teaching. God’s Word, the Bible, is the “norma normans” (literally, “the ruling rule”) which is the primary determiner of true teaching
“Norma normata”（拉丁语=字面意思是"用以制定规则的规则"或 “用以授权的权柄”，信经作为正确教导的次级的、低一等的决定因素。 上帝的话语，即圣经，是 “norma normans”（字面意思是 “用以制定规则的规则”），圣经是正确教导的主要决定因素。
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“Passport to Communion” = acceptance and confession of the creed allowed a person to be welcomed in the Christian community and partake of Holy Communion
“圣餐通行证（护照）"=接受并承认信经，就可以被基督徒团体接纳并一同领受圣餐。
E. The Ecumenical Christian Creeds基督教大公信经
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The word “ecumenical” refers to the general worldwide influence, acceptance and application of these statements of belief.
“大公 “一词是指这些信仰声明在世界范围内的具有普遍影响、被认可且应用。
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These creeds all have teachings that are drawn from the Bible, proclaim the saving work of Jesus Christ and express the persons and work of the Triune God.
这些信经都包含来自于圣经的教导，传讲耶稣基督的救赎之功，表述三位一体上帝的位格和工作。
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The three ecumenical creeds are 三个普世大公信经是
a) The Apostles’ Creed 使徒信经
b) The Nicene Creed 尼西亚信经
c) The Athanasian Creed 亚他那修信经
Part IV Review Questions复习题
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What is a creed?
什么是信经？
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List three reasons why Christians have developed and make use of creeds.
列出基督徒制定和使用信经的三个原因。
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What are we saying about a creed when we call it a “symbol”?
当我们称某个信经内容为 “符号、标志 “时，这条信经包含着怎样的意义？
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What are we saying about a creed when we call it a “norma nomata”?
当我们称某个信经内容为 “用以制定规则的规则"时，这条信经包含着怎样的意义？