第十章 论有效恩召
10.1 上帝乐意在祂所指定和悦纳的时候，藉着祂的道和灵1，有效地呼召那些预定得永生的人——也惟独这些人2，使他们脱离与生俱来的罪和死亡的状态，藉着耶稣基督而蒙恩得救3。属灵性地，也是拯救性地，光照他们的心思意念，使他们得以明白关乎上帝的事4；除掉他们的石心，赐给他们一颗肉心5；使他们的意志更新而变化，用祂的大能使他们定意向善6，并有效地吸引他们归向耶稣基督7。然而，他们本是藉着基督的恩典而甘心乐意，以至于他们来到基督面前，是最自由的8。
1帖后2:13，14；林后3:3，6；2罗8:30；11:7；弗1:10-11；3罗8:2；弗2:1－5；提后1:9-10；4徒26:18；林前2:10，12；弗1:17-18；5结36:26；6结11:19；腓2:13；申30:6；结36:27；7弗1:19；约6:44－45；8歌1:4；诗110 :3；约6:37；罗6:16－18
Chapter X Of Effectual Calling
10.1 All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call,1 by His Word and Spirit,2 out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ;3 enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God,4 taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh;5 renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good,6 and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ:7 yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.8
1 Rom 8:30, 11:7; Eph 1:10–11; 2 2 Th 2:13–14; 2 Cor 3:3, 6; 3 Rom 8:2; Eph 2:1–5; 2 Tim 1:9–10; 4 Acts 26:18; 1 Cor 2:10, 12; Eph 1:17–18; 5 Ezek 36:26; 6 Ezek 11:19; Phil. 2:13; Dt 30:6; Ezek 36:27; 7 Eph 1:19; Jn 6:44–45; 8 Song 1:4; Ps 110:3; Jn 6:37; Rom 6:16–18.
主耶稣在祂婚礼筵席的比喻中，以此而结尾：“因为被召的人多，选上的人少。”（太22:14）。祂通过这句话揭示了不是每一个听到福音被呼召的人都会得救。这个呼召通常被叫做“外在呼召”。但使徒保罗也声明了“[上帝]预先所定下的人又召他们来，所召来的人又称他们为义，所称为义的人又叫他们得荣耀。”（罗8:30）。显然，保罗所指的是一种有效的呼召，在其中所有被呼召的人都会得救。我们信条的这一章节便解释了这有效呼召。
The Lord Jesus in the conclusion of His Parable of the Wedding Banquet declares that “many are called but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14). By this He suggests that not everyone who is called by the preaching of the Gospel will be saved. This call is commonly known as the “external call.” But the apostle Paul also declares that “whom [God] did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom 8:30). Clearly, Paul is referring to an efficacious or effective call in which everyone who is so called will be saved. The present paragraph of our Confession deals with this effectual call.
在此，我们承认有效呼召的领受者是“那些预定得永生的人——也惟独这些人。”那些被抛弃的不会接受到有效呼召，即使他们似乎回应了外在呼召。
Here, we are given to confess that the recipients of the effectual call are “all those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only.” Those who are reprobated will not experience the effectual call even if they appear to respond to the outward call.
有效呼召的时间是上帝“所指定和悦纳的时候”。有些人很早就被呼召，例如施洗约翰，在他母亲腹里时就被呼召；另外有些人很晚才被呼召，如十字架上忏悔的强盗。
The timing of the effectual call is God’s “appointed and accepted time.” Some will be called very early such as John the Baptist, who was still in the womb; others would be called very late, such as the penitent thief on the cross.
有效呼召的工具和施行者分别是上帝的“道和灵”。圣灵通常总是以圣道作为呼召的工具，正如保罗所说：“…我们的福音传到你们那里，不独在乎言语，也在乎权能和圣灵…”（帖前1:5）明显的是，祂并不是每一次在传道时都会有效地施行，因为道有时会洒在路旁，或洒在石头地上，或在荆棘里。但当祂的确施行时，祂首先使死的罪人重生，使他有能力以信心回应基督，从罪中悔改。
The instrument and agent of the effectual call are God’s “Word and Spirit” respectively. The Holy Spirit ordinarily always employ the Word as the instrument of calling, for as Paul puts it: “our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost…” (1 Th 1:5). It is clear that He does not always effectually apply the Word preached, for the Word sometimes fall by the wayside, or into the rocky or thorny ground. But when He does, He first quickens the dead sinner to enable him to respond with faith in Christ and repentance from sin.
有效呼召的本质基本上是圣灵通过传道的方式得到苏醒人、使人重生的成果。而选民的重生，作为他们有效呼召的一部分，包括“光照他们的心思意念，使他们得以明白关乎上帝的事；除掉他们的石心，赐给他们一颗肉心”，并“使他们的意志更新而变化”，以至于他们觉得基督是完全无法抗拒的。
The nature of effectual calling is essentially the Holy Spirit’s fruition of the Word preached by way of quickening or regeneration. And regeneration of the elect, which is really part of their effectual calling, involves “enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh” and “renewing their wills” so that they find Christ altogether irresistible.
但是即便如此，他们并没有只是继续单单地凭他们新的本性所行，因为上帝确保了他们有效呼召的有效性是根据“祂的大能使他们定意向善，并有效地吸引他们归向耶稣基督”。所以，主说道：“若不是差我来的父吸引人，就没有能到我这里来的”（约6:44）。在此“吸引”一词并不是指追求或说服。它或许也能被翻译成“拉”。保罗是被拉出，不是被说服出殿的（使21:30）。
But even then they are not merely left to act according to their new nature, for the efficacy of their effectual calling is also ensured by God “by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ.” Thus the Lord says, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (Jn 6:44). The word “draw” does not refer to wooing or persuading. It may also be translated “drag.” Paul was dragged, not persuaded out of the temple (Acts 21:30).
无论如何，藉着本性的改变，有效呼召并没有逼迫任何人，因为所有来到基督面前的人“是最自由的，本是藉着基督的恩典而甘心乐意”
Nevertheless, because of the change in nature, there is no compulsion in effectual calling for all who come to Christ “come most freely, being made willing by His grace.”
你有没有经历过有效呼召？如果有过，你一定会知道，因为你一旦去思考这一点，感恩必然会充满你的心——因为基督找到了你，并在你不配的状态中仍然将你带入祂的王国。
Have you experienced the effectual call? If you have, you will surely know it, for when you think about it, gratitude cannot but fill your heart that Christ has found you and brought you into His kingdom despite your unworthiness.
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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