10.2 这种有效的恩召惟独处于上帝白白和特别的恩典，而绝非由于祂在人里面预见到什么1；在这一过程中，人是完全被动的，直到圣灵使他活过来，并更新他2，他才有能力回应这一呼召，领受其中所显明并传递的恩典3。

1 提后1:9；多3:4-5；弗2:4-5、8-9；罗9:11；2 林前2:14；罗8:7；弗2:5；3 约6:37；结36:27；约5:25。

10.2 This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man,1 who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit,2 he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it.3

1 2 Tim 1:9; Tit. 3:4–5; Eph 2:4–5, 8–9; Rom 9:11; 2 1 Cor 2:14; Rom 8:7; Eph 2:5;  3 Jn 6:37; Ezek 36:27; Jn 5:25.

在前一章节里，我们承认了关于有效恩召的受领者、时间、工具、施行者、本质、方法和有效性。但是以让我们的理解非常明确，并不被错误的意见所动摇，我们又承认另外两个关于这教义的真理：

In the previous paragraph, we have already been given to confess concerning the recipients, timing, instrument, agent, nature, method and efficacy of the effectual call. But in order that we may be very clear in our understanding and unassailable by false opinions, we are given to confess two additional verities regarding the doctrine:

第一，有效恩召是完全出自于“上帝白白和特别的恩典”，而绝非“由于祂在人里面预见到什么”（参考：提后1:9）。上帝并非因为选民做些什么，或预见选民会做些什么，而使选民有效蒙召。选民的一切正面回应——包括悔改、信心和善行——都是从有效恩召而生的，而有效恩召乃是上帝恩慈地、白白地赐给选民的。因此，实际上我们不可能知道上帝将谁有效蒙召；而基于某人的善行求上帝奖赏他，使他有效蒙召，也是错误的。

Firstly, the effectual call is of “God’s free and special grace alone,” rather than “from anything at all foreseen in man” (cf. 2 Tim 1:9). God does not call His elect in response to anything that he has done, or in anticipation of anything that he would do. All the positive responses of the elect,—including repentance, faith and good works,—flow from the effectual call, which God graciously and freely bestows. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, it is impossible to see whom God would gift the effectual call. Thus, it is wrong to ask God to reward anyone with the effectual call on the basis of his apparent good deeds.

第二，罪人在有效恩召的过程中，是“完全被动的，直到圣灵使他活过来，并更新他”。我们之前认识到在普通的状况中，圣灵总是采取传道来有效蒙召。这道和灵的协作也许能以主耶稣使拉撒路复活的记载说明。拉撒路已死了，又在腐烂。主耶稣呼召他说：“拉撒路出来！”拉撒路能听到并顺从这个指令，完全是因为在上帝的呼声传到他的耳朵那一瞬间，神圣的权威使他从死里复活。当传道者以福音恳求人悔改和相信耶稣的事情，而被圣灵致使复活的权威所前导，得救的有效恩召才能被属灵死亡的灵魂听到顺从。它不是每当圣道传出去的时侯就发生，但它发生的时候，心灵重生接着的便是带来信心与悔改的救恩。

In the second place, in the effectual calling, the sinner is “altogether passive… until [he is] quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit.” We noted previously that under ordinary circumstances, the Holy Spirit always makes use of the preached Word as a means of effectual calling. This coordination of the Word and Spirit may be illustrated by the Lord’s raising of Lazarus. Lazarus was dead and rotting. The Lord called out to him: “Lazarus, come forth.” Lazarus could hear and obey the command only because divine power raised him from the dead in the split second it took for the voice of the Lord to travel to his ears. Effectual calls to salvation are heard and obeyed by spiritually dead souls when gospel entreaties to repent and believe issued by preachers are preceded by the resurrecting power of the Holy Spirit. It does not always occur when the Word is preached. But when it does, salvation ensues with faith and repentance following the regeneration of the soul.

在重生或有效蒙召之前，罪人可以做许多被人认为是寻求救恩的事。他可以上教堂，与信徒谈道，听道，读经，甚至有时祷告。他可能会自觉有罪，也可能因此会转离生命中较为明显的罪恶。但在上帝眼里，这些行为都没有功德可论，也不能使他们称义。圣经教导我们，这样的人同样是死在罪恶过犯中的。的确，我们虽然从经验中知道，上帝通常会使那些寻求者重生，但罪人的任何行为都不可能帮助他得到恩召，因为恩召是完全本乎恩典的。只有在罪人重生之后，圣灵便开始使他归正并成圣。在归正中，上帝的儿女有责任使用蒙恩之道。因此，在某种意义上说，他已经不再是完全被动的，但他仍然是因为上帝在他心中的工作而能回应的，就如保罗所坚持说的：“因为你们立志行事都是上帝在你们心里运行，为要成就祂的美意”（腓2:13）。

Before regeneration or effectual calling, a sinner may do many things which may be reckoned as activities of seeking salvation. He comes to church, he talks to believers, he listens to sermons, he reads the Bible, and he sometime prays. He may even feel conviction of sin, and turn away from the grosser sins in his life. But none of these activities are meritorious or righteous in the eyes of God. The Scripture teaches us that even such a person is dead in trespasses and sin. Indeed, although, experience teaches us that God normally regenerates those who are seeking, none of these activities contribute to the effectual calling of the sinner, which is entirely by grace. It is only after a sinner is regenerated, that the Holy Spirit begins to convert or sanctify him. The child of God, in conversion, has the responsibility of making use of the means of grace. Thus, he is in a sense, no longer entirely passive once he is effectually called. Nevertheless, the sinner acts as he is acted upon by God, for as Paul insists: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil 2:13).

原文作者： 林集章 、蔡林斯 、欧阳效正
中文譯者： 何恩杰，刘行
來源： Westminster Confession of Faith — With Brief Pastoral Comments  

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