《西敏信条教牧简释 8.2》

Posted on Aug 12, 2020 by admin
8.2    上帝的儿子,三一上帝的第二位格,既是真实和永恒的上帝,与父同质同等,当日期满足的时候,就取了人性1及其诸般基本的禀赋和共有的软弱,只是没有罪2;所以,祂因着圣灵的权能,在童贞女马利亚腹中成胎,从她的本质取了人性 3。因此,完整无缺却又截然不同的神人二性,不可分离地联合在一个位格里面,不相转化,不相混合,不相混乱4。这一位格是真正的上帝,也是真正的人,但只是一个基督,是上帝与人之间惟一的中保5。
 
1约1:1,14;约壹5:20;腓2:6;加4:4;2来2:14、16-17;4:15;3路1:27、31、35;加4:4;4路1:35;西2:9;罗9:5;彼前3:18;提前3:16;5罗1:3、4;提前2:5
 
8.2  The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man’s nature,1 with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin;2 being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance.3 So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion.4 Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.5
1 Jn 1:1, 14; 1 Jn 5:20; Phil. 2:6; Gal 4:4; 2 Heb 2:14, 16–17; Heb 4:15;  3 Lk 1:27, 31, 35. Gal 4:4;  4 Lk 1:35; Col. 2:9; Rom 9:5; 1 Pet 3:18; 1 Tim 3:16;  5 Rom 1:3–4; 1 Tim 2:5.

之前在我们信条的第二章,第三节,我们理解了我们的上帝是三一上帝,而上帝的儿子是三一上帝的第二个位格。在这一章节中,我们更深入的学习关于上帝的儿子的人性,尤其是祂神性和人性之间的关系。


Earlier in chapter 2 section 3 of our confession, we saw that our God is Triune and that Son of God is the second person of the Trinity. Here in this section, we learn more about the Person of the Son of God, particularly the relationship between His divine and human nature.

自永恒起,上帝的儿子与圣父同质同等,也同权,同荣。然而,当日期满足,即圣父所指定之时,祂就取了人性。这表明了上帝的儿子并不是一直有人性之存在的; 祂在人类历史中的一刻才成为人。祂所取的人性有其所有主要的性质,无论是物质的还是属灵的。所以,举例而言,正如人有身体和灵魂,耶稣也有一个完全是人类的身体和完全是人类的灵魂。同时,作为一个完完全全的人活在一个堕落的世界,耶稣经历了堕落的人性所遭受的各种衰弱。唯一的不同之处是,祂的本性是无罪的,祂也从未犯过罪。

From all eternity, the Son of God shares the same nature or substance with the Father and is equal with the Father in power and glory. However, in the fullness of time, i.e. the time appointed by the Father, He took to Himself the nature of man. This means that the Son of God did not always exist as man but He became man at some point in human history. He took to Himself the full nature of man with all its essential properties, whether physical or spiritual. So for example, just as man has both a body and a soul, so Jesus has both a fully human body and a fully human soul. And as a full human being living in a fallen world, Jesus experienced the full range of infirmities and frailties of fallen humanity. The only exception was that He did not have a sinful nature and He never once sinned.

值得注意的是,我们的信条在这一章节两次用了”本质”这一次来解释基督的本性。祂和圣父有同样的本质,也取了马利亚的本质。这强调了一个事实: 耶稣即完全是神,也完全是人。
 
It is interesting to note how our confession uses the word “substance” twice in this section when speaking about the nature of Christ. He is of one substance with the Father and He is also of Mary’s substance. This emphasizes the fact that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human.

最后,关于这两种本质或性质的关系,我们要注意它们是不可分离地联合在一个位格–三一上帝的第二个位格–之中。这两个本质不相转化,也就是说神性没有变成人性,或人性变成神性。它们也不相混合,即是说它们没有结合并形成第三种本质 — 既不是神性也不是人性的本质。它们也不相混乱,即是说我们可以辨别(但不是分离)这两种本质。

Finally, as to the relationship between these two substances or natures, we should note that they are inseparably joined together in one divine person, i.e. the second person of the Godhead. These two natures are without conversion or change, meaning to say that the divine did not become human or the human become the divine. They are also without composition, which means they did not merge into one to form a third kind of being – one that is neither divine nor human. And they are without confusion, which means that we can actually distinguish between (but not separate) the two natures.  

作为总结,我们可以说上帝和人之间独一无二的中保是耶稣基督,祂完全是神也完全是人,有这两个截然不同的本性,联合在一个位格里,直到永恒。

In summary, we can say that the one and only mediator between God and man is Jesus Christ, who is both fully God and fully man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.

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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